CotS #2: A Brighter Future (currently being rewritten)

Chapter Four

Rainpaw woke in a shady cave. A cat peered over at her. It was... Great StarClan. It was Rosestream. She'd almost thought her substitute mentor was a fox because of her bushy red pelt.

Rainpaw looked up, a question in her eyes. Rosestream heaved a sigh of relief.

"You're okay," Rosestream sighed. "You passed out in the river. You're okay now, though?" Her eyes showed concern.

"Mf?" Rainpaw asked.

Rosestream sighed. "Right, you're fine. You're so, so reckless, Rainpaw. And why in the name of StarClan did you sleep in the river? Dangerous, Rainpaw. Absolutely dangerous."

"I am a river cat," Rainpaw whispered softly. "Nothing will change that, Rosestream. Thanks for everything. But I'm going back. I can't stand it. They can send Bramblefrost or Leaftail. They have no connections here."

"Barbpaw likes Bramblefrost," Rosestream meowed defensively.

"Then Barbpaw and Stormpaw and Shardpaw can all come back. Silverysky and Stormypelt wouldn't mind, I'm sure. Also, Barbpaw and her siblings are older than Silverysky and Stormypelt. They'd be glad to be warriors."

"They came back," Rosestream meowed. "Already. Barbtail, Stormlight and Shardclaw."

Silverysky. Stormypelt. Barbtail. Stormlight. Shardclaw. All warriors, weren't they? Something Rainpaw would never become.

Rainpaw sighed. "I'm going, Rosestream. The life of a Clan cat is not for me."

Rosestream blinked. "Icestar thought you'd say that. She gave you a warrior name, you know. We thought you were dead."

"What did she name me?" Rainpaw whispered.

"Rainmist," Rosestream meowed.

"I don't like that name," Rainpaw meowed dismissively. "I know Minkfur can come up with something better. Besides, a warrior name after one day of training? Icestar's bonkers."

"Rainpaw!" Rosestream chided.

CHLUNK!

"What's that?" Rainpaw asked, looking around wildly.

"Another fallen tree," Rosestream meowed with a sigh. "The Twolegs have cut down majority of the forest already. Icestar knows we have to move, and it's so close to winter." Rosestream sighed again. "I think we should get back to SeasonClan, Rainpaw."

Rainpaw looked up sadly at Rosestream, then decided to follow her substitute mentor back to SeasonClan's camp.

~

SeasonClan felt awfully empty, and there were a few missing cats. Rainpaw looked around, and she didn't see Chiveleaf or Tawnystripe.

"What happened here?" Rainpaw asked Rosestream. "Chiveleaf and Tawnystripe are missing."

Rosestream sighed. "Chiveleaf died to a falling tree. Tawnystripe has moved into the nursery carrying Oakbark's kits."

"Oh," meowed Rainpaw.

She had no idea why Oakbark would mate with Tawnystripe after she dumped him for Duskypelt. Then she'd dumped Duskypelt and had gone back to him. Silverdusk's lovesick lover was still around – Duskypelt just moped around camp these days.

Icestar ran up. "Great StarClan, Rainpaw, you scared us! The river had gone extremely low, so we're low on water now and the river cats came to join us."