I hear words in clips and phrases; I think sick like ginger ale.
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Cedarpaw couldn't remember how he'd ended up in the water. All he knew was that if he stopped churning his paws, he'd sink.
Or was it even water? The water in the rivers wasn't usually like this, all sticky and dark as if you'd liquified malice. The water in the rivers never felt like it was trying to drown you.
His head spun, another crashing wave sending him beneath the surface. He struggled desperately, resisting the urge to yowl. At least until he could breathe again.
He managed to break the surface, gasping and thrashing his paws. He glanced desperately towards the riverbank, but all he could see in each direction was more and more water. Wasn't there land somewhere?
His eyes suddenly met with another pair. At least, he thought—hoped—it must be another cat's eyes. It could be a fox for all he cared, as long as something, anything, would just get him out of the water.
He paddled furiously towards the eyes. There must be land, or a stone to rest on. Anything would be better than this. Because Cedarpaw was not going to drown. Not here, not as long as he still had a scrap of fight left in him.
The eyes vanished before he was halfway towards them.
"Cedarpaw? Cedarpaw!"
The weight of a large, furry projectile crashing full-force into Cedarpaw knocked both his dream and the wind out of him. He let out a decidedly undignified sound that was some combination of a grunt and a squeak in response.
"Firepaw, don't crush him!" Palepaw cried, sounding genuinely distressed.
"I tried to tell you the oversized furball doesn't know his own strength," Robinpaw teased dryly.
Some semblance of feeling returning to him, Cedarpaw slowly opened his eyes. The avalanche of bright ginger fur to his left and right was obviously Firepaw. Robinpaw and Palepaw were watching him, both seeming relieved by his coming to.
"You know, I can handle being woken up," he grumbled, "but I think I draw the line at being suffocated in my nest."
"Sorry," Firepaw replied sheepishly, stepping lightly off him. "You were tossing and turning in your sleep. Palepaw thought you were having a nightmare."
Cedarpaw rolled his eyes, forcing himself to stand up and stretch. Whether it was because of his dream or Firepaw's unexpected tackling, every part of his body felt tired and stiff.
I didn't stay up that late, so why do I feel as if I swam the whole river ten times?
"You're not hurt, are you?" Firepaw added anxiously. "Really, I wasn't trying to be so heavy."
"I think I'll live," Cedarpaw assured him, giving his friend a warm tail-flick to try and signal there were no hard feelings. "Honestly, I was having a pretty bad dream."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Robinpaw asked, curling around him.
"Nah, it was nothing," Cedarpaw decided. "Dreams are just dreams. It spooked me a little, but it's not like it can hurt me."
Although maybe I will try to stay away from the river today, just in case...
A small, black head peered into the den, and Sablepaw quickly padded towards them. Her tail flicked back and forth pleasantly, though she paused to give Cedarpaw a long look that suggested she didn't quite know what to make of him.
Now, granted, Cedarpaw didn't have any concrete evidence that Sablepaw was as bad as her brother. But the association alone was enough reason to avoid her regardless. He returned her stare with a small spark of defiance, a look familiar to Robinpaw as she flicked her tail warningly at him.
"...You have pine needles in your fur," Sablepaw announced finally, cutting through the stony silence. She broke off staring at Cedarpaw, nodding politely at the other apprentices. "Ravenmoon is calling a meeting soon. She asked me to let you all know."
Just like that, Sablepaw padded out of the den. Cedarpaw waited for her tail to disappear before lapping at his coat. Whatever mixed feelings he had, she'd been right; his fur was a mess this morning.
"She's not that bad if you take some time to talk to her, you know," Firepaw remarked.
"You just get along with every cat you meet," Cedarpaw teased warmly. "Anyway, I doubt she'd want to talk to me. Not when Breezepaw and I are... the way we are."
"It's too early in the morning to be picking fights," Robinpaw cut in diplomatically. She shot Cedarpaw a meaningful look. "Please."
"It's just a meeting," Cedarpaw reminded her cheerfully. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse."
Robinpaw smiled softly, brushing his shoulder on her way outside. Palepaw followed at her heels. Firepaw purred, lapping his ear before joining them.
Just one meeting. I'm tired, but it's nothing I can't sit through.
Shaking out his pelt and giving himself one last lick, Cedarpaw bounded after his friends. Ravenmoon was already standing on the Meeting Perch with Hollypaw of all cats at her side. The black tabby apprentice looked like she'd gotten to sleep about as well as he had, which was to say not very well at all. Swallowfall nosed her shoulder sympathetically.
Most of the assembled cats were curious, eyes wide and whiskers twitching as they watched expectantly. Others were hunched more tentatively, a nervousness about their stiff shoulders and glassy eyes. He locked eyes with Breezepaw across the crowd, but he remembered his promise to Robinpaw and just settled down between Grasshawk and Cardinalfire, as far away as he could get.
"Cats of RiftClan, I have called you here this morning with important news," Ravenmoon began. Her warm yellow eyes fixed on Hollypaw briefly. "Last night, Hollypaw received a vision."
"I did," Hollypaw confirmed, though she seemed uncertain. "I... I think it might have something to do with the sickness Maplemoon was talking about? But I'm not sure..."
"No cat expects you to know everything all at once," Swallowfall assured her kindly. "That's why we have meetings like this, to discuss what exactly our visions are trying to tell us. Do you mind sharing the message with us all?"
"I don't mind," Hollypaw agreed, cheering up considerably. She cleared her throat before continuing. "What was once a safe haven will be uprooted by the raven. When the black feathers come, they will seep into lungs, and leave the Clans undone. Do not fear the abhor, for in the aftermath an encore of legacy shall echo forevermore."
She stopped rather abruptly, blinking twice as if she hadn't been fully aware of what she was saying. But that must have been the full message as she appeared satisfied. Cedarpaw tipped his head, unable to stop himself from letting his curiosity wander. It all seemed a bit vague, if you asked him, though he supposed that's why they had cats like Swallowfall who trained for moons to master the art of decryption.
"Should we start gathering tansy and ginger?" Vixenflight suggested. "Something seeping into cat's lungs, that sounds like a cough. We could stop the worst of it if we treat it quickly."
"Hollypaw and I will stock up today," Swallowfall agreed. "If we can find any, blessed thistle might not be bad to have around either..."
"Do we really have to go rushing about to find herbs?" Dawnspots wondered aloud. "The last line of the message seemed to be saying everything would turn out alright, didn't it?"
Figuring no cat would be particularly interested in his input anyway, Cedarpaw decided to leave Ravenmoon and her warriors to argue while he got something to fill his belly. The fresh-kill pile still had a few leftovers from last night. Not feeling very choosy, he selected a scrawny goldfinch and settled down near Palepaw, Firepaw, and Breezepaw, who had formed a small group to talk.
"I wonder what Hollypaw's vision means," Palepaw remarked. Her eyes were lit up like stars. "A real prophecy! That's so exciting!"
"Sure, if you like ominous warnings about impending doom," Firepaw teased. Cedarpaw twitched his ears, amused.
"Besides, I'm sure the prophecy won't involve either of you," Breezepaw added loftily. "Sablepaw or I make much more sense to be chosen as an encore of legacy."
"Oh, I guess you're right!" Palepaw agreed, though she didn't seem to lose her enthusiasm for an instant. "That would be pretty cool. Imagine being a prophecy cat..."
An all-too-familiar burning sensation began to spread through Cedarpaw's body. He knew he was probably just extra grumpy because of his poor night's sleep. He knew he had promised Robinpaw not to start any arguments.
I don't care what she says, that arrogant mange-pelt deserves to be clawed down to size!
He stood up, dropping a small shower of feathers he'd forgotten to lick from his muzzle. All three apprentices looked startled by his approach, and the fact that they apparently hadn't even realised he was there sent a thrill of satisfaction through him.
"Trying to bribe yourself a couple of friends, prophecy cat?" he growled, eyes locked firmly on Breezepaw. He could feel the concerned stares of Firepaw and Palepaw on him, but he shook them off.
"I don't have to bribe any cat to be friends with them," Breezepaw replied coolly. "Unlike you, I don't try to bite their heads off. And you can't deny that my theory makes sense, logically speaking."
"You're right," Cedarpaw admitted, much to Breezepaw's surprise. Slowly, he lashed his tail, a dangerous softness creeping into his tone as they began to circle each other. "You're the kit of a leader. You're probably next in line if something happens to Shadowblink, so every cat is obligated to put up with you."
They stopped moving, eyes still locked. The blue-grey apprentice looked one wispy breeze away from snapping like a twig. Cedarpaw couldn't resist the self-satisfied smirk that crept onto his face, and he unsheathed his claws as he took a step forward.
"Must be nice," Cedarpaw snarled. "Of course, I never was one for following stupid rules. So if you ever need some cat to give you a reality check, you know where to find me."
He was prepared for Breezepaw to snap something back, or at least to storm off and lick his wounds until he could come up with a suitable retort. So he was caught completely off guard by the blue-grey tom suddenly releasing a guttural growl and knocking him off his paws.
"You hypocritical, fox-hearted, nuisance!" Breezepaw spat, though Cedarpaw could only partially register what he was saying while avoiding getting his ears cuffed. "I'm the one who needs a reality check? At least my parents have status!"
Fueled by the sudden wave of adrenaline, Cedarpaw whapped a paw across Breezepaw's face, battering him across the nose with sheathed claws. He might've been angry, but Breezepaw hadn't actually clawed him, so he would at least fight fair. The two toms glared at each other as they shook out their dust-covered coats.
"At least my father never had to act as a toy for twolegs," Cedarpaw hissed between small, panty breaths.
Breezepaw froze, something that could only be described as genuine hurt flashing across his face. Palepaw's light blue eyes were round and full of concern, while Firepaw hurriedly removed himself from the situation entirely.
"Breezepaw, I—"
Those dark amber eyes narrowed so fiercely that Cedarpaw cut himself off. What could he have said, anyway? Some half-baked apology that wouldn't even begin to mend the damage he just caused?
I didn't mean it.
He dropped his gaze, the sound of paw steps filling his ears. Breezepaw wouldn't have wasted any time in leaving, but some cat apparently thought to sit next to him. He didn't need to look up to recognise his sister's warmth and scent. Not that he could feel much of anything besides the numbness that was beginning to creep over him.
"Cedarpaw, come with me," a much gruffer but still familiar voice ordered. He raised his head, dejectedly meeting Brackenstep's gaze. "I think it might be good for you to get out of camp for a little while. Orchidwind, Shadowblink, and I are about to leave for a patrol."
Right, because you don't want me going off on any of the other apprentices like that, Cedarpaw guessed miserably.
He didn't say that out loud though. In fact, as he rose to his paws and followed his father out of camp, he didn't say anything at all.