The Wake of the Storm [RIVERCLAN MINI-PLOT]

It was raining again, much to Fishstar's dismay.

Hunting had not been an enjoyable experience today. She'd set out early in the morning, determined to catch the frogs that had woken her up with their incessant croaking. It had been relatively warm when she'd emerged from her den, and things had looked promising. In retrospect, Fishstar was almost amused by the naive enthusiasm she'd had before. For the entire time she'd been scouring around the marshy territory, she had caught exactly two frogs. Two. A newly-made apprentice would catch more on their first hunting trip, for StarClan's sake. To top it all off, cold drops of rain were pattering against her back, and her fur was so wet that it made her feel twice as heavy.

Fishstar loosed a disgruntled sigh for perhaps the thirtieth time as she backed out of a small poor formed by the rain, jaws empty. Part of her longed to return to her den and and lick her pelt until it was nice and dry again, and wait out the rain. the other part of her was frustrated that she had been so unsuccessful in her hunting endeavours , and didn't want to retreat back to camp until she had caught something. Maybe the truth of the matter was that her age was starting to catch up with her. She was no longer the young leader she'd been all those moons ago after Sunstar had passed away - taking on three apprentices at a time, and leading patrols as often as she was able to. It was a bit tough to admit to herself, but Fishstar was ageing.

Turning away from the pool, the leader began up the bank, hoping to find a couple of fish by the edge of the water, or some lone frogs lingering around the shore. As her eyes settled on the river, however, she frowned. For a rainy day, it was awfully slow-going. That's strange..

Intrigued, the RiverClan leader continued her path up the shoreline, trying her best to squint through the fog. Something had to be blocking the river up. She'd seen this before, once, one particularly rainy Greenleaf a long time ago, and she knew from the stories her mother had told her as a kit what the worst-case scenario of a dammed river was. That was why it was important to investigate what exactly was going on here. As she weaved around a large bundle of reeds and pushed through another, she saw it, and stopped dead in her tracks. Indeed, there was a blockage. Hundreds of sticks and branches that had been broken off of the trees during the storm the other day had bunched up and clogged the river completely from one end to the other.

And it was about to burst. One didn't have to be smart to know that the bulge and shift of the structure was not good. Small twigs were starting to snap and fly away from the mass. Immediate panic rose inside of Fishstar. She needed to get back to the camp and warn everyone. Fast.

Without a second of hesitation, the silver tabby spun on her heels and made a mad dash back the way she'd come. It was difficult to run on such muddy, unstable ground, but she went as fast as she possibly could, not stopping once to catch her breath. By the time she rounded a large stone and burst into riverClan camp, her chest was heaving, muscles were burning, and a thick coat of mud had snaked up her limbs.

"We need to get into higher ground!" she cried, voice hoarse from breathing so hard. "We need to--!"

Suddenly, there was a boom, followed by the roaring of rushing water.

The dam had burst.

And before Fishstar could even manage the word 'run', the flood hit.

Smokepaw woke from his sleep, yowling as water soaked his belly fur. He stormed out of the apprentices' den, staring into the flooding camp with his orange eyes wide. The tom raced for the nursery at once, his first instinct to protect the kits of RiverClan and their mothers. But to get there, the apprentice was forced to wade through the torents of water, and when he emerged at the entrance of the nursery, he was wet and exhausted from paddling in the cold water. Smokepaw dragged himself until he was in the den of the queens, ready to jump and give help.

Morningfog felt the rush of cold hit her in a sudden burts, washing over her head before eshe had the chance to figure out her situation. She jumped to her feet in a flurry of coughs and gasped at the water's rapid rise. The she-cat forced her way through the current as it washed into the den and out into the clearing. She huffed and kept at it until she reached the elder's den, knowing that the elderly needed the most help right now.

It was one of the rare few moments that Tawnystorm was relaxing when the flood hit. Though it was early morning, she wasn't going on a patrol, nor was she hunting, and by some twist of fate, she couldn't be luckier. Actually, that statement wasn't entirely true. A flood is never lucky, no matter the circumstances.

As the crack and boom of the bursting dam echoed through the quiet forest, it was a mere matter of seconds before the water rushed through the camp, roaring and merciless. Panic flashed through the young warrior's mind, as she darted out of the den. The water smashed itself against her pelt, throwing her under and over the surface. Tawnystorm thrashed her paws against the water, trying to maintain some rhythm as she struggled to swim, her pelt seemingly becoming heavier with each drop. She was a contempt swimmer, yes, but not in this crushing wave, where even the most experienced warriors would struggle as she yowled. The dens would be flattened, and she could already see damaged branches floating on the surface of the wild water. She had to get to higher ground if she wanted to survive. Trees, hills, anything that was above the water. The kits. She had to help them. The elders, too. They were the ones who would struggle. They'd die in this flood without help, and RiverClan couldn't afford to lose lives. As fast as she could in the rushing water, she dashed over to the nursery, already in danger of collapsing. Praying that others had gone to help the elders, she picked up a kit by the scruff, holding it above the water. Where was Fishstar? Willowbreeze? Ivyfall? Sootpaw? They'd be her next priority, finding her family and leader, making sure they were safe. And Crowclaw. She didn't quite understand why, but she had to know where he was. She didn't doubt he could swim, at least. But right now, her main priority was finding somewhere safe.


(If you have a kit, feel free to say the kit she picked up is you.)

Fallowkit screeched helplessly as the flood crashed into her, the young kit's heart racing against her tiny chest. Her paws flailed, tail thrashing above her body. She felt teeth sink into her scruff, and she screeched, not knowing who it was. She saw the murky-ish liquid beneath her paws. She yelped, before scenting someone familiar. She glanced up to see the face of Tawnystorm, one of her warrior idols. "Tawnystorm!" Fallowkit squeaked, pelt hanging and soaking wet. "What's happening?"

Willowbreeze woke up in her nest to ice cold water rushing into the nursery. She yelped in surprise, leaping to her paws "Great StarClan!" She yowled, gripping her two kits, Fracturedkit and Creamkit, in her jaws tightly. Her eyes flashed around camp looking for higher ground as she emerged from the den. Her long white fur clung to her body as she raced as fast as she could with her kits in her jaws, her gaze sweeping the clearing searching for her mother and sister. She soon spotted her sister with Fallowkit in her jaws and raced towards her, blue eyes wide in panic and shock. Her neck started to ache with the added weight of her kits but she ignored it. It didn't matter if her paws fell off, she'd find a way to get her kits to safety. "Where's mom?!" she mumbled through the fur of her kits to Tawnystorm. Her heart was racing and her chest was heaving with the effort of keeping her kits above the water. As they raced along looking for higher ground she almost lost her footing, but before her kits fell into the water she regained it again. She closed her eyes for a moment sending a silent prayer to StarClan. Please don't let my kits drown.. Or any of my remaining family. She silently yowled to the hidden stars above them.

In a deep sleep, Creamkit was only awoken when the water actually touched his pale fur instead of when the water could be heard. Rain wasn't a new thing so the sound of that hadn't bothered him, but the ice cold waters soaking him almost to the bone, that surely would wake anyone up. So the normally quiet tom yowled loudly in surprise before he felt his mother grasp him in her jaws which wasn't too comfortable but it was better than the water. The kit shivered from the air hitting him as Willowbreeze ran, the cold water even colder outside of the liquid itself. Still very confused, he meowed as much as he could to his mother, "Wh-what's going on?"

Fracturedkit was woken by a sudden rush of cold liquid. He didn't quite wake up at first, for he was dreaming and the little kit merely assumed the coldness was apart of his dream. Soon, water hit his nose, and he realized it wasn't a dream. He woke with a quick start, jumping as high into the air as he could all while emitting a loud hiss. His fur fluffed out as he felt the cool water wrap around his paws. But as soon as he felt the river water take him, it was gone. Powerful jaws were gripping him tightly. He let out a mewl of irritation, but really didn't mind since he wasn't in the water anymore.

Smokepaw's mind was running circles as he entered the nursery. He spotted Tawnystorm, dashing put with Fallowkit in her jaws, and thanked StarClan the he was not alone. He darted to Willowbreeze, seeing her struggle with her two kits, and took Creakit from her jaws, nodding to the she-cat. "It's okay..." he murmured to the kit gently through his fur and raced put of the nursery.

The camp was in more mayhem than before. The luxurious tangle of plants that once guarded camp was a rotting mass of fallen and tangled plants. He struggled with the kit in his jaws along the line of the camp wall, while the water spilled in and boomed loudly, rushing past him. He made a few attempts to walk on the piles of wet plants, until he was pacing carefully on them, keeping Creamkit way up in his jaws.

But the apprentice's paws slipped on the feeble support and he found himself in the reeds, tangled, and fighting to catch his breath and keep hold of the kit as well. If no one helped him, he could suffocate and drop Creamkit as well.

"Willowbreeze! Be careful! I haven't seen Ivyfall or Sootpaw - or Fishstar!" Tawnystorm yelled as loud as she could through the kit's fur. Even with the loud and rushing water, she could hear the little cat's tiny, terrified squeak."The camp's flooded, Fallowkit. We need to get you to safety as soon as we can! You'll be alright with me." The water was rapidly rising, and soon, she was struggling to even touch the ground as the water lifted her up/

"Okay," said Fallowkit feebly, her voice drowned out by the rushing of the water. Her paws scraped the edges of the hollow as she was tossed around, she mewled uncomfortably. But she was dry, at least. She always wished to swim, but even the best couldn't swim this! She blinked her blue eyes and waited for it all to be over.

"Yah!" Dewpelt gurgled as the water swept her off of her paws, desperately trying to grasp strewn wood and other foreign objects. Her claws managed to hook onto a tree but the strong current was too harsh on her. "T-Tawnystorm, are you safe? Where in Starclan is Fishstar or Ivyfall, we need to get everyone to safety!" Dewpelt managed to gasp as she frantically climbed higher in the tree, her heart sunk as she saw the nursery fill with he rapid waters as well as the other dens in the camp.

Porcupinepaw yowled as wetness unexpectedly clung to his fur. With a hiss he quickly got out of the den' wading through the rushing water. "Pinepaw! Morningfog! Fogheart!" he called out.

OoC: mobile

Crowclaw had been having an awful day. First of all, he hated water and rain, because he wasn't a very good swimmer. Second of all, he had a really bad headache. Things worsened quicker as Fishstar ran into camp, yelling about something. Before he could get up to see what was happening, a large bang echoed throughout the foggy haze, and the black warrior found his lungs burning as the air was knocked out of him from a cold, wet force. Crowclaw tumbled head over paws, over and over in the water, until he realized what was going on and gained his senses back. Using his large leg muscles, the sleek furred black tom kicked himself up to the surface and gasped for hair as he spat out water. "Tawnystorm?" He immediately called out, not sure why he chose her. They were always trying to show up the other, but Crowclaw was still worried for her.

The loud roar of the water had woken her first. When she stood in her nest, the camp was still in one piece. The ground vibrated beneath the blind warrior's paws. Was it thunder? No, the sound was far closer to the ground, and sounded suspiciously like- the gorge. A wall of water was heading towards camp. But before she could cry out a warning, Fishstar beat her to it, then the wave hit.

Her paws were swept out from under her for a moment. Then she hit a branch and was able to regain her footing, albeit bruised and aching. Fogheart stood stock-still, disoriented. The rain blocked the sun's rays, whose warmth she often used to determine which direction to head in. The rushing of the water blocked out much of the sounds, as well as the scents. She waited for some sort of stimulus to point her in the right direction. And Porcupinepaw's call did the trick. The she-cat carefully waded through the torrent of water, heading straight for where she heard her son's voice. "Porcupinepaw! Smokepaw!" They had to be kept safe. Starclan would take no more of her children for as long as she lived.

ooc- oooops forgot somebody


He had had a horrible dream the night before, of a great monster without a face smashing Riverclan camp under its mighty paws, devouring cat after cat with a tear in its head that served as a mouth. He had put it aside, labeling it as a nightmare. He'd never received a premonition before, and he was inclined to believe it was simply a nightmare. But when he laid his head down to sleep the next night and went into a dreamless sleep, he never knew the dream would take over while he was awake.

Cloudpaw woke up to the feeling of water lapping at his nose, and something like a long, drawn-out growl that shook his chest. Then a rush of filthy water washed some of his den away, along with most of his herb store. The medicine cat was overtaken with fear and panic. He should have listened to Starclan! The message seemed so clear now, but he had elected to ignore it. Where was everyone? He could barely see past his nose in the rain, which was so dense in the air it was difficult to determine where air ended and floodwater began. For a heartbeat he wondered if Shadowclan would feel the effects of this terrible event too, and he shook his head in confusion. Why would he care about Shadowclan? 'It is my job to be concerned for other's help, but my own Clanmates need me! Stay focused.' He stood on top of a tall, flat rock, feeling his claws screech against the hard surface as he used his dark gaze to search for someone he could help.