Chapter Six: Surge of Awakening
The blue sky was full of wispy breath of clouds. Slowly, very slowly, the wisps swirled together into bigger clouds, puffy and white. The soft breeze blew into stronger gusts, pushing the clouds into a big gray mass. The calm willows began to shake. The river's calm surface suddenly surged over the banks. The gray clouds began to spit with drips of water. Rain began to pound down from the sky in bigger drops. Warm air was replaced with bone-chilling coldness. The rising storm broke out in blasts of rain and shouts of wind.
A single cat was in the middle of it, running across the territory, looking for signs from her warrior ancestors. Signs of clarity. Only a day ago, she had heard the screams for help from a she-cat drowning in her Clan's river. She had never found the cat. But in her watery search, she had received a prophecy.
Suddenly, a wake swept her off her paws, pushing her down with a thud on to the stones on the earth. What a swift storm! The deputy watched through squinted eyes as the river crash and roar against the banks. If it rained any harder they'd have a flood that would wash the entire camp away.
The deputy scrambled up to her paws and ran to higher ground before another wave could swallow her up. Not even a cat of her skill could fight the river when it was like that. And plus, she felt miserable. She was shivering right down to her bones. Her silver dappled tortoiseshell pelt was plastered against her cold skin. The rain pelted her eyes, so she was practically wandering blindly, relying on familiar paths under paw.
A raspy meow stopped her in her tracks. "The givers," The usually level-headed she-cat whipped around. Your just imagining things, Saltwhisker. It was just the wind and water.
"...of life," the voice was there again!
The deputy spun around. The wind was blowing in her face and driving the rain into her pelt. It made her feel damp and miserable but she stayed in the bad weather, looking around hoping to find the voice.
Saltwhisker swiveled around in circles. The voice was real, bu the waves were just too loud! She couldn't pinpoint where it came from.
"...one of each Clan," The scratchy voice murmured.
Saltwhisker shook her pelt as the storm finally began to let up. She was chilled to the bone standing there. So she padded over to where the voice came from.
"...brighten... and lead. The way, out, of, darkness." Saltwhisker finally heard the voice clearer. It made her heart leap in hopefullness.
She spotted one of the willows dripping wet from its leaves. A dark burrow was tucked under its roots. A gray paw was laying out.
"I knew it!" Saltwhisker meowed in surprise. Earlier, right before the storm, she had sworn she saw a floating gray body but had dismissed it as floating drift.
Saltwhisker flicked the water out of her ears. The swift hitting storm was finally moving on, but the river crashing behind her. She picked her way through the slick pebbly land and in the willow's burrow there was a sodden queen breathing shallowly. The deputy was surprised that she was right. Her Clanmates had been thinking she was going crazy around the late. But she was right, there was a cat in distress. Saltwhisker didn't recognize her but she needed to be saved, RiverClan or not.
The river pushed one more surge of water. It climbed over the banks and crawled up to the tree line. Saltwhisker held in a gasp as the freezing water nipped at her paws. It slooshed back down to the river and stayed down this time; the clouds were starting to part. The deputy shivered. Was the queen dying?
"a-a-and lead the way..." The unconscious tabby murmured, unaware of the cat stanfing of her.
Saltwhisker gasped. It was the same prophetical words for sure! Her body began to shiver uncontrollably as the voice spoke in short mews. The clouds let in a streak of light. The river calmed down.
"...to the stars."
The sky was suddenly clear. The river was still. The birds began to chirp. Saltwhisker was shocked. The weather. It... it was raging when the queen was quiet. It calmed as she spoke of the prophecy.
The WindClan she-cat opened her eyes and spat out water. "Oww..." she moaned, rubbing her cheek with a shoulder.
"What's your name?" The RiverClan deputy asked softly, hoping to keep her from going into shock and from startling her. But she was shocked herself! The weather was now so warm, so bright. It was cold and chilling just a few moments ago.
"Graymoth." She mewed weakly. Graymoth looked away from the young she-cat as if she were embarrassed. Embarrassed to be... old.
Saltwhisker tipped her head and coaxed her out of the damp, stony old burrow. The queen wouldn't budge. Graymoth curled up into a tight ball, breathing in watery wheezes. Her amber eyes stared at her paws. Her pelt was soaking her skin, leaving her chilled down to her thin frame.
It was a pitiful sight to see. But what an odd situation! "Can you repeat what you said?" Saltwhisker crawled into the shadowy burrow. Her blue eyes were glimmering and hopeful.
Reluctantly, Graymoth slowly gave a small nod and spoke in a raspy voice. "The givers of life, one of each Clan, shall brighten and lead the way out of darkness and to the stars."
Saltwhisker raised her brow whiskers. This was no coincidence. Givers of life meant queens. One of each Clan meant... well, a queen from each of the four Clans. The rest of the prophecy was a mystery, but this was as clear as a calm pool.
"Graymoth." She ventured, her heart brighten as the queen had revealed the prophecy. "I received those same words. I think we are star-chosen cats."
The tabby mewed weakly as she finally began to feel the cold stones pressing into her wet pelt. The smell of fish and mud made her want to spew, but she kept her cool. "Saltwhisker," Graymoth recognized the deputy. "Wait...What? When?"
"I got it when I was diving in the river. Do you remember when you got it?"
Graymoth licked the water off of her muzzle fur, eyeing the RiverClan she-cat. "I don't know when I got it. I just know it."
"You were saying the words in bits while you were unconscious." Saltwhisker mewed. "How'd you end up here anyway?"
The old queen looked her in the eyes, amber to blue. "I fell into the gorge."
The Clan cast askance glances toward the deputy as she led an outsider into the camp. The kits poked their heads out of the nursery, mewing and pointing their tails at the old gray tabby. Warriors sat in the high places of camp, drying their fur in the sun. They watched the pair pad through camp with eyes like hawks.
The elderly white tom came out from his reedy den, eyes dark in tiredness. His long white fur was matted. He was no doubt one of the oldest cats of the Clan. "Saltwhisker," He meowed in a gruff voice. "Who is this trespasser you bring?"
"Foamstar," she dipped her head in respect. "This is Graymoth from WindClan."
The tension in the camp stiffened. Graymoth was told she would be welcomed into the Clan to be treated by their medicine cat. She looked at all of the RiverClan warriors from the corners of her eyes, not moving her head in fear that they might all jump to attack. They were acting as if she would unleash a great and terrible onto their souls in one lash of her tail. They certainly had no reason to fear an old she-cat like herself.
"She had fallen into the gorge and, miraculously, survived the drop and the plummet down the waterfalls." Saltwhisker explained, flicking her tail to Graymoth's flank.
Foamstar blinked. "What a hearty old queen, eh?"
"Old?" The tabby choked out. Her wet fur was heavy and her lungs were damp, but she felt a fire burn. "Am I s-so old for you to say th-that I'm old?"
The RiverClan tom laughed loudly. "Take her to Shinyshell. But she must have a warrior by her at all times. When she is ready, take her back to WindClan." He said, loud enough for the Clan to hear. "She's just like Silverbird." He added in a mutter under his breath.
"Well, come on, Graymoth," Saltwhisker meowed, catching the leader's whisper. Silverbird was his mate from long ago. Whenever Foamstar was reminded of her he'd go back to his den and stay there for days. He was depressed- and old- beyond belief. That's why being deputy was more of a burden then she had thought.
Saltwhisker led the wet cat to the medicine den. They padded through a deep olive sedge that led into his calm burrow. The white-and-gray tom was already preparing herbs. He had heard the commotion about the outsider.
His messy white-and-gray fur stank of fish as if he hadn't washed in days. Graymoth felt sick to her stomach, like a writhing snake was hidden in her belly. It seemed liked none of the RiverClan toms groomed themselves.
Shinyshell noticed her wrinkled nose. "Nnn, sorry," He pushed a flower stalk toward her.
Graymoth was embarrassed for not showing respect for the medicine cat. How rude could she be? The tabby bent down and sniffed the herb. It was for the smell, not for her body. All of RiverClan smelled pretty gross in comparison to sweet heather and rabbits.
"Keep that with you. It's lavendar. It will make the other scents disappear." He shrugged and twitched his tail, and then went back to making a concoction of medicine on a thin, flat rock.
"Thank you," She meowed, rubbing her nose along the hardy purple bugs. The fishy smell of RiverClan was replaced by the fresh intoxicating scent of lavender.
Saltwhisker watched Shinyshell like a hawk. When she was a young apprentice, Sharprock had been trapped under a rock and his leg ws broken, but Shinyshell was able to fix it. She had wanted to be a medicine cat, but then she found that it was harder than she looked. Saltwhisker was glad she had become a warrior. She had two kits, Runningpaw and Stormpaw. And she was the deputy!
"Coltsfoot, dandelion, no... fennel." The tom muttered to himself. He picked through his herbs carefully. He looked up at Graymoth. "So do you have a cough?"
"Ahhhck." She shook her head. "Just wheezy. Water in my lungs maybe?"
"Do you have body pains and soreness?" The medicine cat asked, sweeping up a leaf.
Graymoth did feel very sore. Like, who wouldn't after fallen into a river and then down some waterfalls and then into more river and then washed up inside a tree?
"Mmhmmm..." Shinyshell began to pull around many different herbs.
Saltwhisker watched uncertaintly. He was so messy and disorganized now. The storm had blew into the den and mixed up all the herbs.
Graymoth respectfully chewed and swallowed the herbs Shinyshell prescribed to her. She could only recognize the dandelion leaves, but she trusted the medicine cat.
"Thank you," Saltwhisker meowed, touching the tom with her tail. "I'll get Graymoth to a nest and let her rest."
"That sounds good." He nodded, looking away from the deputy and to the queen. His yellow eyes narrowed.
The tortoiseshell held her breath. Was Shinyshell seeing something beyond what was in front of him? He probably could tell something about Graymoth wasn't normal.
"Let's go, Graymoth."
"Okay. Thank you again, Shinyshell."
"Mmmhmm."
Saltwhisker and Graymoth were sitting along by the elders' den by the willow trees in camp. The deputy was munching on a fish. "Are you sure you don't want any?" She asked, licking her muzzle.
Graymoth shook her head. "No, thanks."
"I understand. WindClan only eat rabbit and birds sometimes." Saltwhisker nodded, taking another bite of the silvery fish.
"I wish a patrol came in with a rabbit." She sighed softly.
Graymoth laid down in the dappled light and shade. She felt more at home with Saltwhisker. The tabby had been so lonely for such a long time. The attention was nice. Looking over the camp, she saw how lovely RiverClan was. The kits were swimming by the nursery. The apprentices were coming and going from training and hunting.
"Those two are mine," Saltwhisker swallowed, pointing her tail at two gray apprentices leaving with a brown warrior and a white tom. "The she-cat is Runningpaw, and the tom is Stormpaw. I named them after my mother Runningstorm."
Another patrol swam into camp. One of the warriors had a rabbit! The kits were making a big fuss over it, though none of them wanted it. Saltwhisker jumped up and ran down to them with a twitching tail.
Just like she had wished, she got a rabbit! Graymoth rolled over on her side to let the sunlight warm her belly. she had to explain what happened... Why she had fallen... She chose to fall...
"That's sad. You poor queen." Saltwhisker mewed, after Graymoth had told her how she ended up in the falls. "It's amazing though. You know, how you survived."
Graymoth nodded slightly, taking a bite of the wet, warm tasty rabbit. It was amazing that she had survived. But, she had wanted to die. This piece of fresh-kill made her home-sick, but not enough to want to go back to WindClan just yet.
"It's just weird, though." The deputy meowed, laying down and crossing her white paws. "You know, how we both have the same prophecy." She didn't mention the weirdness of the storm that had hit before finding the old tabby queen.
Graymoth blinked her amber eyes. "Yep. One of each Clan. That means there are two other queens from ShadowClan and ThunderClan." The herbs the RiverClan medicine cat had given her was working. She felt much clearer in her chest.
"Yes, that's true." Saltwhisker nodded in thought, flicking her ears. "We might get another message soon."
The gray tabby nodded and laid down as well. "Can I get some sleep first?" Graymoth felt like a kit, whining.
"Let's go to Foamstar's den tonight instead of the warriors', okay?" She laughed, twitching her tail.
They heaved themselves up to their paws and scrambled down the slope. The two she-cats padded into the leader's den. Foamstar wasn't there. Saltwhisker was worried about the old tom.
"Well, let's sleep over here tonight. He won't mind."
"Okay, if you say so. I hope tomorrow brings me heather." Graymoth said, amusing herself.
"Hm?"
"It would be nice if some heather washed up to camp."
"Well, maybe we should just sleep right now and we could search for heather tomorrow..."
"I was just kidding..."
"Go to sleep..."
"Huh? Wha? Saltwhisker, what are you two doing in my den? Oh, well, whatever."
A/N: And so, the first chapter out of prologues is here and it is long! Heh heh, I'm glad some of you noticed in the last chapter Graymoth didn't get her prophecy. But she did in a different way because... well... you'll see...
