Chapter 3, scolding
Rainpaw huddled next to Grasspaw in the apprentices den. A freezing wind whipped through the clearing, buffeting her fur. She shivered.
She waited, without sleeping as the sun rose.
As soon as light crept over the horizon, she pulled herself out of the den. The tabby warrior Swallowcloud was already up, sitting with his sister Greytail. Firestar appeared from the Highledge.
Soon the camp was full of cats. Rainpaw trotted over to the fresh kill pile and toke a mouse. She noticed Firestar was staring at her intently. Pretending not to know anything at all about her strange parentage Rainpaw forced herself to take a bite of mouse. She would hunt today, she decided.
She couldn't help but watch Firestar sniff around the Highledge. His nose crossed the place where she had been hiding. A moment later he raised his head and looked her right in the eye.
Rainpaw continued eating her mouse, trying to hide her panic. She was positive Firestar had sniffed her out.
She finished the mouse and trotted over to Cloudtail and Sorreltail who were about to go hunting.
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Rainpaw trotted back into the camp with a mouse and a shrew in her jaws. She dropped them on the fresh kill pile. She picked out a pigeon and walked over to Moonpaw who was eating a squirrel. She was staring off into the distance.
"What's wrong?" Rainpaw asked her.
Moonpaw jumped. "Nothing."
"Don't lie to me," Rainpaw snapped. "Something is wrong."
"It's none of your business," Moonpaw snarled.
Rainpaw decided to change the subject. "You don't like me, don't you?" She asked.
"Of course I like you," Moonpaw snapped.
"Moonpaw," Rainpaw ventured, "I don't think my parents are Whitenose and Birchheart."
"What?" Moonpaw gasped, sitting up strait and swiveling her gaze to Rainpaw.
Rainpaw leaned over and whispered what she had heard Crowfeather tell Firestar.
Moonpaw glared at her. "You little liar! I won't believe a practical joke like that!"
Rainpaw gasped. She had thought that Moonpaw ofall cats would believe her.
Rainpaw turned away. There must be something on her mind. She thought.
Finishing the pigeon, she walked over to the apprentices den. But before she got there but Firestar called her back. Rainpaw froze.
"Come to my den. Now." His voice was stiff with anger. Rainpaw followed him miserably over to the Highledge and crawled inside his den.
"I am very disappointed in your hunting this day," He scolded.
Rainpaw tried to hide her shock. Firestar was scolding her for hunting! He had never done that before!
"A mouse a shrew wouldn't feed one cat!" his voice was full of contempt. "I am very disappointed in you! Very!"
Rainpaw felt her claws sink into the moss. She knew that hunting wasn't the real reason that Firestar was scolding her.
"Go know!" he snapped and Rainpaw hurried over to the apprentices den.
Why had Firestar scolded her?
What if he had been trying to tell her that he knew she had eavesdropped on him and Crowfeather? Was he trying to scold her for that by criticizing her hunting work?
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Rainpaw woke the next morning, still worried about Firestar. She left the den in a hurry. All the Clan was already up.
Firestar was walking over to her with a scowl on his face.
"You were late getting up!" he scolded. "Extra hunting for you today! And bring back better food!"
Rainpaw dragged her paws as she walked slowly over to Squirrelflight and Spiderleg who were eating nearby.
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Rainpaw came back that evening with a small rabbit. She half-hoped that Firestar would be pleased, but she didn't really care. Her life would go on like this forever- Firestar scolding her on whatever she did. She was so miserable that she stumbled into a patch of nettles, but was too unhappy to notice the stings. She went into the apprentices den and fell asleep without eating anything.
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Rainpaw woke around midnight. The air in the apprentices den felt hot and stuffy, so she went outside for a fresh breath of air.
Outside the camp it was silent. Rainpaw sat below the trees for a minute.
"What are you doing here?" snapped a voice behind her. Rainpaw turned around and found herself face to face with Firestar.
"I want you to go back to the den! Back!" he shouted.
"I was just getting a breath of fresh air!" Rainpaw snarled loudly, matching her leader's angry tone.
"Go back!" He spat.
"No!" Rainpaw shouted. Anger flared in Firestar's eyes and he launched himself across the ground at her. Rainpaw whipped around and started to run. She ran on and on, until she knew that Firestar was gone, but still she ran.
Rainpaw stopped finally. She was in the middle of WindClan territory. How did I get here? She wondered.
Suddenly a smoky black tom appeared over the rise. Crowfeather!
It was Rainpaw's father!
Rainpaw ran up to him.
"Why are you here?" he asked her.
"Firestar chased me. He's been mad at me! I heard what you told him! I'm so sorry!"
Crowfeather stiffened for a moment. Then he relaxed. "I thought you might," he mewed. "I knew it wouldn't be easy to keep a secret."
Rainpaw nodded. "What can I do? I don't want to go to ThunderClan. Nobody is nice to me there, and I quarreled with Moonpaw."
"You could come with me to WindClan." He meowed.
"Oh yes!" Rainpaw exclaimed. "Show me the way, Crowfeather!"
Crowfeather stood up and bounded across the moor. Rainpaw followed, her long legs moving quickly as she sprinted away.
Crowfeather stopped when they reached a small valley. He plunged down, and Rainpaw followed.
The camp was shaded nicely by bushes, and thick tussocks of gorse lined the edges, Rainpaw assumed they were dens.
Crowfeather led her inside a small crack in the side of the camp, and slipped in.
Onestar stirred and raised his head when they approached.
"There is a ThunderClan cat in here!" he snarled.
"Calm down Onestar," Crowfeather meowed. "I have much to explain."
Onestar settled down on his moss. "Lets here it then," he meowed.
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