River Clan 13

Moons later...

(read Life of a Warrior to get an idea of what happened between the two times)

Important things that happened :

Fuzzypelt disappeared and has not been spotted for moons....

Badgerpaw and Berrypaw have been made warriors...

A mysterious cat is continuously helping River Clan warriors in random circumstances...

And the in general facts : Brakentail, Skystar and Runningclaw are a few moons older...

"Help! Over here!" Badgerclaw yowled, a roaring clap of thunder blocking out his desperate call.

The wind screamed through the trees, flattening even the largest reeds. Clawing the muddy ground in determination, Badgerclaw turned to Berryfrost and mewed gravely over the storm, "Help is not coming. You and your kits must find shelter. You can not stay out any longer."

"Come on now, Meadowkit, Specklekit, and Moonkit," he gently encouraged the young kits into a hollow in the ground.

Berryfrost suddenly groaned and dropped to the ground in pain.

"Stars, stars! The storm! The golden cat!" she rasped, suddenly falling silent.

"BERRYFROST!" Badgerclaw yowled, and he lept over to his friend's side.

He collapsed and meowed bitterly, "I should have never dared to carry her this far away from River Clan."

Suddenly his thoughts turned to the mewling kits.

"Come along, hurry up! You can't stay out or you will be soaked!" he commanded.

With a sorrowful look at Berryfrost, he escorted the kits into shelter. He padded slowly backwards and was grieved to see that Berryfrost was gone.

"OVER HERE, BADGERCLAW!" A fierce yowl erupted from the nearby river.

Eyes glazed over with pain, Berryfrost was clinging to a log, floating rapidly down stream. Running to the bank of the river and almost slipping in himself, Badgerclaw yowled, "I'm coming, Berryfrost!"

He threw himself into the river, swimming gracefully over to Berryfrost, lifted her on to his back, and struggling to the bank, exhausted.