Chapter 9
Rainpelt woke at the shifting of Dewflower at her side. She purred, happy Bluestar had let them stay. She stood up and stretched, looking down at her new Clan mates. Sunfur's paw was twitching and she figured he was dreaming about hunting again. She sighed and shook her head, poking at him lightly with her paw.
Sunfur grumbled and opened his eyes. "'Morning, Rainpaw."
"It's Rainpelt, you pathetic dope! Now get up."
"I know its Rainpelt. Relax, I was just teasing." He got up and swatted her ear. She opened her mouth in a silent hiss. Sunfur leapt onto Dewflower, making the old medicine cat jump a rabbit hop in the air. Rainpelt meowed with laughter. Graystripe mumbled and got up.
"Wha? Why are you guys awake so early? The sun's not even up yet!" He shook himself.
"All the better! I love the night!" Rainpelt dashed out of the den just to see the moon sinking below the horizon. "Dawn patrol will be coming out soon," she mewed to him as he trotted up to her side. He nodded and brushed his pelt against her flank. She copied him, only with more force. Graystripe fell into the dirt. His face messed up.
"It smells like crowfood down here!" He took her scruff in his jaws and yanked her down with him. She gave a startled cry before grunting when she hit the ground.
"It does not, you liar!"
"What doesn't?" Sunfur pounced on them, making them screech.
"Graystripe seems to think it smells like crowfood here on the ground," Rainpelt replied while giving Graystripe a look. Sunfur opened his mouth to sniff.
"I don't smell anything…"
"See?" Rainpelt stuck her nose in his face.
"I know, I know! I was kidding!" She swatted him on the head.
"You are such a kittypet."
"Am not!" He pounced on her and she meowed of laughter. She then threw him off, sending him with a fake yowl to run into the warriors' den. She shook the dust from her fur before padding over to Dewflower. The old medicine cat's tail was twitching with disturbance.
"What's wrong?" Rainpelt's eyes narrowed with worry.
"I offered to help…Yellowfang…I think, with the herbs, and nearly got my ear clawed off," she replied, looking at the ground and shuffling her paws.
"Don't forget: Bluestar hasn't announced your arrival yet to the Clan. She might have thought you were rogue." Dewflower nodded in approval.
"I suppose…" The she-cat still had uncertainty in her eyes.
"Look; Bluestar's heading for the Highrock right now." Rainpelt was right; Bluestar was bounding up the Highrock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" she yowled as cats began to come out of their dens, looking at the new cats suspiciously. Tigerclaw took his place by Bluestar; looking down on the warriors he'd shared a den with last night. "As some of you have noticed, there have been two new cats in camp lately," the leader began. Yowls rose from the crowd.
"They're rogues! We should have nothing to do with them!" Frostfur yelled. Rainpelt's fur began to bristle. Something pricked at her, telling her that Frostfur would always be hostile to them because they came from Rainpelt's Clan. She blinked and pushed the thought away.
"These cats are from WillowClan, Rainpelt's descended Clan that fought for their lives against rogues." She gave a look to Frostfur, who looked away from her leader's gaze. "If they are like Rainpelt, I believe they could also have a place in our Clan. We need what we can get for warriors."
"They're just more mouths to feed!" an apprentice meowed loudly. Rainpelt could see Dewflower and Sunfur's ears go back in response to the hostility.
"If they were raised in WillowClan, no doubt they are excellent warriors. Most of you have heard what Rainpelt grew up with. She's loyal to us. I do not doubt the loyalty of her own Clan mates as much as I don't doubt your loyalty." Cold glares began to shift to the two loners that had their pelts up against Rainpelt's flank.
"We don't even know for sure if Rainpelt is loyal!" Frostfur yelled again. Rainpelt let off a slow hiss in response.
"That I do know!" Tigerclaw growled. "I saw her fight. She wasn't fighting just to fight; she was fighting for ThunderClan. I could see it in her eyes; she's proud to be in this Clan." Rainpelt gave a grateful nod to the deputy.
"I do believe they could find home in our Clan. I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these warriors. They have proven themselves worthy to you, and has followed your noble code. I commend them to you as ThunderClan warriors in their turn. Dewflower and Sunfur, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Rainpelt could see Frostfur murmuring to another queen. She pricked her ears to listen.
"They have not proven themselves worthy!"
"Yes they have," Rainpelt hissed quietly. "They fought for WillowClan. They are already warriors. They don't need to show they're worthy to be them anymore."
"I do," Dewflowed mewed.
"I do," Sunfur echoed after her.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, we welcome you as full ThunderClan warriors." The new warriors dipped their heads. Bluestar touched her muzzle to Sunfur's first, and then Dewflower. They both licked her shoulder in respect. The Clan was silent as they stalked back to their dens.
"Sunfur! Dewflower! Oh, I'm so happy you've once again become my Clan mates!" Rainpelt pounced on them, but could see the sorrow in their eyes. Perhaps they questioned their own loyalty to ThunderClan?
