Blood and Bone - Raven's Hope

Chapter 1

I struggled to hold onto the branch, Dingo stood below me, "If you can climb while it's lightly raining you can climb when it's dry!"

"Come on Raven! It's easy!" Feather said, jumping onto my branch. I yelped, the branch bent under our weight. Feather jumped to the next branch, I lost my grip and slipped off the branch. I tried to grab hold of the branch below, but it was too wet to get a good grip. I landed in the mud below the tree.

"Are you okay?" Feather asked from above. I sat up, "Just covered in mud."

"I think that's enough for today." Dingo sighed. I looked up at Dingo, "But-"

"You can try again another time, but it's about time we start heading back to camp." Dingo said. I got to my paws and shook the mud out of my fur. Feather landed beside me, covering me in mud again. "Sorry!"

"It's fine." I muttered, shaking the mud out of my fur, again. I followed Dingo and Feather back to camp. Heather greeted us when we arrived, "How was climbing practice?"

"I got half way up the tree!" Feather said, puffing out her chest. Heather smiled, "And you Raven?"

"I climbed three branches." I mumbled. Heather licked my head, "We'll I'm sure you'll do better next time."

I flicked my tail, I noticed a tree with low branches at the edge of the camp. I waited until I was alone then made my way to the tree. I dug my claws into the bark of the tree and pulled myself up onto a branch. I remembered what Dingo had said, 'Don't look down, look to the next branch.' I looked up the tree and scrambled up the next branch. I kept going, making sure my footing was right. I paused and looked to see how far up I was. I froze, I was much farther up then I thought I was. I flattened myself to the branch, maybe I shouldn't have climbed up the tree.

"Raven?!" Night stood below the tree, Violet beside him "What are you doing up there?"

"I- I- I think I'm stuck!" I stammered. Night looked at Violet, she nodded and leaped up the tree. She carefully stepped onto the branch I was on, she grabbed me by the scruff and carried me down the tree. As Violet set me down Heather ran over, "Raven! What in the world were you thinking?!"

"Well-" I started, but Heather didn't want to hear it, "That was dangerous! You could've gotten hurt!"

"But-" I tried to explain, Heather lashed her tail, "Go to your nest!"

I bowed my head and made my way to the oak in the center of the clearing, my nest was under one of the many roots. I flopped into my nest, I just wanted to show Dingo I could climb just as good as Feather.

"Raven." I looked up. Red sat down and wrapped his tail over his paws, "Would you like to tell me why you climbed the tree?"

"I just wanted to keep practicing." I mumbled. Red tipped his head to one side, "If that's what you wanted then you should've asked someone to help."

"I'm sorry." I said, "I really am."

"I'm sure you are." Red said, dipping his head, "But I think you should stay here for the rest of the day. I'll make sure you get something to eat."

I watched Red leave, just as he did a gray tom dashed into the camp. "Is Star Flower here? Smokey fell on some rocks while chasing a squirrel."

I blinked, maybe that's what Heather was scared of. Star Flower padded out of her den, a bundle of herbs in her jaws. The gray tom led Star Flower of camp. I had never seen that tom before, maybe he was from the lake camp.

It wasn't long before Star Flower and the gray tom returned, they were helping a tabby hop along. Star Flower said something to the gray tom then helped the tabby into her den. River, Violet and June Bug bounced up to the gray tom, "Hi Moth!"

I flicked my tail. I had heard a few cats talk about someone named Moth, but I wouldn't have guessed the gray skinny tom to be him. Feather quickly followed River, "You're Moth? I've heard about you!"

"Heard about me? We've met before." Moth said, he looked a little offended. But he quickly smiled, "You've grown quite a bit!"

Feather puffed out her chest, Moth looked around, "Now where's your brother? From what I've heard from your father you two don't seem to leave each other's side."

"He was climbing a tree and I helped him down." Violet said, puffing out her chest. Moth flicked his tail, "If there were cat's around he would've been just fine."

"Heather yelled at him and sent him to his nest." River said, he pointed towards me, "He's over there."

Moth dipped his head to River and made his way over to me. "Hi there."