Oh. My. Gosh. Yay! Finally got to chapter ten! Whoo hoo! Like it so far? Well, you probably do if your still reading this. If your wondering, I'm probably going have 30 to 50 chapters in this book.
Best C. H. Ever:
"Sorry, I can't. I'm not interested in a mate." Raincloud was baffled.
"They need to learn sometime." Birchbark argued. Raincloud sighed. "Yowlpaw is already 3 moons older than a finished apprentice." Cloudsound added.
"I can't teach them everything forever." Flywing murmured.
"I will hold a meeting then." He answered.
"What about Rainpaw?" Stormfall asked. Oops, I forgot about him. "I guess," he slowly mewed. It wasn't like Rainpaw was his apprentice.
He jumped onto the rock he had been using for announcements.
"Please gather to hear my words." He called. Flywing gathered her kits and Swiftkit, sitting next to Birchbark. Cloudsound sat proudly next to Yowlpaw, who was licking his chest fur.
Stormfall sat near the base of the rock.
"Rainpaw, he will serve us as our medicine cat, and has earned his full name. Normally this tradition is held by his mentor, but his mentor can no longer assist." He phased, thinking of what his name could be. Rainheart? No, Rainpelt? Rainface? Rainfur?
As if answering, a faint, familiar voice whispered , "Rainwind."
"His name will be Rainwind, in honor of the hard times we will have, and the storms we will go through."
"Rainwind! Rainwind!" The group cheered, congratulating there new medicine cat. "We still have three kits to make apprentices, and a warrior." He mewed gently, dismissing the chattering.
"Swiftkit, Treekit, and Duckkit have reached their sixth moon," he mewed,
"Or season." Scoffed Stormfall.
"And they have shown us they are capable and can become apprentices." He said, gazing at the three excited kits. "Under the power of StarClan, I name three apprentices. Treepaw, Duckpaw, and Swiftpaw." He used different words, I don't want to offend StarClan, not when they aren't in my favor.
"Duckpaw, your mentor will be Stormfall. I will mentor Swiftpaw and Treepaw, myself." He mewed. I promised to mentor Swiftpaw, but Treepaw is a promising cat. I can't decide. "With the help of our newest warrior." Yowlpaw looked up in shock.
"Yowlpaw, do promise to defend your group and uphold the warrior code at all costs?"
"I do."
"Then, under the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Yowlstripe. We honor your courage and bravery." He finished.
"Yowlstripe, Treepaw, Duckpaw, Swiftpaw!" The cats cheered with joy. Treepaw is my apprentice, He thought, and so is Swiftpaw.
"Mentors and apprentices, please meet underneath the tall oak."
The tall oak was a, well, a really tall oak tree. It was near the make shift camp, and it had little undergrowth around it for perfect training.
He leaped down from the rock and met Stormfall, Yowlstripe, Treepaw, Swiftpaw, and Duckpaw in the small plain clearing.
"What should we do?" Stormfall asked. "We have no territory." She added.
Why did it matter what he thought? He wasn't leader or anything.
"What you think is best." He mewed irritably.
He was getting aggravated with how much these cats cared about his opinion.
"It's not like I'm leading this patrol." He mewed calmly.
"Fine. Without you, I'll go and show Duckpaw the area. I'll be better off without following you."
Following me? What was she talking about, Following? He sighed.
"What should we do?" Yowlstripe whispered while Treepaw and Swiftpaw exchanged excited glances.
Who is my apprentice? You know, the one I order around?" Yowlstripe asked curiously. Raincloud thought for a second. I promised to mentor Swiftpaw, but Treepaw is a promising young cat. Swiftpaw is more excited, while Treepaw is calmer, Swiftpaw would be ideal for Yowlstripe...
"Swiftpaw." He murmured. Yowlstripe stared a bit surprised.
"Swiftpaw?" He asked. "Yes. That's what I said, wasn't it?" Raincloud meowed a bit harsher than intended.
"Can you show me your hunters crouch?" Yowlstripe asked both apprentices. "I bet mines the best!" Swiftpaw yowled, bringing him into his thoughts.
Why did Storm look so familiar, it's not like I know her or anything.
"Raincloud! Is this right?" Treepaw asked curiously. He nodded, "Almost, stop twitching your tail," He meowed.
Treepaw shifted his paws and rested his tail onto the ground. "Hold your tail straight, you don't want to drag it behind you." Yowlstripe warned. "Very well." Raincloud commented on his apprentice.
"What about me?" Swiftpaw asked eagerly. "Shift all your weight onto your haunches," He directed while laying his tail across her shoulders. Swiftpaw shifted her weight and glanced up at Yowlstripe.
"Is this right?"
"Yes, now, let's show you where your aloud to hunt." Yowlstripe meowed, trying to read Raincloud's expression. I suppose, it couldn't hurt, but we barely know the territory, he thought. "Of course, catch up with Stormfall and Duckpaw, I don't want you alone with untrained apprentices in unfamiliar territory," He hesitated.
"Alone? Aren't you coming with?" Yowlstripe questioned.
He shook his head.
"I need to talk with Rainwind, and check on the camp." He meowed gazing off at a faraway land of mountains. Highstones.
"Okay. Travel safely." Yowlstripe meowed encouragingly.
He nodded, shaking his thoughts. He padded off towards the makeshift camp with his fur rising. What's that smell? He thought while padding a bit faster. I recognize it, it's, so familiar. I'll look over it later.
"Where is everyone?" he asked as he spotted Cloudsound eating a thrush. "Birchbark and Flywing are hunting, Stormfall said she was going around the territory with Duckpaw, and I'm eating a thrush." The white tom answered, digging into the thrush. "Oh, Rainwind went to collect some herbs. I think he said mint stuff. I don't remember." Cloudsound murmured while chewing.
He sighed, "Where's the fresh kill pile?" He glanced around the small area. "Oh yeah! I thought you might want to bury the prey so it doesn't go bad. It's right by that fern patch." Cloudsound spoke, pulling off a feather.
"Good thinking." He nodded and started to trot away and stopped. He glanced back at Cloudsound. "Could you tell Flywing when she get's back to find me?" He meowed, I miss my sister, my only littermate. I feel we haven't been as close, he thought while Cloudsound replied simply, "Sure."
He slowly dipped his head deep in thought, trotting forward. I wonder what Finchstar is doing right now? Making Lionfang do apprentice chores? He snorted, Or is he making Smallclaw do it?
I still miss my clan. Do I? He shook his pelt, scenting the air. What is that smell?! He stopped, sitting down to think. Why is it so familiar? And it reeks! Is it even an animal? He sat up, licking his gray forepaw.
"I'll just investigate myself." He murmured to himself, padding on. A loud noise started to fill his ears. Thunderpath! Who knew they were so far away from twolegplace!
Cautiously, he padded towards the stench.
Judging by the scent, it isn't used much. He decided.
What do you think your doing?" Hissed a voice. He snapped his head towards the sound. "Who is this?" He asked while his lips started to curl back.
"No one, now get out of my territory!" The she cat hissed again.
"Your territory? Who said it was yours?" He hissed, unsheathing his claws.
A pale ginger tabby she cat with pale blue eyes emerged from behind a thorn bush. "I've been here longer." The she cat mewed, her tone a bit softer. "Do you live here?" he asked. If she does, she'll know all the best hunting spots.
"Yes." The she cat cautiously meowed as if telling an enemy her weakness. He realized how small the she cat was once her fur had flattened.
He sighed. "Would you like to come back to my camp? There's food and-" The she cat interrupted him, "Sorry, I can't. I'm not interested in a mate." Raincloud was baffled. Did she really think that? He let out a mrrrowww of laughter.
"No, I didn't mean that! I have my friends with me and my sister, we need as many cats as we can to feed ourselves." He replied to her shock.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," She started to meow. He chuckled again.
"Don't worry, I always get the she cats asking." He laughed.
The ginger she cat snorted. "Right, or are they asking for you to stay away from them?"
"No! Now, are you coming or not?" He meowed seriously. "Because I'm not coming back." He told the truth.
"What's your name?" The blued eyed she cat stared at him with interest.
"Raincloud, yours?" He asked.
The she cat gasped. "Your a clan cat? Are you going to eat me?" The she cat hissed, her fur spiking.
He snorted. "No. I only eat the fat ones." He replied.
"Is that why your fat?" She scoffed.
"Do you want me to eat you?" He snarled with fake anger.
The she cat opened her jaws as if to speak, but quickly closed them.
"Sunny."
"Hmm?" he asked, not understanding.
"My name, it's Sunny. Well, actually that's what my mother called me, but I prefer Sunflower." Sunflower meowed a bit louder.
He nodded. "Are you coming?" He asked again, starting to pad off then turning back.
Sunflower hesitated. Come on, he thought. We need the help if we're to survive.
"I'll come with you, but I'm going back to my home at sunfall." Came the response. Raincloud nodded, and started to jog quietly and swiftly through the forest. "How long have you been around here?" Sunflower asked while still running. "Not long, just a few days." He answered.
"Will they like me?" Asked the tabby.
"Of course," He mewed uncertainly. "Especially Cloudsound, he's a real fun cat." He thought out loud.
"Who will be there?" She asked.
"My sister, her mate, her kits, and my-" He paused, "Friend Stormfall, and my best buddy Cloudsound. There's also another apprentice with us." The word friend rolled off his tongue as if a foreign word.
"Apprentice?" Sunflower repeated, leaping over a fallen tree.
"A young cat training to be a warrior." He answered.
"What's a warrior?" She asked, catching up to him.
"A cat who has completed there training in hunting and fighting." He meowed, turning his head as he saw a squirrel darting up a tree.
"Oh. Do you really eat cats?" Raincloud was shocked by the question.
He snorted. "No. It's just a rumor, we don't like fighting or killing cats unless we have to." He kept his face serious. Sunflower glanced at him with panic, then returned staring awkwardly ahead.
"I expected more cats to be in a Clan," Sunflower meowed after she had scented the air.
"Well, we're not really a clan, we were exiled for saving a few kits from a different clan." He meowed, glancing at Sunflower.
"You mean, your rogues?"
The question stung his heart. "Well, no. But we're not exactly clan cats anymore." Came the reply.
"Oh."
"Whose this?" A familiar growl drenched the air. "Did she hurt you, Raincloud?"
He sighed. "Birchbark, it's fine. She was hanging around here, and she knows the area." He meowed with warning.
"Did I hurt him!" Sunflower mocked, licking her chest fur embarrassingly.
"This is Sunflower." He meowed, padding on past Birchbark.
He padded into the makeshift camp with Birchbark flanking Sunflower.
"You can leave me now." Sunflower curled her lip at Birchbark. "Toms!" She hissed.
"Whose this?" Cloudsound padded up to him and Sunflower with Stormfall gazing hostilely at the newcomer. "I'm Sunflower." She replied before Raincloud could speak.
"What's she doing here?" Stormfall curled her lip in the beginnings of a snarl.
"She knows the area well. I figured she could help us." He shrugged confidently.
"So he brings an outsider into our home." Stormfall muttered, making him flinch.
"I was doing it for the both of us." He meowed, hoping she was pleased. "I'm going to show our guest around," Cloudsound murmured happily. What's he so excited about?
"So you bring an enemy into our camp?" Stormfall curled her lip. "I was just trying to help." He said sternly.
"Well, you sure have done a good job, Rainstar!" Stormfall hissed, turning around and stomping into the Big den. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "If only you knew how much I love you." He whispered, turning to face the forest. He started to pad away when a voice called his name. "Raincloud! Can we hunt together?" A black she cat that he had known since he was born padded after him, her tail held high.
"Cloudsound told me you wanted to talk to me." Flywing meowed happily.
"Sure, Flywing." He tried sounding excited, but his sister quickly frowned.
"You can't get all wrapped up in your feelings if your going to lead us. Stormfall loves you, any blind cat could tell!" Flywing half joked. She sounded serious again. "And you need to tell her the same."
He sighed. How could he? It's not that simple to just say it! "Tell her what? That I'm sorry for being a jerk and I love her?" He asked rhetorically.
"Yes." Flywing answered like she was talking a kit.
"It's not that simple," He started to meow,
"Or is it?" Flywing retorted. "Birchbark told me. And I did the same." Raincloud snorted.
"Right. Is that how our parents did it? They just talked and fell in love?" He asked, snarling in anger.
"That's not the point, Raincloud. She loves you. And you love her, don't you?" He ignored his sister's question.
"If Stormfall loved me, why did she get mad when I brought Sunflower to the camp?" He asked a little smugly.
"Because she was jealous! Don't you see? She got jealous because you brought a she cat to our camp. Toms! They never know when a she cat likes them." She said half to herself. He sighed. "Can we hunt now?" He asked annoyed. "Sure." Flywing meowed calmly. "Your a great sister." He meowed out loud.
How did you like this chapter? I personally like it. I know, it wasn't a cliffhanger, but it'll have to do. ;) Vote, Comment, Share, and stuff like that! Meow!