WaterClan | Camp

Snailnose looked around, panicked. The trembling earth tore the fragile fish carcass to pieces, its brownish blood seeping into the snow.

Dappledsun looked up from her nap, the earth smacking against her old bones.

Laurelkit shrieked and darted to her mother's side, curling into her fur with a cry of, "Mama!"

Dreampoppy's sightless eyes flickered about with panic, and she called for her kits, fur fluffed with worry. Driftpaw was the first to answer her call, rushing to her side. 

Autumnsky released a panicked yowl and shrunk backwards, pressing her side to the herb storage to try and keep it from being further messed up. 

Fogpaw curled closer to the ground, shaking along with it while his claws buried into it.

Snailnose curled protectively around her kit. "It's okay," she murmured reassuringly, "I'm right here, I've got you,"

Sunshadow yelped, darting towards Autumnsky.

Mottletuft stumbled, the sudden jerk of the ground catching her off guard. She crouched and pulled Mistkit to her belly, holding the kit close. Again? Her ears flat against her head from terror, Mottletuft dug her claws deep into the ground.

Rainpaw's eyes widened and she stood, trying to stabilize herself from the quake. This couldn't be good, she thought.

Snailnose opened her eyes as the quake slowed and stopped. She looked around at camp, tense.

"Another earthquake?" Dappledsun rasped.

Sharktooth, having managed to stay on his paws, nodded. "Sounds like it," he mewed a little stiffly.

"Hope it isn't the volcano," the old she-cat mewed, "The water tasted like rotten eggs for a moon."

Autumnsky nodded gratefully to Sunshadow in response to his help, and rose to her paws again, shaking out her pelt. "Rotten eggs? That's concerning." The tabby shook her head with a sigh.

"I was only a kit when it happened but I'll never forget the taste," Dappledsun mewed.

"Let's hope that's not the case this time." Autumnsky moved closer to her mother and shook her head lightly. "Are you alright, mom? Nothing got you?" Her voice was thick with worry. 

Fogpaw made his way over to Snailnose, peering at Laurelkit who was still crouched, cowering beneath her mother. "Anything I can help with?" The silver tom questioned.

Driftpaw parted from his mother's side once he was certain she was alright, proceeding to turn and making his way across camp. He glanced around for Lilyshadow, trying to spot his mentor through the throng of cats. 

Dreampoppy parted her jaws and padded carefully to Rainspots side. "Are all of the kits okay? I know Driftpaw is," she mewed softly. Her sightless eyes flickered around as she turned her head, ears swiveling to try and hear Swanpaw, Riptidepaw, or Tidalpaw.

"I'm fine, little minnow, just a bit sore," Dappledsun mewed, "Rocking earth isn't good on old bones.

"I'm fine," Snailnose mewed, "Thank you. Where's your mentor?"

Swanpaw rolled her eyes at her mother's fussing. "It's nothing, just another earthquake. Not like it's a new thing."
Rainspots cuffed her ear gently. "The other Clans could be in danger," he scolded her. "No need to talk like that."

Sharktooth looked around. "Were there any other cats out of the camp aside from Turtlestar's patrol? We need to make sure they're safe."

Turtlestar led her patrol into camp. "You all felt the quake too, right?" she called.

Thundersong searched the crowd for his mate, eyes glistening with worry.

Tidalpaw ran over to her mother, and scanned her quickly. "Are you alright?" She whispered, touching noses with the she-cat's shoulder. Her demeanor was laced with nervousness.

Marshfeather padded out of the warrior's den. "You all felt that too?" he mewed.

"He's over with Autumnsky," Fogpaw mewed, gesturing to Sharktooth. He shifted on his paws and trotted over after excusing himself, once hearing his mentor's question. "Brindlestorm took Flowerbrook, Brookshine, and Gatorpaw out," he answered. 

Dreampoppy nodded and rasped her tongue over Tidalpaw's ear. "I'm fine, dear."

Lilythroat nodded and huffed, shaking out the parts of her fur that weighed heavy with water. "It hit us too," she confirmed.

Sharktooth dipped his head to his leader. "Indeed. We've, uh,-" he was cut off by Perchcloud, her fur still fluffed from anxiety.
"The water! The water's salty!" 

Rainspots's ears pricked towards the conversation the leader and deputy were having.

Concern crossed Turtlestar's face. "The water's salty?" she asked.

"The river water tastes like sea water," Snailnose clarified, touching Perchcloud gently with her tail.

Autumnsky padded to the edge of the water, peering down into it. Her eyes widened at the sight of the drifting shadows beneath. "It doesn't seem like the fish reacted well to the salt water," she muttered, mostly to herself. She stood up again, looking back toward Turtlestar and Sharktooth.

Perchcloud nodded. "There's dead fish," she tried to emphasise. "If the water's salty, that could've killed all of them."

Turtlestar opened her mouth to speak, then felt another ominous lurch of the earth beneath her paws. She heard a roar and turned to see a wall of water looming overhead, slowly but surely crashing down on them.

Snailnose followed her leader's gaze and felt adrenaline shoot through her. She grabbed Toadkit in her jaws and bolted, scrambling behind the pile of rocks that made the warriors den and crossing over the shallow part of the river, desperate to escape the coming tide.

Dappledsun looked up at the water. "SoulClan," she breathed.

Marshfeather let out a terrified yowl and began running away from the approaching wave, knowing he couldn't outrun the water but unsure of what else to do.

Laurelkit yelped and scrambled after her mother, only to be scooped up by Autumnsky a moment later. The medicine cat had shouted at her apprentices to run, but grabbed the she-kit when she'd seen her, then darted after Snailnose. 

Driftpaw tried to urge his mother forward, only for her to shove him instead with a snapped, "Go!" He sobbed and ran, going toward his siblings. 

Dreampoppy's sightless eyes closed and she ducked against a rock, pressing to Rainspots's side. 

Lilythroat and Flowerbrook worked to push their apprentices forward, fur soaked with the salty water. 

Fogpaw had been too close to the edge of camp and was hit almost immediately by the water, which swept him up as if it was nothing. He called for his mentor and mother right before he was submerged.

Sunshadow, who was already next to snailnose after his rude awakening, braced himself. "Autumnsky!" He shouted in a mixture of relief and panic, relief of seeing his mentor and panic at their situation.

Tidalpaw pressed into her mother's fur. "I love you," she whispered softly.

Thundersong was engulfed by the wave as he had been closer to Fogpaw, thinking of Lilyshadow all the way down.

Spiderleap took cover.

Turtlestar felt the wave crash over her, pushing her forward with the force of a collapsing mountain. She struggled to orient herself, unable to see in the haze of saltwater.

Dappledsun felt herself picked up by the water and bashed over the stones, feeling consciousness fade as the water carried her.

Rainpaw was hit hard, and knocked head over heels. She didn't even know which was was up. She opened her eyes, which stung, and tries to right herself.

Mottletuft grabbed Mistkit by the scruff, but lost her when she was overtaken by the waves. In her panic, she tried to call out for the kit, but water filled her mouth and throat and she coughed it up, only to be replaced by more.

Snailnose could hear the water get closer as she ran, spurred onward by the frantic terror grasping her heart.

Marshfeather launched himself forward, trying to outrun the wave that he could feel whiskers from him.

Driftpaw darted to Swanpaw and urged her on, yelling, "We have to go, Swanpaw!" He pushed onward, following Autumnsky as she sprinted with Laurelkit in her jaws, water lapping at her paws.

Sunshadow ran, and ran and ran and ran. tears pricked at his eyes as he thought about Autumnsky, and his clan.

Spiderleap screamed when he saw his mother get engulfed, but bolted away as fast as he could.

Peachpaw sobbed, hobbling as fast as she could on her twisted hind legs after Sunshadow and Autumnsky. Please, SoulClan, please, let us all make it. she prayed silently, watching in horror as a colossal wave crashed over Turtlestar. "Sunshadow!" she yowled as her vision went blurry. "Help me!" she tripped over herself but fortunately managed to catch herself before the water engulfed her.

Scorpionbite shrieked, dashing behind Spiderleap and narrowly missing the surging waves.

Sharktooth ran to the medicine apprentice, shoving her in the right direction. "Go!" he hissed, not wanting to look back.

Sunshadow skidded to a halt and grabbed Peachpaw by the scruff, using all his might to drag the smaller apprentice along. Fortunately, he had enough strength to dart away and out of camp.

Spiderleap stumbled, gasping in pain as his foot twisted. He growled, pushing himself forwards as tears stung in his eyes. Mom...

Peachpaw gasped as her vision went almost completely dark, but felt Sharktooth's sharp shove and managed to mumble a soft "thank you". Then, she was swept up into Sunshadow's grip and tried to resist the tears as she murmured a thousand prayers to SoulClan.

Scorpionbite nearly ran over Spiderleap when he suddenly stumbled to the ground, and quickly reached down to pull him up by the scruff. "Pull yourself together!" she hissed, trying to push him forward.

Spiderleap yelped, before nodding and bolting. He ignored the agonising sting of his ankle and pushed forwards.