brambleflight
Holiday craze. Replies wont be coming for a while sorry!
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Post by brambleflight on Oct 1, 2018 14:38:12 GMT -5
Clan Members : Cinderpoppy - Deputy of AshClan, the leader to be, 25 Moons,♀ Raindapple - Medicine Cat of AshClan ♀ Dewsky - Warrior of AshClan, 30 Moons,♀ Lilacpool - Warrior of AshClan, ♀ Ashstorm - Warrior of AshClan, ♂ Weaselshade - Warrior of AshClan, 21 Moons, ♂ Gorseleap - Warrior of AshClan, 35 moons, ♂ Lionfrost - Warrior of AshClan, 26 Moons, ♂ Plumpaw - Apprentice of AshClan, ♀ Greenpaw - Apprentice of AshClan, 7 Moons. ♀ Littlepaw - Apprentice of AshClan, 7 Moons, ♀ Towheesong - Queen of AshClan, 23 Moons,♀*I will try to keep this updated as we go!
Cinderpoppy stood at the entrance of her leader's den. The smell of sickness made her nose wrinkle. Their leader had fallen sick with green cough, just like nearly half of the clan had making this bare leaf particularly difficult. They had already lost cats, one kit, one elder and the previous deputy just to name a few. All fallen victim to the illness that had taken over the clan. Cinderpoppy sighed softly and poked her head into the den cautiously. "Bearstar?" She called out. Her blue gaze fell on the lifeless form of her leader. The large brown tom laid motionless.
"Bearstar!" Cinderpoppy gasped and hurried over to her leader's side nudging the tom, hoping he was merely sleeping. However, the coldness of his fur told her that wasn't the case. The dilute calico froze with horror at the realization and lowered her head in mourning of her fallen leader. He had been a respectable leader, even if a bit hot-tempered and intimidating at times. His eagerness to jump into battles had been one of the reasons his lives had gone so quickly. Cinderpoppy bent down and grabbed her fallen leader by the scruff to carefully pull his body out of the den.
As the calico she-cat stepped away from the hole under the large ash tree where the leader's den was located and gently placed Bearstar down in the middle of camp. The young deputy paused, unsure how to address the current situation of the clan. She glanced up at the tree, considering attempting to call a meeting like Bearstar would do but the inexperienced deputy decided against it. She glanced around at the cats nearby and took in a deep breath. "Bearstar has lost his last life to greencough." She announced to the clan around her. "He is with StarClan now."
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 15:00:06 GMT -5
Raindapple raced through the camp, her fur unkept, and eyes dull with exhaustion. Her paws were sore, and she felt as though she hadn't slept in moons, but with the recent bought of green cough, her expertise was needed now more than ever. As the Medicine cat of AshClan, her clan's heath came before her own wellbeing. She stifled a yawn as she ran into her den, the smell of sickness clogging her nose as she rushed in. The sound of rattling breath and coughing filled her ears as she rushed from cat to cat, giving each cat their own dose of catmint and thistle leaves. She knew that her supplies were running low, and she was having a header time finding the needed herbs in the forest, but she couldn't tell anyone else, they didn't need any more stress in a time like this.
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 15:27:07 GMT -5
Raindapple was only half paying attention as she tended to a small kit, trying to get the mewling bundle of fur to take their medication, and was about to lift her tail to get the tom to wait for her to finish the pressing task at hand. But as he delivered the news of the fallen leader, Raindapple's head fell, the kit at her paws momentarily forgotten as her mind struggled to comprehend the words that had just come out of Lionfrost's mouth. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her clouded thoughts, exhaustion blurring her comprehension. "Bearstar.. dead..?" She mindlessly managed to get the kit to eat the herbs, her paws moving on their own, before turning and shuffling towards the mouth of her den. "He told me he still had more lives to spare, he said he would be fine... Mousedung, I should have known. Of course, he would put the clan well beings before his." Her voice was distant, just barely above a whisper. Gathering herself she nodded at Lionfrost, "thank you for letting me know..." Stepping out into the camp she shivered against the cold wind that cut through her spotted pelt but continued towards the body of her former leader and the mourning deputy.
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 15:53:21 GMT -5
Raindapple let her tail rest on the younger she-cat's shoulders, "This is a dark time for our clan, but Bearstar was wise to appoint you as his deputy. You will lead this clan well, I'm sure of it, and you will not walk alone." Dipping her head she prayed silently to StarClan for guidance, a beam of light in the shadowed time. "I will not be able to stay vigil with Bearstar tonight, with the death of Quailpaw, the duties of caring for the sick are all on me. I will need some cats to go out and gather some catmint and thistle leaves as soon as possible, my supplies are running low." She turned to Cinderpoppy, her eyes furrowed with concern, "We will have to travel to get you nine lives soon, but I'll need to find someone to step in to help the sick cats back here." She sighed deeply shaking her head as her gaze fell to her paws, "There is so much darkness..."
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 17:41:47 GMT -5
Raindapple couldn't help but feel a slight glimmer of pride as the young leader-to-be took charge and began creating patrols, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. You chose well Bearstar... "You speak wisely Cinderpoppy, I can see AshClan flourishing under your guidance." The silver she-cat dipped her head respectfully to the new leader, her tired eyes glimmering with the prospect of hope. There was still so much to fight for in this clan that she loved so dearly. Turning to the remainder of the clan she looked each ragged cat over, "If any of you feel as though you are having a difficult time breathing or if you develop a cough, come to my den immediately. Catching green cough in its beginning stages is the best chance at recovery." And it prevents it from spreading to others in the clan...
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Post by 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝔂 on Oct 1, 2018 17:44:50 GMT -5
Weariness pulled at Lilacpool's fur like a river current as she padded into the clearing, just returning from a hunt with her brother, Ashstorm. With such a harsh leafbare upon them, prey has been scare and hunting parties have been doubled. The sickness spreading through the camp only made it harder to work; it seemed one cat a day was falling victim to the infamous greencough.
They each carried one piece of prey in their jaws- the only things they were able to seek out. It was appalling how such a small hunt wore the siblings out; a look of exhaustion was evident in their eyes. Lilacpool had only just set down her kill when she saw Cinderpoppy dragging Bearstar's unconscious body out of his den. The smell of sickness instantly hit her nose and a pit formed in her stomach as she realized what was happening.
A solemn expression entered the littermates' gazes as they listened as the deputy confirmed their suspicions. The leader was dead, another casualty coming from the disease that had invaded the clan. Lilacpool bowed her head sorrowfully while Ashstorm rested his tail comfortingly on his sister's back. "I can't believe he's dead," The grey she-cat whispered, the rising toll of deaths beginning to weigh down on her.
Plumpaw coughed softly as she groomed herself at the edge of the camp, trying to steer clear of the sick cats across the clearing. She had only started coughing that morning, but didn't think much of it. "A tickle in her throat" is what she called it and was actively avoiding Raindapple. She had no will to be stuck into a den full of sickly cats when she might just have a small cold.
As the apprentice gave her dark grey fur a long, slow lick, movement inside of Bearstar's den caught her attention. Her ears pricked and her yellow eyes lit with hope. Was her mentor finally awake? It had been days since Bearstar was diagnosed with greencough and was bedridden, causing Plumpaw to be mentorless. She still went out hunting and such, but her official training had been put on hold. She wanted him to get better so that she could begin working again.
But the cat emerging from the den wasn't Bearstar. It was Cinderpoppy, hauling the large tom out of the den. The young cat's heart jumped to her throat as she froze. What was wrong with her mentor? Plumpaw leaped to her paws and dashed over to where the calico had laid him. A strange smell was coming from the sick cat and the apprentice already knew what Cinderpoppy had to report. Her yellow eyes closed tightly as sorrow swept over her. "Oh, he can't be dead," she croaked, looking down at Bearstar's lifeless body.
( is it ok if Plumpaw was his apprentice? )
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 18:51:42 GMT -5
Ceaderbristle stepped forwards, shooting a side-eyed glare at Gorseleap as he spoke against StarClan. The broad-shouldered tom didn't take kindly to the other tom's words, as he had always held StarClan in high reverence and regard. StarClan hasn't abandoned us, every clan faces hardships, StarClan is still faithful. Known for being optimistic in every situation, Ceaderbrostle clung to his faith in StarClan, believing that without them, the clans would be doomed. "I'll go as well, or if you'd like I could lead a patrol of the borders, we don't want outsiders taking this opportunity to attack."
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Post by 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝔂 on Oct 1, 2018 19:22:46 GMT -5
Plumpaw was vaguely aware of Cinderpoppy's tail on her back as she crouched beside Bearstar. She was in a state of shock, as if she was unwilling to accept that he was dead. What would she do now? Having the leader as her mentor had been an amazing experience and Plumpaw truly enjoyed being his apprentice. Her eyes shut tightly again at the thought of having a different mentor.
"I don't want a new mentor," whispered the mourning cat, to nobody in particular. She stood up slowly, tail drooping as she did. Why would StarClan let this happen? It just wasn't fair. This leafbare was bringing despair to the clan constantly.
Plumpaw looked up, listening to the cats putting together a patrol to search for herbs. Her face was blank for a moment, until she realized that she wanted to participate. "I'll go, too," The she-cat murmured. If they were successful, maybe she would help save a life instead of watching another leave.
Lilacpool looked shocked at Gorseleap's words. She had never heard anyone question StarClan like that before. She had always trusted in her ancestors, why would they turn their backs on her clan? What reason did they have to do that. Ashstorm exchanged a nervous glance with his sibling. He wasn't sure whether he agreed with the tom or not. Sure, the sickness was terrible as well as the winter, but surely that wasn't StarClan's fault?
Feeling hesitant, Lilacpool considered going along with the others. However, she was truly tired and would much rather get some rest than go back out in the snow. Though her brother looked as if he wanted to participate. The blue-grey she-cat leaned towards Ashstorm, telling him she was staying behind. The tom nodded in reply, before announcing he would like to participate as well.
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brambleflight
Holiday craze. Replies wont be coming for a while sorry!
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Post by brambleflight on Oct 1, 2018 19:50:01 GMT -5
Cinderpoppy felt a bit relieved to see the cats step up to join the patrols. She gave them a small nod of approval then looked over to Cedarbristle. She thought over his offer to lead a patrol to the borders. Since there was so much going on in the clan, she was a bit reluctant to put together another patrol to the border, however, border patrols had been less of a priority in recent days. "A border patrol is a good idea." She mused. Her blue gaze flickered over the cats as they volunteered. "Cedarbristle, take Ashstorm and Greenpaw with you. Gorseleap, you'll lead the herb patrol." The deputy paused and glanced down at Plumpaw, worried about sending the apprentice out right after losing her mentor.
She needs time to grieve.. But perhaps doing something rather than nothing will be better for her.. Cinderpoppy weighed out the options for a moment before giving a reluctant nod. "Gorseleap, you can take Plumpaw and Lionfrost with you." She meowed. Her gaze shifted over to the fresh kill pile, which was rather low. "Both patrols should also keep a look out for any prey along the way." Cinderpoppy added before giving a wave of her tail to dismiss the cats.
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Lionfrost rose to his paws and padded over to join Gorseleap. The warrior glanced towards the medicine cat den before looking back to the other warrior. "Hopefully we're able to find some... Maybe we should speak to Raindapple about the best places to look for that stuff though." The warrior advised. Gorseleap shrugged his shoulders making an angered expression.
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Greenpaw bounced over to Cedarbristle as she was assigned to his patrol. "I'm ready to go!" She declared. Despite the extra work that she and the others had been putting in, she was still as full of energy as always. Even the harshness of leaf bare couldn't slow the young apprentice down. "Where are we going to first? Do you think we'll run into any enemies?" She asked, her fur already beginning to bristle at the thought of a fight breaking out during the border patrol.
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 20:09:24 GMT -5
Being satisfied with how well Cinderpoppy was handling things, Raindapple had rushed back to her den, her job seemed to never be fully done. I wish Quailpaw was still here... The young tom had been so excited about learning all the herbs and helping any way he could. Raindapple felt a pang of sorrow as she fondly remembered the bright young apprentice. He was so clever and learned everything so quickly. Although she would never be able to have kits, she had always viewed him as a son, especially after his mother passed. Steeling her emotions, she got to work, checking on each cat in her den, changing the moss in their nests and listening to their breathing. Her pawsteps felt sluggish as she moved from patient to patient, exhaustion threating to tug her into unconsciousness.
Ceaderbristle couldn't help but smile at the young she-cat's excitement, happy to still see joy in the midst of such pain. "So many questions at once." The tom chuckled softly, her energy was infectious. "We will do our best to just do a quick skirt of the territory, and hopefully won't run into anything. I don't think we will." Glancing over his shoulder he caught sight of Plumpaw, and wished there was a way to comfort the grieving she-cat, she was too young to experience that kind of loss.
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 20:50:15 GMT -5
Raindapple very nearly jumped out of her fur, the tiny voice behind her breaking the trance of her weariness. Turning and seeing the petite apprentice the tired medicine cat smiled softly, her heart warmed by her concern. "I'm fine Littlepaw, just a bit tired, that's all." Raindapple stifled a yawn as she spoke to the she-cat, "How are you feeling? Did you take the herbs I gave you?" Raindapple was worried about Littlepaw, she had one of the worst cases of greencough, but the apprentice was such a fighter, surprising Raindapple at each turn for how hard she was fighting the sickness.
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Post by 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝔂 on Oct 1, 2018 21:25:27 GMT -5
Nodding silently, Plumpaw trudged over to her patrol, unable to keep herself from sagging as she did. Her typical cheery spirit had been crushed in a matter of minutes. Though she realized that moping around wouldn't help anything, so she straightened herself and put on a brave face. She was doing this for her mentor now.
Agreeing with Lionfrost, Plumpaw moved for the medicine den. She caught Gorseleap's angry expression and felt a pang of sympathy. Bearstar had been a well respected leader and would be missed by everycat. Then her eyes shifted to Cinderpoppy, wondering how it was like to know that you would become leader in a couple of hours. Plumpaw stifled a shudder at the thought; it was daunting to her.
As the dark-furred apprentice reached the den, she recalled how she had been repulsed earlier at the thought of coming over here. Now, it struck a note of fear into her, now knowing the full, dangerous potential of the disease. Even so, she had an overwhelming drive to help her sick clanmates, whether she got ill or not.
Saying goodbye to Lilacpool, Ashstorm turned and trotted over to his patrol. He dipped his narrow head in greeting towards Cedarbristle and Greenpaw, a little surprised by the apprentice's enthusiasm. It seemed a little.. inappropriate at the moment, but the dappled grey tom didn't have the heart to dampen her mood.
Following the ginger warrior's gaze over to Plumpaw, he felt a stab of pity. The apprentice looked dazed and upset, unwilling to accept her mentor's death. No cat should have to witness such dark things at a young age, even if she was nearing her warrior ceremony.
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 21:28:07 GMT -5
Raindapple knew the little she-cat was lying, she wasn't a medicine cat just because she couldn't fight, she knew what she was doing, but she was slightly proud of Littlepaw's valiant attempt of self-sacrifice. Raindapple's mind was running through a list of things that she still needed to do, Sort and take stock of other herbs, check on the queens that are helping nurse the healthy kits, grab them her-. She was quickly interrupted by Littlepaw's quiet question. Lowering her head, Raindapple rested her tail across the younger she-cat's shoulders, "I'm sorry, but yes. If you want to go out and say goodbye, I'm sure that could be arranged." Raindapple didn't want a sickness getting between the clan and giving Bearstar the goodbye he deserved.
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brambleflight
Holiday craze. Replies wont be coming for a while sorry!
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Post by brambleflight on Oct 1, 2018 22:00:44 GMT -5
Cinderpoppy fell quiet as she watched cats either get to work or move to say their goodbyes to their leader. The young deputy slowly rose to her paws and moved to lay next to Bearstar. She planned to sit the full vigil with him but with how hectic things had been in the clan, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to.
She wanted to pay her respects to her leader before anything else needed her attention. She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, praying to StarClan that she'd be able to help her clan rather than make things worse. The thought of becoming leader in the middle of all the trouble leaf bare was causing them was rattling the she-cat despite the calm demeanor she showed.
- Lionfrost let out a quiet sigh and followed the apprentice over to the medicine cat den. He glanced down at her, planning to keep an especially close eye on the apprentice. Losing her mentor surely couldn't be an easy thing and he worried that she might push herself too much to ignore the loss. The large golden tom glanced back at Gorseleap and frowned a little as he saw that the other warrior was frustrated.
Focusing his gaze back ahead, Lionfrost stepped into the medicine cat den with the others. He spotted Raindapple and Littlepaw speaking and dipped his head in greeting. "Sorry to bother you but we just wanted to get some information about where to look for the herbs." He meowed.
Littlepaw lowered her head at Raindapple's answer. She could barely believe that the great tom had been brought down by green cough. She felt grief over the loss of their leader but also a new found sense of fear. If greencough could take down Bearstar, it felt as if she and the young kits that were sick didn't even stand a chance. The apprentice sunk down into a crouch, feeling quite shaken by the thought. "I..." She began then shook her head. "No.. No it's fine.." She said in response to Raindapple's offer to let her say goodbye to Bearstar. Littlepaw did want to say her goodbyes to the older tom but shaken by the thought of death, she was too fearful to actually approach him.
The small she-cat jumped slightly as Plumpaw and the others entered the den. She looked over at her den-mate and gave her a look of sympathy. Littlepaw took a small step away from the others, worried she might get someone sick if she was too close.
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Greenpaw nodded her head at Cedarbristle's words. "Ok." She meowed with a nod. She faltered as she noticed the two warriors cast glances in the direction of Plumpaw. Greenpaw frowned a little as she looked over at her den-mate but quickly looked away, wanting to focus on the work at hand rather than grief of losing their leader. The energetic apprentice began to head for the exit of camp, the look of determination returning to her eyes. She glanced up at the other two cats and tilted her head. "So where to first?"
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Post by MadFaith on Oct 1, 2018 22:20:34 GMT -5
Raindapple nodded somberly at Littlepaw's response, she didn't want to force the apprentice to do anything she didn't want to. Her attention was drawn to the cats that appeared at the mouth of her den, "Oh, yes. The, uh herbs." Shaking her head quickly, she did her best to clear the clouds of sleep, she needed a sharp mind, not a dull one, I'm a moment like this her clan needed to know what she was doing. "Thistle leaves can be found by the Cragged Cave, they like growings amongst the stones there, but please be careful, there are venomous snakes around there, I don't know if they've already disappeared to avoid the cold setting in, but I don't want any of you coming back with a bite. And the Catmint usually hides along the creek, it tends to blend in with the rest of the weeds. Here, I'll show you what you're looking for." Dashing farther into her den, she sifted through her herbs, taking a quick check to see if she had any stinging nettles or yarrow. Finding both, she sighed a breath of relief, if one of the cats did come back with a bite, she'd be able to help them. Grabbing a thistle leaf and a clump of catmint, she returned to the others. "This is a thistle leaf. Be careful though, its a bit sharp, so it helps to carry it in a leaf rather than just using your mouth. And this is catmint, the purple flowers stand out really well, so you'll be able to see it from foxlengths away." She pointed to each herb as she spoke about it. "Do you think you'll be able to remember those?"
Ceaderbristle walked briskly, catching up the bounding apprentice in a couple strides. "The best place to start would probably be the creek, and then we could go along the border from there. Or we could start at the Crocked Maple. What do you think Ashstorm?" Ceaderbristle enjoyed taking the lead sometimes, but he didn't want to step on any paws and wanted to see what the other tom thought would be the best. Tensions were high, with everyone working double patrols, and the added stress of the sickness tearing though the clan.
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Post by 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝔂 on Oct 1, 2018 22:50:00 GMT -5
By now, Plumpaw was noticing everyone's sympathetic glances in her direction. Her short pelt prickled uncomfortably, unused to the sort of attention. Don't feel bad for me, She wanted to say. I'm not the sick one.She blinked kindly over at Littlepaw, trying to appear less "down", but didn't say anything. Her throat felt dry and if she talked, it would most likely come out raspy.
Plumpaw, still a little dazed, could barely concentrate on what the medicine cat was saying. She realized this with embarrassment and hoped the older cats had been listening. Though she did lean forward to sniff the leaves as Raindapple held them, hoping the scent would stay in her brain.
Ashstorm hurried after the other two cats, feeling a little more energized than before. The air was bitterly cold, but his thick coat helped insulate him during the winter months. His blue eyes traveled around, taking in the surroundings and imagining it all without the layers of snow piled everywhere.
The grey tom looked towards Cedarbristle at the sound of his name and a thoughtful look came to his gaze. "That sounds alright to me," He decided, seeing how that would work out. "We could check if there is any sign of the ice melting at the creek. That would be good to know."
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Post by 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓵𝓸𝓾𝓭𝔂 on Oct 5, 2018 22:00:19 GMT -5
bump
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