This is such a longgg chapter, its not even funny! Anyway, I'm hoping to have another two chapters up this weekend :) wish me luck! To my wonderful reviewers!
Blitz-gurl-42: i know :( I miss Stormclaw!
The Goddess of Darkness: Here is your update! will have at least one more today, promise!
Moony: Your wishes have been granted, my dear friend :) althought i think the ending to this will leave you in agony! *hint: its a cliffie*
brokenpaw: your review made me smile :) truly, it did. I'll try to tone the fluff down a little in upcoming chapters and stick to building the plot up and throwing in some good action. There will be a few fluff-filled chapters in this story though :) And I just started writing this like, last week i think? It's all a blur ;)
EbonyBreeze of StormClan: Awwwz, thanks! *blushes*. As a writer, your words are the best possible response I can get! To know that you felt something while reading this makes me feel like...a milllion billionnnn dollars! Thank you so much! Your review made my day!
The Flower Bookworm: Okay, first, I must say, i love your name! And thanks :) I do try hehe. And Robin's death is coming up soon, friend, do not fret. All part of the plot, all part of the plan :)
Allright, thank you to my reviewers! I am really loving the responses to my story! You guys make my day, you really do, so keep it up!
Chapter 8
Ravenpaw panted, facing Stonepelt. It was nearly sunhigh, and they had been battle-training since dawn. She narrowed her eyes, planning her next move.
It had been a week since the storm. Ravenpaw had never felt more accepted, more loved, more safe than she had this past week. Lionpaw remained as a constant shadow, reminder, of what she had lost, but she tried her best to push it away. Yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push away the angry look in his eyes whenever she caught him looking at her. Their intensity frightened her.
She jerked herself back to reality, glaring at Stonepelt. Crouching low, she streaked towards him, black pelt merely a blur. Stonepelt readied himself, planting his paws in the sand. Ravenpaw allowed herself a slight grin. Perfect.
At the last possible second, she flashed to the right, slamming into his flank. Gasping, he turned, off-balance. With a triumphant yowl, she slammed into him again, pushing him to the ground. Purring, she crouched on top of him, pinning him down, crowing her victory.
"I did it! I finally beat you!" she laughed, tail waving as she got off of him. Stonepelt stood up and shook the sand out of his fur.
"Very good. Your shaping up quite well, Ravenpaw. Keep it up, and you might have your name in a couple moons," he purred, amber eyes glowing with pride. Ravenpaw straightened herself, holding her head high. Stonpelt's praise was never lightly given.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She had been a cat for almost two moons, but no one had explained what the warrior code was. She glanced at her mentor, debating whether or not it was a stupid question.
"Stonepelt? Can I ask you something?" she finally mewed, timidly. Stonepelt nodded.
"What's the warrior code?"
Stonepelt looked at her in shock.
"No one has explained it to you?" he asked in surprise. Ravenpaw shook her head, looking at her paws. Stonepelt let out a purr.
"It's okay. It's hard to explain. I'll try my best," he meowed, narrowing his eyes in thought. He started again.
"It's a set of rules we live by, given to us by StarClan. But it's more than that. It's something you must feel, something that is inside of you, something every clan cat has. It's the rush you get with every piece of prey caught, every battle won for your clan. It's the beating of the little kit's heart against your paw, the way you carry on for your clan even in leaf-bare, when all hope seems lost. It's the glow in a mother's eyes when she first sees her newborn kits, the father's pride when they open their eyes. It's the rustle of the leaves when the wind blows through them, the feeling you get in your heart when you look at your clan mates and think, 'This is home'. The sun on your pelt, the wind in your whiskers, the sound of rain in your ears, the sight of your friends all around you, helping you go on. I think, that is what the warrior code is all about, Ravenpaw. Every cat needs it, or their just an empty shell." As Stonepelt meowed this, his amber eyes glowed.
Ravenpaw looked at her mentor in awe, understanding dawning in her mind…and in her heart. Being a human…was worth nothing, if she couldn't have this. The warrior code. Maybe that was why every human always seemed to have an emptiness in them, no matter how bright and lively they were. Even Robin had had an emptiness, a hole, in her eyes. Because none of them, nobody, had this. She bowed her head.
"I understand," she whispered, and she meant it, with all her heart. Stonepelt gazed at her for a moment, then stood, shaking his pelt out.
"Good, now try this move…" They trained until a little before sunset, hunting on the way back.
As Ravenpaw padded into camp, she could feel the cold breeze blowing in. Shivering, she dropped her prey, looking up at the sky. Stonepelt paused beside her, worry gleaming in his eyes.
"First snows are coming soon," he murmured. Ravenpaw glanced at him, a little scared. Snow meant less food, and less food meant greater chance of sickness. Fear for Darkflight tugged at her heart, but she pushed it away. He would be fine. He had to be fine.
Bending her head, she chose a vole for Barktail. After she had taken him, the elders, and the queens their prey, she sat down to her own mouse, chewing thoughtfully.
As soon as leaf-bare came, Stonepelt would focus more on hunting than patrolling. Every clan would have their own worries, every cat fearing they wouldn't last the cold season. Worry gnawed at her. Sounded stressful, and she did not do good with stress.
Glancing around, she caught sight of Fernstep padding towards her, eyes glowing in uncontained excitement.
"Guess what?" she mewed once she was in earshot, voice quivering with happiness.
"What?"
"I'm going to have kits!" Fernstep meowed joyfully, tail waving with delight. She looked absolutely ready to explode with happiness. Ravenpaw burst into happy purrs, covering her friend's ears with joyful licks.
"What? When! Whose the father?" she asked, the questions tumbling out. Fernstep purred, sitting down.
"The father is Stonepelt," she mewed, eyes melting with love. Ravenpaw gaped at her, surprised. Then she shook herself, joy overwhelming her.
"Congratulations! He'll make a great father!" she laughed happily, glancing across the clearing at Darkflight. He stood and padded towards her.
"Does he know yet?" she asked, mischievousness entering her green gaze. Fernstep shook her cream head, gold eyes filled with laughter.
"I'm going to tell him right now. I'll be right back," she purred as she padded away towards her mate, who lay by the warriors den, eating. Darkflight reached her, giving her ear a lick in greeting.
"You'll never guess what Fernstep just told me," Ravenpaw laughed, looking at him lovingly. He purred with amusement.
"That she's having kits and Stonepelts the father? Oh, I heard you two yowling about it, don't worry," he meowed, tail flicking with humor. Ravenpaw gave a mrroww of laughter.
"I guess we were pretty loud," she purred. Darkflight sat down beside her, pelt brushing hers. They watched as Fernstep murmured something to Stonepelt, whose eyes grew bigger than the moon. Purring, he leaped up and covered her face with licks, tail waving with joy. Ravenpaw sighed, happy for her two friends. She loved them dearly.
"Do you want kits?" Darkflight meowed suddenly, looking at her with an unreadable look in his eyes.
"I do, of course," she purred, eyes glowing with the picture. Her, surrounded by three little kits, all playing with Darkflight joyfully. She looked at him, curious.
"Do you?" she asked.
"Yeah, although little Ravenpaws' running around is quite a terrifying picture," he meowed, laughing. Ravenpaw nudged him teasingly.
"I won't be Ravenpaw then. I'll be…Ravenfur or something," she purred, impatience and ambition pricking at her.
She wanted so badly to be a warrior, deputy, then leader. She knew she could do it, she just had to prove herself. She had been going on every patrol possible, hunting in her spare time, training every day, even when Stonepelt was busy. She had even spent a few afternoons with Barktail, learning the basics of herbs. She wanted to prove that she, Ravenpaw, an outsider, a loner, could be great. That she could be strong.
Darkflight glanced at her, not seeing the hungry ambition in her eyes.
"You'll be made a warrior soon," he meowed reassuringly. Ravenpaw turned her head to look at him, searching his pale eyes.
"But how soon? This clan needs more warriors, and more apprentices. There's only me, Lionpaw, and Echopaw now. Jaypelt's kits have a moon left, and Icefur's have five. It's too long to wait," she responded, worried. The clan needed more cats. Darkflight shook his head.
"Don't worry. Soon, Jaypelt's kits will be made apprentices, and you will receive your warrior name. Fernstep will have her kits and a couple moons later, Icefur's will be ready. You'll see, it'll work out," he meowed confidently. But Ravenpaw wasn't so sure.
With leaf-bare coming, Fernstep would be hard pressed to find enough nourishment for her and her kits. When they were born, there was a good chance one or two might not survive. It was harsh, but the truth. Icefur's were still young, barely a moon, meaning they could easily get sick in the cold moons.
But she nodded, knowing she couldn't do anything about it.
That night, Ravenpaw had nightmares filled with emaciated kits, hungry queens, wailing warriors, and a voice echoing in her mind, 'Beware the shadows, Ravenpaw'. The last horrifying picture was one of Darkflight, laying on the ground. He was surrounded by a pool of his own scarlet blood, pouring from a long, bloody gash in his neck. Ravenpaw woke up, screaming.
Panting, she sat up, looking around her den. Echopaw raised her head sleepily, looking at her curiously.
"Ravenpaw? Are you okay?" she meowed, words slurred by exhaustion. Ravenpaw sat there, legs trembling, wishing for Darkflight.
"I-I'm fine, just a nightmare. Go back to sleep, Echopaw," she stuttered, sweating. Echopaw nodded, lowering her head, and was soon fast asleep again. Ravenpaw looked up at the stars, shining through the gaps in her den. Fear pricked at her. What does this mean?
"Stonepelt, Snowpelt, Darkflight, Lilyfur, and Ravenpaw will accompany me to the Gathering. Last time, we were attacked by rogues. I have left you with enough warriors to protect the camp until we get home," Leafstar yowled, silver fur shining in the moonlight.
Ravenpaw felt a thrill of excitement. Her first Gathering! Finally! She ran through the forest beside her clan mates, excitement pounding in her heart. Darkfilght ran beside her, muscles pounding beneath his fur. They paused at the top of the hill, awaiting Leafstar's signal. Twitching her tail, they poured into the clearing.
By the scents in the air, Ravenpaw could tell the only WindClan and ShadowClan were there. Darkflight padded up beside her, looking around.
"Ready?" he asked. Ravenpaw nodded, following him to a group of cats who smelled like WindClan.
"Darkpaw!" cried out a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, amber eyes glowing as she padded up to him.
"I'm not Darkpaw anymore. My warrior name is Darkflight," he purred, nodding in greeting to her. The she-cat waved her tail, purring.
"Cool! My new name is Pebblefur," she purred in a silky voice. Ravenpaw padded around Darkflight's side, green eyes flashing. Immediately, Pebblefur's eyes darted to her.
"Who is this, Darkflight?" she asked, voice forcefully light. Darkflight let out a purr.
"This is Ravenpaw. Ravenpaw, this is Pebblefur from WindClan. Her friends are Rainpaw, Skypelt, and Finchpaw," he introduced, nodding in turn to a dark gray tabby tom, a blue she-cat and a slender light brown she-cat. They each nodded at the apprentice coolly, sizing her up. Ravenpaw sat down, curling her tail around her paws demurely.
"Nice to meet you," she mewed politely. The tension in the air decreased slightly at her light, friendly tone. Skypelt nodded once in approval., gray eyes flashing.
"And you. First Gathering?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Ravenpaw nodded.
"Are you the loner?" Finchpaw blurted out, big blue eyes shining innocently. Ravenpaw purred with amusement.
"I was. Now, I'm an apprentice," she stated proudly, holding her head high. She could hear Pebblefur chattering Darkflight's ears off, and wondered at his patience. Rainpaw regarded her stonily with orange eyes, showing no flicker of emotion.
"You speak freely for one who does not belong," he remarked, voice cold. Ravenpaw looked at him coolly, refusing to grow angry.
"As far as your concerned, I do belong. I have the scars to prove it," she responded calmly, gesturing towards the scar on her shoulder and one on her cheek, tokens of her battles. Rainpaw's eyes flashed angrily. He stood and stalked away icily.
"Don't mind Rainpaw. He's a good cat, just a little cold is all," Finchpaw mewed, glaring at Rainpaw's back. Suddenly, a yowl sounded in Ravanpaw's ears.
"Hiya!" Turning, she was confronted with a handsome ginger tom with a white chest and white paws. His orange eyes were warm and friendly. Finchpaw purred.
"Hello, Sunpaw. Meet Ravenpaw, from ThunderClan. Ravenpaw, this is Sunpaw from RiverClan," she mewed. Skypelt padded up to the ginger apprentice, giving him a friendly flick in the ear.
"How's the prey swimming?" she asked warmly. Sunpaw shrugged casually, never taking his eyes off Ravenpaw.
"Same old. Fat and delicious!" he responded cheerfully. Ravenpaw watched him through narrowed eyes. Darkflight padded up, finally having escaped Pebblefur. She turned her head towards him as he gave her a gentle lick on the cheek, settling down beside her.
Sunpaw's eyes flashed. He flicked his tail towards Darkflight.
"Hi, I'm Sunpaw," he meowed, tone guarded. Darkflight glanced at him coolly.
"I'm Darkflight," he responded, voice equally guarded. Ravenpaw gauged Sunpaw's reaction closely. His eyes narrowed as he gave a short nod.
A yowl sounded from the Great Rock. Ravenpaw glanced up, eager to catch sight of the leaders from the other clans.
There was Cloudstar of WindClan, a pure white she-cat with ice blue eyes. She was a slender cat, with a long tail and the build of a WindClan cat, small and agile. She regarded the cats calmly and coldly, giving nothing away.
There was Nightstar, of ShadowClan, a dark tabby with glowing orange eyes. He seemed only to be a shadow, tail flicking ever so slightly. He had a strong, study build, with broad shoulders and large ears. His eyes looked at the cats, measuring them up, filled with secrets.
Then, there was Spiderstar of RiverClan. He was a gray tom with black stripes, black paws, and a black tail-tip. Of all the leaders, he seemed the friendliest, his blue eyes shining with warmth and friendliness. He had a slender build, with a well-muscled body and large paws. He regarded the cats calmly, but not coldly.
And, of course, there was Leafstar. Her silver fur shone in the moonlight, and her slim body was contrasted with her muscled shoulders and long legs. Her long tail was curled around her paws, and her green eyes pierced the crowd searchingly. She spoke up first.
"Cats of all Clans, Spiderstar wishes to speak first," she yowled, stepping back respectfully. Spiderstar padded forward noiselessly.
"RiverClan is doing well. We have a new litter of kits born to Mistfur. We also have two new apprentices, Sunpaw and Bluepaw." Craning her head, Ravenpaw caught sight of a sleek blue she-cat, bowing her head shyly. Looking back towards the Great Rock, Spiderstar finished his report.
"The prey is running well and we are preparing for leaf-bare. That is all." Stepping back, Cloudstar padded forward smoothly, fur unruffled.
"WindClan also prospers. We have a new apprentice, Finchpaw, and a new warrior, Pebblefur." She waited as the clans chanted Pebblefur's name.
"The rabbits are running well, and we too prepare for leaf-bare," she finished, voice remaining unchanged throughout the whole speech. She padded back to her place. Leafstar stepped forward, only to be stopped by Nightstar, who growled at her aggressively. She stepped back as he stalked to the front.
"ShadowClan does well. Prey is running well, as other clans can obviously see," he yowled, voice filled with contained rage. Leafstar looked at him calmly, eyes giving nothing away.
"However, we are having a problem with pests. It seems ThunderClan cannot keep their dirty little paws out of our territory of late!" he growled, orange eyes flashing. ShadowClan yowled in support of their leader, while ThunderClan caterwauled protests. Ravenpaw glared up at the leaders angrily, fur bristling. Darkflight yowled beside her, eyes filled with fury.
Leafstar waved her tail to her warriors, who quieted down. Stonepelt looked up at the leader calmly.
"It seems, Nightstar, if you are going to accuse us of something, you should present evidence or remain silent," he meowed, tail flicking. Nightstar glared down at the deputy, dark fur bristling.
"I won't have a warrior telling me what to do!" he snapped. Leafstar stepped forward. Her fur remained unruffled, and her eyes remained untroubled.
"Do not talk to my warriors, especially my deputy, in that manner Nightstar. You may be leader, but even you must treat them with respect," she stated calmly, though her eyes flashed dangerously. Ravenpaw marveled at her ability to keep a level head in the midst of all this anger.
A red she-cat stood up, green eyes snapping at Leafstar.
"Is that a threat?" she growled, fur bristling. Ravenpaw looked at Darkflight.
"Foxpelt, deputy to Nightstar," he murmured. Ravenpaw nodded, turning her attention back to the leaders.
"Not at all, Foxpelt. Just a warning. Now Nightstar, Stonpelt had a point. Where is your evidence?" she responded, turning to Nighstar, whose tail lashed at her coolness.
"My warriors have found prey remains, stinking of ThunderClan," he growled, eyes daring Leafstar to challenge the accusation.
"My warriors have not reported anything of the sort to me. I can assure you, my warriors know the borders quite well. Might it be rogues, coming through our territory to yours? My patrols have recently scented a strange cat smell near the Thunderpath. Would that not be a reasonable explanation?" she asked calmly, looking as though she was answering a kit's question. Nightstar glared at her, but bowed his head.
"Maybe. But keep your warriors off my territory, or you'll find a battle on your paws," he growled, voice laced with a threat. Leafstar regarded him coolly.
"Is that a threat? I will pass the word along to my warriors," she meowed, allowing her eyes to show some of her anger. Nightstar nodded shortly, padding back to his place.
Ravenpaw couldn't listen as Leafstar made her report, chanting Darkflight's name mechanically. It was unlikely that it was a rogue. That strange smell had faded two days after it appeared and had never come again. Nightstar had said that they had been finding this scent for quite some time. So, some ThunderClan warrior was hunting on their territory, but who? Who would do something like that?
Her thoughts buzzed in her head all the way home, when Leafstar announced the news to the clan, and when she lay in her nest.
Finally, she came to a chilling conclusion.
Someone wanted them to fight. Someone wanted cats to die. Someone wanted ThunderClan to suffer. She felt a shiver go down her spine. But, who?
She remembered what the she-cat had said while they were fighting.
"You just don't give up, do you?"
"I have a mission. You must die!"
Until now, she had dismissed it as words said in the heat, the adrenaline of the moment. Now, though, she was forced to consider that some one might really be trying to kill, not just her, but her whole clan.
She stayed up all night, figuring it out, looking at it from all angles. At a stirring from Lionpaw, she jerked her head from her paws, waking herself from her thoughts. She watched as he stood up and stretched. His appearance shocked her.
His once-gleaming pelt was now ragged and clung to his bones limply. His bones stuck out from under his patchy fur, and his eyes were dull and empty, shining only with anger and hatred. His face was gaunt and his legs were thin. Ravenpaw was shocked.
Lionpaw looked at her, eyes gleaming with hate and something else. Regret. Fear.
"You will pay," he whispered painfully, eyes shining with something else, even more frightening. Madness.
Ravenpaw looked at him with wide eyes, shocked beyond comprehension. What had happened to the happy, handsome, laid back Lionpaw she had known?
"Not in blood, oh no. You will pay in hurt. I will hurt you more than you hurt me, just so you know what pain is," he whispered fiercely, padding past her on unsteady paws. Ravenpaw watched him go, fear and shock wresting control of her mind. Stumbling out of her den, she sat down with a thud and watched as Lionpaw padded out into the forest.
Lionpaw. What had happened?
Startling at the sound of paws, she jumped to see Darkflight behind her. He looked at her, concerned.
"You okay?" he asked, taking a step forward. Ravenpaw could only shake her head, eyes wide. She close them, calming herself. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to see Darkflight looking at her fearfully.
"I'm fine. Lionpaw, he just…he changed so much," she mewed, pressing herself against Darkflight's strong side.
"I know. I know, my love," he murmured. Ravenpaw felt a thrill at hearing those words come out of his mouth. She purred. He gave her a lick on the head lovingly. They sat like that until Stonepelt called her for training.
Ravenpaw padded into camp as the moon was rising with a few mice clamped in her jaws. She had trained until sunhigh, patrolled until sunset, then had hunted until it was almost moonhigh.
The air was freezing. A piercing cold wind blew into her face, and she shivered as she dropped off the mice. Only a few cats were awake. Picking up a squirrel, she padded to Barktail's den.
The little clearing was illuminated by the white moonlight. She padded in noiselessly, seeing Barktail pacing back and forth agitatedly. His fur was rumpled, and his eyes were deep in thought.
"Barktail?" she mewed hesitantly. He jerked his head towards her. It took a moment for recognition to register on his face.
"Ravenpaw. Thank you," he muttered, continuing his pacing. Ravenpaw dropped the squirrel, sitting and curling her tail around her paws.
"Something wrong?" she asked, concerned. She had never seen Barktail like this. He was usually the calmest cat ever. He shook his head restlessly.
"StarClan are trying to tell me something. I know it. For a few days now, its been a constant pull at my attention. Yet, they send me no dreams. It's like something is blocking them. I'm almost to the point of going to the Moon Stone," he explained, still pacing furiously.
Ravenpaw tilted her head curiously. He glanced at her, and stopped in his tracks. He stared at her, mouth hanging slightly agape. She shifted uneasily.
"Barktail?" she asked, a little creeped out. The look in his blue eyes, so much like his brother's, Stormclaw, was frightening.
"You," he rasped. He began to shudder uncontrollably. He closed his eyes, allowing the shudders to take control of his body.
"Only a raven's wing will bring salvation, not only to the clan, but to herself," he whispered hoarsely. Ravenpaw jumped. The words sounded so familiar…like a dream from long ago.
What did it mean?
Ravenpaw yawned and stretched. It had been three days since her strange encounter with Barktail. It was now the dawn of the fourth day. She padded outside, smoothed her fur down, then settled down for a good grooming. Stonpelt had told her he would be sleeping in that day, so she had some extra time.
After her fur was sleek and shiny, she grabbed a quick finch to eat. Picking off the feathers, she observed the waking camp.
Shadowfur called to Echopaw as he, Oakshadow and Snowpelt padded of for dawn patrol. Fernstep called for Lionpaw and they set off for the training hollow. Blackfur and Darkflight padded out for a hunting patrol. Stonepelt slept in, and Ravenpaw was eating. Leafstar lay outside of her den, also grooming.
Jaypelt's kits came tumbling out of the nursery, with Rainkit, Branchkit, and Robinkit following closely behind. Ravenpaw purred as she watched the fluffy bundles of cuteness roll around. She padded up to them.
"Ravenpaw!" they all cried, attacking her as one. Laughing, she fell under a mass of kits. Icefur came padding out, eyes widening with amusement when she saw Ravenpaw covered in kits. Finally extracting herself from all of them, she played with them happily. It felt good to just let go and be carefree, even for a few stolen moments.
The kits' innocence and joy was contagious, and Ravenpaw laughed freely as they chased her all around. Suddenly, she stopped dead. Rainkit and Graykit ran headlong into her. She didn't move.
Raising her black head to the wind, she parted her jaws. That scent…why was it so familiar? She closed her eyes, concentrating fiercely. Then, her eyes snapped open. The rogues! She gave out a warning screech, picking Rainkit up by the scruff and rushing him to the nursery. Leafstar dashed across, picking Robinkit up on the way and tossing her in the nursery. Stonepelt came streaking out of the warriors den. Neither of the great warriors questioned her warning, only bundled the kits into the nursery with their mothers.
Leafstar scented the air carefully, nodding.
"Ravenpaw, get Fernstep and Lionpaw from the training hollow, then find Shadowfur's patrol along the RiverClan border. Quick as you can," she murmured urgently. Ravenpaw glanced at her mentor, who nodded calmly. She streaked out of camp faster than a bolt of lightning, fear eating at her heart. What about the camp? Only two warriors were in there, and last time six had attacked. If that number attacked again, they were hopelessly outnumbered. Jaypelt could put up a good fight, and so could Icefur, but they were both out of practice.
Panting, she skidded into the training hollow, relieved to see Fernstep and Lionpaw.
"Camp. Now. Rogues," she panted, unable to say more, trying desperately to get her breath back. Fernstep nodded, fear in her eyes as she dashed towards camp, Lionpaw on her heels.
Pelting out of the hollow, she ran towards the RiverClan border. As she tore her way through the forest, she wondered where Darkflight was. Her question was answered when she ran smack into Blackfur, who yowled as she fell over into a very undignified heap.
"Ravenpaw! What in the name of…" Ravenpaw shook her head, eyes wide, panting. Darkflight came streaking out of the undergrowth, dashing to her side.
"What is it, what's wrong?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Camp. Rogues. Leafstar ordered me…to get…you. Hurry. Have to find….RiverClan…patrol," she wheezed. She felt like her lungs were burning. Blackfur let out a yowl filled with rage and streaked in the direction of camp. Darkflight gave her a worried glance.
"Go!" she snapped hoarsely. Nodding, he too ran off. Taking only a moment to catch her breath, she set her paws once again towards the RiverClan border.
Despair filled her heart as she pelted along the border. Their scents weren't even there! Where were they? Ravenpaw shook her head. She couldn't waste time looking for them. She needed to protect her clan.
A roar filled her ears as she ran through her beloved forest, fury filling her heart and lending strength to her limbs. Adrenaline pumped through her muscles, and she felt herself running faster, faster, faster, until she was merely a blur.
She streaked into camp, ears filled with the yowls and screams of her clan mates. She howled a challenge, one filled with pure fury and power. Her green eyes glowed with a challenge, and she lashed her tail furiously. She unsheathed her claws and dove into the writhing mass of cats.
There had to be at least seven rogues. Stonepelt hissed at a huge tabby tom and Blackfur wrestled with a skinny gray tom. Looking desperately for Darkflight, she found him pinned by two identical gray toms, the same ones who killed Stormclaw. In a second, Ravenpaw was there, screaming her fury.
Like a flash, she had one pinned down at the throat, ready to tear into his flesh. An image of Stormclaw flashed in her mind, and she tore at the tom's fur mercilessly. He wailed, squirming from her grasp and fled. She whirled and found the other had already fled too. Darkflight looked at her in awe. She was a sight.
Her black fur was sleek and her eyes glowed with power and fury, battle rage and exhilaration. Her paws were stained in red, and her tail lashed with fury. She yowled another challenge, leaping at a scrawny tortoiseshell she-cat.
"You!" she screeched as she wrestled with her. It was the same she-cat from last time.
"I will kill you this time!" the she-cat spat at her. Ravenpaw lashed her claws at the she-cat's face, drawing blood. Pinning her down effortlessly, she gave her a vicious bite to the shoulder. Howling, the she-cat turned tail and fled. Panting, Ravenpaw looked around for another opponent.
Two more rogues had joined the fight. Ravenpaw caught sight of Fernstep growling at a massive white tom, who advanced slowly. Ravenpaw charged towards him, snarling. The tom turned to face her, eyes widening with surprised pleasure. He snarled, planting his feet to the ground.
At the last second, Ravenpaw flashed to left, slamming all her body weight into his side. Yowling, the tom fell to his side. Growling, she lashed her claws down his side, and bit his hind leg. Growling, he threw her off and pounced.
Rolling to the side, Ravenpaw sprang to her paws fluidly. The tom faced her, grinning slyly, ice blue eyes glinting coldly.
"What a pretty little she-cat. Come with me. I'll show you what a true tom is," he snickered, waving his tail enticingly. Ravenpaw had never been more disgusted.
"Keep your grubby little paws off me, you piece of garbage!" she yowled, lunging at him. Swiping her out of the air, he pinned her down. Squirming, Ravenpaw tried to get out from under him. He was too heavy though. His eyes glowed with sick pleasure. He placed a thorn sharp claw to her face.
Glancing around, Ravenpaw realized that the rogues had formed a circle around him, keeping her clan mates from reaching her. Panicking now, she bit at him, trying to throw him off. He merely chuckled.
"I wouldn't move, little darling, or you'll just make it worse," he purred silkily. Ravenpaw cast another desperate glance around, searching for a way out. Stonepelt was pinned down, yowling for some one to help her. Darkflight was screeching, throwing himself at the rogues, trying to break through. Leafstar snarled at her opponent, slashing her claws, trying to get him to move.
She looked back at her captor, a calm settling on her mind now. She glared at him boldly, fearlessly, ready to die with dignity.
"Kill me then! Kill me you coward!" she spat at him. Her clan mates struggled to get to her, Darkflight screaming in panic now. Desperation blazed in his eyes.
"Ravenpaw, Ravenpaw, no!" he yowled, his words cut off by the tom that pounced on him, pinning him down. He struggled even more viciously.
Ravenpaw glared at the white tom.
"Name's Claw, darling. And don't you forget it," he chuckled.
"Your stupid," she stated boldly. Again, he only laughed mirthlessly. She spit at him.
"I think, I'll start at your pretty little face," he purred, raising his claw to a point just above her eyes. Ravenpaw glared at him fiercely, ready to die honorably.
She was ready to die alone.
What an agonizing cliffie! I'm excited to see what my fingers type next! AHH! Okay, so while writing this, I was listening to his song, 45 by Shinedown. Really, you guys should listen to them, they are amazing!
~Au revoir, Monkey!
