*takes a deep breath* !!!!!! I'm back!!!! I'm so happy I finally got my story straightened out more! I'm also very relieved because some people were NOT HAPPY that I put this on hold, so I won't get any more hate mail. HAHA JUST KIDDING! Anyways, this chapter is about Ravenpaw mostly and some Pepper drama. Didn't you notice in Rising Storm how Ravenpaw had a strange interest in Sandstorm? I did, so that is the basis of this chappie. Enjoy! =D

A Raven's Peppered Wing

Chapter 5

A grassy wind shifted the stalks of wheat and whistled through the barn door, ruffling the sticks of hay and Pepper's tabby brown fur. She wrinkled her nose and opened her eyes, lifting her head drowsily from her little white paws to the rising sun, just visible over the horizon outside the barn.

For almost a moon Pepper had lived at the farm with her three companions--Barley, Ravenpaw, and their newest resident, Lilac, all of them good friends. Pepper was growing accustomed to this place, and often found herself calling it 'home.'

"Morning, Pepper!" The small tabby turned her head at the call and smiled to see Lilac, the long-limbed gray she-cat stretching in her next of hay a few tail-lengths away. Her lavender eyes sparkled in the growing dawn light, and she sat down and started washing her fluffy white chest fur.

"Hi Lilac," Pepper mewed. "Good sleep?" Lilac straightened up. "Good? Like a rock!" Pepper laughed at that, and stood up and stretched, arching her back. After she'd given herself a thorough wash, she set out for a quick walk around the farm. She wasn't quite hungry yet, so she'd hunt later.

Exiting the barn doors, she stepped daintily and calmly along the worn pathway that she had long since gotten to know. Looking around, Pepper realized how strange it was that everything was so familiar now. She lay down on the dusty ground and soaked up the warm morning sunrays. Closing her eyes, she had never felt so relaxed in a long time. Suddenly, something jabbed her in the ribs, and she jumped to her paws, eyes wide and fur bristling in alarm. It lay flat again when she recognized the black cat in front of her, his golden eyes laughing.

"Ravenpaw, you idiot! Don't scare me like that!" she squealed, though she was on the verge of laughing herself. Ravenpaw chuckled and circled her playfully. "What?" the tom teased. "Not afraid of me, are you?"

Pepper crouched, smiling mischievously. "Never!" and leapt on him. He fell back with a meow of surprise, and the two of them scuffled around on the ground. Ravenpaw broke away, a smile on his face, holding up his tail in surrender. "Okay, I give!"

"Haha!" Pepper laughed mockingly and shook the dust from her pelt. Ravenpaw sat down beside her, sighing.

"That reminds me of when I used fight with Firestar and Graystripe," he reflected. "You know, back when we were all apprentices." Pepper smiled. She loved hearing about Ravenpaw's old friends, and would willingly sit for hours on end to listen to his stories about what they'd get up to.

"We never really hung out with Dustpaw or Sandpaw, though..." His voice trailed off when he realized that Pepper was looked at him with a questioning look on her face. "Oh, I never told you about Dustpaw and Sandpaw?" Pepper shook her head.

"Oh, okay. Dustpaw and Sandpaw-- well, they're both Dustpelt and Sandstorm now, but they were in training with us."

"Why didn't you talk to them?"

Ravenpaw shrugged. "They weren't really nice to us. Actually, they weren't decent to us at all. The two of them thought that they were better than us because they were the older apprentices. They made fun of us and just ignored us, really. Especially Firestar--Firepaw then-- because he wasn't Clanborn." Pepper nodded. She had heard about Firestar's struggles to be accepted into the Clan from a lot of Ravenpaw's tales.

"Anyways, I didn't really think they were all bad. I mean, it's not like they were evil cats or anything. And I know Sandstorm was only that way because she didn't have a lot of company. Her father was Redtail-- remember when I told you about him? -- and she never knew her mother. She was an only kit too."

"Oh..."

"Yeah." Ravenpaw let out a breath. "I just felt bad for them. I didn't see those two for a while after I came here. I saw Firestar and Graystripe more often than them, it's true, but I wasn't exactly expecting them to come visit me. The next time I saw one of them was when I was going to tell Firestar something. He was just a warrior then, the deputy in fact, and his name was Fireheart, and he attacked me. He thought I was a rogue or something! But then he recognized me, and then... you know, detached his claws from my fur." Pepper laughed. Ravenpaw continued his story.

"Then Sandstorm came up beside him." He paused, his eyes growing distant. "I knew who she was in an instant, but at the same time, she looked... different. More grown-up. To be honest..." He trailed off, and Pepper stiffened when he spoke again. "My first impression was that... well, that she was beautiful." Pepper felt the fur on her hackles rising.

"Anyway," Ravenpaw continued. "I told Firestar what I needed to tell him, and we ended up on a trip to save his nephew, Cloudpaw. I'll tell you all about that later," he added. "I tried talking to Sandstorm a couple times, because I wanted to get to know her better. She was still a bit sharp, but she was much nicer than before, so Firestar said. And I wanted to be her friend... or more, but..." He sighed. "It was obvious before long that she really loved Firestar. So I just let them be." Ravenpaw let out a half-hearted laugh. "Firestar and Sandstorm are mates now. The last time I saw them, they had two daughters. Really cute." The black tom sounded wistful.

Pepper was silent for a while, then she spoke tentatively. "So... you loved her?"

Ravenpaw didn't answer at first, but then nodded slowly. "I think so. I mean, it would have been short-lived if I did, but... I think so."

Pepper inhaled sharply, but Ravenpaw didn't seem to notice. She was really trying to fight back the surge of emotions inside of her that made her want to yowl and snarl with frustration-- but also cry and sob with sadness and disappointment.

"Sorry," she murmured, but she really wasn't. Who was this Sandstorm she-cat? I bet she's actually ugly, she thought bitterly. Ugly and stupid! What right did she have to-- Pepper's spirits sank to her paws and below when she realized that this she-cat had every right to win Ravenpaw's affections. Shame crashed down with it when she realized how harsh she had been. It was no one's fault that she had a problem but hers.

Pepper shook her head briskly, trying to fling off all this emotion and faced Ravenpaw. "So tell me about the expedition of yours. Looking for Firestar's nephew, I think?..."

Ravenpaw nodded, his eyes lightening. "Okay. Well, Firestar had a nephew whom his sister gave to him so he could be raised in a Clan," Ravenpaw started as he stood up. Pepper stood up too, and Ravenpaw continued his story of how Cloudpaw was captured by Twolegs and the three of them went off to save him as they walked back along the path toward the barn.

But the whole way along, Pepper kept twitching her ears as if trying to rid herself of the nagging feeling that she was getting in her stomach-- that Ravenpaw didn't care about her anymore.

*gasp* !!! Pepper's sad! *laughs maniacally* I DON'T CARE! HAHAHAHAHA! XD I hope you guys didn't mind me making Pepper kinda mean to Sandstorm earlier. Sandstorm's awesome, and I didn't really like making fun of her, but y'know-- We must have the drama! XD So PLEASE review, because I would love it so much if you reviewed! KTHANXBYE XD