River Crisis, Annica R. [top rated ebook readers .txt] 📗

RiverPaw lay in his nest eyes closed. He knew he couldn’t sleep. It was nearly dawn so he got up and prodded his sister HeatherPaw in the side. HeatherPaw lifted her head and blinked the sleep from her eyes, “what is it? Something wrong?” RiverPaw shook his head, “come on, and let’s go ask if we can hunt together.” HeatherPaw sat up and stretched then followed him out.

River paw lead them over to their mentors at the edge of camp and stopped in front of them. “Can HeatherPaw and I go hunting?” RiverPaw asked. Both mentors exchanged a glance and nodded to them. RiverPaw pelted toward the entrance to camp and crashed into MarshTail, one of the Elders.

The speckled tom hissed in irritation, and stared at him and his sister. RiverPaw dipped his head and stepped past the tom. He led his sister out of camp down to the river, and sat down. His sister sat a little farther up the bank and lifted her paw claws out. RiverPaw started to hunt as well he lifted his paw and looked at the flowing water for a flash of silver. He saw a flash and lashed out his paw and turned in as he brushed the slimy body.

The fish flopped onto the bank beside him which he finished off with a bite to the neck. It was huge! The biggest he had ever caught! He picked up his catch and turned to show her his catch. But as he turned a huge rouge jumped on top of HeatherPaw and pinned her down. He bit into her neck and looked straight at RiverPaw. He was trembling then looked straight at his sister, her eyes closing slowly.

RiverPaw decided he had to get the rouge off of her. He launched himself at the tom and slashed his shoulder. The tom let go of HeatherPaw and yowled in pain, the rouge slashed RiverPaw’s cheek and picked HeatherPaw up in his jaws. He looked menacingly at RiverPaw, and then threw HeatherPaw into the swirling water.

RiverPaw shrieked and leaped into the water after his sister. He churned his paws and struggled to see his sister. She saw her head pop above the water and he called for her. Her eyes met his, they were half closed and she sunk under the wave that came for her. Soon RiverPaw realized that the river had suddenly gotten wilder and feared that maybe they were heading for the gorge. He pushed on swimming and a huge wave push him under.

Sinks towards the bottom stunned. Opens eyes and sees his sister her eyes closed sinking, churns paws heading down to his sister, reaches her and grasps her scruff and starts to swim up to the surface. Reaches it and struggles to stay up with the weight of his sister in his mouth. Another wave pushes him and he sees the sheer drop of the gorge. The drop comes and RiverPaw and his sister plummet down the gorge. Finally darkness over takes him.


Part 2
Stormtail and Reedfeather swim franticly calling out the names of their apprentices. “RiverPaw?! Where are you?” Reedfeather yowled. Stormtail paddled to the far bank and started calling for his apprentice. Reedfeather spotted two shapes on the opposite bank, and shook her head in disbelief. “Stormtail….” She croaked and he came bounding over to stand beside her in the shallow water. “What is it?” he turned to face the direction she was and yowled splashing through the water and stopped wide eyed over his apprentice. Reedfeather followed more slowly not wanting to see the devastation.

When she reached the dark lump of fur, RiverPaw she saw his flank go up and down in shallow breaths. “HeatherPaw I’m so sorry…. I should have been a better mentor for you…. Forgive me….” Reedfeather reached out and laid her tail on his shoulders. “I’m sure she thought you were the best mentor in the world, no one could have trained her better.” Reedfeather looked at blood around HeatherPaw’s neck and saw a bite, “besides it wasn’t that you didn’t teach her how to swim strongly, it looks as if she was attacked. Look at the bite on her throat.”

Reedfeather picked up river paw and padded in the direction of camp hearing Stormtail pad behind her. RiverPaw needed help as soon as possible and she intended to get him that help.


Darkness engulfed RiverPaw’s world and a sudden burst of noise hit his ears, cats murmuring a soft and sad wail and the rushing sound of the river. Am I in camp? He wondered and tried to lift his head but it dropped back down in some soft moss. His whole body felt numb, and cold. What’s happening? Where am I? the soft pad of paw steps a little farther off, sounded and a warm pelt pressed against his body and he felt relief wash over him. Someone’s here that’s friendly he thought but he felt weak and sick. “Oh my sweet I wish you would wake up….” The recognizable voice of his mother hit his ears, but he couldn’t help but hear a note of sadness in hear voice.

His eyes opened a little just enough to see the roof of the medicine den.

Publication Date: 08-20-2011

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