Ravenpaw's Farewell Read Free Page B

haven’t you come to see us before?”
    â€œSo many questions!” chided Violet, sweeping her tail around her daughter. “Ravenpaw, this is Bella. She started talking before any of the others, and I’m not sure when she’ll stop.” Her voice was warm and full of love as she gazed downat the little orange cat.
    Ravenpaw felt something tugging at his tail. A gray tabby tom clutched the tip between his paws and grappled with it. Ravenpaw flicked his tail and the kit rolled away. He almost fell off the wooden platform, and Violet had to leap to stop him.
    â€œOh, Riley,” she sighed. “Can you try to be a bit less clumsy, please?”
    â€œIt was my fault,” Ravenpaw mewed quickly. “Good fighting,” he commented to Riley, who was tottering back on sturdy legs to have another go at his tail. In his mind, Ravenpaw pictured Graystripe as a kit, almost exactly the same color, except that his eyes had been amber while Riley’s were a clear, piercing blue.
    Barley was trying to remove a pair of kits from the top of his head.
    â€œLulu, Patch, get down!” Violet ordered. She shot an exasperated glance at Ravenpaw. “I’m so sorry. I think they’re a bit overexcited by your visit.”
    â€œWe should be going anyway,” meowed Barley. “It’s a long way back to the farm.”
    â€œThe farm?” echoed Bella. “What’s that?”
    â€œIt’s where we live,” mewed Ravenpaw. “Far away, on the other side of the Thunderpath. It’s a place with sheep and cows, and lots of fields.”
    Riley screwed up his face. “What is a sheep and cow? And a field?”
    â€œWe’ll visit them one day,” Violet promised, touching thetip of her tail to his dark gray ear. “Now go lie down for your nap.” She herded the kits back to the pile of pelts.
    â€œI’m not even the tiniest bit sleepy,” Ravenpaw heard Bella declare.
    Violet shooed them into a huddle of furry bodies, then returned to Barley and Ravenpaw. “It was really good to see you,” she meowed. “Please, come again any time. Or maybe we’ll visit you!”
    Barley purred. “You would be very welcome.” He reached out and touched his chin to the top of his sister’s head. “You’re a wonderful mother. I’m so pleased for you.”
    â€œThank you.” Violet glanced at her kits, squirming and snuffling among the pelts. “They mean the world to me. Now go safely, and try to stay out of Madric’s way. I’d like to say that he’s all snarl and no bite, but I don’t trust him.”
    â€œWe won’t go back that way,” Ravenpaw promised. He stroked Violet’s flank with the tip of his tail. “Good-bye, and don’t let those kits wear you out!” Then he turned to Barley. His paws ached with tiredness and his belly was still sore, but the thought of returning to the barn gave him energy. “We’ve had enough adventures for a lifetime today! Let’s go home.”

C HAPTER T HREE

    Leaf-bare rattled the last dry leaves from the trees and hedges and covered the fields in a thick pelt of snow. Ravenpaw and Barley peeped out at the dense white flakes tumbling silently from the sky. There were still plenty of mice to eat inside the barn, and as the stock of hay shrank, hunting became easier, with fewer places for prey to hide.
    The pain in Ravenpaw’s belly became a familiar throb, worse if he ate too much or slept in a cold draft. He could forget about it most of the time. A wrench to his shoulder, from an overzealous game of chase up and down the hay with Barley, was more of a nuisance. Ravenpaw had missed his footing and fallen several fox-lengths onto the stone floor. Barley was beside him in a heartbeat, licking his flank, urging him to keep still.
    Ravenpaw flexed each paw in turn and opened his eyes. “I’ll live,” he grunted. But when