Alone #1: The Raven's Flight

Chapter 5

Ravenpaw woke up, refreshed, in Peanut's Twoleg nest. Amberpaw and Ebonypaw were stirring too, yet the feather was still.

"Has the feather left yet?" Ebonypaw mewed sleepily.

"Nope," Ravenpaw purred. "It's waiting for us this time."

Amberpaw stretched her front legs. "It was kind of Peanut to let us stay here,"

Ravenpaw snorted. "You were the one protesting," she reminded.

"Shut up," Amberpaw growled.

Paw steps behind them caught Ravenpaw's attention. Peanut came into view, a little surprised to see all of them awake already.

"Would you like to eat?" the kittypet offered generously.

"No thanks, we don't eat Twoleg food," Ebonypaw replied sharply. "But thank you for letting us stay."

"You're welcome!" Peanut chirped. She turned around and padded back into the Twoleg den, leaving the exit in view.

"Good, she's gone. Just as well, since the feather's moving again," Amberpaw mewed.

"Let's go." Ravenpaw kept an eye on the feather and the other eye on the winding paths of the Twolegplace.

The feather danced in front of her, occasionally blowing into her eyes. If the feather could talk, Ravenpaw could swear it was laughing at her.

"Stop!" Amberpaw screeched.

Ravenpaw stopped, alarmed. "What is it?" she turned around to see a horrifying sight. Ebonypaw's fur was bushed up and a trickle of blood ran down her side from a bite. Amberpaw let out a low growl, and Ravenpaw finally saw what had troubled them. A large dog was snapping at Amberpaw while the light ginger she-cat ducked and dodged.

"Climb the trees!" Ravenpaw found her voice at last.

Ebonypaw scrambled up the trunk of a tree and crouched there, watching through narrowed eyes. Ravenpaw swiftly ran to the dog and dug her claws into its back. It howled in pain and anger and violently bucked her off. Ravenpaw landed a few fox-lengths but her distraction had worked.

Good – AND BAD. Amberpaw had managed to reach the safety of an oak tree but now the dog was focused on Ravenpaw. It advanced on her, dripping saliva from its jaws. Ravenpaw glanced around nervously but the closest tree was the one Amberpaw was on, and she didn't want Amberpaw to get hurt. After all, this was her quest.

Inwardly, she cowered in fear, but she knew she would have to fight the dog. She charged forward, yowling a battle cry, and slashed the dog's nose. The dog growled loudly and bit down hard on her ear. Ravenpaw let out a cry of pain and tried to wriggle out of its firm grip but he had her ear in his jaws and wasn't letting go. Suddenly, he let go and turned around. Amberpaw and Ebonypaw had come to rescue her! Amberpaw clawed and bit on the dog, keeping it distracted while Ebonypaw rushed around to help her.

"Thanks," Ravenpaw choked out. Ebonypaw helped her up a tree where she lay, getting her breath back. She licked her ear softly. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and she gagged. Summoning up her courage, she peered out of the tree. Her jaw dropped open. Amberpaw was standing victoriously next to the dog. And amazingly, by StarClan, the dog was dead.

Ravenpaw jumped out of the tree. "Wow." She gasped. Amberpaw's eyes grew wide as she stared at something behind Ravenpaw. A loud bark sounded and all three of them ran in unison as the dog's mate wailed at the sight of her mate.

"By StarClan, Amberpaw, how did you do that?" Ravenpaw mewed wondrously.

Amberpaw spat out a clump of dog fur. "It was nothing, honestly. Thanks for saving me."

"Thank you for saving me." Ravenpaw purred back.

"Look, I know this is touching, but can we save it for later?" Ebonypaw interrupted.

"Yeah sure," Amberpaw flashed a smile.

The three of them finally stopped running once they reached an abandoned Twoleg barn. The feather was already waiting for them inside.

"Night," Ravenpaw thrust her head into a pile of hay. "My body feels like it's going to drop off!"

"Same," Ebonypaw agreed wearily.

Amberpaw mewed agreement and soon, all three of them were fast asleep, curled up on the hay. Ravenpaw had chosen a nest behind a pile of hay, Amberpaw had jumped onto a ledge, and Ebonypaw had made a large nest near the exit. None of them noticed a Twoleg enter.

---

"Ravenpaw, wake up!" Ravenpaw opened her eyes to see Amberpaw's worried face.

"Is it dawn already?" she murmured groggily.

"No!" Amberpaw's frightened voice jolted her awake. "It's Ebonypaw! She's missing!"

The two left the barn hurriedly and tracked her scent to a large Twoleg nest with hundreds of cats. Ravenpaw quickly scanned the cats for Ebonypaw's familiar silver and tan pelt.

Brown, black, tan, tabby, orange, there! Ebonypaw!

"Ebonypaw!" Ravenpaw ran up to her only to painfully bump her muzzle on some type of Twoleg wall. She could see Ebonypaw, but she couldn't reach her. She snarled frustratedly.

"It's no use," Amberpaw muttered. "How can we get her?"

Ravenpaw looked at her companion. If she was stuck there, they couldn't complete the quest! The feather would leave without them. Wait, no.

Ebonypaw wasn't her companion anymore. The three had bonded in a special way. They were friends. And that was why Ebonypaw couldn't be left over, not because of the quest. Ravenpaw gritted her teeth and yowled loudly. Amberpaw shot her a questioning look and Ebonypaw winced. A Twoleg opened some sort of hole and looked down on the cats. Ravenpaw hissed and bit down hard on the Twoleg's paw. The Twoleg hopped around in pain and in the chaos, Ebonypaw escaped.

Ravenpaw quickly let go and nudged Ebonypaw towards Amberpaw. "Let's go!" she hissed.

Ebonypaw purred gratefully and she led the way out of the Twolegplace. "I'm sorry we had to lose the feather for me," she mewed quietly.

Ravenpaw stifled a purr. "Look up," she meowed. Ebonypaw did and gasped. The feather had been following them the whole time!

"Let's leave the Twolegplace behind," Amberpaw suggested. "It's too dangerous."

"I agree." Ravenpaw nodded. They both looked at Ebonypaw.

"I don't know," Ebonypaw replied slowly. "Shouldn't we follow the feather?"

Amberpaw glared at her. "You're the one who got kidnapped!"

"I'm just kidding! I'd give a few mousetails to leave this Twolegplace!" Ebonypaw burst into a purr.

"Let's ask the feather," Ravenpaw dipped her head to the feather. "O Great One, can we please leave the Twolegplace?"

The feather bent as if it were nodding and Ravenpaw let her tail rest on Ebonypaw's back. "Thanks for letting me use your hero worshipness," she smirked.

"No problem," Ebonypaw purred.

The three friends followed the raven's feather as it led them through alleys and paths, and finally, into a forest.

"Finally! The feel of dirt under my paws, all that stone made my paws ache!" Ravenpaw complained.

"We can go back if you want," Ebonypaw teased.

"Please, no," she groaned.

"Who walks here?" A new voice boomed.

Ravenpaw flattened her ears and hissed as they were quickly surrounded by a group of cats with hostile expressions. "Oh no..."