Warriors the Clans Reborn: the Prophecy

Chapter 18

Wolfpaw gasped as a figure loomed out of the shadows and charged into her, stopping her from saving Frostpaw. Wolfpaw regained her breath and looked up at the tom who had knocked her onto the shore. With a jolt she recognized who this tabby tom was. The tom who had killed her father in her dream.
Was he destined to?
"Who are you?" she hissed getting up. The tom chuckled.
"A lonely rogue," he mewed gruffly. "Why so harsh? I haven't done anything to ya," the tom went on. "Oh Wolfpaw, you hotheaded, kitty cat."
"How do you know who I am?" Wolfpaw asked, a shiver going down her spine.
"I've been watching you. You are a strong cat and your destined for greatness." he meowed silkily.
What?
"What do you mean?" Wolfpaw asked, backing away.
"Get away from her!" Briarpaw yowled suddenly. Wolfpaw had forgotten he was there.
"Or what?" the rogue challenged and leaped at Briarpaw. Briarpaw gasped as he tumbled with him to the ground, the toms hot breath in his face. He started to unsheathe his claws and claw at Briarpaws face. Wolfpaw yowled and leaped onto the tom, sending her and him rolling away.
"Briarpaw! You need to save Frostpaw!" Wolfpaw yowled through her tussle.
"I can't swim!" he yowled uselessly.
"Just pretend your walking through the forest, have confidence." Wolfpaw mewed encouragingly. Briarpaw hesitated. "Ugh, don't just stand there! You have to-" Wolfpaw said but her mew was cut short as the rogue tom pressed a paw onto her throat, closing her wind pipe. He was trying to kill her!
"Not so fast Wolfpaw. You don't want Briarpaw over here to save Frostpaw or whatever!" he meowed harshly through through clenched teeth.
What kind of a cat is he?
Wolfpaw looked pleadingly at Briarpaw, forgetting her problem. He nodded with scared but confident eyes and waded into the water. He winced as it got up to his shoulders. He exhaled deeply then took a breath and plunged into the lake.
"No! Why's you let him get away!" the mysterious tom yowled. He lifted his paw and then kicked Wolfpaw away, causing her to ram into a rock. She stood up and doubled over, wheezing. When she recovered, Wolfpaw looked over to see the new comer dive into the water.
He's going after Briarpaw and Frostpaw!
Wolfpaw bounded along the shore, her paws thrumming. When she got to the waters edge, she took a breath and plunged into the water after the tom. Wolfpaw opened her eyes to see the tabby tom kicking furiously, getting a mouse-length closer to Briarpaw with every stroke. He was linking paws with Frostpaw when the rogue slammed into him, causing his link with Frostpaw to break. He was sent flying left, the tom right on his tail. Wolfpaw looked down at Frostpaw. She was trying to swim but her flailing paws were getting her nowhere. Her eyes were huge with fear, her cheeks tinted pink. Wolfpaw dove down to her and grabbed her scruff in her muzzle and pulled her to the surface. They broke to fresh, cool oxygen and Frostpaw exhaled greatly.
"Get to sore, I'll drab you faa enoup fo you can walk alom da boddom. I hab to helb Briarbaw" Wolfpaw said muffledly to her littermate. Frostpaw looked at her with water dripping into her eyes.
She blinked it away. "Are you sure you can do it?" Frostpaw asked.
"I'b sur" Wolfpaw replied and dropped her onto the sandbank. She turned around to dive back underneath the water. Just then Briarpaw burst from the black waves. A head popped up behind him.
"Wolfpaw! Help-!" he yowled but got cut off as he was yanked back into the watery depths by the stranger.

Wolfpaw gasped then quickly took a great breath and dove after Briarpaw. She opened her eyes to see Briarpaw held down against the ground by the strangers forepaw. He was pressing Briarpaws chest, causing to bubbles erupt from his nose and open mouth. He struggled against the strong rogues grip but to no affair. He wouldn't budge. Briarpaws eyes were beginning to droop. Wolfpaw swam fiercely towards them and then slammed into the rogue, setting Briarpaw free. He swam away, ready to fight. Wolfpaw looked back at the rogue and nearly let out her breath as he came ramming into her. She lost some in the process, bubbles escaping to the surface. She looked at the tom as he went for it, his head breaking through.
What did this tom want?
Wolfpaw looked at Briarpaw. He was coming her way. Wolfpaw saw relief in his eyes and she looked up to see that the rogue had left. He hadn't even touched Frostpaw.
Wolfpaw began to grab at the surface but she was pulled back down. She looked down and gasped on the inside. Somehow, the rogue had manages to tie one of her hind paws to a growing plant underneath the water, trapping her. Briarpaw looked down too at her scared expression and saw what she saw. He swam even harder, getting to her in a few heartbeats. He unsheathed his claws and ripped at the plant. Nothing. He tried again, and still nothing. He looked into her eyes with sorrow and fear reflecting off them. Wolfpaw was doomed. Then his eyes lightened. He swam down to her tied hind paw and opened his mouth. Wolfpaw made a throaty growl.
He's going to drown if he stays down here any longer and so will I!
He looked at her and smiled sadly. Using his teeth, he snapped the plants snaring arm and let Wolfpaw free. She looked at him as he began to close his eyes.
No!
Wolfpaw swam down to him and grabbed his scruff in her muzzle. She yanked. He was so heavy. Too heavy. Wolfpaw couldn't do it. She began to panic. She closed her eyes. Then Briarpaws weight lifted out of her mouth. She opened her eyes to see a lithe creature.
An otter.
It's small teeth had taken Briarpaws scruff into its brown muzzle and it was dragging him to the surface. Wolfpaw followed with newfound energy. She broke the surface and gasped gratefully, breathing in long, deep breaths. She looked over at the otter. She was dragging Briarpaw onto the sandbar and then the shore. Briarpaws eyes were closed and his chest was still. The otter pressed onto the middle of his chest three times then rubbed in circles. Briarpaw turned on his side and then water cascaded out of his mouth. He cracked open his eyes and looked at Wolfpaw then at Frostpaw. She was sitting on shore looking at Briarpaw worriedly.
I turned around to thank the otter but she was gone. The waves were crashing on shore. "We should get back to the Gathering." Wolfpaw mewed to the duo.
Frostpaw looked at her. "But-" Wolfpaw held up a paw.
"I know what you did. But that doesn't mean you still can't go to the Gathering. Besides, it's our first one, we can't miss out on that." Wolfpaw mewed warmly to her littermate. Frostpaw smiled. Briarpaw licked her ear. Wolfpaw stiffened. She closed her eyes, "I still don't support your forbidden love, but that does not mean I will tell other cats" Wokfpaw mewed quietly and reopened her eyes. Briarpaw was looking at her seriously now.
"Thank you," he said. "Oh! And I've been meaning to ask you Wolfpaw, how did you know how to swim so well?" Briarpaw asked.
Wolfpaw felt her face warming up. "I. . . I had lessons."
"Oh?" That was all that he said. He looked at Frostpaw for support. She only shrugged and winked at Wolfpaw. Briarpaw looked uncomfortable. Frostpaw purred and rubbed her cheek against his. He began to purr as well. Frostpaw flicked her tail to follow and the trio abandoned the beach and walked back to the Gathering peacefully.