Sky Falls | | A Warrior Cats Story | | Book One

5

Dogs!!

Eclipsepaw stood in shock. She couldn't run, or even move. Falconstripe took off in a sprint, only to realize that Eclipsepaw wasn't behind him.

"Eclipsepaw! What In StarClan Are you doing!?" Falconstripe ran back to her, his tail twitching in annoyance.

"Fish-Brain!" Eclipse thought. "Move, Move!!" 

But it was too late. Eclipsepaw saw the red eyes through the trees, and broke out into a sprint, Falconstripe close behind. 

"ECLIPSEPAW, RUN!" Falconstripe leaned over and picked her up by the scruff. 

"Oof!" Eclipsepaw yelled. "Put me down" Falconstripe thrusted her down on the floor and set her on her paws.

"What were you doing back there?" Falconstripe looked back for a moment, the dogs were getting closer. 

"I don't know, I froze up, okay?"

At this point the dogs were on their tails. The cats weren't near fast enough to outrun them. But then Eclipsepaw got an idea.

"The river!!" She blurted. Falconstripe looked at her like she was crazy. 

"Are you fish-brained?? You Can't swim!!" He rejected. But then he looked back at the dogs closing in on them, and mewed "Well, that's our only choice! Come on!" 

Falconstripe grabbed Eclipsepaw by the scruff and pulled her into the water.

"Ack! It's freezing!" Eclipsepaw frantically shouted.

"Be quiet!" Falconstripe fussed. "They'll hear you!" The dogs looked around, confused. It wasn't long until they found the cats in the water. 

"Get under!" Falconstripe shouted. "Now!"

Falconstripe pushed Eclipsepaw's head under the surface. Eclipsepaw gasped, as the river was freezing, then let out a shrill shriek.

"It's freezing!" She yelped. Eclipsepaw paddled desperately at the surface.

"It was your idea, mouse-brain!" Falconstripe hissed. The dogs were coming closer the the river. "GET UNDER NOW!!!!!!!"

Both cats were completely submerged in the water. The shadow of one of the dogs loomed over her. Eclipsepaw rejected the cold water, as she was yelling "No! No!" Her fur was too heavy. Eclipsepaw threw herself around the water, trying to pull herself up. The sun shined right into the river on to her face as she watched as the surface got further away.

She was sinking.

The shadow of one of the dogs loomed over her. Eclipsepaw looked around for Falconstripe, but found nothing. She struggled as she tried to swim to the surface. The shadow pulled away and ran off, but Eclipsepaw was stuck under the water. "Falconstripe!!" She half gagged, half screamed. "Falconstripe!!!" 

Fish swarmed around her. A cloud pulled over the sun. Eclipsepaw was getting light-headed from the lack of air. She pulled together all of her strength and thrusted herself towards the surface.

"Yes!" She thought. The surface got closer... and closer... until...

Something jerked at her fur. Eclipsepaw felt claws in her pelt. She gasped and whipped her head around to see Falconstripe with a crazed look in his eyes, pulling her down. Eclipsepaw stared in shock at her mentor and deputy. Then she realized that she couldn't breathe.

Everything went black.