Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 3

Ivypaw lay at the edge of AshClan's territory in the rain forest. She stared off across the stream to where StormClan lived. Where she lay, the rain forest territory had faded into a stream and on the other side of the stream was the big clearing surrounded by a stream where StormClan lived.

Her fur bristled as a dark gray tabby tom stared at her from the other side of the stream; there was no hostility in his gaze, just curiosity.

"Who are you?" Ivypaw meowed, forcing her fur to lay flat.

"I'm Reedpaw," the tabby tom meowed, his blue eyes staring straight at Ivypaw's.

Ivypaw stood up and looked at him with her amber eyes. As if expecting attack, Reedpaw dropped down on his four paws.

She let out a hiss and dropped down, facing him levelly. "Don't even try to leap onto my territory," she hissed.

"I wasn't planning on it," Reedpaw hissed in response.

Ivypaw lashed her tail furiously. Reedpaw came closer to the edge of his territory by the stream and provoked, Ivypaw leaped forward.

Her paws lifted off the ground and felt light in the air. She felt as though she were flying. She looked down and saw the ground of StormClan territory. She outstretched her paws, hoping she would land on their territory and not in the stream.

In a second, she fell straight into the stream. Her wet fur was plastered to her body and she shivered. The stream began to flow, pushing her down the stream forcefully. "HELP!" she yowled, her words drowned out by water entering her mouth. Her ears rang; she could only see darkness due to her closed eyes. She didn't dare to open her eyes, worried that water creep into her eyes.

She could hear a muffled, "I'm coming!"

Something grabbed her scruff and lifted her out of the water as if she were a kit. Water dripped down from her pelt as she was lifted out. She felt a hard rock beneath her and she finally opened her eyes. Reedpaw was crouched over her and Ivypaw lay on a huge rock on StormClan territory, at the very edge of the stream. Ivypaw breathed heavily, choking on water.

"I'll fetch Bristleheart," Reedpaw meowed. "It may take a bit, she's tending to Creekpaw after an adder bite."

After a few minutes, which felt like hours to Ivypaw, Reedpaw returned with Bristleheart. She held a few herbs in her mouth. Bristleheart spat them out and picked up a thick, sticky leaf in her jaws. As she padded over to Ivypaw, Ivypaw smelled the fresh tangy scent.

"Thyme, helps calm and ease shock," Bristleheart explained as she fed it to Ivypaw. 

While Ivypaw swallowed it, Bristleheart picked up purpleish-blue berries in her jaws and fed them to Ivypaw. "Juniper berries, helps troubled breathing," Bristleheart explained once again.

"Thank you," Ivypaw awkwardly meowed.

Bristleheart dipped her head before padding back to camp.

"T-thank you," Ivypaw meowed to Reedpaw, her eyes avoiding his. "Why did you save me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Reedpaw meowed.

Ivypaw scuffled her paws against the ground and licked her chest fur in embarrassment.

Reedpaw got closer to her. "Meet me here by the stream tonight," His warm breath ruffled her fur. He padded away without a word.

. . .

Ivypaw ran through the rain forest, her paws thundering on the ground. She skidded to a halt; her nose twitching. She scented a mouse. Instinctively, she dropped down on all fours into hunting crouch. Her tail shot straight out; careful not to let her tail twitch or move. She stalked forward, her paws sliding carefully acoss the ground silently. She spotted the mouse and instantly reared up on her back legs. She leaped up into the air and pounced on the mouse, trapping it between her paws and killing it.