Ravenpaw felt like he'd barely closed his eyes before he felt the sharp jab of some cat's paw in his side in an attempt to wake him up again.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes into a slit and found Graypaw looking down at him apologetically.
"It's almost dawn. Tigerclaw and Bluestar are ready to go."
Sighing, Ravenpaw sat up and stretched. "Thanks. I'll be out in a moment."
Nodding, Graypaw stepped back and headed out the den, presumably to wait with the older warriors. Looking around, Ravenpaw realized with a sinking heart, that he was the last one up.
Even Firepaw had gotten up before him. A kittypet.
At least Sandpaw and Dustpaw would never know that he'd been shown up by Firepaw again. The lucky furballs were still curled up in their nests, free to sleep in as long as their mentors allowed.
As big of an honor as it was to go to the Moonstone, he'd rather stay back in camp working on his battle training more.
Quickly lapping up the traveling herbs Sandpaw had given him last night, Ravenpaw made his way out of the apprentice den and found himself freezing at the sight of how empty the camp seemed with just the barest hint of light from the rising sun.
"Ravenpaw!" A harsh shout from his mentor quickly brought him back down to reality. "Are you waiting for prey to walk into your paws? Or maybe Starclan themselves to come down and speak to you personally?"
A light touch from Bluestar's tailtip silenced him. "Give him a moment, Tigerclaw. We have plenty of time to reach the Moonstone." She turned her soft gaze onto him. "Although, we do have a long journey ahead of us."
Feeling as if his ears were burning, Ravenpaw lowered his head and quickly made his way to Tigerclaw's side. It was barely even dawn and he was already messing things up.
The group had just arrived to the camp's entrance when Lionheart came through with the Dawn patrol.
"May Starclan grant you a safe journey." Lionheart purred.
Bluestar dipped her head slightly. "Thank you. I know I can trust you to keep the clan safe while we're gone."
Lionheart purred again. "Thank you, Bluestar. I promise to keep the clan just as you left it." Lionheart turned to face Graypaw, expression softening slightly. "Remember, you are almost a warrior. Don't forget your lessons."
Graypaw gazed up at him, admiration shining in his eyes. "Never. I'll always remember Lionheart."
Ravenpaw just barely kept himself from gagging at the overly sentimental exchange. They'd only be gone for like, a day. Two max. And they were acting like this was the last conversation they'd ever have.
Thank Starclan Lionheart wasn't his mentor.
While the Deputy was a good warrior, he'd probably smother him with praise and empty platitudes. No wonder Graypaw hung around Firepaw so much. The kittypet's softness probably made him an easy comparison mark to judge progress.
...and he was stuck following the two to Highstones.
Starclan this was going to be a long trip.
...
The route to Highstones was surprisingly simple. They just retraced the route to Fourtrees and continued on towards Windclan territory. Even the chatter from the younger apprentices was semi-subdued as the two would take turns racing ahead a few tail-lengths at a time and exploring the area a little until Bluestar, Tigerclaw, and Ravenpaw caught up and then off they'd go again.
Bluestar never reprimanded them as they ran on ahead, so it was probably fine. And Tigerclaw didn't admonish them either, so. That was fine.
And while his paws itched to join them from time to time, Ravenpaw made sure to keep matching his pace with Tigerclaw's.
At least one apprentice had to keep in mind how important and solemn this journey was.
When they reached the very edge of Windclan's former territory, Bluestar motioned for the group to stop.
"While all Clans are entitled to safe passage to the Moonstone, there is no guarantee that Shadowclan will uphold that rule as they no longer seem to respect the Warrior Code."
Bluestar swept a firm gaze across the four of them, giving a particularly hard look at the three apprentices. "Stay alert. And until we reach Mothermouth, I want us to stay as close together as possible. Which means no scouting ahead."
Seemingly satisfied that the patrol would heed her words, Bluestar turned and made her way towards the stalks of heather scattered throughout the moor.
Firepaw and Graypaw followed silently behind her while he and Tigerclaw brought up the rear.
By the time the sun seemed to reach the highest point in the sky, Ravenpaw was half-dreaming about the shade the trees in Thunderclan provided at this time of day.
How Windclan put up with this heat without a river to jump into like Riverclan, he'd never know. He couldn't help wondering if had Shadowclan attacked on a day like this, if Windclan would have had the upper paw and driven the snakehearts off their territory.
Instead, they'd lost so instead of just the heat to deal with, they also had to have the stink of Shadowclan all over the place to worry about.
Ravenpaw found his pace slowing slightly. Now that he was focusing on it a lil more, the Shadowclan smell seemed a bit stronger than an old battle….almost like it was fresh…
Beside him, Tigerclaw came to a hard stop. "Shadowclan Patrol." he growled.
The rest of the group came to a stop as well as the others tried to pinpoint the patrol's location.
"They're upwind." Bluestar said finally. "But we must hurry; if they move ahead of us, they'll discover us. Luckily, we're not far from the edge of Windclan's territory."
Bluestar exchanged a look with Tigerclaw and the next thing Ravenpaw knew, they were rushing across the heather with Bluestar in the lead and Tigerclaw behind making sure all three 'paws stayed firmly between the two of them.
By the time they reached the edge of the moor, the Shadowclan scent was nonexistent. Ravenpaw hoped that meant that not only had they successfully evaded the Shadowclan patrol, but that the patrol had finished whatever business they'd had on Windclan's old territory and they wouldn't have to face them on the return trip.
At the moment though, the biggest obstacle now seemed to be a Twoleg nest. Unlike the ones near the border back home, this one seemed to be by itself.
Until today, he hadn't thought Twolegs could live by themselves, seeing as their nests were all grouped together. Though, looking at this solitary dwelling, maybe the ones back home were more of a clan and this one was more like a rouge or loner.
It would explain why the dogs here seemed more aggressive than the lax ones tethered to the occasional Twoleg he'd seen on patrol.
If this Twoleg was a loner, then why wouldn't they keep fiercer dogs nearby if they couldn't depend on a clan for support?
Still didn't shake the cold tinge of fear looking at the dogs' murderous eyes struck in him before their owner called them into the nest. Even if they'd been tied up as the group passed, he couldn't help thanking Starclan that they were locked up in the Twoleg dwelling for the foreseeable future.
Soon enough, the weird lone nest was behind them and Ravenpaw found himself staring curiously at a long, foul smelling stretch of inky black something separating them from a dusty looking slope on the other side.
Bluestar had moved them towards a nearby hedge as she carefully watched brightly colored blur after brightly colored blur rush past them.
"Crossing the Thunderpath is a trial of patience, planning, and timing."
She bobbed her head towards the quickly moving blurs.
"Monsters can appear at a whisker's notice at one end of the Thunderpath and reach the other side faster than you can say 'mouse'. Thankfully, they never leave the Thunderpath so you have time to wait and watch for your chance to run across."
Graypaw stared at the path wide-eyed. "And when would that be?"
"When there is a pause between monsters. It'll be quiet enough to think and only then do you cross. As soon as you set paw on the Thunderpath, run. Run as though Starclan themselves are with you lending their speed to your paws.
"We will go across one at a time. I will cross first so you can see how it's done while Tigerclaw watches you three and help with your timing if need be before crossing himself."
True to her word, Bluestar padded closer to the Thunderpath and waited patiently for a lull between monsters, seemingly unfazed at the wind kicked up by their speed ruffling her fur. When the pause came, Bluestar wasted no time running across.
The second she safely made it to the dusty ground on the other side and turned to face them, the earsplitting roar that was quickly becoming familiar as a warning of a monster's approach sounded. A heartbeat later, a dark blue blur flashed by and was gone.
Tigerclaw carefully scanned the Thunderpath before turning to look at the three apprentices.
"Alright Ravenpaw. You first. Unless you think you need another example on how to properly cross the Thunderpath?"
Ravenpaw swallowed and shook his head. The sooner he crossed, the less time fear and anxiety could build and slow his paws.
Nodding in approval, Tigerclaw stepped back. "Remember." He growled, "Wait and watch for a lull. Or else there won't be enough of you to bring back."
Fur rising at his mentor's ominous words, Ravenpaw slunk closer to the Thunderpath and scanned both sides warily. So far, things seemed calm enough. Just as he was tensing his muscles to make a mad dash across, the ground beneath his paws shook and a monster sped past.
Mouth dry, Ravenpaw stared hollowly in front of him. If he'd moved a heartbeat sooner, he could have been crushed.
There'd been no roar. No sound. Just the ground shaking.
Starclan help him. How could he judge a safe passage if the monsters didn't consistently give fair enough warning they were coming?
Squeezing his eyes shut, Ravenpaw took a deep breath and then another. He couldn't sit here for what little of the day remained. Stars above, if he was having a hard enough time now when he could still see the monsters coming, than how much worse would it be in the dark once night fell?
Snapping his eyes open, he watched both ends carefully. No roar. No shaking ground. No bright shiny colors barreling his way. It was clear.
Not giving himself a chance to second-guess himself, Ravenpaw bolted, keeping his sights locked on Bluestar waiting patiently for him and the others and tried not to focus on how the Thunderpath seemed reluctant to let his paws leave its' surface with every step he took.
Faster than he dared hope, he made it to his leader's side in one piece. Bluestar ran her tail down his side. "Well done. Rest a moment while the rest of our group crosses. We're not far from Mothermouth now.
Slowly getting his breathing back to normal, Ravenpaw simply nodded before finding a spot to sit and watch the others' attempts.
Graypaw was lucky. A long lull granted him a safe cross, though Ravenpaw couldn't help feeling annoyed at the other apprentice for taking his time to do so. In the amount of time it took Graypaw to feel safe enough to cross and make his way over, Ravenpaw was positive Firepaw and Tigerclawcould have safely joined them and they could leave the terrifying Thunderpath behind them until tomorrow.
Instead, Graypaw took his sweet time and Firepaw and Tigerclaw nearly died from a monster taking a sharp swipe near the edge of the Thunderpath in an attempt to capture prey for itself.
The second the monster was steady on the path again and gone, Firepaw was racing across the Thunderpath with Tigerclaw not far behind him.
Graypaw of course, went straight for his friend and expressed his relief that the orange cat wasn't dead (no thanks to him of course, the slow furball).
Tigerclaw threw a sneer back at the Thunderpath upon reaching them. "Twolegs." he spat before sitting down and quickly cleaning his paws.
"Do you need a moment?" Bluestar asked her apprentice kindly.
Firepaw, to Ravenpaw's surprise, shook his head. "No, I'm good." he looked up towards the sky. "We need to get to Mothermouth soon right?"
An amused purr escaped Bluestar. "We do. But we still have some time to take it slow for you to recover your breath. That was a stressful experience I'm sure."
Firepaw dipped his head slightly. "Thank you, Bluestar."
Still smiling softly, Bluestar turned and motioned for her cats to stick by her closely.
Between sneaking looks at Tigerclaw to be sure his mentor was okay, Ravenpaw found most of his attention locked on the ground beneath his paws.
It wasn't just bare dusty ground like he'd first thought on the other side of the Thunderpath.
There was grass. Coarser than he was used to back in the forest, but it was there. The closer they got to Mothermouth, the more rocks there were on the path as it slowly sloped upwards.
Bluestar's pace began to slow as she led them towards a large set of rocks before leaping on top one of them.
"We're here."
Ravenpaw blinked and looked around. Just a few tail-lengths away from the rock Bluestar sat on top of, was a huge dark hole in the cliffwall that seemed to go on forever.
"Mothermouth." Bluestar said gravely. "Home of the Moonstone." Bluestar looked up towards the sky and flicked her tail before dropping her gaze back down to the apprentices.
"We'll wait here until the moon is a little higher; until then, you may find some prey and rest awhile."
Graypaw grinned and darted off into the surrounding heather with Firepaw hot on his trail. Tigerclaw gave a small nod before turning and heading in the opposite direction the two apprentices had gone.
Ravenpaw looked between the two directions the three cats had split up. Should he follow after Tigerclaw and help his mentor or would he be in his way? Did that mean he was supposed to join the other apprentices? But surely he'd be too late to join their hunting party...right? And there was two of them...so he'd probably be in their way too.
Swallowing, Ravenpaw turned back the way they came. He'd scented a couple of mice coming into the quarry so they'd probably be easy enough to find and he wouldn't have to worry about getting underpaw of anyone else.
Straining his ears for any sound of Tigerclaw or Firepaw and Graypaw's hunts, Ravenpaw crept forward as he tried to re-find the scent trail from earlier.
The smallest rustle from some nearby heather was his first hint there was something there before the familiar smell of mouse hit his nose. Slowly, he crept forward towards the noise, taking deep care to pad as lightly on his paws as possible.
Soon, he located his prey. The mouse was nibbling on a seed it'd found, completely oblivious to the danger it was in. Eyes never leaving his target, Ravenpaw tensed his muscles and jumped, a small trill of pride filling him as his paw landed cleanly on the mouse, trapping it.
"Thank you Starclan for this prey." he murmured as he leaned down and bit it's neck.
Satisfied with his catch, Ravenpaw picked it up and began making the trek back to Bluestar's rock; pausing only long enough to catch another mouse stupid enough to run in front of a cat.
To his surprise, he was the first one back. Dropping his catch, Ravenpaw carefully picked out the plumpest looking one before carrying it up to Bluestar who was thoughtfully looking up at the growing night sky.
"I caught you a mouse."
Bluestar turned to face him and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Ravenpaw, but I can't eat anything if I wish to speak to Starclan."
Ravenpaw felt his ears warm. "Oh. Um. Sorry."
"It's okay, that was very thoughtful of you. But it's probably for the best if you or one of the others has that when they come back. There's still a long night ahead of us and you'll need your strength to keep going through tomorrow."
Too embarrassed to speak, Ravenpaw simply nodded before grabbing the mouse and leaping back down to wait for the others.
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long as Tigerclaw returned dragging a large red and brown bird between his jaws and Firepaw and Graypaw both arrived with small yellow-brown birds in their mouths.
Graypaw stared at Tigerclaw's catch wide-eyed. "I've never seen a bird that big before."
"It's a grouse." Tigerclaw grunted, dropping the bird. "Apparently fairly common in Windclan territory but hard to find."
Ravenpaw stared at the bird in wonder. Such a big piece of prey that a cat could easily miss and yet Tigerclaw had found and caught one with ease.
Thunderclan truly was lucky to have him.
Pooling all the fresh-kill together really did show how much of a feast they'd gathered.
With as much as he ate, and the long journey to get here, Ravenpaw quickly fell into an easy doze; waking only at Bluestar's call that it was time.
Ravenpaw leaped down from the rock he'd been lying on and trailed after the group.
The closer they got to the cave entrance, the bigger and darker it seemed to get and the less the idea of going in seemed like an honor and more of a punishment.
"Tigerclaw and Firepaw will accompany me to the Moonstone." Bluestar began calmly. "Graypaw and Ravenpaw will wait outside and keep watch."
At her words, Firepaw seemed to light up at the thought of seeing the Moonstone in person while Graypaw struggled to keep his own expression neutral.
All Ravenpaw could feel was relief that he wouldn't have to enter the darkness of the cave for awhile yet. A surge of hope struck him at the thought that maybe if he didn't have to go into Mothermouth now, then he could make the trip again with Sandpaw and Dustpaw. Going into the dark wouldn't be so bad if he had his littermate by his side.
And! He could even show them how to cross the Thunderpath safely and it wasn't that scary if you knew what to do and watch out for.
So lost in his daydreams of impressing his friends over his bravery in the face of monsters and the path they traveled on, Ravenpaw didn't notice Graypaw sneaking up on him until his paw touched his shoulder.
Wincing at the sudden touch, Ravenpaw stumbled back and glared at the other apprentice; noting with some relief it was just the two of them. Meaning, his leader and mentor hadn't seen him get scared over a clanmate.
"What do you want?" He hissed. "Shouldn't you be over there, guarding your side of the cave entrance?"
Graypaw stared at him wide-eyed before making a big show of looking around the quarry.
"Huh. Looks like it's just you and me here. And the place is big enough we'd hear a mouse sneezing before seeing it."
Ravenpaw's ear flicked and he looked away. "You probably should still be over there. We could get attacked any moment."
A scoffing sound drew his attention back to the other apprentice. "By what? Rocks? I think we can see if anything's coming long before it even thinks to."
Graypaw frowned and shuffled a little. "What happened to you?"
Ravenpaw blinked. And blinked again. "What?"
Graypaw shifted again like his fur was suddenly full of ants. "It's just. Ever since Firepaw's joined the clan, you've had your nose so high up I'm surprised you're not hitting branches. And. You've been weird. Like just now, thinking we're going to get jumped by literally nothing."
Ravenpaw felt his fur bristling. "I don't think we're going to get attacked out of nowhere; I'm just taking the task Bluestar gave us seriously. You know. Keeping watch?"
Graypaw rolled his eyes "Yeah, but you don't have to be so intense about it."
Ravenpaw rose to his paws and began pacing. "Some cat has to if you're not going to take anything seriously at all!" He whirled on his paws to meet Graypaw's surprised stare. "I mean, how long are you going to hang around with a kittypet?!"
Graypaw's eyes hardened. "Firepaw's not a kittypet. He chose to leave his twolegs and has worked tirelessly to help Thunderclan thrive. What more does he have to do to prove he's not going back?"
"Not talking to kittypets when he should be hunting might help." Ravenpaw muttered sourly.
"That was one time!"
"That you know."
"I trust Firepaw. He said seeing that kittypet and talking to him proved to him he made the right choice to leave his past life behind to become a warrior!"
Ravenpaw snorted.
Graypaw snarled and shot forward, blocking his path. "Believe him or not, I don't care. But quit acting like Firepaw's worth any less because of where he came from. He's been living in the wild for two moons now. More than long enough to decide if he really does prefer this lifestyle to his old one."
Ravenpaw scowled and stepped back. "Whatever. Do what you want, I don't care." his tail lashed. "You can stay on this side of the cave, I"ll take your old post. Don't bother me again."
Graypaw snorted. "Trust me, I won't."
Tail still lashing, Ravenpaw stalked over to where Graypaw had originally sat before the whole stupid conversation began. The nerve of that cat. Saying he was being weird for taking his warrior training seriously and not fawning over a kittypet! So what if Firepaw had been apart of the clan for two moons? He was still a kittypet and the Warrior Code said to reject them. If any cat was being weird it was Graypaw.
Eyes narrowed, Ravenpaw crouched down and waited for the other cats to emerge from the cave so they could go home and he could get back to doing something useful, like battle training.
Soon enough, the sound of approaching pawsteps sounded from the cave as Tigerclaw ran out before pacing the perimeter and sitting a little ways away from Graypaw and Ravenpaw and watching the cave entrance.
Ravenpaw slowly sat up and turned to watch the cave as well but Bluestar and Firepaw didn't emerge. Maybe Bluestar had changed her mind and had sent Tigerclaw to go back to help guard? Which meant he hadn't been 'weird' to take keeping watch so seriously if even the clan leader thought the strongest warrior in the clan needed to stay outside while she shared dreams with Starclan.
Throwing a smug look at Graypaw first, Ravenpaw turned back to his original position, ears pricked and gaze watchful for anything out of the ordinary.
By the time Bluestar and Firepaw emerged from Mothermouth, his muscles were stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. To his alarm, Bluestar had a panicked look in her eyes.
"Tigerclaw."
The warrior's head snapped towards hers at her call.
"We need to return to camp immediately."
Tigerclaw nodded and stood, motioning with his tail for Graypaw and Ravenpaw to do the same. If his limbs were stiff as well, he didn't show it.
…
If Ravenpaw had thought the pace to Highstones was hurried before, it was nothing in comparison now.
Bluestar practically flew with every step she took, not bothering to look or scent where she was going with Tigerclaw easily keeping pace beside her.
Even Graypaw and Firepaw seemed to have no trouble maintaining the pace. But try as he might, Ravenpaw found himself struggling to keep up. Keeping still for hours on end and then attempting a fast paced run afterwards did not make for a good combination apparently.
Graypaw probably only managed it because he hadn't taken his job seriously and, chances were, had moved around much more than he had.
"Keep up the pace Ravenpaw!" Tigerclaw threw back at him.
Ravenpaw bit back a growl. Tigerclaw just wanted him to keep up and whatever Starclan showed Bluestar, it was bad enough for her to be worried about the camp. They couldn't afford him slowing them down.
Unsheathing his claws as far as they could go, Ravenpaw pushed himself harder, using the pull of the ground beneath his claws to propel him further and ignored the amount of strain and weariness that caused on his body.
He could rest when they got back. Right now, he had to be as fast as he possibly could.
"Are you okay?"
Firepaw's worried voice jolted him out of the trance he'd put himself into. To his slight pleasure, he'd managed to catch up to the other two apprentices, which ordinarily he'd be loath to keep pace with but for now meant he wasn't slowing the group down anymore.
"I'm fine." he eventually managed to grunt out between pants.
Firepaw opened his mouth to say something more when Graypaw bumped lightly into him. "Don't bother." he muttered into his friend's ear. "You'd have better luck charming a badger."
Firepaw gave him another concerned look, but thankfully listened to his friend and kept his mouth shut. Pushing himself this hard to keep up was hard enough, trying to talkwhile running, regardless of who with, would have been torture.
Slowly, the dark blue of night sky was fading into the pale red of the approaching dawn. The red light of the rising sun had barely touched the tips of the far-off trees he could see from here when a burly black-and-white cat stepped in front of Bluestar and Tigerclaw.
"Who's that do you think?" Firepaw gasped as the patrol slowed to a stop.
"No idea." Graypaw returned. "I think he might be a loner though."
Bluestar's tail twitched, but other than that she showed no sign of being weary of the stranger. "This is Barley." She told them calmly. "He lives near the Twoleg nest between Hightstones and Windclan territory."
"Hi." the tom greeted warmly. "I haven't seen your clan recently. How have you been?"
"I'm doing well, thank you."
"That's good." Barley tilted his head slightly as he gave Bluestar an appraising look. "You seem in more of a hurry than usual. Is everything alright?"
Beside her, Tigerclaw's tail began to bristle as he stared down hard at the loner, only letting up at a slight touch from Bluestar.
"I just don't like to be away from my clan for too long." Bluestar replied evenly. Ravenpaw couldn't help marveling a little at how pleasant his leader was being to this loner blocking their way to their clan. If he noticed they were in a hurry, then why wasn't he stepping aside to let them through?
"What is you want, Barley?" Tigerclaw finally interrupted in low growl.
Barely met the warrior's gaze, annoyed. "I just wanted to warn you about the dogs living here now and that'd you'd be safer going through the cornfield instead of past the yard."
Tigerclaw snorted. "We know about the dogs. We saw them tied up earlier-"
"Thank you for the warning, Barley." Bluestar interrupted. "Until next time."
Barley grinned and nodded. "Anytime Bluestar. Have a safe journey!" He flicked his tail in a quick wave before turning and disappearing further along the dirt road in front of them.
Bluestar took a step back and began heading towards the tall waving stalks of the twolegs' cornfield, Firepaw and Graypaw close on her heels.
Tigerclaw stood still, frowning. "You trust the word of a loner?"
Bluestar paused, turning slightly to face him. "Would you rather face those dogs, Tigerclaw?"
"They were tied up earlier."
"They may not be now. We are going this way." Bluestar resumed her pace.
Tigerclaw let out a low growl. "Very well. Ravenpaw, keep alert. I don't trust that cat."
Ravenpaw nodded and moved forward, making sure to keep his mouth open and ears pricked for anything out of the ordinarily. His mentor didn't trust that loner and it was enough for Ravenpaw to doubt him as well. Even if his interruption to their way back to camp had given him enough time to catch his breath again.
A few heartbeats later and with no sign of anything wrong, Ravenpaw began to relax. Bluestar definitely seemed calmer now than when she'd first shot out of Mothermouth, keeping the pace at a more manageable brisk walk than the intense run from earlier this morning.
Maybe Starclan's warning to her wasn't as dire as first thought.
And then a sharp pain sunk into one of his back legs, pulling him down while another, heavier attacker landed on his back, dragging small, dagger-sharp claws down his spine.
Panicked, Ravenpaw rolled onto his side in an attempt to dislodge the second opponent and kicked desperately at the first with his free hind leg.
Small, hateful eyes stared back at him. Lips curling back in a snarl, Ravenpaw curled his body to bring the rat biting stubbornly on his back leg closer to his front paws and slashed at its face. The rat squeaked and let go. Snarling, Ravenpaw twisted and rolled until he found the second rat that had attacked him; lying on its side, stunned.
Quick as a snake, Ravenpaw slashed its' throat. By the time he looked up again, he saw to his horror, more rats had streamed out of the heather and had overwhelmed their small group.
Tigerclaw was slashing at his attackers wildly, but strong as he was, he couldn't make up for the sheer number of rodents swarming him. For every one he struck down, two more took it's place, ready to bite and scratch his mentor with every blow he gave.
Firepaw and Graypaw seemed a little luckier as they had been standing close together when the rats attacked; defending and attacking in equal measure. The rats didn't seem to know how to attack two cats working together.
Bluestar.
He couldn't see Bluestar.
Fear seizing his heart, Ravenpaw moved forward, only to be knocked down to the ground again, this time by three rats, all much bigger than the first two. Snarling, Ravenpaw pushed himself forward, claws outstretched and swung, quickly making contact with a small, soft body.
Hurling the captured rat at its companions, Ravenpaw leaped forward to land on top of them while they were still disoriented and slashed their throats before they could attack again.
"They're running away!" Tigerclaw's triumphant yowl sounded ahead of him.
Ravenpaw blinked and sure enough, saw long, pale tails disappear into the sunken ditch they must have been waiting to ambush them from.
Now that the battle was over, Ravenpaw could feel the adrenaline that had kept him standing throughout the fight begin to fade; leaving him to feel every bite and scratch he'd been given.
More pressing than the stinging pain he felt was that he still had no idea what state the others were in and if Bluestar was nearby or even okay.
A familiar furious growl drew his attention forward. Pushing past the weariness dragging his limbs, Ravenpaw ran ahead and found Tigerclaw pinning Barley to the ground.
Ravenpaw stared at the scene before him. Where had the loner come from?
"You led us into a trap!" Tigerclaw hissed down at the loner.
Ravenpaw felt the fur along his spine rise at his mentor's words. Had all this really been a trap?
"I didn't know the rats would be here!" Barley spat back up; wincing as Tigerclaw dug his claws in deeper into the loner's fur.
"Oh really." he growled. "Then why did you send us this way?"
"The dogs!"
"The ones in the twoleg nest? We passed them earlier; tied up."
Barley squirmed under Tigerclaw's grip. "The twoleg unties them at night to guard his nest I sweAR!"
"Tigerclaw!" Firepaw's voice cut across the field. "Bluestar's injured!"
At once, Tigerclaw released Barley and bolted towards Firepaw; Graypaw and Ravenpaw not far behind.
A cold feeling spread threw Ravenpaw as he finally laid eyes on his leader after the initial attack from the rats.
She was on her side; limbs and paws outstreached, a fierce expression still on her face as blood stained the thick blue-gray fur on the back of her neck. Most unsettling of all though, was how still she was. There was no rise or fall of her chest, no gasping breaths leaving her body.
Bluestar was dead.
"Is there anything we can do for her?" Firepaw asked Tigerclaw pleadingly. And for once, Ravenpaw couldn't find it in himself to be mad at the kittypet.
He knew from experience how hard it was to accept what was in front of you. Prey was one thing, but a cat, your leader? Seeing them lifeless just seemed wrong.
Tigerclaw shook his head and took a step back after examining Bluestar's body. "I'm afraid her fate rests with Starclan now."
A small flicker of hope struck him at his mentor's words. Did he mean there was a chance Bluestar wasn't actually gone forever?
As if to answer him herself, Bluestar flinched and took in a deep breath. And then another as slowly, she began to rise to her paws again.
"Bluestar." Firepaw stared at his mentor in awe. Before he could say anything more, Bluestar fixed him with a tired but comforting look. "I lost a life, but it wasn't my ninth."
"Ravenpaw." Ravenpaw snapped to attention at his mentor's call. "Go find cobwebs for Bluestar's wounds; Graypaw, go and see if you can find and bring back marigold or horsetail."
Ravenpaw nodded and bolted off towards a log he'd seen the day before when they first made their way past the twoleg nest. If there was one thing he'd heard from Spottedleaf back when he'd been stuck in the Medicine Den after Redtail's death, it was that you could always count on trees or old logs to have plenty of cobwebs to cover any injury.
A small flicker of unease filled him at the memory of the wound on the back of Bluestar's neck. It was healed enough by Starclan that it wouldn't kill her again, right? Or was that just an old nursery tale told to kits? And if not treated quick enough, would Bluestar just die again? Fear lent his paws speed at the thought of his leader dying all over again and this time, it really would be her last life and this time it WOULD be his fault that another cat he was traveling with died because he hadn't been quick enough.
Wrapping a forepaw with every single cobweb he could find on the log, Ravenpaw turned and bolted back to where Tigerclaw and Bluestar were waiting.
To his surprise, Firepaw was still crouched beside Bluestar. But then again, she was his mentor. Tigerclaw had probably decided to let the kittypet stay by her side to reassure himself she really was okay.
Ravenpaw held his cobweb covered paw towards the three of them, unsure of what else to do. "Um. Here."
Firepaw looked up at Tigerclaw. "Can I put the cobwebs on? Yellowfang showed me how."
Tigerclaw's ear twitched. "Fine."
Not bothering to watch Firepaw do so, Tigerclaw bounded away to slightly higher ground, probably to keep an eye out in case the rats returned.
Ravenpaw waited for Firepaw to take the sticky mess off his paw before joining his mentor at his perch.
"Do you really think Barley sent us into a trap?"
Tigerclaw turned slightly and gave him a suspicious look. "Don't you?"
Ravenpaw shifted uncomfortably. Loners were barely better than kittypets yet….Barley had seemed friendly enough, if a little obtuse by making them stop and spending forever before getting to the point.
Had that...been part of his plan?
Seeming to sense his indecesion, Tigerclaw leaned forward. "Sometimes the deadliest enemies are the ones who hide behind a friendly face. He's lived near here long enough that I doubt he couldn't have known about the rats." Tigerclaw moved back, eyes narrow as he looked up to the sky. "Why he sent us this way I can't figure out." he muttered half under his breath.
A cold chunk of ice hit Ravenpaw as he remembered part of Barley's earlier conversation. "He said...your clan. He knew we were Thunderclan." He looked up at Tigerclaw uneasy. "Do you think that Shadowclan patrol actually saw us and told him?"
Tigerclaw's eyes widened. "We need to get back to Bluestar now." he growled.
Turning, Tigerclaw quickly led them back down to Bluestar and Firepaw. To Ravenpaw's great relief, Graypaw had returned. And, judging by the colored pulp on the back of Bluestar's neck and held together with cobwebs, the gray apprentice had found the needed herbs.
"Are you fit to travel?" Tigerclaw asked Bluestar.
Thunderclan's leader rolled her shoulders. "Well enough. We need to return to camp."
Tigerclaw nodded and moved to Bluestar's side, to offer her his support if she needed it and together, the two restarted the long trek home; which both felt closer than this morning but still so so far away.
Keeping an eye on the other two apprentices, Ravenpaw drifted slightly further back. With Tigerclaw lending Bluestar his strength and protection from anything that might jump in front of them, someone needed to watch the back of the party. And as the oldest apprentice, that duty fell to him.
...
While the need to return to camp had increased, the pace had drastically dropped.
With every step Bluestar took, she seemed to get slower and slower yet still she pushed on. Behind her, Graypaw limped heavily, occasionally hopping on three legs to give his wounded one some form of rest.
Ravenpaw couldn't help praying with every fiber of his being that they wouldn't be attacked on the way home in this state. While he trusted Tigerclaw to be able to fight off any attacker that even tried to lay a blow on Bluestar, he wasn't sure how well Graypaw could fight with a lame leg and Firepaw….Firepaw was bit of an uncertainty.
The former kittypet didn't seem as badly injured as Graypaw and Bluestar but he was still a soft pampered fluff for brains who'd spent moons cozying up to twolegs. How good in a fight would he actually be? Rats were one thing, vicious as they were, they were still prey. Cats were another. They thought and planned and adjusted how they fought in the moment.
Could he really put his trust in a kittypet to have his back when it counted?
By the time they passed Fourtrees and were on the familiar route through the forest that led to camp, it was late afternoon and Ravenpaw's paws ached.
It felt like he'd been walking forever and even the lingering stench of Shadowclan couldn't chase away dreams of collapsing in his nest for a moon. He'd even forgo a bite of fresh-kill if it meant going to sleep sooner.
The Owl Tree had just faded in the distance behind them when he heard something that made his fur stand on end.
"Did you hear that?" He rasped, praying to Starclan that no one else had, that he was just hearing things.
The others stopped in their tracks, listening. Judging by the bushing of their tails, Starclan was not answering his prayers today.
"Quick!" Bluestar howled. "It is as Starclan warned me; our camp is being attacked!"
Fear choking his heart, Ravenpaw bolted, not bothering to see if anyone else was following him; every step making the terrified and furious yowls louder and clearer than they'd been when he'd first picked them up.
Although, none were as loud and echoing continuously in his ears as the one that had first frozen his paws: Dustpaw's furious screech before cutting off suddenly.
Please Starclan he prayed with each desperate pawstep Let him still have breath in his lungs. Please.
…
The sight that greeted him upon bursting through the tunnel into the camp was pure chaos.
Two of the queens were fighting with a huge gray tom while Brindleface was having difficulty with a nimble red she-cat who almost seemed to be teasing the pregnant queen more than actually fighting. Before Ravenpaw could push himself to help her, a furious pale-yellow streak hit the red cat. Longtail pulling back just enough to swipe a heavy paw at the attacking she-cat.
Satisfied the older warrior had that battle under control, Ravenpaw went back to trying to find his brother. He had to stay focused; his clanamates could take care of themselves; Dustpaw might not be able to.
Ducking and weaving through the fighting cats, Ravenpaw put all of his energy into finding his littermate and tried not to think about how such a normally small camp suddenly seemed too big to find one specific cat.
Starclan must have taken pity on him as two cats rolling in a vicious struggle moved out of his line of sight and gave him a clear look at a familiar dark brown shape being pressed hard in the ground by a light gray tabby.
A deep and burning rage filled him at the sight and quickly chased away whatever fear had filled him outside the camp.
A furious screech ripped itself from his throat as he bounded across the clearing and leaped on top of the tabby; knocking her off of Dustpaw.
The first time he'd fought other warriors, all the training Tigerclaw had given him had flown straight out of his head. This time, it was if his mentor was right beside him, pointing out what move would be best.
Boxing the tabby's ears with his paws so she couldn't think straight enough to retaliate. Keeping an eye on her paws and nipping them anytime they got close to his face. Dragging his claws across her shoulder so it'd hurt to attack back.
Eventually, the tabby gave him a furious hiss before pushing him off and bolting for the tunnel out of camp.
A small part of him wanted to chase after her, as long as it took her to get off of Thunderclan territory. But a bigger part of him knew that was stupid. He'd made his point and if the tabby was smart, she would never show her sorry pelt near their borders again.
Besides; he had a much bigger concern than some foxhearted Shadowclan she-cat.
Looking behind him, he felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted at the sight of his brother standing up. Fur a bit ruffled, and a small trail of blood oozing from his ear, but he was alive.
Relieved, Ravenpaw butted his head lightly against Dustpaw's head. "Furball. Starting fights when I'm not around."
Dustpaw gave a small huff. "Well someone decided to go to the Moonstone without me. I was getting a little bored all by myself."
Ravenpaw gave a small laugh before pulling away. "Next time, try picking a fight you can actually win."
His brother gave him a small shove. "Sure. I'll tell the next cat who sneaks up on me that they don't fit my criteria that day and try again tomorrow."
A bigger laugh escaped him at that. As much as he wanted to just curl up and really make sure Dustpaw was okay, the camp was still being attacked. Although, now that he was looking around, the camp seemed emptier.
Had Shadowclan retreated?
"Have you seen Rosetail?"
Dustpaw shook his head. "Not since the battle started. I think she was going to defend the elders but I kinda lost sight of her near the nursery."
"Huh. I didn't see her with the queens earlier. Maybe she was reassuring the kits then?"
Dustpaw nodded, stance relaxing. "Sounds like her." He grinned. "I swear, she's the best storyteller in the Clan! If any cat could keep kits calm during an attack like this, it's her."
Ravenpaw purred. The more he looked around the camp, the more he was sure they'd managed to drive off Shadowclan.
Spottedleaf was even beginning to tend to the wounded and slowly, cats where beginning to gather by the Highrock. Either for Spottedleaf to look them over or for Bluestar to address the clan.
Dustpaw tilted his head and gave him a light bump. "Wanna see if Rosetail's in the nursery and tell her we won?"
Ravenpaw nodded. It'd be so good to see his mother again and tell her about the trek to the Moonstone and maybe ask her what her journey had been like, back when she was still just an apprentice.
They were maybe halfway to the nursery when Frostfur spotted them on her way to the Highrock. For some reason, her expression became pained when she saw them. Changing her course, the white nursery queen quickly intersected them.
To his surprise, Frostfur gave each them a quick lick between their ears. "I am so so sorry."
An uneasy feeling settled over him at her words. "...About what?"
Frostfur frowned, stepping in place a couple of times before gently leading them towards the group gathered and waiting for either their leader or medicine cat to speak.
"I think it might be best if you two just heard this once."
Exchanging a baffled look with Dustpaw, Ravenpaw reluctantly followed after her.
"Can't we...just see Rosetail first?" Dustpaw tentatively asked. "Just to tell her we're okay?"
Frostfur gave a hard flinch before looking away. "You can see her after the meeting. Promise."
The uneasy feeling grew. But. Frostfur probably had a good reason for leading them away. Maybe Rosetail was just napping, or or keeping the kits content while the rest of the clan discussed what just happened.
Finding an empty spot near the center, the two of them sat down and watched as Frostfur paced around the group before eventually shaking her head and stepping forward and said the three worst words Ravenpaw had ever heard in his life.
"Rosetail is dead."
Dustpaw slumped against him; the weight both comforting and so so heavy.
"She was killed defending the nursery from a Shadowclan warrior. Only through Yellowfang's brave actions were Rosetail's final efforts not in vain."
"It was no ordinary Shadowclan warrior either" Firepaw put in, his voice for once not an annoyance. "I saw him. It was Blackfoot!"
A part of him wanted to leap at Firepaw. To give him a matching scar to the one he gave Longtail and demand why, if he had seen Rosetail's murderer, why he'd done nothing at all to stop it.
But he knew, deep down, that was stupid.
By the time Firepaw had seen what was happening, it was probably too late to do anything about it. And Starclan only knew how far away the orange tom had been when Blackfoot had struck.
"Isn't he Shadowclan's deputy?" Brindleface gasped.
An image of a huge white tom with paws black as night floated into his mind and he shivered.
Rosetail would have stood no chance against such a powerful cat. And yet she'd tried anyway, had delayed him long enough for another cat to join her fight even if her opponent held no honor in his heart.
Movement from the corner of his eye drew his attention towards the edge of the gathered cats. Turninng slightly, he watched as Bluestar limped through the crowd, expression grave as she stopped in front of Firepaw and Graypaw and said something to the younger cats. Whatever it was, it caused Graypaw to stiffen and a low wail to escape his throat. In another heartbeat, he'd risen to his paws and run towards the farthest part the shadow from the Highrock reached and buried his face in the unmoving bundle of golden...fur.
Ravenpaw felt sick and cold as he watched the younger cat grieve.
It wasn't just Rosetail that Shadowclan had stolen from them. But their deputy as well.
As the sun slowly sank behind the trees surrounding the camp, the rest of the clan padded forward to pay their final respects to the fallen golden warrior with Firepaw and Willowpelt staying close to Graypaw's side as he grieved.
A small prickle of anger rose in him at the sight.
Lionheart wasn't the only cat who'd died. Rosetail had too, but no cat seemed to care about moving her body closer to Lionheart's to be given final respects as well.
"Come on." he muttered, lightly shaking Dustpaw off of him. "We should move Rosetail closer to everyone else." So they could remember what she'd given up in service to her clan he couldn't help adding bitterly to himself.
Dustpaw gave a small nod before trailing silently behind him.
In what felt like both forever and too soon, they found themselves standing outside the nursery staring at the still form of their mother.
The nursery queens had moved her far enough from the entrance that the kits wouldn't see her body by accident and distantly, he could hear Goldenflower whispering and comforting the kits inside. And while he knew and understood they couldn't move her any further or closer to the Highrock so soon after the battle, still unsure whether or not they'd run but it still felt like a slap to the face to see his mother left to the side like a piece of discarded fresh-kill
Pushing down the growing resentment, Ravenpaw bent down and gently grabbed her scruff. Beside him, Dustpaw took the other side and together, they began to drag her back towards the rest of the clan where she could be honored too.
Halfway there, the weight lessened as Dappletail and Patchpelt joined them in carrying her. As soon as the small group reached a spot a few tail-lengths away from Lionheart, they carefully lowered Rosetail back to the ground and Patchpelt began the process of arranging and cleaning the body for the clan to pay their last respects to Rosetail.
Dappletail stepped back and layed her tail across their chests. "We can take things from here. By the time you finish paying your respects to Lionheart, Rosetail will be ready and waiting for you to sit vigil for her."
Dustpaw lowered his head. "Thank you." he murmured.
"Rosetail was a fine warrior and a kind cat. She'd be proud to see the kind of warriors you're becoming."
Murmuring his own thanks, Ravenpaw turned and followed his brother to where the fallen deputy lay.
Up close, Lionheart could almost be mistaken for resting, curled on his side and no hint of what the blow that killed him even looked like.
But that illusion was shattered at the lack of movement to indicate breath and his apprentice staring down at the unmoving body, gaze hollow; seemingly unaware of Firepaw pressed comfortingly on one side and his mother on the other, soothingly running her tail down Graypaw's back.
Dustpaw moved forward first, resting his muzzle on top the golden warrior's head. "Thank you for being there for me and offering advice after Redtail died. I hope he can show you the best hunting spots in Starclan when you arrive there."
He stepped back to allow Ravenpaw to take his place. Like his brother before him, Ravenpaw gave a quick lick to the top of Lionheart's head. "You had a different teaching style to Tigerclaw's and I will miss the wisdom you gave whenever you shared a session with him." He swallowed, unsure of what else to say, Lionheart had always been vaguely intimidating with his size even if he'd been a little too soft. Eventually he settled with a simple 'You deserved more moons as Deputy.' before pulling back to rejoin his brother and properly grieve Rosetail.
The two elders had done a fine job in cleaning the blood and dust from Rosetail's pelt from the battle. Like Lionheart, it could be easy to mistake her to only be sleeping.
The cold feeling of knowing otherwise chased away any hope of that dream to survive.
Resting heavily by her side, Ravenpaw pressed his face into her fur and breathed. She still smelled like Rosetail. Of moss and bracken from the elder's den. The faintest traces of the nursery from his earliest days of his kithood, when everything was simpler and the idea of another clan attacking was just a kit's game that would never ever happen. And of the forest just outside the camp where she like to stretch her legs and watch the shadows on the trees and ground dance with the movement of the sun.
"You didn't have to die." he whispered. "You should have been able to live the rest of your life in peace, like you deserved."
Pulling back, Ravenpaw caught sight of the wounds on her neck, that had previously been hidden under stained and matted fur.
Three slash marks. Each with a claw mark as deep and long as a cat's tail.
Horror filled him at the sight.
What sort of monster was Blackfoot?
Any cat who'd hunted prey knew that the best hunters only need a single killing blow when catching fresh-kill. So it stood to reason if you killed another cat in battle, the merciful thing was to land a single final blow on them as well. Make the death as quick as possible.
Blackfoot hadn't done that.
He'd struck her multiple times. Either as she lay dying before him or for the simple pleasure of running his claws through her as her life drained beneath his paws.
Maybe even laughing as he killed her.
The disgust he'd first felt at hearing his name, his role in the clan, quickly turned into something darker. Sharper. Colder.
Lowering his head to her head once more, Ravenpaw took another deep breath of her scent and made the silent promise of one way or another, to make Shadowclan's deputy regret not just laying a single claw on her, but the fact that he'd ever been kitted at all.
Gradually, steadily, the rest of the clan came over to pay their respects to Rosetail. Some would offer condolences to the two of them while others shared a memory or two.
Sandpaw didn't say anything, instead lying between the two of them and offering her silent support of which Ravenpaw was grateful. He didn't trust his voice not to break from grief or fury just yet.
Eventually, the moon had risen to the highest point in the sky causing the clan to start to shift and move closer as Bluestar scrabbled on top of the Highrock.
Dustpaw gave a heavy sigh as he slowly stood up. "We should probably see what Bluestar's going to say."
Sandpaw followed him, pausing a moment to look back at him. "Dustpaw and I can go alone if you'd rather stay back with Rosetail."
Ravenpaw shook his head as he stiffly got to his paws to follow after them. "No, I'm fine. It's probably important and Rosetail will still be here after…"
Sandpaw nodded before quickly taking the lead, weaving nimbly between and around the older cats to a good spot where they could hear and see Bluestar clearly as she made her announcement, taking care to never go too fast that they could lose her.
On top the Highrock, Ravenpaw was surprised to see just how old and tired Bluestar seemed.
Wearily, Bluestar gazed over the gathered clan. "It is almost moonhigh." she began, sounding as worn out as she looked. "Once again, and much, much too soon, I must appoint a new deputy."
Bluestar closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, a new strength seemed to flow from her and her voice seemed as strong and commanding as it had always been.
"I say these words before the body of Lionheart so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice. Not long ago, one noble warrior swiftly avenged the death of Redtail and brought his body back to Thunderclan so that we could pay our final respects to our fallen clanmate. In these dark times, Thunderclan needs the bravery and fearlessness this of cat, now, more than ever. Tigerclaw will be my new deputy!"
Pride swelled in him as he watched his mentor weave amongst the clan, accepting their congratulations with the humblest of nods before leaping onto the Highrock to stand next to Bluestar.
"Thank you." he purred. "I never expected to receive this high of a rank or honor, but I swear, by Lionheart's spirit to serve and protect Thunderclan as best I can."
Tigerclaw gave one last solemn bow of his head before leaping back down, where Darkstripe and Longtail were already congratulating him on his new rank.
Beside him, Dustpaw gave him a light shove. "Apprentice to the Clan Deputy! Quite the honor!"
Ravenpaw bowed his head, embarrassed. "It should still be you, but thank you."
His brother grinned. "As long as it's one of us, it's not too bad." His smile shrunk a little. "I still do wish Redtail was still around though."
"Me too."
"If the two of you are done chatting," Sandpaw interrupted loundly. "I'm going to go congratulate our new deputy and head to bed. I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted."
At Sandpaw's words, it was if all of Ravenpaw's body remembered just how worn out and sore it was. Rest would be good. And if there was one thing he knew about his mentor, it was that being named deputy wouldn't stop him from giving Ravenpaw an intense day of training.
"Actually, rest sounds good right now."
Sandpaw nodded and turned, already bounding away to congratulate Tigerclaw and then presumably head to her nest.
Limbs feeling heavier than ever before, Ravenpaw turned and slowly padded back to Rosetail to breathe in her scent one last time. "Love you, mom. Hunt well in Starclan." he whispered. Beside him, Dustpaw did the same before turning to face him.
"Hey uh. Ravenpaw. I know we're not kits anymore but um. Do you think, we could uh. Push our nests together? Just for tonight?"
Ravenpaw's heart twisted at how small his brother sounded. Dustpaw had always been the tougher and stronger one between the two of them, but he'd had to be the one to lose two cats he was close too relatively close to each other. Ravenpaw was lucky in that he'd only had one.
"Yeah." He eventually managed to push out. "Yeah. I'd like that."
There was a flicker of relief in Dustpaw's eyes as together they made their way to the apprentice den. Luckily, they were the first ones to arrive so they didn't have to worry about any weird or pitying looks as they tore apart their nests and remade them into one large nest.
Curling up beside his brother, Ravenpaw realized he missed this. Separate nests were fine and all and it wasn't like he didn't feel the warmth of the other apprentices near him. But this? Having his body close enough to feel Dustpaw breathing beside him? It was comforting.
And if he closed his eyes, he could pretend they were back in the nursery with Rosetail sleeping beside them, safe and warm and alive.