■The Prologue■

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It's a rather ordinary day for Riverclan.

No. Wait. I take that back. It was a slightly unordinary day for Riverclan.

The weather was the kind of cool and cloudy morning that comes after torrents of rain relieving some real dog days. Or drought days. Apart from the monsoon, however, was another tense highlight especially special for two cats- kits were going to be born today.

The once bone-dry bed of the life giving river encircling the island was alive with weeds and pebbles. The water itself innocently burbled, pretending that it never had been gone. The horsetails barely moved in the light mist laying on the territories like a very thick blanket. Every now and then the ripple of silvery scales betrayed the movements of fattening fish, as the shudder and rustle of grass did with watervoles.

There was one animal there, though, that to humans would be highly unlikely to try a dip.
Those humans would be shocked at their unstereotypical behaviour.

Plumpness (either from fitness or fattening),slightly oily fur, relaxed behaviour, and amiability towards water was a common trait shared by all the cats of Riverclan. This tom resembled a pike- bulkish, silver and faintly striped. He was on a largish and smoothish rock, looking at the river, but not for prey- for something very different.
"Easy, kit," he meowed. "There's no need to prove that fish aren't the only ones with gills- you're quite fine without."

"I'm not your kitten, Eelstripe, I'm your mate," the subject of his staring replied. A creamy, short-furred female with mottled black patches turned her head to look at him. She had been smoothly striding through water barely past her paws, and dropped something she was carrying in her mouth. A spiky sort of snail shell that had a colour akin to her pelt.
She gave him an expression that a person would equivalent with raising their eyebrows. "Are you even talking to me,or...?"

Eelstripe attempted not to stare at her considerably extended abdomen.

"Both," he said, and pounced off the stone and padded up to her. He nudged her, she nudged him back, her face warming into...not a smile of course, but certainly something happy.

He looked at the shell. " Looks like you. A shiny shell. Shellshine."

"You're terrible at giving compliments." Shellshine didn't move away, however.

"Never really had anyone to give them to."

Quiet. The only sounds were the rustle of bending grasses and the gentle rolling of thunder in the distance.
But a snapping of stick, a rolling of pebble-

"You-two-are-so-gushyyy!"

The pair leapt apart as if given a shock. Eelstripe looked at Shellshine awkwardly, and the look was returned before she attempted to appear nonchalant by preening her chest fur.

Volepaw was a nosy,loud but ever caring small bundle of mousy brown fur. She also had the knack for appearing at undesirable times.
"I hope I don't ever had a mate when I grow up if I have to do the same silly stuff all the ti-"

"Thank you, Volepaw, for your entertaining commentary on what you think about certain things. Do I remember Petalflame, the deputy and your mentor, telling you about border patrol?" Eelstripe interrupted her coolly.

"Yes but whatshisname got a headache and went so she said to tell you to come and fill in since you were near the border enough and were out anyways."

"..."

Shellshine suddenly stood and stretched luxuriously, picking up the treasure she had found in her mouth. " I believe that going to camp should be the best for me," she meowed evenly, but added in Eelstripe's ear; "Not mad at you."

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