Warriors: Rainfeather's Honor

Chapter Sixteen

"Poolpaw, get your tail out of the warriors den!" said a voice. Rainfeather raised her head sleepily as she heard the yowl. Her kit was poking her nose into the warriors den entrance. The silver-blue warrior nudged her mate, who was curled up with his side pressing into her fur and his tail twined with hers. Wolfheart looked up at the gray-and-white apprentice.

"Poolpaw!" The voice yowled again. It was Reedflow. "We're going hunting!" The nose disappeared from the entrance. Rainfeather got up and stretched, pushing her legs out in front of her and curling her tail with the effort. When she straightened up, she noticed how heavy she felt.

In the two moons since Beestar was made leader, Poolkit, Birchkit, and Harekit were made apprentices. Reedflow was made Poolpaw's mentor after Thunderwind was made a warrior. Birchpaw was now Riverstep's apprentice and Harepaw was Bloomclaw's. Lightningtail was also a warrior now. Doeleap had moved to the nursery, pregnant with Beestar's second litter.

Stonefall was meowing from the center of the den. "Stormstrike, you're leading a hunting patrol. Take Tawnyfoot and Rushwind with you. Wolfheart, border patrol. Take Swiftsprout and Shadestripe. Floodfern," When he said the ginger she-cat's name, she purred and rubbed against him.

Even though they weren't mates, Floodfern kept padding after the golden tom, even when he felt uncomfortable with it. The she-cat talked about their future kits and what they would name them. Stonefall seemed embarrassed that Floodfern was being so moony with him in front of the rest of the warriors.

Stonefall went on. "Floodfern, you need to take the other patrol. There has been more fox scent on our territory. Rainfeather and I will come with you." He flicked his striped tail, signaling for the patrols to leave.

Floodfern widened her emerald green eyes. "Oh, but Stonefall. Can't we just patrol alone? Just the two of us?" Rainfeather knew the real reason her sister wanted to patrol with just Stonefall. The ginger she-cat still hadn't forgiven her for Strikepelt and Featherbreeze's splitting, and Featherbreeze's death had only made it worse.

"Rainfeather has to come. She needs to rebuild strength after being in the nursery for so long."

"I wasn't in the nursery for that long!" Rainfeather called out, rolling her eyes. Ever since Stonefall had been made a captain, which was what the speakers were called now, he had been giving patrolling orders as though he was deputy. Reedflow had fought back at first, telling Stonefall to stay in his place, but eventually he had given up.

"Stonefall, if you know so much, tell me this: Who is going to the Gathering tonight?" Foxfang called. The dark brown tabby tom was still bitter from his captain rejection.

Stonefall looked over his shoulder as he left the den with Floodfern and Rainfeather on his tail. "Reedflow, Rushwind, Bloomclaw, Riverstep, Wolfheart, Rainfeather, Willowbud, Torrentshade, Thunderwind, Lightningtail, Floodfern, Poolpaw, Birchpaw, Harepaw, Sundapple, Shadestripe, Cedarwhisker, and Doeleap. Oh, and me, of course."

Rainfeather was still twitching her whiskers at Foxfang's angry face when her patrol left the camp. Taking a deep breath, the silver-blue she-cat remembered how she had missed the forest while she was caring for her kit in the nursery. The stench of fox soon filled her nose and she wrinkled her muzzle.

"Let's slow down here," Stonefall mewed. Rainfeather sighed inwardly. This was supposed to be Floodfern's patrol, but Stonefall had taken over. And Floodfern was clearly more than happy to let him.

A sudden flash of red told Rainfeather that a fox was leaping towards her. She lifted her forepaws and pushed the fox away. It snapped its jaws at her neck, but Floodfern slashed at its eyes. Stonefall jumped onto its back and sank his claws in. The fox whined in pain and started bucking. When it finally got Stonefall off, it sped away towards the border.