chaos.

chaos transformed by the storm that raged over the horizons. the golden sands that sprawled the beach were now dark and sodden, drenched and beaten flat by a downpour of water. waves surged violently toward the shore, their crests topped with frothy whitecaps as they crashed with a thunderous roar that echoed over the coastline. a thick salty tang soaked the air, sharper than usual, mingling with the damp smell of the rain—soaked sand, and the faint hint of seaweed that had found its way ashore.

the wind screamed through the air, wildly. it lashed at the tall standing palm trees, fronds whipping crazily.

flashes of lighting illuminated the beach in white, and it turned the dark clouds above into a jagged, glowing maze for brief moments. the boom of thunder followed and rolled across the sky like a ferocious growl.

through the storm, the taste of salt was everywhere. each gust of wind carried with it droplets of salt water, leaving behind a briny residue in the jaws of those who trailed the sand.

the storm raged across the coastline, like it had for the last hour or so. thunder cracked violently, like a whip, and the wind growled, shredding through the sky. rain battered the shoreline, soaking the sand into a thick, heavy mess. the waves towered high before crashing down into numerous jagged rocks that lined the shore, sending spray high into the air before pulling back into an angry retreat.

tidewhisker led his patrol along the coast, his coat wet, fur plastered to his side. the salt of the ocean filled his nose and tickled the back of his throat. it wasn't a night for wandering the beach, but coralstar insisted that the borders were checked, wary of any rockclan raiders using the storm as cover to steal prey.

he narrowed his eyes against the showering rain, ears pinned back as the wind brushed past him. the storm was bad enough to keep even the most reckless of clan cats at bay, but here he was soaked from nose to tail in the middle of it. he padded toward a patch of seaweed—strewn sand, eyes scanning the waves. the patrol was nearly over, and he longed to return to the safety of the camps sheltered dens.

pearlstream's suddenly voice cut through the wind, and tidewhisker paused. ❝ tidewhisker! over here! ❞

he whipped around, paws splashing through a shallow pool as he hurried to where the white she—cat stood. she was stood near the edge of the water, her pale pelt bristling despite the rain that had slicked her fur. after following her gaze, tidewhisker's breath caught in his throat.

a shape lay sprawled on the beach, half—buried in wet sand and tangled seaweed. at first glance, it looked like driftwood, something the tide had thrown onto the sand. but as tidewhisker drew closer, he saw fur — a sodden, limp form barely clinging to life.

❝ a cat? ❞ sandpelt muttered as he joined them, eyes widened. ❝ what in starclan's name— ❞

tidewhisker wasted no time and dropped down to sniff the unconscious cat. the cat was young, a tom, perhaps the age of an apprentice, with brown tabby fur. his chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, and his limbs were limp, unmoving.

❝ he's alive, ❞ tidewhisker said. he looked up at his peers. ❝ we need to get him back to camp — now, ❞

pearlstream hesitate, her eyes clouded with worry. she swallowed heavily. ❝ but... we don't know where he's from. what if he's a spy? ❞

❝ we can just leave him here, ❞ snapped tidewhisker, his tail lashing. ❝ he's barely breathing. if we do not help him, he will die, ❞

sandpelt's throat rumbled with a growl and he looked toward the two, his brows furrowed. ❝ he's right. we'll let coralstar decide on what to do. let's get him out of this storm, ❞

tidewhisker leaned down and grasped the tom gently by his scruff. the young cat was light, his body weak from exhaustion. carefully, he hauled him up over his back and began the slow trek back to camp, his paws sinking into the wet sand with every heavy step.

the wind tore at them as they made their way towards camp, back up the beach, their path lit by the flashes of lighting that continued to blink. tidewhisker's muscles burned from the effort of carrying the xat, but he kept his grip steady, his mind racing.

who was this cat? where had he come from?

the ocean was not a place for wandering rogues or loners — no one survived those waters unless they were born and raised near them.

tidewhisker could feel the tom's breath becoming weaker by the time they'd reached camp, and his body had since grown colder with each passing moment. the patrol passed the barrier that marked the entrance to the co. it lay nestled in a hollow between two tall dunes that were protected from the worst of the wind and the rain by tall, weather—beaten grasses, scarce bushes, as well as a couple of rocks and boulders that had fallen from the craggy cliff behind their home.

several heads turned at the commotion. warriors and apprentices peered from their dens, staring. coralstar emerged from her den. her amber eyes flicked to the tom in tidewhisker's grasp.

❝ what is this, tidewhisker? ❞ she asked calmly, with a drawl of firmness in her voice.

❝ we found him washed up on the shore, ❞ replied the warrior, settling the tom—cat down gently in the sand. he looked at the body. ❝ he's alive, but barely. i don't know where he came from, but he needs help, ❞

coralstar stared at the cat for a long moment, her tail flicking in thought. eelstrike, the deputy, padded up beside her, his yellow eyes narrowing as he studied the unconscious cat. the clan had always been cautious of outsiders — living so close to the dangerous ocean made them protective of their territory and their way of life. strangers rarely earned easy trust here.

❝ shellsong, ❞ coralstar called, ❝ see to him, ❞

the medicine cat appeared from her den. she sniffed at the cat, then nudged his limp body with her nose.

❝ he's weak, ❞ she mumbled, ❝ but he might pull through if we get him warm and dry, ❞

coralstar nodded, her eyes still honed in on the cat at the medicine cats feet. ❝ take him to your den. we'll discuss what to do once he's recovered, ❞

tidewhisker dipped his head in gratitude towards the medicine cat as she scooped up the young feline, and vanished back into her den.

the leader turned towards tidewhisker and his patrol. her head jerked for the other two to depart. ❝ now tell me, word for word what happened, ❞ she grumbled as she turned to her den with a stern flick of her tail tip.

tidewhisker stepped after his leader. he couldn't shake this feeling that this was the beginning of something larger.