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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 19:17:05 GMT -5
Thornpaw drew back, giving in, but then, she felt something...a surge of strength, anger, and determination coming from somewhere outside of herself. From the other cat...but swirling around in the same liquids that made up both their thoughts. Move... she said, pushing through with Crowfur in a singleminded motion. Just move already!
Rainpaw stumbled back, ears flattening against his head as Thornpaw shoved him. “Stop it already!” Anger rose in his chest and he reached out, clapping Thornpaw over the nose with his paw before he could stop himself. The moment his paw made contact, he drew back, horrified. “I...I...” Abruptly, he turned his back to the group, hurrying away towards the apprentices’ den.
“I’m s...orry.” The words came in a ragged whisper, barely audible even from Hazelstreak’s close position. “I s-should’ve t-told you...and Blaze...” He wheezed, struggling to communicate. Struggling to get the words out as his whole body seemed to well up with pain and regret. With images he didn’t want anymore. Images he deserved.
The calico started, jerking her head back from the plants and coiling her tail in surprise. At the sight of a stranger, she crouched low to the ground, tail shivering against the dirt. “Stay back,” she said warily, not moving a muscle towards or away from him. “Don’t come any closer. I have friends nearby. Lots of them.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 21, 2019 19:49:22 GMT -5
Crowfur reared back, shocked as the blow struck. He hadn’t expected any retaliation from these two against their sister no matter how much he pushed them, especially not physical. It didn’t hurt, but as his front paws hit the ground he raised one and gently touched the spot, as though he expected to feel blood where the apprentices paw had hit him. For a moment he didn’t even keep trying to see Adderleaf. Has he ever hit you before?
Nightpaw flinched back and squealed in shock as his brother lashed out. Then he moved forward, his eyes wide as they moved between his siblings with lightening speed. “All right, Thornpaw, come on, we’re going.” He made up his mind right there and began to herd her away, not pushing her, just....there, wherever she tried to be. He couldn’t process what was happening, why Thornpaw had chosen now to decide to be a rebel. So he just acted. He didn’t look at his brother again.
Splashpelt took a step back, immediately grateful that he’d decided against approaching her. “Hey, it’s okay, I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He said quickly. “Listen, do your friends have any herbs stored? Specifically anything for infection and fever. Please.”
Hazelstreak didn’t answer right away. Her own images swarmed her head, different ones than Adderleaf’s, but not that different. She lowered her muzzle and gently began to groom some of the matted fluff on his ear. Just like she had when they were kits, curled in their nests after a day full of running and wrestling together like littermates. “Yeah, you should have.” She murmured in his working ear, her voice gentle, but unflinchingly honest. “You made a really stupid mistake, and I was angry for a long time.” Her words flowed faster now, her heart sped up, she was terrified he would leave her before she could finish. “But I forgive you, Adder. There’s no bad blood left between us. I forgive you.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 20:09:01 GMT -5
Thornpaw squeaked and drew back, shocked as she felt...or rather, saw...her kind, strong brother snap, his paw making contact with her face. She didn’t answer Crowfur right away, but simply stayed withdrawn to the back of his mind, buzzing with confusion and anxiety.
The cat didn’t move, but she didn’t look away, either - she just stayed there, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the other cat. “Herbs?” she questioned, tilting her head a little. “What for? You don’t look sick. You with a group?”
As he heard the words, Adderleaf began to shiver, a deep sigh leaving his battered body as her forgiveness, miraculous, made their way to his feverish brain. And then, his gaze wandered, and his breathing slowed - he was drifting now, in and out. No longer fully able to keep his attention on her. No longer fully conscious.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 21, 2019 20:25:40 GMT -5
It was her shock that was making it so hard to react. Crowfur found himself being herded back, but he was too puzzled to resist. The initial fury at being held back was gone, replaced by something eerily close to panic as he fought to stay in control. He hadn’t expected her to be able to affect him this much, he hadn’t expected Rainpaw to be capable of slapping his sister. Today seemed full of unpleasant surprises. And as much as he would have enjoyed watching Adderleaf finally die, he decided that he’d pushed his luck enough for the day, so he simply let himself be driven away.
Nightpaw started breathing again as Thornpaw finally backed off. Small comfort, given what he guessed was going on in her head right now. He’d have to go find Rainpaw as soon as he could. But he didn’t want to leave her alone now, so when they were far enough away he stopped and sat down. “Get some rest, okay? It’ll be better when you wake up. I’ll protect you.”
“Yes.” In any other circumstances, Splashpelt might have been more cautious. But as long as Adderleaf breathed he wasn’t going to risk complications. “One of them is dying from a badly infected wound, and we have nothing to treat him with. Please, I...” He swallowed, licked his lips, and looked her in the eye as he tried again. “He’s dying.”
Hazelstreak didn’t speak again. She could feel him slipping away, and she could only hope that he’d been able to hear her. She pressed her body against his, ignoring the awful heat and the smell of his wounds, and continued her rhythmic grooming. First his ear, then when that was done the parts of his face that weren’t tender. Then the knots in his fur, the mud and the burrs he’d been unable to remove by himself. She forced a steady purr to rise in her lungs as she worked. And then she wasn’t forcing it anymore, and she was running out of knots, but she kept the rhythm going anyway, in time with the vibration in her chest.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 20:32:18 GMT -5
Another body pressed up against Adderleaf’s other side - Blazeclaw crept in to lie next to him opposite to Hazelstreak. She didn’t speak - but simply lowered her head, closing her eyes so she could better hear his faint, tapping heartbeat. As long as she heard that...
The cat’s eyes darted back and forth, scanning the area for any sign that this was an ambush. When she didn’t see any, she finally straightened up, keeping a shrewd eye on the stranger. “We have herbs,” she confirmed, flicking her long tail back and forth as she considered him. “Dried ones from last fall. Which ones do you need?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 22, 2019 17:54:33 GMT -5
“Goldenrod.” Splashpelt took a step towards the stranger, relief flooding across his face. “Nettle, feverfew, tormentil, anything for infection. We can pay you back with prey, however much you want for it.” Adderleaf’s face flashed through his mind again and he braved himself against it, willing himself to concentrate on what he was doing, what he could do. Just like you taught me, Creekfang. We don’t have time to panic until it’s over.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 22, 2019 17:57:57 GMT -5
The she-cat flicked her ears back at all the names, and her eyes widened, shocked by his repertoire of knowledge. “I...don’t know what those are,” she said apologetically. “The herbs aren’t ours - we found them abandoned in some old den. Nobody in my group even knows how to use them...” She frowned, thinking. “Actually, why don’t you just come to our camp? You seem like you know what you’re supposed to be looking for.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 22, 2019 18:10:01 GMT -5
Splashpelt blinked, pulling his mind back with some difficulty. “Thank you,” he breathed at her offer. Under other circumstances perhaps he would have hesitated more at the idea of going, alone and unprepared, into a clan of strangers, but now he simply closed the distance between them, his eyes bright with gratitude. “Thank you so much, I promise we’ll do our best to repay you.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 22, 2019 18:24:17 GMT -5
(mini timeskip)
After a short walk past the stream and over a little hill, the she-cat stopped, ears flicking forward as she looked towards what appeared to be a small camp. There were a few cats wandering back and forth over the area, which consisted of a clearing, the center of which was a beautiful pond that got its drainage from the very stream they’d parked at a ways away. The dens were made of sturdy mounds of dirt and rock, except for one, which was a hollowed-out fallen tree. Between that and the perfectly-shaped openings in the rock dens, it was clear that cats had intentionally settled here. “This is it,” confirmed the calico, glancing back at her companion. She then paused, and grimaced a little. “Okay...so this is probably where I tell you that I’m definitely not supposed to be doing this. I’m gonna be in big trouble, but it’s ok - just be polite and don’t act...”
“Hey! That you, Six? You back already?”
Before Splashpelt’s guide could finish whatever she was about to say, the two of them were approached by a tall, grouchy-looking, muscular tabby and white she-cat. She had deep, dark green eyes that were currently narrowed suspiciously at Splashpelt as her tail flicked slowly back and forth, signaling her distaste for the developing situation. “Who are you supposed to be?” she growled, glancing back and forth between the two cats, one of whom she knew, the other of whom was a stranger. “Don’t think you’re one of mine.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 22, 2019 19:48:54 GMT -5
Splashpelt stopped, his blue eyes widening as they found the camp. It was beautiful. The dens were clean and out of the way, and his paws ached as he imagined for a moment slipping into one and just curling up, like he used to do. And the pond.... His voice was choked with longing and emotion as he glanced at the she-cat. “It’s so beautiful.” The moment didn’t last. He tensed and took a step back as the bigger cat approached, and he finally realized what it was Six had told him. She wasn’t the only one in trouble here. “Splashpelt. My name.” He stammered, his stub of a tail shivering like a small dog’s. “I’m sorry, I don’t want any trouble, one of my friends is dying and desperately needs herbs. We can repay you with as much prey as you want for it.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 23, 2019 8:03:09 GMT -5
The larger she-cat squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and growled, fur rising along her spine as she collected herself. “Aaaaaah...what the hell, Six? We have a rule about outsiders, remember? And you bring this shaky leaf of a cat?” She glanced again at Splashpelt, whiskers brushed back in clear distaste for the medicine cat.
Six had been sitting with her head dipped, taking the onslaught of words with an air of resignations. But then, as the other finished speaking, she suddenly looked up, eyes wide with determination. “I didn’t bring him here for no reason, Ten,” she said firmly, flicking her tail. “He’s from a group. Of...wild cats, like the ones who lived here. He knows how to use those herbs, and everything!”
Ten paused in her tirade, flicking her ears forward. “Huh...?” Then, she rounded on Splashpelt, leaning forward until she was nose to nose with him, staring directly into his eyes. “That true, mousebreath?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 23, 2019 9:07:55 GMT -5
Splashpelt’s wide eyes moved between the two of them as he tried to figure out what the situation was. They seemed to have numbers for names. At least, these two did, he couldn’t be sure about the rest. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Six dip her head and he copied her, holding his tongue to let her handle this. Until he was addressed. He looked up, meeting her eyes and trying not to cringe away from her. “Uh...yes, I’m our clan’s medicine cat.” He confirmed, then it hit him and he stiffened. “Wait. Are you saying you don’t have a medicine cat?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 23, 2019 9:13:46 GMT -5
Ten straightened up, curling her lip in an angry sneer. “Were you listening to what Six just said, dirt-for-brains?” she asked, lashing her tail. “No, we don’t have a ‘medicine’ cat. We don’t even know that word. Now, are you gonna keep asking stupid questions or do you wanna come see what we’ve got?” Oddly enough, it seemed she was inviting him in, albeit in the most hostile way imaginable.
“Y-yeah,” offered Six, cautiously jumping in. “We have all kinds of plants all dried out in here - maybe you can show us how to use some of them? As payment?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 23, 2019 9:19:05 GMT -5
Splashpelt flinched, his ears flattening against his skull as she... Wait. Was she inviting him into her home...? “O-okay. He agreed tentatively, straightening up. “Lead the way. My friend needs herbs now, but I can come back and teach you everything I know after I give him what he needs, I swear.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 23, 2019 9:46:25 GMT -5
Six glanced at Ten for confirmation, and she nodded curtly. “Okay,” she said, beginning to lead him across camp with Ten following close behind. “This way - see that big opening there?” The entrance to the medicine den was slightly larger than the others - a cobbled together opening made of rock and root-saturated dirt. Without hesitation, Six slipped inside, gesturing for Splashpelt to follow.
Inside the den was a wide, circular space, with a hard, clean dirt floor that has clearly been meticulously kept by whoever had previously used the den. All around them were carefully dug little ridges in the walls, lined with well-organized bundles of dried herbs - nearly every kind imaginable, untouched. The supply wasn’t huge - clearly it was only meant to last the winter - but it was comprehensive. There were even herbs Splash would’ve been unable to recognize - ground up flowers and roots that were nonexistent in their old home.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 23, 2019 10:03:06 GMT -5
Splashpelt sped up as soon as he saw them, his eyes raking the piles for anything he could use to stop infection, bring down a fever, anything. “I don’t know all of these.” He admitted as he worked, his claws snagging stray leaves and sorting them without him even having to concentrate on it. Even though he hadn’t done this for months, it came as naturally to him as breathing. Finally he exhaled and turned, the small pile of multicolored leaves at his feet, and dipped his head to Six, then Ten. “Thank you, thank you both so much. He has a chance now. “I-“
“Ten? Are you in here?” A skinny, pure white cat with no fur and a long, ratlike tail that seemed to be continuously in motion, and bright sky blue eyes stepped into the den. And froze as they saw Splashpelt. Their eyes flicked down to the leaves at his feet, then to the Ten, then Six. “What....who.....I thought we had a super specific rule about cats we don’t know...? Or is that just y’know for the rest of us...?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 23, 2019 12:44:14 GMT -5
Six lit up, tail looping as Splashpelt thanked the two of them. “Of course! I hope your friend makes it, I - “ She paused, interrupted by the newest arrival.
“He’s a Clan cat,” said Ten shortly, turning to address 72 as they entered the den. “He can help. Unless he or his clan hurts anybody, in which case I’ll just kill him. But for now, we’re giving him some supplies for an injured clanmate of his. Six is going to follow him back to his Clan, until he can come back and treat Fifty.”
Six blinked. “Wait - I am?”
“Yes! Yes you are!” growled Ten, snapping her ears back. “As a matter of fact, you! Mousebrain!” She rounded on Splashpelt. “Get moving already! Weren’t you just making a big fuss about having somebody to save from certain death?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 23, 2019 14:46:41 GMT -5
“Woah, a real Clan?” 72’s ears flicked back and they fixed Splashpelt with a wide-eyed look of wonder. “Like, built-this-weird-place and plant-cat Clan? And you’re really going to help us?”
“Yes, I need to go right now.” Splashpelt flinched away from Ten as she turned on him and scooped up the leaves, then scrambled from the den and ran as fast as he could for the space RoseClan was huddled.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 23, 2019 15:45:36 GMT -5
Six jumped, then turned and followed suit, sprinting after Splashpelt’s quickly fading stump of a tail as fast as her legs could carry her.
—
“He’s back!” Blazeclaw called down to the others, then waved her tail like a flag. “Splash! Hurry!” She saw another cat trailing behind, but now wasn’t the time to deal with whatever that was about.
Adder was lying very still now, breaths coming every five seconds or so. His eyes half-closed and rolled up into his head - in fact, if it weren’t for those occasional breaths, it would be difficult to tell if he was even still alive.
“Splashpelt - “ began Cloudstar, then blinked, surprised. “Er...where did you find all of those?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 23, 2019 21:39:10 GMT -5
Splashpelt didn’t reply as he darted past the leader, his eyes fixed on the lump of orange fur lying horribly still in the grass. The herbs slipped from his teeth as he reached Adderleaf and he crouched, pressing his head up against the warrior’s throat to feel for a pulse. It was there. He breathed out and turned to grab the herbs.
Hazelstreak raised her head, blinking as she registered what was happening. He’d said he didn’t want them to waste supplies. That stuck out in her mind, sharper than anything else. Of course, he never did feel worth as much as everyone else, but this time she didn’t think he was just being overly sacrificing. This time, he was just being practical. “Wait.” She said quickly, before the medicine cat could start chewing the leaves. “What are the chances that any of that is going to help him?” Splashpelt paused, glancing back at Hazelstreak. “I’m sorry.” He answered after a heartbeat, words failing him. Not high. That’s what the chances were. So low, they were barely even on the radar, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 24, 2019 9:35:15 GMT -5
“What are you saying?” asked Cowstar quickly as Hazelstreak spoke - not accusingly, or angrily, just a question. “Do you have a suggestion? Make it quick - this is an emergency.”
Blazeclaw raised her head, fur rising a little along her hackles as Hazel spoke. No....no way. She trusted her friend enough to know she wouldn’t be cold blooded enough to make a suggestion like that. No way was that what she was saying.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 24, 2019 9:46:22 GMT -5
Hazelstreak could feel their eyes burning her as every cat within earshot stared at her. Cowstar’s tone may not not have been accusing, but Blazeclaw’s wide, shocked eyes more than made up for it. She didn’t look at her friend, or the medicine, or even her leader as she continued, her dark green eyes fixed on the one spot left where she could still see Adderleaf’s chest rise and fall. “I’m asking if you honestly think he still can recover.” She answered, slowly and clearly. And now she did look at Splashpelt, her eyes deceptively calm as she searched through his. “I’m asking for your honest, unbiased medical opinion.”
Splashpelt flinched as she looked at him, his ears flattening against his skull as he tried to block out the things she was saying. “I think he’s still alive, and you’re wasting my time.” He snapped, somehow finding the courage to return her colder stare with his own. “I think I made a promise as a medicine cat not to sacrifice lives because I don’t think I can save them, and I think it’s my duty to try everything for as long as I can! Blaze, help me here!”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 24, 2019 18:30:27 GMT -5
Blazeclaw was staring at Hazelstreak, eyes wide and filled with a mixture of shock, hurt, and realization. Realization that somewhere along the journey here...somewhere in all the chaos...her friend had turned into a stranger. Splashpelt’s voice tore her out of her thoughts, and she whirled around, but before she could say anything, Cowstar spoke up from the other side of the dying cat.
“Help him, Splashpelt,” she ordered, dipping her head. “Do all that you can.” With that, she turned to Hazelstreak, expression unreadable. “Can I speak to you privately, please?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 24, 2019 19:03:18 GMT -5
Hazelstreak’s eyes moved without her permission, and for a long moment she met Blazeclaw’s gaze. For the second time in an hour, she felt her heart break. Her friend’s wide eyes were filled with shock and pain, and something else. They reflected a stranger. She looked away, down at Adderleaf’s body, still pressed against hers. His fur was still flat where she’d groomed it, and his eyes no longer focused on her or anything else. He was dying. An unfamiliar stab of something pierced her, but she suppressed it as best she could as she stood up and met Cowstar’s eyes. She didn’t speak, just dipped her head and moved to follow wherever she planned on going. She didn’t look back at the dying warrior.
Splashpelt moved before he could consciously register Cowstar’s order. He snatched up the leaves and chewed as he filled the spot Hazelstreak had just left, the ground warm under his paws from her fur, though he didn’t notice that. He was focused on one thing: his patient. He spat out the chewed leaves and rubbed them into the wounds, carefully. Then he half-glanced at Blazeclaw as he prepared a second batch of herbs. “Cobwebs? A big leaf would work too, I need something to hold the poultice on.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 25, 2019 20:09:50 GMT -5
Blazeclaw froze, then leapt into action, sifting through the pile of leaves, herbs, and roots until she found a tight wad of cobwebs. “Here!”
Cowstar walked until they were out of earshot of the rest of the group, and then turned and sat, expression still difficult to read. After a moment of silence, she sighed, shoulders relaxing a little. “Look, Hazel, clearly your suggestion didn’t go over well. I’m thinking you’re not going to let it go, so I’m going to tell you something. Something Blazeclaw will have to learn sooner or later, for better or for worse. Or maybe she won’t - maybe she isn’t like that. I don’t know.” She took a breath, then continued. “Anyway...for what it’s worth, I don’t think you were far wrong. I don’t know if I’d make that call myself, but it’s certainly something that needs to be thought about and considered, no matter how distasteful.” She paused, flicking her tail thoughtfully. “But, you weren’t right to say it. Not then, and not there. There are times when we need to learn to choose our words, and understand our surroundings, and audience. And...not being leader, I need you to trust that I’ve already gone over all those options.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 25, 2019 21:09:52 GMT -5
Splashpelt took the cobwebs without acknowledging Blazeclaw at all, pressing them carefully over the deep wounds, now covered in a slimy green paste. It looked better after it was bandaged, but maybe that was just because you could no longer see the dirty yellow liquid making tiny rivers in his orange fur, or the ghastly hole where his eye had been. The medicine cat let his breath out and glanced at the other warrior for the first time as he finished, his eyes stretched wide with worry. “There’s nothing else I can do for him.” He murmured, half to himself. This was the worst part by far. Waiting helplessly for whatever happened next.
Hazelstreak’s eyes widened slowly as the leader spoke, and she stiffened but didn’t interrupt. So...Cowstar agreed with her? Then why had she told Splashpelt to use the herbs? And why act like she was going to give a lecture when it was Blazeclaw who needed to be talked to. A puzzled frown creased the fur between her eyes as she searched the older cat’s expression, dissecting it in her mind. The leader looked genuine, but she’d looked that way a moment ago too, and every other time she’d made a call Hazel didn’t agree with. So which Cowstar was real? “Alright, so you don’t think I was wrong. Why all the secrecy?” She questioned after a moment as Cowstar finished, and she pieced together her thoughts. “If you agree with me, why would you tell Splashpelt to waste valuable resources? Choose my words, understand my audience...what are you trying to say?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 30, 2019 11:18:14 GMT -5
“I’m trying to say that there is a difference between making the logical choice and making the pragmatic one,” said Cowstar, watching Hazelstreak’s expression closely. She and her were similar, really. Sometimes she didn’t understand the choices she made, but she always had felt like she understood what was driving them. And when she was an apprentice, she hadn’t been too different at all from the young warrior. “Think of it this way. If I let Adderleaf die without the clan thinking I pulled on every resource, no matter how unreasonable, to help him, the cats out there would see me as a cold blooded murderer. They would start to resent me, and my choices. They would even start to distrust me - after all, how could they be guaranteed a chance at life if I’d so callously sacrificed one of my own? Before long, I’d have a mutiny on my hands.” She paused, flicking her tail thoughtfully. “So what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think you were wrong insofar as your idea is sound. But I do think you were wrong to voice it - it showed poor judgement, at least when it comes to predicting other cats’ behavior. In a clan, no cat is their own entity - our behavior ripples through the others, all the way down to the smallest kit.”
Thornpaw stirred in the back of Crowfur’s mind, for the first time in several hours. She was quiet for a moment, uncertainty rippling through her small, ghostlike form, and then finally, her voice echoed through his brain once again. What’s your plan? she asked, flipping curiously upside down, then fighting herself again a moment later. We’ve been sitting around for a long time now. You want to save us, right? So what are you going to do next?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 30, 2019 11:38:55 GMT -5
Crowfur flipping the tip of his tail, drawn from his thoughts by the ghostly presence in the back of his mind. I need to get rid of Cowstar. He answered after a moment of thoughtful silence. What harm could telling her so, anyway? That was the one good thing about this awful situation- someone to bounce his ideas off of who wouldn’t go trying to get him exiled. Look What she’s done. I thought RoseClan was in poor jaws when I was born the first time, and then we at least were fighting MoonClan and defending our territory. Now, thanks to that badger and Adderpaw, we don’t ever have a territory anymore. He huffed and stood up, beginning to pace back and forth again, his twig-like tail whipping back and forth. But thanks to this body, I’m a kit who can’t talk, and everyone apparently thinks you’re completely weak and useless, which means they think I’m completely weak and useless. So, I need a way to talk to them. Which brings me back to you. Didn’t you ever try to communicate with your brothers?
Hazelstreak flicked her ears back, but she didn’t interrupt, and she let herself hear the older cat out. “So basically you have to manipulate them.” She said at last, but this time her tone was curiously free from accusations. “For their own good, as a leader. But I’m not a leader, so isn’t it my job as their equal to point out what they can’t see? Splashpelt probably used most of the herbs he brought back, maybe even all of them, and it’s just barely spring. I’m sorry they’re offended by reality, and I even understand why you can’t say it, but am I just supposed to sit down and shut up so no one’s feelings get hurt? I can’t just trust that you’ve thought of everything, because I can’t even trust that I’ve thought of everything, and no offense but you don’t have the best history with good decisions.” The warrior paused. “Besides, it’s too late for anyone’s opinion of me, if that’s what you’re trying to save here.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on May 4, 2019 16:38:20 GMT -5
That stung. In response to all the dramatic language, Thornpaw shrunk back for a moment, but again, she found herself up against that force. That feeling she’d never had...of power, and of indignation. That feeling that she could almost dip her paws in...she couldn’t, but it was there...reminding her. That there was another way. I’ve tried, she said hesitantly, pushing her way forward a little and uncoiling so she was a bit more stretched in her space. But they don’t understand. They just think I’m screaming or scared. Or crazy...
“I don’t care what you tell them,” said Cowstar bluntly, but not unkindly. “If you don’t care whether or not you’re liked, far be it from me to tell you that’s the wrong way to live your life. But...I needed you to know my side of things. It’s the same basic principle. There are things that they don’t need to know for their own good, and there are things you do need to know. For your own good.”
Six approached Splashpelt, low to the ground and cautious. “Um...so, our deal...it’s...it’s probably best if you come with me now.” She paused, the tip of her tail shivering. “And Ten said you can bring the others, if you want to. This place isn’t safe at night.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 4, 2019 17:21:14 GMT -5
Crowfur considered her, wondering how badly she’d wanted to be able to talk like everyone else. He could feel it, in a way he wasn’t sure how it was possible, but he knew how she felt in that moment. He’d never felt that helpless before. He didn’t like it. Well, that’s not going to work for me. He answered after a moment, trying to get back on track. This was more unsettling than he liked to admit. Is that why they think you can’t handle anything? Because they think you’re crazy? That makes sense I suppose, but there has to be a way to fix it. Maybe....he’d wait for her to answer first. He wanted to know how she’d respond to that idea.
Hazelstreak finally relaxed. “You really aren’t mad at me, are you?” She said hesitantly, her head tipped to one side as she looked at her leader. Her leader.... “Talon asked me to come with him.” She blurted out before she could stop herself. Then she was shocked that she’d said it out loud, her eyes dropping to the ground, but she couldn’t take it back.
Splashpelt glanced at her, offering her a tired, reassuring smile. “Yeah....I'm done here for now. Let me get the rest of them together, and then we’ll come with you.” Who first? He eyes Adderleaf, hating the thought of moving him, but she was right. He wasn’t safe out in the open like this. And Cowstar still hadn’t come back from chewing Hazel out, so he didn’t want to go find her yet. Who did that leave? “Blazeclaw?” He asked, turning to see if his friend was still at his side.
A large bengal tom with pretty turquoise eyes stalked closer, his muscles tense and his tail low but not touching the grass. He was so close....that long-haired she-cat was within perfect pouncing distance...he leapt for her, claws sheathed, his paws aimed to hit her shoulders and knock her over so he could pin her, a look of wild excitement in his eyes.
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