We've got to stop meeting like this [For Icee]

The horrific storm that seemed to never end the previous night has passed over with minimal trouble for ThunderClan. Only a few weaker branches fell near camp, the wind mostly stirring up debris as the older oaks were unfazed by the wind. Duskfall, despite it all being well now, was still reluctant dawdle in the forest with it's wet bushes and damp earth. The rains may have passed, but the leaves still carried enough water that it dripped on him like a waterfall, not something the ThunderClan cat enjoyed. He preferred his fur dry and things to not fall on his head, disrupting his hunts. There was nothing more distracting than an icy drop of water hitting his nose when he was laser focused on a target.

So logically, Duskfall ventured away from the woods to Sunningrocks, hoping the location would live up to it's name and be, well, sunny. Which it was. The sun was out, and while the rocks weren't bone dry, they beat the damp forest floor and lacked any wet plants to brush against. The perfect location for a hunt.

Creeping along the rocks, the solid brown tom stalked over to the nearest scent of prey just to see if anything was wandering about. And without any real expectations of catching something, the tom misstepped, sending a few pebbles scattering as he slipped on a stone.

A grey blur shot out, a water vole. Instinctually, Duskfall chased the moving animal, claws out for stability as he raced across the slippery rocks. He wasn't even looking properly at where he was heading, engrossed by the thrill of the hunt. When the vole hesitated at the water's edge, obviously apprehensive about entering into the raging river, he pounced without a moment's thought. Only to realise midair that he may have made a poor judgement and that the strip of land between water and the vole was a bit too little. He killed the vole instantly with his pounce, crushing the critter beneath his paws but the force sent him slipping into the river.

"GAH!"

To say that Mistfeather was use to saving cats from the river was an understatement. Most would think that ThunderClan was smart enough to stay away from the river, especially during this time of year. The river's current was monstrous and merciless. Why would any cat go near it, other than RiverClan's most skilled swimmers?

The deputy stalked along the edge of the reeds, watching the other side of the river like a hawk. Since Duskfall had conveniently been nearby when four kits had accidentally fallen into the rushing waters, Mistfeather had grown worried about leaving the borders alone for too long. It felt as if the activity along the river had grown since she was named deputy, and it quickly became her duty to protect her territory. ThunderClan cats were sneaky. Not one of them could be trusted in these times. Not even her old mate, Palegaze.

With the other tabby on her mind, she made her way along the border. It had been too long since she had seen the warrior. Had something happened to him? Though she told herself not to concern herself with him anymore, she did worry. He was the father of her kits after all.

A large splash quickly pulled the she-cat out of her thoughts. Her muscles tensed up and her head shot up, ears high and alert. Her green eyes surveyed the river, spotting a flopping mass of brown fur across the way. The cat was obviously struggling. He was too large to be a kit, and definitely too ungraceful to be one of RiverClan's warriors. Flicking her tail in annoyance, she dove into the freezing waters as she had done many times before. As much as she despised her neighbors, she wouldn't let a helpless cat die in front of her eyes.

The water stung as she kicked through the currents, having to swim upstream at a brisk pace to keep from being washed away. Hissing loudly, she slowly cut through the river to ThunderClan's side, managing to catch the tom's scruff before he was submerged. "Kick you mousebrain!" she growled through his mud-coloured fur. Almost all of his scent was washed away at this point, but the smell of wet leaves and tree bark wafted into her nose, tempting her to let go and gag at the scent. Despite the silver tabby's lack of comfort, she pushed through with all of her remaining strength and managed to grab the rocks with one unsheathed paw. Mistfeather felt as if her claws would be ripped out of her foot, but held on tightly. All she needed was him to follow her example and the two could safely climb back onto land. She couldn't see his face with the splashing and squirming, but she would give this warrior a good scolding before she was done with him.

ooc: sorry, forgot I had a post almost ready for this.. D; forgive me

He tried, and he tried, but the water was a foe that Duskfall, with all of his training and skills, could not defeat. The current was far too strong for him to do anything but be buffeted by the raging torrents, flipping around like a ragdoll, taking gasps of air whenever he could. He thought to himself, was this the end? Would the river take him like it did his sister all those moons ago?

It wouldn't be that bad, he realised. His children were all dead or exiled beyond his reaches. Hawkstrike wandered off in grief and madness, driven insane by the loss of her firstborn kits. Littlefang died in camp, bleeding out from his wounds while lost in the wilderness. Raindrop was crushed beneath the landslide. And finally his first born, Coalspirit was a rogue, exiled by her leader for breaking the code. Even his mate, Softsong, was dead. A blessing in disguise. She was a gentle soul, losing her children would have devastated her. Looking back, he was glad she died when she did. Willowkit being stillborn had broken the she-cat's heart, he wasn't interested in seeing what it would have done to her to lose all of their children. Though at times he wondered if she had lived, would things been different.

So he went limp, resigning his life to StarClan to choose. If they wanted him to live, they would intervene or he'd join them finally and find peace.

The answer came quickly with a silver muzzle parting through the water and dragging him through the depths. It took him a second to react to the familiar voice, but when he did, he put all his effort into scrabbling for purchase on the rocks. He'd asked StarClan for a sign, and who was he to reject it. Unsheathing his claws, he dug his claws into the rock's side, scratching at it to pull himself out. He slipped multiple times, the slippery surface didn't offer much grip, but it was enough to propel himself bit by bit. He growled in exertion. They were nearly there, nearly on dry land.

Then with one final lunge, his forepaws made it onto land. His hind legs were still be swept away, but he was a ThunderClan cat. A skilled pouncer and climber. Upper body strength was their speciality. A few short pouncing lunges were all it took before he was laying on the pebbly sand, exhausted and heaving out water that he'd unwillingly drank. Only once he didn't feel like he was going to throw up mid speech, he meowed lowly. "Thank you."

Mistfeather, along with the tom, pulled herself onto the pebbles and collapsed, exhausted. She heaved loudly and gasped for air before coughing up a fair amount of water. The river was ruthless in the weather, even for an experienced swimmer like her. The deputy stood, her legs shaking and her body starting to grow colder from her soaked fur. She shook her fur to the best of her ability, trying to dry it as much as she could.

Her fur now fluffy and mostly dry, she turned her green gaze to the brown cat. As she opened her mouth to lash out, he thanked her in a voice that she could never forget. "D-Duskfall?" What was ThunderClan's deputy doing almost drowning in the river? The silver she-cat stood in shock, staring at him with wide, green eyes.

"W-Wha... Um... Your welcome?" she stumbled, dumbfounded. She kept running into Duskfall in the most odd circumstances. Either he had a knack for getting into trouble, or something strange was happening. Mistfeather shook her head, and looked at him with a more stern expression. "You of all cats should know how dangerous the river is. What were you doing?"