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

Chapter Eight

In the morning, Raindrop found herself on a hunting patrol. They were hunting land and river prey, and Raindrop found she didn't have much experience hunting river prey. Riverflame, who was leader of the patrol, patiently showed her a few techniques, and she grasped them eagerly. He'd offered no encouragement and had looked uncomfortable, though, and the moment he saw she understood he scooted away and started catching his own prey. Raindrop blinked, a little surprised. She'd thought he wasn't that antisocial. Turns out, he was. So antisocial that he couldn't even let the cat he'd just taught thank him before he left. Raindrop found that disconcerting. 

The rest of the patrol was more friendly. She'd been assigned to one with Oceanstar and Waveshine, and though she kind of missed the even more friendly face of Streamflow, this was good enough. The Clan leader was a friendly cat, as was their deputy, Mallowclaw, although his name sounded remotely fierce. They were all nice cats that lived by the river. Raindrop only hoped that no cat from SeasonClan would suddenly turn up and demand her back. She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to them before leaving. She hadn't even been given permission to leave.

For the first time in a few days, Raindrop's mind flashed to Mountainpeak. What had he been doing all this while? Moping? Searching? She didn't really care, but that was something she should care about. Her lover. And she was padding after someone who didn't even love her? Not padding, she murmured to herself. Thinking.

Riverflame probably wasn't ideal for her. But still, if anything...

Stop chasing him because of his looks! Raindrop scolded herself, turning away. Her mother had been the expert at love and knew when to choose the right one. Great StarClan, Raindrop was about as good as a newborn kit. This wasn't going to do her any good with life choices.

Raindrop carried her catches, a salmon and two minnows, to the fresh-kill pile. Some cats eyed her catches and nodded approvingly.

"First-timer, is she?" one of the cats – his name was Duskfire, she thought – asked. "That's pretty good."

"She lived by the river," another cat, Skyshine, meowed. "That's probably why. Well, I guess we can make a WaveClan cat out of her!" The she-cat's voice sounded bright and optimistic, and Raindrop almost smiled in return before remembering she was eavesdropping on the she-cat's conversation, and swiftly turned away and walked down to the warriors' den.

She poked around, examining their nests, and Streamflow came in, smiling. "Oh, that's right," the friendly she-cat meowed. "You don't have a nest! Let me show you where to gather moss. You can have that spot next to Riverflame's – I know it's not ideal. We all know what Riverflame's like. But it's about the only empty spot in the warriors' den."

"You sure he won't mind?" Raindrop asked, her pelt prickling uncomfortably. "He's not exactly nice to people who barge in on his personal space."

Streamflow shrugged. "We're not widening the den because of him needing personal space, okay."

Raindrop nodded understandingly and followed Streamflow out to find that moss. They discovered it and Raindrop gasped. It looked softer than the forest moss, and it was shiny.

To Raindrop's shock, Streamflow strolled past the shiny moss and picked some ordinary but softer-looking ones at the back of their moss cave. Streamflow noticed Raindrop's shock expression and laughed.

"Raindrop, the shiny moss is wet," Streamflow purred. "Get some from the back here."

Raindrop felt her pelt go hot with shame. Of course it would be wet. This was the river! And why else would it be shiny? Feeling shameful, she followed Streamflow to the back of the moss den and helped her get out some dry moss.