DISCLAIMER: THE WARRIORS SERIES, AND ANY CHARACTERS IN THE ORIGINAL ARCS (Firestar, Spottedleaf, Thunderstar, Riverstar, Windstar, Shadowstar, Mothflight, Ravenpaw, and Barley) BELONG TO ERIN HUNTER AND ANY OTHERS AFFILIATED WITH MAKING THE SERIES. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO USE ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION AS WELL AS ANY OTHERS MENTIONED IN THE DISCLAIMER OF THE ORIGINAL CAVE OF STARS. ALL OTHER CHARACTERS ARE FREE TO USE.

(5) Raven and Barley

Before the events of The Cave of Stars

Barley had found the she-kit outside of the barn in a rainstorm, sopping wet and mewling. He took it back inside the barn and licked it dry, letting it cuddle close to him. It squirmed at his belly and he smiled down at it.

"Where's your mother, little one?" Barley asked, not really expecting an answer.

The she-kit made a squeak in response.

From what he could tell, the kit was already weaned off its mother's milk; it certainly wasn't looking for milk at his belly and appeared to be searching for warmth. He'd seen tiny teeth in its mouth, but it probably wasn't able to eat completely solid food yet.

"You stay here," he said, gently setting the kitten in a pile of soft hay and licking the top of its head. He quickly spotted a mouse and was able to catch it, although his back leg ached in protest. He was growing older, and ever since Ravenpaw's passing, he'd been worried about who would hunt for him when he couldn't

At the thought of Ravenpaw, Barley's eyes welled up with tears. He missed the tom dearly and thought back on the times they'd spent together fondly, although somewhat bittersweetly.

Shaking his head, Barley padded back towards the pile of straw. At first, he didn't see the she-kit and panicked, but it popped back out of the hay with a tiny sneeze and he laughed.

"I'm back, little one," he purred, settling himself in the hay. He used his claws to tear up a bit of the mouse so it'd be easier for the kit to eat and allowed himself the rest. The kit ate the meat up eagerly before settling down to sleep, curling itself into a ball at Barley's side.

"What should I call you?" he mused, setting his head in his paws.

The kit didn't stir; she was asleep, and Barley watched the slow rise and fall of her side. She looked like Ravenpaw; her fur was a shiny black and she had little white tufts on her chest.

Ravenpaw… Raven.

"Goodnight then, Raven," he said, curling his tail around her and falling asleep.

It was several moons after Barley had found Raven, and since then, she'd grown lots; she was just a little smaller than Barley now and had seemingly boundless energy. On days where Barley felt a little too out of shape to hunt, she was able to catch food for them both.

Barley was taking a walk on that particular day, patrolling the area around the barn. In their youth, Ravenpaw would walk with him on such a beautiful sunny day; if he closed his eyes, he could pretend the other tom was there, walking with him and looking up at the sky that was too beautiful to miss.

Then again, Ravenpaw was with him, in a way – his smaller, female namesake was accompanying Barley today, dancing in the sunlight and laughing as a butterfly fluttered above her, watching as it flitted in the wind.

He was about to ask Raven if she wanted to turn back when he heard a raspy voice call "who's there?"

"Hello?" Raven called back, immediately locking onto the source of the sound like she would with a rat in the barn. Barley followed her warily, his senses not faring too well due to the onset of old age. The she-cat stuck her nose under a bush and he did the same.

Both of them gasped when they saw.

A dark-furred she-cat was laying on her side under the cover of the foliage, her head lolling to the side and her eyes cloudy. She didn't appear to have any external injuries, but her breathing was quite irregular (likely the reason for her raspy tone).

"Hello?" asked Raven again, coming closer to the injured cat. "Are you okay?"

The she-cat looked up at Raven in shock. "Blackberry – is that you, my darling?"

"I'm not Blackberry, I'm Raven –" Raven started, but Barley cut her off.

"I thought I lost you – you wandered off in that storm, and you were the runt of the litter –" The cat's body trembled as silent tears trembled down her cheeks, first from the crying and then as she was racked with a fit of coughs.

"Shh, shh," said Barley, being painfully reminded of how Ravenpaw had died. "You're alright."

"Who are you?" said Raven bluntly, tipping her head to the side.

The older she-cat began sob-coughing again. "Oh, darling, you don't remember me?" When Raven didn't respond, she said between coughs and now gasps of air, "I'm Rose. Your mother."

Raven was stunned into silence.

Barley touched his nose to Rose's. "Know that she was in good hands, Rose. You can rest easy."

Rose continued coughing, but looked up at Barley, smiling. "Thank you so much – I will."

The three of them sat there, quiet, as Rose's coughs grew louder and more painful, then ebbed as her breathing slowed. Soon, the only sounds were from the forest around them.

Barley led Raven, still in a stupor, home.

"She was my mother?"

Barley looked up from the mouse he was eating. Raven hadn't eaten much; she'd caught this mouse for him but hadn't caught one for herself. Barley realized that she probably didn't want to eat.

Raven was crying, the sound softer than the whispers of the wind, but it pained him all the same.

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Are you my father?"

"No," he replied, almost reluctant.

Raven digested this. "And my name was Blackberry?"

"Yes, but I didn't know that when I found you."

"Why'd you name me Raven?"

The question hung in the air.

"After my mate, Ravenpaw," he finally said. It was the first time he'd acknowledged Ravenpaw as that (aloud, at least). "He was the bravest, sweetest tom I've ever met."

"I'm not very brave," said Raven, frowning. "I'm crying right now. And I'm not very sweet either. What I said wasn't nice, was it?"

"You are brave," said Barley, abandoning his half-finished mouse to comfort her. "Crying, especially to someone else, is probably the bravest thing you could do. You're at your most vulnerable position, and all your feelings are on the floor." He tapped his tail on the barn floor. "And you stayed by your mother's side when she was weakest and when you didn't really know who she was. Ravenpaw thought the same – that he wasn't very brave, a coward, because he ran away from the Clans when he was in danger."

Raven looked up, no longer crying. "Can you tell me more please?"

And so Barley told her everything.

After the events of The Cave of Stars…

Raven stared out the barn door, watching the rain pitter outside, the same rainstorm that she'd been found in.

It'd been a little less than a moon since Barley had died and she'd met her first Clan cats. It'd been much longer since that day that she found and then lost her mother. She didn't remember all that Barley told her, but she did remember one thing – Ravenpaw was brave and sweet and smart and funny and always looked for the good.

Raven had decided that night that she would do the same.

I'm back :) A long extra for you guys today, and two more after I get them in!

This whole experience goes to show that I am horrible at posting and writing at the same time (usually I prewrite and submit them all at once because I understand the pain of having to wait for fanfic updates) and should never do that again. Regardless, thank you for sticking with me!