[Deleted]

STORMHEART

As rain pattered down on the camp Stormstar breathed deep of the wet earthy smell and warm newleaf air. He knew some of the other clans would probably stay in out of the rain, but water from the sky or the ground meant little difference, and without the ice of leafbare or the sting of wind and lightning , today would be the perfect day to test the apprentices' swimming skills. Stormstar trotted out of his den across camp heading for the center where his voice could be heard.



"Berrypaw! Squirrelpaw! Rabbitpaw! Adderstike! Crowblaze!" He called out the names of the cats, pausing until they gathered around him. "Today we have a special activity for you apprentices. Now if you'll follow me we will explain it when we arrive."



The leader got to his paws and padded straight out of camp followed by a hurried and confused Berrypaw. Water drizzled from the sky onto the ground and streams breaking up the smooth sheets of running water with little holes and ripples.



"W-why isnt Russethawk coming with us?" She was larger than some of the other apprentices, but even she had a hard time keeping up with him as he forged through the streams surrounding camp. He looked back over his shoulder, flicking an ear unconcernedly.



"Your mentor is a bit busy today, but the other warriors and I will make sure your training goes well."



The calico apprentice nodded hurriedly, before dropping back to the others.



Past the streams and the Wooded Cove, Stormstar stopped on the bank of the river. He turned his back on the rushing water and regarded the cats straggling in behind him. He waited for all of them to arrive, before he explained the exercise.



"Im sure you have all noticed how rough the waters are. Unlike any of the other clans, we train our cats to swim, even in dangerous conditions. All of you should have the basic skills of swimming which are required to navigate our territory, but today is a test of those skills. Can you remember what we have taught you? Can you identify areas where there may be a riptide, or where there are stones and dangerous shallow areas forming rapids? Where is it safest to cross, and how long does it take you?" He met the eyes of each apprentice, and caught Berrypaw visibly shrinking, even though she soon shook her head and straightened. "Now I will serve as rescue on this side, and Crowblaze and Adderstrike will be on the other side to do the same. Take your time, and show us what you have learned. After the three of you have reached the other side, you can take a break to rest, but then you must swim back. Whoever finishes safely first, will get double the prey back at camp." He paused again to catch the eye of the mentors.



"Alright, we will wait for Crowblaze and Adderstrike to reach the other side, then you may start. Good luck!"

I'm not standing still. I am lying in wait.

background image | 518 | Fawn @jet @sparrowkeeper| table by phoenix

[Deleted]

Rabbitpaw had been lounging in the centre of camp next to her brother, with the pair enjoying a rare moment of relaxation together in camp in a pile of warm and sleepy fur, but Stormstar's voice was enough to prompt her into a rather violent start. With a little yelp, the she-cat jumped to her paws, worried that she might have done something wrong or forgotten a duty, and glanced around to find that it was in fact only a patrol call.

The she-cat sighed in relief, flicking Squirrelpaw's ears cheekily as she romped over to join the patrol. Squirrelpaw himself had been rather rudely jolted from a peaceful slumber, and looked at Stormstar with a rather hurt expression as Rabbitpaw padded away from him.

"Come on lazy-fur! We'll leave you behind if you're not careful."

She grinned at him before padding swiftly to catch up with the others. Squirrelpaw followed begrudgingly at her heels, glancing skittishly up at Crowblaze with a worried expression. The young tom still felt apprehensive and intimidated around the stoic tom, and was unsure around him. Rabbitpaw glanced happily at Adderstrike with a confident grin before chattering at Berrypaw,

"Don't worry Berry-Merry, I'll take care of you."

She teased pleasantly, nudging the other apprentice as they ran and almost tripping over herself into Stormstar as she realised they had caught up and he had stopped. The apprentice looked up at him sheepishly, skittering back into place as she heard him out. Squirrelpaw followed like Rabbitpaw's shadow, slinking a little as he tried to make himself look small.

Yikes... The river looks awful rough

I'm going to die out here, aren't I?

The twins mused, with Rabbitpaw making an unimpressed face and glancing over at Squirrelpaw and Berrypaw with her brows raised. Deep within her she felt a stiring of fear, a memory of a near-drowning event not too long ago. Unable to quite stop herself doing it, she moved a little closer to Squirrelpaw, brushing his tail with hers for comfort and finding that he immediately moved closer to her. The twins shared a moment of shared gaze, a clear worry plain in them as they stood.

It'll be alright

Rabbitpaw thought, smiling at her brother and giving him a playful nudge. The tom managed to bring up a small smile in response, but his own opinions weren't quite so sunny.

I swear if I drown here today I'll haunt Stormstar for the rest of his life

Words: 434
Notes: Made them as a mesh-post this time, but once I get their tables I'll post them as separate cats xP
Tags: @dreamer Fawn @jet

[Deleted]

RainClan - Senior Warrior - Tom - 45 Moons

The skies were a crepuscular, storm blue. There was neither wind nor lightning, though rain pelted down heavily on the six cats, turning the ground even more wet, marshy, and sloppy. At first, rain slid off of Adderstrike's short, sleek fur, though the precipitation had been so constant and increasingly heavy since they left camp that it left the brown marbled tabby with weighty wet fur slick with warm rain by the time they reached the river. The tom slowed his unique gait as he reached the shore, eventually stopping a tail-length behind Stormstar, giving him room to announce the initiative to worried looking apprentices. Adderstrike looked pointedly at Rabbitpaw, watching as fear kindled deep within the depths of her eyes. She moved closer to Squirrelpaw. Squirrelpaw. Adderstrike clenched his jaw. That brother of hers is holding her back. The bitter tom thought irritably. Adderstrike is almost impossible to read, though there was one thing that he always did when annoyed or agitated. The tip of Adderstrike's tail twitched slightly as his yellow green eyes gazed at Rabbitpaw, almost expectantly. Her fear, although not entirely replaced with optimism and determination, had dwindled after a quick glance at her brother. Self-confidence; that's what I like about her. Adderstrike mused. As for Squirrelpaw...

The weather was uncomfortable at first, though Adderstrike embraced the warm rain dribbling down his shoulders and haunches. After a long leafbare, this warm rain was a real blessing. When he opened his eyes, he heard Stormstar finishing up his speech. The waters licked hungrily at the banks, foaming at the lips like a rabid beast. They haven't been in training that long, but Rabbitpaw can do it. Adderstrike thought, gazing emptily at the waters. Perhaps there was a spark of concern in his heart, though it vanished quicker than a firefly dims. I can save any and all of these cats if there's a problem. He thought stubbornly. Stormstar's golden gaze interrupted the thousand and one worst-case scenarios rushing through his mind.

"Alright, we will wait for Crowblaze and Adderstrike to reach the other side, then you may start. Good luck!"

Adderstrike nodded sharply and turned towards the river. He glanced momentarily at Crowblaze as if to say "I can go first." The brown tabby's gaze raked across the raging waters for a couple seconds, making sure there wasn't any driftwood or debris, before slipping into the rough river. It was tough to walk with his limp, but he recovered in the RainClan rivers. Adderstrike spent hours a day swimming while in recovery as an apprentice. He had more time in the rivers than any cats his age, and in a way, his injury is what made him a virtuoso swimmer. Navigating currents, crosscurrents, rapids, confluences, and cascades, finding the surface after being unbalanced and tumbling through rushing water, inspecting good crossover points, mental maps of backwaters, bayous, whirlpools...Adderstrike knew RainClan waters better than he knew solid ground beneath his paws. Adderstrike willingly allowed his short, stout body to be sucked into the rushing water. Fear is what drowns a cat. He thought to himself. Be soft, supple, and relaxed.

Just as he reached midstream, where the current was strongest and the water deepest, he noticed a dark shape flowing rapidly towards him from upstream. The splashing water clouded his vision, though the shape was unmistakable. A massive branch was ricocheting from bank to bank, sweeping towards him like a landslide. His heart leaped, though it wasn't fear. He kept swimming, and a few moments before the branch came over top of his head, his sodden body disappeared under the surface. Adderstrike dove down to the riverbed, paws almost reaching the bottom, though a part of the branch knocked him slightly downstream. He rolled a couple times with the current before managing to tread water against it for a few moments while he reached fresh air. The senior warrior poked his head above the rushing waters and continued his pursuit of the far bank, legs burning and heart racing with excitement as he glanced at the massive branch tumbling downstream. That was bigger than I thought it was. He thought to himself, pride and exuberance faintly lighting up his yellow-green eyes.

The brown, marbled tabby tom stepped up onto the bank, slipping from the water expertly and sitting on his haunches, licking his paw and washing the excess water from his face.

Easy.

Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs.

[Fawn]

CROWBLAZE

42 Moons - RainClan - Tom

So much time in the mountains meant he was ill-accustomed to swimming in the river. At least that's how he had been when he'd rejoined the Clan; without even his younger siblings' knowledge, Crowblaze had worked hard to get back into the right mindset and remember the old lessons he'd learned about swimming. The water pulled at his dark tabby fur, the warrior submerged up to his chest in the shallow part of the river bank; with an intense orange-eyed stare, made sharper by the contrast of his coat, Crowblaze spoke to his apprentice.

"Watch closely, Squirrelpaw."

Waiting until the timid apprentice's eyes were glued to the back of his head like pine needles in sap, Crowblaze followed Adderstrike into the surging water. Though he was not as lithe in the water as the frequently-agitated warrior, his limbs were strong and his head was clear. His stature and sureness of footing gave him an advantage, Crowblaze kicking away from the pebbled bottom and letting the current carry him to the middle of the river. Because no one but the strongest cat could cross a healthy newleaf river in a straight line, Crowblaze swam in a diagonal pattern, his eyes narrowing into surprised slits as a bough big enough to bash a kit's head in drifted right over Adderstrike.

He's good. He wasn't going to pamper another warrior's ego, though, so he kept his thoughts to himself, clawing his way onto the opposite bank. A wide spray of water was released with a heavy shake of his pelt. Rather than sit next to Adderstrike, the big tom chose to stand, watching the three apprentices with a keen, enigmatic expression.

There was no point in sitting if he was going to have to rescue Squirrelpaw halfway across the river. Betting against no one, Crowblaze set himself up to be pleasantly surprised if Squirrelpaw even made it that far - even with the encouragement of his sister. While the two senior warriors were idle (and Stormstar was no doubt giving them a rundown on safety procedures), Crowblaze spoke gruffly to his Clanmate.
"You ever get caught by the current and washed down river?"

Crowblaze's mentor, the late Timberstar, had not been able to swim. Much of what he'd learned about it came from finding it out on his own; he wasn't so prideful he'd say no to advice from someone who was actually great at it.

PAIN, YOU MAKE ME A, YOU MAKE ME A BELIEVER
BELIEVER

Word Count: 402 Words
Tags: @dreamer , @jet
Notes:

[Deleted]

12 Moons. Apprentice. Rainclan.

Berrypaw watched in fascination as Adderstrike swam across the river. Having grown up in the Wooded Cove, she had had less swimming lessons than her fellow apprentices were likely to have had. It made her nervous, but her parents had attempted to remedy that not long ago by giving her more lessons. Still she was worried that today might prove her undoing.

Stormstar watched implacably, although he crouched with fur ruffled when Adderstrike went under. Berrypaw gasped, eyes wide with horror. Would the warrior drown? But no, he was soon back up, and Berrypaw admired the tom's skill. Stormstar returned to his calm sitting position, nodding approvingly of the warrior. Crowblaze was less graceful, but he made it with less incident and that improved Berrypaw's mood at least a little.

She realized then, that it was now up to her.

Tentatively she stepped forward, and Stormstar encouraged her with a nod. She crouched at the edge of the water, searching for areas of calm amid the flowing river. A memory surfaced, of her mother reminding her that if she had a specific target in mind, she would have to go upstream from it. Unless the water was hardly flowing at all, she would likely end up further down stream from where she was originally. Taking a deep breath, the she-cat moved several foxlengths up the bank, trying to pick out a good place to get in. She found a calm spot and entered the water.

Her cream and gray fur began to weigh her down, and she almost panicked as she felt the press of the current against her flank. Instinctively she began to swim, but could feel the rough waters battering at her. Even though fear threatened to overwhelm her, she took deep steadying breaths and struck out with her paws in an even rhythm. About halfway across the river, the current became stronger, and she felt the pull of it threatening to pull her under. She remembered what Adderstrike had done. Oh Starclan protect me.
She took a deep breath and allowed her self to submerge, catching the return surge and flashing back up after a second, her strong paw strokes carying her through several other rough patches. She was working so hard, she didnt even notice when she reached the other side smacking her paw against a rock and running her nose into the bank. Rigidly she clambered out of the water, staring numbly back at the other bank.

Im alive!

423. @sparrowkeeper Fawn @jet. 

[Deleted]

7 Moons. RainClan. Apprentice.

Rabbitpaw perked up her ears as Adderstrike slipped into the water, tail curling comfortingly against Squirrelpaw's flank to calm what she knew would be a spark of anxiety at the start of this event.

"It's alright Squirrelpaw, look, nice and easy."

She mewed to him under her breath, hoping to ease his worry as she eased her own. Her brother stood closer to her, taking shelter in that comfort, but it was shortly shattered as the pair gasped in shock.

"FOXDUNG! ADDERSTRIKE!"

Rabbitpaw yelled in alarm, Squirrelpaw swooning beside her in a wave of terror. Adderstrike disappeared below the surface, and there was a moment of held breath before he burst to the surface again, leaving Rabbitpaw aghast and Squirrelpaw jittering.

"Did you see that!? What a swimmer!"

Rabbitpaw stammered, shoving at Squirrelpaw and forgetting how worried he had been, assuming that he too would be wrapped up in her happy shock. Crowblaze was not too far behind Adderstrike, and Squirrelpaw kept his eyes glued to his mentor half out of fear for his life, and half out of a worry that the warrior might look back and see Squirrelpaw disobeying the order to watch closely.

The two apprentices watched as Berrypaw stepped forward, Rabbitpaw with a little jealously of not being first, and Squirrelpaw with a sickening drop in his stomach. Once again, they went through the drama of watching a cat dip under the surface and return again. Rabbitpaw was on the bank before Berrypaw had finished climbing out on the other side, ready to follow her clanmate. She glanced at Stormstar for permission before glancing at the water calculatingly. She needed to do well, to make her fast-swimming mentor proud, to make sure she kept everyone's respect.

Much like Berrypaw, she calculated that she should get into the water a few fox-lengths upstream. It made sense, since she knew she would be swept downstream by the current naturally, and needed more time to make it to where the others stood. She looked at the currents, took a deep breath to steady herself, and slipped into the water.

Immediately, the she-cat felt memories flash back into her mind, unpleasant reminders of a near-drowning in her kithood that had been one of the most terrifying events of her formative years. She let them wash over her as she swam sideways to the current, repeating the mantra she had developed to herself to calm her beating heart.

I'm okay. I am a RainClan cat. I am a strong swimmer.

She thought to herself, bringing forth memories of how Owlflight had forced her to stay in calm water after her panic, enforcing a calming in her own heart. Her fur was short, and did not drag her down, so the apprentice managed to cross without event, determinedly clambering out on the other side with a giddy panting grin, proud of herself.

Squirrelpaw, however, was now the only cat left with Stormstar on the other side, and even from this far away it was clear that he was terrified, and had been reaching a fever pitch watchinghis sister being put in harm's way. The apprentice paced and shook, standing on the edge of the bank and staring after his sister like she had abandoned him completely. She didn't seem to catch the connotation, instead taking the expression for worry.

"You can do it!"

She yowled across to him confidently, tail high as she still rode her adrenaline rush. Squirrelpaw took a shaky breath and leaped into the water as if chased, not taking enough time to look at the waters as he dove in. To him, this was a trauma that he simply needed to put behind him to escape, and it seemed to him that any failure would be inevitable anyway, regardless of where he leaped.

No comforting mantras awaited the tom, he drew no logical link between Owlflight having made him sit in calm water and the panic of watching his sister nearly drown, and as the currents dragged at his longer fur he felt panic rise in his chest. He felt like he couldn't breathe, though his head was still above water, and every breath was tight in his chest as if the water were crushing him. His paws shook as he paddled at the rushing water, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

What if I'm going to die? If this is how I die, I'm an embarrassment and a failure.

He thought to himself sorrowfully, pushing harder to try and gain some distance, but it was proving ineffectual, and the tom yelped in panic as he found that he was already being swept further down the bank than those who waited for him. He completely panicked then, struggling directly against the current in a desperate attempt to get back to where they were.

"SQUIRRELPAW!"

Rabbitpaw yowled in worry, starting to jump forward into the water herself-

827 words @dreamer @jet Fawn Notes: AAHHH D:

[Deleted]

RainClan - Senior Warrior - Tom - 45 Moons

"You ever get caught by the current and washed downriver?"

Crowblaze's rough voice drew Adderstrike's attention. The brown tabby tom glanced at him for a moment to acknowledge his comment, though his eyes were soon glued to Berrypaw as she stepped forward.

"As an apprentice, yes." He mentioned, watching as the shy she-cat began submerging herself in the rushing waters. "I learned the best tactics half-drowned. There were some days I had swallowed so much river water that I was retching all night. Adderstrike paused his ears pricked forward and gaze watching curiously as Berrypaw's head dipped under a rough current. "Regulate your breathing, and most importantly, keep your wits." He murmured quietly. Adderstrike looked placidly at Crowblaze, several unsavory memories of near drowning flashing before his eyes. "Unfortunately, most cats try to struggle against the current when they get scared, but the best swimmers don't fight the water, they manipulate it."

When Berrypaw reached the shore, he was mildly impressed. She clambered up stiffly, and although he didn't give praise lightly, Adderstrike felt like she deserved his quick mew of approval. A little stiff, He thought to himself. but fluidity comes with experience. Rabbitpaw was next, and she approached the shore confidently, entering the waters with determination. Her efforts proved successful. The tabby apprentice reached the opposite bank with a smile on her face stretching from ear to ear, and Adderstrike couldn't help but shedding a faint smile himself. He stood up and brushed his tail on her shoulder approvingly. She's a little stiff too. He noted, hoping to work with on his apprentice's swimming skills more in the coming Newleaf. She's still slightly nervous. She just needs more time in the water to build her confidence. In fact, they all do. Adderstrike's gaze returned to the final apprentice, Squirrelpaw. The young, timid cat approached the water cautiously. I've seen squirrels with more fight in them than this silly cat! He's scared to death. That big oaf is going to sink like a rock, trembling like that. Adderstrike stifled a sigh. He wanted to step to the edge of the river and brace himself for a rescue, though he stayed standing beside Rabbitpaw, calmly glancing at Crowblaze. Maybe he'll make it...? He questioned himself. If Squirrelpaw was washed under, Adderstrike knew they had a very limited window of time to retrieve him before he reached the confluences downstream. Like catching a fell leaf on a windy day. The brown tom mused.

"You can do it!"

Adderstrike heard Rabbitpaw's shout of encouragement to her brother, though he couldn't help feeling a spark of doubt burn in the pit of his stomach. He noticed Squirrelpaw's attempts were focused not on lateral movement, but directly against the current. Go with the current, not against it! He thought. Panic fueled Squirrelpaw's futile strokes. Breath, deep breaths. He wanted to yell out to the scared apprentice, though curiosity ate at his conscience. I wonder if he'll correct himself. Adderstrike waited, eyes drinking in the young cat's every actions. Unfortunately, Squirrelpaw became even more overcome by fear and began flailing against the currents. By the stars, this cat is going to be drowned by the end of the minute if he keeps thrashing like that. The thought briefly brushed his mind.

"SQUIRRELPAW!"

Rabbitpaw's yell startled him out of his pessimistic mindset. As she lurched forward towards the river, Adderstrike jerked in front of her.

"Stay on the shore, follow us down the bank." He demanded brusquely to the two apprentices before him. With as much time as Rabbitpaw spends snooping around the medicine cat's den, she might be useful if I end up pulling out her sodden, half-drowned brother. He thought. Adderstrike was in the water quicker than an otter's retreat, paddling rapidly towards Squirrelpaw. He wasn't paying attention to anyone but the scared apprentice, and was slightly grateful that the large cat was putting up enough fight to be noticeable in the rain and torrent. Adderstrike's vision was compromised in the frenzy. Water splashed in his face, and at times, it submerged him entirely. Though despite the river's efforts to wash him down, the small marbled tabby continued pushing towards Squirrelpaw.

Adderstrike's heart leaped when he felt his shoulder brush what felt like fur.

Liberty for wolves is death to the lambs.

[Fawn]

CROWBLAZE

42 Moons - RainClan - Tom

"Regulate your breathing, and most importantly, keep your wits."

Good advice. Too bad the kitten in the water hadn't heard it. Of course it was his apprentice that went last. Of course it was Squirrelpaw that flailed and panicked like he'd been bitten by a pike when all he had to do was swim across. Crowblaze, who did not have Adderstrike's natural affinity for the water, or as much experience being half-drowned, knew enough to notice that Squirrelpaw was exhausting himself. That was how cats died in the water; they wore themselves out panicking, fighting the current.

Fishdung! Crowblaze lunged for the water, but Adderstrike was just a bit faster. Ears flattening with annoyance, he put aside his wounded pride to let the brown tabby do the actual rescuing. He'd give that fidgety little kitten a piece of his mind as soon as he was back on dry land. Keeping an eye on Berrypaw and Rabbitpaw, Crowblaze herded them downstream like an agitated shepherd, watching to make sure Rabbitpaw didn't try leaping in after her brother.

Then they'd have two half-drowned kittens and Stormstar breathing down their necks like it was their fault. Not all that willing to rub the Clan leader's fur the wrong way, Crowblaze churned up damp sand and trampled reeds as he followed the river's course. Tension tightening his stomach, Crowblaze silently egged Adderstrike on, picturing his own teeth sinking into Squirrelpaw's scruff to drag the kitten to safety.

"If either one of you goes in after me, you'll be picking ticks out of elders' pelts for two moons." A narrow-eyed stare accompanied this threat. For their sakes, they'd better heed his words. Crowblaze's large frame slid into the water, more like a log than a fish, but his powerful legs pumped through the current, letting himself drift towards Adderstrike and Squirrelpaw. If the little idiot started flailing again, then Adderstrike was going to have trouble - and Crowblaze couldn't just sit back and let the other warrior do all the work.

Stormstar gave him this apprentice. It'd be embarrassing (and not to mention tragic) if he lost him after only a few days.

PAIN, YOU MAKE ME A, YOU MAKE ME A BELIEVER
BELIEVER

Word Count: 345 Words
Tags: @dreamer , @jet, @sparrowkeeper
Notes: xD he's mean, I'm sorry