The she-cat looked shocked. Her amber eyes gleamed with terror, and her fur was soaked but bristling. It was silent for a few moments after the yowl of agony, and then suddenly the entire Clan leaped forward, covering the dark tabby elder with licks.
"Swallowtail! You're alive!" they meowed all at once, but one by one they fell silent. The other four, where were they? Where they dead or alive? What awaited their gazes at the other side of the cliff?
Mistyfoot tightened her muscles and drew up straight. She walked stiffly to the crest of the hill and looked down. The deputy tried her hardest not to let her horror show, but it was impossible to not hiss with anger.
The mountain-water had uprooted all the trees and created a wasteland. Everything was soaked. Dead bodies of animals lay on the ground, bedraggled and no longer the noble creatures they had been. It was silent. The sun had disappeared and the moon had risen, throwing an eerie blankness over the scene.
She heard the gasps of her Clanmates as they, too, looked over the wasteland. Reedwhisker had appeared at her side, and the agony was plain in his voice when he meowed "Our four lost Clanmates are probably dead,". Mistyfoot didn't show any sign of having heard him, but she glanced at Swallowtail. The elder looked ashamed that she had survived and those four hadn't. Her amber eyes were pools of shame and anger. She looked ready to throw herself off the cliff and follow the same death as her Clanmates, but something rooted her in place and kept her with her Clan.
Mistyfoot turned her head away from the scene and padded away. The survival of her Clan was unlikely. They would need to find a new home or a place to provide them with prey until it all came back. That could take moons, seasons, even a cat's lifetime.
The deputy sighed, and then wondered if the other Clans had survived. None of them could swim, but if she could take a bet she would think WindClan had survived. Those lean cats would be fast enough to outrun the waves. ShadowClan were too muscular and bulky. ThunderClan had tight family ties but were overprotective and hard to control under pressure. They tried to help each other and the other Clans, and that was their downfall.
Mistyfoot's mind wandered over to the survival of Highstones. Was the Clan's connection to StarClan broken off? How would RiverClan ever hear of StarClan again? They had been living in the old territory for seasons after the other Clans had left, and StarClan's RiverClan ancestors had stayed with them. Could the strength of their ancestors not guide them through this?
What if Leopardstar is dead? How will I become leader? Wait, Leopardstar dead?! StarClan help us! Her thoughts were becoming more and more despaired, when a rustle sounded behind her.
The gray she-cat sighed and turned around to see the entire Clan looking at her expectantly. They expected her to take charge now that Leopardstar had seemed to have fallen. The deputy braced herself, and lifted her head. Her blue eyes began to sparkle with command and encouragement.
"RiverClan warriors, we have been struck a hard blow. It looks like Leopardstar, Mosspelt, Heavystep, and Stonestream are dead. We are grateful to StarClan that Swallowtail is still here with us. I won't lie to you – our territory is a wasteland. The prey will have gone. We have to find a new home, if only temporarily. Things will go on as normally as possible, but expect some hungry moons ahead of us. Thank StarClan that Mothwing and Willowpaw are still here to treat us, and thank StarClan for the catd who have survived. We will get through this, as RiverClan has always done,".
Mistyfoot finished her speech and received a nod of approval from Blackclaw sitting in the front row. The smoky black warrior was still the most senior warrior there, and his approval made Mistyfoot feel more confident.
"I will need a small scouting patrol," she announced. Her eyes swept the group, looking for agile but muscular cats. "Rippletail and Minnowstream, scout the territory. Look for our four fallen Clanmates. Look for prey. Take in the real conditions. Try and hunt on the way back. I want you here by sunrise,". The two young warriors nodded, flexed their muscles, and bounded away. Mistyfoot watched them leap from rock to rock and land perfectly before turning back to her Clan. My Clan she realized. They're mine now.
"I'm afraid there isn't much we can do while we're waiting for Rippletail and Minnowstream. Rest while you still can. If you have any questions that I can answer, please ask. I'll be over by the exit,". The Clan nodded in affirmation and just sat. Their heads tilted to the sky to watch the stars brighten as the night went on, and then dwindle to nothing as day came.
The sun was spilling it's bright orange colors over the horizon when a small crackle of stones was heard. Mistyfoot rose stiffly with the rest of the Clan and padded forward as the scouting party returned. Rippletail and Minnowstream came back empty-pawed. There was no prey to hunt. Their eyes held a blazing sadness at what they had just seen.
Being more senior, it was Rippletail who spoke. "We checked out our territory. The river is nearly gone. The mountain-water took that. All of the trees in our territory are fallen. There is no prey. Our camp no longer exists. We looked at ThunderClan's territory. A couple trees are standing, but everywhere we look there is wasteland…..". The tom trailed off, unable to continue. Mistyfoot nodded in understanding.
"Is there any shelter?" called out Beechfur. Rippletail shook his head and exchanged mournful looks with the other warrior. Mistyfoot shook her head. "RiverClan, this news is not good. There isn't any prey, so we'll have to travel to find it,". The deputy didn't say another word. She just bunched her muscles, lowered her head, and plodded forward.
In twelve leaps she and the rest of the Clan were at the bottom of the cliff. The ground beneath her paws was marshy and hard to get a grip on. Water oozed up underneath their pads. All the grass had been torn from the ground, but grass always grew back as quickly as it had gone.
The deputy scented the air, and then sniffed the air again. The forest had taken on a watery smell, almost like fish. It smelled too heavy, too strong, and Mistyfoot wrinkled her nose. There was no trace of prey on the breeze, and no sign of their lost Clanmates. Despair swept through her like the mountain-water itself, but she forced herself to pad onward.
She led the Clan deep into their territory, unwilling to see what had become of the camp. The cats behind her shared her unwillingness, and at the same time lent strength to each other. The RiverClan spirit was back and stronger now underneath the pressure and sorrow and despair that every cat felt.
They trekked until sunhigh, and then took a quick break. The river was just ahead of them, and Mistyfoot braced herself. The sight of their beloved river gone would shatter them all, and there were no herbs to calm the nerves the Clan would feel.
Mistyfoot took one last breath, and then signaled to the Clan. She padded out to the edge of the river and looked down. Her heart leapt into her throat, but out of excitement. The water was returning! It was growing in level before her very eyes, filling up the huge bowl of the river with speed. This water looked calm and inviting. The only bad part was the dead fish that floated on top. It smelled awful, but it was prey.
The Clan seemed to share her thoughts on the prey part. Without asking for permission, Blackclaw leaped into the water. He disappeared below and then reappeared, thrusting through the water strongly with his paws. He picked up a long silver fish and then turned around and swam back to the bank. He tossed it up to the waiting Voletooth, who in turn took it to Swallowtail. The elder accepted the prey and took a big bite to start eating.
Mistyfoot counted the fish in the water. Five were left after Blackclaw's first. It would be enough to feed nearly all the warriors. Mistyfoot decided she would pass. The Clan matters more.
Graymist and Icewing shared theirs, and Beechfur and Rippletail shared one. Mothwing and Willowpaw shared a third, and Dawnflower and Dapplenose shared a fourth. Blackclaw tossed the last to Pouncetail, and Voletooth followed and shared it with the young tom. Both Blackclaw and Reedwhisker passed, and came to sit beside her while the rest of the Clan ate. "There'll be more prey," hissed Blackclaw under his breath, but his long, black claws tore through the muddy ground and became covered with wet dirt. Mistyfoot hissed to silence the tom, angry at his lack of self-sacrifice. The senior warrior fell silent.
The sun would set soon. Mistyfoot wanted them settled beneath some trees before the night. She stood and yowled to call to her Clan. All the warriors stood, now with full stomachs and new energy to get out of this mess. Mistyfoot nodded to them and leaped into the river. She swam across and sprang onto the opposite bank. RiverClan followed, and once they were all on the ThunderClan side she turned and led them forward.
ThunderClan's land was untouched. No cat had ventured here after they had left. It smelled mostly of water, but there was an extremely faint tinge of ThunderClan, sniffable only to the sharpest of noses. Mistyfoot bunched her muscles and picked up the pace. A large tree devoid of all leaves was in her path. It stood up strong, but with a huge black tree lying in front of it. Mistyfoot sprang onto the top of this log, and then over. The Clan followed, beginning to pant as all the obstacles to jump in their paths wore down their endurance. Mistyfoot knew they needed to stop soon, but she needed to find some prey for herself first. Her belly was yowling with hunger. The deputy couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.
She sniffed the air, and then slid on the muddy ground to a stop. Her nose had to be lying. She sniffed again, ignoring the complaints of her Clan as they stopped beside her. "Mistyfoot, what is it?" hissed Dawnflower, her eyes furious with the sudden stoppage. Mistyfoot sniffed again pointedly. Reedwhisker picked up on the cue, and sniffed as well. His eyes widened with shock.
One by one, every cat sniffed the air. Every senior warrior's face was a mask of disbelief. They had to have picked up an old scent, but it would have to be seasons upon seasons old, and this cat could only have been around for a couple seasons.
Mistyfoot hissed "Blackclaw, you're in charge. Dawnflower, Voletooth, Pebblequake, with me,". The named three appeared at her flank, and then they all broke into a run. Mistyfoot followed her nose, trusting it like she had for a very long time. They cleared one huge tree, and then Mistyfoot saw with complete delight the gray tom walking slowly over the marshy earth.
"Graystripe!"