"Gather around, so I can tell bạn my life," Dawnstar đã đưa ý kiến to the Clan as she lay in the soft cỏ on a hot Greenleaf in the shade. "Here it goes..."

The first thing ever that I heard was, "Will she open her eyes? She looks weak. Is she okay?" I thought that mewing was from my mother, and it was. "Dawn will open her eyes when she is ready, Grayclouds! Do not worry!" Then a wet, cold nose nudged me. "Dawn, open your eyes, please! There is so much to smell, so many places to explore... you'll tình yêu it!" I tried and tried to open my eyes, to see the world, but they stayed shut. I squeaked in annoyance. 'Why can't I open these things?' I thought to myself, 'I wish I didn't even have them, so I can see the world before any newborn kit!' I sighed. "Maybe tomorrow," đã đưa ý kiến Grayclouds. 'Yes, tomorrow, I promise I will,' I thought.

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Okay. New day. I can do this. I tried opining my eyes so hard that my eyes started to hurt. I did a small growl. Then, I tried so hard, and my eyes flew open! "What is it, Daw- Oh, my StarClan! Her eyes are open!" Grayclouds licked me furiously, and I jerked back. Then, a dark gray she~cat with one gray splorch on her head came up. "Hi, Dawn! I'm your sister, Splash! How are you, with your eyes open?" I ignored Splash and turned my head to Grayclouds. I squeaked, startled when I saw how beautiful she was! She was white with gray paws and a gray underbelly, and she had beautiful deep green eyes. "Would bạn like to see your father," Grayclouds purred, she was very pleased, I guessed. "Yes! Yes I would like to see him!" I ran in tiny circles that made my mother mrrow in laughter. "Well then, young one, your wish is my command," She đã đưa ý kiến jokingly. I liked this cat. I liked her very much. Just as I was deep in thought, a huge, muscular dark gray tom with amber eyes stalked in. "This is her?" He turned to Grayclouds. "She looks beautiful!" He purred, then turned to me. "I am your father, Rock. We live in this place, near a big forest. He turned to a rock ceiling, then turned back at me. "You look very strong. I think bạn are the one." I stared at him. "What do bạn mean, 'The One?' I'm just a normal kit, right?" Rock turned at me. "Yes, but your future rests somewhere else. Not in this den, not in this medow, in there." He turned to a Humongous group of trees. The Forest! "Do bạn mean... I'm going to live... there?"

All day, Grayclouds taught me how to hunt, and Rock taught me how to fight. Although I was learning quickly, my mind was fixed on the fact that I was going to live there... maybe. Sometimes my mind would go blank, and I would just think of one thing: Living in the forest.

Rock told me stories about the forest when I caught big mice. He told me that there are many Clans, and many thêm will probably come. He told me that there is a leader, who gets eight thêm lives form StarClan, their ancestors. There is a deputy, who is một giây in command, and if the leader dies, it will become the leader. He told me about Medicine Cats, who heal all of the wounded, and have an even closer relashonship with StarClam thêm than the leader itself. Then there where warriors, who fight for their Clan, and hunt for it, and they can be Deputy if the leader chooses them after the other one's death hoặc a new leader. There where apprentices, who train to be a warrior, hoặc one apprentice can train to be a medicine cat. Queens are kit mothers, who nurse the kits, and elders are former warriors and queens, but they retired. He told me stories about loners and rouges, and we are loners. Kittypets where pets of Twolegs, these HUGE động vật that stand on two legs and have hair only on its head, and the males sometimes have hair in other spots, like their chin. I laughed and pictured how funny they would look like. Me and Rock would sit and talk all day! It was fun spending time with my father.

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When I was about one năm old, Rock looked at me and said, "It's time." I blinked. "Time for what?" Grayclouds bowed her head. We are taking bạn to a Clan called SilverClan. There, bạn will grow up to be strong." Splash ran up and yowled, "NO! Don't take her! I tình yêu her! She's my sister!" She threw her body in front of mine, but Rock just shoved her aside. "She must. Now go into the den, Splash, bạn and Grayclouds will talk there." Splash touched her nose to my pelt. Then she started to wail. "Why, why, why?!!! I'll miss you, Dawn, I will!" I wailed too, as Rock began to push me ahead. "I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU, SPLASH!" Splash wailed, "I wont forget you, either! Goodbye forever, Dawn!" That was the last that I heard from Splash. Ever.

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As I walked into the forest with Rock, the ground crunched beneath my paws. I pricked my ears up. "What s it, Dawn?" Rock asked loudly. "Hush!" I hissed, "There is a squirrel!" As I stalked it, it darted off. I gave a loud yowl, and charged to it. I pounced on it, and with a quick nip, it was dead. "Dawn, stop! Now!" I turned my head. "What?" The I heard a yowl. Then two. Three. Four different pitched yowls! I was frightened. Before I could do anything, I was pinned down bởi a HUGE tomcat, who hissed loudly in my ear. I threw him off. He got up and looked suprised. "What's the matter?" I sneered, "Badger got your tounge?" I scraped the tom's face hard, and sent him rnning away from where he came from. I looked around for Rock. He was sitting there. Just sitting there! Finally, Rock mewed, "Goodbye, Dawn, forever..." He got up, touched noses with me, and he walked away! "No! Rock, come back! I don't wanna live with them! I wanna live with bạn and mamma and Splash!" But alas, it was too late. Rock was gone. And all I could do was wail. "Hello, little one." đã đưa ý kiến a huge tom with powerful muceles rippling through his deep brown body, "I am Treestar, leader of SilverClan. bạn will live with us now." 'No!' I thought, "But I wanna live with Rock! And Splash and Grayclouds!" A big black she~cat hissed in my ear, "You are a Clan cat now! 'Rock' is GONE!" Then, I was pushed between two big cats, warriors I guessed, and I was taaken away from the forest entry.

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Treestar led me bởi a big rock. "Let all mèo old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a Clan meeting!" His yowl ran through the big place like leaves swishing in the leaves. Many mèo appeared, including the tom that I scratched. Treestar yowled at them to quiet down, and once they obayed, he spoke. "I think bạn are wondering why I brought a loner here today..." He paused as some mèo hissed unwelcomingly, and then continued, "She claims that she knows a lot about us Clan cats, and she will tell us about ourself. If she knows, she will become an apprentice. If she doesn't, we will kill her for wasting our time."

I stared at Treestar in horror. KILL me? I didn't want to come here in the first place! "Go on, little one." I growled. "It's Dawn." Treestar laughed. "Okay, little Dawn." I growled again. But I started telling the cats. "Well, my father, Rock told me stories on how bạn live bởi the warrior code, and StarClan, your ancestors. There is a leader, who has nine lives givin bởi StarClan themselves. There is a deputy, who is một giây in command, and if the old leader retires hoặc dies, the deputy will become leader. There are Medicine Cats,who heal the Clan, and have a closer relashonship with StarClan thêm than any Clan cat-even thêm then leader itself. Warriors are mèo that hunt and fight for their Clan- even at the cost of their own life. Apprentices are training to be a warrior, and one apprentice will train to be a medicine cat. Queens care for kits, and elders are warriors and queens that are now retired."

All of the mèo stared in amazement. "Wow," breathed Treestar, "You are one smart cat! Who thinks she should be an apprentice?" All of the mèo yowled in agreement but one hoặc two. Well then, from now until bạn earn your warrior name, bạn will be called Dawnpaw! And your mentor will be Seabreeze!" All of the mèo yowled in happiness, and Seabreeze bent down to touch noses with me, and then we walked away. "So, Dawnpaw, I hear that bạn are a loner..." I couldn't hold it. I blurted out, "I miss my mama! I wanna go home, Seabreeze! I can't take it!" Seabreeze didn't even look at me. "Sometimes, bạn have to give up your most presious things to understand the meaning of life..." I stopped. I pricked my ears and hissed, "Vole!" Seabreeze said, "Wow. bạn can hunt?" "Yes," I replied icily, "Now be quiet so I can kill it!" Seabreeze nodded, and I crouched down. Quietly, paw step bởi paw step, I stalked the vole so close, that I could feel it with my whiskers if I go any further. Before it scenced me, I pounced on it, and nipped it on the throat. As I looked up in triumph, Seabreeze looked proud. "You had the right crouch and everything! Do bạn know how to fight?"

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Seabreeze showed me all of SilverClan's territory, because I beat him in a battle, and caught 3 mice, 1 vole, and 1 rabbit. Treestar looked shocked at how much I caught on my first day. "Dawnpaw! bạn hunt, and fight well. bạn should have your warrior name now, but we will wait another ngày for your assesment." Treestar dipped his head and said, "Rest. bạn deserve it." I nodded and headed to the apprentices den, and layed down on a giường of moss. All of the apprentices where asleep but one. "Hi," he said, "I'm Honeypaw. bạn look like a very good hunter!" I yawned. "Thanks," I muttered half asleep. Honeypaw licked my ear and said, "You need the rest, bạn deserve it. It doesn't matter where bạn came from, I like bạn anyway."

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As I slept, strange mèo appeared. "Hello, young one. I am Blackfire, this is Honeypool, and that's Moonblitz." I was horrified. "Who are you? Are bạn Star.... Star..." Moonblitz spoke up. "Yes, we are StarClan warriors. We have something to tell you, Dawnpaw." I looked around. "What?" Honeypool hissed in my ear, "Before dawn meets the stars, it has to go through ngọn lửa, chữa cháy as sweet as honey, and defeat night first..." I yowled, "What do bạn mean?" As they faded away. "Come back! Come BACK!"

Suddenly, I woke up. My legs felt jiggly like the flesh in a mouse. StarClan has taked to me! Should I báo cáo this to Addertooth, the Medicine Cat? No, I shouldn't... As Seabreeze prepared me fo my assesment early, I noticed Honeypaw there, too. "We're having our assesment together!" He đã đưa ý kiến cheerfully. Honeypaw was very friendly to me. I lived him. I liked him a lot. As Seabreeze and Firestripe, Honeypaw's mentor, said, "You may begin your assesment," I bolted off.

A con sóc, sóc ran in my way, and I got that. As I tasted the fresh air, I smelled vole. As I followedits scent, I noticed that their was a den with a whole family of voles! As I killed all of them but two, I thanked StarClan for the thực phẩm and buried it to get it later. I thought in my head, 'One squirrel, 3 voles...' I tasted the air, and saw a mouse. I stalked it and caught it easily, and as I was looking for more, I bumped into Honeypaw! "Hey, do bạn mind?" I snarled at him. "Sor-ree," Honeypaw sighed and went the other way.

After the assesment, I caught 4 voles, 2 mice, 1 rabbit, and 4 squirrels. Honeypaw caught 2 rabbits, 4 voles, 10 mice (He found a chuột den), and 1 squirrel. Treestar was pleased with us both.

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"I, Treestar, leader of SilverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to bạn as a warrior in their turn."
Honeypaw, do bạn promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Honeypaw đã đưa ý kiến calmly.

"Then bởi the powers of StarClan I give bạn your warrior name. Honeypaw, from now on, bạn will be known as Honeyfire. SilverClan welcomes bạn as a full warrior." Treestar touched noses with Honeyfire, and then turned to me.

"Dawnpaw, do bạn promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," I đã đưa ý kiến eagerly.

"Then bởi the powers of StarClan, I give bạn your warrior name. Dawnpaw, from now on, bạn will be known as Dawnbreeze. SilverClan welcomes bạn as a full warrior." Treestar touched noses with me, and I jumped off of the Highstone.


"Honeyfire! Dawnbreeze! Honeyfire! Dawnbreeze!" The Clan cheered wile I dipped my head in embaressment. Honeypaw's flame~colored pelt shone in the sunlight as Trestar said, "You must sit vigil, remember!"

To be continued...