Ravenstar's Journey

Chapter 1 - Escape

A newborn black she-kit with a white patch on her chest lifts her tiny head above the rim of the nest, sniffing the air. Her small tabby sister did the same and tilted her head curiously. A light gray tabby queen smiled at her two kits and purred. She noticed the little ones' noses twitching and sniffed the air curiously. Her eyes widened as she recognized the scent on the wind, and she carefully scrambled out of the nest, leaving her kits alone. 

"Fire!" she screeches to any clanmates stumbling bleary-eyed around the camp. Terrified yowls and moonlit wide eyes begin racing past her. She looks around frantically as bodies stream past her. Panic sets in deeper until she spots a broad-shouldered tabby racing toward her. "Where are the kits?" he meows, urging her forward. She leads him quickly into the den and grabs her smaller kit. Exiting the nursery, the gray queen scurries across the clearing with her kit gripped tightly. She barrels through the camp entrance racing through the trees, searching for somewhere the forest is not engulfed in flames. The flames lick her haunches as she dodges the patches of burnt brush and branches littering the mossy, forest floor. She didn't look behind her, hoping her mate was following her. The gray queen continued running until the lush green forest surrounded her. 

The heat of the fire subsided, and her paws began to sink into the soft grass. She sets down her squirming kit and meows for her mate. There was no reply. A feeling of dread began to travel up her spine. "Rowanclaw!" she calls quietly, cautious of any nearby predators. She picks up her struggling kit and pads further into the dense forest until the trees begin to thin out and the soft grass turns to dirt. Her eyes widen in cautious wonder as she takes in her surroundings. A rapid-flowing river stretches as far as she can see on either side of her. Moonlight was dancing on the rapids as they rushed past, the thundering roar deafening to her ears. 

"Rowanclaw!" she yowled, her voice echoing through the treetops, cautiousness fleeing her mind. She whimpered pitifully, her eyes glazed over, realizing she may never see him or their other kit again. She almost collapsed with the weight of her grief as she carried her kit under a prickly holly bush. She crouches down, curls up around her shivering newborn, and holds her tightly. "It's alright, little one. Everything will be fine. We escaped the fire. Your father and sister will be here soon." Her kit closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. She waits until she's breathing deeply before laying her head on her paws. She blinks up tiredly at the remaining stars before darkness carries her swiftly away into nothingness as the sun begins to rise.