FINALLY I CAN UPDATE THIS AGAIN!! You have no idea the length and expense I went through to get this data back. My old computer wheezed it's last some two years ago and I had to see a specialist to recover this story. Now that I've got it back, I hope to update on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. Please feel free to reread to catch up!
Rainheart followed the patrol along the RiverClan border. For three days and three nights, it had been raining nonstop. Now, the rain had moved on, but all of the scent markers had been washed away. Wolfmask had decided it would be best to send out patrols to remark the borders first, before other Clans began to wander onto WindClan territory looking for prey.
The rainstorm had done significant damage to the land. There was no more dusty ground, just endless mud pits. Several plants had been uprooted and carried along in the current of the water. Those that were left had been killed by overwatering. It left a cool, sharp chill in the air after it had gone, and with less ground cover than before, the wind was constantly streaming across the surface of the moor.
"We're going to have wash off in the river before we share tongues again," Stoatpaw complained, lifting a muddy paw for emphasis.
"You'll live," Owlflight, his mentor, said flatly.
Wolfmask paused in his walking, looking back at the apprentice. "The river is probably still too cold to swim in."
"Besides, with all this rain, the river might be in flood," Echospring added.
The patrol padded along the path leading down to the border. Suddenly, Wolfmask came to a halt. Rainheart, not ready for the unexpected stop, walked right into his old mentor.
"Hey!" he said, fur brushing up in irritation. "What was that for?"
Wolfmask shook his head, but Echospring said, "Look!"
Rainheart followed her gaze down to where the river met the land, way sooner than it should have. The warrior was completely right about the possibility of flood. The river stretched more than twice it's usual size, swelling across both borders. The current was vicious, the water strong. It loudly beat against rocks and debris, white rapids forming in some areas while others looked like whirlpool torrents. Certainly any cat that got in this water would not survive.
"I wonder how RiverClan is doing," Owlflight muttered darkly. Rainheart nodded in agreement. Stoatpaw backed up a little, his fur on end and his tail tucked down. Fear-scent waved off of him.
"We have to report this immediately," Wolfmask said. "Let's get back to camp."
The group turned and trotted back along the way they had come, up the slope at a steep angle. Mud that had suctioned them in earlier now seemed like their biggest enemy. It was slippery, and clung heavily to their fur.
They had almost made it to the top of the path when Rainheart felt his paws going down. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he slid backwards, panic seizing him in an instant.
Echospring darted forward, sinking her teeth into his scruff painfully. For a moment, they both teetered dangerously. Then, her paws must have found grip, and she pulled him back upwards.
"Thank you," he breathed in relief, padding back up the hill after the patrol.
"Don't mention it," he heard her mutter.
They padded up to the top of the precipice. From here, they could overlook the swollen river from above. The river edge bit into the side of the hill, creating a dangerous edge where the river cut through the hillside underneath them.
Amazed, Stoatpaw ran forward to peek over the edge. "Wow! Look at how big it is!"
"Stoatpaw, get back!" Owlflight ordered, but it was too late. The ground underneath the apprentice's paws shifted visibly. It was going to fall.
The apprentice began to scream, but cut off in sheer panic. Rainheart leaped forward, but Echspring was quicker. The senior warrior once again dashed forward, grabbing Stoatpaw with her strong jaw, tugging him towards her. Rainheart watched in astonishment as she pulled the apprentice back onto solid ground, determination shining in her eyes.
"Thank you," Stoatpaw breathed in relief, sinking gratefully onto the ground.
Before Echospring could answer, the ground shifted again. Rainheart watched in horror as for a moment, she stood completely still on the broken edge of the hilltop. Then, with a shriek unlike Echospring, the ground underneath her gave way completely, and she tumbled over the edge into the river below.