Fear in the Storm

[distressedmoon]

  The night sky didn't show the shimmering light of sliverpelt, not this time. Instead dark clouds swollen with rain water stirred above. Soon, a storm will pour onto the forest. 

  The loud grumbles of thunder awoke a sliver she-cat form her sleep. Streamrush mumbled grumpily as she rose form her nest, cursing the storm. "Why can't it just rain and get it over with?" She whispered. It was a bit strange to refer the storm as 'it' or even saying that the clouds can control when it rains, but that's the kind of silly thing that would come form Streamrush. The storm didn't hear her remarks and continued to rumble. Unable to sleep, Streamrush crawled over the other sleeping cats and stepped outside of the warrior's den. Even though everything seemed calm in the camp and the risk of any flooding secured by the reinforced walls, Streamrush still felt uneasy. Something disturbed her.

  Streamrush ran out of RiverClan's camp, into the river. The shallow path of water between the camp and the shore was easy to cross, but after this storm the river will be flooding. Streamrush climbed onto the shore. She swayed her head around her to see if there was any danger in the darkness. Something was wrong, very wrong and the feeling of fear raked her spine.

  Streamrush became frozen when something stirred in the distance. 

[Cinder]

regular, speech, thoughts, other(s) Riverpaw had always had some warning when it came to storms, she could feel the charge of the electricity in her fur. Tonight was no exception, the feeling woke her, and she padded out of the apprentices den and into the night. It was dark, darker than any normal night, the darkness lay like a cloak on the forest, thick and heavy. The air was so saturated in the anticipation to rain, that it was hard to breathe. Her paws carried her out of the den, and into the clearing that was her home. She sat for a moment and washed her paws, but then she couldn't sit any longer. She pulled herself to her feet and padded out of the entrance to the camp. Riverpaw didn't know where she was going, but a walk was what she needed. She padded up to the bank of the river and waded into the cool water. Soon it would overflow its banks and spill onto the shore. She enjoyed the feel of the current against her legs, but she pulled herself out of the water and onto the bank. Shaking the water from her body, she knew that she shouldn't be doing this and if she got caught she would probably be in trouble, but she couldn't sit still with all of the energy in the air around her. Maybe if she brought home a nice vole for the fresh kill pile, she would be forgiven. It didn't take her long to catch a nice vole just off of the bank of the river. She sent a thank you to Starclan, and picked it up to begin the walk home. As she came to the river, she froze. Another cat stood next to the water, and she was looking right at her. The jig was up now, time to face what she had coming...

[distressedmoon]

  "Riverpaw?" Streamrush mewed as her adjusting sight spotted the gray apprentice. Much to the she-cat's relief it was Riverpaw. Streamrush dashed over to the young cat, giving a gentle bump on with her head. This dark and rather frightening night was lightened by a familiar face, and Streamrush was glad about that. Suddenly, her kindness faded away as realization sparked in her mind.

   "Wait, what are you doing out here? It's about to rain and-" Then Streamrush spotted the lifeless vole in her mouth. Confusion twisted her face as Streamrush mewed. "Hunting? This late at night?" Streamrush was becoming more and more flustered as the unknown enveloped her, both in the dark night and in Riverpaw's strange actions. She couldn't help, but feel unsettled in front of Riverpaw. The rolling thunder still growled in her ears.

   The overwhelming feeling of fear was growing by every heartbeat. The storm also was growing louder as if it was a hungry beast prowling upon the two cats. Streamrush could feel panic starting to run though her veins, causing her muscles to scream for the chance to run. She looked around and in the darkness she still felt something was watching them. The feeling was growing more and more terrifying until..

   A single raindrop landed on top of Streamrush's head, followed by many more light sprinkles on her sliver pelt. The storm had began. Streamrush sat back onto her haunches and licked her chest. She looked up at Riverpaw, muttering apologizes for her sudden fear. "I'm just a bit.. Spooked that's all." Streamrush hoped that'll calm Riverpaw, and maybe herself.

[Cinder]

regular, speech, thoughts, other(s) Riverpaw froze when she saw the other cat, but was soon relieved as she ran toward her and butted her with her head. She was confused for a moment, but then she sat very still as she started to get the trouble that she was expecting. A moment later, the she-cat shifted attitudes again. River could smell and feel the fear wafting off of Streamrush in waves. River dropped the vole that she had been been carying and tried to quell the other female's fear. She padded closer to Streamrush, and sat infront of her, snuggling against her chest and rubbing her head on the she-cat's chin. Maybe if she were closer, she could offer comfort to the clearly upset cat infront of her. "I was woken by the storm. I have always been able to feel the storms before they come. It is like they are charging me, and I cannot sit still. I have to do something or the power and fear will eat me alive." Riverpaw sat back and looked into the Streamrush's eyes. She knew that something was wrong. Something was off and it was greatly upsetting to her, which in turn upset the young apprentice. As she looked into the face before her, the first of the rain began to fall. The drops fell slowly at first, and then began to fall heavier and faster. The pitter and patter of the drops that fell from the sky was almost a comfort if it weren't for the rumbles of thundr that blotted the sound of the rain out every few moments. "Would you like to go back to camp, or hunt?" River loooked up with a small smile on her face, trying to make the bogger cat less anxious.