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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 15, 2019 0:12:00 GMT -5
Hazelstreak’s eyes got wider and wider as Talon talked, giving her a distinctly owlish look. “What?” She managed to say above the noise in her head. She hadn’t seen any of that coming. She’d thought.... She suddenly realized how much had been unsaid between them. How did she feel? She’d come to depend on Talon as the one stable, sane part of her life. The one cat who would never lie to her, no matter what. Did that mean she liked him? Of course it did. She thought he’d known that. Now that she thought about it, she’d never actually said it out loud before. “Slow down.” A small, feeble attempt at a smile cracked the fur by her eyes. “Slow down a second. How are you going to leave? What about the storm?”
—Meeting—
“I agree, it isn’t ideal.” Thyme answered Harepaw as gently as she could. “But whether they stay or leave, they aren’t going to be safe. The fact that they’re here puts them in the middle of this, all we can do is decide how to deal with that.” There was no point in trying to think of a perfect solution to this. She looked at her cats one by one, relieved to see that most of them seemed to be on the same page. That would make this easier. “We don’t have the resources to try and treat them like kits. I think we should tell them we’re at war, and that the enemy will not show mercy to innocents. Then we should let them decide: Fight or leave. If they decide to go, I see no reason to stop them.” She tilted her head, bat like ears pricked. “That’s the best solution under the circumstances.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jan 15, 2019 10:42:55 GMT -5
“The cats who live here said that it should let up by morning,” he said, noticing and accepting her calm movement past his declaration. Okay. He had his answer, then. Not on whether or not she’d come with him, but on...yeah. The other thing. He hadn’t expected anything else, but that didn’t stop his heart from crumpling up like an old Twoleg drinking can. “Once it does, we’re gonna go find a territory of our own. Try and rebuild, finally.”
Adderleaf woke slowly, over a period of hours, fever dreams gradually giving way to reality. He opened his eyes, blinking in the dim light that still felt too bright, and found that half his vision was blocked somehow...the right side of his face was in darkness. “Hh...whaa...” he said, struggling to his feet and trying to ward off panic. “Hey...” Where was everybody? Was he alone?
—Meeting—
It was a consensus. One by one, they nodded their heads in acceptance - Dogfur, then Hazelpaw, then, stiffly and slowly, Driftleap.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 15, 2019 12:57:56 GMT -5
Hazel nodded. She felt oddly calm. And not the the normal kind of calm. More like she’d just found out she was actually a brainwashed goose and was too in shock to really understand the consequences of that fact kind of calm. “I’m happy for you.” She heard herself say in a friendly, formal tone that didn’t sound like her at all. What was she doing? She felt as though she’d just been hit by a Twoleg monster, she felt sick, disoriented.... A stab of emotion she didn’t understand made her sink her claws into the icy floor and she barely stifled the sudden urge to scream. What is wrong with me? “You must be tired of the sun.” She finally managed to continue, vaguely aware that she was no longer making sense. He’d asked her a question, right? Had she answered it? It was hard to tell what she’d said and what she’d stupidly assumed he knew. She was so stupid....
“Hey, hey, woah, take it easy.” Splashpelt was by Adderleaf’s side in a second, pushing the warrior back down with a firm attempt at gentleness that was somewhat ruined by how badly his paws were trembling. “You got hurt pretty bad out there. Don’t try to get up, Blazeclaw and Hazelstreak are okay. Most of us are okay.” That sounded less comforting than he’d intended. Hopefully Adderleaf would understand.
—Meeting— “Good.” Thyme dipped her head, accepting the plan. “Now for the war. I want to retaliate as soon as possible, both to catch them off guard and to show that their attempt to shake us failed. We need to find their camp, map it out, and find its weaknesses. Does anyone want to volunteer as a scout?”
“I will.” Bluefall spoke for the first time since the meeting started, his high-pitched voice shaky but determined. Moonfur glanced at him, opening his mouth with a crease between his eyes, but Bluefall shook his head firmly and focused on Driftleap. “I want revenge. I want to hurt them.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jan 16, 2019 10:53:53 GMT -5
“I...yeah. Kinda. I think me and Cloudstar both are,” said Talon, squinting in confusion as she started to talk about the sun. Then his tail flipped once - no, no need to sugarcoat it. Something weird was going on - of all the ways she’d expected him to react, this wasn’t one of them. “Uh. Are you...okay? No offense, but you look like you’re having a stroke or something.”
Adderpaw staggered and collapsed back onto the ground with a bit more force than Splashpelt had probably intended. He lay there at a crooked angle for a second, becoming gradually aware of how violently he was shivering. Most of us are okay. “Thassgood,” he said, frowning as his words slurred beneath his tongue. He swallowed, trying to collect himself a little. “Uhh...me. Am I...uh...” Why was it so hard to think? “Dying?” he finished at last, pointing a tail in the general direction of his face, which felt somehow numb and on fire at the same time. He also still couldn’t see, which was becoming more and more distressing as time went on.
—Meeting—
Driftleap met his eye, then frowned, shaking his head. “No. Absolutely not,” he said, despite the fact that what he wanted to say was ‘I’ll go with you’. “We need someone with a level head, here. You and I are both too close to this to think objectively out there.”
“Driftleap’s correct,” said Dogfur, momentarily bemused at the fact that he had really just said those words out loud. “Thyme, respectfully, I think it should be either me or Hazelpaw.”
Hazelpaw’s eyes widened, shocked at being singled out as a possibility. Sure, she’d been a scout before, and she was good at being quiet, but...her? “Uh...hey, I dunno,” she interjected timidly, barely loud enough to be heard.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 16, 2019 18:21:57 GMT -5
Splashpelt smothered a dismayed squeak as his attempt to push Adderleaf down worked too well. He hadn’t meant to knock him over, just coax him back into a restful position, but what if he was being too rough and hurt him? The warrior had lost a lot of blood, he was clearly in shock, and Splashpelt had just decided that knocking him over was a good idea. “You are not dying.” He snapped. “Don’t say things like that, you’re gonna be just f-fine....” Why was it so hard to talk all of a sudden? He found he couldn’t look at the dark hole in his friend’s head, and studied his claws, trying desperately to think of the right thing to say. “Adderleaf...” What? I’m sorry I can’t make eye contact with you without feeling like I'm gonna throw up? Or I’m sorry that I have to tell you that almost no one made it out alive?
Hazel glanced up at him, looking him in the eye. He looked worried, and sad, and scared, and a little bit confused, and she had to fight the sudden, out of place urge to laugh. He has no idea at all, did he? Thinking back, she realized that they’d never actually really talked about their feelings before. That was one of the things she’d liked about their relationship, actually. “I’m sorry.” She said finally.
—Meeting—
Thyme, unfortunately, did not hear. “Agreed.” She said firmly, dipping her head respectfully towards Driftleap and Dogfur. “I can’t send emotionally compromised cats on this mission, it requires extreme caution and finesse. If something went wrong and you were caught, we would lose all element of surprise, and we don’t have the numbers to make up for it.” She paused, thinking. “It might be a good idea for two cats to go. That way if one of you are caught, the other can come back here and tell us before we’re ambushed ourselves. Dogfur, Hazelpaw, I'm assigning both of you to this mission. Please leave as soon as possible. Any questions?” Bluefall had opened his mouth to retort, but Thyme hadn’t given him a chance. He’d been forced to sit there while she talked with his jaw parted, a mutinous look in his deep blue eyes, until she finished. Then his closed his mouth and turned away, his long tail trembling with suppressed emotion.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jan 17, 2019 16:25:19 GMT -5
Adderleaf turned himself into a semi-upright, but still lying down, position, and lay his head down, exhausted by the effort of trying to stand up. “C’mon, Splashpelt. How long’ve we known each other now...just give it to me straight. I’ve got an infection, right? I’m burning up and freezing at the same time and I can’t feel half my face, so I’m guessing it has to do with that cat who caught me on my way in. So how bad is it? Keeping it in’s just gonna make me wonder more.” He felt remarkably clear-headed, but in a very off kind of way, like all his usual thought processes had been burned away and now he was left with just the meltedxdown remains of a functioning brain. It wasn’t a great feeling, if he was being honest.
Talon tilted his head, beginning to get frustrated, and worried, by Hazel’s nonsensical words. “Why sorry? You didn’t do anything. If anything, I’m sorry - if I made you upset, or something, by telling you how I feel...it’s not that important, so don’t worry about it.”
There didn’t seem to be any. Dogfur nodded, then turned to Hazelpaw, who dipped her head even though she wasn’t feeling it. Then, slowly, the cats began to trickle out of the cave, returning, momentarily, to their lives as the two warriors set off.
Moonfur watched Bluefall, feeling a stab of sympathy for his mate. He knew the dead apprentice had been close to him, and he wished he knew what to say or do to make it better. Should he go over to him? Or leave him be? He decided on the former, and swallowed, resolutely standing and beginning to cross the room towards him.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 17, 2019 16:59:51 GMT -5
Splashpelt hesitated, still unable to look at Adderleaf. “I think you’re going to be okay.” He said finally, his voice trembling with the strain of refusing to break. “But....” Well, he was right, wasn’t he? He’d find out one way or another. And he was only going to keep wondering what it was that was so bad, it had to remain unspoken. “You lost an eye.” He blurted out, finally raising his head to look at his friend. “I’m so sorry, Adderleaf.”
Hazel shook her head, finally snapping out of the surreal fog this conversation had given her. “Talon, it’s okay. I feel the same way.” She explained. She was smiling, though she didn’t remember deciding to let that particular expression through her usual mask. “I’m sorry because...well, because I'm an idiot. Our relashionship is so easy, so natural to me, and I just assumed you knew how I felt and that neither of us needed to say it.”
Bluefall stood up and left with the others, either not noticing or avoiding Moonfur’s approach. As he stepped out of the tunnel he turned almost instinctively towards the front of the cave, his blue eyes searching the floor for any sign of the body that had been there minutes ago, but there wasn’t any. Someone had already taken him away somewhere... It hurt. He closed his eyes, pushing the storm of emotion into the back of his mind and trying to lock the door, but it still pulsed like adrenaline through his veins, making him want to do something, anything to get it out.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Jan 18, 2019 21:19:32 GMT -5
Adderleaf straightened up a little, narrowing his remaining eye at Splashpelt in an attempt to tell whether or not he was serious. Then, he snorted, quickly followed by a wince as the gesture proved a bit too much for his sinuses. “I lost an eye? Is that all? You were making me think I was fatally injured or something.” He shook his head, amused by his friend’s grave expression. “Seriously. I bet it looks cool.”
“You...” As Hazel continued speaking, Talon’s whiskers flattened against his cheek in embarrassment and shock. “You...you what?” Then, he started to laugh. “StarClan, I’m such an idiot. I’ve been weighing this conversation in my head for moons now, going over and over what you might say and whether or not I should tell you, and here you were, assuming I already had.” He took a deep breath, shaking his head through his merriment, and then it dawned on him - the impossible thing had just happened. She’d said yes. “So...does that mean you’ll come with me?” he asked, giving her a crooked grin.
“Are you okay?” Moonfur walked up behind him and sat down, minding his distance. He still wasn’t sure how much space he needed - stuff like this tended to evade him. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but Harepaw’s the right choice. You’re - we’re both - too close to this.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 7, 2019 19:27:06 GMT -5
(timeskip of like......two weeks)
Things had settled between the two clans in the past two weeks, to some extent. Splashpelt had been working in tandem with Driftleap to establish better medical care, and, difficult though it was made by the storm, they had made it work to an extent. Unfortunately, Adderlead had continued to decline, and now was suffering from a high fever indicative of a serious infection. He would need specific herbs to have a chance, but it was still early spring, and there was barely a plant to be seen.
Cowstar had been engaged in regular talks with Thyme, keeping things smooth between their two Clans, and the two had developed a shaky kind of respect. On the eve of the first week, it had been decided that they would leave as soon as Adderleaf either healed, or became dangerously ill, forcing them to set out in search of the curing herbs that they needed.
Thornkit and the entity known as Crowfur had also begun to establish an uneasy alliance of sorts - the last two weeks had been uneventful for them, mostly consumed with Crowfur learning how to move and act within his strange vessel.
Dogfur and Harepaw had returned from their scouting mission with bad news - they had encountered plenty of patrols, all of them hostile, but had failed to find a camp. They had eventually returned, Dogfur stating that the aggression of the patrols coupled with the snowstorms that still hadn’t let up had made the mission a failure.
Talon and Cloudstar remained behind, waiting for the weather to clear so they could leave. Hazelstreak and Talon were mates now, though Hazel had yet to give him an answer as to whether she planned to stay with RoseClan or leave to seek a new life with MoonClan.
—present day—
Moonfur approached Thyme’s makeshift den, hovering for a moment in the entrance. In moments like these, he was forced to confront the fact that he didn’t know their leader very personally. Would she approve of his plan? Or would she shoot him down, maybe even call him crazy for suggesting it?
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 7, 2019 21:26:01 GMT -5
Thyme sat quietly in her den, her long tail curled around her paws. She was licking her left shoulder thoughtfully, over and over again in the same spot, and staring at the wall, as the familiar trail of memories flowed through her mind like a black river. Her life. Her entire life, leading up to now. She didn’t think about it much, or she tried not to, because she preferred to live in the present where she could control something. But sometimes once she’d started, she couldn’t stop. And then she would sit for hours as she was now, thinking about every choice she’d ever made, and everything that had happened because of it. It wasn’t great for her confidence or her self-esteem.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 8, 2019 19:47:29 GMT -5
Taking a deep breath, Moonfur strode into the medicine den, a determined look in his blue eyes. “Thyme,” he said, kneading the ground as he failed to anticipate her reaction. In other words, he wasn’t yet sure if she intended to claw his ears off or give him a listen. “I have a, uh...proposition for you, if you’ve got a heartbeat to spare?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 9, 2019 10:39:42 GMT -5
Thyme looked up, torn from her reverie. It didn’t show in her cold blue eyes, but she felt a rush of gratitude towards the tom for giving her an excuse to let herself be distracted. He probably had no idea how glad she was to see him, in that moment. She considered him for one, two, four heartbeats. She didn’t know him well, but she’d pegged him as caring, yet eccentric the moment she’d seen him. She often found herself giving his advice serious thought before she dismissed it, and that meant if he had an idea that was worth offering a leader he barely knew, she was going to hear him out. “Moonfur. Of course. What is it?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 9, 2019 16:42:26 GMT -5
Moonfur stepped a little further into the den now, dipping his head in a slightly awkward movement as he realized he wasn’t going to immediately have his head bitten off. Not that he really believed she was the type to snap, but he was also abysmal at reading people. “Yes, okay, so...as you know, the scouting mission was a complete disaster. Neither Dogfur nor Harepaw got anywhere near a camp, and were completely unable to even gather intelligence. This was partly due to the weather, but based on the information I’ve been given, I think it was mostly because their patrols are set up in a random, staggered pattern, built specifically to stop cats from being able to approach undetected. It’s actually quite genius, if you think about it - Er, not that we’d approve, they’re very violent and obviously - “ He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, exhaling in a huff. “Anyway. So I was thinking...we need a different approach. Something to get us past the scouting parties and straight into their camp. And...what better way to infiltrate an enemy base than to become the enemy?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 9, 2019 20:54:09 GMT -5
Both of Thyme’s ears were facing the older cat, a sign that she was giving him her full attention. He had a tendency to ramble, didn’t he? She guessed he was nervous, probably because he didn’t know what to expect from her. She hadn’t given any sign of being the “that plan sucks, now you die” type, but she couldn’t blame him for worrying, either.” So she let him talk, mentally discarding the useless bits she didn’t need until he got to the part she didn’t already know. Which was... Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t follow. What are you proposing? We can’t give ourselves up and join them.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 13, 2019 20:39:51 GMT -5
Moonfur dipped his head, acknowledging. “Well, no, we can’t...but that’s what I was thinking. What if I could? I do have some background in this stuff, and as much as I would rather not relive it, frankly at this point the lives potentially saved seem worth any personal discomfort.”
— Thornpaw was sitting at the entrance to the camp, crouched in the tunnel. For the past three hours, she and her mostly silent companion had been watching the wind slowly die down - the slow defeat of the storm that had kept them trapped for weeks on end. The cat in her head hadn’t spoken in two weeks. Just little flutters of thoughts and impulses - things that made her think he was biding his time. Learning about her and the others. She didn’t quite know what to think about that.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 13, 2019 20:56:24 GMT -5
Thyme tilted her head and flicked an ear, considering him. She knew he could handle it. That was one good thing about him being the one to suggest something this desperate. Her eyes narrowed. “Our options are extremely restricted.” She said quietly, looking him in the eye. She wanted to be sure, absolutely sure about this. This was one choice she didn’t want to sit up late into the night wishing she’d picked a different path. “I don’t need to tell you how little time we have left to find a way out of this. But if they found out....” She trailed off, hunching very slightly against her best efforts to stay tall and collected. For one brief moment her eyes looked like the kitten her body was, frightened and haunted. Then she closed them and grit her teeth against the horrible memories threatening to drown her. Moonfur didn’t need to be told what would happen if he messed up. “Are you sure you’re up to it?” She asked simply.
Crowfur watched the swirling storm, finding it oddly soothing. It had been such a shock to wake up in this teeny kit body. And not only that, to share his mind with the previous owner, which he hadn’t even known was possible. Now that he’d seen the condition his Clan was in, he was relieved just to be here at all, thought obviously too late. Why were they in these mountains? What happened? He glanced down and unsheathed his claws, splaying them out against the cold stone, and held his tongue between his teeth until he tasted blood. Then he got up and turned away, padding silently towards the medicine den.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 13, 2019 21:03:42 GMT -5
“I’m as up to it as I was then,” he said simply, a ghost of a smile appearing at the corners of his whiskers. “So, that is to say, no, I’m not. But do you have a better idea?” It seemed like that was all he needed to say. She remembered too, after all. And he knew she wouldn’t do things differently either if she had a chance to go back.
Thornkit recoiled in the back of his mind, the slippery sensation of her body being taken back for the first time in weeks shocking her to the core. “Ow...” she squeaked, floating back and forth in the walls of her tiny space. “Where are we going?”
In the medicine den, Driftleap was going through his meager inventory, occasionally stealing glances at Adderleaf’s sleeping form. His breath came in wheezes, now, and everyone knew that wasn’t good. None of it was good. And until this blizzard let up, they couldn’t even begin to do anything about it.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 13, 2019 21:19:53 GMT -5
Thyme nodded, straightening up and shoving the memories out of her eyes until she looked like herself again. “All right. I think it’s best if you go as soon as you can, then.” She said. “The more time we waste, the less likely this is to succeed.”
Crowfur ignored the kit in his head, stopping just outside the den. There was Adderleaf. The sight of him made the much older cat’s claws itch. It was almost too bad he was already dying.... But that wasn’t why he’d come. He needed a plan, he couldn’t just sit around and do nothing while RoseClan starved and froze, moons away from their home. And what would they do when they left this piece of rock they were calling their camp? Freeze alone? They couldn’t leave in this blizzard. He turned away, beginning to pace the cave, thinking desperately.
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Post by <Raintalon> on Mar 13, 2019 21:33:07 GMT -5
Blizzard’s going away, pointed out Thornpaw, still drifting. So we can leave soon, right?
Driftleap finally caught sight of the small cat who was now pacing around his den, and watched her for a moment, narrowing his eyes. This apprentice again...the one who didn’t speak. She always seemed to be hanging around. “Do you want something?” he asked, finally, as she didn’t seem inclined to stop pacing.
“Okay,” said Moonfur, turning to leave. “I’ll let Bluefall know, then I’ll leave as soon as possible.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 13, 2019 21:45:15 GMT -5
Wait a minute. Crowfur froze, one paw held off the ground. He ignored both the voice in his head and the one outside, focusing hard on his train of thought, trying not to lose it before he could hear it out. Then he turned his back on Driftleap and silently left the den, the beginnings of a plan forming at last in his head. It was such a good feeling to finally have some idea of something to do that he allowed himself a happy little skip as he walked, excitement making him giddy. I wonder how long it would take for RoseClan to come to hate these cats like I do? He mused. They don’t see how unfair it is. I need to show them how cruel and useless these strangers are, until these warriors stop acting like frightened kits.
“Moonfur.” Thyme blinked, startled. He wasn’t going to like this. “I don’t think you should tell anyone about this. The more people know, they more likely it is to backfire and get us all killed that much faster. If you tell Bluefall, you’ll be putting him in danger.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 6, 2019 16:48:16 GMT -5
Wait - what?” Thornpaw said, doing a little shift in the back of Crowfur’s mind as she absorbed his words. They’re keeping us alive, aren’t they? We need them.
Moonfur paused, then froze, his face falling as Thyme told him what she thought. He sat back down, reeling. He hadn’t thought of that. He hadn’t thought... “I...” A pause. “I don’t know if I can do this without him knowing,” he said at last, tail flicking slowly. “I mean...to let him think I was missing? Captured? That’s cruel.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 6, 2019 17:01:45 GMT -5
Crowfur pauses again, blinking a couple times as the voice answered his thoughts. That was still...unnerving...to say the least. No. He answered flatly. RoseClan doesn’t need a membership to The Cool Club. What do you care? Why did she care? Maybe she was actually loyal to her clan, but from what he’d seen that wasn’t very likely. Hadn’t Cowstar gotta ever them into this mess in the first place?
Thyme didn’t confirm or deny that statement. “I’m not going to justify anything to you.” She said simply. “Think. That’s your heart talking. What does your head say?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 6, 2019 17:30:36 GMT -5
I... She paused, pulling herself back as far as she could while she tried to sort things out. You’re here to help, right? To save them? She believed that. She did. He cared - she could feel it. He wouldn’t...do anything to anyone.
Moonfur paused, then took a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh. “No, you’re right,” he said darkly, once-twitching tail now very still. “If I want to do this, I know it’s going to mean sacrifices.” He shoved the image of a grieving Bluefall out of his mind, trapping it stubbornly behind several walls of thought. Then, he shook himself, trying to inject some amount of enthusiasm into his tone. “So...when do I leave?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 6, 2019 19:45:05 GMT -5
Crowfur tilted his head, suprised and a little bit impressed to hear she was thinking things through clearly instead of just assuming he was her enemy because he’d taken over her body. Yes. He answered her simply, and began to walk again, his twig-like tail pointed straight up. That’s exactly why I’m here. Look at this disaster. RoseClan is homeless and starving, kept alive by a few eccentric mountain loners and an incompetent leader who refuses to defend her clan. Were you even born in the forest they lived and died in for generations and generations of warriors?
Thyme nodded. She’d expected that reaction. She knew him, and she knew that while his awkward exterior wasn’t an intentional mask, it worked as well as one when it came to what he could do. Bluefall would be harder to deal with once it started, but it had to be done. Moonfur was right about that. “As soon as possible would be best.” She replied, shooting a quick look at the entrance in case someone had decided to eavesdrop. Even after they’d been here’s for so long, she was paranoid about all the guests. “I don’t need to tell you not to act suspicious, but saying some sort of casual goodbye to Bluefall might be good for your morale.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 16:12:26 GMT -5
(Bing bang boom goodbye dragging plot hello fresh new scenery)
Cowstar stood watch on top of one of the jagged, mossy rocks, looking over the rolling, yellow hills as a cold breeze swept through her fur, and her clanmates stopped for a drink and a rest by the clear, cold stream they’d just run across. There was no more snow. Not much, anyway - a few clumps here and there, but since their journey down the mountain had yielded to flatter, easier terrain, some of the bite had also left the air. The place they were entering now was beautiful, there was no denying it. Fresh and beautiful, the promise of spring lingering in the air and in the tree buds like the smell of a barely-hidden mouse.
Adderleaf collapsed. His reddish fur hit the ground in increments - first his knees, then his chest, then his head, then, finally, painfully, his hindquarters and tail. The right side of his face was a mass of blood and pus now, and between that and his rattling, uneven breaths, it was becoming terribly clear. He was dying.
“Adder..!” Blazeclaw’s voice broke the stillness as she rushed forward, leaning into her friend to try and break his fall. “Splashpelt, I...I think...” But she couldn’t. As she tried to get the words out, her breaths began to come in fast, shallow gasps, and she backed away, tail shivering.
Thornpaw stirred and flipped restlessly in the back of Crowfur’s mind, small paws clambering back and forth to express the nervous energy she couldn’t run off. What happened? I hear voices! Is everyone okay?
Rainpaw pulled his head up out of the water, standing tall to see what was happening. “Mouse dung...” he muttered, ears flicking back in dismay.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 21, 2019 16:32:02 GMT -5
YES ))
Hazelstreak was behind Adder, and so she didn’t see him fall until it was too late to do anything but freeze and watch him hit the ground. She stood very still, her face expressionless as she stared down at her dying friend. Dimly she was aware of Blazeclaw’s panic nearby, of Splashpelt’s low moan as he passed her, as though he was the one with the horrendous wounds on his face. Mostly she was aware of the exact shade of sickly yellow the thick liquid streaming down Adderclaw’s face was. How deep the cuts were. It occurred to her that she should move closer to him. But she didn’t. She just...stood there.
Splashpelt pushes past several cats as he heard Blazeclaw’s cry, and he knew what he would see before he got there. He still flinched when he saw it. Nausea twisted his stomach, but he pushed it back and forced himself forward, his paws trembling as he fell into a crouch at Adderleaf’s side and pressed his face against the warrior’s paw pad. “Fever.” He muttered. “He’s on fire. I need my herbs, I don’t have any way of helping him, I...” He raised his head, his tone suddenly sharp. “I need to go look for plants, right now. There has to be something, right?”
Crowfur paused, ears pricked as the sounds ahead shifted to loud and anxious, taut with emotion. Something’s happening, I can’t tell what. He replied, and quickened his pace, trotting towards the sound. He just managed to get a glimpse of Adderclaw’s face around the crowd when Nightpaw appeared at his side, not touching him, but clearly trying to block his view.
“Don’t look, Thorn, don’t look.” Nightpaw said, quickly and as gently as he could to his sister, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror and determination. “There’s nothing we can do, so we need to stay out of the way, okay? Why don’t you come help me look around a little bit?”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 16:49:46 GMT -5
Blazeclaw backed up a few more steps, then crouched down, shivering, breaths coming in the same shallow gasps. Get up. Move! What are you doing? What kind of deputy are you? Move!!
Cowstar arrived at the scene, and immediately turned to Splashclaw. “Go. Find some. Hurry. We’ll cover here until you get back.” She glanced at the fallen warrior, face a mask of calm that she felt deep down a little more than she would’ve liked. It wasn’t that she was unsympathetic. She wanted him to make it. But she had also prepared herself for this outcome since she’d first begun to watch his decline. It was very possible they were going to lose him here, and there was no time for feelings. She had to be there for her clan...what was left of it.
Thornpaw did a quick, nauseating flip, impatient. Nightpaw! Let me through! Crowfur can help him! But of course, no sound came out. It wouldn’t have, even if she were the only cat in her mind.
Rainpaw joined Nightpaw in ushering her away. “He’s right,” he said firmly. “We’re just apprentices. If Splashpelt can’t even help him, do you really think we’ll do anything but get underfoot?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 21, 2019 17:20:44 GMT -5
Hazelstreak tore her eyes away from the grotesque wounds and moved silently forward, until she was close enough to Adderleaf to feel the heat waves coming off of him. “Adderleaf?” She whispered in his ear, half expecting him to say he was fine, half expecting him not to even hear her. “Adder, it’s me, it’s Hazel.”
Splashpelt leapt to his feet and gave the leader a curt nod, then spun and dashed away, his paws flying over the grass and his stub of a tail bouncing like a rabbit’s. Feverfew. Goldenrod. Burdock root. Cobwebs. Those were the things he wanted to find the most, although he’d take almost anything. Poppy seeds to at least ease the pain of- No. He ran faster, focusing on his burning muscles to drown out that line of thought. He was a medicine cat, he was the last line of defense for a life, and he’d willingly walk into a pit of vipers before he’d give up on a life before it was gone. His eyes narrowed and his mind was a sudden rush of calm as his task spread through his body, fueling him with purpose.
Crowfur bared his teeth, his eyes flashing as he was blocked by the two apprentices. Do they really think you’re so weak you can’t handle even looking at an injured cat? He growled silently, and he made to shove past them, trusting they wouldn’t want to use force on this body.
“Thornpaw, wait, please listen.” Nightpaw took a step back, but didn’t stop blocking her view of the scene behind him. He’d seen it already. She didn’t need any more nightmares. “Listen, Splashpelt will do everything he can, but we have to stay out of his way, okay? That’s the only way we can help. We’re not medicine cats, we aren’t even medicine apprentices, we...we can’t do anything.”
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Post by <Raintalon> on Apr 21, 2019 17:46:50 GMT -5
Rainpaw stood his ground as well, startled by her sudden streak of determination. Usually she just listened...what was going on? “Thornpaw, listen,” he tried again, louder. “Don’t go over there.”
I-I’ll be okay! Thornpaw watched her brothers’ frantic efforts to protect her, and with Crowfur’s voice in her head, she felt a jab of resentment towards them. I’m not weak, she said slowly, tone a little strained. Why do you always have to treat me like a kit?
Adderleaf shivered, his remaining ear flat against his skull. He opened his mouth to try and respond to Hazel, but all that came out was a series of painful, hacking coughs. He tried again, pouring all of his remaining energy into communication. “I-i-it’s o-over,” he wheezed, healthy eye swiveling in its half-closed socket until it made eye contact with Hazel. “Do-on’t waste r-resources-“
Nothing. Just hills, and dead grass, and bare trees with the occasional budding leaf or patch of new growth. It was too early - nothing had had a chance to sprout yet. Even down by the water, there was hardly a sign of life anywhere. Except... Chewing on a tough, dead stalk of grass near the stream the medicine cat had been following stood a lanky young calico. She had yellow-green eyes that reflected the scenery perfectly, and a long, furless scar that ran jaggedly across her left hind hip, disrupting her otherwise-perfect markings. She hadn’t seen him yet.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 21, 2019 18:06:24 GMT -5
Splashpelt slowed to a trot, and he stared frantically around the barren landscape, searching for an early plant, a new leaf anything. His blue eyes found the she-cat and he stopped, breathing hard after his sprint. There were other cats here. Was that a good thing? It meant this place was livable at least...or, he reminded himself with a grimace, maybe not...but more likely than not, this was a good sign. He licked his lips. She hadn’t seen him yet, but he had no doubt she would any moment. It was best to start things off as friendly as possible if they wanted to have any chance at staying here, even for a little while. “Hello.” He said cautiously keeping his claws sheathed and resisting the urge to approach her.
Get out of my way! Crowfur hissed and lowered his head to shove the two toms back, trying to push his way between them with brute force. This is my Clan too, how dare you try to stop me from seeing my own clanmate?
“Thornpaw....!” Nightpaw stumbled, shocked as his sister shoved him, and fell back. She had never so much as nudged him before...this journey must have upset her more than she had let on. He didn’t want to physically stop her, so he just backed away, keeping himself between it and her for as long as he could. “Please, please, please listen to me, you don’t want to see it.”
“I know.” Hazelstreak’s voice was calm, quiet, but her heart seemed to crack under the words. A warrior until the very end. “I love you so much.” She murmured, as once again she realized how little she’d said it, how she always expected them all to just know. “You’re one of the best warriors I’ll ever know. It’s okay, Adder.” Her whisper dropped even lower, so that only he could hear her. “You can rest now.”
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