Ravenpaw's Past - Chapter 5

     Ravenpaw looked over, startled that her name had been spoken. "Huh?"

     Spottedstar and Greenleaf walked over to her, they stopped a few tail lengths away. Spottedstar flicked her tail, "We found your fur in between Rainstorms claws. What was it doing there, Ravenpaw?"

     Ravenpaw looked startled, "My fur? It couldn't have been. Are you sure?" Thinking back Ravenpaw now remembered when Rainstorm had begun taking the effects of the berries, she had not only snagged the mouse with her claws, but the tip of her tail also. Crap, why didn't I think of that? Ravenpaw thought, swearing under her breath.

     The cats in the middle of the clearing were all still mumbling to themselves, not noticing Spottedstar and Greenleaf now by Ravenpaw. Only a few cats had turned to watch, Stormpaw, Mosspaw, and Halftail. Their ears were prickled in interest, gazes all locked onto the three cats.

     Ravenpaw felt a bit uncomfortable under their gazes, and with her Leader and Medicine Cat staring at her already the new stares weren't really helping out. "I'm sure that there's no reason for my fur to be there." 

     Greenleaf meowed, "But it was, and we want to know why." Her eyes narrowed, Ravenpaw knew that they already suspected that she had done it. Well, they were better detectives then I would have guessed. 

     Ravenpaw shrugged, "Perhaps my fur got in her nest from my last visit? I went to give her some company the other day when you were out."

     "Her nest was cleaned and replaced before nightfall last night." Greenleaf meowed, "Why were you in the Medicine Cats den today?" She shot a glance at Spottedstar, flicking her tail before looking back at Ravenpaw again. 

     Spottedstar said in a low voice, "You did it Ravenpaw, didn't you?"

     Stormpaw muttered something to Mosspaw and Halftail, but Ravenpaw didn't catch what words had be shared. The two of them nodded, agreeing with whatever the Aprentice had said. Then the three of them padded closer, sitting down together just a few tail lengths behind Spottedstar and Greenleaf, it was pretty obvious that they were eavesdropping now. 

     Ravenpaw stood up, she glanced between the two higher-positioned cats and then also at the three other cats listening, a few others from the crowd had turned to watch also but didn't seem to be all that sure of what was going on. 

     Ravenpaw looked around for an escape, then suddenly she got a plan. She looked down at the ground, it was dry and dusty. This'll work out perfectly. Ravenpaw turned slightly to the side, sliding her paw against the ground slowly. "Now," She began, "why don't we finish this conversation later?" She flung her paw forwards, dust from the dry ground coating Spottedstar and Greenleaf before they had time to react. She leapt over the bushes at the edge of the clearing, a smirk appearing on her face. While they're busy getting dust out of their eyes, I'll be far, far away. 

     Suddenly there was a yowl from behind her, looking over her should as she ran Ravenpaw spotted Halftail, Stormpaw, and Mosspaw leaping over the bushes after her. Crap, why didn't I think of dusting them too? 

     Ravenpaw sped forwards, racing through the trees to stay ahead of her pursuers. She was going fast enough that the ground was a blurr around her, browns and tans in the ground merging with all the shades of greens in the trees and bushes along with a speck of color from flowers or berries every once in a while. 

     Ravenpaw could hear them catching up to her, she needed to do something to through the cats off track. She swerved to the side, racing in a new direction, now out of their sight. She leapt at a tree trunk, scrambling her way into its branches. Just as she pulled herself over and onto the branch, the cats appeared, skidding around the corner after her. 

     Ravenpaw waited until they were just below her, "See ya later!" She hissed, her ears flattening and tail flicking. 

     The three cats looked up, startled by her voice coming from above. Mosspaw shouted, "You killed her! I'll rip you to shreds!" She launched herself at the tree trunk scrambling her way up after Ravenpaw. 

     Ravenpaw took off, leaping through the trees as Mosspaw managed her way onto the first branch. Stormpaw and Halftail took off after her, still on the ground in case she decided to drop down suddenly. 

     Ravenpaw continued jumping through the trees with Halftail and Stormpaw down below and Mosspaw not far behind her. They kept running for a while, all of them growing tired from either leaping over obstacles on the trail down below or leaping from tree branch to tree branch. Looking ahead, Ravenpaw noticed that the trees were beginning to thin out. She had to jump farther to get across each of the gaps, and so did Mosspaw. 

     Soon Ravenpaw scrambled to a hault, there were no more trees. Up ahead of her there was a small strip of ground, full of lush grass and clovers. Beyond that was a fast-moving stream, the border between SkyClan territory and the wilderness beyond. Halftail and Stormpaw scrambled to a stop down below her, looking up at her with narrowed eyes. 

     Halftail hissed, "It's too late now, Ravenpaw! Come down or we're coming up for you!" Stormpaw snarled in agreement, his tail lashing back and forth. 

     Ravenpaw looked behind her, there was no going back either. Mosspaw had just landed on the branch right next to the one she was currently perchered on. Mosspaw looked at her, lashing her tail. Then she leaped.