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Post by <Raintalon> on May 22, 2020 18:33:52 GMT -5
Sootpaw met his sister's gaze, his own eyes burning with emotion as he answered without hesitation. "Yes," he said resolutely, giving a sturdy nod. "He definitely is."
The dream wasn't a lie. He believed that completely. Thornpaw had warned them about something from Silverpelt, which meant that now Catchpaw was up there, too.
"I'm still going to find out what the dream was about," he said after a moment, flicking his tail nervously and scanning her expression for a reaction. "I get it if you don't want to, but I have to."
--
"I don't know," said Rainpaw, still not moving an inch. His eyes moved subtly around the clearing, checking to make sure no one was within hearing range. "But I think it's a little strange that Rabbitsong's never so much as scented a rogue anywhere near here, and then suddenly, one of them pops up and guts an apprentice." Rainpaw, as always, was not one to slip honey into a bitter leaf wrap. "That's what I think."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 22, 2020 20:18:38 GMT -5
Firepaw blinked, unprepared for the intensity of the look Sootpaw gave her. He really believed it. He wasn’t just making it up to try and make her feel better. That, more than anything else, made her want to believe it too. It didn’t make it okay. She wasn’t even sure it made her feel better, but it was something to think about besides to awful ache in her chest. She looked up sharply as he continued, and her eyes widened. “You can’t!” She answered, her voice trembling. “Catch is....is....you can’t keep doing this. He was only out there in the first place because of this stupid dream thing. If he hadn’t...” She swallowed, trying to get the words out. “You can’t, Soot. You just can’t.”
-
Nightpaw swallowed, shuddering at Rainpaw’s apt description. He was right though, wasn’t he? If it really was a cat - and Nightpaw didn’t doubt that his brother had reason to believe it was - then it didn’t make sense for it to be a rogue. That left one extremely uncomfortable option. “You’re not suggesting that it was one of us?” He said it in a quiet hiss, so quiet he wasn’t even sure Rainpaw would hear him.
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Post by <Raintalon> on May 23, 2020 15:36:20 GMT -5
“Thornpaw said something was coming,” said Rainpaw, flicking his tail slowly as he continued to stare around the clearing, ears at attention. “I don’t know if it was one of us, or someone from the outside. But I think Catchpaw was the first victim of whatever she was trying to warn us about.”
“I have to!” said Sootpaw, the hair rising on the back of his spine before he swallowed, choking down the rise of emotion that had threatened to make him snap at Firepaw. It wasn’t her fault, he reminded himself, smoothing his coat with some difficulty. They were all dealing with this.
“Catchpaw died because of the dream,” he continued, his voice more even now, though he couldn’t disguise his resolve. “He died trying to come meet with us so we could all try and stop it. I have to honor that and try to stop whatever’s coming.” He closed his eyes, digging his claws into the ground. “Firepaw, if I don’t stop it, Catchpaw died for no reason at all.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 23, 2020 16:01:11 GMT -5
Nightpaw nodded. Rainpaw was right. An apprentice was dead now, and it made sense that it was connected to whatever was coming, No. Whatever was here. “We have to figure this out, fast.” He said quietly. “Catchpaw is dead. And unless he found something out and was coming to tell us, he wasn’t even that much of a threat. He didn’t even really believe in the whole thing.” He looked away, thinking hard. “We’ll need all the help we can get. Do you think the other two will still help us?”
Firepaw didn’t know what she wanted to do. She wanted to yell and she wanted to fight something, and she felt so helpless, so horribly helpless in the face of this. She couldn’t even look at the body. She couldn’t face it, it was just...too much. “No, listen to me.” She said, her voice shaking with suppressed emotion. She couldn’t show it, she couldn’t let anyone see how much pain she was in. “What if he didn’t die because of the dream? What if he died because he was outside of camp, I’m the dead of night, close to a den of foxes? What if h died because we convinced him that was a good idea, when he’d never have been so stupid on his own? What if it’s our fault?” She flinched. “Stop what, exactly? You’re so invested in all this and I can’t understand why. You don’t even know what’s supposedly coming, you don’t know anything, you don’t...” she swallowed, then forced herself to continue. “It’s so easy for you to say his new name.” She murmured, almost to herself. “Am I the only one who still thinks of him as...as Catch? Am I the only one who still thinks of me as Firefly?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on May 23, 2020 16:14:32 GMT -5
“It’s their brother,” said Rainpaw, flicking his tail and casting a skeptical glance over at the two siblings, who were, predictably, already fighting. “So I dunno. Probably not. We have to be prepared for the fact that they might just decide to come clean about the whole thing.”
Sootpaw’s ears flicked back in surprise as Firep.....as she began to raise her voice at him, the emotion in her own voice matching his own. Then, guilt washed over him as quickly as a summer rainstorm, and and he drew his tail tightly around his paws, feeling his heart pound against his ribs.
“I like it here,” he said sadly, the fire gone from his voice. “I thought you did, too.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 23, 2020 16:25:32 GMT -5
Nightpaw nodded, hating the fact that he knew what they were going through. He understood what they’d lost, because he’d lost it, too. When he’d lost Thornpaw, there had been nothing in the world that could make it better. He looked at Rainpaw, and he opened his mouth to say something, than closed it again, because what was there to say? “If that happens, there’s going to be a lot of questions.” He said quietly. “Probably questions we can’t answer.”
Firepaw looked at her brother, at the way he seemed to sag under her words. She didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t...but she didn’t want to lose him, either. And if those were her only options, she’d rather he was alive to feel the pain. “I thought I did.” She agreed miserably. It was so hard to get any coherent words out now. She still couldn’t look at the body. “But I never thought Catch would...I never thought he would go away, and now we’ll never see him again. What if it happens to you too?” She wanted to cry. But she didn’t. She just looked at him, waiting for his reply.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jun 11, 2020 20:30:03 GMT -5
"Maybe it will," admitted Sootpaw, in a voice that was significantly braver than he actually felt. "But I can't just walk away from this. I feel like..." He trailed off, kneading his paws, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say.
"We all had the dream," he continued at last, hesitant. "But just us, and just Thornpaw's siblings. Don't you think that means something? Don't you think Silverpelt wanted us to be here?" He was talking like a Clan cat. Too much - he knew that. But he couldn't help what he felt. And what he'd been taught before. Even if he never wanted to go back.
Just then, Blazeclaw's voice rang out across the clearing, loud and sharp through the barely breaking dawn. "They're back!"
Cowstar was down from her den and at her deputy's side in an instant, eyes wide as she scanned the bushes, her ears pricked to catch the sound of her Clanmates moving through the undergrowth. She smelled blood, and...
And death. Someone was gone.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 22, 2020 17:16:36 GMT -5
Firepaw listened, her head tilted down. She didn’t want to look at him, but she didn’t want to look away, either. She wanted to See the truth in his eyes, and know he meant what he said. “You can walk away.” She told him, trying to stop her voice from shaking. She wasn’t succeeding. “You can. All you have to do is tell Cowstar this wasn’t a good idea, and ask to leave. Then we can just go, and forget everything. We can try to forget we ever came here.” She stopped. She’d said too much, and she knew it. But looking at her brother, her last and only remaining family in the world....it was like standing on the edge of a cliff. She could feed the gravity pulling at her, begging her to take a step forward, just one...and she knew she was a coward for wanting to back away. She shook her head. “You’re talking like them.” She told him. “Silverpelt? Where did you hear about that?” She only knew what he meant because she’d heard the elders mention it when she was helping them with ticks. Had he done the same? Why did he look so certain this was right? She breathed out, trying desperately to calm down. Then whatever she would have said next was drowned out by the deputy’s call, and she turned sharply, looking towards the entrance.
Rabbitsong joined their leader quietly. They smelled blood. They smelled death. They didn’t speak. There was nothing to say. But they were there.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jun 22, 2020 17:38:38 GMT -5
Blazeclaw padded into camp first, limping on one of her front paws. One of her ears was shredded, the blood dripping down the side of her face half-dried, but other than that, she seemed none the worse for wear physically. But her eyes were dark and heavy as she looked up, meeting Cowstar's gaze and seeing that she already knew half the truth.
--
Later, as the sun began to set, she looked out over the Clan, all of them gathered around Brackenstep's body. Some politely paying their respects and then padding away, and others - most, she was glad to find - stayed, sitting or crouching nearby as they prepared to begin their vigil. She met Cowstar's eyes, and watched her nod, then stood up, her long tail brushing the dust underneath her as she made her way to the center of the circle.
"Brackenstep died as a warrior," she said loudly, and paused, allowing a hush to fall over the clearing. "He died side by side with his Clanmates in a way that was truly representative of his spirit. I had spoken with him about becoming my deputy one day - and still I believe he would have made a very fine one, if he hadn't been taken from us so soon." She dipped her head, her gaze wandering to the still warrior lying at her side. "I am certain that Silverpelt will welcome him as the brave warrior he was."
--
"Brackenstep was my deputy, and my closest friend," said Lionstrike, moving to take Blazeclaw's place by the ragged warrior's side. "Many of you here knew him as that before you knew him as Brackenstep of RoseClan, and I hope you will remember those times with him as well as the times among our new friends. He has always been brave, and he has always stood between the ones he loves and anything that might threaten him. Even when he was so sick..."
She broke off, her tail lashing in the dust as her throat threatened to close up. Then, she lifted her head, meeting the crowd's gaze again even though it felt like her chest might explode from the effort. "Even when he was dying, he still insisted on looking after the others, even though none of us were as sick as him. It didn't make sense, but anyone who knew him would know that behind that respectful mask of his was the most donkey-headed cat you've ever met. Blazeclaw is right - he died how he would have wanted, out in battle, caring for others. I...I truly believe he would've said he'd prefer that to growing old, if...if that's a comfort. It is to me."
--
She stepped aside, and Cowstar looked over the crowd, watching to see if anyone else wanted to speak before she began the vigil.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jun 22, 2020 17:58:51 GMT -5
Otterfrost stumbled, but he didn’t fall. He felt like he was walking on a thin branch at the highest part of a tree. Like any wind might knock him off. Brackenstep was dead. The warrior stepped into camp, and immediately his green eyes landed on Cowstar. She knew, he could tell. He looked away, shame bubbling in his chest, and couldn’t meet her eyes again. - Firepaw crouched at Brackenstep’s side, not touching him, just...staring. He was so very, very dead. She couldn’t seem to look away. Was this what was waiting for them? A sudden, violent death? She shuddered, and realized she was shivering all over. Wrapping her tail firmly around her paws helped, but she knew she looked pathetic, sitting there alone.
Otterfrost listened to Blazeclaw’s speech, his head bowed. He agreed with her. His clanmate had died as he’d lived, defending others. Protecting everyone he loved, and those he barely even knew. He listened to Lionstrike next, still not looking up. Somehow, the guilt in his chest seemed to ache all the more when she spoke, and he had to swallow a cry of pain, it was so severe. At last he looked up as she finished, and his eyes met Cowstar’s for a split second before he got to his feet and forced himself to the front of the crowd. He didn’t look at his leader again. “Brackenstep wasn’t that close to me, personally.” He began, his voice lower and rougher than usual. He stared at his paws, examining his claws instead of looking at the faces he knew would be watching him. “But I knew him from before we were RoseClan. I knew him, and he saved my life more than once without expecting so much as a thank you. He was a warrior, through and through, even before he knew what one was.” Otterfrost swallowed. Then he looked up, and directly at Cowstar. “I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. “I haven’t taken this seriously. I’ve fallen asleep on top of your den, and I’ve been late to meetings, and I’ve considered leaving to find a quieter, safer life. I thought this was kind of a joke. I was wrong. Brackenstep proved me wrong.” He couldn’t look away now. No matter what her expression, he couldn’t. “I’m going to do better. I’m going to try to carry my title with pride, and I’m going to make you proud of me. I’m going to be a warrior worthy of the title. And if I can be half as good a warrior as Brackenstep, I’ll have done my job.” He dipped his head, finally looking away. “Thank you for showing me how to be a warrior, Brackenstep. I hope wherever you are, you’re at peace.” And then Otterfrost stepped away, head bowed, to let anyone else speak who wanted to.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jul 13, 2020 16:43:56 GMT -5
No sooner had the funeral finished and the vigil set in, Rainpaw slipped in behind Sootpaw and Firepaw, glancing cautiously around the clearing.
"Sootpaw. Firepaw."
Startled, Sootpaw's ears flicked back, and he would've followed with a glance, but Rainpaw hissed, pressing in closer. "Don't move. Don't act like you saw me - we need to talk, now. Meet me and Nightpaw in the apprentices' den."
Sootpaw glanced, very slightly, at Firepaw, trying to gauge her reaction before he responded.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 13, 2020 17:13:55 GMT -5
Firepaw didn’t move, barely suppressing a gasp as the voice startled her. She didn’t turn. She wanted to, but she didn’t dare, with Rainpaw right there. Not that she didn’t trust him or anything, it was just that...well. He was pretty serious about all this. She glanced at Sootpaw, meeting her brother’s eyes. Then she looked away. “Okay.” She said, very, very softly. She knew what Sootpaw wanted. “We’ll come,”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jul 24, 2020 17:08:11 GMT -5
Sootpaw walked into the apprentices' den behind Rainpaw and ahead of Sootpaw, casting a cursory glance around for anyone who might be watching or listening. It was pretty clear that whatever Rainpaw and Nightpaw wanted, it must be fairly serious.
"Okay," he said, sitting down and facing the two of them, ears pricked forward despite his unease. "What is it?"
"Catchpaw was murdered," said Rainpaw, not waiting for Nightpaw to comment. It wasn't so much an intentional override as it was that he was in a hurry to get to the point, but whether or not it would come off that way was anyone's best guess.
"What?"
The fur along Sootpaw's spine spiked, and his stomach dropped. He...what? No..it had been the foxes...right?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 24, 2020 20:10:44 GMT -5
Nightpaw didn’t mind. Rainpaw has more information, so if made sense that he would be the one to give it. Besides, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be the bearer of bad news at the moment. Not that or really felt any better to watch from the sidelines.
Firepaw didn’t react at first. She stared at Rainpaw, then tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “How do you know?” She asked. “I mean, wouldn’t the medicine car have figured that out? Do you have any proof?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jul 24, 2020 21:02:41 GMT -5
"Foxes don't have thin claws like us," said Rainpaw, facing her unblinkingly. She was bright...it would be better if he were honest with her. Yes, she was small, and came across as naive, but Rainpaw had a feeling he would regret trying to sugarcoat things to her. "They have teeth. They rip, and tear your guts out. They don't slit you from end to end."
Sootpaw felt a chill run from his head to his tail at Rainpaw's words, flattening his ears as he tried not to dwell on the mental image the older apprentice had conjured. Maybe he should question the situation more, said part of his mind...maybe he should ask something, like Firepaw had...but what Rainpaw was saying felt right. It fit. Someone had killed Catchpaw. But why...?
"To stop him from telling the truth," he said quietly, and then started, realizing he had spoken. Rainpaw glanced over at him, ears pricked forward in interest.
"That...that must've been it," he continued, bolstered by Rainpaw's silence. "Whoever it was must've known Catchpaw was onto him, right?"
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 24, 2020 21:12:28 GMT -5
Firepaw met his eyes, refusing to back down even when he painted her a vivid image of what had happened. So it was a cat, then. There was a murderer, somewhere nearby. She didn’t like that idea at all, but there was nothing she could do but nod, because it was the way it was, and she couldn’t stop it. “Okay.” She said, quietly. “Okay.” She still didn’t know whether she believed in the prophetic dream. It seemed like a bit of a leap to her. She glanced at Sootpaw, flicking her ears back. “How do we know it wasn’t a rogue? There are some bad cats out there. My brother was the only one who stopped me from getting shredded plenty of times, and I don’t even look like a threat.”
Nightpaw glanced at Sootpaw, nodding. “I think you’re right.” He agreed. “I think that’s exactly what happened.” He looked at his brother. Then he turned, facing the other two cats. “I’m sorry this happened. But this means we’re close, and whoever it is, they know it. Otherwise they wouldn’t risk such a bold move. It’s even more important now that we uncover the truth.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jul 24, 2020 21:30:13 GMT -5
Rainpaw nodded, inwardly relieved that it seemed like he wasn't going to have to talk at least Sootpaw into not ratting them out. He hadn't been dreading it exactly, but...well, they were on a timeline here, and it would've been annoying to have to hold everything up like that.
"I believe it's Redwhisker," he said, flicking his tail thoughfully. "He arrived just after the prophecy, and Thornpaw warned us that it would be a stranger. Someone new, bringing all this."
"You really think it's him, though...?" said Sootpaw, casting a nervous glance out of the warriors' den. "I mean, he seems really nice, and he's even Lionstrike's mate now. And he saved a lot of cats during the fox battle, that's what Blazeclaw said."
Rainpaw shook his head. "No, I can't prove it, and I'm not sure. But that's what we have to figure out, isn't it?"
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 24, 2020 21:41:58 GMT -5
“If it were him, he would want to make himself seem as innocent as possible.” Nightpaw reasoned. “He would want to seem as much a part of the clan as he could, as quickly as possible. I think that it isn’t so much the evidence that’s pointing to him, so much as who else could it be? He’s the only new cat.”
“I’m new.” Firepaw put in before she could stop herself. She was annoyed to have been ignored, even if it had been unintentional. She was small and easily overlooked, which maybe made her a little more sensitive to being forgotten. “And it could have been a rogue. Catchpaw didn’t even believe in the dream. It doesn’t make sense to kill him, not when you two are the ones with both the most information and the most motive for uncovering this.“ She shook her head. “I’ll assume the dream thing is real, for right now.” She decided. “We need a plan. If you guys think it’s Redwhisker, then let’s do something about it, quickly. Before he kills anyone else.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jul 25, 2020 7:13:14 GMT -5
"Not new enough," said Rainpaw, too focused on the situation at hand to notice the smaller she-cat's annoyance. "You guys were already here when we got the prophecy. You all dreamed it. It doesn't make sense for Silverpelt to warn you about yourself."
"Woah, hang on," said Sootpaw, eyes widening as Firepaw, surprisingly, jumped right on board with this plan. "We can't just assume it's him. We need to prove it before we can do anything. Otherwise we might do something to hurt an innocent cat."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jul 25, 2020 9:03:17 GMT -5
“No, that’s what I’m saying. I should have worded it better, sorry.” Firepaw amended. “I mean, we shoulnd investigate him. I still think this could be explained very differently than Rainpaw and Nightpaw are, and I think they’re probably biased because of their sister. But just in case, we should check it out. Not lynch anyone, just....see what we can prove.” It was the best she could think of to do. They couldn’t ignore it in case it was real, and they couldn’t act in case it wasn’t. This was a compromise, and she knew it was possible they wouldn’t go for it.
“Well, talking to him directly probably got Catchpaw killed.” Nightpaw pointed out. “We need to do better this time. Rainpaw, he probably suspects that there are more cats involved, and he would assume it was them, because they were his siblings. Maybe that gives us the advantage.” It wasn’t much, but it was a whole lot better than nothing, right?
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 8, 2020 7:16:37 GMT -5
"Agreed," said Rainpaw, with a short nod. "Firepaw and Catchpaw will probably be his next suspicion if he thinks others are involved, then us, because apprentices tend to stick together. Possibly, he'll think Spiderpaw is involved, too."
"We should talk to Spiderpaw," said Sootpaw, flicking his tail. "I...he might be able to help us, and I know we don't know him well, but I don't think he'd rat us out."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 10, 2020 12:09:16 GMT -5
“I don’t really know Spiderpaw.” Nightpaw mused. “But he seems nice enough. And we need to warn him if he’s in danger. We should definitely talk to him.” He glanced at Rainpaw, wondering what his brother thought. Rainpaw seemed likely to be wary of inviting anyone who hadn’t had the dream, but then, did they know for sure that Spiderpaw hadn’t?
Firepaw shook her head. She didn’t like this, but there was no point in saying that over and over again. And she’d agreed to help. She wasn’t going to start moaning about it now. “What can I do?” She asked instead, determination written all over her small features. “I’m small, and I don’t look like a threat. We can use that.” She didn’t elaborate on how she knew how useful being small and weak could be. She thought they could probably fill in the blanks.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 11, 2020 10:57:42 GMT -5
(scene shift)
Spiderpaw stirred.
He could hear something. Or were his ears just ringing? Where was he, anyway?
Slowly, painfully, he pried his eyes open, feeling like every muscle in his body was screaming in protest at the simple action.
Then, he froze.
Nothing had changed.
He blinked. Still nothing.
Breath coming in shallow pants now, he twisted around, trying to get to his feet. “Splash...”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 11, 2020 14:20:47 GMT -5
Splashpelt appeared at his apprentice’s side in an instant, pale eyes very wide. He had refused to go far since his apprentice had been found unconscious, and this was why; he might have been too far away to hear Spiderpaw had he decided to go foraging for herbs.
“Spiderpaw?” He said very gently, leaning in to sniff the younger cat’s pelt. “Shhhhh it’s okay. It’s okay now. How are you feeling?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 11, 2020 17:05:46 GMT -5
"A little disoriented..." said Spiderpaw, swaying on his feet before allowing his hind legs to relax, moving him into a sitting position. "Mainly because I can't see. Do my eyes appear normal to you? If not, what anomalies do you observe?"
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 12, 2020 12:43:55 GMT -5
Splashpelt nodded, concern bright in his eyes. Then he realized Spiderpaw couldn’t see him and he spoke in a quiet, worried tone. “They look normal.” He confirmed, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt. “Can you see anything at all?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 12, 2020 15:43:06 GMT -5
"Nothing," confirmed Spiderpaw, his tone emotionless. If anything, he was more interested by this whole situation - intrigued by what he had seen before his sight was, evidently, stolen.
"Do you believe in StarClan, Splashpelt?" he asked, tilting his head. "Or, rather, Silverpelt."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 12, 2020 15:52:48 GMT -5
Splashpelt blinked, caught off guard by the question. Didn’t he? He was a medicine cat. It was his job to believe in Silverpelt. Or at least, It was a significant part of it. He nodded, then remembered. “Yes.” He said quietly. “Do you?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Aug 12, 2020 15:55:53 GMT -5
"I never did," said Spiderpaw, with a thoughtful flick of his tail. "I never saw any sign of them during my group's captivity, never saw any indication of them at the many deaths I witnessed. I mean no offense to you or this Clan, but I always thought of Silverpelt as a nursery tale, nothing more."
He flicked an ear, his expression darkening a bit as he tried to recall all of what he'd been shown. "However, I believe they have spoken to me now."
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Aug 12, 2020 15:59:33 GMT -5
Splashpelt nodded. “I’m not offended.” He said, shrugging. “You don’t have to believe the same thing I do.” He hesitated a moment later, however, as his apprentice continued. “What?” He asked, eyes going very round. “What do you mean? Spoken to you in what way?” It made sense, suddenly. The unconsciousness. The blindness. Everything. “What did they say?” He asked, his voice very soft.
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