Warriors: Rainfeather's Honor

Chapter Thirteen

That night, Rainpaw woke up to a strange smell. It was dank and bitter. There was only one thing that stank like that.

"WinterClan invaders!" It was Doeleap, the guard for tonight. Rainpaw leapt up to peer through the den entrance. Poolkit mewed helplessly, making Rainpaw cringe.

Screeches and yowls sounded around the camp. Fighting cats tumbled across the clearing.

Why are they attacking us? Where is Wolfheart?

Suddenly, the gray tom appeared near the elders den. His white chest was speckled with blood. Rainpaw knew she had to help the Clan. She lifted Poolkit up and set her down in Waspwing's nest.

"Protect her. I must help the Clan. You need to keep your kits safe," she added when Waspwing started to protest.

"I'll defend her with my life," the pregnant she-cat promised. Rainpaw dipped her head in thanks and hurled herself out of the nursery and into the battle. She threw herself onto the back of a black and white tom who was swiping at Bloomclaw. Rainpaw dug her claws into the tom's shoulders and raked her back claws down his spine until he screamed for mercy.

Bloomclaw exchanged a shocked look with Rainpaw. WinterClan had no reason to attack them.

Rainpaw jumped as a screech echoed from near the apprentice den. Floodpaw was being attacked by a huge golden brown tom. Rainpaw raced over to them and sank her teeth into the tom's tail

Floodpaw shoved Rainpaw away. "I don't need your help!" Rainpaw tumbled into a silver she-cat. It was Shiverheart. Instead of clawing at her, Shiverheart turned to rush at Stonefall. The breath rushed out of Rainpaw's lungs as a cat grabbed her by her scruff and threw her against a tree. It was a light brown tom. While Rainpaw was stunned, the tom sank his claws into her flank. Rainpaw let a kit-like wail.

"I'm called Jaggedclaw for a reason," he hissed as he cuffed her ears. His claw cut a vee-shaped nick in her silver-blue ear.

Wolfheart bounded over and dragged Jaggedclaw away from Rainpaw. "Jaggedclaw," he growled. "Can't you smell the milk on her? The kit scent?"

The WinterClan tom's eyes widened in horror. "I'm so sorry. I hope your kits are okay." With that, he backed away.

Wolfheart turned on Rainpaw. "What are you doing out of the nursery? Where's Poolkit?" His eyes were fiery with anger.

Rainpaw lifted her chin defiantly. "Waspwing is taking care of her. I had to help."

Just then, there was a caterwaul from the nursery. Wolfheart and Rainpaw hurtled towards the den. Rainpaw burst through the brambles in time to see Stagfall slash Featherbreeze's throat. Screeching in fury, Rainpaw flung herself onto the WinterClan deputy's back. The silver-blue apprentice shredded the brown tom's ears, then ripped fur from his back in tufts until the deputy squealed like a kit and raced from the den.

Rainpaw crawled to her mother. Featherbreeze lay bleeding heavily from her throat. "Mother," Rainpaw whispered. "Don't leave me."

Featherbreeze wheezed. "It's my time to go, Rainpaw. Take care of Thunderkit and Lightningkit. I'll always be watching over you." The gray tabby queen let out one last breath and went still.

Rainpaw threw back her head and let out a sobbing wail. She pushed her muzzle into her mother's rapidly cooling fur.

The apprentice did not look up until she heard a tiny mew beside her. "Why is Mama sleeping?" It was Thunderkit. His russet fur was flattened on one side, as though he had been napping.

Rainpaw felt a shot of grief and pushed it away. These kits needed her now. "Mama has gone to StarClan. She loves you very much, but she had to go. She'll always be looking out for you."

"But we want Mama!" Lightningkit whined.

"I'm going to take care of you. Go to Waspwing for now and rest with Poolkit." Rainpaw watched the kits toddle over to Waspwing before turning to look out in the clearing. Snowstar was facing off with Blossomstar. Every cat stopped fighting to watch the leaders.

"Why did you attack us, Snowstar? There are kits and elders in this camp!" Blossomstar hissed.

"We told you at the Gathering. We need more land," Snowstar snarled.

Blossomstar flattened her ears. "We gave you a solution. Take the birch forest."

"There are foxes and badgers in the birch forest," Snowstar challenged.

"There are foxes and badgers in every forest," Blossomstar shot back. "I suppose you didn't scent the gang of foxes in our territory while you were sneaking through the undergrowth. Now, get out!"

The WinterClan cats slunk out of camp with their tails tucked. Rainpaw growled as they passed the nursery, snapping her teeth at Stagfall when he padded by.

"Rainpaw, don't be rude," Blossomstar said. "That's very unlike you."

"I'll be rude all I like. He killed my mother," she snarled.

"Featherbreeze?" Swiftsprout shouldered past her into the nursery.

"Stagfall!" Beesting called. "Do you think it's alright for a deputy to kill a nursing queen? It looks like Featherbreeze put up a fight; you've lost a lot of fur." Beesting was taunting the brown tom.

"Actually, those wounds are from Rainpaw," Willowbud meowed loudly.

"Ah, yes, that sounds about right. The WinterClan deputy beaten by an apprentice," Beesting sneered. "Get out, you pathetic excuses for warriors."

Swiftsprout emerged from the nursery after the WinterClan cats left the camp. He carried Featherbreeze's gray tabby body on his back. He laid her in the center of the glade, while Wishflower checked over the dead queen's wounds.

"She was struck on her throat. He severed her nerve instantly. I don't think she felt any pain." The orange-and-white she-cat looked up, grief in her eyes.

Rainpaw crouched beside her mother's body and pushed her muzzle into her fur. Cats moved around her to say their goodbyes. She felt numbness spread throughout her body.

"Rainpaw." A voice sounded above her. "Rainpaw!" It was Waspwing. "The kits need you."

Sudden awareness filled Rainpaw's mind.

I have to do what Mother asked. I have to take care of Thunderkit, Lightningkit, and Poolkit. I will raise them to be the best warriors ever.