Pewterwort is a real herb. It's another name for a certain herb that we all know and love (at least, if you've read Warriors). Look it up.

Anywayz...enjoy! AND REVIEW!!

Chapter Seventeen: Rescue

She was in tossing and turning in a world of wild, lurid colors and icy, biting cold. Was it leaf-bare already? Where was her warm moss nest in the apprentice's den? Was she supposed to be on dawn patrol?

No. She was drowning in a cold river, choking on water and bleeding heavily from her forepaw. She was going to die, far away from the warm apprentice's den...

I wanted to die in battle, against a worthy opponent, she thought miserably. Thinking was hard...her brain was working slowly and sluggishly. Not here...not against a river...not by accident...

Then came one of those rare moments when her head broke the surface for a split second and she managed to take in a deep breath. As she went under, she saw a she-cat on the riverbank, a mass of creamy tabby fur. Chanlyeya! The medicine cat yowled something and dropped the herbs she had in her mouth, slipping into the river and threading her way through the tossing current like a fish.

She can swim, Phaedra thought hazily. She's going to save me.

The medicine cat swam closer, and this time Phaedra could hear her voice above the thunder of the river. "Zaia! Hold on, I'm coming!"

I'll hold on. I'm holding on.

She forced her head above water again and, out of the corner of her eye, caught sight of a black cat racing along the riverbank. "Faolan?" she yowled. The tom paused briefly, glancing around, but didn't spot her. Then he spotted Chanlyeya.

Don't jump, Faolan. Don't you dare jump.

Faolan jumped.

That's when Phaedra smashed into a boulder. It hit like a wall of granite and knocked all the strength from her body. Her head whirled and stars popped before her eyes. A film of red pain was pushing its way between her and the world...

The next few moments passed in a blur of near-unconsciousness. Through dimming eyes Phaedra saw Faolan swim towards Chanlyeya, grasp the struggling medicine cat tightly in his jaws, and make for the riverbank with strong legs obviously used to swimming. He was almost there when he happened to turn his head and spot Phaedra.

His eyes widened in shock and he let Chanlyeya slip from his grasp. The medicine cat spat at him, eyes narrowed in rage, and hauled herself up onto the bank. Phaedra faintly heard him yowling her name before she was swept out of his reach.

He saved her. Not me. She's going to live, and I'm going to die.

What a terrible fate. Drowning. She had never wanted it to end this way.

Everything worldly was spinning away...away across a flat white field of endless snow...but it was warm. Warm as a day in greenleaf. The snow wasn't white...it was black. Endless blackness covering her in a warm, comfortable blanket...

I'm dying, she realized.

For only a split second, the blackness was broken by a flash of silver. Just like the gleam of a fish skimming the river bottom...just like the glitter of Leavitt's pale silver pelt...like starlight...

And then she was being dragged, sopping wet, out of the water, falling in a limp heap of soaked fur on the pebbly riverbank. Leavitt threw himself down next to her, the gold tabby markings on his pelt standing out from the silver background, darkened with water. He was quite as wet as her, and heaving for breath - he must have jumped into the river and swum like a fish to catch up.

She coughed up about a gallon of riverwater and choked on it. Leavitt put out a paw and flipped her over onto her stomach. She managed to relax, the fur on her back gradually drying in the gentle summer breeze.

"You all right?" Leavitt asked. His voice was hoarse with exhaustion, but he smiled wearily at her anyway.

"Yeah," she managed to say. "Thanks...for saving me. Faolan..." The last word was unintelligible - she wasn't sure she wanted Leavitt to hear it anyway.

"It's nothing," he said. They lay in silence for a few more minutes, letting the warm air dry their fur. Eventually he added, "Did you see Chan? Who was that tom who dragged her out of the river? I was too far away to see. Chan can swim fine on her own."

Phaedra swallowed. "That was Faolan." Stupid, stupid me. Why didn't I say Xixan? He's an IceCat. Now he knows Faolan's real name.

"Faolan." To her surprise, Leavitt didn't sound angry.

"You...you don't hate him? Chan...your sister does."

He glanced towards her and saw her expression. "Don't worry, I already knew his name. Chan doesn't keep any secrets from me. I always thought Chan overreacted when he left. It was Daemyn's fault, not Faolan's. We were pretty good friends before Daemyn chased him off."

"Really?" That was a load off her mind. "Sorry, I thought...since you're an IceCat..."

"You thought I'd use his name against him. Faolan knows mine as well. He's a ShadowCat, so our trade of names was even. We trusted each other...I still do. I don't know about him."

Phaedra grinned with relief at the tom. He had rescued her. "So...thanks again. For rescuing me."

"Like I said, it wasn't a big deal."

"Judging by the fact that you're still lying here even though your fur is dry, I'm thinking it was a big deal."

Leavitt cuffed her playfully. "I'm just lazy. Although I'm hungry."

"Well, let's catch some fish, then." Phaedra heaved herself to her paws, spitting out a last mouthful of river water into the grass before padding back along the riverbank. "We're a long way from the rock. D'you know any other good fishing places?"

Leavitt nodded. "Yeah, there's one..." He glanced around, getting his bearings. "A few minutes upriver. Let's go."

"Race you!" Phaedra lit into a quick trot. She was still exhausted from the struggle in the river, but her energy was coming back. The promise of food helped.

"I'm tired," Leavitt complained, dragging his paws along the ground. His ice-blue eyes stared pleadingly at her.

"Kit," she teased.

His silver ears perked. "Am not."

"Prove it!"

"Let's go then, Ms. Non-Swimmer!"

"I'll beat you for that!"

They raced along the riverbank, more energy pumping into Phaedra's veins with every step. She could deal with Faolan later. For now...she had made another friend.