Chapter Seven: Wings Of A Raven

Author's Note: I have received two comments about me using the same words/expression too many times; rest assured that this one has plenty of word variety. So don't go around saying I don't like pleasing my readers! This is the longest chapter yet, wh00t!

If you looked closely at the walls of Barley's Farm, gazing into the dark shadows, you would see the prominent silhouette of a cat, just barely visible, for his pelt was as dark as the shadows. The cat paced anxiously, his black tail flicking through the air, muscles rippling under his sleek, well-groomed fur. The sun had just set, and the sky was bathed in midnight blue and black.

"For StarClan's sake, what are you doing, Ravenpaw?!" the voice came from a black-and-white tom, Barley, a loner. He was hidden in the shadows as well, but he perched under the windowsill, and moonlight bathed half his face in light, the other half in darkness.

The black tom stopped pacing, and he turned to look at Barley. "About my name. Ravenpaw," he meowed vaguely, his eyes distant and cloudy. He seemed to be concentrating hard.

"What about your name?" Barley asked, eating a mouse and listening only with the smallest interest at paw.

"Graystripe thinks that I should go to the Moonstone and change it," he meowed in a rush, and then lapsed back into a reverent silence.

Barley looked thoughtful. "Oh, I remember now," he meowed, finishing his mouth in a few gulps, "Clan cats have different ranks, yes? Kits need to have ceremonies when they are six moons so they can train as apprentices. And when apprentices are deemed worthy, they are made into warriors, correct?"

Ravenpaw nodded, still thinking hard.

"I thought only Clan leaders can give apprentices their warrior names?" Barley added, trying to get Ravenpaw to snap out of his concentration.

"Yes," the black tom meowed, leaping onto a hale bale and wrapping his tail around his paws. "That's where StarClan comes in. Graystripe thinks that I should go sleep near the Moonstone, and StarClan will give me my warrior name. But it's forbidden for a regular cat to go near the Moonstone, especially loners! I want my warrior name, but…" the tom trailed off sadly, "I don't know what to do, Barley. I don't even know if StarClan is watching over me anymore since I left the Clans."

The black-and-white tom got to his paws and padded over to Ravenpaw, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "What do you think you should do, Ravenpaw?" he meowed quietly.

Ravenpaw took a deep breath and shook his head. "I don't know."

"At the risk of sounding cliché, follow your heart," Barley advised, "it will never lead you astray."

The black tom got to his paws, his eyes glimmering with a newfound confidence. "Then I'm going to the Moonstone."

xxx

It had been a while since Ravenpaw had gone to the Moonstone; but even if he had remembered which way to go, he would have to take a different path anyways. He cut straight across the Thunderpath, narrowly missing a premature meeting to StarClan, and before long, he was traveling through the narrow pathway that would lead him to the shining Moonstone.

This small tunnel was what frightened Ravenpaw the most. He had never been in here before, because Bluestar had selected him to wait outside when she had made her trip to the Moonstone; but the tunnel was narrow and it scraped his pelt, making the process painful both physically and mentally.

Finally, when he felt as if his heart might burst out of his chest, he saw a comforting glow from a few foxlengths ahead. Excited, he bounded through, and was almost blinded by a magnificient, glowing light. The Moonstone!

Ravenpaw took a hesitating breath and a few tentative pawsteps towards the glowing stone. He curled up next to the Moonstone, his pelt shivering with the cold, and closed his eyes.

"StarClan…" he whispered quietly, "come to me…please."

xxx

"It appears we are being called on," a red tortoiseshell meowed conversationally, nestled comfortably in between the stars, his pelt gleaming in the starlight.

"By who? Bluestar?" It was a golden tom that replied.

Spottedleaf, a tortoiseshell she-cat, peered into the Moonpool and meowed: "It is Ravenpaw."

A different cat stalked past Redtail, the red tortoiseshell, eyes gleaming angrily, and snarled: "My son dare seek out StarClan? He chose the life of a loner—we don't go to him."

The tom was Darkheart, the father of Ravenpaw. He looked quite a lot like Tigerclaw, the same eyes, almost the same colored pelt, but that was only to be expected; after all, they were brothers. Lionheart, the golden tom that had been before mentioned, flattened his ears irritably.

"Ravenpaw was once a Clan cat, it runs through his veins and it is in his heart. Obviously, he still believes in his warrior ancestors."

"Darkheart, you were one of the cats to oppose Fireheart to coming to the Clan," Redtail continued, "but he has done much good to ThunderClan."

Darkheart flexed his claws angrily. "I have disowned my son. I will not see him!"

Spottedleaf's gentle mew rushed over the toms like soothing water. "Then I will go with Redtail and Lionheart."

Darkheart grunted.

Spottedleaf and Lionheart raced across the starry heavens, but Redtail paused to look Darkheart in the eyes. "I expected more of you, my brother." His eyes flashed once, and Redtail disappeared between the stars.

xxx

When Ravenpaw opened his eyes, everything was dark. 'No StarClan,' he thought miserably. He had no idea that taking the life of a rogue would mean never seeing Darkheart, his father, or Whitefeather, his gold-and-white pelted sister, killed in the battle of Sunningrocks.

Then he realized that he was not in the cave anymore—he was at Sunningrocks! The stones were bathed in starlight. Ravenpaw was wide-eyed. Only leaders talked to StarClan; and here he was, a loner, being sent a dream?

With a gasp, he realized that three bursts of starshine fell through the sky, falling like a meteor. The starlight fell lightly down to Sunningrocks, and gradually took the shape of cats.

Ravenpaw watched with bated breath and wide eyes. There were three cats; one had a beautiful dappled pelt, one was red, and the other was gold. With a shock, Ravenpaw yowled: "Lionheart! Spottedleaf! Redtail!"

He wanted to rush forward and touch his nose to Redtail's; after all, he was Redtail's nephew. But awe kept him still.

"Greetings, Ravenpaw," Spottedleaf meowed quietly, her eyes aglow. Ravenpaw crouched low with respect. "We welcome you as well," Lionheart mewed quietly. There was a pause, and Redtail meowed: "You come here to seek something, Ravenpaw."

It was not a question, but a fact. The apprentice dared to look up and forced himself to not flinch as he met his uncle's gaze. "Yes, Redtail," he meowed quietly, his voice almost a whisper, "I wish to take on a warrior name."

Lionheart narrowed his eyes and padded forward until his nose almost brushed Ravenpaw's. When he spoke, his voice was a low purr, rumbling through his throat. "So be it."

xxx

Ravenpaw felt a shudder run through his frame. "How did I get here, Redtail? I thought StarClan didn't watch over loners, only Clan cats."

It was Spottedleaf that answered. "You are still a Clan cat in your heart, Ravenpaw," she meowed gently, her eyes warm and soft, "if you didn't, we couldn't be here."

"But Spottedleaf," Ravenpaw continued, "I'm just an apprentice; only leaders are supposed to speak to StarClan."

Spottedleaf brushed her tail at Ravenpaw's shoulder, sending an icy shudder down his fur. "The cats of StarClan come to hail you by your new name."

When Spottedleaf finished speaking, she flicked her tail, and almost at once, stars showered down on Sunningrocks, taking the form of cats.

Ravenpaw felt a rush of pure, ecstatic joy when he saw Whitefeather, his sister—he was even pleased to see his father, Darkheart. The five cats that came down from the skies surrounded him, forming a large circle. They're pelts were dyed silver with starlight.

It was Lionheart that stepped forward first. "Ravenpaw," he meowed, his golden gaze penetrating the apprentice. "Ravenpaw, never before has a loner come to StarClan, asking to receive his warrior name. And you are not a leader, so you are not to be granted nine lives. Yet we give you gifts, for your life has been harder than any life should have been."

And with that, Lionheart padded forward until he was only a mouse-length away. "Ravenpaw, govern the rest of your life with kindness and respect; respect for those that deserve it, and kindness for those that are lesser than you." Lionheart touched Ravenpaw's nose and dipped his head. "Ravenpaw, I hail you by your name, Ravenwing. Follow your heart on wings as swift as a raven's, and help those that are unable to help themselves. I give you the gift of compassion." Lionheart's eyes glowed; and there was no fierceness in them, only a calmness. There was no pain when the StarClan cat touched Ravenpaw, but he felt a rush of confidence.

Then, Darkheart stepped forward, his lips curled back in what looked like a snarl. "When you left the Clan, I disowned you," he meowed gruffly, "but you have proved yourself a worthy cat. My son, I hail you by your name, Ravenwing." He brushed his nose against Ravenpaw's shoulder and whispered; "I give you the gift of swiftness. Fly with the speed of a raven's wings. Use this gift well."

It was Redtail that stepped forward next. "Ravenpaw," he greeted warmly, "although you were not able to stand up to Tigerclaw, you told his secret to Fireheart. He will unmask Tigerclaw for the cat he is; and you helped him do it. I welcome you by your name Ravenwing. I give you the gift of protection; ravens protect their young by sheilding them with their powerful wings. Use this gift well." Redtail brushed his tail against Ravenpaw's flank, and he stepped away.

Then, Spottedleaf came. "Greetings, Ravenpaw," she whispered, in that melodious, quiet voice, "I greet you with your new name, Ravenwing, and I give you the gift of intelligence. A raven flies swift and true, following his path with intelligence and all his heart. May you be as intelligent as a raven." Spottedleaf leaned over and rested her head on Ravenpaw's shoulder, then stepped away.

Whitefeather approached him next. "Whitefeather!" Ravenpaw couldn't help but gasping. He wanted to rush forwards, but he knew that it would be an unforgivable breach of etiquette.

"Hello, Ravenpaw," Whitefeather purred, her eyes bright, "you're life has been so hard in the Clan. But you will be happy with Barley, I know it. I hail you by your new name, Ravenwing." She paused, then continued: "Ravens are strange little creatures, but if anything can be said about a raven, it can be that they are loyal. I give you the gift of loyalty, brother; small it may be, but you never know when a little loyalty will get you out of a big mess."

he went over to Ravenpaw and pressed her ginger-and-white pelt against his, purring. "Brother, I have missed you so." Ravenpaw returned the gesture, closing his eyes…and then Whitefeather padded away.

The five cats surrounded him once more, and Ravenpaw had never felt happier in his life. He was surrounded by the cats he had loved and grew up with. Redtail, always so wise and compassionate and firm; Lionheart was kind and teasing and gentle, always ready to hunt or patrol or serve his Clan in any way he could. His name was true to his personality; his heart was as big as a lion. Spottedleaf, o gentle and kind and always so quiet; Darkheart, his father—always so gruff and prickly on the outside, but ambitious and eager to do good on the inside. Darkheart, with his pitch black pelt, dark as the shadows, and his bright amber eyes; they gleamed with a pride for his son.

"We hail you by your new name. Ravenpaw, from this day forwards, be known as Ravenwing. Although you have left the Clan, serve the remainder of your life with the gifts we have given you: With compassion, swiftness, protection, intelligence, and loyalty."

The voice that rang through the Sunningrocks seemed to belong to a single cat, yet the voices seemed to be melded together in a harmony of all the cats he had ever known.

"I will strive to be worthy of my new name," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes shining with starlight, his heart beating in his chest.

One by one, the StarClan warriors dipped their heads to him; even Darkheart. Ravenpaw closed his eyes, ready to be returned to his own world, but a cat hissed quietly in his ear: "I am proud of you, Ravenwing, my son." Ravenwing recognized the voice of Darkheart, his father, and the outline of a smile could be seen on his mouth. Darkheart was proud of him. That was all Ravenwing had ever wanted.

End Note: Dun dun dun! If Darkheart and Tigerclaw were brothers, and Redtail was also Darkheart's brother, that means all three are related. And if Redtail was Ravenwing's uncle...(sorry this is so confusing)...that means that Tigerclaw killed Redtail, his brother and kithood friend, and attempted to kill Ravenwing, his nephew! Sorry for the late update...

More to come