Venomous Revelations

The call rang through the camp, and Minkstream padded into the clearing, quickly spotting his mate and a couple of his kits. He sat down next to Batbite, briefly touching his tail-tip to Thrushpaw's side, a spark of guilt flickering in his chest. "You okay?" He asked quietly, before briefly glancing up at Oakstar. The expression on the leader's face didn't bode well for whatever was going on, and he felt a mix of conflicting emotions tug at his pelt. Something was going to happen, something to do with Rainpaw.

Rainpaw - or Rainstrike, as he'd known her.

He felt his jaw clench, a muscle in his cheek twitching as the corner of his eye caught her coming into the middle of camp, gaze hardening at the mess of her face. That dog really tore her up. But she'd been there, she'd helped. Yet the old flickering flame of anger at her still sparked underneath his pelt. She deserves it, A part of him whispered. He looked at his daughter and son again. Yet... without her his kits might have been injured worse than this. Bile rose in the back of his throat, a disgust at himself for the dark satisfaction that coiled in the back of his mind, hissing sweet revenge, and he deliberately looked away from her, back to Oakstar.

And so he watched silently beside his family, waiting to see what happened next.

---

Lirista crept out to sit with Thrushpaw and Quailpaw, trying not to look at her sister's injuries, and trying even harder not to look at Rainpaw. That was easier; she was mostly hidden from the other cat, and the terrifying mess of her face. But she could still see it in her head. She swallowed, glancing at her siblings as her paws worked the ground. "Do you think... she's becoming a warrior?"

Oakstar didn't look like he was going to do a warrior ceremony. Lirista felt her tail curl around her paws in spite of the heat. Nobody looked happy, or eager. A feeling of nervous dread curled up inside her, and she pressed a little closer to the others.

Beecloud felt tremendous anxiety churn his stomach to the brink of nausea, much of it borrowed from his clanmates as they all slowly gathered around Oakstar. The tom hunted for someone to sit near... he chose Cherryblossom, who didn't seem to hide her lack of shock that Rainpaw had slighted Oakstar again. His ears flipped backward as he sat down, avoiding the hardened gaze of his leader, instead staring at he and Cherryblossom's paws. A little voice chattered near him, and he turned to find Rosepaw, Batbite's latest apprentice. She was just as nervous as he was. He leaned across Cherryblossom to address her. "Rainpaw isn't an ordinary apprentice," he whispered. "She's older than me. She was stripped of her name after a battle... for treachery. Whatever she did, it's probably big."

Beecloud glanced up at the action. The pointed she-cat was marred by scars. According to Ferretnose, she was brutalized by dogs after charging into camp to assist the cats left behind. Though, his mother tended to be incredibly hyperbolic. She was also biased. Rainstrike had been her apprentice once. "If you ever get in trouble, Rosepaw, you'll probably just get grounded to camp. Elder duties and stuff. Don't worry."

---

Ferretnose's legs ached and stung with every step, and her broken tooth cried out sharply, both injuries gut-punching reminders of the battle she had taken part in. She had received technically minor wounds, but it was a brutal message of how much she overworked herself. She could not continue to work at the same pace as a young, healthy warrior. It was an unfortunate truth, but she could not ignore the call of the elders' den. Maybe after Pinepaw received his name? Perhaps before? Maybe it was a discussion to have with Harefoot... oh, who knew?

She chewed alder bark and wild garlic as she trotted nervously to ThunderClan's meeting place. She cocked her head to the side as she elegantly sat down, tail curled around her paws. Had Rainpaw done something wrong? Oakstar was never that cross. Ferretnose had hoped that being humbled would ease her old apprentice's temper. It certainly seemed that she valued her clanmates, by the way she threw herself at the black dog. Pity filled her heart as the accused stepped forward. Ferretnose knew she was in the minority of cats who were ready to forgive Rainpaw. Somehow, she felt like this meeting wouldn't help. So soon after the dog fight, it felt to be in poor taste to come down harshly on Rainpaw. It wasn't like Oakstar to do such a thing. She tapped nervously at the ground... it must have been truly terrible, whatever she had done. Ferretnose lifted her pleading eyes to StarClan, asking them to guide their troubled clanmate's paws.

Pinepaw padded from his den as Oakstar's call echoed from the Highrock, tinged with anger. The tom knew the name Rainpaw well. However he called her Rainstrike. There seemed to be a lot of mystery surrounding the event that took place before Pinepaw had even been born. Rainstrike, er, 'paw, had been stripped of her warrior name by Oakstar for commiting some crime during the large battle at the gathering. Pinepaw had gathered what information he could, but was never told the real reason she'd been in trouble. Hence, he opted not to call the she-cat by an apprentice name. He'd decide for himself whether or not Rainstrike was deserving of being demoted, that, and it made the tom feel important to hold himself to a higher standard. He could feel alright now, walking with his chin up as he sat between his mother and Thrushpaw' family.

Most of the clan had gathered now, all with the same confused - and occasional angry - look on their faces. The apprentice's gaze fell to Thrushpaw's back and Rainstrike's eye. It was no secret that the dogs that had attacked ThunderClan camp during the night caused their damage, Pinepaw only wondered if Rainstrike's injury would gain her some sympathy from Oakstar. How could you be so livid with a cat who'd just lost half of their face? Perhaps Pinepaw's empathy stemmed from the fact that he was there to see it happen, that he'd visited the medicine cat's den every day to check in on Rainstrike and his friend Thrushpaw until they were better. The tom felt almost miffed that Oakstar and the rest of the clan had chosen to be this angry without getting Pinepaw's opinion on it; as if their emotions were dependent on his own point of view. The tom would certainly like to think so, and was bound to find out more during this seemingly impromptu meeting.

"Psst!" Pinepaw whispered not-so-quietly into Thrushpaw's ear, leaning over from his spot next to Ferretnose. "How're you feeling? You'll have a good story for when you're an elder. Tellin' all the kits how you slapped that foxhearted-" Pinepaw's murmurs were cut off by a cough from a perturbed warrior. He gave Thrushpaw a cheeky apologetic smile, leaning back towards his mother.

Hickorypaw joined them for a few moments, then drifted back into the crowd; a look around confirmed she’d gone to sit with her mentor, Berry…no, Cherry…Cherry. Thrushpaw probably needed to learn her name, if she mattered to Dock. As Minkstream sat with them, his tail brushed against Thrushpaw’s side. Concern hung in his voice like clouds heavy with rain. It was strange, having her family worry about her like this. She hadn’t figured out how she felt about it. ”Better today,” she told him. The wounds would snap at her if she moved too fast or at an angle they disagreed with, but she’d been especially careful since she’d figured that out, and they really were less painful than they had been. Minkstream glanced up at Oakstar, and a question spilled out of Thrushpaw’s mouth before she could think about it—not that it would’ve stopped her from asking. ”Do you know what’s happening?”

Lirista settled down nearby, looking at Thrushpaw but not at her. Thrushpaw had tried to get used to that; by now, it mostly just made her feel weird about her own reluctance to look at Rainstrike. ”Probably not,” she said in a near-whisper. "Oakstar…didn't sound right." The rank of "leader" made her hesitant to approach Oakstar, but she'd known him as the cat who’d allowed her and Pinekit into his den almost as long as she'd known him by his title. He’d never made himself sound like someone to be scared of. When Lirista shuffled closer, Thrushpaw curled her not-fully-grown tail partway around her sister.

Her ears perked up at the sound of Pinepaw’s voice from nearby, and she leaned over as well in the hopes that he might start whispering instead of whisper-shouting. More for ThunderClan’s benefit than her own, of course; she was more than used to it. She turned her friend’s words over in her head. Though she didn’t feel brave now, for a few heartbeats, she’d been just like a warrior from the stories she and Pinepaw had grown up on. She’d been Mermurr. Even though they won their battles, a lot of those cats ended up with scars, too. A small smile rose to Thrushpaw’s muzzle. She opened her mouth to reply, but a pointed cough stopped her. Maybe they weren’t supposed to talk after a meeting started. In the end, she shrugged, ducking to half-hide the resulting wince, and looked at Oakstar again.

As Oakstar slid past her, Mossbloom let out a shaky breath. The older leader looked so tired.... And she had only contributed to the expression that had deepened on his features. Taking a moment to compose her own thoughts, and brace herself for what was to come, she stepped out behind Oakstar as he spoke her name, turning towards her with apology in his eyes. Her ears flicked in understanding, though her paws were reluctant and still wobbly from the sickness that had kept her off of them for so long. Stopping at his side, she looked down at the clan, her green eyes meeting Rainstrike's form. Sighing quietly, she raised her voice as she looked away, addressing the clan. "ThunderClan, some of you may remember some moons ago when an adder was discovered in Oakstar's den, alongside Oakstar's dying body. I was able to save him, but not before he lost one of his lives. To this point, it had been thought that a stray adder had just happened to find it's way around our guards and into Oakstar's den.... However, the truth was revealed to myself and the medicine cats of other clans at the last meeting."

She paused to take a pawful of breaths, talking was still difficult and straining on her voice. Clearing her throat, she looked back to Rainstrike. "One of our warriors had gone to Snakerocks, and stunned an adder. Instead of killing it, they placed it carefully in Oakstar's den, and left to await his return. While the clan feared for their safety, and checked the surrounding dens for any more snakes, they were comforted in the knowledge that there was only one..... And the Righteous Few saw this act just as StarClan did and took an interest. Rainpaw, what do you have to say for yourself? Why?" She asked, her voice cracking with the final word.

As soon as the word adder was spoken, Rainstrike closed her eye. So that was it, huh? They'd found out. She didn't need to ask how. She knew how. StarClan, in all their decency and virtue had given her up. The she-cat's lip curled in anger, and she ignored the pain as it pulled on her healing wounds. How dare they? How dare they? Her venom, her hatred, for the starry cats made the fur on the back of her neck spike. She'd done everything they asked, and now this..?

Rainstrike took a breath, swallowing past the lump of rage in her throat, attempting to allay the fear that prickled along her spine. She could die here. Regardless, her voice was level as she responded to Mossbloom's query, her stance showing no cowardice or discontent. "It was my hope that Oakstar would see the snake as a sign from StarClan, one that prodded him to do what the Righteous Few asked of us. At the time, I did not know the difference between them and what I know now to be the real StarClan, and I feared for ThunderClan's safety should we continue to ignore what they had to say."

She flattened her remaining ear against her skull, making her voice waver as she continued. "I didn't want to kill - or even truly hurt - anyone. I thought the cold would keep the snake slow, dumb, and weak enough to be easily disposed of once discovered. But I realize that what I did was wrong, and dangerous, and I am willing to accept any punishment deemed fitting."

Rainstrike bowed her head, heart thundering in her ears, and willed her hackles to lie flat. If she had to fight her way out of here, she would. Wounded or not, she refused to go down without a fight, but the part of her, the tiniest worm of hope in the back of her mind, told her that there was a chance, the smallest chance, of forgiveness, if only she played her cards right.

When Rainpaw left the medicine den, Oakstar felt the surge of regret in his bones. Her scarred face told of her heroism in saving her clanmates, but it also hid her condemnation. The bitter anger that must have been festering for so long. The hatred towards him, that he wished wasn’t there, but as she answered he felt it pointedly. The adder which had killed him… it felt like nothing in comparison.

"...and what would you have done?" He asked, voice cold, hard. Emotions hidden behind stern amber eyes. There’d be time to cry later, to mourn another family member. "That adder could have crept into any other den, could have gotten into the nursery or the medicine den!" His voice lowered to a growl. "You chose to bring danger into this camp. To take my life, and risk the lives of your kin and clanmates." His tail lashed behind him. Head lowered, shadows of grief clear in his expression. "Normally, for a break of the code to be so long ago… I would have let it go."

His expression hardened once more while his head lifted.
"I can’t for this. What you did, endangered every cat here. You committed a murder, and it was only the fact that I’m a leader, that I survived. Had I been any other cat, I would have died." He had little doubt she still would have done it too. Though his heart ached at such a thought.

"Thunderclan! Before us, we have a trial. Rainpaw fought valiantly to defend the camp from dogs, but she also brought a live adder into the camp. Committed murder, treason, and… was with the righteous starclan during the battle… of that I have no disbelief any longer." His head turned slowly, to look at every cat evenly.

"In light of recent events, I will not decide her punishment alone. Those who wish for her to stay, will stand before the elder’s den. Those who wish her exiled, by the camp entrance. Any who..." he paused, voice grieved to even offer this as a choice. "Any who believe she is too dangerous to allow among us… alive, stand by the medicine den. If you wish not to choose, then retire or come to the base of the rock."

His gaze lowered once more to Rainpaw’s. Pain, grief and sorrow in every line.
"Rainpaw’s fate, will be decided today."

Rosepaw froze in shock, then looked between Rainpaw and Oakstar. Attacking the...the leader? An adder...Rosepaw shivered even thinking about it. Though Rosepaw was too young to know about the whole story, she knew the danger of this act. Shaking her head, Rosepaw sighed and retreated to the base of the rock. While passing by Rainpaw, Rosepaw whispered some words to her. “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to judge you. I know what you did was wrong, but you also defended our camp from the dogs.”  Biting her lip, the little apprentice shuffled her paws around, waiting to see if anyone else would decide to not vote for Rainpaw’s fate.

Quailpaw's confusion greatly increased. Righteous few? He had heard of them and that they were an evil group of starclan cats. But having a clan cat team up with them? And taking one Oakstar's lives? He could hardly believe it. Rainstrike, or Rainpaw as she was being called by Oakstar and Mossbloom, had helped the clan against the dogs. If she helped the clan out I have no reason to believe that she would try to endanger us. With that thought in mind, Quailpaw padded over to the elder's den.

Batbite listened, as she had promised herself she would. Mossbloom, Rainpaw and Oakstar each spoke, and with each cat's words her own expression darkened.

She remembered the adder - stars, she would never forget it; she was sure that the sight of Oakstar still and lifeless would haunt her nightmares as long as she lived, the horror and the dread she'd felt watching someone she loved so dearly lay so still. Her tail lashed, the words she'd said to his still-lying form that day ringing in her ears, her disaffected facade having fallen apart.

"You're not going to let some dumb snake be the end of you, are you? You're better than that!"

Funny. She'd always thought snakes were supposed to have scales, but Rainpaw stood before her, covered in fur and flesh.

She watched a moment, to see how the trial began. Rosepaw abstained from the voting, Quailpaw wished to let her stay.

Decision made, she rose to her paws, brushing past both Minkstream and Hickorypaw as she went. "You have protected your clanmates," she said, fighting to keep her voice even. All she wanted was to cry, but to show weakness now? No, it would have to wait. "That means precious little to me - every warrior should protect their clanmates, should honor the oath we take to protect one another with our lives. Before keeping yours, you thoroughly broke it."

Had Rainpaw truly been an apprentice, and had this been her only crime, she could perhaps have reserved her judgment. But neither of those things was true: Rainpaw was an adult, a warrior who was meant to know better; Rainpaw had protected her kits and had attacked her mate; Rainpaw had fought alongside the Righteous Few for their joke of a cause.

As far as she was concerned, Rainpaw did not deserve forgiveness or second chances.

"You took the side of those starlit traitors, attacked my mate, and now it comes to light that you took one of Oakstar's lives while endangering every cat in ThunderClan? Forgiveness is for those who make mistakes, who learn from them," she spoke. "You made your choice, time and again, while the Righteous Few tormented us. You had the chance to speak honestly, to confess to your wrongdoing, but you kept it secret until today. You may fight by our sides, you may call yourself a warrior, but how can any cat in this camp trust you?"

Slowly, she made her way to the camp's entrance, biting back the cruelest words she could think. Death is a peace you don't deserve, she thought to herself, though she sat quiet and patient with her tail around her side. Her judgment was passed, and all that was left now was to watch and wait.

Hickorypaw's tail lashed. Rainstrike, Rainpaw, was the one that had placed the adder in Oakstar's den. She felt a bubble of anger rise up in her chest, setting her body on fire. This was the first time in her short life that she could remember being truly angry. Ears pinned back against her head, the little apprentice watched and listened carefully as her brother chose to let that traitor stay. Batbite, however, spoke truth and reason and Hickorypaw had newfound respect for her mother that compounded on the respect she already had for her.

Paws trembling, Dock rose without a passing glance towards Cherryblossom, her eyes only locked on Rainpaw's hideous face. Her eyes blazed as she marched to the center of camp, feeling the Clan's eyes on her. She had held her tongue until then, but now all her anger and vitriol towards the she-cat came pouring out. "Mom's right," she spat, tail bushed out and hackles raised. "I know I'm just an apprentice, but you...You're no better than the dogs that tore up camp! I'm glad they ripped half yer face off. Knowing what I know now, I think you deserve it. You're no warrior. Warriors're supposed to protect and uplift their Clans, not tear them down. I don't know much about the Righteous Few but I know they were terrible an' they don't deserve to call themselves StarClan cats, just like you don't deserve to call yourself a ThunderClan cat. You rat, how dare you bring an adder into camp? You have no love for this Clan, you jus' do what benefits yer own pelt! Murder is unacceptable, especially murder within your own Clan. I think, Rainpaw, you don't get the right to stay here with the rest of us. I hope I never have to see your stupid face again!" She gave one last piercing glare towards Rainpaw before turning tail, joining Batbite in the camp entrance.

Batbite's disaffected, neutral facade shattered for just a moment - affectionately, she curled her tail around her daughter's side, though she spoke no words for now. Dock's words were harsher than her own, but they echoed her thoughts, and she hadn't yet had the lifetime of experiences that Batbite herself had to temper the way she reacted. The honor inherent in honesty, in speaking what one believed to be the truth, was something she certainly wanted to instill in her kits, and to know that the lesson had taken hold in at least one of them brought her a certain peace. "Always speak your mind, Dock," she whispered, too low for others to hear. "Though remember to choose your words carefully. Still, I'm proud of you."

Her neutral expression returned once she was done offering praise, eyeing the rest of ThunderClan with a casual curiosity. She held no ill will to those who believed in mercy and kindness, though today her gaze was icy cool despite the greenleaf heat. It was Rainpaw that held her contempt, after all, rather than those deciding her fate.

It wasn't long after Pinepaw was shushed that Mossbloom came forward, revealing to the clan what Rainstrike had done. Oakstar stood by the calico's side, calling for a trial to decide the she-cat's fate. Pinepaw's green eyes sharpened as he gazed at the leader, thoughts swimming in his skull. It was no secret that most of the clan despised the warrior - for actions that had taken place before Pinepaw was even born. During the terrible battle at Fourtrees, it was rumored that the cat sided with the enemy. Traitors of StarClan. Pinepaw wished he could have been there to see it happen for himself. He couldn't rightly make a decision on Rainstrike when he barely even knew her. It wouldn't be right to take the clan's word for her treachery. He had to decide for himself. Placing an adder in Oakstar's den further added to her sins, and it seemed ThunderClan agreed as well. Pinepaw listened carefully to the warrior's explanation, and found it reached a part of his heart.

Rainstrike was following orders. If what Pinepaw had learned of the great battle was true; the very enemies the clans had fought were very similar to StarClan themselves. If Rainstrike thought StarClan had ordered her to place an adder in Oakstar's den... The apprentice narrowed his eyes and shifted his gaze to the silver she-cat, looking over her face with calculating eyes. She did what she thought was right, and yet in the clan's eyes, it was the wrong decision. Her choices confused the apprentice, and captivated him at the same time. If StarClan asked Pinepaw to bring a snake to his leader, would he? There was no code that brought any explanation to the scenario. On one paw, she was rebelling by endangering the clan, but on the other, she was fulfilling the needs of the stars; though they were imposters in hindsight. It was a brave act, one that would grant the warrior infamy. Her tale would certainly be told by the elders for moons to come, something Pinepaw envied greatly.

He took a step towards the she-cat and let a silent exhale of breath fall from his maw. She'd bowed low to reach such levels, but it set her apart all the same. Pinepaw wondered for a moment if he could do the same, staying within the code as a righteous cat, and yet straying from mediocrity. Being different didn't make Rainstrike a bad cat. The choices she had made were dangerous, yes, but if her intent was pure...? Pinepaw shook his russet head and turned on his heel, padding to stand by Quailpaw near the elder's den. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around Rainstrike, and it frustrated him greatly. But he didn't want her to leave until he'd figured her out. He hoped his defiance would grant her further days in camp. Pinepaw sat down with regality, holding his head high as he glanced at Batbite and Hickorypaw on the other side of the clearing, respecting their choice as well.

Nettlefire’s gaze slid coldly towards Rainpaw as Mossbloom detailed the she-cat’s crime.

She didn’t particularly care what excuse the she-cat made for her actions. There were some things that were unforgivable. And the deputy didn’t particularly believe Rainpaw’s story about not meaning to hurt anyone, anyway.

Nettlefire stood up without hesitation.

“The way I see it is this,” the gray she-cat began matter-of-factly, “Either Rainpaw is lying, and her intent very much was to hurt someone...or she is telling the truth, and she is more devoid of common sense than any other cat I have ever met. So she is either a killer and a liar, or she is an entirely delusional fool. I am inclined to believe it is the former, but either way, she is a danger to the rest of us. And what Batbite said is right-- right now, it doesn’t matter if she protected her clanmates-- that is what any warrior should do. It does not excuse her from doing plenty more that one should not,”

With that, she went towards the camp entrance.

Soon, the first of her questions was answered. This was not a ceremony, but a trial—for murder, treason, and an adder in a nest. Thrushpaw’s head spun. Though Rainstrike wasn’t particularly likeable and Thrushpaw still shied away from warriors far less prickly than the silver she-cat, any ThunderClan cat was a Clanmate, and a Clanmate was trustworthy. Mossbloom spoke first, then Rainstrike, then Oakstar, each presenting a side of a story Thrushpaw hadn’t been alive to witness. She remained where she sat, eyes narrowed in thought. On one paw, Rainstrike had been trying to keep ThunderClan safe. The adder was meant to be a sign, not an attack; she'd miscalculated, but her intentions had been…well, Thrushpaw couldn’t call her evil for protecting what mattered to her. But according to Oakstar and Mossbloom (also Clanmates, also trustworthy), Rainstrike had fought beside the Righteous Few. Things got murky whenever those cats were involved; depending on who she asked, either they were StarClan, or they were a small part of StarClan dissatisfied with how their forest had changed, or they’d never been StarClan at all. All of Thrushpaw’s knowledge of them had come secondpaw, and she didn’t like one bit of it. Could she really believe in a cat who’d supposedly followed them?

…A cat who’d hurt her father, if Batbite wasn't lying. Her mother wasn't a liar. Thrushpaw’s ears drew back against her head as she eyed Rainstrike with renewed suspicion. "You attacked Dad…?" The moment the words slipped out, she knew the answer, or even whether or not she got an answer, wouldn't matter. No scenario she could imagine justified that.

While she'd been busy thinking, ThunderClan had given their judgment. Quailpaw and Pinepaw had found places near the elders’ den; her mother, mentor, and Hickorypaw had gathered at the camp’s entrance. Pushing herself to her feet, Thrushpaw said, ”I don’t know enough to decide yet.” With that, the striped apprentice hobbled over to the rock, inching away from Rainstrike as she passed her, and planted herself on the ground beside Rosepaw. Her eyes lingered on Rainstrike, never quite reaching her face. Though the cats she knew had all chosen one side or the other, she was convinced something had to be missing, a piece that would make the whole picture make sense—and she needed time to sort out the newest parts of the story.