Book 1 - Warriors: The Shadow Outcast

Chapter Seventeen

Rainfur woke the next morning, his eyes opening to the gathering place. He was still exhausted from swimming the day before, but he seemed much more refreshed. Groaning, he decided to get up, hoping that the other Clans wouldn't flee at the sight of him.

As Rainfur sat up, he listened to the chattering going on. It must have been late dawn, because everyone seemed up. When he looked around, he found Robinwing, Amberstorm, Flamepelt, Sweetpaw, Shadowflame, and even Frostpaw in front of him.

Rainfur listened to their conversation as he adjusted his eyes to the bright light. None of them noticed his awakening, and with that, he was going to use it to his advantage.

"I can't believe everyone still thinks he's going kill everybody," said Sweetpaw, a certain distaste in her voice. "I mean, we explained to them that he's perfectly fine, and that when he wakes, he'll be as good as anyone else around here. Why don't they believe us?" Amberstorm shrugged, a small look of worry in her eyes.

"I don't know," Amberstorm replied. "However, I think it has something to do with the fact that Rainfur wasn't exactly there last night. As Robinwing said, he was literally going insane." Flamepelt looked at Amberstorm and nodded, but something else seemed to be bugging the young tom.

"I also think it has something to do with the fact that Rainfur just let it happen," Flamepelt continued. "I mean, usually Rainfur has had no choice, but as soon as he saw Robinwing dead, he just. . .gave up." Shadowflame murmured in agreement.

"Then when he went insane?" asked Shadowflame. "Do you think that has anything to do with it? Even then, he looked scary. He looked as if he didn't have a soul. As if everything had just drifted away, and all he cared about was. . .well. . .what was it?" Shadowflame looked to Robinwing, waiting for an answer. Rainfur sighed as he realized what they were talking about, and he felt even worse when he saw the look on Robinwing's face.

Robinwing was quiet as she looked at the ground, deep in thought as her eyes absently stared. Her fur was groomed cleanly, and there were no burns like Rainfur had been expecting. However, mentally, he could tell she was not doing very well.

"He. . ." Robinwing drifted a bit, still thinking. "He was going on about something, as if he were confused. I know he said he was a monster once, and that was after looking at Duskkit's frightened state. It was as if he'd realized what he was right then, and he just couldn't accept it. His mind was on an overload, and even though it was him with the mental pain, it was scary to watch. He felt so. . .distant from me. It was like he didn't even know I was there. . ."

"How strange. . ." murmured Frostpaw, who was sitting next to Flamepelt. "I wonder if he'll be stable when he wakes. Then again, either way, he'll be furious. To think that the Clan leaders want him gone. . ." Rainfur suppressed the urge to gasp. The Clan leaders wanted him gone? But why? He didn't do anything wrong!

"I think this all has something to do with his brothers," said Flamepelt suddenly. "He kept saying that it was all his fault when he was an apprentice, and that he kept failing, and remember what he said to the demon? 'I gave up because I thought I failed again, but after you killed Ravenstar, I used the life to save Robinwing, and that gave me another reason to live.'"

"Robinwing is his mate," Shadowflame reminded the ginger tom. "Anyone would have given up at the sight of their mate's dead body." Flamepelt shrugged.

"And while that may be true, remember the word 'again' in that sentence," Flamepelt pointed out. "So, that means he's already failed, meaning he's let someone die. Also, if it has something to do with his brothers, then he was there both times they died," Flamepelt continued. "I know he was there when his first brother died."