Prologue
A soaked tom scrambles through the undergrowth as rain pounds against the tree tops. His paws matching the speed of the roaring water, he soars across the mushy ground and disappears into a tunnel of brambles.
Shooting out the other side of the tangled wall he halts in the middle of a large clearing, he then yowls a warning over the pouring rain. Soon, heads peer out of hidden dens, many seem reluctant to leave their warm nests but a slender she-cat slips out into the rain with no hesitation.
"Blackpaw, what's wrong?" The dark she-cat asks the smaller tom.
"The river!.. " He pauses, panting hard to catch his breath "It's flooding, heading for the camp… We're all going to drown!"
The she-cat rests her thin tail lightly on Blackpaw's shoulder "Go wake everyone and tell them what's happening. I'll go get Mallowstar." Without another word the two cats speed off in different directions.
The black she-cat pushes through the reeds where the leader's den is hidden, and stands in front her ancient leader. The pale grey she-cat can barely be seen in her gloomy den.
"Spidertail, what is all the racket about?" The old she-cat hissed.
"Mallowstar, Blackpaw says the water is going to flood! We need to get out of here."
Mallowstar, still laying in her comfy nest, scowls up at the young warrior.
"What do you mean a flood? The water has never threatened us before. We're Marchclan cats, we can handle getting our paws
"What about the kits and elders? They can't swim!" Spidertail voices then switches into a pleading tone.
"Please, Mallowstar, if the water reaches our camp many cats could die. We can't risk putting our clan in danger!"
The old grey she-cat flips her tail with frustration.
"And what if if there is no flood? Cats could easily catch a cold in this storm for nothing, with leaf-bare so close we can't afford to waste our herbs."
"Mallowstar I-" Spidertail began.
"I am the leader of this clan and I did not choose you as my deputy!" The old she-cat stood up, her hackles rising.
As if called, a white and grey tom slips into the entrance of the leader's den.
"Blackpaw said there's going to be a flood, I'm taking a few cats to go and check it out."
Before Mallowstar could speak, Spidertail steps forward
"Good, I'm coming with you."
Gullfeather and Spidertail race out towards a group of warriors and apprentices gathering in the center of camp.
Gullfeather stood with his tail high, his eyes flickering from one warrior to the next.
"We need to inspect the flood to see how fast the water is rising. Reedshadow and Spidertail with come with us, Blackpaw will lead the way."
Blackpaw stared up at Gullfeather, yowling in terror, "But it's almost at the camp! There's no time!"
Panic rippled through the cats in the clearing.
"My kits can't swim!"
"Where will we go?"
"Better safe than sorry." Spidertail murmured to Gullfeather.
Gullfeather dipped his head to Spidertail and the two began to herd their clanmates out of camp.
Before every cat could leave the camp, the roar of rushing water rose above the sound of pounding rain, in a split second the tightly woven walls of the camp blasted apart as water filled the clearing. Cats sprinted towards the entrance of camp, pushing and shoving each other in panic.
Spidertail watched frozen in fear as water swept into camp, screeches of panic boomed in her ears. She snapped out of it as she heard a cat call to her, she looked up to see Gullfeather clinging a branch of a large oak tree. Spidertail hared towards the wide trunk, fear surged through her as she climbed high among the trees branches. As she got higher she noticed Blackpaw and another apprentice sitting on branch near Gullfeather.
Spidertail craned her head to see water washing over the huge roots of the ancient tree, the whole forest seemed to shake with the deafening sound of surging water. A yowl could just be heard over the tide, and Spidertail squinted at the mass of water to see another apprentice down below. The young cat had his fur plastered his body as he clung to a skinny sapling, it wouldn't be long before the water swept him away.
"Comfreypaw!" Blackpaw screeched as he watched helpless from his branch.
Without thinking, Spidertail flung herself off the bark with her eyes fixed on the helpless apprentice. The water slammed into her as she dived among the waves littered with broken branches. Spidertail felt the force of the current pulling her forward as she struggled to get her head to the surface, but with the whirling water she didn't know what was up and what as down. All she could do was helplessly flail around and try to get a hold of something.
Starclan help me!
As if answering her prayers, something large brushes past her whisker and she shoots out her paws to grab a hold of it. Her claws sunk into wet bark as Spidertail used the log to pull herself to the surface. She gasped loudly as air entered her lungs and hugged the log tightly as the current tugged them fast. Spidertail glanced around wildly for the apprentice and realized she didn't know where she was, everything was dark and there was nothing but water and trees.
She began to panic until she saw a flash of white fur in the current far behind her. Spidertail pushed her log forward towards an oncoming tree, as the log collided with the trunk she almost let go of the log. She saw the grey and white apprentice struggling to keep above the surface being swept towards her.
Spidertail pushed herself away from her log in time to collide with the apprentice, she sunk her teeth into Comfreypaw's scruff and struggled to keep him up. Comfreypaw sputtered and coughed in her grasp as Spidertail swam towards another log floating near them.
As the warrior and apprentice held onto the log, exhaustion creeped into Spidertail's pelt. Had any other of her clanmates survived this?
Moonlight ripples across the still water, A frail old she-cat pads along the shore leaving tiny paw prints in the sand. She walked only a tail length away from the peaceful water, the sound of it lapping the shore could lull a kit to sleep.
She then stopped at a patch of herbs growing on the water's edge and lowered her head to pluck leaves from the plant. When she was done, she picked up the bundle of leaves and turned to leave only to see a starry ginger she-cat standing on the shore.
"Maplestar." She gasped the name of her friend from long ago.
"Greetings, Clearsight." Maplestar purred.
"I was wondering if you'd ever come visit me…" The medicine cat murmured, her blue eyes round as moons.
"I never had to, all has been well in the clans for a long time." Maplestar's eyes then grew serious "But sadly a grave danger is approaching."
"A grave danger?" Clearsight echoed. Maplestar nodded slightly, her gaze serious "That is why I have come, there is a prophecy…"
Clearsight's eyes stretched wide, "There hasn't been a prophecy for many seasons, I'm honored to receive one."
With a clear voice, Maplestar spoke.
"When land becomes river, Find those of ancient blood. Only they can bring peace to the tide-"
"And right a wrong from long ago." A stranger's mew cuts the prophecy short, Clearsight and the Starclan cat turn their gaze over to a young she-cat emerging from a nearby bush. The stranger's pelt was so faint the forest can be seen through them.
"You have no right to be here, you can't just change the prophecy to your liking." Maplestar growled.
The young she-cat lashed her tail with anger, "This has gone on for too long," her gaze then met Clearsight's with great intensity.
"Clearsight, you must let these cats reopen the eyes of the clans. If the clans wish to survive in the future they must remember the past."
Clearsight looked at Maplestar for guidance but the Starclan warrior was already fading away.
"Perhaps what she says is true, Clearsight." Maplestar then disappeared but her voice still remained.
When land becomes river, Find those of ancient blood. Only they can bring peace to the tide. Only they can open our eyes.