Silver-chan: ...

*opens mouth, then closes it*

Sooooo...

Oh yeah! We will soon be posting a side story (or prequel kinda-sorta) for this series called Goldenleaf's Betrayal! It might be awhile until we post the prologue, but look forward to it!

...

Okay, well, K.A.K isn't back with Erin yet so...

*takes deep breath*

ENJOY THE CHAPTER! :D


Written By: Erin

Edited By: K.A.K


Chapter 7

"Well then, I guess there's only one thing to do…"

But before Rainpaw could say anything else, the fox lunged at Silverpaw, who was frozen in fear; its eyes gleamed with blood-lust. Rainpaw's eyes widened. "Silverpaw!" She yowled in alarm, racing over to stand in front of the other she-cat. "I won't let you hurt my sister!" The gray tabby snarled, and then bunched up her muscles before launching off in attack.

It was almost as if time had slowed down. The fox, still in mid-air, was suddenly sent crashing to the ground as Rainpaw rammed into its shoulder. Rainpaw landed right after, her fur bristling, her back arched; she hissed lowly, pearly white teeth glinting dangerously.

The fox struggled to its paws, giving the apprentice time to comprehend the situation. But as soon as she realized what had just been done, the fox had had recovered and was snarling. Rainpaw's insides grew cold as the fox took a step towards her; now that the threat was directed away from Silverpaw, the courage that had fueled her slipped away.

Suddenly, the fox let out an abnormal shriek and lunged towards her. The mottled gray apprentice inhaled sharply, fear paralyzing her body; a sliver blur leaped in front of her at the last moment. Also seeing the blur, the fox tried to back-pedal its attack, but it was far too late. As soon as the large creature was in striking position, Silverpaw slashed her claws across its face.

The fox let out a yelp and fell to the ground in front of them with a Thud. Now standing by her sister, Rainpaw observed the fox for a few heartbeats. The claw marks on its face were long and deep, far too large to be made by a cat as small as her sibling.

Those couldn't be the same claw marks Silverpaw gave it! Rainpaw thought in disbelief; as if to placate her worries, her eyes subtly shifted over to Silverpaw's paws. Her claws were still out, and Rainpaw did a double-take upon seeing them. Silverpaw's claws were larger than the fox's! How did they get so big?

"Hey, why are you just standing there?" Rainpaw jolted as Silverpaw spoke up. "We need to find out what to do about the fox before it comes to its senses!"

The gray tabby couldn't help but look her sister up and down; the silver she-cat's chest was still heaving, and her fur was lightly splattered with some of the fox's blood. Rainpaw figured she looked the same, minus the blood part.

"Oh…uh…yeah…" Rainpaw stuttered, her head pounding in confusion. What was happening here?

Suddenly, without warning, the fox stood up abruptly, and the sisters had to jump back. The larger creature's eyes blazed with fury, and blood was leaking down its muzzle.

Rainpaw whimpered quietly at the sight. "Oh StarClan, help us!"

"Rainpaw." A soft, yet firm voice demanded; Rainpaw turned to look at her sister's determined face. "Listen. We can fight it off. There are two of us. Besides, it can't be that hard to chase it off again. We've done it before."

"But last time we had a bunch of warriors with us!" Gasped Rainpaw "And so what if there's two of us? This fox is huge!"

Silverpaw didn't have time to calm her sister down, as the fox had begun to advance on them. Its jaws were foaming and its growling came out in gurgles. Rainpaw stared straight into its bleary eyes; only the desire to kill could be seen in its eyes.

"Why is it taking so long to attack us?" Silverpaw muttered into Rainpaw's ear.

The gray tabby whispered back. "It's confused."

It's already half dead, so it shouldn't be hard to take down. Rainpaw reassured herself, her mind churning. We might just be able to do this!

Without giving it a second thought, Rainpaw turned to Silverpaw, ready to tell her of her split-second plan. "Silverpaw! Run! Run back to camp and don't look back!"

Silverpaw turned to her with complete and utter shock. "No! I will not leave you here, Rainpaw! Are you mad?"

"Just go! I know what I'm doing, go back and get help! Hurry, before this stupid fox remembers how to attack!" The gray she-cat's voice could barely be heard over the fox's deranged growls; how could the clan not have heard what was happening?

"If I run, it will charge at us! We have to keep still!" Silverpaw insisted. "I remember Wildfire told me this on the first day of training!"

Rainpaw let out a snarl of impatience at her sister's stubbornness. "Just go!"

Both siblings stilled for a heartbeat, simply staring at one another. Then shaking her head as if she was going to later regret her action, Silverpaw turned away and took off running. Noticing the movement, the fox tried to chase after the silver tabby. Rainpaw panicked.

"NO!" She yowled at the top of her lungs, and the fox paused at the sound; it looked confused, as if debating whether to go for the prey that was moving or the one that was standing still. Finally making up its mind, the orange creature took a step in the direction Silverpaw had left. Fear coursed through Rainpaw's body, and she frantically looked for a source of distraction. It was then she spotted thick undergrowth a little a ways; it was the place Darkcloud had trained her! Rainpaw's amber eyes lit up.

Without thinking, she dived right into a bramble thicket. Pain prickled at Rainpaw's body, but she continued to brush against the thorns as if they were soft grass blades. Rainpaw could feel them rip at her fur, blood slowly dripping out of multiple cuts. The bramble thicket around her was covered in scarlet, and the tabby felt sick at the sight.

The she-cat swallowed thickly when the fox turned in her direction, obviously smelling the blood. Not even wasting a moment, the fox began to run at her at top speed. Startled into action, Rainpaw dashed away into the thick under-growth. The larger animal chased after her, the smell of her blood keeping it on course. As the apprentice continued in further, she began to feel reassured; she knew this place. It was dark and it was hard for her to see, but she remembered every bush here. Darkcloud had made sure of that.

Sliding under thickets and bushes and other shrubbery, Rainpaw had no time to think of a real plan. I guess I'll just have to buy us time here in the under-growth until Silverpaw gets back with help, Thought Rainpaw, looking back to check how close the fox was. The large, utterly confused animal was still racing toward her, its tongue lolling out as it chased what it thought to be its next meal.

As it ran, it took no time to slide through or under things, but instead, tore everything in its path. Hawthorn bushes flew to the side as it got closer to Rainpaw. Its eyes were small and beady, never looking away from her blood-soaked fur.

It's getting closer! Rainpaw turned back to what was in front of her and put on a new burst of speed. I know I'm faster, so I can't go too far ahead or it may lose interest! She thought, nowclosing in on an area she knew all too well.

All that surrounded her now were sharp, black thorns in a tunnel formation. Rainpaw stopped at the entrance, her eyes squinted in determination. The gray apprentice turned at the noise of growling; the fox was right behind her. Its breath billowed down on her, warm and reeking of crow-food; it sharp fangs were inches from her face.

Acting on instinct, Rainpaw bolted through the tunnel. The confused fox began to hurry after her, but abruptly stopped and let out a pained yelp. Puzzled, Rainpaw looked back to see the fox wasn't following her anymore

The fox was tangled in the thorns, whimpering in agony. The creature was much too large for the tunnel and had gotten stuck. Rainpaw let out a meow of triumph, but cut herself off at the sound of a twig snapping. She whipped her head around, coming face to face with a gray tabby tom.

He was about the same size as Rainpaw and looked quite young, indicating that he was an apprentice. But he was not one of Thunderclan. Rainpaw knew that she had seen him before, but she couldn't remember where from.

Instead, the young tabby she-cat took a defensive stance and snarled. "Who are you and why are you on Thunderclan territory?"

The tom merely stood there, pale blue eyes not directed at her, but at the fox behind her. The creature had stopped trying to escape, now simply sitting and whimpering every few moments.

Rainpaw paid no mind to the fox, instead continuing her interrogation; her tail twitched impatiently. "Well?"

Then suddenly, a wave of exhaustion overtook her, and she staggered at the force of it. The mottled gray tabby panted, feeling dizzy from the effort of staying on her paws; her vision was now blurry, and she was unable to see straight.

Finally, the apprentice gave in to the darkness, crashing to the ground next to the gray tom's paws.


~oOOo~


Rainpaw was standing in a meadow of soft green grass and many different wildflowers.

The place was surrounded by trees that seemed to shimmer with stars; the sky above was black, but nonetheless mesmerizing. The apprentice was too busy consuming her surroundings to notice that a cat had approached her.

"Hello there, Rainpaw." The unknown cat greeted. The gray tabby jolted, then whirled around to find a golden she-cat with stars at the tips of her fur walking toward her; her green eyes sparkled like the stars in the trees, Rainpaw thought suddenly.

"How do you know my name?" Rainpaw blurted, unable to stop the questions from coming out. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

The golden she-cat only shook her head and sat down in front of the light gray tabby apprentice. "All answers will be revealed in good time." She told the young cat in a gravelly voice.

Rainpaw blinked a couple of times, before giving in and settling down next the older she-cat; she felt oddly relaxed. "So…am I dead?" Rainpaw repeated quietly, head bowed. She jumped, startled by the answer that followed.

"Of course you're not dead!" Growled the golden she-cat loudly, her green eyes wide as if fearful of the thought. "It is not your time to die. You have a destiny to fulfill before your death, after all." Her voice quieted towards the end, becoming much more softer.

"A destiny? What kind of destiny?" Rainpaw tilted her head in curiosity.

The reply was the same as earlier. "As I said before, all answers will be revealed in good time."

"Why can't you just tell me now?" Rainpaw asked impatiently, huffing like a kit that didn't get what they wanted.

The starry she-cat's voice was a whisper as she responded. "You are not ready for the powers you posses, nor the reason behind them."

Rainpaw's eyes lit up. "Powers? I have powers? Cool! Can I have them now?"

The starry she-cat abruptly stood up and thrust her face into the mottled gray apprentice's, growling. "With great power comes great responsibility. We will decide when to give you your full powers."

Rainpaw didn't even flinch at the motion, instead looking at her with a bewildered look. "We?"

The golden cat backed away, and dipped her head slightly. "Yes. I am a StarClan cat. My name is Goldenleaf; I was the medicine cat before Cloudwatcher." Sorrow and regret were flickering in her gaze. Rainpaw stared silently, before speaking up again.

"So I have powers…" The young gray tabby murmured thoughtfully. "Does that mean I'm special?" Excitement welled up inside her at the thought. Goldenleaf gave the apprentice a hard stare before letting out a sigh and answering.

"Yes, you are very special indeed. But I don't believe that you are ready for what powers you hold just yet." After a pause, she added, "And you must not tell anyone! Do you hear me? Anyone! Only you may know of this; keep to yourself."

Rainpaw let out a gasp. "Not even Silverpaw? But I tell my sister everything!"

Goldenleaf grunted, unfazed at Rainpaw's distraught; her fur began to look transparent. "There is no need to tell her. You'd be wasting your time, anyway."

The gray she-cat blinked up at the older golden one. "What do you mean?" She tried to ask, but Goldenleaf had already started to fade away.

"Wait! Come back!" The apprentice wailed as her vision started to darken. But it was too late; she was no longer in StarClan.


~oOOo~


Rainpaw blinked open her amber eyes, only to find pale blue ones staring at her. Startled, her fur bristled. In front of her was the young gray tabby tom from before. Rainpaw hissed at the tom that stood over her, batting her paws in the air to try and hit his face.

"Calm down!" Demanded the cat firmly. Rainpaw ignored him, desperately trying to land a blow while lying down.

The tom let out an irritated groan. "I said stop and let me help you!" He suddenly placed a heavy paw on her chest, making her choke slightly and stop what she was doing.

"Who are you? What's going on?" Rainpaw asked in a hurry, while trying to nudge off the intruder's paw. The tom before her seemed rather calm (if not slightly exasperated), making the she-cat dislike him even more.

"You passed out." He replied, the word 'duh' present in his tone. "So I sat here with you until you woke up."

Rainpaw's fur instantly stopped bristling. "You…stayed with me until I woke up?" She didn't expect an answer to her mouse-brained question, of course. After a moment of awkward silence, Rainpaw decided to speak up again. "How long was I out?"

The strange tom waited a moment before replying. "Not too long."

There was silence once more as Rainpaw tried to keep her consciousness. The night was still and all that could be heard was the small pitiful whimpering of the still trapped fox (it was a wonder it hadn't escaped by then).

Suddenly, a warm breeze blew by, filling her nose with an all too familiar scent. "You're from WindClan!" She spat at the gray tom angrily, realization crashing down on her.

The gray tabby tom blinked his pale blue eyes at her for a moment, as if startled by her sudden accusation; then, his eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'm of WindClan." He rolled his eyes, but let go of her; she jumped to her paws. "I'm Sneakpaw."

Rainpaw's fur bristled once again, her fur tinted silver in the moonlight. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory? I thought we chased you out!" Anger rushed through the small she-cat's body.

He huffed, but looked somewhat shaken by her sudden anger. "I was...uh…"

"Spit it out!"

Sneakpaw let out a heavy sigh. "I was angry at the fact that we were beaten in our fight with ThunderClan, so I decided to help by offering to scout out more of your territory." His voice was laced with reluctance, as if the only thing making him talk was the hostile she-cat in front of him (it was). "I thought that all of your warriors would be asleep at this time of night, so I figured I wouldn't get caught." He lashed his tail. "You've proven me wrong."

As Rainpaw listened to his story, she could hear a slight trace of guilt in his voice; it was faint, but there. And yet, the fact that he had passed onto her territory, knowing fully well what he was doing, over-ruled her sympathy.

At least I know where he gets his name from, the gray she-cat thought bitterly. It fits.

When the tom finished, he silently shuffled his paws and avoided Rainpaw's angry stare. A heartbeat passes by, before Sneakpaw spoke up again; his words caught Rainpaw off guard.

"I'm sorry." Said Sneakpaw, not looking up from his paws. "I only did what I thought was right. I felt that I was helping my clan."

He glanced up at Rainpaw, and the she-cat suddenly felt breathless; his eyes were like shallow pools of crystal water. Realizing what she was thinking, she snapped herself out of her stupor and evaluated the situation. Well, I can't blame him for wanting the best for his clan. I probably would have done the same for my clan as well.

"That still doesn't mean you can trespass." Rainpaw reminded him sternly.

Sneakpaw let out a sigh, rolling his eyes. "I know." He huffed. "I'm sorry." His pale blue eyes suddenly widened. "Are you going to tell your clan now? I wouldn't blame you if you did." He glanced away, his voice tight; Rainpaw could tell that deep inside, he truly felt sorry.

"Listen," She told him softly, "If you leave now, I won't tell anyone about this. Okay?"

His whipped back to face her, eyes filled with immense relief, but grunted aloud, "Thanks."

Rainpaw felt the inside of her stomach churn with mixed emotions; she wanted to alert ThunderClan of the trespass, but at the same time, wanted to keep the Windclan apprentice safe. I'm not betraying my clan or anything, The gray tabby she-cat insisted to herself, what they don't know can't hurt them, right? Rainpaw was shook from her thoughts when she realized that the Sneakpaw was staring at her.

"What?"

Starting at the sound of her voice, the tom quickly averted her gaze, only to look back again almost shyly(?). "Sorry…" He muttered awkwardly, ears flat.

"You should get going. Some of our warriors will probably be here soon." Rainpaw explained quickly, dismissing his apology. If cats came now, her promise to the other apprentice would mean nothing.

The tom nodded, but stayed put. "Well? Get going then." The gray she-cat urged impatiently.

"Um…Well…It's just..." He looked conflicted, accidentally tripping over his words as he tried to speak. Rainpaw let out a sigh; she couldn't deal with this right now.

"Just spit it out already for StarClan's sake!"

Sneakpaw inhaled a deep breath before speaking; his voice sounded gruff. "Well, I wanted to ask you something before I left."

Rainpaw stared at the gray tom suspiciously. "Yes?"

He breathed deeply through his nose, an exasperated(?) expression on his face. "I know that we just met and all but… I was hoping that maybe we could meet up again."

Rainpaw blinked at the tom, confused. Did he really just ask me that?

"Why would you-"

"It's just to ask you something!" He blurted suddenly, cutting her off. "But I don't have time right now, so-"

The words died abruptly on the tom's tongue as both apprentices heard a voice in the distant. "Over here! I think I found her!" Sneakpaw's eyes narrowed at the sound.

"Hurry! Get out!" Rainpaw growled urgently.

But the other cat stayed still, unamused. "You still haven't answered me."

Rainpaw could hear the rustling of bushes now; the voices were getting closer. "Fine! I'll meet you here again tomorrow night! Now get out of here!"

Before she could even finish her words, Sneakpaw was bolting away. But just before he left, Rainpaw could have sworn that she saw a flicker of joy and relief in his gaze; she shook her head fiercely, mind whirling. She must have imagined it.

Then, out of the bushes, stepped Stormysky; followed by Fernfrost, Wildfire, Rushtail, and Striketail. Her father immediately ran up to her, pressing his muzzle to hers. "Rainpaw! Are you okay? There's blood all over you!"

Rainpaw could only sit there in a daze as her father fretted over her. He may be deputy, but he had a soft spot for his kits. While Stormysky was with her, examining her wounds, the other warriors circled the area around the fox.

"What should we do about this?" Fernfrost's voice inquired. The tortoiseshell and white she-cat was staring at the fox with a fearful gaze; Rushtail swiftly moved between the fox and his mate upon seeing the look.

"Let the other warriors figure that out." The tom told her softly. "You go and see if Rainpaw is alright." He rested his brown tabby tail on Fernfrost's shoulder.

The she-cat nodded, and then wandered her way over towards Rainpaw. The mottled gray apprentice had started to feel light headed again and her wounds seemed even worse then when she had first gotten them.

"Stormysky…she doesn't look too good." Said Fernfrost nervously.

"Let's hurry and take her to the medicine den; we must be quick." Stormysky explained urgently, nudging Rainpaw to walk. Fernfrost was on the other side, trying her best to support the apprentice.

"Where's Silverpaw?" Rainpaw slurred, nudging Fernfrost with her muzzle.

"It's okay," The tortoiseshell soothed. "She's back at camp, and we'll be there soon."

Rainpaw didn't remember much after that; everything was a blur as she made her way back to camp; but she could vaguely recall Stormysky continuously trying to keep her awake.

Clan cats surrounded her as she entered the medicine den. Once she was lying in one of the nests, Cloudwatcher started to push every cat away; including Stormysky and her frantic mother Puddlesplash.

Once they were all gone, the white tom bent down next to her ear and whispered, "It's alright. You can rest now."

Satisfied with those words, Rainpaw immediately closed her eyes, giving into sleep.


~oOOo~


When Rainpaw finally opened her eyes, she was still lying in the medicine cat den; Cloudwatcher was nowhere to be seen. With a sigh, she slowly got to her paws, only to fall right back down. Her limbs felt sore, making it hurt too much to stand.

The apprentice struggled for a bit, before giving up and making a whining noise as she sat down. Cobwebs covered her still-bloodied pelt, and the scent of fox was still present; thankfully, the herbs that had been rubbed on her blocked most of the smell out.

"Rainpaw!" A sudden voice called. Slowly, Rainpaw looked up to see Silverpaw rushing over to her, frantic. "Rainpaw! Are you okay? You were so brave, but I still can't believe you did that you mouse-brain! You could have been killed!" Rainpaw couldn't stop herself from snorting as her sister rambled on.

"I missed you too." Rainpaw then purred, looking her sister up and down as she spoke. "Now enough about me; how are your wounds?". Her sister's silver fur was sleek and smooth like always, and was no longer covered in dried up blood. There were only a couple scratches here and there, but other than that, Silverpaw seemed fine.

"I'm okay, it wasn't that bad." Silverpaw reassured. "It's you that we should worry about."

"Why? Did Cloudwatcher say I wasn't going to be fine?" Rainpaw asked, trying her best to sit up as her sibling examined her.

"No, Cloudwatcher only said you would need rest and let your wounds heal a bit."

Relieved, the gray tabby leaned around her sister and peered outside of the den. It was now the middle of the day, and Rainpaw was starving; as if agreeing, her stomach growled loudly. The silver tabby next to her blinked before letting out a bark of laughter.

"I'll go get you something to eat. You must be hungry." Silverpaw chortled, giving her sister a quick lick on the ear before slipping out of the den. On her way out, she brushed by Flashpaw, who was trying to shoulder his way past (Silverpaw shot him a look, but he ignored it).

Once he was in, the ginger tom bolted straight for Rainpaw, his yellow eyes huge; Rainpaw drew back in alarm, but he didn't stop until he was standing right in front of her.

"Rainpaw, you're awake!" He panted, sides heaving. Rainpaw began to nod hesitantly, but stopped when Flashpaw froze. Confused, the she-cat tilted her head, only to realize that the tom was staring at something behind her. Turning her head slowly, the gray tabby instantly spotted a ginger she-cat, eyes unreadable and expression blank.

"Brightpaw!?"Rainpaw gasped.

She must have snuck in here while Flashpaw was making his way over to me, The gray she-cat thought, trying to figure out how she had missed seeing the other she-cat enter.

As if reading her mind, Brightpaw bared her teeth and looked away. Rainpaw turned back to Flashpaw, who was glaring at his sister; sitting next to him now was Loudpaw (Where are all these cats coming from? Rainpaw thought in exasperation.). The ginger and white tom was staring at her, his mossy green eyes fearful.

"What's wrong?" Rainpaw asked him, tilting her head in confusion once again. When he didn't reply, she figured he hadn't heard her; but a second later he jumped slightly and turned to face the tabby.

"Oh, w-what?" Loudpaw stuttered. "Sorry…! It's nothing!" He looked away, ears flat.

Rainpaw twitched slightly in frustration before side-ways glancing at Flashpaw. He seemed frightened too. Why do they look so scared of me? Rainpaw had never felt so puzzled in her life. She opened her mouth to confront them all, but a dark gray figure slipped inside the den before she could.

"Alright all of you, why don't you let Rainpaw rest and go find your mentors?" Stormysky hadn't even finished speaking before Brightpaw bolted out of the den; Loudpaw followed slowly behind, casting nervous looks back at the injured tabby as he went. It took Flashpaw longer to leave. It was obvious that he wanted to stay, but seeing as he couldn't go against the deputy's word, he found his way out quietly.

Now alone with her father, Rainpaw felt much better, sort of at peace. There were no more frightened stares, only a loving father. Stormysky made his way to her nest and settled down next to her.

"So…what happened to the fox?" The young apprentice asked after a moment of silence. Her father looked somewhat conflicted by the question, but replied anyway.

"The fox got away. We thought that the thorns had caused it to lose too much blood and die, but we were wrong."

Rainpaw's jaw dropped a bit as the deputy continued. "We unwrapped the thorns around it- not wanting to keep a rotting fox carcass there- but it ran as soon as it was free. We tried to chase it, but we lost it." He was now looking anywhere besides his daughter, surprisingly nervous.

"Sorry," The gray tom mumbled finally. "We tried our best."

Rainpaw stared up at Stormysky silently, taking in what she had just heard. "It's alright." She eventually managed. "Like you said, you did the best you could." She then continued lightheartedly. "Not every cat is as fast as me, after all."

The older cat's blue eyes sparkled, understanding her intentions. But before either of them could say more, Silverpaw entered with a shrew in her jaws. She dropped the prey next to Rainpaw, then settled down on the other side of her sister. Rainpaw let out a purr at this, but stopped when a thought came to her.

"Where's Darkcloud?"

Stormysky gave her a look as if she had asked where the dirt-place was, but answered anyways. "He's busy 'guarding' the nursery at the moment. Oh! Speaking of the nursery, your mother wishes you would come and see her, but I told her you couldn't until you were fit enough to do so." The sentence ended a bit harshly, but Rainpaw ignored it.

"I am fit enough!" The gray tabby protested, getting to her paws. As soon as her legs were straight, however, she tumbled back down with a grunt of pain.

"I'll go get Cloudwatcher!" Silverpaw offered quickly upon seeing her fall, racing out of the den to find the clan's medicine cat. Rainpaw turned to face her father sadly.

"Stormysky, why do cats keep giving me odd stares?" The young she-cat questioned lowly, frustrated by her own obliviousness. The large gray tom just stared at her, as if he didn't dare speak.

Why can't anyone just answer me? How hard is that? She opened her mouth, ready to explode, but Silverpaw suddenly slipped inside the den, along with a plush white tom; the gray tabby's jaw shut close.

"What seems to be the problem?" Asked the medicine cat, observing Rainpaw with calculating eyes. The cat in question tried to speak up, but her voice became muffled when her father slapped his tail over her mouth.

He leaned close to Cloudwatcher and whispered something into his ear. Rainpaw couldn't see her father's expression or hear what he was saying, for he was not facing her. But Cloudwatcher was, his face staying the same and only changing for a slight moment. (In conclusion, it didn't help Rainpaw's curiosity at all.)

For a short period time Rainpaw couldn't hear what they were talking about, so she merely sat there, kneading the ground impatiently with her paws. Then suddenly, her father walked out with Silverpaw, leaving the gray she-cat alone with the medicine cat.

Cloudwatcher glanced at her, eyes giving a quick sweep of her body, before turning away and beginning to mix a variety of herbs; Rainpaw let a small growl loose. Someone tell me what's going on! Ugh!

She glared at the back of Cloudwatcher's head for awhile, before reluctantly giving up and bending down to take a bite of the shrew Silverpaw brought her. When she had finished gobbling it up, she peeked at the white tom from the corner of her eye; his back was still turned away, and he was still in the same position. Gathering courage, Rainpaw swiped her tongue around her muzzle once before speaking, "Can you fill me in on what's happening in the clan?"

Cloudwatcher didn't turn to face the she-cat when she asked the question, instead flicking his ear in acknowledgment to show that he had heard her. "Stormysky and Silverpaw ask about you non-stop." He said eventually, vice filled to the brim with amusement. "Brightpaw seems rather bitter when she comes, which is only when she is following Silverpaw."

No surprise there, Rainpaw snorted scornfully.

The medicine cat suddenly continued. "Flashpaw seems frightened."

Rainpaw's perked up upon hearing that. "What do you mean 'frightened'?" She swiveled her ears towards the other cat, eager to hear.

Her answer was a shrug. "Maybe he thought that he had lost you. And I suppose he stills feels that way, despite you being here with us now; the sooner you get better and out of this den, the sooner he'll feel better."

Rainpaw was breathless. "Flashpaw…"

Cloudwatcher chuckled, continuing. "And Loudpaw, well, he always wants to know what's going on so that he can help Flashpaw get through okay. He makes sure to follow him in here every time, so that he doesn't do something mouse-brained."

The medicine cat craned his head back so he could look his patient in the eye. "Anything else you would like to know?" Rainpaw shook her head, speechless.

"Your mother must stay in the nursery with Graykit, so don't ask if she can visit." He had turned back around as he spoke. "Now get some rest. You're going to need it if you want to get better."

Cloudwatcher paused, as if contemplating something, then added, "And if you want Flashpaw and the others to get better as well."

And with that, the tom grabbed some herbs with his mouth and slipped out of the den, flicking his tail at the apprentice in a 'goodbye' gesture. He headed straight for the Elders' den, where Wetpelt could be heard coughing loud and clear.

Rainpaw stared after him, grumbling under her breath; she didn't want to rest. But…if it meant Flashpaw and the others would stop giving her those looks, she would've slept a whole moon.

Slowly and reluctantly, Rainpaw curled up and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to fall asleep again.


~oOOo~


Rainpaw blinked her eyes, unsure of why she had awoken, only to remember suddenly. She was supposed to meet Sneakpaw! She sat up, only to find darkness surrounding her.

She was still, of course, in the medicine cat den, lying down in a nest of moss and feathers. On the other side was Cloudwatcher, sound asleep. His fluffy white pelt was pure and puffed out, contrasting greatly against the night. Rainpaw stole a glance out of the den and noticed the star-lit sky above; she brought her gaze down to examine the camp.

Everyone was sound asleep, except for Wildfire and Striketail, who were on guard that night. Striketail was easy to get by, but Wildfire was another story. Slowly, Rainpaw stood up, not feeling as stiff as earlier that day.

Swiftly, the young she-cat groomed over her fur. Once she was done, the gray tabby slipped out of the medicine den, but was stopped as soon as she had entered the clearing.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Rainpaw turned to find both Wildfire and Striketail staring at her. Rainpaw blinked at them, her mind racing; she needed an excuse!

Without thinking, she blurted, "I'm going to the dirt-place, if you don't mind."

Both of the toms exchanged a glance with each other, as if having a silent conversation. Finally, Wildfire nodded and both he and Striketail backed away to return to their posts. Whew! The she-cat sighed in relief inwardly. That was close!

As she continued towards the dirt-place, her eye caught the nursery. I wonder if I should visit Puddlesplash, Rainpaw wondered absentmindedly, pausing to stare at the nursery.

Rainpaw pushed the thought aside and shook her head, knowing all too well that she wasn't supposed to be out of the medicine cat den, much less waking every cat in the nursery up for a middle of the night visit. Plus, she had promised Sneakpaw to meet up; she intended to keep her word.

As she entered the dirt-place area and examined it, she realized that the only way out (besides how she had come in), was up. Narrowing her eyes in determination, Rainpaw raised a soft but firm paw and set it on a ledge nearby. Slowly, Rainpaw heaved herself upwards and began to climb out of the hollow.

As she continued, the gray apprentice couldn't help but throw a glance back at camp. Instantly, she felt sick; she was up so high! Swallowing thickly, Rainpaw turned and silently made the rest of her journey up. She was almost to a flat surface when a paw slipped out of its holding place, sending a pebble tumbling down to the bottom. It was small, but the clearing was so quiet, that she wouldn't be surprised if someone had heard the sudden noise.

Inhaling sharply, the tabby watched as the pebble touched the bottom of the hollow and began to roll towards Wildfire. Oh, StarClan, no! Rainpaw watched in horror as Wildfire's dark ginger ear twitched. But he ignored it, his eyes never straying from what was in front of him. Letting out a shaky breath, the she-cat scrambled up the remainder of the ledge settled down onto flat grass.

Just to be safe, Rainpaw gave the camp a side-ways glance; nothing had changed due to her departure. She huffed quietly; never, ever, would she do that again.

I'll try to find an easier path next time, She thought, then did a double-take. If-If there is a next time! If I'm forced or something. Never again am I doing this on free will.

With one last deep breath, Rainpaw took off into the forest, knowing that it was too late to go back now.


~oOOo~


Rainpaw stepped out of the forest and onto open land, her fur tinted silver under the night sky. As she moved closer to the WindClan border, the stench of WindClan began surround her. The young she-cat wrinkled her noise slightly, not enjoying the scent. Out in front of her lay the moor; the fields were stretched out as far as she could see. Bracken and heather were dotted around the area, completely the 'WindClan' image.

As Rainpaw stared across the WindClan border, she couldn't help but sniff the air a couple of times. Though there was no more stench of fox, there was a lot of WindClan. Ever since the battle, WindClan had been sending out extra patrols; ThunderClan as well, of course. But they hadn't crossed paths yet, as far as Rainpaw knew.

The tabby couldn't help but wonder what the WindClan camp looked like, how the 'Horseplace' was and what Derby was doing over there. While Rainpaw continued to get lost in thought, some heather on the border rustled slightly.

Catching the noise, the gray she-cat whipped her head up and squinted at the border with amber eyes. Her muscles bunched up a bit, and her fur rose up in preparation of an attack. Then, out of the bushes, stepped a gray tom. Upon seeing him, Rainpaw let out a breath of relief. Thank StarClan, it's just Sneakpaw.

She sat silently, waiting somewhat impatiently as the other apprentice got ready to speak. "So you kept your word I see." Eventually spoke the tom sarcastically. "Glad to know that you're a cat that I can trust." He settled down onto his paws, eyes shining.

He seems a little too calm and trustful, Rainpaw eyed him warily.

"This better be worth it. I had to sneak out of camp to get here." She lashed her tail once before adding, "I'm supposed to be in the medicine cat den."

Sneakpaw faltered at the words, regarding her hesitantly. "Are you hurt? Was it me? It's not like I wanted to or anything-"

Rainpaw's tail flew over his mouth, stopping him from saying more. "I'm fine. And I can take care of myself, thank you." She dropped her tail back down by her paws, huffing as she did so.

"Maybe you can, but...I have this weird urge to protect you, that's all." Rainpaw's ears twitched as he continued stiffly. "Like when you passed out. I couldn't bring myself to run away, even if there were some of your warriors on their way to help you." He paused, suddenly aware of the look the she-cat next to him was wearing.

"Like I said before, I can take care of myself." Rainpaw sighed, sounding more bitter than intended.

Sneakpaw blinked, drawing back from her unconsciously at the tone; his ears were laid back and his eyes narrowed.

Upon seeing the action she added quickly, "But I'm glad that you came when you did. Thanks for staying with me."

The WindClan apprentice's pale blue eyes eventually widened, growing soft. "You're welcome." He blinked, confusion laced in his voice (Who knows what he's thinking? He changes moods so quickly I can't tell.).

"And I know that you're capable of handling yourself." The gray tom continued suddenly, sounding amused. "After all, you did trap the fox."

"Oh that's right." Rainpaw marveled, eyes growing wide as she pretended to stare off into the distance. "The day I found you trespassing on ThunderClan territory."

The WindClan tom flicked his ears at her in amusement and embarrassment. "So, what happened to the fox?" He asked suddenly, wanting to avoid further conversation about his trespass.

Rainpaw tilted her head at Sneakpaw, silently debating whether she should tell or not. Why shouldn't I tell him? She finally concluded. It's not like I'm going against my clan behind their back. Besides, it may wander into WindClan territory, and it couldn't hurt to warn them!

Making up her mind, Rainpaw told Sneakpaw the same story her father had told her; the gray tom stayed quiet the whole time, listening intently and keeping the same face the whole time. He's nothing like Flashpaw and the others, The gray tabby realized. And he doesn't give me looks when I'm covered in blood either! Her fur bristled as she remembered how awful it was to have been stared at, how bad it made her feel.

When Rainpaw finished, she stood up; the WindClan apprentice followed her lead. They were now both standing on opposite sides of the border, simply staring. For a moment the she-cat was lost in the tom's gaze; it felt as if she was drowning. Deep into the pale blue water…

Shaking herself to get rid of the thought, Rainpaw broke the silence. "So… you had a question for me?"

Sneakpaw blinked in surprise, as if he had just remembered. Rainpaw regarded him sourly. Surely he didn't just bring me here to talk?

"Well, I didn't actually want to ask you a question." He confessed. "Not exactly. I want to show you something; but you'll have to come over the border. Is that okay?"

The tabby she-cat in question shot a look at the border hesitantly. It wouldn't be that bad, right…?

A few moments of tension passed between the two cats, before Rainpaw raised her head and nodded slightly; Sneakpaw purred loudly.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, follow me!", he shouted over his shoulder as he bolted away. Rainpaw followed close behind, paws flying.

And with that, the apprentices ran along the border and into the night, feeling freer than they ever had before.


Silver-chan: Alas, and Erin still aren't back yet-

K.A.K: SILVERRRRR!

Silver-chan: AHHHHHHHHHH-

Erin: *covers ears* Shut up please!

Silver-chan: Dudes, you scared me! And you guys came back really fast. What happened? O_o

K.A.K: Ehehehehe...

Erin: *shivers* Oh God it was terrifying, I don't want to talk about it.

K.A.K: What? I only...persuaded you a bit...muahahahaha...

Silver-chan: Ugh, we've set her off.

K.A.K: Ohohohohoho...

Erin: Er, well anyways, review and tell us what you thought!

K.A.K: OhohohOHOHOHOHO-

Erin and Silver-chan: SHUT UP!

...Review! :D