𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 - seasons of revenge - book three

Chapter 19

Rainkit tried to calm her shaky breaths as she hid in the shadows of a nettle patch. She was sure stings were prickling around her back and legs, but right now she didn't care.

Duststar's scent lingered heavily in the air. She had spotted the tom before, his eyes narrowed with a spooky anger, almost murderous. He'd emerged from the apprentices den, and strangely enough, Pondpaw had walked into the medicine den a heartbeat later. His fur was messy and unkempt, particularly around his neck and he was panting for breath.

"I hope he's okay." Rainkit tilted her head and sighed loudly. Pondpaw had ignored when she asked what was wrong, but he'd just given her a pitiful look.

"I don't need his sympathy." The tortoiseshell didn't even know what he was showing sympathy for, but she was sure it had something to do with Duststar. However, for now, her thoughts were shifted to something else.

The leaf wrap on her head heavily impaired her vision. Huffing in frustration, Rainkit unsheathed her claws, feeling for the cobweb seal of the wrap on the back of her head, which tied all the bandage together. With a harsh tug, she ripped the leaves of in one movement, tossing them to the ground.

Her face.. felt weird. There was a coldness across her face that she'd never felt before, particularly in three spots. A shiny puddle caught in the corner of her eye, and hesitantly she stepped up to it.

"Holy StarClan." Her ears dropped instantly.

Three clawmarks were scored across her face, the gashes red and sore. Although the one at the bottom was a minor slice, and had healed by this point, only leaving a small tear of fur missing. The second one was slightly wider, and cross the bridge of her muzzle. This had a portion of fur missing through it too. The third was the worst. It was in the middle of the other two, and was practically a gaping tear. It had healed and scarred over, although it was still painstakingly red.

She ignored the pain that had come with the stripping of the leaf-wrap. Rainkit had become in contact with pain for the whole span of her one-and-a-half-moon life, but she chose to ignore it. It was better than facing it.

Just then, a shadow loomed over her ears. She let out a small growl, turned to face the obvious figure, Duststar.

"Are we training today?" She asked petulantly, blinking slowly, her eyes wide with hope, as she tried to hide her layer of anger. Duststar's lip was curled in a sneer slightly.

"Yes we are kit." Duststar flicked his tail, beckoning for her to follow. She followed his flickering tail, trekking through the forest until they came to a clearing with a stream next to it. A tide of rocks was before the swirling river, and there lay two heaps of flowers on the ground.

"These are the graves of two QuailClan cats who trespassed on this territory. We have no mercy here, do you understand?"

Rainkit nodded. "What happened to them?" She asked, curiously looking at the graves. The scent that hovered around them, was almost familiar. Carefully she walked up to them, rolling a juniper berry with her paw.

"They trespassed in the territory for food when QuailClan was starving, and were killed on the spot. We buried them right next to the river border, so QuailClan can see what happens to cats who trespass."

Rainkit gulped. This was getting dark, and fast. She tasted the air quickly, turning her head towards the border. The setting was beautiful, but yet so eerie, and she didn't know why. The long grass seemed too long, so easy to go missing in it and never return out the maze of green strands. All of a sudden, the river seemed almost to treacherous, threatening to swirl her in a capture her within its watery grasp. The rocks seemed sharp and agile, each step on them a certain slip and a head injury.

"Why do they have flowers on them?" She finally questioned, trying to distract her spooked feelings by looking at her paws.

"I suspect cats continuously trespass to pay grievances or to put flowers on them. Despite the warning we heed, they won't listen." Duststar growled, hackles raised in annoyance. "This is why you are here today. I want you to destroy them plants, deface them to the earth as if they never existed."

Rainkit placed a paw on a branch with juniper berries on it. It was such an unusual thing, she came to conclusion. Then her mind fizzled back to Pigeonfrost's grave. She'd placed a robin feather of where he was buried, and Hareleap had left him a beautiful bunch of cream and bluish-greyish dahlias. Leopardkit had been hesitant, leaving a few sage leaves, the ones which Hareleap had torn up to show how much they were grieving for him. This was a cat's grave, someone was grieving for both of them. She couldn't just destroy it like that.

"Do it now!" Duststar growled, just as there was a rustle in the bushes.

Rainkit squeaked hesitantly, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt the squish of a juniper berry, and the snap of a branch.
Looking back down, the tortoiseshell felt slightly better. She'd done the deed, there was nothing to worry about-

"Rainkit! What have you done?!" There was the pained screech of Hareleap, her voice filled with bitterness, a floret of orange poppies and pink dianthus' in her mouth.

Duststar had long since gone, and Rainkit was stood, her jaws apart with slight horror and shame.

"Now tell me, and tell me why you've done it."
Hareleap's voice was cold with a tone to it Rainkit had never heard before. She took a skittery step back, her ears down and eyes heartbroken.

"What did I-"

She couldn't finish before Hareleap let out a cry and turned away a second.

"I'd like you to tell me, why have you destroyed Otterpaw's and Lightpaw's graves? Your own half-siblings?"