Warriors: Rainfeather's Honor

Chapter Six

"You know, when I was a youngster like you, I always respected the warriors and elders, especially when they told me to stay away from some cat." Bluegrass was rasping to Rainpaw. The silver-blue apprentice was cleaning out the elders den. It had been a whole day since Strikepelt and Foxfang had found Rainpaw and Wolfpaw together in the medicine den. Since then, the two apprentices had been so busy with training that they had no time to talk. Rainpaw suspected her father had told her mentor to keep her away from the tom she adored so much.

Now, as Rainpaw packed new moss into the nest she had just cleaned, she was forced to listen to Bluegrass rant about how she was disrespectful towards her superiors. Even worse, Bluegrass was the mother of Featherbreeze, making the blue-eyed elder Rainpaw's kin.

There is no way that any apprentice followed older cats' rules perfectly, especially not you, Bluegrass.

Instead of arguing with the headstrong elder, however, Rainpaw just ducked her head respectfully. After she had pressed as much fresh moss as she could into the bracken outline of the nest, she had a moment to think about the talk her father had given her.

"What were you doing, sleeping with Foxfang's son?" he'd asked angrily as she cowered beneath his glare. He had continued ranting. "What a horrible thing. My daughter, with that flea-bag's offspring." He turned his attention back to her. "You come from honorable linage, descended from Springstar herself. You could have had any other tom. You and your sister have first pick of the toms in the Clan. Why not Stonepaw? He's the deputy's son, for StarClan's sake. Or Rushpaw? Or Riverstep? He's the Clan leader's brother."

Rainpaw had opened her mouth to argue, but realized there was no point when her father started pacing in frustration and fury. The ginger tom had lashed his tail and spoken again.

"But no. You had to fall for that unsightly little apprentice. That's what happens with unclean lineage. Poor Willowbud. She was taken under the spell just as you were. Her bloodline was clean, coming straight from SpringClan's first deputy. Then she had kits with that mixed-blood. From now on, stay away from Foxfang, and Wolfpaw! You should be sharing prey and nests with a decent tom, like Stonepaw. Now there's a good bloodline." Strikepelt had started to wander away, muttering under his breath about unclean lineage and mixed-bloods.

That incident had landed Rainpaw on cleaning duty. The only problem was there was only one elder in the Clan, and not very many cats in total either. So, as soon as she discarded the dirty bedding from the elders den, she'd be done.

"Your nest is finished, Bluegrass." Rainpaw snatched up the dirty moss that she had cleaned out of the nest and backed out of the den with a respectful nod towards the gray elder.

Keeping her head up in order to stop the trailing moss from tripping her, Rainpaw padded towards the thorn tunnel. She caught a glimpse of dark ginger fur and cringed, hoping it wasn't her father. Luckily, it was just Floodpaw sidling up next to her.

"I heard what happened." Rainpaw's ear twitched to show her sister that she was listening. The two she-cats padded into the forest together. Floodpaw took a deep breath and spoke.

"Why would you sleep with a tom, Rainpaw? We're barely out of the nursery and you're already trying for a mate."

Rainpaw snorted and dropped the dirty moss in a ditch beside a large oak tree.

"I did not sleep with him to 'try for a mate'. I really like him. And I think he likes me too." Rainpaw lifted her muzzle stubbornly.

Floodpaw licked her paw in contempt. "Okay fine. But our father has a point, you know. Riverstep or Rushpaw have much better bloodlines than him."