Her paws had carried her to the river as she wandered away from the camp. It was strange for the split-faced calico to find herself out and about without much company. This seldom happened. Although, with the addition of an internal chaos that threatened to crush her very being, the walls of the camp had become pressing. Darkpaw loved her kin and her clan as much as before but it had become rather suffocating as she wrestled with her own mind. Her meeting at moonstone with the former Riverclan apprentice had done little to ease her mind. All that really stuck out to the young cat was his warning to remember Starclan. She hadn't stopped, so why was he worried? The apprentice shook her head as the banks of the river came into view. A soft crashing from the writhing and the twisting of the currents urged her forwards. The call of the waters pulled her onward and almost make her forget the very reason she had come here.
Standing at the very edge, the foam lapped up around her paws and droplets sprayed the sleek fur around her nose and maw. Darkpaw's eyes closed for a moment in contentment. Nothing could soothe her soul like the river. It was almost ironic how the waves that constantly battled themselves seemed to tame the same feeling inside of her. After a moment, her eyes snapped open to fix on the rushing current and she dove in. Instinct kicked in at once and it was easy to match the ebb and flow of the current as she swam to the other bank. It was exhilarating. As she stopped at the other side, just shy of sunningrocks, a soft splash behind her made her considered stopping to fish before going back across. However, a flicker of movement next to the smooth grey stones captivated her attention first. There was a water vole scurrying along the ground. At the thought of a challenge, the she-cat immediately went into a rather sloppy hunting crouch. While she was excellent at pulling fish from the water, catching anything on land had always been a struggle.
Regardless, Darkpaw did not consider her skill level as she crept, or rather unintentionally stomped, towards the creature. Certainly too far off, the long-furred apprentice leaped forwards. Her paws smashed against the hard ground and she fell rather ungracefully to the side. The whole ordeal looked unnatural and awkward. Darkpaw's natural beauty and grace, only highlighted by the droplets of water that caused her coat to shine now, did not fit with the failed attempt at a catch. As she sat up, her eyes crossed on the spot where the vole was and in exasperation, she huffed, "How did I miss that!?"
