"We have to report this to Fernstar." said Sprucefur, staring into the dark swirling water.
Yarrowbreeze felt frozen to the ground- there was no way this much water could just appear over a quarter moon. The torrent roared and lapped hungrily at the edges of the river, threatening to burst.
"We need to leave, now!" Bramblestep hissed, and the group sprinted back to camp.
They cats burst into the clearing, breathless.
"Fernstar! The river is flooding!" Cried Birchpaw.
Fernstar's head turned abruptly. "Come, tell me what you saw." she beckoned.
The panting group began to describe their trek to the river and what they witnessed.
"I see." Fernstar pondered for a moment, her green eyes deep and contemplative. "I will visit the river with Larkbelly and Beetlespots and we will decide what needs to be done. Thank you for telling me."
The cats dipped their heads to the leader in respect as she walked away.
Birchpaw turned her focus to her mentor.
"Do we have to go back out there?" she asked shakily.
Bramblestep placed her tail on the young she-cats shoulder. "We aren't sure how bad the flooding is going to get. I would prefer you stay in the camp, and help Oakpaw to reinforce the lower dens."
The sandy colored apprentice nodded and hurried away.
"We could still go hunting along the ridge, any prey that's survived will probably be taking shelter nearby." Sprucefur suggested.
"If you two are still up for a hunt, I'll ask Mousenose to join us. From the looks of it we're going to need all the prey we can catch." Bramblestep said determinedly.
"Sprucefur and I can head out now to get a head start, we should get out there as soon as possible." Yarrowbreeze decided.
Bramblestep nodded, and leapt away to find Mousenose.
"Well, looks like we should get out there." Sprucefur remarked.
The two warriors paced quickly out of the camp and raced through the forest to the bottom of the ridge.
Sprucefur opened his mouth, and after locking in on a prey scent, stalked off into the fern undergrowth.
Yarrowbreeze watched the muscles beneath Sprucefur's sleek pelt rippled as he moved. She followed suit and tracked down the scent of a nearby squirrel.
Yarrowbreeze dropped to a crouch and slowly crept forward, careful to keep her bright pelt concealed from her prey's line of sight. The damp earth beneath her paw pads was soothing, and she could almost feel herself beginning to fall asleep on her paws.
No, I can't just give up on a hunt right now. The cynn needs this. She reminded herself. Yarrowbreeze was so close she could hear the small content chattering of her prey, and with a fast claw swipe and a nip to the neck, her prey was caught.
She trotted back to where the two warriors initially split and buried her prey to return to the hunt.
Mousenose, Sprucefur, Bramblestep and Yarrowbreeze returned to camp with plentiful fresh-kill. News traveled fast, and the cynn was buzzing with anxiety and fear.
Yarrowbreeze watched from across camp as her brother dragged a large collection of moss near the Tellers den.
"What are you doing?" she asked after dropping her prey at the fresh-kill pile.
Bearstrike dropped his back legs dramatically. "I'm moving the nursery up to higher ground. Mossjaw's just finished her kitting, and as soon as she's recovered enough Berryclaw and I are going to move her and the kits."
"Bearstrike is always a great help around the nursery." Beetlespots remarked, joining the siblings next to the Tellers den.
"I'm sure he is." Replied Yarrowbreeze.
Bearstrike dipped his head to Beetlespots. "It's an honor to help raise the future warriors of Whispering Brook."
Yarrowbreeze swiped a paw over her ear and looked across camp. If Beetlespots was here then that meant Fernstar had returned from the river as well.
"All cats who are old enough to catch their own prey, gather below the Great Boulder for a cynn meeting." Fernstar called from above.
Cats hurried out into the clearing, and anxious whispers spread over the cynn.
"I know we have all heard of the flooding that is happening on our territory." Fernstar started. "We are lucky to have a mostly elevated camp, so we will hopefully be safe in the event that the waters continue to rise." She paused, surveying her cynn below. "Despite the fact that every kit is taught to swim before they're apprentices, the rushing waters pose a dangerous threat. Until the flood subsides, no cat is allowed to leave camp alone, and apprentices must not pass the ridge outside of camp."
Larkbelly padded forward from behind the leader, her clouded eye looked as if it were glowing from the moon's reflection. "Additionally, there will be no more hunting in any bodies of water until this is under control. Prey is plentiful on land, and floods can happen faster than you think. We will send two warriors to let the other cynns know in case the flooding hasn't reached their territories yet." She finished.
Yarrowbreeze watched as her cynnmates spoke amongst themselves of Whispering Brook's new policies, curiosity of the unknown bordering on the edge of doubt.
"If you have any concerns, please never hesitate to speak with me or Larkbelly about them. The safety of the cynn always comes first, no matter what" Fernstar said, concluding the meeting.
Yarrowbreeze looked across the camp at the Lower warriors den. Suddenly, the den she called home since she became a warrior seemed so distant. She imagined for a moment herself drifting away into the torrential river, sound asleep in her nest. She shivered and padded over to her nest in the den.
She looked down at the feathery, mossy nest she had spent so long personalizing. Shells she had poked through and weaved into reeds, the feathers of the dove Greywhisker gave to her. Yarrowbreeze's heart felt warm as she thought of the love her cynn had given her since she was born. Even without Palebriar's love, she grew up wanted. She gently put the nest in her jaws and began carrying it across camp to the Upper den.
Her tail drooped as the entrance to the den was revealed. The warriors inside were already doing what they could to give themselves space amongst their cynnmates. The den was packed to the brim, and Yarrowbreeze knew if she tried to put her nest down she would wake up every morning covered in dew and being glared at by her fellow warriors.
Drip, drip, drip...
A patter of rain began to fall over camp, and the straggling cynnmates hurried to cover. Yarrowbreeze hurriedly grabbed her nest and pulled it under the largest part of the fallen log.
"Yarrowbreeze, it's okay to ask for help sometimes." Beetlespots said with a purr of amusement.
Yarrowbreeze wanted to snap at her but knew better. She was cold, wet, and exhausted. Beetlespots helped pull her nest into the mending den.
"You can stay here for the night, I'm sure that Larkbelly will figure out better arrangements come morning." Beetlespots remarked as she lapped her coat clean.
Yarrowbreeze looked at the sopping wet bundle of sticks and feathers that was once her nest. "Beetlespots... would it be okay if I slept in one of the empty nests in here, just until mine dries? I don't want to catch a cold." she asked the torbie she-cat.
Beetlespots nodded and pointed her tail toward a nest beneath a clump of heather. "You can use that one for tonight."
Yarrowbreeze dipped her head in thanks and padded over to the nest. The soft scent of heather was comforting, and suddenly the rain seemed melodic, comforting even.
But as she closed her eyes, fear for her cynnmates ripped through her dreams like the tide of the river.
Her claws ached from digging into the fallen log that ran across the camp. She cried out for her friends and cynnmates, searching the murky water below for any sign of them.
Lightning flashed across the sky and a downpour of torrential rain burst from the looming clouds overhead.
"Yarrowbreeze!" a gurgling voice called from below, barely heard over the sound of rushing water and the caterwaul of distant cats.
"Bearstrike! I'm coming!" she cried.
She looked down and saw the terrified form of her brother, clinging treacherously to a low branch on the fallen tree. The flood waters lashed and went over his head over and over again, and Yarrowbreeze knew he couldn't hold on much longer.
She carefully clung to the trunk's bark, doing her best to not be swept away. Another flash of lightning and boom of thunder sent shockwaves down her spine, and as she stepped forward the thunder's intense roar caused her to flinch and her paw slipped along the slick surface of the trunk, sending her tumbling over the edge.
"Oh stars, help me!" she cried, and her forepaws clung to the bottom of the trunk. She hung upside down from the trunk, and could feel her tail being tugged by the violent current.
"Bearstrike!" she called, but the only answer she received was the roar of the water below.
Her claws felt as if they were on fire, and the pain was shooting up her forelimbs.
Yarrowbreeze tried to hoist herself further up the branch, trying anything to get away from the looming darkness below.
A sudden splash drew her attention, and as she turned her head to find the source, she was met by a monstrous wave of black water, knocking her from the tree trunk and pulling her into the cold, dark nothingness.