Despite residing on the edge of where the river met the lake, Jay had a tendency to steer clear of the water. He was sure that one day he’d find the courage to venture into a calmer part of the lake, but that day was not today. Since he wanted little to do with the lake and especially the rushing river, he found himself closer to the gorge. The Kingdom’s territory was incredibly dangerous, much more so than RidgeClan’s - at least, in his experience - and as uncoordinated as he was, Jay probably shouldn’t be wandering near the gorge. However, he was right on the tail of a mouse and he wasn’t willing to lose it. New-leaf was nearing, which meant prey was returning, but Ottersplash was pregnant now and he was determined to bring her something to eat.

Using the last of his energy, Jay made his move. He launched himself at the mouse and just as he was coming down on top of it, the rodent veered to the side and beneath a rocky overhang. Surprised by the mouse’s clever escape, Jay lost his concentration and landed poorly. His paws got caught beneath him as he touched ground and he fell with a grunt. As Jay shakily rose to his paws, he felt a stinging sensation originating from his left flank. He hissed in pain as he twisted his upper body to get a look at his side and released an annoyed huff when his gaze found lengthy wounds. There was a brief moment where he wondered how the hell a little stumble caused such an injury, but upon seeing the blood dripping from a jagged rock close by, he remembered the mountains were a hazardous place.

At least the Riverwalker camp wasn’t far. Jay took it slow and even found a way to walk that didn’t aggravate his wound too badly, though it looked awkward and he sometimes misstepped, which caused a lightning bolt of pain to erupt from his side. When he finally reached camp, he hurried toward the medic den so as to avoid running into Ottersplash. It hurt to rush across the clearing, but he didn’t want his mate to see his injury and fret. At least once he’d been seen by a medic, he could reassure Ottersplash that he wasn’t going to die. Jay passed by a few Riverwalkers who looked between him and his injury through wide eyes. On second thought, maybe he was dying. He managed to flash them a grin and a wink as he moved past, but he grimaced as soon as he turned away. Lurching into the medic den, he didn’t bother with pleasantries and instead blurted out, “I think I’m dying?”