The Lost Prophecy: Book 2: Broken Destinies

Chapter 17

They spent the day going over the finer points of ratting. Rats were much smarter than other prey, Barley had explained. They could trick you or swarm you, and they were much faster than they looked.

Ravenpaw took it all in, even though he knew he was unlikely to find a rat on ThunderClan territory.

"Are you sure I'm getting it?" Ravenpaw and Barley were trudging back to the barn, the light of the setting sun glowing orange behind the patches of dark storm clouds. "I only caught the first one."

"That one was lucky, I'll admit," Barley acknowledged. "But the promise is there. You've already gotten the basic technique down; it would only be a matter of time before you managed to catch more." Would be... Ravenpaw blinked sadly. He knew had to leave soon, and Barley did as well.

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The remainder of the day somehow passed in a blur, and the next morning Ravenpaw and Barley shared a meal like they had the previous day.

They had finished their prey when Ravenpaw took a deep breath. The sky was clear. He couldn't put it off any longer. "I have to go back."

Barley didn't try to convince him otherwise; he seemed completely unsurprised. "I understand." Ravenpaw blinked regretfully; he had enjoyed his time here. There was something about Barley that made him feel safe, and he had never been this relaxed in his entire life. But he knew he had to go; his Clan was waiting for him. He had been gone for three days now, and Ravenpaw didn't even want to imagine the trouble he would be in when he got back. Barley's mew shook him from his thoughts. "Come on. I'll show you the best path home."

They bounded down from the hayloft and squeezed through the hole in the barn wall. Barley led him along the dirt tracks around the barn; as they walked Ravenpaw picked out the landmarks and realized how familiar he was with this place after only a day. Barley took him to a track he didn't recognize, long past the trench Ravenpaw had feared so much just yesterday.

Finally, they stopped at the edge of a small field. Barley pointed with his nose toward a gap between two fences. "This is the shortest way back to the forest, I think."

It took Ravenpaw a moment to find his voice. "Thank you," he meowed softly, "for everything."

"No, thank you," Barley replied. "I like living in the barn, but it gets a little lonely. It's nice to have another cat around sometimes."

They lingered awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to say. A lump formed in Ravenpaw's throat. He had only spent a day here, yet somehow this place felt comfortingly familiar.

Barley touched his nose to Ravenpaw's ear. "You're welcome to visit anytime. With a bit of practice, you'd make a fine ratter." Ravenpaw mumbled his thanks. He anxiously glanced at the path he was about to take, imagining the dangers that lay at the end of it. Barley gave him a friendly blink. "Safe journey."

"Goodbye, Barley." Tearing his gaze away from the loner, Ravenpaw waved his tail in farewell and began to trot down the path. He was returning to ThunderClan, so why did he feel like he was leaving home behind?

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This time through WindClan territory the journey was less nerve wracking. The wind blew toward Ravenpaw so he could keep clear of other cats and avoid detection, but he was still on edge. A rival Clan wouldn't take too kindly to a cat who trespassed twice within three days.

In the end though, Ravenpaw wasn't intercepted by any WindClan patrols. He made it back to Fourtrees after a long trek under the rising sun and wispy light clouds, and let out a sigh of relief once he was in his own territory.