𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 - seasons of revenge - book three

Chapter 40

"What do you mean?" Rainpaw barely uttered under her breath, looking at Leopardpaw warily.

Of course she knew exactly what he was talking about, but she would need to tread carefully with her words. Or had he told everyone already about Torrentpaw?

"You know what I mean." Leopardpaw looked back at his sister, his ears flattening denfensively, and Brackenpaw came to stand up beside him, her eyes narrowed with a devilish look. The sort of fake, but sweet look plastered on her face.

"I didn't mean for that to happen, it was raining, and the rocks were really slippy-" the tortie nattered on worriedly, cut off by a sudden meow off Leopardpaw.

"Not that, you idiot!" Leopardpaw hissed under his breath, and she was left confused. Here her brother was, calling her out as a murderer, but didn't want her to explain herself about Torrentpaw's death?

"I mean the fact that you almost murdered Brackenpaw, threatened her with death and permanently injured her!" He said forcefully, Brackenpaw flattening her ears in sync.

"And for the fact you messed with Duststar so much. He's horrified after what you did, attacking him unaware in the forest like that and almost drowning him!" The black and ginger flecked she-car finished with a prim nod.

Her eyes floating around, Rainpaw saw their grim eyes starting back at her, clearly anger directed at her.

"They seriously don't believe that a three moon old kit managed to almost drown a fully grown leader - with nine lives, may I add?!"

"Seemingly so." Rainpaw muttered under her breath. She scanned her eyes around the area, noticing the absence of Duststar on his perch, which instantly rung alarm bells to her.

"Maybe if you took a minute to realise that Duststar isn't the cat you think he is." The apprentice loomed closer to the two apprentices infront of her, switching eye contact between them frequently.

Both cats looked unconvinced, although Leopardpaw did begin to show a bit of doubt, the golden ticked tom hiding behind Brackenpaw slightly.

"I knew that demeanour wouldn't last long." Rainpaw snorted as her brother excused himself and rushed into the direction of the apprentices den.

Cats around her had begun to murmur in confusion, all their gazes fixed on where Leopardpaw had fleeted away. Silently and awkwardly, Rainpaw backed out of the crowd of cats, successfully managing to get to the edge of the camp, and duck into a clump of nettles.

Confusion filled her features as she caught onto the scent of Duststar and Rowanface. Well, Duststar wasn't a confusing thing to her, but for Rowanface to be there, was.

Padding quieter now, she approached to the side of where Duststar and Rowanface were. Their conversation seemed hostile, Rowanface's ears flattened against her head and she was taking steps back.

"You know not to speak with such backlash to a leader, Rowanface. Even you know better than that." The brown tabby seemed to snort as Rainpaw listened in. He must be referring to the time at her apprentice ceremony when Rowanface, had just been Rowanface and been as snarky as usual.

Still silently, she watched as claws were unsheathed, dusky light reflecting off them. And brought to Rowanface's throat.

"This is not happening." The apprentice was almost in disbelief. She understood Duststar was pretty merciless, but she didn't think he'd kill his deputy over a few snarky words.

Then again, that does sound quite like him.

She stopped the urge to leap out the bushes, and continued watching the two arguing. However, it seemed that it had stopped by now, Duststar concluded to silence and an angry glare at the deputy.

Rainpaw could hear the vigorous rustling of bushes as Duststar turned tail. And then she was slightly shocked to hear... crying?

Her green eyes grazed the area to where Rowanface was situated, her head lowered down, looking at the leaf coloured floor, hiccupy like cries emitting from her.

The temptation to go in all guns blazing and tease the deputy was high, but Rainpaw's furrowed in shame. I'm better than that!

"I know what that's like." The apprentice casually strolled up to Rowanface, her ginger-striped tail waving casually. Rowanface seemed to look away, her ears pinned against her head.

"Go away." The ginger she-cat hissed, batting her tail against Rainpaw sharply. The tortie fell back slightly, but regained her stance quick enough.

"Me, Pondpaw, Mistflower, Softclaw; we know what it's like."

"Why should I care about a mistake like you?" Rowanface spat back at the apprentice, unsheathing her claws.

"Because your quarrel is not with me! It is with Hareleap!" Rainpaw protested back, catching Rowanface's flailing paw and pushing it back towards her.

Immediate stunned silence followed.

Then a small snort off Rowanface as she gave a sideways glance to Rainpaw. "It was always my father, Brightfoot. Left my mother Elmflower, and my older siblings behind to be with a kittypet. She became pregnant and he ran back to the Clans. I always wanted a secure family, so I hoped in the future that maybe I could raise kits with a cat who I truly loved. And that just happened to be Rockheart."

The apprentice gave her a spooked stare, considering. Rainpaw would admit she never could think that Rowanface had any sort of grief underneath, just a snarky and impertinent deputy that always lashed out.

"But he was with Hareleap. And I was angry enough at that already. But I believe a one cat that you fall in love with first is the one that you will always be with. And barely after Rockheart had died, Hareleap was already with Pigeonfrost, I bet."

The ginger deputy then flattened her ears, placing her tail along Rainpaw's flank. "Don't let anyone hear about this. And don't mention anything about Duststar." Her voice was firm and expectant, back to the old Rowanface, Rainpaw guessed.

~~

When she'd gotten back to camp later on in the day, Rainpaw was surprised to find a circle of cats gathered round in the camp clearing, discussing things. Duststar, Meadowtail, Softclaw, Hareleap, Rowanface, Mistflower and Darkwing were gathered there, Pondpaw and Brackenpaw awkwardly perched nearby their mentors, listening with curious gazes.

"What's going on here?" She questioned Pondpaw, who shrugged unknowingly.

"They're planning the battle on QuailClan." Brackenpaw remarked, all knowingly. The grey and ginger patched she-cat gave a strange look to Mistflower, then to Rainpaw.

"Any know reason why she doesn't want this battle to commence?"

Well, the apprentice certainly knew why, but she wasn't going to say anything.

"Maybe she thinks that BirchClan would have more advantage fighting in leaf-fall. Think about it, both Clans will get negative effects off the battle."

Pondpaw wavered thoughtfully, his ears flattening in thought. He then walked forward, trying to squeeze into a gap between Duststar and Softclaw. Although he did accidentally bump into the leader, which caused the brown tabby to snarl lightly.

"Well it seems this battle is going ahead." Brackenpaw hissed under her breath to Rainpaw, looking at the group of cats nodding, except Mistflower, who looked doubtful.

"Wether you like it or not."

A/N: I will confirm in the next chapter that there is a bit of a timeskip...
Sorry the chapter is a few days overdue but I got minor writers block on the last few sentences, I just didn't know how to sum it up.
See ya!
~ Ember <3