Falling With the Rain

~ Where I Draw the Line ~

Sandstorm Third Person POV (at some random time in the book)

Fireheart, Longtail, Swiftpaw and Sandstorm shared small talk as they began their patrol of the ShadowClan border. I do hope Bluestar will get better soon, if Tigerstar is leader of ShadowClan, he's bound to attack at any given moment, she thought bitterly. In fact, it was thanks to Bluestar that she was now patrolling this exact border for the second time that day. Her paws ached slightly as they padded over the uneven ground right behind the line of trees that met the Thunderpath. Sandstorm raised her head and opened her mouth to taste the air for a moment, leaving the rest of the patrol to walk ahead by a tree-length. For a moment, she was convinced she scented a familiar cat, it was a rather feeble scent, but it was there. A gust of wind suddenly blew by, scattering the only remnants of the scent away.

"Sandstorm, is everything all right?" Fireheart called from over his shoulder. The patrol had stopped a tree-length and a fox-length away.

"Yes, coming!" She meowed back as she scampered to catch up to the border patrol.

"Did you see some cat?" Swiftpaw demanded, clearly having wanted to be the one who had found an intruder, if there was one at all.

"No, just a stale scent blown over from the ShadowClan border, but it was blown away." Sandstorm replied patiently, apprentices could be much too eager at times.

Swiftpaw, evidently looking disappointed padded on ahead, the rest of the patrol followed him.

Not too long later, as the patrol was nearing an end, fresh ShadowClan scents were blown over by the wind. Each cats' ears were pricked as they lowered down into the undergrowth. Sandstorm narrowed her eyes as they saw a patrol of ShadowClan cats going along their own border. Luckily, the wind was downwind on them so the mange-pelted ShadowClan cats wouldn't even know they were here. Silently, Sandstorm watched the group of cats stop. They briefly chatted among themselves before they all bounded away back into the shadows.

Just as all the ShadowClan cats had left out of their view, Sandstorm relaxed her muscles. Right before the ThunderClan patrol could get out of the undergrowth and continue their patrol, another ShadowClan cat came into view. An apprentice, noted Sandstorm. The way the apprentice moved and her pelt were oddly familiar. Before Sandstorm could identify why, the ShadowClan apprentice parted her jaws, tasting the air for scents. Before the apprentice had even inhaled completely, her head whipped right to where the ThunderClan patrol was hidden. Sandstorm felt a shiver run along her spine as the ShadowClan cat's eyes locked on her through the bush. No, eye, not eyes, realised Sandstorm with a shudder. The single pale blue eye, pierced through her like frost-bitten leaf-bare wind, its pair was hidden underneath green leaves which were clearly herbs. It's Rainsong, Sandstorm registered, the recognition was bitter and snarl-like in her head.

Beside her, she felt Fireheart rise out of the undergrowth. Clearly, he found it useless to hide from Rainsong. Rainsong does have an excellent sense of smell, she knew we were here before she even properly smelled the air, Sandstorm noted.

She rose out of the undergrowth beside Fireheart and fixed a glare on Rainsong. The tortoiseshell only briefly studied her before her pale single blue eye flicked to some-cat beside Fireheart. Longtail it seemed was the cat whom Rainsong was currently studying, from the amount of fear-scent coming from him, Sandstorm was easily able to identify him.

Once more, Rainsong's single eyed gaze flew over each of them. Sandstorm met her piercing gaze with a defiant expression. Suddenly, Rainsong's ears pricked and her head turned to the side. She opened her muzzle, evidently replying to a question coming from some cat hidden by the trees. When the unheard conversation ended, Rainsong's head turned back to the ThunderClan patrol. Sandstorm tensed, ready to fight if it came to it. Instead, Sandstorm was taken aback as Rainsong dipped her head and bounded out of sight.