Chapter XX
"It's snowing!" Falconkit pranced in the fluffy white snow. Smokekit watched his sisters bouncing and squealing in the snow, his own paws touching the white substance. "Alright, kits. In, in, in." Bumbleberry ordered, coming towards the litter. She picked up each kitten and dropped them just inside the tunnel.
Mintkit protested. "We were having fun just now!" She looked up at the warrior. "Yeah, I don't see why we have to go back inside. It's just snow, right?" Breezekit argued bossily. Bumbleberry sighed, dropping Smokekit with a thud. "O-" Smokekit stopped himself from yowling in pain, slapping his tail over his mouth.
"The flood will be coming soon. When the flood comes, the snow could melt and turn into water, making the flood more serious." At the mention of the flood, Leafkit mewled in fright. All at once, the five kits turned tail, shuddering.
Inside the warm, cozy and water-free burrow, their mother sat in a corner. "Good kits." She purred. But her smile was soon washed off her face when Leafkit mewed, "The flood's coming!"
Snowhaze licked the top of her kit's head to comfort her. "Don't worry, we'll be protected." She soothed. Smokekit watched on, his eyes wide at the thought of the flood. I don't know why… but I have a feeling, that the flood is coming. Very soon.
#-#-#
Cinderpaw patrolled around the border, feeling bored and tired. She closed her eyes. What is all this about the flood? Surely it can't be? The apprentice was thinking in half-scorn and half-worry when Bramblepaw, in front of her, stopped abruptly.
"Ow!" She hissed when she banged into him. "Shh," Bramblepaw meowed, "Look at the lake." Following where her brother was pointing, Cinderpaw stared at the lake. Greenery obscured their view, but it was enough to see even half of the lake. Water sloshed dangerously at the edges of the pool, and any cat could see that the lake was full to the brim.
"Uh-oh…" Swallowflight retreated with a gasp, the rest of the patrol following her, until they broke into a run back to camp.
#-#-#
"DuskClan!" Swallowflight yowled, full-on running into camp. "The flood is coming!" Fawnberry yowled along with the panicking deputy. Rosestar hurried out of her den, looking anxious and quite flustered.
"The flood? It's coming? How do you know?" demanded Blazeflight, who had received his name a quarter moon ago. Bramblepaw turned to the medicine cat. "We saw the lake. The water is at the edge, and look at the sky," Both cats raised their heads to look at the sky. "There are rain clouds. If we're unlucky, the flood could come tonight. If we are lucky, then the flood could come tomorrow morning." Bramblepaw continued logically.
Rosestar nodded. "You're right, Bramblepaw." Then she yowled out the command for a Clan meeting.
"Cats of DuskClan! The flood is almost about to strike. I want you to find a shelter in our territory, on the highest ground you can find. Snowhaze and her kits will shelter in my den, and apprentices, follow your mentors." Rosestar ordered the scared cats. "Now!" She added in a yowl, and the cats fled, some jumping towards Twolegplace, some running into the safety of the trees, and yet some explored the territory beyond the training cave for hopes of shelter.
Smokekit followed his mother's big white pelt towards the leader's den. He stood strongly, with his head raised in curiosity and bravery. Leafkit and Mintkit huddled together, while Falconkit kept her eyes closed when she could, and Breezekit tried to comfort her two youngest sisters.
It was warm and snug inside the leader's den, yet the she-kits were still fretting. "Look, kits, we're in the leader's den! Isn't it exciting?" Snowhaze tried to cheer up her kits, yet they still huddled in fear.
All except for Smokekit. He stared out of the den's entrance, his green eyes following the paths of the escaping warriors. "Mother," He turned to Snowhaze. He was going to ask, What is a flood like? but instead he asked, "Why don't you tell us about the Old Clans?"
Snowhaze sucked in a deep breath, but smiled and gathered her kittens close to her. "I shall. I was born into ThunderClan, which was the bravest of all Clans. They were also the most peaceful, and the Clan where the great Firestar ruled. There was an elder - Ivypool - who told me about the power of three, and how her own sister was one of the three.
"Those three had powers, and no one remembers their name, but one had eyes like a jay's feather, the second had a blazing pelt like a lion and the third one had the gentleness of a dove." The kits looked at their mother, wide-eyed with curiosity and awe.
"My old name was Cloudwing, and I had a mate and kits." Snowhaze's eyes grew sad. "My mate was Halfwhisker, and he died in the very first battle. I had four kits, Tawnyrose, Cherryflight, Blossompaw and Stormpaw."
"Two of them never lived past eight moons."
#-#-#
Cinderpaw fled with her mentor towards the big Twolegplace wall, her head whizzing. "Jump and I'll catch you." Rosestar mewed over her shoulder as she jumped onto the wall, scrabbling a bit. Cinderpaw hesitantly leaped, and she felt Rosestar's jaws grasping her scruff and pulling her up.
"Will we be safe here?" Cinderpaw gasped as they ran along the wall. "Yes." Rosestar answered, her paws striking hard into the brick. "We can stay beneath the wall, or climb a Twoleg nest. Either way we'll be safe."
Rosestar proceeded to leap off the wall onto the other side, then motioned for her apprentice to follow her. The younger cat jumped, paws flailing in the air. She landed, feeling dizzy and stumbling a little. But there was no time to lose as Rosestar pumped her paws towards the Twoleg nest farthest from camp.
There were many Thunderpaths, but no monsters were out. As the nest came into view, Rosestar stopped. "Twoleg nests normally have two 'floors', and if we go to the second, we'll be high enough to be safe." She told her apprentice. "How do you know this?" Cinderpaw asked as they sprang towards the nest.
"Just follow me." Rosestar snapped, though Cinderpaw knew she wasn't angry. It was only that she feared for her Clan, and herself. The leader slunk through a small gap in a big slab of wood, and they were in.
A/N: Well, it's Saturday morning where I live, so UPDATE! This chapter is definitely my longest chapter so far. Tell me if you like it or not! Why do you think Rosestar knows about the Twoleg houses? Actually, that's my question for this chapter. 51 reviews! WOOHOO!
QOTD: Why do you think Rosestar knows about the Twoleg houses?
Katia signing out~~!