Chapter Six: An Unexpected Visitor

Many Moons Later

A stealthy black cat crept through the shadows, muscles bunching under his sleek pelt, eyes gleaming. There was a disturbance in the shadows, and suddenly, the cat was a blur of movement; he raced over, his claws outstretched, his muscles rippling with power and speed. He caught the rat and snapped its neck with the smooth, fluid movements that only moons of practice could achieve.

"Well done, Ravenpaw!" The voice came from Barley, the black-and-white loner whom had shared his home with Ravenpaw.

Ravenpaw looked up and purred. "Thanks, Barley," he meowed, arching his back and stretching in the gloom of the barn. Life was good as a 'ratter', as Barley called it. No elders or queens to feed. No traitorous mentor breathing down his neck, trying to kill him. With a pang of sadness, he thought: "No more friends to share tongues with, no more forest, no more ThunderClan!"

Although many moons had passed, Ravenpaw still missed his old home. And he was worried. Ever morning, he woke up thinking: 'Has Tigerclaw killed another cat? Has Bluestar been murdered yet? Will Firepaw and Graypaw ever bring the truth up to the surface?' It haunted him every time his mind was unoccupied.

There was a rustling noise at the edge of the barn, and Barley's ears pricked. "Visiting cats," he meowed, "I'll welcome them in, but you had better hide, Ravenpaw, in case they're of ThunderClan."

The black tom nodded and slipped into a bale of hay, where he watched carefully. Although he knew it was important to continue letting ThunderClan believe he was dead, he wanted to see some sign of his former life. He wouldn't even mind seeing the familiar pelts of Sandpaw and Dustpaw, his old rivals. But the cat that he saw slip into the barn lighted up Ravenpaw's eyes.

"Graypaw!"

The black tom shot out of the hale bay and tackled his old friend, knocking him off his paws and sending him flying.

"Mrph!" the disgruntled mew came from Graypaw as he got to his paws and shook out his fur. "Good to see you too, Ravenpaw!" he purred, "though it would have been nice if you didn't try to take my head off!"

Ravenpaw stepped back and surveyed the tom. "You've changed, Graypaw," he meowed approvingly. Graypaw had gone from the skinny gray-furred apprentice to a powerful tom, with muscles hard under his pelt and a confident gleam in his eyes.

"I'm called Graystripe now," the tom meowed proudly. After a pause, he added: "And you have changed as well." Another pause, then he flicked his friend with his tail. "It's been moons, Ravenpaw!" The gray tom felt a pang of sorrow that his black-pelted friend would never have a warrior name.

"And whose this?" it was Barley's voice; the loner had gestured with his tail towards a cat that stood shyly behind Graystripe. She had a light, silver pelt and blue eyes, but a distinct RiverClan scent. Ravenpaw was pleased that he could still recognize it after all these moons.

"I'm Silverstream," the she-cat replied, her eyes lighting up, "Graystripe's told me about you, Ravenpaw."

"Come in, settle down," Barley meowed graciously, "I'll leave you to talk."

Ravenpaw nodded gratefully and led his friends towards a bale of hay where they could rest on. "So, why is a RiverClan she-cat with you?" Ravenpaw meowed, his eyes gleaming with amusement, "are you two running away together after having a forbidden affair?" He let out a teasing purr, butting Graystripe in the shoulder with his head—but he was the only one laughing.

Graystripe flicked his ears uncomfortably. "Actually, Ravenpaw," he mewed guiltily, "Silverstream and I are in love, but we're not running away."

Ravenpaw nearly fell out of his hay bale; so great was his surprise. His eyes were as wide as the moon at its fullest. "What?" he meowed, hardly believing this piece of news. "Graystripe, this is horrendous!" he meowed, "you can't take on a mate from a different Clan!" Ravenpaw flicked his tail, clearly agitated.

The gray tom's head drooped. "I knew you'd think so," he meowed, sounding dejected. The silver she-cat shot Ravenpaw a look of pure annoyance and touched her tail tip to Graystripe's shoulder. "We don't need any cat's approval so we can be together," she meowed defiantly, her voice clear and strong.

The black-pelted tom shifted guiltily. "I didn't mean it like that Graystripe," he meowed truthfully, "I was just so surprised." 'That's so unlike him!' Ravenpaw thought inwardly, 'when he was an apprentice, he was always so eager to follow the warrior code, and now he's breaking it without any regrets!'

Graystripe looked up, his eyes glimmering. "You mean you approve?" he meowed hopefully.

Ravenpaw twitched his tail. "Not approve exactly," he meowed, "but if Silverstream makes you happy, I guess it's all right. StarClan can't stop love from happening. Just be careful, Graystripe!"

The gray-furred tom purred. "Thanks, Ravenpaw," he meowed, grateful for some reassurance. Silverstream purred as well and twined her tail around Graystripe's; Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement.

"Does Firepaw know?" Ravenpaw blurted out suddenly. When he had been back in the Clan, the three had been best friends. Surely Graystripe would have told Firepaw?

"His name is Fireheart now," Graystripe replied, rather testily, "and yes, he knows."

Ravenpaw understood immediately. "And he doesn't think you should see Silverstream."

Graystripe hissed. "No, he doesn't! He accuses me of being unloyal to the Clan."

The apprentice let out a sigh. "He has a point," he muttered quietly. "How can you stay loyal to your Clan if you see Silverstream?" In a louder voice, he meowed: "But why did you come here, Graystripe?"

It was Silverstream that answered. "He just wanted to know if his best friend approved." Her voice was tainted with annoyance, and Ravenpaw understood how Silverstream felt. But he felt a pang when Silverstream said 'best friend'. When Firepaw and Graypaw had been apprentices together, they were always closer to each other than to Ravenpaw himself.

"And," Graystripe added, "We just wanted to give an update. I felt like you might feel isolated on this farm. No other cats to share tongues with, no apprentices' den…" Ravenpaw felt a pang of homesickness and Silverstream silenced Graystripe with a flick of her tail, giving him a curt yet bemused look.

"About Tigerclaw," Ravenpaw suddenly blurted, "have any cats been killed lately? Have you and Firepaw—heart—told Bluestar about him? What did she say?"

"Tigerclaw?" the interruption came from Silverstream. "Isn't Tigerclaw the ThunderClan deputy?"

Graystripe touched his nose to Silverstream's, meowing: "This is something for Ravenpaw and I to discuss." The she-cat flicked her ears with annoyance, but softened and padded away.

"That's quite a she-cat you've got there," Ravenpaw meowed wearily, his shoulders weighed down by this news. Graystripe, taking a mate from another Clan, and fighting with Fireheart! He hoped the quarrel would blow over soon.

"Yes, she's a pawful," Graystripe laughed, his eyes gleaming with love.

Ravenpaw snorted. "Yes, yes, come on, tell me the news!" he meowed, his tone teasing.

Graystripe shifted uncomfortably. Finally, he blurted: "I think that you should have become a warrior with Fireheart and I," he meowed.

Ravenpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I think so too," he laughed, "but all the thinking in the world isn't going to change anything!"

Graystripe laughed, eyes gleaming. "Just listen, mouse-brain," he teased. There was a pause, and then he meowed: "You can't get your warrior name from Bluestar anymore; ThunderClan think that you are dead. But I know someplace you can go where you can get your warrior name."

The black tom's ears pricked forward, and his eyes widened. "What are you talking about, Graystripe?" he meowed curiously, leaning forward in apprehension.

The thick-furred tom cuffed his friend playfully over the head and meowed: "Highstones, you mouse-brain! You can go to Highstones and sleep near the Moonstone; you were a warrior once, so maybe StarClan will give you your warrior name!"

There was a pause in the clearing for a second; the two toms seemed to be frozen in time: Graystripe hopeful and eager, Ravenpaw stunned and confused. Then Ravenpaw burst out in yowls of laughter that made Silverstream and Barley prick their ears up.

"I'm the mouse-brain?" he mrrowed, still shaking with laughter, "you're the mouse-brain if you think I'm going to wander up to Highstones and ask StarClan for my warrior name. Spiders have spun webs in your brain, my friend," he teased.

Graystripe rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Ravenpaw. Don't you want your warrior name?"

"More than anything!"

"Then listen to me and go to Highstones! You live practically right next door to the Moonstone, it would take you three seconds to travel there."

Ravenpaw paused. "I'll think about it," he meowed finally, his eyes gleaming, "And I said I'll think about it, Graystripe. I want to be a warrior just as much as you want me to be a warrior. But this is so extreme…" he shook his head. "You should be getting back to camp, my foolish mouse-brained friend. There's RiverClan scent all over your fur and I know that Fireheart will be frantic."

"I've got an apprentice too," Graystripe couldn't help boasting, "his name is Brackenpaw."

Ravenpaw flicked his ears with amusement. "And I suppose Fireheart has an apprentice too?"

Graystripe flicked his ears, obviously not liking talking about his flame-pelted friend when they were fighting. "Yes," he meowed, rather coldly, "her name is Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw's brother. She's an energetic one, I don't envy Fireheart. Brackenpaw is more serious and thoughtful. He's a good apprentice."

Ravenpaw flicked his ears. "Well, if you have an apprentice, that's even more reason to hurry up. If you and Silverstream are caught on WindClan's territory…" he shook his head and touched his nose to Graystripe. "Go safely, my friend," he murmured quietly. "I lost you and Fireheart and the entire Clan when I was forced to come here. Life with Barley is wonderful, but I don't want to lose you guys again."

Graystripe purred and nudged Ravenpaw on the shoulder. "Don't worry," he meowed, "Silverstream's stronger than she looks." With those words, he padded away, calling to the silvery-white she-cat. Ravenpaw could easily see why she captivated his friend; she was delicate and slim, and definitely pretty, what with her light silver pelt and her glowing eyes. 'Very impressive, Graystripe,' Ravenpaw thought inwardly, 'If only she was a ThunderClan warrior!'

Ravenpaw watched his friend and Silverstream pad away, their pelts brushing, their eyes still glowing with love for each other; so much love, they were willing to disobey the warrior code. And when he saw his friend walking away from him without so much as a backwards glance, Ravenpaw's heart clenched…and he felt as if he were losing Graystripe, Fireheart, and ThunderClan all over again.

Author's Note: A bit of a sad ending, I suppose. Just a note: my house is going under some renovations, and I will be away from my computer for a minimum of a week because of painting, etc. Boohoo! But I will hand-write during school and borrow my neighbor's laptop to type it all up. Heehee. I am bad. But I do like pleasing my readers. The next chapter is going to be very interesting, so I would stay tuned if I were you. Just something I want you to look forward to. More to come.