[Phoenix]

The coiling dread in his gut told him that this leaf-bare would be one to remember, and the recent flood had only reaffirmed that belief. Flood waters had barely receeded before the cold came, freezing the shallows practically over night. Frost laced the ground and his breaths constantly formed small clouds in front of his face, even when the sun was highest in the sky. Cool yellow eyes barely glanced around him as he strode down toward the banks of the river with long strides and a high head. He had seen the devastation that was the aftermath of the flood, watched as the land slowly recovered before freezing over with the leaf-bare that had finally arrived. And that meant that prey was more necessary than ever.

By the time RainClan had returned to their territory - after graciously thanking LightningClan for the shelter, of course - most of the fish that had been washed ashore were gone, stolen by scavengers brave enough to risk the high waters. Or foolish enough. He had seen the occasional carcass of something other than a fish, a scavenger who had gambled it all and lost. He could not understand how they could risk their life so easily for one meal; it would be harder to go hunt, but the risk was considerably smaller. Once upon a time, that would have meant everything for Sandstripe. But no matter. They had not forced him to accompany them to their watery graves; if they had deemed it a worthy risk to take, then who was he to say otherwise?

However, it was fish, not the scavengers, that the tabby tom had decided to bring back to camp for prey. With the shores of the river frozen over, the hunting risk had increased and he had taken it upon himself to try his luck with catching the fish that his clan needed. Better me than a small apprentice, He reminded himself, confident in the belief that, even if the ice broke under his paws, he could easily climb back up to safety. In any case, he planned to remain at the shallower part of the river, where he would not have to swim against the powerful current that kept the deepest part of the river unfrozen. But that was only if he had to venture out onto the ice; his preferred destination would be the curve in the river, where the water moved around the bend at a fast enough pace where it remained fluid.

Golden paws halted where solid ground gave way to water, and he looked out over the partially frozen scene. It was an odd combination, an icy river situated in the middle of a landscape that lacked the expected snow. Sandstripe refused to let that distract him, and brushing away the thought with practiced ease, he turned amber eyes to the water at his feet. The experienced hunter had made sure to keep his shadow off of the river, and he unsheathed a claw, keeping his weight leaning on one side so he would not have to shift it later when a fish swam into sight. And sure enough, silvery scales glinted in the light, flashing for an instant before vanishing. In that instant a paw flew into the water, hooked claw making contact with a scaley body, digging into it. He withdrew his leg, flinging the fish onto the ground, where it flopped, eyes wide and panicked. Pinning it with a paw, the warrior turned and snapped its neck in one smooth bite without a second thought. One down. Many more to go.

[Fawn]

Violetclaw

There were times when she earnestly wished survival of the fittest would win out over her conscience one of these days. Right now was one of those times, as Violetclaw stepped, her breath frozen in her chest, onto the partially solidified river, trying to rescue a kitten wailing pitiously for it's mother. Violetclaw didn't see any other cats around - well, maybe some kind of sandy pelted creature up the river a ways, and if that was the kitten's mother, why she'd claw her into so many pieces this helpless kit was gonna end up being an orphan.
Honestly, how stupid a she-cat could this mother-cat be to leave her babies unattended and near a frozen river?

Violetclaw seethed, hissing when her left back foot took a plunge into cold water, the ice having given away beneath it. Scuttling sideways with feather-light steps towards the little buff-colored kitten sneezing and crying all at the same time. "H-Hush, hush," she mewed in a tone that she thought sounded soothing, but just kinda came out like she had a sore throat or something, Violetclaw's sympathy momentarily tucked away in favor of making sure they both survived.

StarClan help me, if I drown here saving a kit from their mousebrained mother, I swear I will haunt this river for all eternity.

[Deleted]

Blizzardclaw exited the camp; he was on his own time now after having done his early patrols. He had trained a bit, and now needed something else to fill his time. What better then trying to fill the fresh kill pile, after all the small kits, queens and even the young apprentice’s need some food. Poor things. Blizzardclaw growled at himself after the thought, they wouldn’t want his pity and they didn’t need it they were Rainclan, strong, independent, and they would be fine.
Blizzard made his way towards the river as his warm breath billowed out into the cold leafbare air, and the cold ground numbed his paws as he stepped gingerly and quietly through the forest as not to scare any prey that might remain there. It wasn’t the idea meal for a Rainclan cat but they weren’t going to complain about any food brought back to the pile.
Nearly at the River Blizzard noticed a few cats, one a he could not identify and further down another, he could see her better however and knew the second to be Violetclaw. He smiled; surely they together would bring plenty of prey back. It looked like Violetclaw had something now… except it didn’t look like any fish he had ever seen before.
Then Blizzardclaw felt something sink in his stomach as he realized it was it was a small kit, without thinking he bolted down towards the scene and stayed silent as he approached not wanting to spook either of the cats. He was there in just a few moments, “What happened? What can I do to help?” He asked in a confident tone.

[Phoenix]

Putting some force behind his strokes, he dug a shallow grave for his catch and rolled it into the hole, throughtly covering it with a thin layer of dirt. He planned on remaining in this hunting place as long as he could, for the conditions were favorable and the success only furthered his hope; no predator would steal prey from under the hunter's nose. Intent on spotting another fish before the luck ran out, yellow eyes turned back to the river. But not before glancing around the area in an action that had been a habit of his for longer than he cared to remember. As it turned out, that small, simple action changed the course of his day far more than he could have ever anticipated.

Down the banks of the river, where the water had almost completely frozen over, he spotted two cats, one of whom had foolishly ventured out onto the ice. Even from a distance, he could recognize the distinctive slim figure of Violetclaw, and if he narrowed his eyes, could almost pick out her black spots against her silver fur. Leaf-bare has barely begun. The ice is too thin to hold any cat's weight. What is she thinking? If only from her reputation around camp, Sandstripe knew that the she-cat had an intelligent mind in her head, and she, just as well as any other reasonable cat, could infer that the ice was too new, too thin to risk walking on. The younger warrior made no effort to hide her ambition, and if she wanted to amount to anything, risking her life by venturing out onto thin ice was not the way to do so. Which begged the question: what happened?

Curiousity nearly wiped all thoughts of fishing from his mind, and though his first impulse was to join the two cats downstream in order to analyze the situation, Sandstripe forced himself to wait. His fish was not buried well, and it would take to long to try to force the frozen ground to mold into a deeper hole. With a few quick swipes, the sandy colored tom uncovered his catch and picked it up in powerful jaws before he turned to join the other two felines, the scent of fish making his mouth water.

As he neared the warriors - the larger of whom he identified as Blizzardclaw after confirming that the ice-walker was indeed Violetclaw - he slowed his long strides and looked around the scene, eyes landing on the she-cat's precarious position. Instantly, thoughts of fresh fish vanished from his mind, and setting his catch down, he moved to the water's edge to stand beside the other tom. What is a kit doing out in the middle of the river? Yellow eyes glanced down at the ice under Violetclaw's paws as she slowly inched her way to the little creature, her body language reminiscent of a mother trying to soothe a frightened child. The sight of moving water by her left hind-paw told Sandstripe just how thin the ice was and just how much of a risk the she-cat was taking to rescue the kit. If the ice strained under the lighter warrior, then it definitely would not be able to hold his and Blizzardclaw's weight. "Don't go out onto the ice," He shared his observation with the other tom, the gears in his mind spinning as he tried to come up with a solution to the problem. The helplessness

And suddenly, he found a solution - or at least an action that would help, should the kit freak and force Violetclaw further onto the ice. "Stay here in case something happens," Sandstripe told Blizzardclaw, unconsciously giving the order. "I'm going to go around; the river was shallower where I was before." Without another word, he took off. It was as if his paws had sprouted wings. The golden tom broke the fragile ice that had formed on the other side of the bend, and shivering with the cold, Sandstripe leapt onto a nearby rock before reaching the other side of the river. On a dime, he turned and made his way back toward the group, agile paws carrying him with ease.

The kit, he could see, was obviously petrified. Amidst the sneezing and the sobbing, he could pick out shaking limbs as it braced itself against the ice. The warrior did not think Violetclaw looked particularly intimidating - at least not as intimidating as she could when she wanted to - but kits viewed the world from a completely different perspective under normal circumstances; Sandstripe was not sure that this one had complete control over its instincts. With Blizzardclaw closer to Violetclaw, the other tom could help the she-cat if something happened to her, and he could catch the kit, who would mostlikely flee from breaking ice. "Hush," Sandstripe spoke slowly, as soothingly as he could, his voice deep and steady. "Calm down. We're here to help." Chances were that the kit was a little too young to understand his words, but the tom figured that a calming tone would be better than nothing. "Can you head to Violetclaw? It's ok. She won't bite. We all want to get you back to camp."

[Fawn]

Violetclaw

"Don't come out here, that's what you can do!" Violetclaw spat back, her every muscle tense should she suddenly take an icy plunge, the perilous situation making her nerves the equivalent of dynamite with particularly short fuses. It was like stepping on one giant landmine with a kit's life on the line, and she was in no mood to be polite. She would tell Blizzardclaw she was sorry for addressing a senior warrior so rudely, but she would tell him after the wailing buff-colored bundle was off this ice. Taking another tentative step, the fur along her back prickled as the sound of cracking ice and fracturing noises filled her head and her heart with panic.

The noises weren't underneath her paws. They were under the kitten's. Though Violetclaw had a bone to pick with nature for endangering the life of a kit who was probably too LIGHT to crack the ice, but again, that could wait. Inhaling deeply and exhaling in a few short, icy breaths, the silver spotted she-cat began to recite the warrior code in her head, a little personal trick that always helped her calm down. Though she was by no means it's most devoted follower, having guidelines, rules and morals to follow made things easier for her to act. She didn't feel alone in her decisions, not that this was anything to mull over; it was just taking her a few precious seconds to work up the nerve.

"Can you head to Violetclaw? It's ok. She won't bite. We all want to get you back to camp."

Looking up, Violetclaw spied another senior warrior, Sandstripe, trying to coax the kitten towards her with a calm soothing voice. She prayed with every fiber of her being that those words got through to the little tom-kit, and for a few seconds, it looked as though it did, for he stumbled in her direction, mewling pitifully.

And then the ice cracked again.

Like the saw-toothed pike, Violetclaw struck, her teeth latching onto the scruff of the buff kitten and hauling him off the ice and into the direction of Blizzardclaw. The 'launch' didn't necessarily hurt the little scrap of fur and bone, but it had certainly surprised him, the buff creature yowling in terror as it tumbled right at Blizzardclaw's feet, just as Violetclaw took an involuntary ice bath. With a sound that, to her, was akin to the earth tearing itself in two, Violetclaw plunged into the frozen river, her eyes wide with terror as the water flooded overhead and she sank a foot down. Oh but she wasn't going to go that easy - there was still too much to do, and while there was fire still burning in her veins, she wasn't going to give up the ghost quite yet. Powerful legs churning, the silver she-cat swam up for air, propelled by strong back legs, but a yowl of panic had air bubbles rising to the surface as her head brushed against a solid sheet of ice.
Trying to look around the water for the opening she'd fallen into, Violetclaw felt the cold seep into her body, trying to rob it of the precious life-force and her strength.

Can't find it.

With the kind of adrenaline rush that comes as a warrior's last big 'hurrah', Violetclaw threw her shoulder against the ice above her, knowing it was thin enough to crack. Her work was only half successful, but before she could move back to frantically try again, large paws shattered the ice above her, and large teeth hoisted her out of the frozen river. Shivering tremendously and with an indignant temper that could've boiled water, Violetclaw scuttled onto the bank beside the mewling kit.
"Foxdung, that's cold!" Violetclaw hissed, not sparing the kitten's innocent ears in favor of summing up this winter as a whole. Letting out an enormous sneeze, the she-cat's whiskers shook with the force, and though she herself was cold to the bone, her first instinct was to start licking the kit's fur the opposite way, determined to warm at least one of them up.
Let's never do this again. Ever.

[Deleted]

Hearing the angry retort of the she-cat on the ice Blizzardclaw smiled slightly, things would be okay they were just a bit tense right now. Three capable warriors could save a kit on the ice no matter how thin, and it appeared it was working because the scrap was working its way across the ice towards Violetclaw. However a few telltale cracks later and the white warrior knew bad things were about to go down, he didn’t want to think what the cold river would do to the already freezing kit. However that wouldn’t be a problem because just a moment later the small bundle was sent flying in his direction and he was ready, as soon as it was in reach he gingerly picked it up by the scruff and moved it away from the ice onto the bank where he stood. He hadn’t even had time to start licking the kit before he heard the warrior fall in, and when it happened he acted quickly by tossing the kit gently even further away from the bank as he moved to slam his paws on the ice. He was hoping to make a hole so Violetclaw could just swim to the bank and climb out, he wasn’t seeing her though. He hissed as he waded in slightly so he could break a bit more ice to help free the trapped she-cat, after the second hole he made however there she was right where he had worked to shatter the ice. He quickly dove his face into the icy water and grabbed her scruff, dragging her out of the water and onto the ice whilst doing his best to drag her through the water where he had already made a hole to the shore. She was quick to start licking the kit so he went to work licking her fur the wrong way to warm her up. “Fine work.” He chuckled softly as he worked to get her dry.

[Phoenix]

Keen ears caught the sound of cracking ice, and a pounding heart leapt up into his throat as he was reminded once more that speed was just as important as any delicate movements. Without faltering with his soothing words, now flowing freely and mindlessly from his mouth, he turned yellow eyes to the surface under Violetclaw's tense paws. He didn't see any cracks, but that did not mean that they did not exist. "Come on, litte one. We're running out of time. I need you to go toward Violetclaw... Yes, like that. Perfect." And finally his words broke through the panicked mind of the kit, and he started moving toward the precariously balanced she-cat, who hesitated only a moment before scooping him up by the scruff of his neck. Sandstripe watched, tense, as the warrior tossed the kit in Blizzardclaw's direction, eyes briefly following the trail of the kit before snapping back to the she-cat, who was now the one in more danger. That ice will not hold for long. The feeling of helplessness began to form in his gut again, curling unpleasantly in the pit of his stomach. Sandstripe could do nothing but watch as Violetclaw turned to head back to the opposite shore. And then it happened.

"Violetclaw!" The cry left his maw just as she took the dangerous plunge into ice cold water. Beneath the thin layer of ice, the current was fast enough that she was dragged away from the hole she had fallen through; it was the perfect recipe for drowning, and it was a threat all too common for RainClan cats during Leaf-bare, particularly early in the season. Sandstripe had seen more of the soaked bodies carried into camp than he ever wanted and had heard many more horror stories told to kits to act as warnings. Loudbreath, in particular, had been adamant that he avoid the delicate ice, since a friend of her's had drowned after falling in. Yellow eyes tracked the increasingly panicked movements of the she-cat, and he ran along the shore at an even pace. However, it was Blizzardclaw, not him, that saved her in the end. As the she-cat drifted closer to the silvery tom's shore, her actions slowing with the cold, the warrior used his paws to break the ice. Sandstripe watched with cold seeping into his paws as Violetclaw gave one final push at the ice, just as Blizzardclaw broke through it. When the tom's teeth had a firm hold on the she-cat and he began dragging her out of the water, Sandstripe was reminded of the kit they had tossed aside and ignored in an effort to save Violetclaw. Relief filled him when he saw it standing there, too shocked and dazed to wander very far; soon the spotted pelt of the brave she-cat joined his field of vision as she rushed up and began grooming the kit to warm it up again. Yellow eyes found Blizzardclaw, who began to groom the grown warrior in a similar way, and Sandstripe finally defrosted his muscles enough to start to head back over to the other side.

Easily ignoring the bite of the cold river on his paws, he bounded up to the three other cats once he had reached the opposite shore. Eyes flicked over Violetclaw, quickly assessing any other damage that might have occurred from the fall, but he did not see any traces of cuts or scrapes. "You're alright?" Then he turned his attention to the freezing kit, lowering his head as he joined the she-cat in trying to warm up the small, almost unresponsive tom. "Stay with me," He murmmured softly, nudging the kit up against his side in an attempt to share body heat. "Don't go to sleep yet. I know you're tired, but you can't sleep until we get back to camp." His golden head turned as he looked back at the other two warriors. "I'm going to state the obvious, but it is imperative that we get you two to Swanfeather as soon as possible. Both you and and the kit need to warm up, Violetclaw," He gave the kit another lick on the top of his head. "And I don't think any of us want either of you contracting hypothermia or something of the like." Sandstripe gestured with his tail to include Blizzardclaw, nodding at the other tom. "Good work, both of you." Eyes flicked over to find his fish, laying almost forgotten a few pawsteps away. Prey was becoming scarce, and they could not leave it behind.

[Deleted]

Blizzardclaw continued licking the wet she-cat doing his best to get her drying, and warming up quick. Spending too long in the cold weather in her condition could spell disaster for even a young fit warrior like herself. He himself was fairly wet having had to wade into the freezing river water to help fish Violetclaw out, not the fishing he had planned on doing when he left camp but he’s glad he caught what he had. Small droplets of water dripped from his pelt and he couldn’t stop it as he started to shiver in reaction to the drop of his core body temperature. He didn’t see the drying of the wet cat doing him very much good either, the cold water drawing over his tongue only further increased the rate at which he was freezing.

Then Sandstripe bounded across the shallow part of the river and was with them what seemed to be instantly. He pulled the kit close and did his best to start warming it up, Blizzardclaw was thankful there was one warm cat out here to share their heat with the kit. Of all the cats the kit was the most likely to succumb to the cold, he had held it briefly when Violetclaw had tossed the small tom to him and he had noticed how cold it was then. He was also very thankful that Violetclaw had seemed already after Sandstripes precursory inspection, he was afraid she could have gored herself on the ice without anyone realizing she had even done it.

It wasn’t long before Blizzardclaw was shaking all over as his body tried to battle the extreme cold, he was positive he was going to start shaking himself to pieces. He couldn’t feel anything on his body; he had poor muscle control and was even having problems just licking Violetclaw to help keep her warm. He hastily agreed as Sandstripe told them they needed to get back to their medicine cat as soon as possible. “W-we d-do…” He chattered around his weak licks, “I-I can’t f-feel a-anything…” He was taking it pretty rough, and couldn’t imagine how cold Violetclaw was.

He smiled softly as the other tom told him he had done good work, and something in his eyes flashed as they made contact with Sandstripes, “A-all things c-considered, that w-went w-well…” He choked out the words around his shivering fits and licks. He stopped his licks and started taking deep breaths to get himself under control. “I t-think you should make the report to Swanfeather, y-you seem like you are the most fit to do so.” He said with a slight chuckle.

[Fawn]

Violetclaw

Though the tiny mewling kitten was nowhere near as wet as she or Blizzardclaw was, Violetclaw had insisted on insuring he was at least warm enough to stay awake and stay alive until Swanfeather could see him. The warm rasp of a large pink tongue had her shoulders stiffen in surprise, Violetclaw glancing exhaustively to the white and black-striped warrior behind her, licking her fur to warm her up just as she had done the kit.

“I-I can’t f-feel a-anything…”

Just about to thank him, Violetclaw turned alarmed eyes onto the senior warrior, and she instantly sprang onto her numb paws, her muscles obeying her out of reflex rather than having any actual strength left. She gave the buff kitten a nudge to make sure he was still awake, the hardened silver tabby warrior dipping her head to Blizzardclaw to show she had indeed heard him.
"T-T-Thanks," mewed Violetclaw, her amber gaze swiveling over to Sandstripe, "Keep him m-m-m-mov...ing..." Her words were punctuated with the rattle and clatter of teeth, and she drew in a steadying breath, her paws numb and stinging from the cold.

Things were...starting to hurt. Like I'm getting frostbite all over kind of hurt. Not about to start showing her panic, Violetclaw swallowed those feelings of alarm, instead surging forward and pressing her side against Blizzardclaw to make sure he kept up. Though she was more than capable of making it back to camp, she had always been a 'leave no man behind' kind of she-cat, and with Thornkit safely with Sandstripe, her next target for concern was Blizzardclaw. He had saved her life after all, and for that she was grateful. Though she hated debts of any kind, this was one she was going to have to...allow.

Starting to get sleepy, Violetclaw shook her head from side to side, whole body a mass of freezing trembles.
Almost there. Thank StarClan Camp is so close to the river. Wait, would the camp stream be frozen over enough? It had to be, they wouldn't dare wade through the stream with Thornkit with them. Her eyes darted to Sandstripe. Blizzardclaw was right. He was the only one fit to explain things to Swanfeather, and if the older tom had to go get Swanfeather and bring her to THEM rather than bring them to her, she trusted him to do just that.

But for now, it was best to just hope the camp stream was more or less solid.

[Phoenix]

The cold was relentless, stinging his nose and biting his ears. It wasn't the cold that promised snow - not yet; the cold was crisp and frigid, freezing everything in its wake. Including the cats in their little impromptu patrol. Sandstripe could feel it slowly seeping into his bones through his thick fur, particularly through his paws, and he could almost imagine ice beginning to cling to the wet fur around his feet. One look at Violetclaw and Blizzardclaw ahead of him told the warrior that both felines were in far worse condition than he; the other tom had had a point when he suggested that Sandstripe be the one to explain the situation to Swanfeather once they reached camp. Though they supported each other as they walked, their silver fur mingling in what would resemble a romantic scene apart from the visible shaking of both, Violetclaw and Blizzardclaw made good time. In the end, Sandstripe feared that it would be him and the kit that would hold them up.

Unlike the two grown cats, the small form beside him had only the fluff of his kit-like fur keeping him warm. Violetclaw's hurried instructions had told him to keep the kit moving; who was he to argue when he had no better ideas? As a result, he had ended up all but herding the buff little figure along, moving at a painfully slow pace behind the two warriors. And it seemed like the slow pace was slowing. A glance down at the kit told Sandstripe that his hunch was indeed correct; his paws were begining to drag, and he could see eyelids beginning to droop from exhaustion. Through the fish in his mouth, the warrior gave a command to stop, his voice somewhat gentler than it would have been had he been addressing another warrior. Shifting his piece of prey slightly, Sandstripe began the careful balancing act of carrying both the kit and his catch back to camp. Perhaps it would have been better to keep him moving, but the warrior would not sacrifice the health - and risk the deaths - of two grown warriors for the sake of one kit that might not survive anyway.

With his head held at an awkward angle, he caught up with the other warriors, long legs carrying him ahead with even strides. Yellow eyes turned as he slowed beside the two warriors, blinking at them instead of the usual nod. His tail flicked ahead, and a shiver coursed through his body as a particularly cold wind cut through his golden fur. They were so close to camp, and there was only one more obstacle standing in the way of their safe return and the promise of relatively warm nests. Having crossed the stream to go hunting, Sandstripe knew that it was frozen and that the thick ice could support his weight. If it could support him, then chances were that it could support Blizzardclaw. Standing beside the stream, he set down the kit - giving the small quivering form a few quick licks - and turned to the two warriors. "Can one of you take him across?" Not only did he need to have his mouth free to talk to Swanfeather, but he wanted to make sure that both warriors crossed safely before he entered the camp himself. In the worst case scenario, he would have to jump in himself to help pull one of the warriors out of the stream, it would be considerably easier to do so if he did not have a certain little kit to worry about.

OOC: Shall we start a new thread?