The Dry Salvages [Closed]

Was it just him, or was it only getting hotter? Foxfire groaned from where he laid, hiding in the shade as he dreaded even the idea of moving. But...Hot or not, the fresh-kill pile was going to run out sooner or later. He rested his head on his paws, staring off at the pile. He had been telling himself to get up and actually go out for a while now but the energy just wasn't there...That was until he saw Wrenspring making his way across the camp. Ah! He slowly forced himself to his paws with a grunt, bounding over. "Wrenspring! I'm thinking of going out hunting, do you want to join?" he questioned, coming to a stop. He had only spoken with the warrior a pawful of times and it had always been a guilt of his - after all, he had been best friends with his mother. He might as well work on getting to know the younger warrior about the same. "I-I do know its hot, if you don't want to go, its fine." he added quickly, sparing a glare up at the sky. Hopefully the heat would break sooner or later...Stars, Leaf-fall couldn't come fast enough. "I just thought it would be nice to...Hang out, I guess."

Wrenspring had been shifting with the sun, seeking out shade throughout camp. Having already been on patrol once today, he was dreading the trek through the heat once again. A heat exhausted yawn left his maw but was broken by the call of Foxfire. His eyes darted up to the elder warrior. Internally, as exhausted as he was from the thick and heavy air weighing his pelt, the tom was devoted to helping his clan. Besides, he'd always found Foxfire's company to be pleasant. Dipping his head respectfully, the warrior was quick to meow a response, "I'm ready. Don't let the yawn fool you. The clan always needs prey after all! You think we could take a dip in the creek on the way? Between that and shade we might actually survive the journey." He offered hints of a smile, joking lightheartedly as he prepared to leave camp with his denmate.

"Ah, sure," Foxfire meowed as Wrenspring brought up the idea of taking a dip in the creek, although there was a little uncertainly in his voice. He...Didn't like water much. He had never understood how RiverClan cats could be in it so often, he hated the feeling of his pelt sticking to him and it was just...Uncomfortable. But, as he took in a breath of the hot, humid air...He couldn't deny that maybe taking a dip in the river was pretty tempting... "I do tend to hunt near the creek anyways, it won't be much of a detour. Come on," he said, turning as he led the warrior from the camp.

As they moved, he did his best to stick close to the trunks and in the shadows. It was a brief reprise from the scorching sun and he had a flicker of pity in his chest for WindClan - he remembered glimpses of the moor when he had gone on his Moonstone those moons ago...Did they have any shade they could hide in? He shook his head, ears perking as the slowly started to approach the creek. Suddenly he halted, ears twitching as his mouth opened. Something... Something wasn't right? "...Do you hear that?" he questioned, sparing a glance at Wrenspring as his heart started to sink.

The thick air seemed to drag him down with each step, weighing his medium coat, and making the trek seem all the more arduous. But Wrenspring's unyielding spirit demanded he push on alongside the elder warrior. The flickers of shade made it bearable and he trudged along making light conversation here and there, remarking about nothing too notable. When Foxfire stopped and spoke, he tilted his head. Ears flickered and swiveled to find something. He didn't quite pick up on what the ginger tom was implying, the cold dread that had begun to inflict his denmate. Wrenspring shot him a quizzical look, "I don't hear anything."

ooc;; im tired and on mobile srry ;;

"Exactly," he breathed, throwing himself forward into a dash as he hopped over roots. He had always preferred to hunt here, not only was it full of prey but the sound of the water had always been relaxing. But now... Finally he broke through the undergrowth, paws skidding to a stop as his eyes took in the sight before him. "Oh no. No no no no," he started to mumble, bunching up his muscles as he jumped down into the creek - paws hitting solid ground. "Its...Its..." he glanced around, his breath catching in his throat as he searched the ground for a single trace. "Its gone, its all gone," he called out, glancing back at where he had jumped down to see if Wrenspring had caught up.

Somehow, the Moonlit Creek had completely dried up.

Foxfire dashed forwards and Wrenspring felt compelled to follow at his heels. There was obvious concern in the other tom's voice and he felt himself spurred forward by it. The heat was forgotten for a moment. Knowing they were near the creek, he had been ready to cool his coat in the soft stream. But it dawned on him shortly after it hit Foxfire. As he stared into the dusty, shallow scoop in the territory, Wrenspring felt confusion well up inside. He blinked a few times as he trotted up next to the ginger warrior. He slowly drew in the damp and humid air, exhaling a low response, "Well so much for jumping into the creek. Does it do this often? Should be tell the clan?" His paws shifted slightly as he waited for a response.

Foxfire started to pace as Wrenspring spoke up, shaking his head. "Its...Its never dried up! Its been low before but not once have I heard of it just..." he paused, fumbling for words as he pawed at the dry ground beneath him. "Being...Gone!" This was...This was bad, it was really bad. It was their main source of water - not just for them but for their prey. It...Hopefully the river hadn't dried up, they could get their water there if RiverClan didn't throw a fit about that but... "...I...We should tell Spottedstar at least. This is...This is very bad. This was the best place to hunt because of the water - they came here to drink, we come here to drink. We might not be running low on water but this could damper our prey supply as well," he grumbled, pacing back and forth as his tail-nub twitched as he tried to lash his non-existent tail. He sighed heavily, sparing a glance around. "...Do you think its even worth trying to hunt? I...I think we should try to stock up on prey now before they become even more scarce."

It's never dried up before. Wrenspring felt a light prickle down his spine. The sensation was almost a cool dread, a stark contrast to the heat that crept through his pelt. If an elder warrior was concerned, this had to have been a bad sign. Immediately, he considered the kits and elders, and the queens whose milk raised their young. Foxfire had good points concerning the fact that prey would be sparse. For once, it wasn't easy to find the words to respond with. He didn't have any light-hearted humor to make it seem any less serious. The young warrior's eyes grew dark and his voice took on a serious tone that unconsciously was reserved for the more weighing of moments, "We can hunt first. But then we tell Spottedstar. I'm not sure how well Riverclan will take to someone sharing in their wealth." He clenched his teeth for a moment before parting his maw to taste the heat. Hints of prey scent were very dulled. Wrenspring frowned and turned towards the nearest tree, prepared to climb it. He would do whatever it took to keep the clan safe, and it appeared that oath to the clan was about to be put to the test. He wouldn't let them down, no matter what it took.

"I'm sure they won't be eager to share but what other choice do we have?" Foxfire lamented, giving his head a shake. This was bad - he hadn't been close enough to the river to see how it was faring but it had to be running low as well. If it was to completely dry up as well...Eh...Perhaps it was better not to think on that. Hunting, right he had to think about hunting. He sighed as he padded over to a tree, scrambling up the bark. Normally he would prefer to hunt on the ground but with the creek dry, he had a feeling the prey wouldn't be so keen on being on the forest floor. He tasted the air as he started to carefully jump from branch to branch, making sure to stick with the thicker branches. His ears perked as he caught the scent of a squirrel but he soon quickly realized it was stale. He huffed as he bounded after it, trying to catch a trace of where the squirrel had gone but...Nothing.

This was really bad, wasn't it?