Dawn

Chapter 20

Crowpaw moved closer to Ashfoot as the chill of dawn dragged him awake. The stone beneath him seemed to have sucked all the warmth from his body, and the air was so cold that when he opened his eyes he could see his breath billowing in small clouds. He stood up and stretched. The rocks glittered with frost in the pale dawn light, and a scent drifted up toward her so delicious it made his mouth water. Ravenpaw was padding up the slope with a freshly killed rabbit dangling from his jaws.

Most of the ThunderClan cats were still sleeping, clustered in a dip in the rock several fox- lengths away from Crowpaw and the other Clans. But the scent of rabbit had woken them, and they began to raise their heads as Ravenpaw weaved among them. Skystar was already stretching, Longtail at her side, when Ravenpaw dropped the rabbit at the ThunderClan leader's paws.

"A parting gift," Crowpaw heard him mew.

Skystar stared at him. "I wish you'd come with us," she meowed. "I've already lost Graystripe and my son; I don't want to lose you too. You and Barley would be welcome," she added hopefully. "And Dustpelt would be pleased to have you with us again."

Ravenpaw shook his head. "My home is here, but I'll never forget you, I promise. I'll be waiting for you always."

Crowpaw wondered briefly if they would ever come back. He knew they had to travel far away, the dying warrior had proved that, but he wasn't quite sure he knew just how far.

"We've been through so much together," Skystar murmured, her eyes gleaming as she remembered. "We've seen the death of Bluestar, the defeat of Tigerstar. . ." She sighed. "So much had happened, like water flowing past in a river."

"More water will flow before we join StarClan," Ravenpaw assured her. "This is not an end. It is a beginning. You will need the courage of a lion to face this journey."

"It's hard to find courage when so much is lost." Skystar's eyes clouded. "I never thought I'd leave the forest! Even when BloodClan came, I would have died to save my home."

Ravenpaw drew his tail gently along Skystar's flank. "If I see Graystripe, I'll tell him which way you've gone," he promised. He dipped his head formally. "Good-bye, Skystar, and good luck."

"Good-bye, Ravenpaw."

As the black loner bounded away down the slope, Crowpaw couldn't help feeling a pang in his chest for the ThunderClan leader. It's arguable that she has been hurt the most because of this journey. First her kits disappear and her son is killed, then the rest of her kits return only for her brother to be captured, and now she was forced to leave her closest friends behind, not even knowing if one of them was still alive.

Barkface stirred nearby. "Crowpaw, can I borrow you for a moment?" he called when he noticed the apprentice was awake. "I want to check on every cat and make sure they're all fit for the journey, but one cat can only move so quickly."

Crowpaw nodded. He thought back to the night before, when he and his friends had finally seen the sign from the top of the ridge.

"We've seen the dying warrior!" Brambletuft's mew had been breathless with excitement.

"You've had the sign?" Skystar leaped to her paws from where she had been dozing beside Longtail.

"How can you be sure?" Cinderpelt asked.

"A star blazed through the sky, then vanished," Squirrelpaw explained. "It fell behind the mountains."

Blackstar ran over from where ShadowClan huddled on the rock. He looked puzzled. "Is this the sign we waited for at the Great Rock?"

Tawnypelt stared at him as if something had only just dawned on her. "Of course! This must be the great rock Midnight meant! Highstones, not the rock at Fourtrees!"