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

Chapter Five

When Rainpaw woke in the morning, it was dark, and she yawned. It was hardly morning. Perhaps moonhigh. Had she really woken so soon? Rainpaw looked to her side, expecting Lightningpaw – her kit instincts of waking up to her rowdy sister had hardly gone away – then found the place empty. Rainpaw couldn't suppress a sniffle. The sister she had always loved and cherished was gone, and the last thing they'd done together was fight dogs. Lightningpaw would've said that was honourable, but Rainpaw personally wished she'd gone after sharing tongues. She almost wanted to cry on her own. She was so alone here, her sister and father gone. Only her mother remained of the family. Rainpaw and her family had been together only a sunrise ago, why did it have to all change then?

Rainpaw remembered with a chill that Silverdusk had been sleeping beside her. Had her mother gone, died maybe? Rainpaw didn't want to think of that. Half the Clan was awake. Was it truly moonhigh? What was going on?

"Oh, Rainpaw." Rosestream walked up to her. "Apparently, there's been an eclipse. Icestar wants to travel anyway. There's not much light, but the sun's rising and she says we'll make do. Why don't you walk with the other apprentices? I know you don't like Tawnystripe's kits but you haven't met Fallowmist's yet." Rosestream spoke enthusiastically, but of course she could. Her sister and father weren't dead.

Still, Rainpaw found herself brightening at the prospect of truly meeting and chatting with Darkpaw and Brightpaw. They should be nicer than Tawnystripe's children, because though Swanflutter had always spoke of Stripetail and her sister in a dark way, it was only because of jealousy.

Then again... where was Swanflutter?

Rainpaw didn't see the kind she-cat she'd grown up with among any of the cats. She did see Eveningprimrose, though, and the deputy was responsible for the cats. Perhaps she could ask her. Eveningprimrose was bound to know. She was a very responsible she-cat and never let cats go missing.

"Eveningprimrose!" Rainpaw called loudly to make sure the she-cat could hear.

Eveningprimrose, who had been staring at her paws, looked up delightedly. "Rainpaw!" she meowed happily, beaming at the young silver she-cat.

"Where... where's Swanflutter?" Rainpaw asked softly. She made sure to make general curiosity play in her voice, but worry radiated off her pelt anyway.

Eveningprimrose's delighted expression vanished, and Rainpaw immediately knew the answer. Eveningprimrose hung her head sadly, looking depressed, and Rainpaw didn't press it, only sitting comfortingly near the she-cat. Finally, Eveningprimrose lifted her head, though still looking depressed but more determined. She stepped forward to answer Rainpaw.

"I'm sorry, Rainpaw," she meowed, and the determined look melted away like rain in the sunshine. "Swanflutter perished fighting the dogs as well. Our scouts – Brightpaw, Silkpelt, Ashdust and Meadowstalker – believe that the Twolegs deliberately sent the dogs to drive us out. Isn't that awful? The Twolegs busy themselves making homes for themselves, but they never give a thought for the inhabitants of the places they destroy."

Rainpaw nodded sadly. So much death. Hiveclaw, Lightningpaw, Swanflutter from her Clan, and Dawnmist and Chiveleaf from SeasonClan, not long after Appledawn had lost her mate Browntail too. Twilightgleam was the only remaining cat of the litter Appledawn had had with her mate, and she was depressed now.

"Did you see Silverdusk all morning?" she asked. "I mean, it's an eclipse, so I probably overslept."

"Silverdusk went looking for prey on her own," Eveningprimrose meowed sadly with a sigh. "Hiveclaw's death hit the two of you hard, and Lightningpaw's did too. I'm not saying it barely hit you, but Silverdusk was Stormdawn for quite some time, and she took a very, very long time to find love. It took her second lifetime to truly find the cat meant for her, and she only had some fifteen moons or so with him. Now he's dead, after all that waiting. She took it hard." Eveningprimrose's eyes glowed with sympathy, and she comfortingly stroked Rainpaw's back with her tail. Rainpaw shivered underneath the unfamiliar touch.