Book 1: Echoing Voices - Warriors

Chapter 11

Drizzlepaw's POV

The reason Drizzlepaw dove after a ThunderClan cat that just tried to attack him? He had no idea. Drizzlepaw waited for the impact of the water and once he did, he felt the cold water completely submerge him. He was lucky the drop wasn't too far. His wounds immediately stung and the new wound Auburnpaw had given him on his pad wasn't feeling great, but the water was cleaning the open cuts all over his pelt. Drizzlepaw kicked his legs so that he reached the surface. The water was dark, but clean. So it wasn't going to infect his wounds. The torrent of the water was strong, but not crazy. The only major problem was Auburnpaw. There was no way the ThunderClan apprentice would be able to fight the current without proper training. Drizzlepaw let the water carry him downstream because Auburnpaw would probably go with it. Drizzlepaw felt his muscles ache even more as he swam then when he was running. He grimaced as he kept his head above the water, searing around, trying to find the light colored tom. There was no sign of him.
"Auburnpaw!" he yowled.
No reply.
Drizzlepaw flattened his ears and his eyes went all over the place. Auburnpaw must've gone under.
Drizzlepaw inhaled a large amount of oxygen before he ducked under again. His pupils widened as he searched in the dark water. He moved along with the current and he saw Auburnpaw just floating along. He was definitely unconscious.
If he hit a rock... Drizzlepaw pushed the thought away.
He quickly reached out and grabbed Auburnpaw's tail between his jaws and pulled him closer so he could get ahold of the larger cat's scruff. Once he did, he quickly pushed himself to the surface and coughed out a bit of water. His muscles were weakening, but they were out of the gorge and the water seemed to be calmer as they reached a riverbank. Auburnpaw was completely limp in Drizzlepaw's jaws and Drizzlepaw made his way towards the solid ground. Water kept making its way into Drizzlepaw's mouth and he couldn't breathe properly with Auburnpaw's scruff in his mouth.
Drizzlepaw waited until he could feel pebbles beneath his paws before he scrambled over to the shore. He dropped Auburnpaw once he was out of the water enough to breathe. Drizzlepaw panted heavily and spat out the water that lingered in his mouth and lungs. He shook slightly and glanced over at Auburnpaw, who was still completely unconscious. Drizzlepaw moved his ear close to Auburnpaw's open mouth and narrowed his eyes. He placed his forepaws onto Auburnpaw's white chest and began to press down. It only took him one time before Auburnpaw sat up and started to cough up water. Drizzlepaw backed away and sat down, slouching over out of weariness.
"You're welcome." he snorted.
Auburnpaw let out a few more coughs before he stopped and shook his head. He glanced over at Drizzlepaw, but didn't say thanks. Instead he said, "You're bleeding."
Drizzlepaw's eyes widened for a moment and watched just as a drop of blood fell from the side of his neck. Then another, and another, and...so on.
"Oh, come on." Drizzlepaw hissed.
Auburnpaw snorted slightly before shooting a look at the water.
"I never...want to get in the water...again." Auburnpaw rasped, his voice horse.
Drizzlepaw was about to nod in agreement before the tom continued.
"And you...owe me a squirrel."

Drizzlepaw sniffed around as he lowered his head and tail. It was the day after he had met Auburnpaw and they were still journeying together. Drizzlepaw found some cobwebs and showed Auburnpaw how to put them on Drizzlepaw's wounds. It was kind of awkward, having the tom treat his wounds and cleaning it and...moving on.
"I still need to find the others. I was separated from my group by the fire." Drizzlepaw meowed.
Auburnpaw licked his jaws from the blood of a vole he had caught when Drizzlepaw was sleeping after the swimming disaster. They had agreed that Drizzlepaw paid Auburnpaw back for taking the squirrel when he saved Auburnpaw from drowning.
"Okay, but from now on, don't steal my prey." Auburnpaw muttered.
Drizzlepaw scoffed, "What do you mean 'from now on?'"
Auburnpaw perked one of his ears that he usually kept flat.
"If you're stupid, you can force us to separate. If you're smart, we stay together and try to find some other cat from any Clan." he meowed, completely monotone.
Drizzlepaw stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. It was hard to tell which decision Auburnpaw truly preferred, all logic aside.
"Fine, but you're catching the prey and I'll do the healing stuff." he huffed.
"That's what I said in the first place mousebrain." Auburnpaw grumbled.
Drizzlepaw lashed his tail, "No you didn't! Besides, you're the idiot who got worked up about me finding a dead squirrel that was completely fresh and left alone. What did you expect me to do? Leave a perfectly good meal alone when I'm starving?" he ranted.
Auburnpaw's gaze slowly changed from completely emotionless to slightly amused.
"And you're calling me worked up." he meowed before turning away and padding off in a random direction.
Drizzlepaw lowered his head and mumbled to himself under his breath, grumbling about how annoying this trip was.
"I think dying alone would've been better than traveling with this tom."