100 Tales 83
Before the storm
It's like the calm before the storm.
Everything is peaceful.
Quiet.
A little too quiet.
The air is humid, and it is so hot, even for a fine greenleaf day—all the prey is hiding in their holes, and we have all had to drink out of the pool in the medicine cats' den to keep hydrated at least at some part of the day; it is too hot to go out right now and the thunder clouds are swirling above the camp. Therefore, nobody wants to go out! The storm could break out at any moment, and the medicine cat was just fretting that it looks dangerous and like it could be deadly!
Harrumph, said one of the elders to that. They said that we shouldn't be so worried!
But even they have had to drink out of the pool in the medicine cats' den to keep cool and hydrated, so they shouldn't be scorning this so much!
The kits and the queens are in the medicine cats' den, and so are some of the (more sensitive!) elders; it is just too hot for them out there!
And I? Well, I'm simply inside the leader's den. I'm just telling the story…. It's too hot, though. I'm worried that the kits are going to die. It's been like this for days—I'm worried that the storm will be coming, soon….
Who am I? Oh, I'm Amberleaf. I'm just the medicine cat. But…. oh! There's a rumble of thunder in the distance. It will probably rain soon…. and really hard.
But I'm waiting.