Saving The River(ON HOLD)

~Chapter 5~

 "Don't let your shadow fall on the water," Rapidstar meowed calmly. Splashpaw moved herself back a little. She was sitting very still beside the river, waiting for fish to appear. Her sister had come back from the Moonpool last night, tired and exhausted from the journey. Splashpaw had stopped Dewpaw before she entered the medicine den, and asked her what was wrong. But Dewpaw had just shaken her head.

"Now, when you do find one, dart your paw in and swoop it out. Then keep it away from any water source, like the river, or that puddle over there," her mentor instructed.

"Okay, Rapidstar." She settled herself comfortably next to him. A few heartbeats later, she spotted a pike swimming towards her down the stream. When the fish was a fox-length away, she swooped her paw in, clawing the fish near its gills. She tossed it away from any waters and killed it swiftly, with a quick bite to its neck.

"Well done," Rapidstar praised. Splashpaw beamed with pride.

"Can we eat it here?" she asked.

"No," Rapidstar replied sternly. "The queens and elders eat first. We must bring it back to camp for them." Splashpaw nodded. As she was about to stand up and trek back to the RiverClan camp with her mentor, she felt the cool breeze of leaf-bare.

"Leaf-bare must be coming soon," she realized, dropping her fish so she could speak.

"Yes. Leaf-bare is upon us. But we will stay strong," her mentor responded. Splashpaw sat back down. "The other clans believe that when the river and fish freeze, we lose all our prey."

"But... don't we?"

Rapidstar shook his head. "Not all of it. We still have ducks, geese, mice, and sometimes water voles and water shrews."

"But don't they all hide underground?" Splashpaw questioned. "Or in the trees on ThunderClan and ShadowClan land?"

"Exactly." Her mentor had gotten up and started walking towards the RiverClan camp, so Splashpaw took her fish and followed him. "But the other clans face that same problem. So therefore, we are not the most affected by leaf-bare. All the clans are affected equally."

"Oh," Splashpaw mumbled, the fish still in her mouth. She followed Rapidstar in silence the rest of the way back to the camp. As they neared the entrance, Splashpaw noticed Snowpaw with Eelstorm near the fresh-kill pile. Snowpaw layed a trout on top and Eelstorm laid down a water vole and a heron.

"Now," Rapidstar's mew made her jump. "take your catch to the fresh-kill pile, right next to where Snowpaw is with his mentor." Splashpaw nodded. As she drew closer to Snowpaw, her heart started beating fast, and her legs got all shaky. What's wrong with me?!

Splashpaw finally arrived in front of the white tom. She dropped her pike on top of his trout.

"Hey," Snowpaw whispered, making her jump.

"Uh... hi?" Splashpaw responded, keeping her voice low.

Snowpaw smiled. "I want to show you something tonight."

"Okay." Splashpaw shrugged. "When?"

"Moon-high." Snowpaw turned around at Eelstorm's call. "I have to go," he murmured. "See ya."

"Bye." Splashpaw sighed. She had sounded like a fish-brain. Snowpaw whisked away with Eelstorm to go gather something. Pebblepaw was leaving with Reedmouth to go hunting. Rapidstar was heading towards his den for a little break, and Silverpaw was training with Tawnyfang. But where was Dewpaw? Splashpaw decided to check the medicine den. She was surprised to find only Bluemuzzle, who was treating Ripplemoon. The dark gray she-cat had recently gotten too close to the ShadowClan border and attacked by two foxes.