Escape from BoneClan

Chapter 6

Tempers were as short as the leaf-bare days
Pride swelled inside ___, blossoming like a flower.

Silverkit plunged into the churning water. Coldness wrapped around her, squeezing the air out of her body. Bubbles exploded around her and from her mouth. The icy liquid dragged her down into its murky depths. But Silverpaw pushed with her hind legs, struggling to force herself to swim upward.
Her head burst above the surface and she gasped for fresh air. But it wasn't long until another huge wave crashed over her. It slammed her below the surface again, knocking the air out if her once more. Silverpaw wanted to scream, but only a few bubbles came out. Another strong gush of water sent her tumbling head over paws. Silverpaw was flipped over in the icy darkness so many times she didn't know which way was up. She felt the tips of her ears touch cold air she kicked strongly toward it. Her bobbed above the surface again, but only long enough for her to draw in more air before another wave flung her deep back into the water. Suddenly, something grabbed her by the scruff and hauled back to the surface. Silverpaw heard someone yowl her name, but her ears were too clogged with water to identify who. Panic rose in her chest, and she thrashed around desperately. Firm jaws were clamped around her soak neck fur, dragging her back toward the riverbank. With a heavy splosh, she was thrown onto solid ground. The cat turned and plunged back into the water.
What's going on? Fear pounded in Silverpaw's head. She blinked water from her eyes and weakly lifted her head. A blurry image formed in front of her. A brown tabby shape was yowling at her from the other side of the river. A white bundle of fur lay next to her panting, and a dark shadow of a cat loomed over them, surrounded by three more shapes. Then Silverpaw noticed a flash of red in the churning, angry water. Seconds later, a russet head broke above the water, a limp grey figure dangling from his jaws. Redstream! Carrying Hailpaw! Silverpaw didn't know what to think. Her blurry vision was starting to fade, and she coughed up a puddles of water in front of her. She looked up, staring directly into familiar yellow eyes. Ravenpaw! They'd been caught! Redstream hauled himself onto the sodden grass. The rain had stopped. Redstream shook his heavily dished pelt, sending shimmering droplets flying. He laid down Hailpaw at one of the cats paws. Otterfrost! Silverpaw struggled to her paws. Redstream had dived back into the water, heading for the other side of the river where Bramblepaw was cowering.
Are Hailpaw and Fallingpaw okay? She wondered, a panicked wail stick in her throat like a frozen hard piece of prey. Fallingpaw flank rose and fall, and she soon staggered to her feet and looked around. Then she glanced at Hailpaw. At the same moment Redstream plunged back into the water, Bramblepaw in his jaws. But to Silverkit's horror, instead of swiftly swimming towards the bank, the red warrior was slammed under the surface by a strong wave.
"Bramblepaw!" Fallingpaw wailed. Silverpaw scanned the hilly grey water, but there was no sign of Redstream. Suddenly, she craggy a glimpse of red in the water. Redstream! But it wasn't Redstream. It was blood.
"No!" Silverpaw shrieked. She wanted to throw herself into the raging water, but Ravenpaw grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and pulled her back. To her relief, Redstream's head surfaced again, with Bramblepaw in his jaws. He had long gash on his forehead. He must've bumped his head in the rocks below! He gripped onto the riverbank and pulled himself up with a groan. Then he collapsed, panting.
"Are you okay?" Fallingpaw asked.
"I'm fine," Bramblepaw rasped, lifting his head. Otterfrost and Mudstar, the other two cats, sat open mouthed beside Hailpaw. Dawnrose, the other shape, pushed past them.
"Let me see Hailpaw!" She snapped. She put her ear close to Hailpaw's little body
"Is Hailpaw okay?" Silverpaw asked quietly; she wasn't sure whether anyone had heard her over the screaming wind.
"He's not moving," Fallingpaw whimpered, her yellow eyes wide. Bramblepaw stared at her in disbelief. Hailpaw looked so small and fragile with his grey-speckled fur plastered to his limp body.
"Im sorry." Dawnrose murmured loudly enough for them to hear. She pulled away from Hailpaw and dipped her head.
"Hailpaw is dead."