Falling With the Rain

~ Trial ~

Protests came from the awoken cats of ThunderClan at Bluestar's orders.

"We'll be in danger if you leave that traitor unsupervised!" Yowled Darkstripe.

"I'd rather have answers now!" Cried a furious looking Dustpelt, Fernpaw looking at him with shock and concern

"I second that!" Screeched Brindleface from the nursery.

"You've all disturbed her!" Snarled Cloudtail from the medicine den entrance, his emphasis on the last word clearing stating that he was referring to Lostface. But as the white tom took in the tortoiseshell warrior whose head was ducked in shame, the angry flush of red was drained from his face. "What's she doing here?" He meowed hoarsely.

"Silence!" Yowled Bluestar from High Rock. Every cat immediately stopped their protests and gathered underneath her. "Fireheart!"

Fireheart met Bluestar's fiery blue gaze. "Bring Rainsong forward."

Poking Rainsong forward with his muzzle, he nudged her to sit right before Bluestar, then backed away to sit among the crowd of bristling cats.

Bluestar's sharp blue gaze flicked over the crowd before landing on Rainsong.

"Rainsong, what do you have to say for your actions?"

Rainsong Third Person POV

Rainsong took in a shaky breath and she launched into her explanation.

"I never trusted Tigerclaw. I didn't trust him with a single fur on my pelt when he first visited me in the nursery. So when he came back to camp with a Redtail's body, I went to Sunningrocks to investigate myself. There I found Oakheart's body, crushed by fallen rocks. I then knew Tigerclaw hadn't killed the RiverClan deputy for revenge. Oakheart had been killed by accident. During Redtail's vigil, I also found Tigerclaw's scent covering the location of the wound that killed him.

"When Tigerclaw became deputy, I overheard Ravenpaw confess to Fireheart–at the time Firepaw–that it was Tigerclaw that had killed Redtail, confirming my suspicions. I knew that Fireheart would try everything he could to get the truth out, but I also knew that Bluestar would never kill in cold-blood. So I decided to get on Tigerclaw's good side so that I could follow him in exile–"

Loud yowls of shock and indignation came from the crowd of ThunderClan cats behind Rainsong, who pinned her ears forward.

"Liar!" Growled Dustpelt, sending hurt to plant itself in Rainsong's heart.

"Because Tigerclaw would plan for his revenge. I planned to come back once I knew his plans, so here I am." She continued once the crowd had died down, her voice quavering from sadness. "I'll gladly tell all of you of Tigerclaw's plans...but I don't know when he plans to use them..."

"Or you're here to spy for him." Dustpelt grumbled loudly.

"Dustpelt, considering I did this so that you could have a future without that tyrant, you're being highly ungrateful. I never wanted to leave, but I did promise to do everything I could in service of my Clan even if I lost my life doing so." Rainsong snapped as she turned around to face the crowd–which was how the Clan found her with only a single blue eye–, Rainsong locked her single eye on her brother who looked rather guilty but unshaken. "And I never break my promises."

"I can attest to that." Bluestar added, looking down on Rainsong with pride gleaming in her blue eyes. "Rainsong never broke a promise, as a kit, as an apprentice or as a warrior."

"It's true, Rainsong when she was an apprentice heard us talking about how we hadn't had a rabbit in ages. So she came over and promised to catch a rabbit and dashed out of camp." Dappletail let out a mrr-ow of laughter. "Mind you, it was leaf-bare and she came home with one of the largest rabbits I'd ever seen. I remember that she was only slightly larger than a kit at the time, StarClan knows how she got it to camp."