Free Ravenpaw's Farewell by Erin Hunter

Ravenpaw guessed.
    He padded to the edge of the cliff and looked down. He felt very exposed, but none of the cats in the gorge below noticed him. Barley, Riley, and Bella crept up beside him and stared in horror. Amid the crisscrossing paths that lined the valley, cats were charging back and forth, yowling in anger. A heap of soft, dark shapes went flying; from the scents that drifted up to the top of the cliff, Ravenpaw guessed that the fresh-kill pile had been scattered.
    As Ravenpaw’s eyes grew used to the starlight, he realizedthat five or six cats were chasing the others, rousting them with shrieks and hisses. More and more cats spilled from dens in the side of the cliff, including some tiny kits who looked barely able to walk.
    â€œGet them back to the nursery!” screeched a she-cat.
    â€œPoor little kits, too small to be away from their mother,” jeered a familiar voice.
    Ravenpaw looked at Barley. That was Pasha! He peered into the gorge again and made out the shapes of the other cats who had terrorized them the previous night. Were they taking on the whole of SkyClan?
    â€œWarriors, to me!” yowled Leafstar, her cream patches glowing in the half-light. At last a more or less orderly line of cats formed up, and they charged at the intruders, hissing and spitting. With a chorus of mocking screeches, the kittypets whirled around and scrambled back up the cliff.
    â€œWe’ll be back!” Pasha yowled, so close to Ravenpaw that he almost stepped on him.
    Ravenpaw and his companions crouched in the grass without breathing until the kittypets had thundered away. Below, the SkyClan camp fell silent apart from the whimpering of kits as they were ushered back to their nest, and the angry muttering from elders who had been disturbed from sleep.
    â€œThree nights in a row!” hissed one of them.
    Leafstar spoke soothingly. “We’ll find a way to stop them, I promise. Go back to your dens and get some rest.”
    â€œWhoa!” breathed Bella. “Those kittypets are giving SkyClan a lot of trouble!”
    Ravenpaw backed away from the edge of the cliff. His pelt smelled strongly of SkyClan, and he realized he had been lying on top of a border mark.
    â€œImagine having to put up with that every night!” Barley remarked.
    They started to walk back down the slope to the stream.
    â€œI don’t understand why they let those kittypets get into their camp,” Riley mewed. “SkyClan cats are warriors! They should be able to defend themselves!”
    Ravenpaw shook his head. “I don’t think the kittypets were there for any real purpose. They just wanted to wake everyone up and cause trouble.”
    â€œThankfully, it’s their trouble, not ours,” meowed Barley. “Look, here’s the cave. Come on, you two, get some sleep. We’ll start for home tomorrow. Leafstar has made it clear that there’s nothing to keep us here.” He shooed Riley and Bella inside and curled around them.
    Ravenpaw lay down near the entrance, his chin on his paws. Barley was right; if Leafstar wanted them to go, there was no reason to stay here any longer. But he couldn’t forget the image of the warriors shrieking in dismay as their camp was invaded. Surely there was something SkyClan could do to stop it?

C HAPTER N INE

    Ravenpaw opened his eyes to find that he was lying on smooth stone beside a still, star-filled pool. He sat up and looked around. Behind him, a pock-marked slope spiraled up to the top of the hollow. The stone beneath him was cool, but his fur felt warm. He padded to the edge of the pool and drank, feeling the water surge through him like light. He became aware of a cat standing beside him with her tail resting lightly on his back.
    â€œCome sit with me, Ravenpaw,” Silverstream purred. She positioned herself neatly on the rock with her tail folded over her paws and waited while Ravenpaw settled himself more slowly, wincing at the ache