Raven's Flight

I think you did.

Good. I tried to make their personalities clear-- Fox is a show off and a braggart, while Bee is supposed to come off as very whiny and rather prissy. Thorn's always looking for a fight and Night's very patient and gentle. River and Thunder have very similar personalities, both being very loyal and rather quiet. Thunder, however, is less serious and somewhat more patient with the other kits than River is.

((Sorry it's been so long. I'll try to write more on it tomorrow.))

CHAPTER NINE:

Ivy yawned and shook her head, squinting against the rising sun. "We've been walking all night, Ravenblaze," she sighed, looking at the dark tom beside her. "None of them will admit it, but they're really tired. We need to rest for awhile."

"I know that," Ravenblaze replied, trying to curb the edge in his voice. It wasn't Ivy's fault, he reminded himself. "I just haven't been able to find a nice place to be," he explained weakly, glancing back over his shoulder at the cats gathered behind him. Many had taken advantage of their momentary pause to set the smaller kits down or clean dusty fur. "Everything here seems occupied or damp or open. If BloodClan is really aware of our escape, we can't be too certain that they'll just let us go. We can't stay anywhere they can see us or anywhere we might get sick."

Ivy nodded slowly. "You have a good point, Ravenblaze, but we're tougher than that." She indicated the makeshift Clan behind them. "I mean, I don't know a whole lot about Fuzz, but Violet's willing to put up with anything, so long as her kit grows up safe. Barley, if he's anything like you, can take a lot without complaining. And as for my additions, well, I know they can take more than these rocky hills can send our way."

"What if Rabbit gets sick though," Ravenblaze asked worriedly. "Or Fox or Thorn? Bee? Thunder or River? What then?"

Ivy shook her head. "Don't worry. Frost has handled sick kits before. It won't be the end of the world if one of the kits sneezes."

"Hey, you two," Hawk called from the back of the group. "Are we going to move, or are you two just going to stand there talking 'til sunhigh?"

Ivy turned to hush the wiry tom, but Storm's retort cut her off. "Will you hush, fur-brain? If we need to keep moving we will, so I'd shut my mouth and enjoy this break while I could if I were you!"

Hawk stared at Storm like a snake lurking in the shadows as it eyed its prey. "Really now," he said, the words long and slow. "You wanna make me shut up, frog-face?"

Fox started to step forward, ginger fur bristling, but Shard quickly pulled him back. "No, the older tom admonished his son. "Even I'm not about to stand in your mother's way when she's this mad."

Storm had already advanced, keeping herself low to the ground, ready to strike. Her tail lashed angrily behind her. "Anything to keep you from complaining, hedgehog-breath."

Ivy dashed forward, planting herself between the two arguing cats. "Look," she snapped. "We're all tired and cranky here, but we can't go around fighting one another. Now everyone calm down and be rational again before I beat some sense into both your heads! You're behaving like kits, coming to blows over a bout of name calling. Grow up, will you?!" Hawk and Storm both sat down and looked away, refusing to look at each other, but too ashamed to look at Ivy.

The brown she-cat padded quietly up to the top of the slight rise they'd paused beside, and looked down at the group gathered below her. "Just over this slope and a little further, there's a rocky outcropping more than big enough for all of us. We will rest there today, and move out again at sunset. I know traveling at night can be dangerous, especially when there's a chance we might be followed. But it's a risk we have to take. We need to be ready to keep going as soon as we're able." She turned away and disappeared down the other side of the hill.

Ravenblaze blinked in surprise. And she thought he was the leader?

"Well. you heard her," Shard replied, standing up and looking over the Clan. "Let's go! It's not far now!"

((Again, it's been too long since I updated the story. Sorry.))

CHAPTER TEN:

Fuzz and Barley sat together in the shadow of the great boulder the Clan was sheltering under, sharing the remains of Violet's thrush. There was little to eat here behind the Highstones, and the early morning wind bit with chilly fangs. Violet had gone to rest with the other queens and kits in a tight knot up against the stone, where they had some shelter from the air.

"So," Fuzz started, licking his whiskers, "do you think we'll find a place?"

"Of course we will," Barley replied. "Ivy had a good head on her shoulders, and Ravenp-- Ravenblaze knows what he's doing."

Fuzz shook his head. "I dunno," he mewed. "If Ravenblaze was really up to the challenge, why lead us into these rocks?"

"Because that's where he's supposed to go," a new voice piped up.

"Night," Barley asked, startled. "I thought you were asleep, with the other kits."

"Nope," Night said. "I'll sleep later. My teachers are busy right now anyways."

"Teachers," Fuzz asked. The two tomcats shared a confounded look. What was this kit talking about?

The little she-kit in question scratched at a black ear. "Yeah. The nice starry cats, like we saw the other night at the Moonstone. They said that Ravenblaze was being helped the same way I was, sort of. He'll find where we're supposed to go, don't worry."

"Uh, okay," Barley said slowly. He'd seen the same cats everyone else had, but he was having trouble believing they weren't some kind of strange mass dream brought on by some bad prey or something. "What exactly do these 'teachers' of yours teach?"

"They show me what herbs do what and where I can find them. I also know how to handle wounds, but old spiderwebs could be hard to find in the new territory. I'll have to see what else will work for bandages, or ask other cats."

"Uh-huh," Fuzz gave the kit a sideways glance. "Why can't Frost teach you this stuff? Why does it have to be... Starry cats?"

"Because Frost doesn't know that much about herbs that don't grow in a twoleg garden," Night replied. "It's the wild herbs we'll need to know out here."

Barley leapt to his feet. "Fuzz, take Night back to the queens, then find Ravenblaze and Ivy and the others."

"Why," Fuzz asked. "What's-- Oh." The gray tabby could smell it now too. Two strange cats approaching.

Night cowered against Fuzz's paws. "What if it's BloodClan," she squeaked, terrified.

"No," Barley said warily. "It doesn't smell quite right for them. Besides, they would have sent more than two cats after us."

Fuzz nodded in agreement. "I'll take the she-kit back. Think you can handle two cats alone?"

Barley laughed. "I didn't get to be as old as I am by losing fights."

With a brisk nod, Fuzz picked Night up. "We'll get help," the little she-kit mewed firmly. "Stay safe-- I don't know a lot about herbs yet."


Ivy raced after Fuzz, with Frost behind her. Shard and the others had been left behind to help keep the kits in 'camp' and watch over them. However, when the cavalry arrived, all three came to a dead stop.

Barley was lying on the bare stone, chatting with a silver tabby tom and a speckled tan she-cat. "Oh," the former barncat looked up in surprise. "You're here already. Don't worry, there's no threat. Ivy, Frost, Fuzz, I'd like you to meet Ripple and Dapple. They want to join us."

"Hi," the little she-cat, Dapple, mewed shyly.

"Hello," Ripple said, standing to his full height, which still wasn't very big. These cats were fairly young, Ivy decided. That, or they weren't eating enough. "My-- My friend and I saw you leaving the Twolegplace, and... Well, we decided escape was our best option, too. We've been tracking you, but this is the first time either of us has been brave enough to approach. We tried to go it alone, back in the city, but..."

"We are all stronger when we stand together," Ivy finished. "You're right. Welcome to the Clan."

"What?!" Frost stared at Ivy, aghast. "What are you talking about? We can't take in more strays, Ivy! There's little enough food as it is!"

"We can't just leave them out here to die, Frost," Ivy snapped. "Have a little compassion!"

"There's a river not far from here," Dapple murmured. "Ripple and I can fish very well. We'll pull our weight, I promise."

"If that's true," Frost said skeptically, "why are you so thin?"

"Life was hard for us in the Twolegplace," Ripple snapped, leaping to Dapple's defense. "We couldn't steal food from the twolegs without getting attacked by BloodClan. We couldn't catch any of the pigeons that would land where we could reach. There were rats on rare occasion, but that was it! We're sick and weak from lack of food, and have no choice but to throw ourselves at your mercy." He turned again to Ivy. "Please. We'll lead you to the river; there's fish there, and frogs and rodents. It's far from plentiful, but it's at least better than what you'll find in the rocks. Please, help us."

"I already said I would," Ivy purred. "Come back to camp with us. We'll rest up and head out tonight."