Art by Ender_Absol7

Snowpaw burst through the the lichen curtain shielding the entrance to the medicine den, panting. Icetail, his mentor, let out a sharp gasp at his sudden arrival.

"Wh-what is it now, Snowpaw?"she stammered, still mildly shocked.

Snowpaw stifled a purr of amusement and padded closer to the silver-pelted she-cat, sitting down beside her. "Sorry about that," he sighed, "I... I was just so exited for my vey first full day as a medicine cat apprentice" his sightless silver eyes gleamed with admiration for the young and hardworking she-cat.

"I'm glad that you're so happy today," she meowed softly, slowly rising to her paws. Snowpaw followed behind briskly into the SunClan camp. The green-leaf sun beat down in his black pelt.

"Okay. Today, we're going to be training with the other apprentices" she reported to the medicine cat apprentice. The sound of rushing water and giddy apprentices pounded in Snowpaw's ears.

"Alright, alright, settle down" the familiar deep voice of Embershade boomed throughout the small clearing of the river's bank. "Today we are going to practice swimming and fishing." he retorted to all the apprentices, who were lined up, single file. The word swimming sent a chill down Snowpaw's spine.

Exited news rippled through the group of cats, and the sounds of faint splashes indicated that the mentors had began to wade in the river's shallows.

"Snowpaw, are you gonna be okay?" Rabbitpaw's gentle meow sounded to his right. He hesitated, and after what seemed to be an eternity later, he nodded, taking a step closer to the water.

"Now," Grassnose started, his deep mew lingering for a few heartbeats "swimming isn't as easy as it looks. The key is to let the water carry you by moving your paws as if you're running. Whitepaw" he called to the snow-white tom "demonstrate"

His heavy paw-steps faded into slashes as he began to slide his body into the water without a sound. His steps sounded again, and he sat down to Snowpaw's left side once again. "Your turn," Whitepaw whispered to him encouragingly.

Loud splashes were heard from probably one-hundred fox-lengths away as Rabbitpaw began splashing around the shallows. Not before long, Snowpaw found himself wading into the water, following the actions that were instructed. His legs weaved effortlessly through the deep, cold water.

The water gradually got deeper and faster, and the voices of the apprentices and the is mentors faded. He was in the rapids.

He struggled against the flow of the rushing water, but is was no use. His head sank underneath the water as his conciseness fade.