Chapter 10

Rainpelt yawned and circled her moss bed. It had been a long and tiring day, and she was happy to curl up in the warriors' den with all of her Clan mates; new and old. She purred, looking around at Dewflower, Sunfur, Fireheart, Sandstorm, Tigerclaw, and Graystripe. Thinking of the day's events, she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

A caterwaul awoke Rainpelt with a start. She dashed out to see fighting cats that filled the camp. Her eyes widened. So this is when RiverClan had decided to attack. She hurled herself upon a RiverClan she-cat and scratched her eye. She cried out and scampered off. A yowl of pain came from near the nursery.

'Frostfur!' She leaped into the tangle of cats and looked around frantically. She finally spotted Frostfur. She was battling with a tom warrior…and losing. She jumped onto his back and raked his pelt so bad pieces of fur were hanging off. He yowled and dashed through the gorse tunnel in search of safety.

"I can take care of my own battles," Frostfur hissed before leaping back into battle. Rainpelt stared at her for another second before leaping onto another warrior. She was about to bite the tom's neck when pain shot throughout her leg. She turned around.

"You…" Leopardfur hissed "…you will pay." Rainpelt's eyes widened as the deputy shoved her onto the ground. She grunted as the wind was knocked from her lungs from impact. The she-cat raised her claw for a blow when she thought she heard Morningstar's voice, 'Surely you haven't come this far to be killed, now have you?' Rainpelt used her skills and slipped out from under Leopardfur's grasp. The deputy looked surprised, but as she turned around to face Rainpelt again, she was knocked against the Great Sycamore with a blow from the ThunderClan warrior.

Rainpelt dashed after her, her eyes wide and burning with excitement of battle. She leaped onto her enemy and slashed at her soft belly furiously. She would fight for her life, and if she were lucky, get away with only her leg wound. Leopardfur attempter to throw her off, but Rainpelt had her back claws dug through the deputy's pelt and into the ground. She dug deeper and the she-cat yowled in pain. She leaned forward to whisper something to the RiverClan cat.

"Hopefully that will teach you a lesson you'll never forget: never mess with a WillowClan cat." She released Leopardfur and watched as she scampered off. She moved her gaze to Dewflower. She was fighting with a muddy-gray warrior and doing quite well for her condition. Sunfur was fighting another tom half a size smaller than him. Rainpelt turned to find a warrior that could use a challenging opponent. Before she could pounce, she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.

"I heard from Leopardfur you were trouble. She must have been kidding!" It was Crookedstar, the RiverClan leader.

"Don't underestimate me," she hissed in response and whipped around to throw him off. He held a strong grip so she flipped over onto her back so she was on top of him. He scratched her ear, but she paid no response. She was not going to loose to the leader. If she wanted respect, she would have to prove herself to the other Clans, as well as her own.

She raked her claws into his soft belly and on the inside of his legs. He yowled and reached for her but she leaped in the air as he swiped, and just as he was about to leap up, she pinned him again. He hissed and scratched at the wound she'd already been given by Leopardfur. She gave a caterwaul and did the same thing she did to the deputy: only she dug her claws right through his shoulders!

Crookedstar dashed into the brambles as she released. If the blood that were below her belonged to him, he would surely loose another life. RiverClan cleared out of the camp, following their leader. Rainpelt held her ground as Yellowfang came around with herbs.

"Yellowfang, can I help you? Please…" Dewflower's eyes filled with sorrow from losing her place as medicine cat. The gray she-cat paused before slowly nodding. She ran into her den and came out with cobwebs. Dewflower tended to the wounds of those who'd let her. Rainpelt meowed warmly when she got to her.

She pressed the cobwebs into her wounds. "You fought well," Rainpelt mewed. Dewflower looked up at her with respect, showing that she felt the same way about her. She moved onto Frostfur, who hissed challengingly. "Leave her alone, Frostfur! She's just trying to help!"

"As well as you. I know what you're doing. You're proving yourself, and then you'll leave without warning with your little friends," she spat.

"That's not true!" Rainpelt yowled. "I could say the same for you. I could say the same for any cat. Don't say something unless you know for sure! Now we just got done with battle, and I don't want to have to fight anymore. I can, but I don't want to." She narrowed her eyes at the frosty queen, who looked away in response. Rainpelt nodded victory and padded over to Sunfur. "How are you doing?"

"Well, you?" He looked up at her. She could tell he was not "well". He had a large wound in his shoulder that soaked his pelt.

"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure you are."

"Oh, this? Nah, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt." He licked his shoulder.

"That would be because it's numb with pain, Sunfur," she said in a motherly tone before calling over Yellowfang. The she-cat got new cobwebs and tended to the wound immediately.

"He'll be alright. I'll tend to it," Yellowfang said, giving the hint that she would like to care for the warrior alone. Rainpelt nodded before padding off to find Bluestar. The leader had been in her den. She looked up as Rainpelt entered.

"I hope you don't mind my entering. It kind of slipped my mind to ask for entrance." Her tail went between her legs in guilt. Bluestar tilted her head before opening her mouth to speak.

"You were the one that drove Crookedstar from camp. Well done. I believe you may very well go to the Gathering tonight. I also believe you are ready for your first apprentice." Rainpelt's ears perked up.

"I've had one before," she responded quickly.

"I'm sure you have, but I'm sure you know what I meant." She nodded. "Rainpelt…have you ever kitted?"

"No." She shook her head. "Why?"

"Just wondering…"

"I was WillowClan deputy." Bluestar looked up in surprise.

"I never knew that. It must have been even harder to lose your Clan in that condition." Silence calmed the den as Rainpelt nodded slowly. "Do you remember when Brindleface kitted?" Her leader's gaze met hers before she nodded. "You will have Stormkit for your apprentice." She nodded.

"Thank you, Bluestar." The leader nodded.

"You are excused." Rainpelt ran out of her den and ran up to Graystripe. She didn't dare tackle him after battle.

"Graystripe, are you going to the Gathering?" Her eyes were shining.

"No," he responded shortly.

"I am! My first Gathering ever…" she trailed off. "I'm also going to be a mentor!" The sun was now high into the sky.

"Awesome." He was curling up in his moss bed. He yawned largely. Rainpelt was silent for a moment.

"Graystripe, is something wrong?"

"No. I'm just really tired," he grunted. She nodded and licked the top of his head before curling up in her own bed. She shut her eyes. Graystripe watched her for a moment. A feeling of sadness swept over him. She was getting an apprentice before he was. He'd been longing for one, and if he could just gather the courage to ask Bluestar, perhaps they could train together. He watched her stomach rise and drop of sleep before drifting off himself.