𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 - seasons of revenge - book three

Chapter 44

Skies darkened above the alleyway.

Wanda took a deep intake of breath, trying not to collapse under the unsteady weight of her paws. The last time she'd seen the medicine cat, he'd been as calm and kind as usual. Why would anyone have such a foe against a cat that'd done so little? With a hitched breath, she began to take a step back, wary of the two figures in front of her.

Rowanface, however, seemed to catch her creeping away. Wanda braced herself, preparing her cover to be blown and probably be murdered by Duststar in some horrific way.

That never came.

Instead of snapping and causing a massive scene which she would've done prior, Rowanface remained cool and calm.

"Maybe we should leave this place. Don't want the rogues catching us do we?" The deputy said, almost tauntingly. Duststar snorted in response, glancing at the floor while he inspected his claws.

"If the rogues were to catch us that wouldn't matter. I'm sure I'd be glad to see my sister suffer furthermore." During that period of time, the leader seemed to gaze off in deep thought. Rowanface sent a quick look to Wanda, beckoning them to leave.

Wanda shook her head quickly in response to Rowanface's beckoning, creeping closer to Duststar. She wasn't sure how many lives the leader had left. But she would be glad to rid him of another.

"Still. You need more time to prepare for something like that." Rowanface sounded weary this time, her tail thrashing with persistence at the leader.

"Are you doubting my ability to strategise in an instant? It would not be wise to waste effort on a bunch of hapless strays." The brown tabby leader slinked up to Rowanface, not once breaking eye contact with her as his eyes narrowed again.

Wanda couldn't help but feel slightly insulted at his remark. Hapless strays? Huh! We defeated him the first time, we wouldn't be afraid to do it a second. With a shake of her pelt, she ran forward, jaws widened in a shrill battle cry.

"And there we are!" Duststar grinned almost menacingly, taking a sharp grimace at Rowanface, who he now had a sharp grip onto her shoulder and had no intent of letting go.

Wanda attempted to tackle the skimpy brown tabby over, and being a bulky cat, it wouldn't be hard. Yet with a swift kick of a hind leg, she was knocked down, left coughing in the musky ground.

"I wasn't doing anything- I swear!" The deputy quickly mustered the courage to say, squirming beneath Duststar's clutches.

"What is that, then!?"

"I - I don't know!" Rowanface spluttered, her ears flattening with worry and her yellow eyes glazing over. "Every single day, you tell me to do this, and do that. And now I only realise how bad those actions are! You expect me to follow under your leadership, and all this time I struggled to see I was under the authority of a murderer!!"

Rowanface couldn't face it anymore, with every single strand of fur in her body, she pulled away from the cat who had once been her leader, aghast a struggle, with the tough claws that had deepened on her shoulder. A screech filled her lungs, so loud, that it left her panting on the ground, waiting.

Waiting for that sure moment there would be that strike to her throat, the lime green eyes the last for her sight to see.

"Why do you do this? It can't just be because of some petty betrayal of your sister." The deputy prised, wanting some answers before her upcoming doom.

"Oh no, no."

Two white paws approached sleekly, setting down to the ground as gently. Pink dappled the edges where claws would emerge, also stained with a bloody pink, probably more. She'd only just noticed that, and Rowanface felt stupid for that. The deputy didn't doubt that Duststar was the one to give Rainpaw her scars.

"Because I can. Rowanface. You would understand if had become leader after me. Everything is under your control, cats rely on you - and you can use that in your own ways."

"So mauling a kit was a great idea was it?!" She spat back, fur bristling.

"Says the hypocrite here who made every day of her life hell!"

Everything went silent after that. Rowanface paused, her breath caught up in her chest as she came to a realisation. She'd bullied Rainpaw days on end for, practically her whole life.

Just as bad as Duststar.

Barely afterwards, a slit of a smile followed on Duststar's face, and he raised his paw up, claws unsheathed to their full extent.

She tried to pull away quickly, scrabbling back from the brown tabby leader, yet a sharp, stabbing pain followed, making up clench up and splutter profusely.

Duststar's paw was now slick with blood.

Her blood. Rowanface felt queasy as she glanced at the gaping wound, now flooding blood on her neck.

"A-at least." She struggled to speak, falling heavily to the ground in one go, causing a splitting pain in her head.

"T-tell R-Rain-pa-w."

Green eyes.

Glaring.

Rowanface had never been more sickened in her life.

What more crimes had he done?

More so, what had she done?

She didn't want to be like that. But it was too late now. Her throat stung with agony, her throat  struggling to pry out words. Rowanface was dying.

"I'm -sorry."

A/N: Soo, Rowanface came to her senses about Duststar, a bit too late though. What's your thoughts on Rowanface? I personally think she's actually an alright cat underneath everything, but Duststar lead her the wrong way.

See ya in the next chapter!
Ember ^^