High Waters (Formerly The Beginning)

Prologue

"A dark flood will come to the clans, four will travel to the old followed by the raging fire, jumping from creek to creek. Silver waves will attempt to drown the travelers, if that happens the flood will swallow the clans whole."

Strawberrystar gasped as she woke, her claws unsheathed and her moss nest scattered around the ground. Claw marks scoured the grainy sand around the dove gray leader, her fur stood on end, the voice in her dream echoed in her mind. What did it mean, was it a prophecy? "Strawberrystar?" Jumping, the leader twisted her head to face the entrance to her den, sticking his head through the lichen covering the entrance was a handsome silver tabby tom, his blue eyes flashing worry," Strawberrystar, you...okay?" Clearing her throat Strawberrystar pushed herself onto her paws her tail sweeping the claw marks in the sand away, "I'm-I'm fine." The tom looked skeptical, he stayed by the entrance to the den staring at the leader, "Silverstorm, I'm fine!"  Strawberrystar insisted, though her voice was still shaking. Silverstorm nodded curtly and swiftly left Strawberrystar alone.

The leader stood in her den, staring at the lichen-draped entrance as the sun rose and saturated the space with sunlight. Strawberrystar shivered, padding out into the sunlight, she sat in front of her den. Glancing over to the mewls coming from the nursery, "But we're almost 6 moons, why can't we go outside!" Strawberrystar chuckled and looked away as their mother replied in an exasperated tone. Feeling a presence beside her the dove gray she-cat glanced behind her back, startled to see a white she-cat with a bundle of herbs in her jaws, "Whitemoon!" Strawberrystar yelped, her fur pricking up as the pretty she-cat sat beside her, "You scared my fur off." Whitemoon chuckled, setting her herb bundle down and looking into the leader's yellow eyes, "Something on your mind?" The medicine cat asked, neatly curling her tail over her paws and her sky blue eyes had an inquisitive gleam. Strawberrystar shifted uncomfortably, the words burned into her head but she couldn't seem to relay them to her trusted friend, "I..." She stared, trying to think her words through before she spoke, "I had a dream last night." The white she-cat was silent for a moment, she had turned her head so she may look at the morning sky. Strawberrystar did the same, watching as the sparkling eyes of their ancestors faded into the blue canvas that stretched above them, "As did I." Whitemoon finally spoke, jolting the leader from thought. Strawberrystar sighed, another warm morning breeze brushed through her short fur, carrying away the worry that she was the only one who received the dream, "What do you think?" Strawberrystar asked her eyes now falling on Whitemoon's face. The medicine cat seemed lost in the sky, seemingly unnoticing the eyes peering into her cheek. Strawberrystar was about to repeat her question when she heard the voice of her deputy beside her, "Strawberrystar?" The tom asked, jolting the leader and medicine cat from their stares, "Yes, Silverstorm?" Strawberrystar stammered the tom's head tilted with a confused expression for a moment before he spoke, "Dawn patrol is scheduled, Darkpaw, Wasppaw, and their mentors are going. Do you have an idea of who will be accompanying us to the Gathering?" Strawberrystar shook her head, getting to her paws and walking towards the fresh kill pile briskly. She took a thrush from the pile, her mind still flooded with thoughts about the prophecy she had received.

As sun-high approached, Strawberrystar already had a good idea in her mind as to who would be going to the Gathering, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!" Strawberrystar's voice echoed across the clearing, her fur stood on edge as her call echoed into her own ears. At this time a hunting patrol had returned to camp, consisting of Flywing, Leafpaw, and Tatteredtail, they entered the camp and set down their prey to watch the meeting. They were joined under Highledge by apprentices and warriors who had come from their dens or from shady places around camp. The last to arrive at the meeting was Silverstorm, who sat on a slanted rock just below Strawberrystar. The leader breathed out slowly before continuing, "Tonight is the Gathering, but before that, I must introduce two new warriors." Strawberrystar looked at Darkpaw and Wasppaw, who's eyes widened and they looked at their mentors, who nodded with proud smiles, "Darkpaw, Wasppaw, step forward." They did so and Strawberrystar jumped down, landing gracefully on her soft paws and she looked at her two clanmates, "I, Strawberrystar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code and I commend them to you as warriors in his and her turns." Strawberrystar looked into Wasppaw's blue eyes, "Wasppaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect the clan, even at the cost of your life?" The tom's voice quivered with excitement as he pronounced, "I do." Strawberrystar tilted her head towards the blue sky, "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Wasppaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Waspsky. Starclan honors your strength and youth and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan." Strawberrystar leaned forward and touched her nose to the top of Waspsky's head, she felt his tongue rasp her shoulder before she pulled away and turned to Darkpaw, allowing Waspsky to sit back with his clanmates, "Darkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect the clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do." Strawberrystar tilted her head to the sky once more, "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Darkpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Darkfeather. Starclan honors your grace and intelligence and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan." Strawberrystar touched her head to Darkfeather's and the she-cat licked her shoulder. As the black tabby warrior sat next to Waspsky the clan erupted into cheers, "Waspsky! Darkfeather! Waspsky! Darkfeather!" They repeated as Strawberrystar retook her place on highledge. She let the clan celebrate the new warriors, a smile on her muzzle as she watched the new warriors beam. Finally, when the clan has settled down, Strawberrystar continued the meeting, "Silverstorm, Whitemoon, Darkfeather, Waspsky, Lionpaw, Leafpaw, Goldstreak, Thorneye, and Sharptail. You will accompany me to the Gathering at moon-high tonight. I hope to see you at the gorge entrance after you have eaten and prepared yourselves for this journey." Strawberystar breathed out slowly, her fur fluffing up slightly as she began one final time, "Finally, I will be retiring my position as leader of Thunderclan." Suprised and confused yowls broke out in the gathering of cats below, Strawberrystar pinned her ears to her head sharply and waved her tail to silence her clan, "I believe my time as leader has come to an end, I shall retire to the elders den under my warrior name, Silverstorm will lead this clan with pride." Strawberrystar turned her head to Whitemoon, who gave her a wide eyed and sad look. She quickly looked away and faced the clan once more, "Silverstorm will travel to the moonpool tomorrow night to receive his leader name and nine lives. Clan dismissed!" She jumped to the ground and, before entering her den, gave one last look at the figure of Whitemoon disappear into the medicine cat den.