Well... this is a fine how-do-you-do, eh? I apologize in advance for my random disappearance... my muse took a dump on me, and put all my stories on hold, so, yuh. Here is the new chapter, though, just like I promised... only a month or so late.
-O-
Budshell hated this. She wanted him to be guilty, have him dead, drowned in the lake, but on the other paw... his story had evoked something inside her. Compassion. If she decided he was guilty, Spitpaw would hate her forever, if she voted innocent, then Spitpaw would be happy, but Ravenscorch would go free.
There was a win lose on both decisions. What to choose, what to choose...
-O-
He watched from a concealed location behind the bracken. He waited. The she-cat chose, and he whisked away, eager to relay the news to Novastar.
-O-
She chose guilty.
Ravenscorch hung his head, thanking the Ancestors. He would be back with Dawnshadow again.
"Well, good," Yellowstar crowed happily from her branch."I'll make arrangements tomorrow for this. Ravenscorch, you may go sit next to your patch fur again. Now that that's over..." she said with an exasperated mew. "ThunderClan evoked war with us a few sunrises ago. Their leader said nothing about the attack. Thankfully, we lost no cats... but, it is strange that they have not shown up for the Gathering, probably too cowardly to fess up. We have three new apprentices in ShadowClan, Gravelpaw, Adderpaw, and Spitpaw. Other than all that, ShadowClan is strong, though, mourning,"
The other two leaders mumbled, and so, the Gathering came to an end.
Ravenscorch sighed softly, and got to his paws, his guards had abandoned him, off to celebrate he supposed.
"Spitpaw, wait!" he flicked an ear at Budshell's desperate voice.
"No! You put him to death!" he could hear the angry mew from Spitpaw.
They were arguing near the bridge, Spitpaw's fur stood on end, and Budshell looked lost. He padded up to them, and Spitpaw turned his huge eyes on the assassin.
"Ravenscorch!" his voice trembled, "I don't want you to die!" the small apprentice barreled into his legs, a tiny wail rattling from his throat.
"Spitpaw-" Budshell tried again.
"No!" he screamed, pulling his tiny face from the side of the tom, "No! You sent him to die! You're no worse than him!" he sniffed, "He's the only one that actually talks to me like I'm normal!" his whine turned into a creaky yowl.
"I care about you, Spits. You may not see it now, but it's for the best," Budshell comforted.
The apprentice puffed up even larger, and sprang away from Ravenscorch, rage radiating off him, "I don't care! I hate you, Budshell! I thought you cared for me. I hate ShadowClan too, and this whole world! I wish I had died along with my momma and siblings!" he cried before turning tail and fleeing over the bridge.
"Great, just great. See what you've done?" Budshell hissed at Ravenscorch.
"He was too attached to me. I didn't do anything," he snapped right back, scrambling over the log bridge.
He stalked along the shore, and one of his guards actually fell instep at his side, and Budshell trotted up to the other.
"So? You should have stayed home where you belonged,"
He ignored her. He didn't want a fight. "I thought his mother was still alive?" he said suddenly, thinking back to what the apprentice had just said.
Budshell stopped in mid-rant. "No. His mother was Oceanfur. Your group killed her in the raid. That's why I'm so surprised that he likes you."
"Then, who are those other two kits? The ones apprenticed with him? And who was the kit he told me about? Snifflekit?" now Ravenscorch was confused.
"Those others were born the same day as him, so they were apprenticed at the same time. He calls them his brothers, but, they aren't. He told you about Snifflekit?" she said, interest in her eyes.
"No, just mentioned him. Why, who is he?"
"Or, rather, who was she. Snifflekit was his sister, but she died from a whitecough infection. She's his imaginary friend now. That's one of the reasons the other 'paws and kits say he's weird," she narrowed her eyes. "He stopped talking to her after he learned your name,"
He frowned. The little nuisance had been keeping secrets.
-O-
"Novastar, this cat bears news of your most prestigious assassin," the she-cat said softly into the den.
Red slitted pupils glittered in the back of the dark cave. "Do tell,"
"My leader, rather unfortunately, his group has been... killed. He is the only living member now," the she cat said, her head bowed.
"Where is he now?" Novastar growled from the depths of her cave.
"He has been captured by the Shadowed Ones, ShadowClan if you must. There was a trial for him, die or live, and it was decided that he die."
"Hmm... thank you, Doeleap, you may have extra from the fresh kill in the morning," Novastar's sweet voice said, a hint of danger on the edges of it's feathery quality.
"Thank you Novastar, this cat is grateful,"
-O-
Ravenscorch settled into his nest, the panic he had been feeling gone. WindClan had protested, but Yellowstar had thought it all a lie. Maybe his plan was working after all.
He lay there, paws tucked under his chest, staring at the stars overhead. They were gorgeous, shimmering happily in the night sky, dancing around the full alabaster moon. He couldn't help but wonder at it's fullness, how it had come to be, and why it chose to hang in the night sky. Where had those craters come from? Had a kitten jumped across it, hollowing out great holes in it's surface?
He loved the mystery of the stars and moon. They fascinated him.
Despite his best efforts, Ravenscorch couldn't help but nod his head head against the edge of the nest, his eyes drooping. Before he knew it, he was a asleep...
...and on the edge of the Camp, a small figure crept.
-O-
"Ravenscorch... Ravenscorch... Ravenscorch..."
He opened his eyes. He was in a lush clearing, seemingly made out of stars and glitter. Overhead, the moon shone.
"Where am I?" he said, crouching down.
"Ravenscorch, where did you go?"
"Huh?" he sat up, looking around the clearing.
"There you are, silly."
He tilted his head when a lithe she-cat padded forth from the thicket surrounding the meadow. She came forth, and bumped her nose against his, wafting her scent of herbs and honey into his mouth.
"I'm glad I found you, we've been worried," she said, fidgeting with her paws.
Ravenscorch was still in a daze, looking around, "Where am I? Who are you?" he asked, finding his voice a a definite echo to it, "Am I dead already?"
She laughed, a light sound like muted birdsong, "No, not yet. You are in the StarClan hunting grounds. I am Spottedleaf, the ancient medicine cat of ThunderClan. I'm sorry I couldn't get any of the old healers from ShadowClan, but they didn't want to see you, so I was sent."
He looked closely at her, and tilted his head. She was made of stars!
"Why am I here?" he meowed.
"To talk."
"With...?"
"Me, and someone else you know. Dawn, you can come out now," Spottedleaf called out, "Actually, I was just here to escort your mate, she didn't know the way. Prosperous hunting to you, Ravenscorch, and my your Ancestors look after you." she smiled at him again, and disappeared back into the thicket.
The bracken rustled, and a cat he never thought he'd see again padded out. He got to his paws in a daze. "Dawnshadow?" he asked, breathlessly.
She perked up at the sound of her name. "Hi, slugbutt," she purred.
He raced forward, and barreled into her, his purring rumbling like thunder. "Dawnshadow!" he cried out again, tussling her to the ground.
"Ugh, you lump. How much can you even weigh!?" she laughed when he pinned her down. "I missed you," she whispered, touching her nose to his.
"Momma! Can we come out now?" a voice yowled in the bush.
Ravenscorch gave her a befuddled look.
"Yes, kits, come out and meet your father."
Four kits tumbled out from the bushes, squeaking happily. A she-kit, her coat an odd gray blue with a dull orange stripe running down her back, rushed forward, and crashed into his legs. "Are you really my father? Like, really, really, really?" she asked, her icy blue eyes matching his.
"I-" he stumbled, looking over at Dawnshadow. She nodded.
"Yes, I am, Lightkit," he said, his voice trembling.
"Ha! I knew it! Or else, you wouldn't have known my name!" she purred. "That'll teach Rowankit!" Lightkit tossed a look at one of her brothers.
Ravenscorch gazed over at Dawnshadow. "Why was I called here?" he asked, walking to her side as the kits played in the grass.
"I wanted to say hello... and tell you something," she said, a heavily troubled look in her eye.
"Oh, well, hello," Ravenscorch snarked lovingly at her.
"Shush up, slug brain. You know that trainee, Spitpaw?" she said suddenly.
"Yeah, what about him?"
"He's gone."
"What do you mean?" Ravenscorch could feel dread rising in his throat.
"He left, he didn't want to live in a Clan of murderers," Dawnshadow sighed.
"Stupid 'paw," Ravenscorch groaned.
"You need to find him," Dawnshadow said, fixing her mate with a serious look. "Before your execution, you need to find him. It's the only way."
He flicked an ear. "The only way for what?" he asked.
"For Novastar to be stopped. She's evil, love. She'll take the Clans soon," Dawnshadow shivered.
"What's so bad about that?" Ravenscorch asked, moving a little closer to her.
"She'll destroy AssassinClan to do it. You must save Spitpaw, or else, your altered destiny will be crushed."
"Altered destiny? Destroy AssassinClan? You're making no sense!" Ravenscorch said, his voice edgy.
"You were never meant to be captured, so the Ancestors changed your fate. Without your sluggy head, Novastar doesn't have a voice of reason anymore. Not even her own deputy. She must be stopped, or AssassinClan will fall."
Ravenscorch sighed. "I just want to die and be with you again, love," he pressed his shoulder against her side.
Dawnshadow chuckled dryly. "Still not over me?"
"No, I'll never be."
"Then, it's time to move on."
"But, Dawnshadow-" Ravenscorch started.
"No, Ravenscorch. It's time to move on. Now, awaken, and tend to the chaos that has stirred."
Blackness began to swirl around him and Ravenscorch wailed, "No, Dawnshadow!"
Then, he was gone from the clearing, leaving the she-cat and her four rowdy kits alone.
-O-
Choo guys happy now? Good. I want to thank my wonderful beta, orchidcactus, for betaing the chapter, not once, but twice after I'd lost it! Well, I just had to look over my screen, and beg her to do it... and make her a cup of coffee... whatever. Also, I want to thank a certain reviewer who kicked me in the pants, and got me moving again! Drum-roll, please... thank you Blazzer12!
And as for all you other reviewers! Thank you for your continued support! Reviews really do help, even a smiley face, or a 'good job' will help, really. Great, now it sounds like I'm begging for reviews... sigh.
Have a nice day, guys!
Cozzie.