The Lost Prophecy: Book 1: Ravenpaw's Secret

Chapter 4

On the morning of the half-moon, Ravenpaw was awoken by the sound of excited meows echoing through the camp. To his surprise, Dustpaw, Sandpaw, and Graypaw had already left the den. Hoping he hadn't slept in too late, he padded to the center of the camp in confusion.

Ravenpaw found the source of the commotion by the nursery. Brindleface and Runningwind were pacing back and forth by the entrance while Willowpelt, Darkstripe, and Dustpaw sat together, murmuring excitedly. Suddenly feeling as though he was being watched, Ravenpaw turned to see Tigerclaw in deep conversation with Bluestar. He met Tigerclaw's eyes for a moment before he quickly looked away. Are they talking about me? he thought, remembering his disastrous hunting session only a few days before. It had taken him the whole night and half the next day to catch the four pieces of prey as Tigerclaw had ordered, and he had returned to camp exhausted and starving.

Even though his shoulder had healed, Ravenpaw had still been hunting poorly for the last few days, mostly due to his anxiety over Tigerclaw's involvement in Redtail's death. He couldn't get the battle out of his mind and at the same time wanted to forget it.

"Did you hear the news?" Mousefur's mew jolted him out of his thoughts. "Frostfur had her kits last night."

Ravenpaw purred, briefly forgetting his worries. Frostfur and Brindleface were both Ravenpaw's kin, and although they were much older and he wasn't very close with them, it was good to hear that one of them had had a successful kitting. "Oh, that's great. Have you seen them yet?"

"Yes, they're beautiful. A tom and a she-kit." Mousefur began to walk away. "If you're quick about it you might be able to visit them before you get started on your training today."

"I think I'll do that," Ravenpaw mewed. He padded over to the nursery. Willowpelt and Darkstripe were still sitting outside the entrance.

Willowpelt answered Ravenpaw's unasked question. "We've already seen them. We're just waiting for Dustpaw so we can head out on patrol." Ravenpaw nodded. Soon enough Dustpaw emerged from the nursery. His brother ignored him as he passed, as usual. Squeezing in through the hole in the brambles, Ravenpaw was nearly overwhelmed with the warm, milky scents. Frostfur was lying on her side, her kits huddled close to her, while Goldenflower and her black and white patched kits were fast asleep a few mouse-lengths away. He was irresistibly reminded of his kithood as he absorbed the calmness of the nursery. It took a moment before Frostfur noticed his presence.

"Well hello there. Another visitor," Frostfur mewed.

Realizing that Frostfur was probably tired of being intruded upon by her Clanmates, Ravenpaw pulled back toward the entrance. "Sorry! I can come another time!"

Frostfur purred, shaking her head. "No, Ravenpaw, you're fine. It's good for the Clan to see new kits." Ravenpaw looked down at the newborn kits. One was ginger, the other was a soft smudgy gray.

"Have you decided their names yet?" Ravenpaw asked.

"No, I'm still thinking about it." She nudged the small gray kit closer to her. Her motherly gesture reminded Ravenpaw of his own mother, Robinwing, who had died when he and Dustpaw were still kits. She had contracted a case of greencough that had made her weak and unable to care for herself during her last moon of life. Five kits had succumbed to greencough that season as well. He shook his head to clear it from the terrible memory.

Frostfur suddenly purred in amusement and flicked her ears toward the pale ginger queen and the kits fast asleep beside her. "Goldenflower is pleased that there are more kits in the Clan now. Her son is so worried about venturing out of the nursery. She thinks having other kits to play with might make him want to go outside more." Ravenpaw reflected that having denmates as a kit hadn't made him any less reluctant to leave the safety of the nursery, but perhaps Goldenflower's kit was braver than he was.