Racing Paws, Running Water

[aciddwolf]

Paws lightly tracked alongside the riverbank, as a leopard spotted cat seemed to be staring down at the water. I told Flarepaw to meet me by the biggest tree near the river. Her streaked through undergrowth, and a purr was low in her throat. She was sure that the day would be okay. It wasn't like Oddeye or the clan leader had predicted anything. Or at least told the clan about any issues.

Her body shifted a little, to pad under the shade of the large tree, where she had intended on meeting up with her apprentice. Ears twitching, she glanced around. Her fur bristled slightly, as a cool breeze swept through the wind. Starclan, why do I feel like today will not be the best I have seen? the she-cat thought, looking up at the sky, through the thick, leaf-covered branches.

[Frost-Kit]

"Come on SnowKit, we're going to be late,I told LeopardTail I would meet her at the river," FlarePaw picked up his sister by the scruff of her neck.His Bright Green eyes glared through the trees on the way to the river.

"Hey Put me down! Why I oughta!"She struggled and twisted trying to get free.

"oughta do what?innocent look me to death" He said muffled as he approached LeopardTail at the side of the river.

"No I oughta sock you!" she said freeing his grip.

"Settle down already,I have things to do," He looked at his upperclass She-Cat."Sorry I'm late,I had to bring my sister along with me"

[aciddwolf]

"You what? Nooo... no!" Leopardtail quickly jolted at the scent of the kit, "you can't! I mean, seriously! You can't! We're doing something important, we have to take her back!" she quickly snapped at the young apprentice, "you should know better!" her eyes narrowed, as the she-cat rose to her feet.

The warrior made her way to the kit, in attempts to lift it by the scruff, just after saying, "we can't have the kit out here. Especially since I didn't agree to this. You can't come out here with a kit. Especially without your mentor's permission. This'll put the kit in possible danger..." she controlled herself enough not to spit about it, as her teeth were about to lightly grip the scruff of the little scrap's neck.

[Frost-Kit]

"What did I tell dad, I told him just becuase is Deputy that doesn't mean I can take SnowKit...."He said to him self .

"Aaah! not you to!come on put me down!Grrr!Put em up,come on!"she wiggled and tossed hoping to get free but she didn't seem to budge."Oh fine! just be gentle I'm still only a kit you know,"

"well arn't smart,"

"Shut up!"

[aciddwolf]

"W-I'll ghhhave a stalk wifff himm wayter," (I'll have to talk with him later) Leopardtail mumbled through the kit's fur, which her tongue accidentally slipped acrossed a small bit of Snowkit's scruff, making the cat's face scrunch up a little. She was tempted to just drop the kit, and try to clean off her tongue.

Her tail twitched some, as she stalked off towards camp, signalling with her tail to have the apprentice follow her. Her eyes narrowed, as she quickly made her way back to camp, to drop the kit off at the nursery.

[Frost-Kit]

"Yes LeopardTail,I'm sorry to have messed with the structure of our objective." He followed her haveing a serious look in his eyes but an angry thought in his head.I'm gonna get that little scruff ball! He thought to him self as he continued to follow.

[aciddwolf]

As she made her way into camp, Leopardtail stopped instantly, as she reached the nursery entrance, almost spitting the kit out of her mouth, and running her tongue over her mouth, in attempts to whipe off the flavor of Snowkit. It wasn't that she didn't like the scent of her own cats, it was more like... she didn't like the taste of fur.

"Now, you're staying here. If you follow us, you'll probably drown," the she-cat barely managed to hold back a hiss that was forming in the back of her throat, "go to your mommy, got it? If you come back with your big brother, I can't garantee that you'll be safe..." Leopardtail warned.

[Frost-Kit]

"Stay here SnowKit and be good,I'll be back for you later,and please,please don't bother father with your antics ok?"FlarePaw asked his sister seriously.He turned back the opposite way waiting for LeopardTails orders.His ears twitched as he started to sense something was going on.He could feel it in the tone of his mentors voice.SnowKit wrinkled her nose and stuck her tail in the air, acting like a Tom more then a she-cat.

"Fine,just don't be late,this nursery lady cat kinda scares me."FlarePaw laughed.

"You'll be fine,I'll be back"

[aciddwolf]

Leopardtail signalled with her tail for the apprentice to follow her, again. Slipping out of the camp, her eyes narrowed again, as she lifted her head up. Her mouth parted a little, to take in the taste of the air, until she could taste fresh air blowing in from the river, and CloudClan territory.

"We're going to be getting a little... wet..." she mewed quietly, as the she-cat made her way back to the large tree, "I haven't taken you on the other side of the river... are you strong enough to handle the current like a FloodClan cat?" she purred, with an amused sound in her tone. She was going to take him to the shallowest part of the river, with a rock in the middle of it. It was slightly jagged, so if Flarepaw couldn't make it completely acrossed, he could stop there, and she'd swim him back.

Next, she made her way a few fox-lengths further down the river, to where the rock was found. It was about three in a half fox lengths away from the shore on both sides. Possibly four foxlengths on the opposite side, "if you're willing to do it, make your way acrossed here. If you get tired, stop at the rock in the middle. Start a little further upriver. The current's not too strong," the mentor paused, "but I'll tell you, if a kit went into this water, you'd never even see their head bob up again. It should be a bit difficult. We aren't built for the water like a Floodclan cat is."

The cat's eyes narrowed, looking at the water, seeming to try to pull the rock down the river, but was failing. The rock was in there so tight that a group of cats could try to push it, and it wouldn't even move a mouse-tail length. "If you have difficulties, I can bring you back, but not fully acrossed to the other side," she shook her fur off, almost as if she had already been in the water, but she hadn't.

[Frost-Kit]

Flarepaw his attention to the roaring waters of the river.His ears bent backwards as he whiffed the scent of cloud clan fur.His eyes narrowed as the smell burrowed further into his delicate senses. Could the Cloud Clan warriors have been scouting on our territory. But father said that the Cloud Clan can't cross our Territory....oh why must he be so fluent with his explanations. He licked his fire orange fir as if hie saliva would make it easier for the current to pass over him.I havn't swam scince that day.... he traveled into his mind. it was the same river, the same spot and he remembered.He thought that his father was going to drownd trying to save him and his sister. He saw him self swimming for his life with his sister in his scruff,she mewed uncontrollably."yeck,a horrid memory... I will never look back on it again." He readied himself next to his mentor hoping for the best.

[aciddwolf]

"I'll go to the rock. If I'm already on the rock, then at least, if you get close to it, I can pull you out of the water... okay?" Leopardtail's eyes scanned her apprentice carefully. "You look nervous. Don't worry. What type of mentor would I be, if I sent my apprentice to his death?" she sniffed the air once more, "and... by the way, the reason you might be able to smell Cloudclan, is that their territory's nearby. The breezes drift in over their borders, a lot. It's always from either Floodclan, a salty smell, or the fresh air breeze of CloudClan. Remember the scent. I've taught you to before," she stared carefully at the young cat.

"Once I reach the stone, and flick my tail for you to follow, swim like you've never swam before. The current might be a little tough, but trust me, you don't want to go much more than a foxlength down... it gets worse... I don't know if I could even save you then. We don't have Floodclan cats in our clan to save you. That's why you should start a little ahead of the rock, so if you get pushed downriver a little, you'll still reach," the she-cat explained, as she readied herself to go into the water.

"See you at the rock..." her meow was cut off, as she plunged into the water. It felt like a cold grip was trying to grab her, while her fur served barely as warmth. On a day like this, I thought it would have been warmer... she thought carefully, as she felt the current snatch at her paws and tail, trying to carry her small body downstream.

Finally, she looked up, blinking water out of her eyes, to see the large rock only a mouse-length away. Excitement of seeing the rock made her whiskers twitch, trying to get water to drip off. Just as she was about to reach the rock, the current tried dragging her away from it, almost winning, but her paws gathered enough strength to reach the rock, and scrabble at the stone for a few seconds. Luckily, it wasn't completely smooth, with little edges and grooves in it, which caught her claws, allowing her to pull her soaked body out of the water, and shake her fur rapidly. I wonder if this is a mistake... her eyes searched the water, as if looking for something, then lifted up her head, to stare at the young cat.

"Be careful!" her meow tried to yowl through the air, but the sounds of waves crashing against the rock could have drown out the sound of her voice, like it would have a kit. Backing up a little, to garantee enough room on the rock for the two cats, she knew she had enough, and flicked her tail for him to follow in suit.

[Frost-Kit]

Flarepaw gazed into the water,as if in some kind of hypnotic state. All he could think of was that time when he was but a kit when had almost been lost from the world.The cold water splashing on his tiny kit whiskers; and being grabbed by the ripping under current. The though made his burnt orange fur stand on end,prickling and spiky like a porcupines quills. He reered his fangs of snow at the water,glinting with an intense hatred. He tail whipped as if all of that despise backlash ten fold.

make it to the rock....I'll signal you over.....Flarepaw my son!....Snowkit!.....a little further..... you'll be alright.....You have to make it my children.shouts and screams and a million other shattered thoughts pieced together painting an aray of venomis and poisoned ideas of his death. He froze in fear,trembling all over his body.His tail was even jittery,as if it had spent to much time in the snow.

Snap out of it!Flarepaw you can do this,you made once before and you were only a kit,now your a strong apprentice, being trained by a great warrior. he thought to himself trying to get a grip. He dug his claws into the soil paceing himself for a run.Without delay there he went,racing upstream opposite of the current. here it goes finally he pounced into the air plunging into the sharp snow ridden water. Gasping for air and splashing about he streamd down the river, he could barely see the but he sucessfully graspped it scraping his claws along it's shining surface, after a hard battle with his strength and will he had made onto the rock.

[aciddwolf]

"Leopardpaw!" a rust-colored tom yowled, pawing helplessly at the water. His head repeatedly bobbed under water, only to surface seconds later, attempting to blink water out of his eyes, to see the she-cat.

"Oh! Lightpaw!" she meowed loudly into the air, but the waves attempted to devour her words as soon as they were emitted. Leopardpaw readied herself to jump into the freezing, strong currents to save her clanmate. "I'll help!" she began to panic, as his head went under again, taking a short while to bob up again, as the tom choked for air.

"No you won't," a low meow came from behind her, gripping her scruff, pulling her back to stop the she-cat from plunging into the water. "It's too late. If you jump in now, you'll be trapped too, and we'll lose both of you," a tom responded. Their mentor. Turning, she saw his eyes full of sympathy, "our clan can't handle losing both of you." She looked back, just in time to see the tom's head dissapear into the waves, never returning to the surface.

Leopardtail's eyes widened, staring at the young apprentice that was making his way to the rock. He looked so similar to Lightpaw, however, wasn't drowning, which was a good thing on her part. And mentality. "I'll help," the she-cat mewed, as she gripped his scruff, when he tried to get up, and helped her apprentice up onto the rock.

The she-cat seemed to be looking off into a further place now, rather than the world she was currently with. Oh, Lightpaw... we promised we'd become such great warriors when we got older, and teach our apprentices to be the best... why aren't you with me doing this? Did I do something to deserve that? she shook her head quickly, to snap out of her thoughts, and shake off more water, which in turn, sprayed onto her apprentice.

"Flarepaw... you're okay, right?" her mew seemed to be slightly quieter than usual, but not enough that the waves would devour them, "you can make it to the other side, right?"

[Frost-Kit]

Flarepaw looked into his mentors eyes,they seemed sympathetic, yet ther were so dead so lifeless among the crashing waves.He sensed something the matter,but he did not bother asking becuase he knew it wouldn't helpthe situation one bit."Why yes Leopardtail, thank you"He meowed over the roar of the rapid flowing river. He sported a return shake, spraying water back.His eys grew thankful as they gazed back to the previous bank.He was glad that Leopardtail was there with him. His tail flicked off somewater as if it was giving the river some of it's own medicine."Now to the other bank,I await your orders." He said a bit stone toned,as he just wanted to get over to the other side.

[aciddwolf]

"The length is a little further this time... so I want you to be careful, got it?" the warrior's voice sounded rather stern, and cautious. "I don't think I can make it acrossed the water quick enough, if you slip downriver close to this rock," her meow was barely managing to be heard over the crashing waves, as one of the waves hit the rock, spraying mist over it. Perhaps to revenge the flick of Flarepaw's tail at it.

"Same as before. I'll go first, then signal for you," she mewed, as she plunged into the cold water again, treading for a few seconds, before pawing at the water quickly, to get to the other side. The waves bit at her face as she made her way a fox-length away from the rock. Water sprayed into her face, making her blink out the water, to see where she was going. Why does water have to be cold? Leopardtail hissed to herself, as she got another foxlength away. The current had gripped her at that point, pulling her head underwater for a moment, but seemed to release her almost instantly, allowing her head to bob up, and her gasp for breath.

I'm going to drown... she thought quickly, don't let me drown! I don't want to, her soaked fur managed to prickle a little at the thought, and she pawed more rapidly now, managing to get to the other side, and shudder. I don't like currents either... they're too... currenty... she shook her entire body off.

"Careful!" she yowled into the air, trying to make her word go over the crashing waves, seconds before she flicked her tail, signaling her apprentice to follow.