Rainstar's Destiny (COMPLETED)

Chapter 8

"The belly rake. First, leap, then twist." Froststar demonstrated, pushing her hind legs on the ground. She leaped up and twisted, clawing at an imaginary warrior, then landed neatly on four paws. Wow! That looks... hard. Rainpaw swallowed nervously at the move, the twist looked very hard and possibly dangerous.

"You try." Froststar stepped aside, nudging Rainpaw forward.

"Okay." Rainpaw replied hesitantly. Bunching her muscles, she leaped, and before she could twist, she landed with a thump, panting for breath. "Sorry," Rainpaw apologized to Froststar through panting breaths.

"It's okay, it's normal to happen on your first try." Froststar told Rainpaw gently. "Watch me again." Froststar flicked her tail, motioning Rainpaw to look. Rainpaw swung her head to face Froststar. Froststar did the belly rake motion again, and Rainpaw watched more carefully how she did the twist.

After a few more tries, Rainpaw almost mastered it. I'm going to get her now!

She leaped at Froststar, eyes narrowing as she focused on her mentor's belly, and twisted. She raked her belly with sheathed claws and flung her away with her paws. Froststar didn't even have time to dash away. Froststar landed far away, panting, while Rainpaw landed neatly on four paws.

"Great job!" Froststar dragged herself back to where Rainpaw was, adding, "you've mastered it completely now! I'm sure you'd beat your sister by now. You're a great fighter!" Froststar meowed unsteadily through caught breath.

"Thanks," Rainpaw felt her fur tingle, am I really that good? I mean, I'm pretty good, but good enough to fight a battle? Suddenly, Rainpaw felt exhausted by the training, her eyelids flickered a little as they tried to stay open.

"You may go and rest now, you'll need your strength for tonight's gathering." Froststar glanced at the camp entrance, and nosed Rainpaw, who was almost asleep.

"Okay, thank you." Rainpaw slid out of the den, searching for the apprentices den, I'm so tired I could sleep on my paws! Rainpaw yawned, and crept into the apprentices den, crawled into her nest, and fell asleep almost immediately.

***

"Wake up dormouse! It's time for the gathering!" Willowpaw nudged Rainpaw, teasing softly.

"Huh? Wh-what's going on?" Rainpaw awoke dreamily, "the gathering!" Rainpaw suddenly remembered, and leaped up to join Willowpaw. Though it didn't quite work out, Rainpaw's muscle still hurt from the earlier battle training with her mentor.

Rainpaw winced as her muscles protested inwardly, pulling her down. But Rainpaw ignored it, and padded up to the clearing. There Firefeather was organizing the patrol to the Fourtrees gathering place.

"Fernshadow, Willowpaw, Leafshade, Bramblepaw, Rainpaw." Firefeather paused suddenly. Turned to Flowerpetal, and asked, "you didn't want Featherpaw to come? And you won't come too?"

"Yes Firefeather, Featherpaw is on Elder duties for half a moon." Flowerpetal flicked her tail angrily.

"Okay. So Stormwing, Lightnose, Streamfur, Stonepelt, Mousepaw, Dapplefur and Honeypaw. Moonshadow, Petalfall, Dewpelt, Snowflake, Shadeclaw, Dawnheart, and Pebbleclaw, you can come too." Firefeather announced, and joined Froststar with the other cats. Rainpaw followed the others ahead, jumping over logs and paths. Wow, I'm going to the gathering!

"We're first!" Froststar stopped in front or the Great Rock and the four big oaks. "Gather around, and wait for the others!" She ordered. Rainpaw obeyed with Willowpaw behind her, and sat next to an oak tree.

"SkyClan is here!" A white tom, Cloudstar, called from somewhere behind Rainpaw.

Then another voice, and another, until every Clan came.

"Ewww, you smell like heather!" Willowpaw exclaimed, wrinkling her nose as an apprentice sat beside them. She glanced at them and snorted, "well, you two smell like reeds!"

"Let's just listen." Rainpaw broke off the first clue of a fight.

"SkyClan has been well. StarClan has been good to us!" Cloudstar eyed the gathered cats equally. Yeah right! They looks like they haven't been eating well for moons!

"We have two new apprentices! Sunpaw and Brightpaw!" Cloudstar announced as the gathered Clans called out their names. Cloudstar continued, "there has been Twoleg scent near WindClan's border, for what I smelled. So every Clan should be warned."

"I knew that. Don't you think WIndClan has noses?" Reedstar sniffed.

"Thank you for warning us Cloudstar." Froststar interrupted. Cloudstar nodded, and stepped back for the other leaders to start.

Reedstar stepped forward, and meowed. "Well, you already know about the Twolegs. As Cloudstar said. Prey has been running well for us too, we are well fed. We don't have any new kits yet, but there will be a litter coming soon." He ended, stepping back. At least he looks well fed. Rainpaw conceded thoughtfully.

"RainClan has been very well. Prey is running especially well for us, and we have been very successful! There are five new apprentices in RainClan! Rainpaw and Featherpaw have trained for a moon now! And Willowpaw, Bramblepaw, and Amberpaw has been apprenticed this moon!" Froststar flicked her tail, "I know I went through this last time, but they weren't there that time. So I would like to announce it again."

"Rainpaw! Featherpaw! Willowpaw! Bramblepaw! Amberpaw!" The Clans chanted their names, and Rainpaw saw Lightnose singing her daughters name proudly. She's singing to StarClan! Rainpaw realized.

"Anyways, RiverClan has been well too. StarClan has given us a lot of fish this moon, and now we have so much we can't even finish it!" Birchstar interrupted the chanting and announced.

"Well, ThunderClan has been well too! We have a new warrior! Welcome Darkclaw!" Rosestar called. The Clans shouted the names of the warriors.

"Leaf-bare is coming soon, and ShadowClan mis preparing for it. But for now, there are no new warriors or apprentices. I hope new kits will come next greenleaf!" Nightstar drooped her head a little, but straightened again.

"I hope you do," Froststar answered hopefully, while Runningstar, the WindClan leader nodded in agreement.

"It's always good news to have kits. On that thought, I'd better announce that WindClan has a new queen, Skyheart!" Runningstar announced gleefully.

"That's good to hear," Rosestar meowed, and added, "I suppose Redstripe is the father?" nodding respectfully to the brown red warrior who was puffing his chest out.

"Yes." Runningstar replied, satisfaction showing through his guarded expression.

The Clans shared tongues and talked about their life in the Clan. After a while, Froststar called for RainClan to go back to camp.

"RainClan follow me!" Froststar waved her tail, and waited for her Clan to catch up as they headed back to camp. That was such a fun journey! Rainpaw was still energized from the journey.