|:| i thought it was a perfect day |:| ; Fallen Deer Plot

The day was cloudy, moist, yet the sun shone through the clouds. It was that rare day in Leaf-Fall that felt like summer again.

Deerkit, tired for once looking after her siblings while Nightheart and Lionfur did their warrior duties, had wandered off. It was early in the day, and she could feel the light dew running down her paw-pads and sinking into her fur.
The calico she-kit didn't know where she was going, but she'd yearned to explore out of camp for such a long time. And no one had been looking as she'd crept out, so it didn't really matter, did it? she consoled herself.

Deerkit's ears pricked as she neared the sound of crashing, rushing water, and above it, a brown log-like thing that was made out of many branches. It went over the gorge.
Heart pounding excitedly, she bounded forward over the slippery grass and, slowly, tentatively, onto the thing made of branches. Her mottled pelt fluffed out with happiness. She was glad she'd come.

The louder voices and paw-steps were so normal in camp that Deerkit didn't think twice about the fact that she wasn't in camp. So as the patrol grew slowly closer and she stared down at the rushing water, the small, fluffy kit didn't think twice about the noise.

And later, she would regret it with all her heart.

Greypaw sniffed the air suspiciously, she was pretty sure there was a Windclan cat near here. As the patrol walked towards the gorge, she could make out a tiny Windclan kit wandering around. I thoughts kits stay in camp?! She nudged Aspenpaw, hoping she could make out what she saw was real. "Hey, is that a kit I see? Or am I dreaming?"

Morningfog scented the air and nodded, there was definitely a kit, way to close to danger for the she cat's liking. "She should be careful... that's a long fall." The calico padded closer to see the small kit better.

Ooc: mobile

The kit turned, surprised at the multitude of voices and strange-smelling cats. She watched them curiously, her sturdy fear faltering for a moment. They looked warm and welcoming—at least, the brown and white she-cat did. 

Deerkit took one hesitant step closer to them.

Ideas were running through her head—finally, I'll prove to Owlpaw that I'm braver and stronger—Nightheart will be so proud—

She narrowed her eyes at the group of cats, considering.

"A kit?" Aspenpaw glanced across the gorge, blinking in disbelief. She scoffed - the little thing thought it would fight them? Pathetic. "Hey, kit!" Aspenpaw called out. "This isn't the place for tiny ones like you!" She narrowed her eyes, in a lazy attempt to try to scare Deerkit off.

Greypaw laughed as she bounded over to the kit and gave it a tiny push. "You shouldn't be so far from camp, you stupid furball"

Deerkit stumbled back, confused for a moment, a split second. She opened her mouth to speak, but just stood there on her short kegs, gazing at the older cats.

"I—I—me, I—" the kit stuttered, trying to form her words. She was old enough to know how to speak, but young enough to be nervous in front of apprentices.
"D—Deerkit." she finally managed, looking up at Morningfog with wide blue kit eyes. She seemed nice. Her voice faltered as she looked at Aspenpaw, thinking.

OOC; sorry for late posting! aannnddd cue the push!

Morningfog narrowed her eyes. "Greypaw! Get your paws off that kit!" her eyes weren't the kind ones she alway kept, they blazed with fire. "If you want to become a warrior, you should start acting like it." She picked up her pace growing near but hesitant. The cliffs were notorious for collapsing at random...

She was a mother first, a warrior second. Or should it be the other way around?

Spiderfur frowned as she followed the scent of a kit outside of camp. As anxious as she was, the she-cat was rather observant, quickly noticing that the nursery had one less kit. Her first thoughts were that a hawk had taken them, or a snake. But the trail led out into the territory without break. The little warrior followed her nose quickly, glancing up at the sky on occasion for her own safety. The songbirds may have flown south, but the birds of prey certainly did not. As the trail became fresher and fresher, she slowed her pace to a trot until the roaring of water came to her ears.

'She didn't fall in, did she?' She rushed until she could see the kitten, which at first relieved her, but the sight of Riverclan cats stopped her in her tracks. Windclan and Riverclan were on terrible terms nowadays... would they dare..?

No. No cat in their right mind would do that on purpose. Spiderfur stepped out of the tall grass, slowly making her way towards Deerkit. "Deerkit p-please be careful." She had to stay calm. Both of them had to stay calm. Eyeing the patrol warily, she approached the Gorge with almost painful tentativeness.

"Back away now, kit. We don't want anyone getting hurt for no reason."  Aspenpaw whispered, nudging Deerkit - maybe a little too hard. The apprentice's eyes widened in a small panic as she saw the kit stumble over the edge of the gorge. "NO!"
What had she done? Without thinking, Aspenpaw leaped in after her, trying not to let her dread take over. She hadn't meant for this to happen! She could only pray she wouldn't die.

Deerkit was upset by Morningfog's tone and took a step back, closer to the edge. What was happening? She didn't know these cats.
The kit was too young to understand, but when the familiar cent of Spiderfur hit her, she turned, wobbling. Spiderfur was her friend.

The kit's thoughts appeared in short bursts; no actual words were involved. The fluffy, small calico took a short step towards the dark she. Her balance was already off, though, and with pawsteps behind her, then a small nudge she toppling into the air.

At first the kit didn't understand. Where was the branchy thing? But cold water soon snapped over her head as she plummeted into the rocks below. It froze her fur, her skin, down into her very bones it crept. She couldn't breath. She tried to scream. Where was Nightheart?


Then came the pain. Deerkit at first felt the impact, her wide blue kit eyes widening underwater, then squeezing shut and letting out a gurgle, precious air, into the water. More and more bubbled, silent screams of pure agony, came up from the gorge. They looked so peaceful, up above the waters.

The kit was slammed again and again against rocks jutting out, crashing downstream. It didn't hurt anymore, though, because her body had already made her pass out. She wouldn't live if she could feel the horrible pain of the white bone sticking through her own pelt.

A dark, seeping red threw itself along the waves with Deerkit, keeping time.



ooc; alright, pika isn't here. Morningfog will just have to get her.

Got it got it got it)

 Morningfog felt a cold stone drop in her stomach, she gave a deep breath and ran after the two others that had been swallowed by the gorge, jumping from a different point where she could catch them quicker in the rushing waters. She felt the air rushing through her paws as she fell, searching desperately for the two others. She collided with rocks that sliced her sides and burned her shoulder. Then, she felt the harsh impact, a punch, through her entire body. She was underwater and the pain made her gasp, taking in water. Her skilled legs pushed her up to the surface and she coughed before being swept under again.

 After another labored sweep of legs, she was above water again and she could see red. Was it her's? Pain in her body told her it might be but, a battered matt of fur revealed the kit she was searching for. She willed herself forward and grabbed the small kit in her jaws, looking for the apprentice. Water ran down her face and choked her when she tried to breathe, the spray of water on the rocks made it all the worse.

Greypaw took her paws off the kit after Morningfog scolded her. Just as she was stepping away from the kit, Aspenpae accidentally pushed the kit too hard. AHHHHGGGGGGGGGGHFGGGH She screamed inside her mind. She didn't like to see cats die, no matter which clan. The apprentice peered from the top of the gorge as the kit got swept away when Morningfog... Jumped in...

Spiderfur's eyes widened to almost comic proportions as she watched Deerkit tumble into the Gorge. Instinct told her paws to bolt towards the water, and for the first time in her life, she let it take control. Her legs carried her along the bank, brown eyes scanning the water for any sign of the kitten. Two different pelts appeared in the water, the Riverclan warrior and the brown apprentice had.. 'They jumped in?' Had Riverclan gone insane? Once she'd raced far enough downstream for her to be able to poke a paw in, she scanned the water, calling out for the kit. "Deerkit! Deerkit!" The little warrior stuck a paw in the water, but immediately retracted it. The water was too swift, deep, rough, and not to mention cold for her to try to wade out. She'd be easily swept away. So she anxiously waited for even one of the three cats' pelts to appear.

Aspenpaw felt her body hit the water hard. She was a skilled swimmer, but here, the water was rushing faster than anything she'd seen, and she struggled to keep her head above the surface. The warm, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, but the fact that it wasn't her own made the apprentice feel sick. She thrashed her paws in the water, trying to search for any of the others in the water.
"Morningfog? Where's the kit? Do you have her? Do you need help?" Aspenpaw yelled, using all her might to swim over.