A/N: Hey! Sorry this took so long.
Blossom (guest): Hehe… can't tell you :) Thanks!
Featherstream100: I'd love to! Would you like to give me a personality? You
don't have to, but it would be great if you did :)
Chapter 5
Rainpool was standing in an unfamiliar clearing. She'd been on a hunting patrol,
and they had split up to look for prey. The bright sun shone down through the
leaves, and the ground was covered in springy green moss. Flowers dotted the
ground here and there, and a butterfly fluttered by.
Suddenly a red leaf bounced off her nose, and she leaped back in surprise. More
leaves floated down, faster and faster in a whirl of red and gold and orange.
Rainpool leaped around like a kit, batting leaves out of the air, until no more fell.
As Rainpool watched, snow began to fall. Soon she was standing in a huge pile of
the stuff. Now the sun didn't shine as warmly, and the trees stretched their skeleton
branches towards it, desperate for the light. Rainpool shivered.
But the sun began to warm the clearing, and the snow slowly started to melt. The
sun grew hotter, and a moment later Rainpool was standing in a puddle halfway up
her legs. The ground wouldn't accept any more water, she realized.
A roar reached her ears. Before she knew what was happening, she had burst out
from the trees and was at the river. Only it wasn't a river anymore- it was a wave. A
massive wave, bearing down on her. StarClan, help me!
Rainpool forced open her eyes, still shaking. The dream had been so real. But that's
all it was, she reminded herself. Just a dream.
She gave herself a quick groom before padding outside. The sun was just rising over
the treetops, and birds were singing somewhere in the forest. The snow seemed to
have melted a bit, reminding Rainpool again of her dream. She pushed aside her
uneasiness and walked towards the fresh-kill pile. Picking up a plump vole, she
faced the elders' den. Nervousness now rose up inside her.
Today she would go to see Dawnspots, the only elder of LightClan. Dawnspots
might be able to finish Hazelcloud and Shadowpelt's story. Maybe Rainpool could
get some answers, figure out why Hazelcloud and Shadowpelt were killed. She
forced her paws to carry her forward.
Inside the den, Dawnspots was stretching. She glanced up at Rainpool. "Oh, hello.
You must be Feather… Feather…" Dawnspots trailed off, looking puzzled.
Rainpool felt the same way. "Feather who?" She asked. Dawnspots wrinkled her
nose. "Can't you remember your own name?" She meowed.
"I'm not Feather… whoever. I'm Rainpool," Rainpool meowed, nudging the vole
forward. "I brought you this, if you're hungry."
But Dawnspots ignored the prey. "Flight! That's it, Featherflight!" She began
mumbling something about the flight of a feather.
Rainpool stood, shocked and speechless. Featherflight? What was Dawnspots
talking about?
Suddenly the elder glanced up. "Well? What are you waiting for? Tell me what you
came to tell me! Although if it's another prophecy, I don't want to hear it! I am not
a medicine cat anymore! Frostflight is a perfectly capable medicine cat! Give her all
your Blackjaw, tree eyed whatever nonsense!"
Rainpool backed away slowly. "I'm not Featherflight! I don't know what you're
talking about!" She meowed.
Dawnspots advanced on her. "Where's Duskstar? I want Duskstar!" She yowled
agitatedly.
Frostflight hurried into the den. Seeing the situation, she rushed to Dawnspots' side.
"Dawnspots, please sit down. Have some fresh-kill. Everything's alright. Nobody is
going to get you, okay?"
Slowly the elder allowed herself to be led back to her nest. She settled down and
began to eat the vole, completely forgetting about Rainpool. Frostflight murmured
soothing words for a minute, then she padded over to Rainpool.
"I'm so sorry! She was having another hallucination. They started happening a few
seasons ago when she was the medicine cat; that's why she had to retire. Are you
okay?"
Rainpool felt stiff. She had to force herself to nod. "I'm fine." She cast one last
glance at Dawnspots before Frostflight led her out of the den. The tawny she-cat
looked up, narrowing her blue eyes as she met Rainpool's gaze.
Reedflame padded over when he saw Rainpool emerge from the den. "Is everything
alright? I heard her yowling," he meowed worriedly. "Was she having another fit?"
Rainpool shrugged. "I guess," she meowed. Inside she was thinking, Why
Featherflight, of all cats? And why not call her Featherstar? She became leader,
after all…
Reedflame touched her shoulder with his tail, then meowed "Would you like to go
hunting?" Rainpool considered this. It would be nice to get out, and it would help
take her mind off of her dream, and Dawnspots. "Sure," she meowed to Reedflame.
The two strolled out of the camp, chatting easily. "How do you like swimming?"
Reedflame asked. "Much better than I thought I would," Rainpool admitted.
Reedflame nodded, purring. "You want to go fishing?" Rainpool rolled her eyes.
"I'm a terrible fisher, but sure!"
The river was as freezing as it had been yesterday, Rainpool discovered after she
fell in, though all the ice had melted a few days ago. Coughing, she managed to
paddle to the shore before she was swept too far downstream. Reedflame hauled her
out of the water, and she collapsed gasping in the snow.
"Are you okay?" Reedflame meowed anxiously, standing over her. Rainpool
flopped over onto her back. "No! I'm dying!" She wailed. "Should I get a medicine
cat?" Reedflame asked quickly. Rainpool blinked up at him. "No. I'm fine. I was
just kidding." She meowed slowly. "Oh. Okay," Reedflame mumbled.
An awkward silence settled over them.
Rainpool sprang up. "Let's run to warm up," she urged. Without waiting to hear
Reedflame's reply, she raced into the trees.
Air whooshed in her ears as her paws sent snow flying. The trees blurred together,
and Rainpool focused only enough to dodge obstacles in her path. When she finally
stopped, she was standing in a small clearing surrounded by trees and bushes. With
a shock, she realized that it was her dream clearing.
Reedflame skidded to a stop beside her, panting. Seeing Rainpool staring around, he
meowed, "You're standing on a cat's burial place, you know." Rainpool leaped
backwards. "What? Are you just joking, or…?" She trailed off. "I'm serious,"
Reedflame meowed. "Who was… buried?" Rainpool found herself asking.
Reedflame shrugged. "I don't know. But Dawnspots might, and if she does she
might tell you if you catch her in a good mood."
Rainpool glanced around one last time, then turned away. "Let's go back to camp,"
meowed.
