Rain (AVoS)/History

The Apprentice's Quest

 * When Alderpaw and the other questing Clan cats come to SkyClan's gorge, a long-furred gray tom loudly yowls and stares at them. His howl attracts three of the other SkyClan cats and they race toward the patrol, the gray tom in the lead. Soon the SkyClan cats face the questing cats of the ledge and the gray tom takes another pace forward until he stands nose to nose with Alderpaw. The apprentice tries not to flinch as the SkyClan cat's cold green gaze rakes over him, and he notes that this is a powerful cat. The tom's shoulder fur is bristling and his tail is bushed up. He snarls that they made a mistake if they came for the territory, and reminds them that they are way outnumbered.


 * Alderpaw turns to the hostile tom and explains that they don't want their territory, but traveled a long way to meet the SkyClan cats living in the gorge. The gray tom tilts his head to one side, a glint in his eyes, and asks what cats from so far away would know about SkyClan. Alderpaw admits that they don't know much but want to learn more and the tom lets out a disdainful snort, noting that in that case he should come and speak to their leader. The long-furred tom gestures that they should follow him by jerking his head, then he turns and pads back down the path. Alderpaw begins to follow him, but Sparkpaw asks him if it is a good idea. The medicine cat apprentice he replies that wherever the journey leads them must be right.


 * As Alderpaw looks at the SkyClan cats, he notes their dirty fur, and wonders if SkyClan cats ever wash. As they pad down the path, Needlepaw passes Alderpaw and catches up to the gray tom, asking his name. The leading tom flicks his ears in surprise at what Alderpaw guesses is from Needlepaw's confident tone. He replies that he is called Rain, but Alderpaw is confused on why he is just called Rain, and wonders why Needlepaw didn't ask the question. The tabby apprentice assumes that they might even do names differently in SkyClan.


 * By now, Needlepaw is walking by Rain and chatting without any apprehension. Alderpaw, thinking that she might have a good idea, turns toward his closest escort and introduces himself, but she ignores him. Rain leads the journeying cats up to the pile of rocks where the river gushes out, a white cat with black spots sitting on it. The tom asks Rain who they are, and Rain dips his head, greeting the tom as Darktail, and informing him that they are strangers from far away who are looking for SkyClan. After Alderpaw explains their situation to Darktail, the white tom orders Rain to show their guests where to sleep.


 * The next morning, when Alderpaw wakes up, he thinks of how the previous evening, when Rain had taken him and his friends to a den, Alderpaw had hoped for another vision from StarClan. However, his thoughts are interrupted when Needlepaw announces that the hunters are back with prey, and the hunters stand around the prey in a wide half circle, with Rain closest to Darktail. The leader first chooses a plump pigeon and begins to tear mouthfuls of flesh from it, before nodding to Rain, who steps forward and chooses a squirrel for himself. The gray tom then steps back with the bushy-tailed pray in his jaws, and as if a signal, the hunters close in, hissing as they try to grab the best prey.


 * Later, when Alderpaw tells Darktail about herbs used in his Clan and offers to show some of his cats what different herbs are used for, the white tom nods and yowls to Rain. The long-furred tom springs up from where he sat at the edge of the river, talking to Needlepaw, and he bounds over to his leader. With a respectful dip of his head, he asks Darktail what he wants. Darktail orders Rain to go with Alderpaw, who is going to look for herbs and tell him what to do with them. He orders the gray tom to listen to the young cat, who is an apprentice, and Rain agrees, though he looks as confused as Alderpaw feels, since Darktail had said apprentice as if it was important. Needlepaw asks to come too, and Rain takes the lead as the three cats head downstream.


 * That night in his den, Alderpaw in unable to sleep as he mulls over his thoughts of the tour of the territory with Needlepaw and Rain. He recalls how the gray tom needed to be taught so much, and remembers how they had found yarrow and more tansy, and Rain had seemed to think that the two herbs could cure everything. Alderpaw had pointed out to him that he would need to search for herbs on either side of the gorge and maybe even travel farther than their usual hunting territory. The apprentice had also said that there were lots of different diseases that would need different herbs and different types of treatment. However, Rain had shrugged as if okay with it, and he had meowed that it might make more sense for Darktail to lead them to new territory soon.


 * Alderpaw thinks more about his vision, and when his thoughts die away, he hears Darktail say that it will be easy. The apprentice pears out the den and in the moonlight, makes out Darktail, Rain, and Raven a few tail-lengths away. Darktail and Raven discuss the dangers of Thunderpaths, and Alderpaw sees Needlepaw emerge from the shelter of a boulder and pad up to Rain. The ShadowClan she-cat purrs to him that it sounds like they are close to making their minds up, and he looms over her, hissing that it is rude to eavesdrop. Needlepaw playfully says that she didn't have a choice, as they are not subtle in their plotting, and Rain mutters something in reply as he turns and walks away, although Alderpaw can't make out the words. Needlepaw follows the SkyClan cat and Alderpaw emerges from the den and pads behind them, keeping his distance. Needlepaw teasingly purrs to Rain that life in the other Clans are different, as there are rules.


 * She says that he, Darktail, and the others will have to learn them if they want to fit in, but Rain responds that everything will work out just the way it is meant to. Alderpaw is unsure if the gray tom's voice is hopeful or amused, but he doesn't like it either way, and turns back toward the den. However, his paw dislodges a pebble that clinks against another, and Needlepaw and Rain swivel around to stare at the ThunderClan apprentice. Rain sharply asks who it is, and Alderpaw mumbles that it is just him, stammering that he only came out to make dirt, and he runs toward the den without waiting for another comment. The next morning, Alderpaw notes that the ache in his chest after hearing Needlepaw and Rain the previous night had kept him awake.


 * Later, after Alderpaw speaks to Mistfeather, Darktail brings him back to the gorge and explains to his cats what Alderpaw did, as well as revealing that they are working with SkyClan to take the territory back from them. Rain asks Needlepaw if it is true, and he trusts her face up against hers until their noses almost touch. He demands if she is plotting with SkyClan, and Alderpaw can see Rain's anger as he flexes his claws in and out. However, the ginger apprentice also feels something else beneath the large gray tom, and wonders if Rain feels hurt. Needlepaw remains calm as she meets the rogue tom's furious green gaze, and she replies that it is obviously not true. She adds that they live far from there, and weren't even sure if SkyClan existed when they set out, so they could not have been conspiring with them.

Thunder and Shadow

 * Darktail, Rain, and the rest of the group decide to abandon SkyClan's gorge in order to follow Alderpaw and his patrol back to the lake. When they first arrive at Clan territory, they encounter a WindClan patrol and get into a fight with them, a battle in which Rain participates. After the fight, Darktail's group goes and settles on land just outside of ShadowClan territory.


 * Needlepaw, who formed a friendship with Rain when she visited the rogues at the gorge, begins going to see them at night. Rain is the first to come out into the clearing to meet Needlepaw, hurrying to greet her. When Roach, another rogue, distrustfully says of Needlepaw that he thought she wouldn't come, Rain defends the silver-furred apprentice, saying that she indeed did come because she is brave for a Clan cat. As the cats begin a conversation, Rain criticizes Clan cats, sneering that they want all the prey for themselves.


 * Needlepaw continues to go visit Rain and Darktail's group until she gets punished by Rowanstar. She has already promised to go meet Rain that night, so she sends Violetkit instead to explain the situation for her. Violetkit is attacked by an owl right as she reaches Darktail's camp, but luckily Rain and Roach are able to fight it off for her. With the owl driven away, Rain asks where Needlepaw is, concerned that the owl might have gotten her, to which Violetkit explains that she couldn't come. The next morning, Darktail, Rain, and Roach escort Violetkit home to ShadowClan camp, but are soon sent away by Rowanstar.


 * A few days later, Rain returns to the ShadowClan camp again, this time with Raven and Flame. They bring an offering of prey to the ShadowClan leader and request to join the Clan. The Clan leader growls at them, asking if they thought they could bribe their way in with prey stolen for ShadowClan territory. Rain crouches low and apologizes, saying that he and the other two rogues didn't mean to offend them, and that they will leave. Crowfrost states that they cannot join because they are rogues who have no code. Rain softly replies that they could learn the warrior code and states that he and his companions wanted to be like the Clan cats because they've seen how the Clans live and thrive. Rowanstar is not moved by these last appeals, and he sends a patrol to escort them off of ShadowClan territory.


 * A number of ShadowClan cats, including Needlepaw and Violetkit, go to live with Darktail's group after disagreeing with Rowanstar's decision to not allow the three rogues to join the Clan. Four moons later, Rain and Sleekwhisker go hunting together, and the two only catch a mouse each. It is noted that the two don't take hunting very seriously. Afterwards, they meet up with Needletail and Violetpaw. Needletail flirts with Rain and compliments his fighting skill, suggesting that he fights better than warriors do. As they head home, Rain catches Needletail's eye and asks her if they can go hunting together tomorrow, just the two of them. Now back in camp, Rain learns that Silt and Beenose are sick and not doing well, and he is unconcerned and shrugs that it just means more prey for them.


 * At that moment, Darktail pads into the camp, telling Rain that due to the small size of his catch, he isn't allowed to take anything from the prey pile today. Rain growls in reply that no one is allowed to tell him he can't eat and demands to know if Darktail thinks that the prey he caught isn't good enough. Darktail lashes his tail, snapping that Rain has bringing less and less back to camp and that this was his most pitiful offering. The long-furred tom asks if Darktail has been counting how much he caught. The white tom responds that he has, because he's making sure everyone is pulling their weight. Rain sneers that his leader sounds like a Clan cat, to which Darktail responds that the Clans live well. The gray tom snorts that they only live well if you enjoy having rules.


 * Rain asks if they had only come to the lake to hide behind the bushes and hunt the prey no one else wants. He growls that they are living on a tiny piece of land when there is a whole pine forest for taking. Darktail snaps that they don't need ShadowClan's land yet and that they won't be taking over anyone else's territory until he says so. Rain responds by stating that Darktail has gone soft. Darktail, furious, flings himself at the gray cat, and the two wrestle each other, rolling across the clearing and screeching. The rogue leader gets free and lunges at Rain, sinking his teeth into the long-furred cat's neck and pressing him to the ground. Rain slumps in defeat, and Darktail eventually lets him go. The gray tom staggers to his paws and faces his leader. Darktail asks him who the leader is, and Rain concedes that it is the dark-tailed tom. Rain promises not to challenge him again, but Darktail isn't finished. Without warning, he lashes out, raking Rain's eye. The gray rogue flattens his ears in shock and lets out a yowl of pain, before he collapses to the ground.


 * Needletail is horrified at Rain's injuries, and she and Nettle attempt to treat him as best as they can. That night, she huddles in a patch of long grass with him, murmuring comfortingly to him and telling him that his eye and neck would hurt less soon. However, the gray tom later loses the eye that Darktail scratched, and pale fur grows over where it once was. After the incident, Needletail and Rain grow even closer to each other, and it is suggested they might become mates.


 * Violetpaw goes back to ShadowClan, but she ends up wandering again towards the rogues' land, where she meets Rain and Needletail. Needletail demands to know why she left the group, and Rain twitches his whiskers in amusement, mocking her that she left because she didn't want to someone to spoil her pretty face like he lost his eye. Needletail considers taking Violetpaw back to Darktail, but Rain talks her out of it, telling his companion they don't want anyone that doesn't want to be with them, and that the apprentice is too soft anyway. At this, a frightened Violetpaw races away from the two rogue cats.


 * More than a half moon later, some of the ShadowClan cats bring in Darktail to replace Rowanstar as leader, and all of his rogues, including Rain, accompany him and join ShadowClan. Twigpaw becomes worried about her sister, Violetpaw, when the she decides to stay in rogue ShadowClan, so she and Ivypool head to the pine forest to visit her. At the border, they see Needletail and Rain talking to each other, the silver she-cat trying to persuade her friend to offer to take the position of deputy. Rain shakes his head, reminding her of what happened the last time he challenged Darktail for leadership. Needletail argues that he wouldn't be challenging the white tom this time; he would be offering to help him. Rain replies that she should offer to be deputy instead of him, as she'd be good at it.


 * Twigpaw calls out to Needletail and asks her to fetch Violetpaw for her, but the silver cat is hesitant. Twigpaw then offers to go the rogue camp to see Violetpaw herself. Growling, Rain advises Needletail to go fetch the young she-cat, saying that Twigpaw is the sort of cat who gets others in trouble, and she obliges. Rain turns to Ivypool, and says that if she is Twigpaw's mentor, she should have told her apprentice not to come. He then tries to annoy the ThunderClan cats and asks Ivypool how the Gathering was, and if ShadowClan was missed. The silver-and-white she-cat flexes her claws and growls that even though they have control of ShadowClan's camp, they are still rogues, and that rogues wouldn't be missed at a Gathering. Amused at Ivypool's anger, Rain twitches his whiskers.


 * Needletail eventually brings Violetpaw back with her. After the two sisters briefly exchange words, Needletail orders Ivypool and Twigpaw to leave. When they don't go fast enough, the silver she-cat attacks Twigpaw, slashing at her ears, and Rain moves in closer. The two rogues circle Ivypool and Twigpaw, growling. The ThunderClan cats flee back towards their own territory, with the ShadowClan cats pursuing them. When Twigpaw glances back, she sees Needletail and Rain staring up at them from the border with their backs arched.

Shattered Sky

 * During the Clans' first attack on Darktail's Kin, Rain fights against Bramblestar to defend the camp, and the dark tabby knocks him to the ground. Later in the battle, when Twigpaw and Violetpaw meet up, Needletail and Rain discover the two sisters talking. Rain encourages Violetpaw to battle the ThunderClan apprentice, asking her what she's waiting for. Needletail adds that she is the enemy, and Rain says that they are her "kin" now, not Twigpaw. With a desperate glance at Rain and Needletail, Violetpaw obeys the two older cats and attacks her sister. However, Lionblaze soon comes to the Twigpaw's aid, flinging himself at Violetpaw, Needletail, and Rain and chasing them away.


 * A few days after the battle, Needletail mentions that Rain and Darktail agree that the elders need to start providing for themselves more, since they can't have cats as part of the Kin that don't contribute. However, she points out that the two differ on opinion over letting new cats join the group. There are several new arrivals, such as Thistle, who Darktail had recently invited to join the Kin, but Rain mistrusts them. Violetpaw is uneasy about this fact, knowing how Rain has challenged the Kin's leader in the past and wondering if he will do it again.


 * Rain enters the den where the injured Darktail is resting, and talks with him about how certain cats fought in the battle. He thinks that even though Grassheart did not fight well, she is not a traitor, but suggests that Dawnpelt's loyalties might be more uncertain. After, Puddleshine leaves the den to go check on the other injured cats, and Rain volunteers to keep an eye on Darktail, chatting softly with the white tom until he falls asleep. Violetpaw leaves the den also, but comes back a short time later to bring Darktail a shrew to eat. When she returns, she witnesses Rain attempting to kill Darktail by blocking off his airways to choke him. Darktail grows still, and Rain, assuming him to be dead, turns around, satisfied. However, he sees Violetpaw watching from the entrance to the den, and walks towards her. She knows that he is going to attempt to kill her also because she was not supposed to see him murder Darktail. However, Darktail is still alive, and he leaps up behind Rain before he can reach Violetpaw. The leader quickly kills him by slashing the gray-furred rogue's throat with his claws. Rain staggers and falls to the ground, dying, and Darktail confesses to Violetpaw that he always knew Rain would betray him.


 * After Rain's death, Violetpaw relates the story of what had happened to Needletail. Needletail, who was very close to Rain, is devastated by the gray tom's death. She calls out his name in her sleep for many nights afterwards, and becomes gloomy and depressed. Violetpaw, however, finds it difficult to share in her friend's grief, as she had found Rain to be rather frightening. The black-and-white she-cat knows that Rain would have never abided by Darktail's rule and likely would have gotten himself and Needletail into serious trouble, so she thinks it might be better for the silver she-cat's safety that he died.


 * Later, when Darktail flies into a fit of rage, learning Needletail gave away herbs and medicine, he throws the silver she-cat down. He yowls at her, asking if she is like Rain, referring to him as useless and a mange-pelt.

Hawkwing's Journey

 * After SkyClan's first failed quest to find the other Clans, Darktail volunteers to take another quest. He makes contact with Rain, one of his rogue friends, so that the gray tom can accompany the SkyClan patrol and give them more guidance. Later that day, Darktail brings Rain into SkyClan's camp. He introduces the gray tom to Leafstar and Sharpclaw, explaining that Rain has been living near the gorge for some time, but has not tried to cross into Clan borders. Darktail continues that his friend thinks he knows where the other Clans are living, and will come on the journey to help SkyClan find them. Dipping his head politely to the SkyClan leader and deputy, Rain adds that he is happy to do what he can. Leafstar thanks him and tells him that he is welcome to stay in their camp.


 * Hawkwing, Sagenose, Firefern, and Harrybrook are selected to join Rain and Darktail on the second quest, and the morning they are set to leave, the patrol gathers beside the fresh-kill pile, eating some food before they leave. The patrol heads out on their quest, and after two days of traveling, they reach a field with huge black-and-white animals. Rain informs the spooked Clan cats that the strange creatures are called cows, and that while they aren't dangerous, it's best to stay away from them since they don't watch where they're going.


 * When the patrol meets a rogue named Toad, Darktail and Rain bound up to greet him happily. Darktail explains to the Clan cats that he and Rain are friends with Toad, and that the three have often hunted together in the past. When Darktail explains that are looking for the other Clans, Toad believes that they might be staying in the barn. However, when the group goes into the barn, they are chased away by dogs. Rain lags behind the rest of the patrol and the dogs are right on his tail, but the gray tom manages to leap onto a tree branch out of the dogs' reach.


 * The SkyClan cats continue to search for signs of the Clan cats around the barn while Darktail and Rain shelter in a hedge. When the rest of the patrol returns unsuccessful, Rain suggests that the Twolegs and the dogs chased the Clan cats away, and maybe even killed them. Hawkwing refutes the rogue's theory, saying that even if the dogs had killed all the Clan cats, they would have found traces like fur or blood there. Darktail grows distressed that Toad died in the dog attack and that his journey wasn't a success, and Rain comforts the white tom. The gray rogue later goes out to hunt for the patrol, returning with two mice hanging from his jaws.


 * When the patrol returns to SkyClan to report their failure, Sharpclaw calls a Clan meeting. Darktail and Rain stand together during it, off to the side of the gathered Clan cats. Some of the SkyClan warriors cast mistrustful glances at the two cats as the ginger-furred deputy speaks about the recent raccoon attacks. Waspwhisker eventually rises to his paws and suggests that the true threat might be inside the camp, casting a sidelong glance at the rogues, and some of the other cats agree with the gray-and-white tom. After the meeting disperses, Darktail and Rain lead away a hunting patrol consisting of Sandynose, Bellapaw, and Mistfeather.


 * Rain and Darktail remain with SkyClan in spite of the hostility towards them, and the gray tom even challenges the medicine cat, Echosong, when she tries to explain her interpretation of StarClan's vague messages at a Clan meeting. A few days later, Rain is seen eating fresh-kill and chatting with Pebblepaw, and when Darktail returns from a patrol later that day, he bounds off to chat with his friend.


 * That night, when a group of rogues attacks SkyClan's camp, Darktail and Rain reveal themselves to be part of that rogue group and fight against the Clan. During the battle, Darktail and Sharpclaw become engaged in a fight, and Rain hides behind them, watching in the shadows. When Darktail waves his tail as a signal, Rain creeps out of his hiding place and lets out a hiss. Sharpclaw, distracted, turns his head, and Darktail takes advantage of the opportunity to attack the deputy. Rain, meanwhile, leaps on the ginger tom from behind and holds him down so that his friend can slash at Sharpclaw. Hawkwing, finally able to get free from his own attacker, rushes over to them and orders the rogues away from his father. Darktail and Rain draw away from Sharpclaw, but not out of obedience to Hawkwing; they have wounded the SkyClan deputy badly enough already that he is dead.


 * Rain, Darktail, and the rest of the rogues eventually force SkyClan's retreat and take over the gorge, which they decide to settle in.