~Jay~

I traipsed through the forest, sniffing the dirt for the familiar scent of Firepack, bingo! I picked up a scent under the leaves, the faint smell of Leaf here. Yes! Leaf was here! There still may be some time! My heart flared with excitement as I bolt through the forest.

I take a swift turn, leaves kicking up from behind me. The ground becomes bare, grass becoming dense until all was left was the hard surface of the dirt. A breeze blew through the air, telling me I was closer to the cliff. My eyes glittered with excitement as I skidded to stop, rocks crumbling beneath my paws as I halted.

I snap my head around side to side,

"Hello?" I greet, more as a question. My ears reached forward for any sign of life or sound. The ravine echos, mocking me. I grimace. "Hello." I say even louder, the sound bouncing off the walls.

I hear grunts from the cliff wall. I dart to the side looking down. My ears perk up while the corners of my lips lift. My tail waves in joy behind me.

"Twig! Oak! Dawn!" I gasp, shaking my head at disbelief for the presence of Dawn. My heart flips as they smile up at me. Their fur is all battered and matted. Blood clotted on their pelt.

"Hold on!" I reassure the group, I dash to a branch, picking up the piece in my jaw, holding it down the cliff wall.

"Climb it!" I ordered through my clenched teeth, my muscles rippling through my small, lithe body. Ready for the impact. I feel myself lose control for a second, regaining my stance half a second later. Twig hoisted up, snatching my twitching tail in her jaw, adding to the strength. My paw pads burn as they rub on the gravely ground, Oak climbing over the edge.

"Go to the camp! I've got this." I commanded to Oak and Twig, they stare at me before nodding, bolting into the woods to the camp.

"Okay Dawn!" I growl. No response. No tug in the branch. No impact.

"Dawn?" Stress washing over me. I drop the branch, looking down. My blood ran cold.

She's gone.

Tears threaten spill from my eyes, "Dawn!" I yell in the ravine, hanging my head low in grief. Without time to mourn, I hear a sound.

I turn my head to a nearby shrub. The leaves rustling indicating movement. I feel myself tense up, my ears pressed against my head and my teeth bared into a snarl. A gray fox darted from the bushes, taking me by surprise and pinning me onto the hard ground. I grunt from beneath them.

"Well, well, well. So this is the new deputy of Firepack." A deep, scratchy voice sounds from above me. I look up to meet my attacker. To be met the blind eye and icy blue eye of Strike. My muzzle curls, baring my teeth even more.

"Hello to you too." I growl through clenched teeth. Strike chuckles, flicking his tail as I see a fox white as snow and a fox similar to Whisper emerge from the bushes. I've heard about these foxes, the ginger fox was Frostpack's healer. What is a healer doing in battle?

"Sky, Breeze, why do we show him what we do to Firepack fuzz balls." Strike sneered, fear flickering in my eyes, I writhe from underneath Strike. Failing to escape the Frostpack deputy's iron grip.

"Yes." The so called white fox, Sky insisted. Her muzzle peeling into a devilish smile. I look up to be met with Breeze, humming with approval.

"Perfect." Strike purred, yanking me off the ground by my scruff. Pain seeding in my pelt. I yelp as Strike hoists me up in the air, catching me in his sharp teeth once again. Smashing me to the ground, I whimper in agony as a paw is brought to my throat, feeling like my throat is going to collapse at any moment.

       I feel myself in the air again. Plummeting back onto the compacted surface, doubling over as I catch myself on my feet. Panting as I feel blood trickle down my back. I bare my teeth in a snarl. Breeze stepping up to the plate, her amber eyes thirsty for battle. She dashes towards me as I maneuver around her, clamping my jaw around her tail. Yanking her to the ground.

        Breeze cries as she's forced to the ground. Turning around to pin me. I release my grip on the opposing fox, raking my claws over her exposed left hind leg. Breeze barking on agony as I clench one of her paws in my teeth. Pressing harder the more she struggled, the warm gush of blood bathing my teeth. Breeze retreats, limping back into the forest howling in pain. I smirk in victory, gazing back to Sky and Strike.

Their eyes held a hostile feeling. Fire blazing in their eyes as Sky lunges towards me, taking me by surprise as we wrestled in the dirt, caking our fur in dust. I winced from the scratch on my back. I shook away the pain, growling.

"Good." Sky gave an evil chuckle, as if she found a match worth fighting. I bark at her, launching towards the white fox as I fasten my jaw on her ear, pulling her down. Tears pricked my eyes as I feel a claw come in contact with my cheek, blood dripping down onto the surface. I feel her own set of teeth dig into my scruff, flinging me into the air like I was a ball of moss.

       I gasp as the air is knocked out of me, grunting and whimpering in pain and hurt as I'm slammed against a tree. I cry, my pain-filled howl ringing throughout the forest. I feel claws press deep into my shoulder, ripping into my flesh as I open my eyes to be met with Strike's own pair. I clench my teeth to bite back a bark of mercy.

          Amusement flashed in Strike's eyes, him pressing my small frame against the tree while his hefty structure crushed me. My pelt burned, I whimpered as Strike added more pressure. Sky's claws clashing with my muzzle. I bite the white fox's paw, hearing her gasp of surprise as I flipped her over, inflexible, earning me a scratch above my eye from Strike. My whole body ached, my legs gave in. Giving Strike the advantage to press me further onto the tree.

I heard a grunt of surprise from Strike as I fell, I could feel his teeth, now smirking, shooting pain through my pelt. I gave a pain-stricken howl, Strike growling while Sky battered me with her paw. My eyes snap open as I hear a yowl, many sets of paws thundering their way to my destination. I feel Strike's harsh grip on me release, sending my crumbling to the ground, panting hard.

I hear a voice panting next to me, the yowls of foxes brawling in the clearing. A fox's tongue brushes against my ear.

"Seems like I've found you again." The sweet voice of Soi chuckled, I smirked, but the second it came it was gone as I slipped from the clutches of consciousness.

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I open my eyes. I'm still in the clearing of the gorge. I whimper, hauling myself onto my feet as I drag myself to the edge of the cliff. Collapsing next to it. My ears flattened down to my head as I let out sobs. I feel my body shaking as my tail curls around me.

"I'm so sorry." I repeated down the cliff, tears sliding down my cheeks. Voice cracking. I shake my head, she can't be gone. I look at my paws, they are the same, no longer. I haven't aged. This isn't a dream! Struck with realization my crying became angrier. My tears dripping down the valley.

"Come on kit, let's get you back to camp." Night's soft voice says. I sniffle before nodding. My legs are wobbly beneath me as he let's my battered body lean on him.

We get to camp, I drop in a nest in the healer's den. My flanks heaving from exhaustion as I feel Moon tend to me wounds. I drift away from sleep.

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I open my eyes, met with darkness. My ear twitched and averts to the pawsteps approaching me. I turn around to be met with Dawn. Her once beautiful eyes replaced with dead, dull emotionless ones. 

"You could of saved me."  She whispered. Dawn's voice was like the wind. "But I'm gone." 

"No Dawn, I'm so sorry I tried, but I just couldn't get there in time, I'm sorry, I couldn't save you." I croaked with small bits of energy, tears streaming down my cheeks.

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    "No!" I jolt awake, my limbs ache all over and I'm matted with blood and herbs. I let myself relax as Night's tongue laps over my cheek.

"It's alright," He soothes like if I were a kit waking from a nightmare, which I basically was. 

"Kit, what is the meaning of this? Tell me exactly why you thought this would be a good idea." Night spoke in a firm voice his soft gaze though not hardening. I sigh, telling him about the dream and how I saved Twig and Oak. The encounter with the Frostpack patrol and how Dawn had a silent death. 

   Night's mouth was in a firm line. His icy eyes laced with pity. 

"I don't want your pity." My sharp tongue spoke. He blinked at me, sparing me a glance as he strode out of the den. I will remember this day. It's going to scar like the three scars Strike gave me. I cringe. Three scars, three foxes, three opposers to fight. 

I will remember this day. The day of the first scars.