The Nine-Deed Prophecy

Chapter Four: Rootkit's Near-Death Experience

Berryeyes, a pretty warrior with a chestnut-brown pelt, yawned and stretched in the Warriors' den.
Unfortunately, she was not a morning cat, and often woke up later than most of the other warriors.

Noticing that there were no cats left in the den, she quickly rose up. Immediately, she was greeted by Darkpaw, her apprentice.

"Darkpaw, hello. Asking for another mentoring session, I suppose?"

"No, no," Darkpaw began, "I wanted to ask you something. About the gathering you attended last night."

Berryeyes sighed, "I can't reveal any secret information, you know that. Just because I'm you're mentor, that doesn't mean I will do so many favours for you. I will certainly not be breaking the warrior code, and risking exile, if that's what you're asking. So, I'm sure you wouldn't ask that - you're sensible," and with that, Berryeyes left him, happy with herself for guilting the talkative apprentice.

Darkpaw frowned. He'd known it was a long shot, but he wanted the popularity - after all, a good clan life is better when you are much more well-liked.
So a sneaky trick came into his mind.

At moonhigh, he visited the bouncy kits, to bring them the "information."
When Rainkit, Rootkit, and Shellkit saw him coming, they immediately became excited.
Rootkit rushed up to him.

"Darkpaw! What did Berryeyes say?"

"Oh, well, I'm not sure you would want to know..." he murmured, slightly smiling - the kits wouldn't know he was lying.

"Yes we do! Yes we do!" they exclaimed.

"Well... It's quite worrying, actually. The leaders were discussing things that Berryeyes didn't appear to understand at first, because she'd been unaware of the past news that must've linked to it. I believe that not far from here, there had been a dreadful flood. And a large pack of viscous dogs needed a new territory, and are planning to take over ours. Even if it means killing us first!" he smirked, watching the horror move through the kits' faces.

None of them took a moment to consider the obscurity of the lie, but, they were just kits.
They pranced off, full of wonder and thrilled fright.

"Are we going to die?" muttered Shellkit.

"No, I'll protect you!" Rootkit announced, making wild gestures, to his sisters' amusement.

The day proceeded without much difference, even though the kits were convinced that dogs were going to rip them to shreds in the next few days.
Kits didn't necessarily always have much sense.

* * *

Rootkit was happy to hear that his mother, Goldenglow, was going to take him out to the river, so that they could have a nice afternoon, by the luxurious river that RiverClan were blessed with.

"Did you hear? I'm going with Goldenglow to the river later!" Rootkit boasted to the other kits.

"My mother never takes me out to the river," Loyalkit sighed.

"Neither!" protested Forestkit.

"I'll try to bring back some fish for you all," kindly promised Rootkit.

* * *

"Goldenglow? Goldenglow?" Greyleaf, a fellow queen, called.

"Greetings, Greyleaf," nodded the beautiful, golden-brown coloured queen that approached her. Her eyes were enchantingly blue, and fur always neat and clean.

"The other kits are very jealous of your outing with Rootkit later on,"

"Are they? I think we should take our litters out more. Kits are brought up so clueless to the world around them - shouldn't we show it to them before they have responsibility flung upon them?"

"You're very wise, dear. But I'm afraid the dangers outlast your morals,"

"If I accompany my son, he won't be at risk, surely,"

"There is always risk, my friend," Greyleaf smiled.

Goldenglow fetched Rootkit from the Nursery, much to the kit's joy. "Are we going to the river?!" babbled Rootkit.

"Yes, yes. We will get there," she assured him.

The two sat calmly by the rushing water, marvelling at the beauty of it.

"We should respect the river more," Goldenglow said suddenly, out of the relaxed silence.

"I've only been twice,"

"Hmm. I go lots. Whenever I can slip off, really,"

"You do?"

"If there's a way to escape all the stress, and chaos of the camp, whilst experiencing the incredible qualities of nature, it's here," she whispered, still gazing at the waters.

Goldenglow glanced at the sky, nodded, and got up.
Rootkit was confused to what she saw, but thought nothing of it.

"I will be back in a few minutes," she told Rootkit. "Wait here, will you?"

Rootkit nodded.

No more than a few seconds after she had left, was consequently when it began.

Further up the river, Rootkit heard a splashing. The splashing became more frantic, and panicked meows followed.
Scared, Rootkit pounced up, and rapidly tried to trace the sound.
He eventually saw a drowning kit, come from ThunderClan, who had presumably been washed down through to the RiverClan territory.
The kit meowed for help, terrified and panting.

Without even really thinking, Rootkit suddenly jumped into the water, and fought the cold, fast current, to get to the kit.
All the energy inside Rootkit was pushing him through the river, and as soon as he got to the kit, it tried to grab onto him, accidentally forcing him completely underwater.

Amongst all the havoc, somehow, they swam to the opposite side of the bank that Rootkit had come from, panting, and glad to be on land.

Rootkit looked at the kit he had just saved - the pretty, grey she-cat had big, frightened eyes.
Without one more word, she sprinted off, never to be seen afterwards.

Rootkit lay on the grass, still exhausted, until Goldenglow returned, at the other side.
She had to swim across to get him back, but strangely, didn't seem too fussed about it.

Goldenglow asked about what had happened, but Rootkit was too tired and confused to really make any coherent sentences. After all, warriors from RiverClan (even after all their moons of swimming training) had died trying to save others, yet some miracle had saved Rootkit, and that other kit.
Rootkit silently thanked StarClan thoroughly on the way back, glad to be alive.

When Goldenglow returned him to the nursery, he immediately flopped in his nest, just wanting to sleep.
His adoring mother looked over her sleeping kit, so happy.

She knew what had really happened.
She had known about what Rootkit did.
She knew who the other kit was.

He was lucky to be alive.