Alone #4: The Dynasty of Truth

Chapter 3

Ravenflight's mind was inching slowly towards mental destruction as she sat by herself during the day and slept by herself during the night. She was driving herself mad.

No cat believed her now, except for Ebonywind and Amberclaw. The two cats who would be by her side forever. Her sisters.

"We need to do something!" Ravenflight burst once they were alone. They had taken to meeting every night to discuss Dark.

"We do!" Amberclaw agreed fiercely. "Dark could come in any minute."

Ravenflight instinctively glanced behind her, expecting to see yellow eyes and a black pelt. But there was nothing. She shivered and crept closer to her sisters.

"We need to sneak out," Ebonywind growled. "We need to find Dark, capture him, and bring him back for the Dynasty to see."

"Wouldn't it be safer if we just kill him?" Ravenflight twitched her ears.

Amberclaw flicked her tail. "If we just kill him, they'll just say that we dug up his body. As if I would ever do that!"

Ebonywind snorted in laughter. "We have to capture him."

"That'll make it harder," Ravenflight warned them.

The locked up raven will spread its wings and bring a brighter light to the Clans.

Ravenflight's prophecy rang in her head and she felt cold. Does the prophecy mean I have to kill Dark again?

"Did I ever tell you about my prophecy?" Ravenflight asked Amberclaw and Ebonywind.

"I can't seem to remember," Amberclaw replied. "What prophecy?"

"Ravenwing told me that 'the locked up raven will spread its wings and bring a brighter light to the Clans'."

"The locked up raven..." Amberclaw mused. "That's you."

"I know that! I'm not a mouse-brain!" Ravenflight shook her head in amusement.

"You'll...become great? Powerful?" Ebonywind guessed the next part. "Spread its wings...hmm."

"Probably. Then I'll bring a brighter light to the Clans. Is that supposed to mean I'll make the Clans better?" Ravenflight snarled her frustration. Why did StarClan have to be so vague?

"We should leave now and look for Dark!" Ebonywind stamped her paw in annoyance. "The Dynasty will never know."

Amberclaw nodded and Ravenflight reluctantly agreed. She sniffed the air. "No scent of any of the rogues," Ravenflight reported.

"I can hear faint voices," Ebonywind stretched her ears out before leading the way.

Ravenflight followed quickly, not willing to be by herself in the darkness. The woods were...haunted. It didn't feel good.

They edged closer to the voices, close enough to make out who it was. Ravenflight perked her ears up, listening as hard as she could.

"The mouse-brains!" a she-cat said.

Amberclaw nudged Ravenflight and mouthed, "Ruthless."

Ravenflight and Ebonywind dipped their heads.

It seemed that Ruthless was addressing a large audience of cats, roughly ten, if Ravenflight had to guess. One of them was Blue.

"Those mouse-brains!" Blue leapt up to a rock so she could be heard and seen by the rogues. "They led us straight to the Dynasty!"

The cats listening yowled their amusement, their claws covered in blood.

"Those mouse-brains think that they could escape us," Ruthless hissed. It was a chilling sound and Ravenflight, Amberclaw and Ebonywind sat together, eavesdropping. "They will never escape! We will rage war on the Dynasty!"

"But Ruthless, we don't have enough cats!" A red tabby tom stood up, his green eyes sharp and calculating.

"We do not put all of our rogues in one team, Dant," Blue explained, her blue-gray pelt shining under the half moon.

"There are more rogues?" A black tom with amber eyes queried.

"Yes, Bull, there are more," Ruthless rolled her eyes. "Three teams of roughly ten cats in each. Two cats lead each team."

"You and Blue lead us, yeah?" A familiar voice mewed. Ravenflight inched forwards but Ebonywind pulled her back.

"Too risky," Ebonywind whispered.

Ravenflight nodded but wished she could see who had talked. She felt as if she knew that tom...

"Yes," Ruthless purred. "And you will help us."

Amberclaw shrugged and they pressed a little closer.

"We will attack very soon, my friends!" Blue yowled.

All the rogues started to chant. "RevengeClan! RevengeClan! RevengeClan! RevengeClan!"

Ruthless' purr was so loud, Ravenflight thought it would knock her over. But then, Ruthless, Blue and the rogues started to move. They danced.

Ravenflight was so shocked she let out a gasp.

The dancing stopped and Ruthless' voice was quiet but deadly.

"Who is there?"

"Run!" Ebonywind told them and they fled as fast as they could, panting as they entered the Dynasty's camp.

"That was close," Amberclaw sighed.

"Where have you three been?" Autumn's voice was suspicious.

"Nowhere!" Ravenflight's voice cracked.

Autumn growled a little as she spoke. "Tell."

"Fine, we were spying on the rogues," Ebonywind spat.

"Did you see Dark?" Autumn's voice was worried.

"No." Ravenflight admitted. "But we did see Ruthless. They're planning to attack the Dynasty!"

"When?" Autumn asked.

"We don't know," Amberclaw mewed. "They found out we were listening."

Autumn snorted. "You guys are probably lying to make me believe you. Give me some real proof next time."

Ravenflight stared at Ebonywind and Amberclaw. "Next time?"

"Did she just give us permission to go back?" Ebonywind's eyes were alight with mischief.

"Oh StarClan, she really did," Amberclaw purred.

"Tomorrow night," Ravenflight decided. "Tomorrow night, we go again."