Spirits: Spirit Rising #1

Six𓆝Dried Up

'What... In StarClan's great, holy name was that?' Firepaw squawked. The four cats were on their way back home to camp, after... that.

'StarClan knows.' Leafpaw meowed. He looked down at his paws, as if disbelieving the power he held in them. Ripplepaw didn't quite believe it either. She wasn't quite sure this wasn't just some crazy fever dream.

Don't worry. A soft voice said in her head. You'll be alright.

Dew! So it wasn't just a dream after all.

'The thing is, I don't think StarClan does know.' Firepaw muttered. 'Didn't those things say they're above StarClan?'

'They're not just things, Firepaw!' Breezepaw insisted. 'They're the Spirits. They create life! Show them some respect.'

'As if. I almost burnt down the entire forest, thanks to them.' He spat.

'Wait...' Breezepaw mewed timidly. 'So what you told Berry was true?'

'Uh. Yeah.' He growled.

'Oh.'

'And I don't appreciate you telling that cat I'm mentally unwell.' He added.

'That was a joke!' To be fair to Breezepaw, she made plenty of jokes like that. She was definitely joking. But Firepaw has a right to be upset about it, too. 'I'm sorry if I upset you, in retrospect.'

'Just like you were sorry when you beat me in battle? Because you're spending so much time with the deputy? Floraclaw is obsessed with making you some brilliant fighter! My mentor doesn't even like to fight prey! It's not fair, Breezepaw, and you know it.'

'Firepaw, it's not my fault the deputy's my mentor-'

'Leave me alone, Breezepaw.' He darted away, into the forest.

'Breezepaw?' Ripplepaw approached her. 'I'm sorry he treated you like that. I- I don't know what brought that on.'

'Me neither.' She shrugged. 'Just because I beat him in training-'

'You beat him in training? Well done!' Ripplepaw grinned.

'Thanks, Ripplepaw!' Breezepaw. 'It was easy, once I figured out the moves he always uses. He's brilliant at like, two or three moves, but knows nothing else.'

'Huh.'

'The river...' Leafpaw muttered.

'It's gone!' Ripplepaw ran over to her favourite place in the territory. She was definitely standing at the river bank- she recognised the landscape around it, and those were the stepping stones the "normal" BerryClan cats used to cross! But there was no river, just a dry bank. 'It's okay. I've- I've got this.'

She wanted to create a wave, like she did when meeting Dew. She could surely bring one now, right?

Dew, help me! She tried to reach out, but the goddess didn't reply. So she stepped into the bank, and tried to make a wave come. Even just a small one. She squeezed her eyes tightly as if that would do anything. Come on! She imagined herself at a lake, playing in the water, waves lapping at her paws.

No!

Eventually she gave up, humiliated. She couldn't help. She couldn't bring back the water, which must've evaporated in the extremely hot temperatures they were having. Ripplepaw hadn't really noticed it, but it was so hot! Even at night it felt like an average day. What's up with that?

Oh-no, She just realised.

'What about FallClan?!'