A/N: Chapter Eleven! Yay! Next chapter we will finish up this scene and maybe go back to Wildpaw for a bit...
Replies to Reviews... Thanks guys!
XxSilverslashxX- he can't be that bad! And Rabbitpaw is alive! She's my kitten :)
Guest- thanks for reviewing!
Squirrelfire(Guest)- thanks!
Kidzilla20- thanks for reviewing!
Stormfeather of LakeClan- Yep! Rabbitpaw is an apprentice! :D And you'll see more of Ravenheart's mentoring skills in this chapter!
Silver wolf rain- same here :)
Dragonflywing- yeah, I like that one too :D
Wishheart01- that one is good to! Thanks!
Eight reviews! AWESOME! You guys are the best! Okay, onto the chapter! BTW updated allegiances are one 'chapter' back ;)
Chapter Eleven: And If We Never Return…
I'll rise, I'll fall, I'll fail you all. We built these cities to stand so tall, we've lost our walls. I don't wanna lose it coming down, with the whole world upside down. I don't have a soul to trust in now, with the whole world upside down. –We Are One Tonight, Switchfoot
Akain growled, "And if she blabs?"
Ravenheart glanced down at Rabbitpaw, "Yes..."
The apprentice shook her head, "I won't tell if it helps Nimble; that is, well, if you let me help."
"Help?!" Akain snarled, "Great... all we need is another mouse-brained forest kit involved!"
"I'm not a mouse-brain. I can learn, right Ravenheart?"
Ravenheart gulped, "Right. It will just take some time."
Rabbitpaw dropped her shoulders, defeated, "Well, can you at least tell me what's happening then? Please? I can keep my mouth shut."
Akain's eyes shifted from Rabbitpaw to Ravenheart, "My father-"
"Who's your father?" Rabbitpaw butted in.
A growl formed in the tom's throat and his fur lifted defensively.
"Rabbitpaw," Ravenheart half-whispered, half-hissed, "That wasn't the right question."
"No, it's okay Ravenheart," Akain smoothed down his fur, "Kit, first of all realize that I am not my father before you go off and judge me and yowl this to the whole clan."
Rabbitpaw blinked, "Your father can't be that bad, can he?"
"I'm afraid that to you clan cats he most definitely is. His name… is Rezkin," Akain said bluntly.
"But you aren't your father, so who cares?" Rabbitpaw said without missing a beat.
"Ok, I take it back, you are rather smart," Akain smiled bitterly, "It does matter, a lot. I can fight like him, I'm above all the other cats at the twoleg place. I will inherit his lands when he dies. And to everybody else I look just a cruel and greedy as he is… and maybe that is true. But I'm not going to let him kill Nimble."
"Well, if it's any help I don't think you're cruel… from what I heard you probably could have had Ravenheart killed…" Rabbitpaw glanced at her mentor.
Ravenheart frowned, "Thanks, way to trust your mentor's skills."
Rabbitpaw flicked her tail, "So, what's the plan?"
Akain traced one outstretched claw on the dusty ground.
"This is it," Ravenheart announced, "So tomorrow night we will meet Akain at the border."
"That's it? Well, that's easy to remember…" Emberstrike flicked her tail, ready for a fight.
Stormdance stood in the corner of the clearing, her eyes narrowed. His heart fluttered at the sight of her but he pushed aside his feelings.
"Is something wrong, Stormdance?" Ravenheart asked.
"The plan just seems risky, that's all. I mean, if something, even a small thing like an extra cat guarding Nimble or anything… well, it would put us all in serious danger."
"Akain assured us that he would know long before anything like that would happen," Ravenheart gritted his teeth, "I don't like it either, but we have to trust him."
"Trust Rezkin's son? Do you all have bees in your brains?" she hissed, her fur rising.
A smaller figure stepped out from the shadows, spooking Ravenheart for a moment before he realized who it was, the same cat that had been standing quietly just a couple tail-lengths behind him the whole time.
"Does blood really have anything to do with it? I met him and he seemed fine. Or maybe…" she glared up at Stormdance, "You are just letting old grudges get in your way of accepting him."
"Rabbitpaw," Ravenheart hissed, "You have gone way too far over the line this time."
"Maybe she should have some sense!" Rabbitpaw snarled, "He's your only chance to get Nadia out of there and save the clans, and he clearly has some feelings for her- otherwise he would never help you!"
"Go back to your den and cool your head," Ravenheart growled.
Rabbitpaw stood her ground, her hazel eyes meeting Stormdance's. A clear challenge was imprinted in them.
"NOW!" Ravenheart roared and sent the apprentice scampering away, "Storm-"
"No," Stormdance whispered, "She's right. Blood should have nothing to do with it. Can… can we talk, alone?"
Ravenheart nodded and left a stunned Emberstrike and Wolfshadow in the clearing.
"What is it?" he asked gently.
She was clearly struggling for words, her breath shaky, "Ravenheart, just in case one of us doesn't come back from this I just wanted you to know… you're so shy sometimes that even if you return the feelings I didn't think you would ever tell me… I know it is usually the tom's place, but-"
"I love you. You really thought I'd never tell you? I might have been shy as an apprentice but I hope I'm not that shy anymore…" he drifted off, staring in her eyes.
"I love you."
It was night. That much was all she knew… other than he never came back for her. She snarled into the darkness. She had given back her freedom for him and he didn't even have the common courtesy to show his face at least once! Her paws drifted over the walls, looking for a slight crack- anything- that could help her to climb out of her predicament. Nothing. It was a worthless waste of time, not that she had anything else to do… Her ears perked as she heard voices.
"Why are you here?" It was the voice of one of the bulky guards that Rezkin had stationed at the top of the hole.
"I- err… I have a message to give you."
Is that… no, it couldn't be.
"Oh, and what message is that, pip-squeak," another guard laughed, "Who sent it, your old great grandmother?"
"You wouldn't be so eager to insult me or the sender if you knew who it was." The voice replied.
"And who is that, Russell?"
Russell! But… it couldn't be. Not the scaredy-cat kit that she used to play with… Not the same cat that was always by her side… not the same cat that died on the thunderpath all those moons ago. Not the cat she had considered a brother for so long.
She didn't get to hear the rest because something heavy dropped down beside her, distracting her. She moved over and touched it with her nose. It was long and cold. A vine!
"Climb it," the whispered voice barely met her ears.
She sunk her claws into it and with all of her might attempted to heave herself up. Too late. A guard yowled for help as he spotted her. Whoever once held onto the vine dropped it in a hurry and sent her plummeting the rest of the way to the ground. She hauled herself to her paws and dogged the stones that were sent loose from the scuffle overhead. Something larger than the pebbles slid off the ledge, barely gripping the cliff-side in an effort to hold on.
"Rabbitpaw!" somebody yowled and reached over to grab the cat's scruff but it was too late.
The small she-cat fell down the side and landed nimbly at her feet.
"I'll be fine, Ravenheart! Don't worry, I'll find a way out! Just keep knocking down those stones!" she yowled before turning to stare at her.
"You're Rabbitpaw, I assume," her voice rasped.
The she-cat nodded, "And you must be Nimble… don't worry, we'll get you out of here. Dumb guard… had to ruin everything."
"You're a clan cat, have you seen my mother? She looks a lot like me but doesn't have the white paws…"
"Nadia? Yeah, she came to us for help but she's not exactly why we are here right now," Rabbitpaw winked.
Nimble narrowed her eyes, "Then who did send you?"
"Not safe to say his name right now, if you get my meaning," Rabbitpaw flicked her ears in the direction of the battle, "But you are very lucky to have a tom that would do that for you."
Her heart soared. Akain did care for her after all!
A/N: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY! Love... tis' a beautiful thing :D And Rabbitpaw is so awesome...
Okay, please REVEIW and onto the chapter question!
If you got to create one of Ravenheart and Stormdance's kits who would it look like most?
A) Ravenheart- black with mint green eyes
B) Stormdance- gray with amber eyes
C) Wolfshadow or Emberstrike- some sort of white & gray combo with either green or amber eyes
D) Bouncetail- long-haired, white, hazel eyes
(remember that Wolf, Ember, and Bounce are Storm's cousins...)
Until next week,
~Willow