Warriors: Rainfeather's Honor

Chapter Nine

Rainpaw woke up three days after the Gathering to a bright blue sky. Leaf-bare would be upon them in a matter of moons, so the Clan was using the good weather to hunt and fatten themselves before the prey-scarce season came. Rainpaw had been hunting almost everyday, with breaks for training sessions. She had heard warriors complimenting her hunting skills; whenever she came back from hunting, she had to take multiple trips to fetch all her prey. Beesting and Blossomstar must have noticed the remarks about her skills, for they had been talking to each other more and more, often glancing at her.

After seeing Wolfpaw disappear with Spicepaw, Rainpaw ignored the tom she was so fond of. He had rejoined the other apprentices in the apprentice den, but Rainpaw moved her nest towards the center of the den, where it was warmer. Usually, only the older apprentices slept there, but since Wolfpaw was the only apprentice older than her, Rainpaw took a spot right in the middle. At least her anger at Wolfpaw had helped her beat him in battle training, although she suspected he let her win.

Rainpaw found Beesting in the clearing. The silver-blue she-cat stretched, then quickly groomed her ears. "What are we doing today?" she asked her mentor.

Beesting waved a group of cats over with his tail. It was Stormpaw, Floodpaw, Wolfpaw, and their mentors. "You are going to participate in a competition. Since there are five apprentices, Torrentpaw will sit this one out. I'm going to pair you up with another apprentice and you will hunt together. Whoever catches the most prey by sunhigh wins."

Wolfpaw proceeded towards Rainpaw, as though he was going to sit by her. Rainpaw got up and moved so Stormpaw and Floodpaw were between her and the gray tom. Wolfpaw stared at his paws, hurt.

Beesting narrowed his eyes at her. "Rainpaw, since you seem so eager, you can hunt with Wolfpaw. Stormpaw and Floodpaw will hunt together." Rainpaw opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by her mentor's glare.

Once in the forest, Rainpaw felt better. She breathed in the rich scents of the forest, searching for prey. Wolfpaw padded beside her.

"Why are you angry with me?" he asked. His ear flicked. He was annoyed.

"Why were you with a pretty FallClan she-cat?" she shot back. Anger and sadness burned in her chest. She longed for the days when she and Wolfpaw had curled together in a nest, and she hoped that, once they were warriors, they could be that close again.

"What pretty sh- Oh, Rainpaw!" He broke off and started shaking with mrrows of laughter.

Rainpaw lashed her tail. "What's so funny?"

Wolfpaw twitched his whiskers one more time. "Spicepaw is my kin. She's the daughter of my father's sister."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place in Rainpaw's mind. So this was what Strikepelt had meant by unclean blood. Foxfang was half-Clan. One of his parents must have been FallClan.

Rainpaw looked up into Wolfpaw's multicolored eyes. Embarrassment flooded her body until her ear tips were burning. "Oh," was all she could say.

Wolfpaw gazed at her seriously. "Do you really think I could break the warrior code? I belong with SpringClan, Rainpaw." He touched his nose to her ear. "I belong with you."

Rainpaw brightened. She shoved Wolfpaw's shoulder with her head. "Come on! We've got a competition to win." She raced off into the forest with Wolfpaw at her tail.

"Wow. You caught all that by yourselves?" Floodpaw stared in awe as Rainpaw and Wolfpaw entered the camp. The two returning cats trotted over to the center of the glade to drop their catch in the prey pile. Seven baby mice and their mother swung by their tails in Wolfpaw's mouth, while Rainpaw carried two voles and a squirrel. Behind them, Rushwind dragged a huge rabbit. The apprentices had met the cream-and-brown warrior in the forest, and he had offered to help them bring the large load back to camp.