The Tribe of Rotting Skulls (BOOK 1)

Chapter 30

Shadow's P.O.V.

I padded out into the rain from my den. The warriors den was starting to fill with water, I had woken up with water all around me. I am no RiverClan cat! This was terrible; another day of rain?

I trekked through the water on the stone and to the pile of fresh kill. The prey was water-soaked and I groaned. 'Ew...'

Picking up a squirrel and a blackbird, I found a ledge on the front of Venom's cave and stuffed them in there after cleaning it of the cobwebs with a stick. I ran into the medicine den and left it on the ground below the medicine, unsure of where I should store it.

I padded quickly out and grabbed the rest of the prey, storing it in the hole in Venom's cave. He shouldn't mind.

A sweet voice made me jump. "Hey, Shadow. What are you doing?" I looked over my shoulder and saw that it was Bella. Her ears drooped from the rain water and she seemed to have no effort to keep them up, same with her tail. Her fur was clinging to her scrawny shape and I noticed her paws were cakes with mud and, what seemed to be, blood.

I dipped my head, "Moving the prey to a place where the water won't dissolve it." I replied, not bothering to say a hello in return. Bella smiled back and nodded.

Thunder crashed above and I looked up at the brightly lit sky. "You're quite smart, you know. Venom should've given you your deputy spot back." Bella meowed. I shrugged, sitting down, "I am getting old, I wouldn't last too long."

Bella nodded and sat beside me. I looked over at her dripping pelt in the corner of my eye. I wondered, 'Would we be able to be mates or would it be creepy?'

I looked forward again and watched the rain pour out of the sky. The clouds were dark like black, even this early in the morning. "I hated the sun for those terrible dry days, now all I would like is some sun." I purred, smirking as I turned to look at Bella. She nodded and purred in laughter. She was shivering and I pushed my shoulder to hers and she laid her head on my shoulder.

Warmth from my heart pulsed through out my body and I smiled. 'Maybe I can be happy again with someone else...'

My thoughts were interrupted when Venom came over and - ears flat to his head, eyes silted and fur drooping - informed me, "Shadow, we need to go see those cats you and Thorn met yesterday," I nodded and dipped my head to Bella, leaving the camp with Thorn and Venom in front of me.

As we began to pad closer to the Twolegplace, Venom broke the silence. "So, Shadow," He began, looking over his shoulder, "What's going on between you and Bella?" Venom snickered and Thorn did too. 'Am I really going to be teased over this?' I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, gotta crush?" Thorn teased, smirking.

"We're only friends." I growl, whipping my heavy tail. Being a long-fur had too many bad things to it - one being when in the rain your pelt is way too heavy - and very few good things to it. I lifted my chin and regretted it as the rain pounded on my face like ice pellets.

"Friends he says!" Thorn purred, laughing more as he turned away from me. Venom did too, but louder.

"Whatever. We're only Tribemates - friends." I groaned, rolling my eyes.

They purred like never before; Thorn rolling on the ground and Venom hitting the muddy ground. I hopped onto the wooden fence. "Glad I could give you this laugh." I hissed, jumping off the fence and into the other side. 

"What could possibly be so funny about it?" I growled low, fluffing out my fur and looking around. Splashes from behind me made me look behind my shoulder in a rush, but it was only Venom and Thorn.