Blossom's P.O.V.

I limped out of the medicine den, technically sneaking out while Strike went for herbs and Leaf slept. My ankle was still twisted and Leaf told me she thought it might be twisted forever, which was a death sentence for me.

I needed to get out. To get away from that sweet smelling den. Before I will have the chance to grow old, I'll be a flower if I stay in there any longer.

The fresh-kill pile was actually almost full for once. We were finally having some good days.

I picked out a vole and limped to a shaded place, laying down.

Chowing down and filling my stomach, I licked my lips and rested my chin on my paws. The sun was beginning to go down and Fawn and Venom were still gone.

Poor Fawn. Forced to leave someone, lost Dodger and then Midnight. Her entire kin was whipped out. And with her fragile, sweet, small personality, she wouldn't last long our Tribe's wrath or battles and blood.

She would most likely become depressed and become how Shadow was: down and weak.

I was jolted out of my thoughts when Fox came in beside me, sitting down and saying nothing. I sized him up. 'And what are you doing here?' I wondered, narrowing my eyes at the toms flaming pelt. His dark blue eyes stood out like a black cat in snow, piercing through everyone until their soul bled out.

His tail flicked and he turned to me. He still was blank, unreadable of all emotions.

"How's your ankle?" He growled low. Fox was always a loner. An angry loner. But that was my fault. Blaming him on everything when we went to discover Blizzard turned him cold and distant.

I shrugged finally, "It's sore. I can't walk on it yet." I replied and he nodded. "I'm sorry I've always been cold to you and Soot. I just can't exactly forgive you two when you blamed me for everything. And now that I lost Soot, I realized how alone I really am." He meowed, almost a whisper.

I was shocked. Really shocked. Fox, apologizing? This has to be a dream.

I nodded and he continued.

"You were actually one of my only friends other then Soot. If you accept my apology, would you like to be friends again?" Fox meowed, standing up and hovering over me. His shadow was welcoming with this heat practically pouring from the sky.

I thought deeply about this.

He had been a complete fool ever since the day we went out to find Blizzard, but I guess that was my fault. But still, he was a mouse-brain and bloodthisty, not trustworthy to keep secrets or anything really. But he was lonely now-a-days, and he always seemed to be in a bad mood. Maybe a friend would lighten up his mood?

"Alright, Fox." I sighed, looking up at his dark blue eyes. "I accept your apology." His eyes lightened up slightly and I felt a bit more happier that I could make him even a bit happy.

He looked away again and I stood up, lifting my twisted paw up.

I dipped my head when he did, leaving. Fox was never with someone unless forced to. He was too much of a bully for that. But now, I could try to make him nicer, happier even.

*****

Adder's P.O.V.

I had a pang of guilt sitting in my gut ever since Midnight's death. I couldn't think straight anymore. All I could imagine was Venom realizing it was my fault and arranging my death.

"Adder. You are guilty of the massacre of Midnight, The Tribe of Rotting Skull's deputy, and your punishment will be: death sentence."

It was a dream I had had last night and I couldn't get the voice out of my head.

Venom didn't exactly witness it and if I get on Brindle's bad side, she might just tell on me... What if that dream was a vision? What if Leaf and Venom are planning my death now, arguing over whether or not I should be fed to the Wolves on the North End?

I was becoming paranoid more and more by the heartbeat.

I hadn't slept all night. I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes after that dream.

The sun was barely coming up by the time I decided to get up. The sun was behind a sky-full of dark grey clouds. Rain pelted down with such speed, it pierced my skin as if someone were to be clawing at my back.

That made me even more paranoid.

'Are the spirits of The Tribe of Burning Souls after me? Is it Killer coming to take me with him and murder my soul?' I wondered, whipping around. The puddles that gathered on the rock splashed as my paw was sent through it.

No one was there.

No one else was awake, just me. I padded to the slate of rock where you could see a bit of WindClan and where Skull used to sit to see if any cats were hiding in the maze of boulders.

I watched the water as it came from the sky and splashed onto the slate. It made a stream as wide as my paw and slid quickly off the edge. It was technically a mini waterfall.

I laid down, paws and head over the edge, and watched the water smash onto the ground, making a puddle. That puddle was growing bigger by the heartbeat.

That made me paranoid... Again.

Something was up. 'Three days of snow, three days of sun, and maybe three days of rain?' It was a pattern. I rushed off the slate, slipping on the wet ground and dashing through the camp to the hole in the side of the camp.

I squeezed through the hole and ran to the river. The snow that melted caused the water level to rise, which didn't make sense to me. Something was up, and I was going to figure it out.

The sun would've drained the river, but I guess the amount of snow and ice made it rise. Still... it should've went down.

My tail was soaked to the bone, and it weighed double it was before. I let it hit the ground, tired of holding it up.

The river was now almost to the ground I stood at. I stepped to the edge of the land - to where the river whizzed by - and my paw started to slide down into the mushy ground. I pulled back in a rush. Mud caked my front paws already and I shook them.

"Adder? What are you doing out here?" A call from behind me made me jump. I turned around and saw Leaf padding closer.

'She's going to take matters into her own paws and throw me into the river!' My heart pounded three times the speed it was supposed to beat and my legs trembled. "What are you doing out here?" Leaf repeated, sitting down.

"I-I wanted to see how much the riv-river had come up." I explained quietly, stuttering, "The rain has been coming down ev-ever s-sin-since mid-midnight hit."

I looked at the river and refused to look up at Leaf. I braced myself for a hit on the back or for her teeth to clamp onto my neck or for the water to take me down to the place no one goes.

But nothing happened, she only spoke.

"Oh, I came to see how much it has risen as well. I woke up to early and a walk to the river was something to do," Leaf answered half-heartedly.

I nodded but didn't reply, looking up the river to where the waterfall was. Where the Gathering Pool was.

Silence surrounded us and I stood up quietly. "I'm, I'm going to check the Gathering Pool..." I informed her and she nodded.

As I padded up to the cave where the Gathering Pool sat, I could feel Leaf's stare burning into my back.

'What is she thinking?' Was all I could think. Did I leave when I was supposed to stay and be killed? Was she thinking of a way to kill me?

"Be sure to hurry back, Venom needs to announce something important!" Leaf called just as I was by the Gathering Pool's edge. I froze, stopped breathing and my eyes grew wide. Wider then any owl's eyes could ever be.

"He's going to kill me in front of the camp!" I whispered to myself. My breathing started coming out rapidly and all I could do was stare. "What do I do? Do I run away? Do I kill him first?" I was shocked and scared.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I was too young to die, I had to find a way to stay alive. "I'll plead for mercy... Running away will make it worse and I could never possibly kill Venom..." I whispered. Finally able to move, I slowly went closer to the edge and saw the water.

It was over flowing and the rain was making it worse. 'Venom needs to know...' "That's it! I will warn the Tribe of the water and Venom will forget my death sentence!" I gasped, smiling a wide, open smile.

I ran out of the cave and into the camp again. Almost every cat was awake now and Venom was going up to the top of his den. 'Just in time!' I thought, rushing to Venom and stopping him.

"Venom, the Gathering Pool is over flowing. You must see it!" I meowed, trying to keep my voice low. He shook his head, "Not now, after the announcement. This is very important for the Tribe."

My heart hammered in my chest and I scratched my claws hard into the rock. "Please, Venom, this is important!" I insisted, blocking his way up to the top of his den. "And so is this. Move, Adder." Venom growled, roughly pushing me out of his way.

He stared at me and I backed off of his den slowly.

"Listen up." Venom began and I rushed to the back of the crowd. 'This is it...' "Everyone knows of the death of Midnight and how we are short of a deputy." I crouched down and closed my eyes, worry drenching my blood like the rain on my pelt.

"Well, Leaf and I have agreed to who the new deputy will be." I sighed in relief. I opened my eyes. 'Maybe he won't kill me... Yet...'

"Thorn, you are very good at telling orders and organizing patrols. You are trustworthy and strong, a perfect deputy. Do you vow to protect this Tribe with everything you have?" Venom stopped and waited for Thorn to come up and answer.

"I do." Thorn simply replied, dipping his broad head. "Then from now on, Thorn, you're the deputy." Venom announced, touching noses with the scarred warrior.

"Thorn! Thorn! Thorn!" The Tribe cheered happily, Lily was the loudest by far.

Once they calmed down and started to individually congratulate him, I went to persist Venom into coming to see the Gathering Pool and the river.

The rain was still pelting down harshly on my fur and skin but I wasn't minding it anymore. The mountain we homed to now had a layer of water to splash through everywhere you went.

"Venom, please! We must go see the Gathering Pool, it's over flowing and if this rain keeps up the river will over flow and seep into camp!" I insisted. My voice was in a hushed tone.

There was a small hill that went from the river and to our camp which meant the water would come down, on rock, at a speed that could probably drag some cats down if the grass was carved into a crevice.

Thunder crashed above and lit the sky up as bright as the moon and sun, so bright the world was white for a brief heartbeat. I jumped out of my skin and leaped way higher then I'd ever leaped before. I landed again and found myself shaking madly.

"Adder," Venom began calmly, "Tomorrow I will, alright? We have to send out patrols to Twolegplace. It's critical."

I shook my head, eyes wide. 'He doesn't understand!'

"The river is critical, too! It's over flowing! And the weather is in a pattern; there something going on!" I tried to be calm but my voice started raising when Venom began walking away.

He whipped his tail to dismiss me and I sat down. Water splashed up my back but it was as if I were Venom and the rain was me, I barely noticed it.