Free Ravenpaw's Farewell by Erin Hunter Page B

outnumbered,” he mewed. He brushed the tip of his tail along Ravenpaw’s spine. “But if you need to stop and rest, tell me, okay? I know something’s hurting you.”
    â€œI will.”
    Ravenpaw led them up the stream once more. They paused among the trees to hunt; Barley made Ravenpaw lie on some comfy moss while he and the young cats cornered a pigeon that was pecking at the foot of a beech tree. As soon as they had eaten and cleaned their muzzles, they continued to the edge of the woods.
    In daylight, Ravenpaw could clearly see the huge, gray-brown boulder that hung over the stream. The water vanished beneath the rock, and sun-dappled ripples cast patterns of light onto the bottom of the stone. They had hardly gone past the holly bush when several figures appeared, running toward them. Plumwillow was in the lead.
    â€œWe told you to stay away!” she growled.
    A ginger tom bounded beside her, his hackles raised. “Getout of here!”
    â€œPlumwillow, Bouncefire, wait!” A silver tabby she-cat with clear green eyes sprang down from a path near the foot of the cliff and blocked their way. “Enough! These cats mean no harm.”
    â€œWe don’t know that,” Bouncefire muttered, but he stayed where he was and watched as the silver-gray cat approached Ravenpaw and his companions. Ravenpaw picked up the clean scent of herbs on her pelt and spotted a scrap of cobweb clinging to her ear.
    â€œMy name is Echosong,” she meowed. “I am SkyClan’s medicine cat. Leafstar told me about you.”
    Her voice was gentle, and Ravenpaw let the fur on his spine relax. “I need to speak with Leafstar. Please, it’s important.”
    Echosong studied him for a moment, then turned, her fluffy silver tail straight up. “Follow me.” She led them past Plumwillow and Bouncefire, who hissed under his breath, and up one of the narrow paths. She paused and looked back. “I’m sorry,” she mewed. “There isn’t much room in Leafstar’s den. I can take Ravenpaw to her, but would the rest of you mind staying down here?”
    Barley glanced at the warriors who had started to emerge from dens and behind rocks at the bottom of the valley.
    â€œDon’t worry, you’re quite safe,” Echosong told him. “Hawkpaw will look after you.”
    A sturdy little cat with sleek gray fur and piercing yellow eyes who had just come out of a den nodded. “Absolutely,” he promised.
    â€œThank you,” Echosong meowed. “Let me know if Ebonyclaw arrives and needs you to do something else.” She went on to Ravenpaw, “Ebonyclaw is a daylight warrior, so she’s not here yet. Hawkpaw is her apprentice.”
    â€œHe seems very committed,” Ravenpaw remarked.
    Echosong nodded. “He is. As long as we keep him away from Billystorm’s apprentice, Pebblepaw. The two of them do not get along!”
    They left Barley, Riley, and Bella standing rather awkwardly with the gray apprentice and continued up the path. It led past several small caves—warrior dens, Ravenpaw guessed from the scents that wafted out—to a ledge where three cats sat: Leafstar, a ginger-and-white tom with a broad, handsome face, and a dark ginger tom whose gaze raked Ravenpaw’s pelt as he approached.
    Leafstar dipped her head. “Ravenpaw. I wasn’t expecting to see you again.” She indicated the cats beside her, the scowling dark ginger tom first. “This is Sharpclaw, my deputy. And this is Billystorm. Whatever you have to tell me, you can say in front of them.”
    Ravenpaw took a deep breath and hoped the warriors couldn’t hear his heart pounding. “I want to help you with the kittypet, er . . . problem. We saw what happened last night, and I think there’s a way you could stop it.”
    Sharpclaw stood up, hackles raised. “So you were trespassing?” he growled.
    â€œWe were on the cliff