Chapter 4
Rainpelt woke at the smell of the warriors' den. Her heart filled with happiness as she stood up and stretched, the night's memories flooding back to her. She pushed her way out of the den for the first time as a ThunderClan warrior. The sunlight felt warm on her fur. She could feel the dew beneath her paws as she walked over to the fresh-kill pile.
Taking a water vole, Rainpelt noticed Tigerclaw coming toward her. "You are to come with Darkstripe and I on evening patrol." She nodded briefly and she thought she saw a sparkle of interest in the great deputy's eyes before he padded away. She took her meal to the warriors' eating-place and sat down. Not seeing Fireheart, Sandstorm, and Graystripe, she figured they must have gone on morning patrol or went hunting.
She took a bite and shut her eyes happily as the prey's sweet juices made her taste buds tingle. She chewed and swallowed, finishing off her meal within a few bites. She began to lick herself as she noticed the morning patrol coming through the ferns. Sure enough, her friends were with them. She meowed warmly with greeting to them.
"Well, hello, the newest ThunderClan warrior. How did it feel to sleep in the warriors' den for the first time?" Sandstorm asked.
"Great! I hated being alone in my old one. It's so cold when you sleep on your own," Rainpelt replied with a hint of loneliness in her voice. "Why didn't you guys wake me? I could have gone hunting."
"We wanted to let you sleep," Fireheart replied. "Graystripe and I slept for a long time when we became warriors."
"Yes, but I already was a warrior," she replied with a frown. The cats looked at each other with nothing else to say. Graystripe looked at her with admiring eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, and then bent down to share tongues with her. She purred and licked his ears. Fireheart and Sandstorm began to do the same beside them. This was her first time sharing tongues outside of WillowClan, and it almost felt like home. She could also feel a twinge of betrayal in the pit of her stomach.
"I had better go hunting," she told Graystripe. "Would you like to accompany me?" The gray tom got up.
"Sure. I've been meaning to check out Sunningrocks to see if RiverClan has breached the border. Do you mind if we hunt over there?"
"Not at all." She meowed her good-byes to Fireheart and Sandstorm before slipping out behind the nursery, Graystripe at her heels. She inhaled the sweet scents of greenleaf as she trotted out near the Owl Tree. She could hear the rustle of prey in the tall grass, and she bent down into a prowling crouch. She pounced into the brush and finished her kill with a sharp bite.
"Nice one." Graystripe mewed.
"Thank you." She buried it to pick it up later, then padded on. Almost to Sunningrocks, she looked back. Graystripe was running up to her with a flower clamped in his jaws. He dropped it in front of her, making her fur bristle with embarrassment. "Graystripe…"
"It's to welcome our newest warrior."
"But you've already done that!" She let off a mrr-rrow of laughter and brushed her cheek on his muzzle before bending down to retrieve it. She tasted the sweet taste of the nectar in the stem. They padded onto Sunningrocks and she watched Graystripe open his mouth to smell.
"RiverClan!" he spat. "And they've been hunting!" He pointed to the bones that lay out in the open. "They wanted us to know they've been hunting here!" Rainpelt dropped the flower and hissed. "We have to tell Bluestar!"
"Let's go back the way we came. Not that our territory isn't more important, but I want to pick up that mouse." Graystripe nodded in understanding. They took off running at full speed. Rainpelt stopped briefly to dig up her kill, then followed at Graystripe's heels.
"Bluestar!" Graystripe yelled, panting from running such a distance. Rainpelt brought the mouse the fresh-kill pile so she could speak if addressed. Bluestar emerged from her den. "RiverClan has been hunting at Sunningrocks. They left the remains of their kill everywhere," he panted. The leader's eyes flashed in anger.
"Are you sure it was RiverClan?"
"Positive. There are scent markings of their warriors everywhere."
"Evening patrol will cross the border at Steppingstones and give their patrol some wounds that they won't soon forget," she addressed. Tigerclaw nodded and looked at his patrol. He gave Rainpelt a look of trust and it nearly made her purr, but she couldn't purr at the thought of the situation. She was going into battle!
