Warriors: Rising Tide

Chapter 41: Puddlesplash

I might have had to delay some of the patrols be abuse of the snow, but this is really nice. The Windclan was thickly covered in the clean white flakes of leaf-bare. The white powder glinted softly as soft dawn light landed on it. Like the frozen ice the day before yesterday it was kinda pretty to look at, even if it stung your paws. I stopped and looked back at the rest of my patrol. Jaggedpaw and Blizzardpaw were throwing snow at eachother with Darkcloud on Blizzardpaws side. Poor Jaggedpaw was out matched. That was until Sparrowscar jumped into the fight. Rushfire stood next to me and laughed at the sight. I wished a little bit that Sagelight and her kits could join. Though I bet Sagelights kits are having plenty of fun exploring their first snow right now. "Come on now, at this rate I'll have to join in!" I called back. Jaggedpaw looked up laughed.

"Sorry sir!"

"I'd say that was a win for us" Blizzardpaw puffed his chest out in pride right as he got a giant pile of snow dumped on his head by Sparrowscar.

"This snow war will not end just after one fight, be prepared" Sparrowscar threatened jokingly.

"I'll take that challange on" Darkcloud smirked, dusting Blizzardpaws head free of snow. We finally left the Windclan border and made our way back to camp. We entered through the bramble tunnel and I noticed the hunting party I organized was starting to gather. Smokefoot noticed me and called me over.

"Puddlesplash over her!"

"Coming!" Once I approached Mothdust greeted me.

"Hi Puddlesplash" Mothdust mewed quietly.

"Hello" I greeted back patrol.

"Is the snow deep?" Whiteleaf asked.

"No, it should be safe hunting today" I informed.

"Than we should get going, see you soon" Smokefoot led his patrol out. I held up a smile but dropped it once the last cat on that patrol left camp. I felt empty and unable to really focus. Maplestar had left camp before the dawn this morning and had come back very anger before I got a chance to talk to her, at least that was what Cardinalrush told me since she was on guard duty.

What could she be doing?  I hope everything is alright? I noticed Silverfeather patrol arriving and walked over to greet her.

"Anything interesting happen at the Skyclan border?" I asked Silverfeather. The silver tabby she-cat looked worried and so I became worried.

"I don't know why, but the Skyclan warriors are still really distant" Silverfeather sighed, "they wouldn't talk to us when we greeted them".

"Do you know if any of the apprentices did anything? Or even any of the younger warriors?"

"Not that I know of" Silverfeather and I pricked our ears at the sound of someone coughing hard. I looked around and saw her apprentice, Sycamorepaw, coughing hard not that far from us. "He started coughing this morning," Silverfeather scrunched her face on worry, "he says he feels fine but I have a bad feeling"

"Make him go and see Moonwater, he could have something" I mumbled.

"Alrighty" Silverfeather nodded a goodbye before rushing over to her apprentice.

"You left us so quickly!" Rushfire came up and teased me. He saw my concern expression and dropped the jovial tone. "Is everything alright?"

"Silverfeather said her border patrol was treated coldly by the Skyclan patrol. Got any ideas as to why?"

"It's leaf-bare, everyone gets serious" he shrugged. I hoped he was right. We were interrupted by heavy coughing from the elders. "Wow, I think something might be going around" Rushfire commented as he came sat next to me in the snow.

"I don't think so, I have only heard two cats cough" I cocked my head at him.

"I saw Whiteleaf hacking a lung this morning and Firepaw went to Moonwater complaining about his lungs hurting" my mate clenched his jaw from worry.

"Oh man, please let this not be the start of something?" I couldn't help but start to fret over the idea of a pandemic right now.

"I might wanna tell Maplestar when she" I could tell Rushfire was putting two and two together. "Do you think Skyclan acting weird and Windclan suddenly leaving are connected"

"Briarstar made a comment to Snailstar and he went wide eyed. I don't understand why he and the rest of the clan left. Even Mudstripe, Ferretflight, and Birchleaf were questioning him. And she had talked to Maplestar for awhile before that"

"It seems everything is going up into the air"

"Mmm" was all I could responded with.

"You don't think we are going to war?" I looked at him with shock.

"No way! Maplestar wouldn't do such a thing!"

"You sure?" The ginger and red tabby gave me a weird look.

"You saw what the Yellowstar wars did to us, no one in our generation want war. Especially her"

"Puddlesplash!" Moonwater ran up to me and Rushfire. I smiled at my friend as she approached and Rushfire greeted her.

"Hey Moonwater!"

"Hi-hey can I talk to you?" The dark grey tabby she-cat gave me a begging look and I felt obliged to.

"Umm-sure..."

"Is it alright if I am here?" Rushfire looked between the two of us weirdly.

"Your fine Rushfire" she quickly turned back to me and whispered. "You haven't had any of those dreams recently have you? Anything about the prophecy?"

"N-no" I tended at the idea of one of those painful experiences, "Moon-"

"You see, Maplestar and I went to the Moonpool but she didn't receive any lives. Which means Applestar is alive right? I mean Maplestar says she has lives but I don't see any and now I am just confused so I thought I would ask you and-"

"Moonwater calm down" I placed a tail on her shoulder. "Your hyperventilating"

"I-I just don't know what to do. I know I need to fix this issue with her lives, or maybe I don't have that strong of a connection to see them, but I have sick cats now and I can't divide myself between Maplestar and the sick and-"

"Moonwater" I said as soothingly as I could.

"Are you sure she didn't get lives?" Rushfire asked. Moonwater shook her head yes as she took deep calming breathes.

"Pretty sure"

"I'll talk with Maplestar later, right now you should focus on getting those who are sick taken care of" I advised. Moonwater nodded lightly and put her face into my mane.

"Puddlesplash what am I gonna do? I always had Coldheart helping me. Without him here I feel so much pressure"

"Looks like we are both in the sand boat" I laughed nervously. Rushfire and I shared concerned looks and he mouthed to me.

'What is going on? Everything is messed up'