Nomad

Rainbowpaw didn't fit in with Driftclan. So she found out about other clans and religions-other homes. And now she's going to find them. ~Better than it sounds…yeah I'm bad at summaries…please R/R!

A mottled grey-silver she-cat entered her den with a sigh. Rain hammered against the scrubby lean-to, and hail was not far off. I can't wait till we've left Stormclan's territory, She thought to herself, I'm absolutely sick and tired of this horrible weather-I'd much rather be in the warm weather of Valleyclan. Just as she finished tidying up her herbs, a sleek white cat entered the den.

"DreamStorm! The kits! They're coming!" the newcomer cried impatiently. DreamStorm looked up with silvery eyes.

"Calm down, Snowriver. I'll be there in a moment. Is she alright?"

"She's fine but weak-the travel from Frostclan to Stormclan took a lot of her strength."

"…Okay. Fetch Fawnstar's mate, Eternaldeath. Quickly now!" She replied, gathering a bundle of plants and ushering Snowriver out the door. The white she-cat bolted into the ceaseless rain and then into the leaders cave-or more or less hole. The medicine cat took off into the angry storm, her mouth full of bitter herbs. As she entered the nursery, scared green eyes looked up at her.

"Oh, thank Starclan. Dreamstorm, please help FawnStar-she's dying." Mewed the fluffy brown she-cat.

"I will do the best I can, Nutfur. But I can't promise you anything. She's in the paws of Starclan now." Without waiting for a reply, she placed a paw on Fawnstar's massive stomach and fed her some herbs. The leader's blue-green eyes looked weary, and her pain was obvious. "Come on Fawnstar. You can do it."

"Um, Dreamstorm, Eternaldeath's here for you." Mewed Snowriver quietly in the rain.

"Let me through! She's my mate for Starclan's sake!" came a gruff voice. A black head pushed it's way into the nursery and soon the tom was standing next to DreamStorm in the stuffy den. "Please don't leave me, Fawnstar. The clan needs you. Your kits need you. I need you." A single tear fell from his amber eyes and he bent his head to her fur.

"E-EternalDeath…" came the faint reply from his dying mate.

"Oh Fawnstar! You-you're going to be alright. Just hold on. DreamStorm will make you better." He meowed rapidly, then turned to the medicine cat. "Won't you?"

The death of FawnStar had a massive impact on Driftclan. Toms stayed by mate's sides, she-cats trudged through fallen rain and kits stopped playing. DreamStorm left her lean-to and headed to the nursery, head low and eyes red from lack of sleep. She heard SnowRiver mewing quietly to her friend, SwiftSky. "I hear that FrostClan is planning to steal some of ValleyClan's land. How strange!" The grey she-cat looked up glumly and nodded then mumbled a farewell of some-sort and left SnowRiver. The Medicine cat sighed and changed course for the lone warrior. "Oh, Hi DreamStorm." Came the half-hearted greeting.

"What's troubling you, Snowriver?" she asked, although she already knew.

"Nothing-it's just, ever since FawnStar's passing, the clan has been so…different." DreamStorm laid her grey tail along the young warrior's white shoulders. "FawnStar was a great and much loved leader, Snowriver. Even rival clans loved her. Her death has made life in DriftClan less happy. We all miss her." Snowriver nodded and slowly rose to her paws.

"Thanks, DreamStorm." She mewed before leaving through the fern tunnel.

Rainbowkit leapt onto EternalDeath's back, her sheathed paws ruffling his fur. Florakit tried to jump, but fell back on her little brown sister. Faunakit squeaked in surprise and batted her sister away. "Don't be mean, Florakit!"

"It was an accident! Just because I don't have big, long legs like Rainbowkit, doesn't mean she's any better!" cried Florakit defensively.

"Oh, really?" yowled Rainbowkit, launching herself onto Florakit's snowy-white back.

"Calm down girls." Meowed EternalDeath sternly, fixing his amber gaze on each of them. They shrunk back-except Rainbowkit.

"I'm not jus' a girl, Daddy! I'm a cwan weader!" she cried, flinging herself at him. He tried to shake her off, but to no avail. She ducked and dived, elluding his grasp. "See? I'm going to be the bestest leader DwiftClan ever had!" While she was distracted, EternalDeath gently picked her off by the scruff and lay her in her mossy bedding.

"Well, all great leaders have to sleep if they want to be strong when fighting off StormClan attackers!" he meowed as the kits huddled to sleep. Soon, the soft rise-fall pattern of their breath could be heard. He looked up at the dusk-sky. Oh, my dear FawnStar, if you're there, watch over these kits…

Rainbowpaw chuckled to herself quietly as she watched Faunapaw attack her mentor, Snowriver. The little apprentice couldn't seem to leap in time or monuever out of the way before the white warrior whipped out a sheathed paw. "What're you laughing at, Rainbowpaw?" asked Robinflight.

"Nothing!" She quickly meowed, startled. "Uh…Shouldn't we go patrol the borders or something?" Her mentor's amber eyes burned into her silver pelt and she had to bite back a confession. That would surely end her up searching ColdShadow's and Fallenoak's fur for ticks. Robinflight muttered something before replying.

"…I'm watching you Rainbowpaw…" she threatened, "Don't tease your sister." Rainbowpaw nodded quickly.

"I-I won't!" Robinflight dipped her head in approval and began walking into the forest.

"And just to make sure you don't, you can spend today and tommorow cleaning the elders' den and pelts!" She yowled, racing into the forest without a glance back.

"Wha-But!" she stammered, but Robinflight was gone. Head low and seathing, she stumbled to the elder's den.

ColdShadow was laying luxuriously in the morning sun and Fallenoak was gazing sightlessly at the sky. As she padded up to them, they swung their heads to greet her.

"Rainbowpaw!" meowed Fallenoak. She could never understand how he always knew it was her. "What can we do for a young apprentice like you?" he rasped kindly.

"Oh, I..I was going to clean your dens and pelts…if you don't mind…" she stammered, her eyes focused on a small green leaf floating to the ground.

"Have you been upsetting Robinflight lately?" purred ColdShadow. Rainbowpaw stuttered for an excuse but Fallenoak stopped her.

"It's okay, youngin'. When your mentor was a kit, boy did she get into trouble!" Rainbowpaw listened with one ear whilst working on the bedding; dragging in and out new moss. "…and then there was the time those messengers from 'Valley Hill Kingdom' came and tried to persuade new cats for their religion! Boy did little Robinpaw get upset when they wouldn't let her go!" Rainbowpaw began to listen more intently-this was getting more and more interesting. She had aways been enthusiastic about other clans…maybe she'd find out a bit more today…

"Or the the time when she tried exploring and came back half a moon later with tales of The Birdcave climbers and the cats with magic! What a story!" cried Coldshadow happily. Magic cats? Birdcave climbers? The elders quietened down and settled in the moss comfortably. "I still remember the poem she had that they gave her to reach them. 'travel with a bone, that opens up the stone, catch a falling ride, then wash up on the tide.' What a laugh little Robinpaw gave us." Mumbled Coldshadow, falling asleep beside Fallenoak. The brown elder was already sleeping, but as Rainbowpaw went to leave the clearing, he spoke in his sleep.

"Be careful little Robinpaw. Knowledge can be dangerous…" Rainbowpaw looked at him in shock, but his breathing was slowing down and he coughed a little and became still.

"Fallenoak?" she asked, nudging him with her nose. The elder was cold already. He was dead. And, his last words were to her. He was right though, knowledge can be dangerous. And she was about to prove it.

I Hope you liked it! I don't know if I will continue it, and this chapter was a bit rushed and confusing, but I promise if I post another chapter it will be better! Please review! If you do, I'll review your stories

~Jaffa Maze