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

Chapter Twelve

Raindrop, Owlcry, Mousetail and Fallingleaf went to hunt together. Raindrop felt distinctly uncomfortable hunting around the BreezeClan cats. Although they seemed friendly, they were suspicious of Raindrop.

Raindrop tried to help them hunt their usual rabbits, and she caught two or three, but they caught many more. Raindrop wasn't at all used to running on the moor, although she did chase prey along the reeds, but nowhere as far as the BreezeClan cats ran to catch their rabbits. Despite that, the patrol was encouraging, and they even said they could make a BreezeClan cat out of Raindrop.

"Thanks, but I like the river," Raindrop meowed. Owlcry laughed.

They made it back to the BreezeClan camp, and Teardrop was there with another warrior, Twilightshine. Raindrop hadn't really seen much of her, she only knew that Twilightshine's father had been killed when she was just born and that she had become a warrior late due to an unfortunate accident that had happened to her sister, Midnightleap. Twilightshine had seemed like a bubbly she-cat, but she was always with her sister and her mother which was probably why Raindrop hadn't really seen much of her.

"Hi!" Twilightshine meowed enthusiastically, and she caught Raindrop off guard.

"Um... what?" Raindrop asked, confused. Had this cat just greeted her? That didn't exactly happen every day. Currently, the only cats truly friendly to her were Riverflame, Blossompaw, Skyshine and Duskfire. Twilightshine would be a new addition to her friend group... Stop thinking like that. She only said hi, Raindrop chided herself.

"I said hi," Twilightshine meowed, looking oddly confused.

Raindrop tried her best to look confused back. She was a really bad faker, but she didn't want to seem like a dummy in front of a possible new friend. That word was overpowering – friend. Raindrop didn't have many. She hardly knew most cats in the Clan by name.

"Hi," Raindrop meowed back quickly. "I'm sorry. Um, most people don't say hi, to, you know. Me."

Twilightshine frowned, but the frown soon changed into a beaming smile. "Well, that changes today!" she meowed brightly. "As soon as we get back to camp, I'll introduce you to my sister, Midnightleap, my mother, Nightsnow, and my best friend, Flowingriver."

Raindrop smiled at the kind she-cat appreciatively. She was so bubbly and likeable. Raindrop followed her supposed new friend back to camp, and she even had a spring in her step. It was funny to watch Twilightshine walk, though. That bubbly she-cat didn't walk, she bounced, and yet bounced elegantly and softly. Probably the only reason she hasn't scared away all her prey yet, Raindrop thought with a snicker. She hid any snide comments from Twilightshine, though. There was a deep fear inside Raindrop that one day her friends would either abandon her or die like her family had done. Raindrop's mind drifted back to her parents and her sister. Silverdusk, Hiveclaw and Lightningstreak, all suddenly dead in a few days. That was moons ago, barely into Raindrop's apprenticeship, but still, she remembered it clear as day. She had about doubled in age since that time, but it was still fresh in her mind. Still clogging her memories, paining her.

"Raindrop. I said, we're here," Twilightshine meowed. "Great StarClan, you do zone out a lot, don't you? Who made you a mentor?"

It was lighthearted teasing, but Raindrop flinched and cringed away from the silver she-cat. She met her gaze, and noticed her strange eyes. One was a deep blue and the other was a dark teal green. Raindrop cringed further from the she-cat. It probably hurt her new friend's feelings but Raindrop couldn't help but be creeped out by the two-colored stare.