Song Setting: Finale | Madeon

Character of the week: Silverpool

Unfortunately, that's when things began to go awry.

Later that afternoon, torrents of rain poured from the dark sky, flooding the valleys and plains with water. The dens were soon overflowing with mud and debris, and the rain had begun to wash away the earth from the roots and rocks that secured the walls of the SwiftClan camp. All hunting parties and patrols had been instructed to stay in camp until the storm passed, and no matter how soaking wet, every available Hunter and Warrior were working to prevent any collapses.

If it weren't for the imminent danger of rockslides and sickness, Frostkit might have enjoyed the experience. She loved the rain, and didn't even particularly mind being wet, but everyone having to crowd into the Hunters' above-ground den certainly wasn't a perk. Still, it was warm in the burrow, where Frostkit and her companions spent most of their time from that point on. Because the rain didn't stop, and the thunderstorm raged for three days before it even began to let up. Luckily, prey animals were washed from their burrows on a regular basis, and Hunters had no problem retrieving somewhat drenched fresh-kill for the Clan.

To make matters worse, Larkstar left for the gathering on the fifth day when the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and came back with less than pleasing news. The long-lived territory dispute with AmberClan had only grown more fierce, and SwiftClan had lost hold of a large portion of the low-lying plains; with the cover of the rain, there was no way to defend it against attacks. The sullen leader had called to consult with Hollyheart, his Deputy, and a few respected senior warriors.

Late that night, Frostkit found herself awake and staring out across the muddy camp. The den was filled with gentle breaths and sighs, cats huddling up against each other, though they were already pressed for space. Since the rain had begun to fall, she'd watched it every night. The small kit had never seen rain like this before, and hard as she tried, she couldn't see it in the same dreary way the adults did. She glanced down at the damp earth, where she'd been pressing her paws to try and make the most perfect paw prints she could. The moment she lifted them to look, they crumbled at the edges and turned back to mud, and the she-cat lowered her head in exasperation. With a sudden determination, Frostkit shook out her rain-specked fur, and padded quietly towards the mouth of the den, barely managing to keep from tripping over the splayed tails and legs of other cats.

The water sloshed up the back of her legs as the she-cat made her way across camp. She was headed toward's the leader's den, aware of the lack of bustle. Even at night, four or more Warriors always stood guard, but now the camp was desolate. Already, Fallowburr and Sorrelmist had been admitted to the medicine den with minor colds, and she could hear muffled coughs as she passed by.

Frostkit was too cold and shaky to try and move stealthily, but the group of cats within the leader's den were too intent to have noticed her anyway. It was hard to judge by the tone, but she somehow knew it wasn't going well. Finally under the outcropping that sheltered the den, she settled into a crouch, ears pricked to pick up the dialogue as she came closer.

"...I wouldn't put it past them to attack us right now, while we're vulnerable." That was Wolfcry, Larkstar's brother, skeptical as he let on.

"It's just as hard for them to fight in the rain as it is for us," Silverpool argued.

"They're adaptable and unpredictable. That's not a good combination," Wolfcry retorted.

"He's right. We should attack before they have the chance to," Hailstorm growled, and Frostkit could almost hear his claws scratching the rock from where she was hidden.

"AmberClan might be vicious, but we have more Warriors than they have cats in their entire Clan. They're not foolish, and they certainly won't be on the offensive anytime soon," Hollyheart had always been the voice of reason among the five cats, but it was strange for her to sound so rigid. "They should not be our concern."

A large tom stepped towards the four cats, his shadow splashing across the ledge overlooking the camp. "There's something else bothering you," Larkstar guessed, seating himself at the edge of the circle. Hollyheart nodded, and with a flick of his tail, he dismissed the other three cats.

"The dreams are becoming more vivid..." The she-cat begun, as the other three cats had begun to duck through the brambles to leave the leader and the medicine cat to speak in private. Frostkit gasped, backing away on the bare stone, but Hailstorm noticed her almost immediately.

"What in StarClan's name are you doing here?" The tom exclaimed, catching the attention of Silverpool and Wolfgrin as they were leaving.

"Leave her," Silverpool commanded, stepped in front of him, and gesturing for the tom to continue on his way. Hailstorm grunted, leaping off the ledge and padding towards the Hunters' den, Wolfgrin casting a glance behind him before doing the same. "I hope you have a good reason for being out here."

Frostkit stared down at the space between her paws, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. "I was hungry."

"You ate with the other kits at sundown."

"I was lonely."

"Try again. You know what I want to hear."

There was a moment of quiet before Frostkit blurted out an answer. "I was curious and bored so I wanted to spy on Larkstar."

Silverpool smiled after a short while, ushering the she-kit towards the den. "I'll let you off this time, if you promise you won't do it again. You must understand that our leader's secrets are very important to him being able to run his clan."

Frostkit nodded, but couldn't stop herself from asking the one question on her mind. "What were Larkstar and Hollyheart talking about?"

The silver tabby shook her head, sighing. "I don't know. They haven't told us," Another nod, and Frostkit, not wanting to seem impolite, walked in silence beside the larger she-cat. So her surprise, Silverpool didn't appear to be done speaking. The deputy had lowered her voice, continuing in an undertone. "It's not only territory AmberClan's taking. A few days ago, DriftClan found one of their warriors dead by the river - just barely over the AmberClan boundary. There were no claw marks or blood, hardly even any sign of struggle, and it's not like a DriftClan cat to drown. AmberClan insists that they had nothing to do with it, and the gathering had to be cut short to prevent any bloodshed."

Frostkit's eyes widened significantly, and she shuddered as another drop of water splashed across her nose. "Why would you tell me this?" She asked, curious.

"If there's any chance of danger, I wouldn't feel right not telling you. I have a feeling that Larkstar will make an announcement to any of the cats who weren't at the gathering tonight anyway," Silverpool murmured, coming to a halt in front of the stone steps leading to the elevated Hunters' den. "Besides, you're very easy to talk to. Are you always this quiet?"

"I like to listen," Frostkit told the deputy, blinking her bright blue eyes.

Silverpool smiled, giving the kit a friendly lick on the shoulder. "Any cat would be lucky to have you as their apprentice. I may even consider you myself," She said, walking ahead of the she-kit towards the steps. She faltered for a moment, as if she was going to say something else, then shook her head and continued on. Frostkit stayed standing in the drizzle for a few moments more, thinking about what Silverpool had said. Being only three moons of age, Frostkit found herself more intrigued by the prospect of apprenticeship than the recent AmberClan dispute. She would, of course, be honored to have Silverpool as a mentor; only the deputy had previously trained as a Hunter. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, Frostkit realized that she'd rather become a Scout instead - more than anything, in fact.

She'd been thinking about it for a while now, what she wanted to be after she completed her apprenticeship. Every kit did.

Warriors learned defensive combat, and made up the largest portion of a clan. Strong of body and mind, they primarily patrolled the territory, and though they weren't restricted from hunting or forefront battling, they often chose not to. Any apprentice could default to Warrior from the Hunter rank if they pleased, and vice versa if an apprentice showed promise enough to become a Hunter.

Unlike Warriors, Hunters were often solo acts, and as implied, most of their time was spent out of camp hunting. A Hunters' fighting style was extremely offensive, and the rank required immense speed and a sharp eye, as well as better-than-average hearing and sense of smell. Sometimes the Hunter traits were considered to be passed down from parents to kits and so on, and considering all of these things, the Hunter rank was highly sought after - but not always achieved.

And finally, the Scout rank, reserved only for the best of the best. It wasn't determined by family, and you couldn't move up once you'd been appointed as something else. Scouts were a small, tightly knit group, practiced in any and all trade secrets. They would sometimes act as spies on other Clans, practicing moves they observed on their missions to better their own fighting styles. They weren't defenders or attackers, the were a last - but always necessary - resort.

It wasn't a mystery why every kit wanted to be a Scout. Ever since the ranks had been formed, so very long ago, it had been every young cat's aspiration to become one. It was always a short-lived wish, because most kits eventually discovered that even becoming a leader might be an easier task.

Frostkit never did.

She never wanted to be some great leader of her Clan, some boring cat who stood by the sidelines giving instruction. Ever since she could even process her own thoughts, she knew she wanted to be a part of the real action. She was never talkative - she was always listening, waiting, trying to prove herself to any superiors. From the looks of things, things seemed to be going in her direction.

"Are you coming in anytime soon?" Raggedkit muttered, outlined by a faint glow against the entrance to the Hunters' den.

Frostkit looked up, snapped out of the trance-like state she didn't realize she had fallen into. "I... um," She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Yeah, sorry."

Raggedkit grinned, if not a bit fondly. "If you're going to fantasize, don't do it out in the cold. C'mon, before you freeze your paws off."

Frostkit laughed lightly, following her friend into the mouth of the Hunters' den. "Get bored of Windkit already?"

"She even sleeps boringly. How is that possible?" Raggedkit sniffed, the two kits padding across the den to where the other kits were sleeping near their parents. Sandkit blinked at them drearily as they past, looking to exhausted to say much.

"Why were you awake anyway?" Frostkit whispered, stepping lightly into the nest beside her mother Redspring, Icekit, and Snowkit, who were already sound asleep.

Raggedkit shrugged, climbing into a separate nest she'd claimed in the very corner of the den. So far, no one had been brave enough to challenge her for it. She sighed quietly. "Goodnight, Frostkit." Was the only response.

"Night," Frostkit replied tiredly. She yawned, and found herself dozing off soon after.

The sky was speckled with flickering stars, each one glowing with a strangely warm white light. A small white rabbit grazed on dandelions in a grassy meadow, still and contented. A snow white image appeared in the stars, smiling. And the small kit, tail curled over her tiny white paws, couldn't help but smile as well.

"You will be safe, forever and always."

The wind carried a soft tune as the kit began to fall asleep, soon enveloped by a quiet slumber.

A white jab of lightning illuminated the sky, but only for a split second. Then one by one, the stars flickered out, and blackness faded in. Then, just like that, the dream was gone, and there was only silence.

A/N: I meant to put this out last week, but it was unedited, and I decided to put it out now since it's thanksgiving week for me and I haven't had time to get any more writing done. As always, I hope you all enjoy!

And I finally got to the second chapter of something!

Humans, be proud |:|