Ripple wakes up to a new day in the twoleg park. Along with the other cats he greets the rising sun and then washes himself. He is happy and content - and very appreciative of the life he has. His mentor Arc comments to Ripple to be thankful for their easy life, the earth that provides for them, and the sun that warms them. Ripple is confused by this since he feels he is always grateful. They go together to get breakfast. The twolegs feed them every day. Ripple feels that the hard pellets are not as yummy as the occasional mouse that he catches, but he is happy for it. After that he and Arc join the other cats in their morning meditation. As Ripple looks out over the water he is happy.
Ripple dozes until Arc suddenly starts yelling. Ripple looks to where Arc is pointing and sees twoleg monsters destroying the park. They are ripping up the ground and tearing at the trees. Arc sheppards Ripple away. Ripple sees cats being captured in metal cages but Arc won't let him stop. They reach the wall that separates the park from the river and scale it but a noise startles Ripple and he falls off the wall into the river. Almost drowning he grabs ahold of a log floating by. Arc is calling for him but Ripple cannot get to his mentor. He drifts away. The day continues on and Ripple travels down the river, hungry and wet. His log gets stuck once and some Twoleg kits throw rocks at him. He gets away but then it gets stuck again and some beavers attack him. He gets away again. Hungry, unable to reach the shore, unable to catch a fish, and no longer trusting of anyone Ripple continues to float away.
Floating around on the log, night falling around him, Ripple wishes to sleep but feels he cannot out of fear he will fall off of the log. Fish jump in and out of the water and one lands on his log. He kills and eats it. Content and feeling that the river is caring for him like the sun and land did in the park he dozes off. The next day Ripple continues to float along. The water picks up and sees the end of it ahead. Confused, he rides along. He goes over a waterfall and struggles to get his head above the water. He realizes if he works with the current he can swim. He reaches a rock and climbs onto it, falling asleep. He wakes up later and learns how to hunt fish. He gives thanks to the river for protecting him and providing him with a new home. He risks swimming to the other side of the riverbank and discovers that he actually can swim. On the other side he meets a cat named Night. He asks her if he can live here with her and the other cats. Night explains to him that the cats all live alone and that so long as he doesn't steal prey he will be allowed to stay. He becomes upset, realizing that means he has to live alone. Night senses this and explains to him that while everyone lives alone that doesn't mean they can't be friends and hunt together. Ripple is happy to make a new friend and introduces himself as River Ripple, changing his name to honor the river that saved him.
River Ripple is interesting. Having meet largely clan cats and mountain cats (who are very similar), rogues (who are also similar but live on their own or they are like a cross between the clan/mountain cats and a kittypet), and kittypets it was nice to see something completely different. Ripple and the park cats were very different. They had aspects of all of these groups but in different ways. Greeting the sun, morning meditation, their whole day planned out from start to finish in structured routines. It was almost like meeting the mountain cats again only it was refreshingly different.
And Ripple giving thanks to the river like that, and even adding River to his name. That speaks very much like a clan cat or a mountain cat. I wonder if he is the River of RiverClan...
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