Yaaaay! Chappie four! Chappie four! Chappie four! WHOOT!! I had a lot of time on my hands, so I got to write a lot! And by the way, Happy Thanksgiving to everybody! So... I have nothing else to say. READ! XD
A Raven's Peppered Wing
Chapter 4
Pepper stared at the newcomer with undisguised curiosity.
"Lilac?" she mewed absentmindedly. The gray she-cat nodded.
"Yes," she confirmed. "That's me." Her gaze switched back and forth between her and Ravenpaw. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ravenpaw," the black tom told her, and he gestured to Pepper. "And this is Pepper." Pepper smiled at her. She smiled back.
"If you don't mind me asking... what are you doing here?" Ravenpaw continued, his voice mild but filled with interest and edged with suspicion.
"I was just looking for somewhere to stay. Just for tonight, though," Lilac added quickly. "I don't want to barge in or anything."
"Oh, it's no trouble," Ravenpaw mewed. "I'm fine with it. How about you, Pepper?"
Pepper shrugged. "I don't see why not. But what about Barley?"
Lilac looked confused. "Um... Barley?"
"He's another cat who lives here," Ravenpaw explained. "A friend of ours."
"And he doesn't like newcomers?"
Ravenpaw shook his head. "No, it's not that. He's just distant. Both of us are loners, so he doesn't necessarily like a big amount of cats around."
"Well, we could certainly ask him, couldn't we?" Pepper put in. Ravenpaw nodded. "Sure."
Lilac nodded with a timid, "Okay,", although she didn't look at all sure that she would be accepted. Her light eyes were shifting with uncertainty.
Ravenpaw started toward the barn door. "Well, come on. Let's go find him."
Pepper followed him, and then slackened her pace until she was walking by Lilac.
"So," Pepper tried to strike up a conversation. "Where are you traveling from?" Lilac shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly," she admitted. "I've just been drifting around for a long time, and I though that it was time I found out where I actually was." Pepper nodded. "Oh, I get it. So you're on your own? No family?"
Lilac openly winced. "Not anymore." Pepper instantly felt hard guilt crash over her like a cold wave.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"
"It's all right," Lilac interrupted her. "I just... I miss them." The gray she-cat sighed. Pepper blinked sympathetically.
"What-- I mean, if you don't mind me asking... What happened to them?" she mewed tentatively, not wanting to ask another hurtful question.
Lilac paused. "I'm... I'm not sure, really. I think... Oh, I don't remember." She shook her head. "I only recall that I had a mother, a father, and a sibling. Whether it was a brother or sister..." She trailed off, and Pepper guessed she couldn't remember that either.
Lilac sighed. "I can't even remember what they looked like, or what they called me." Lilac nodded when Pepper's ears pricked in surprise. "That's right; I don't even know my own name. I came up with the name Lilac myself." The she-cat shook her head and sighed. "It's pathetic, really."
Pepper touched her shoulder with he tail-tip. "It's not pathetic. And it's not your fault that you can't remember. I'm sorry."
Lilac smiled. "Thank you... Pepper." Pepper grinned. She had just made a new friend.
They found Barley strolling around by the cornfields. Where Twolegs grow their food, Pepper remembered. Once they spotted the black-and-white figure, Ravenpaw turned to her and Lilac.
"I think I should go and talk to him first. What do you think?" Pepper nodded. "That's a good idea," she mewed in agreement, and Lilac murmured her assent.
"Okay," he meowed. "I'll be right back." He started the walk around the field. Pepper looked up at Lilac. The gray cat was squinting against the sinking sun in the direction Ravenpaw had gone in. "So that's Barley?" she asked. "Over there?" She pointed with her tail. Pepper followed her gaze.
"Yeah, that's him," she mewed.
"Oh," Lilac muttered. Pepper glanced at her again. She had a funny thoughtful look in her lavender eyes. "You think he'll let me stay?"
Pepper shrugged. "I really don't know. My guess is that he'll fell a bit uncomfortable, since he lived on his own his whole life, but he wouldn't turn away a cat in need." Lilac cocked her head. "Do you know him well?" she inquired.
Pepper narrowed her eyes. "Well... not really. I only just got here yesterday." Lilac's eyes stretched wide. "Really? It seems like Ravenpaw's like your best friend."
Pepper hid the disappointment that spread inside her. "Um, it does?" Lilac laughed. Pepper went on, "Well, I guess he's a good friend of mine. We've got a lot in common, I think." Lilac smiled. "Fast friends," she stated knowingly.
Pepper looked back to the horizon. The sun was getting lower and lower with heartbeat. Her mind strayed to Ravenpaw. Best friends...? Is that what Ravenpaw thought, too? Probably, Pepper realized, looking at her paws, her spirits automatically dropping. That was probably all he wanted, as well. Friends. There was probably some she-cat back in his Clan that he loved and never, ever stopped thinking about, or something...
"Hey, they're coming back!" Pepper looked up at Lilac's exclamation. It was true; Barley was following Ravenpaw back along the field towards the two she-cats. Ravenpaw bounded ahead of him. His yellow eyes glowed with satisfaction. "He says you can stay!" he mewed to Lilac. Her face lit up. "Really?" Ravenpaw nodded and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Barley's voice behind him.
"So where's this new cat, Ravenpaw? This wasn't a joke, was it?" Ravenpaw turned to face Barley.
"No, it wasn't." The black tom circled until he was next to Lilac. "This is Lilac. Lilac, meet Barley." Lilac dipped her head. "Hi," she mewed. "Thank you so much for letting me stay. I won't be a bother." Barley smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it, and you're welcome." Lilac lowered her eyes to her paws, looking embarrassed. Pepper felt her eyes glow with amusement.
"So, uh... We should probably be getting back to the barn soon, right?" Ravenpaw suggested, his whiskers twitching a bit uncomfortably. Pepper smothered a laugh at his awkwardness at his friend's sudden change of mood.
Barley shook his head quickly, as if shaking away a fly. "Oh, yeah," he meowed, the old, wary disposition back immediately. He set off in the direction of the barn at a quick, confident trot.
As Pepper followed the three cats back to the comfort of the haystacks, her thoughts once again meandered in random directions. For some reason, they led her to Lilac. Something about her seemed familiar. Long-lost memories of kithood stirred in her brain, and Pepper found herself thinking of her mother. A pale gray pelt, tall and thin... Lilac looked just like her... No, Pepper told herself instantaneously. You're mother is dead.
*gasp* DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!!! SCARY!!!! =O And also, possible BarleyxLilac??? =D =D =D OOOOOH!!!! Writing them was fun! XD So anyways, please review! More than the last chapter, if you may. I only got about 9 or 10, which sucks. -.- So please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!!! I am begging you, review a lot! KTHANXBYE XD
