Book 1 - Warriors: The Shadow Outcast

Chapter Twenty-Eight

In the days that followed the Gathering, Rainfur went on like normal. He'd take Stormpaw out once a day to either train him to hunt or to fight, and then he would go on his own patrol. When Rainfur went on a patrol, it was normally over by the Twolegs or RiverClan, and though he sometimes went to the ThunderClan border, it was mainly just at night. The Clan agreed to keep Rainfur safe, having now accepted that he was their way out of the nightmare they were in.

Stormpaw continued to be his annoying bratty self, always making comments about how stupid cats were and about how he wanted to go back home. Rainfur wanted desperately to ask where his home was and why he wanted to die, but he knew also that Stormpaw needed time to settle into the Clan.

It had been nearly a half moon since the gathering, and since then RiverClan had been getting very curious. They would always ask how ThunderClan was doing, and afterward tell them of how WindClan was doing. Rainfur knew that they wanted to be protected, but he wasn't sure if Nightstar wanted to protect them. That would be something to ask if ThunderClan got a bit stronger.

At the moment, Rainfur was cautiously walking with Snakeheart and a few others toward the ThunderClan border. He had made himself go, and though he scented a ThunderClan patrol coming closer, he didn't stop. Rainfur wasn't going to let Sharpstar see the fear that he had clawing at his skin like ants in his nest.

By the time they reached the border it was nearly moonhigh. Rainfur hated the night patrols, but with ThunderClan teasing and taunting them every time they saw each other, it had to be done. It was necessary and safe.

When they were half-way through marking the border, five dark figures showed up in the distance. They were coming toward the ShadowClan patrol, and once everyone noticed, they tensed, ready for a fight.

"Aw, the scaredy little ShadowClan cats afraid that we're going to crush them?" sneered a cold voice. The dark figure that it belonged to was a dark ginger tom, whom Rainfur knew as Tigerpelt. "I guess not. They've got Rainy on their patrol so they don't need to be worried at all."

Hey, that's my nickname for you! Jactur hissed. Name-stealer!

"Step down, Tigerpelt," the familiar voice of Springfur, ironically Tigerpelt's mate, murmured. "We cannot risk a fight. Sharpstar doesn't want one yet." Tigerpelt rolled his eyes.

"I'd still like to see these flea-bags cross our border," Tigerpelt teased. "They would then feel the power of Sharpstar's lead!"

"Shut up!" hissed the familiar voice of Falconclaw. "I may not be deputy anymore, but I am still older than you!"

"So it's true then?" asked Rainfur, his eyes narrowed. "WindClan is now ThunderClan?"

"Of course!" Tigerpelt growled. "Why else would we be this strong?" Rainfur's fur bristled, his claws urging to unsheathe.

"Don't start a fight, Rainfur," Snakeheart hissed then, getting his attention. "We have enough to worry about as it is." Rainfur relaxed after giving the slender Warrior a long glare.

Rainfur let his mind wander. He let himself look at the cats in the large patrol. Springfur, Bluepaw and Lionpaw's mother. Tigerpelt, once a great Warrior, now an annoying deputy. Falconclaw, the cat who wanted revenge on him most. Silvershine, another WindClan cat whom he once killed, but then brought back to life. Then, the last cat Rainfur had wanted to see, Flamepelt, his kithood friend.

When Rainfur saw Flamepelt, his fury doubled. The ginger tom had many wounds and scars throughout his pelt, and his eyes were dull with exhaustion. Sharpstar must have beaten Flamepelt, and this made Rainfur want to kill the current ThunderClan leader even more.