|
Post by Moonblazer on May 9, 2024 19:34:48 GMT -5
"Silvercloud!" Flarestorm gasped, his eyes wide with horror and agony as he rushed towards the senior warrior. He hovered his nose right above her, a shaky breath escaping him as he whispered. "Oh, Starclan, Silvercloud... No, no..." He closed his eyes, forcing himself to grow serious as he mewed quickly. "Come on, all of you, we need to... we need to let the Clan know. If Jadefeather and Whitesun weren't found, then there's still a chance they may be alive." He offered Hawkpaw with a gentleness in his voice. He nodded to Ravenshade. "I'll carry Silvercloud. Rest your jaws." He took a breath. "I won't forget that you brought her back to us, even if she..." He swallowed.
|
|
|
Post by Foxstar26 on May 9, 2024 19:43:13 GMT -5
Ravenshade allowed Flarestorm to take their clan mate. She sighed sadly. “I’m so sorry..” she trailed off. “I think they got caught up in some rogue battle and we don’t know where the others are.” She shook her head before following him into Skyclan’s camp.
|
|
|
Post by Willow on May 9, 2024 20:02:54 GMT -5
Nettlepatch breathed a sigh of relief as Silvercloud's weight was removed from his shoulders, but stayed close to Flarestorm's side to steady her. He followed silently as they entered the camp.
~~
Briarpatch swept Snailkit and Luckykit close to her, jostling Chevrilkit as she scented Thunderclan cats. She frowned spotting her mate's familiar pelt among them.
Skyflight's ears flew back as she spotted the patrol, Silvercloud's limp body over Flarestorm's back. "Silvercloud!" she gasped.
Specklepaw's eyes went wide, hurrying over toward the apprentice's den and her siblings. What was going on?
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 9, 2024 20:05:48 GMT -5
Flarestorm shook his head gently to Ravenshade, assuring her that it wasn’t her fault. He gently and carefully picked up Silvercloud by the scruff and maneuvering her onto his back, making sure that she wasn’t hitting anything as he brought her into camp.
“W- what?!” Redspring exclaimed, eyes wide as she saw Flarestorm bringing a limp Silvercloud into camp. “Silvercloud! Flarestorm, what’s happening?!”
“Silvercloud?” Emberpaw widened her eyes, before she spotted Hawkpaw. She rushed over, voice cracking as she called for her sister in both relief and confusion.
Spiritstar seemed to glide out from her den, eyes training down at Silvercloud as Flarestorm brought her into camp. The Clan was already breaking out into gasps and cries, but Spiritstar’s expression seemed blank. Robinstar relished in the terror and pain, and in Silvercloud’s death. She could hear Spiritstar’s screeches in her mind, wailing for her beloved friend who now lie murdered. Soon, Spiritstar would join her.
“Spiderbite!” Wingpaw cried out quickly, dashing towards the medicine cat as he gasped. “Silvercloud! She- she… she might be, she looks dead! Please, you have to see if you can save her!” He begged, a rare look of fear in his eyes.
|
|
|
Post by 🌙Moonpower🌙 on May 9, 2024 20:13:23 GMT -5
Spiderbite looked up sharply when he heard the cries of the Clan. He bounded down the cliff and over to the returning patrol. StarClan, this wasn't good. He could see how deep Silvercloud's wounds were from the bottom of the cliff. "If you're injured, but not dying, go wait by the medicine den. Silvercloud--" he cut off when he finally reached the silver she-cat. She had no breath. Her eyelids were partially open and he saw a lifeless gaze within.
Spiderbite took a step back. His teeth ground as he tried to contain himself. The looks of those cuts on her. She likely lost too much blood. If he had gotten to her sooner. "What happened?!" He snapped at the cats around the camp entrance. "You were just supposed to be hunting. Who did you pick a fight with?! I swear if you all got into a border skirmish--" he bit his tongue. He shouldn't be shouting at his clanmates, but he knew he could've saved Silvercloud.
|
|
|
Post by Icefire15 on May 9, 2024 20:14:25 GMT -5
Hawkpaw followed after the others slowly, her ears still flat against her head as they walked into camp.
Firescorch turned his head at the cries of his Clanmates, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Silvercloud's limp body being carried by Flarestorm, "What in StarClan happened?" He murmured.
Mudwasp lifted his head from where he was lounging on a cliff, his ears going flat against his head and he jumped up to his paws.
|
|
|
Post by Willow on May 9, 2024 20:19:24 GMT -5
Nettlepatch’s ears went back at Spiderbite’s harsh tone. “Our patrol split into two, Ravenshade, Hawkpaw and I were worried when the others didn’t come back and went to search for them. We’re not sure exactly what happened but we found Silvercloud’s body and signs of a struggle. Whitesun, Jadefeather and Arcticbreeze are missing.”
|
|
|
Post by thistle on May 9, 2024 20:35:36 GMT -5
Warblerwind felt as if he'd fallen into icy water. As Spiritstar's closest friend, he had regarded Silvercloud nearly as kin. And now, after what should have been a simple hunting patrol, she was dead.
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 9, 2024 20:45:50 GMT -5
“Missing?!” Emberpaw shouted, her voice high with rage and worry as she begged. “They can’t be missing! Not with whoever got Silvercloud! We have to go right now and find them!” She begged, before she looked desperately at Hawkpaw. “We’ll find them, we have to!”
“We should have never continued these patrols!” Poppyclaw boomed sharply, his eyes burning with loss and pain over Silvercloud, who he had respected greatly. He glared sharply at the Thunderclan cats.
“How could we have known this would happen?” Flarestorm argued tersely with his brother, defending Ravenshade and Nettlepatch as he gently placed Silvercloud down.
In the midst of the arguments, Spiritstar silently made her way down the ledges, padding forwards in an almost mechanical motion. Her eyes were unblinking, chilling silver blue that trained right on Silvercloud. She approached her body, her paw slowly moving to rest on her shoulder, her flank, and then her side. She seemed numb, unable to speak at first.
|
|
|
Post by Icefire15 on May 9, 2024 20:52:00 GMT -5
Hawkpaw looked up at the sound of her sister's voice, finally seeming to shaken out of the daze that she had been in. She nodded her head sharply in agreement, "They're still alive! They have to be! Those rogues wouldn't have just taken their bodies with them if they were!" She mewed, her gaze turning to Spiritstar hopefully. "We have to go back for them! Whitesun and Jadefeather have to be okay..." She begged.
|
|
|
Post by 🌙Moonpower🌙 on May 9, 2024 20:53:29 GMT -5
Spiderbite flattened his ears. He looked over at the patrol, but Spiritstar coming up caught his eye. He knew he didn't have to tell her Silvercloud's state, but he didn't know what he could say to counsel the leader in the loss of her best friend. "If cats are missing. We should find them. They could be injured and need of help. I'll go on the patrol myself to make sure I make it in time to save them from any wound."
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 9, 2024 21:18:37 GMT -5
While Hawkpaw and Spiderbite both clearly desired for her to send out searches, Spiritstar didn’t seem to respond to them at first. She remained, one paw on Silvercloud’s body, until finally she rose her voice over all the calls of her Clanmates to get a search party out that instant.
“I will no longer ignore this!” She bellowed, the volume and rage in her voice shocking. Her eyes glinted with something dark and cold, her body shaking with all of Robinstar’s practiced hate. Now, she would plant the seeds of doubt of Starclan in all of the Clan she once led. She hissed loudly. “There is no doubting now that Starclan has turned its back on me! On all of Skyclan! To punish me with… with this?!”
“Spiritstar?” Tricklefrost asked, confused and startled by her statement. The she-cat felt her tail curl up between her legs, unsure of how to respond.
Spiritstar continued in a frenzy. “Send a search? I have no doubt in my mind that it is pointless! Starclan has already taken Silvercloud, they’ll have already taken my deputy by now!” She turned to look firmly at Spiderbite and Hawkpaw, as well as a startled Emberpaw, who looked like she had just been struck.
|
|
|
Post by Icefire15 on May 9, 2024 21:27:10 GMT -5
Hawkpaw flinched at the sharpness in Spiritstar's voice and the dark hate that seemed to simmer in her eyes. This wasn't like Spiritstar at all! "But... but why would they take them if they just planned on killing them?! They're alive! I know they are!" She mewed, looking between her sister and Spiritstar desperately. "Spiritstar, please! We can't just leave them there!"
|
|
|
Post by Frozen on May 9, 2024 22:35:18 GMT -5
Firefang returned to camp with Buzzardfall and one of their catches in his jaws. His jovial mood faded sensing the confusion and grief quickly spreading through camp, glancing sharply at his friend. "Something's not right... we need to hurry!" he gasped, hearing Spiritstar's angry yowling close by.
"Silvercloud-" Willownose jumped to her paws in shock. How could she have gone down?!? Her ears flattened. And the others were missing? "This can't be happening," she hissed to Redspring.
Pheasantcry felt her stomach drop at the grisly scene. Her tail trembled in dread seeing her leader act the way she was. Is she truly beginning to lose faith? StarClan, no!
|
|
|
Post by dewbranch on May 10, 2024 6:01:35 GMT -5
Clovertail listened intently, flicking her tail slightly. But she couldn't really relate to Nettlesting. Clovertail hadn't had many interactions with the tom, but she wasn't going to judge if somecat didn't want the life of a warrior, even if she disagreed. It had seemed their conversation had ended flatly, and she thought of something to say. "It sounds like being a mother is very... rewarding! How were they when they were small kits?" Cloudberry seemed relieved to be asked that, her eyes brightening as she laughed. "Oh, they were the cutest things as kits. They used to play with the same pebble, they'd kicked it to eachother so much that it was nearly as smooth and round as a river stone." She remembered fondly, still having the pebble tucked away in the corner of her nest. It meant alot to her, for such a mundane thing. "They were like all kits, curious and full of energy." Clovertail purred, although she broke off when the twoelgplace patrol came back! Clovertail exhaled, getting to her paws. Is everycat okay? From the look of it, it didn't seem like it. "I wonder what happened" She mused, then padded over to the group of cats. Silvercloud! The older she-cat was dead. And only half of the patrol was with them! Some cats were proposing a search, others were questioning the remaining cats of the patrol. Suddenly Spirtstar raised her voice to below so everycat could hear her. She declared that Starclan had turned their back on their clan! She was saying that sending a search would be pointless. Clovertail hissed softly, although she was sure that no cat could hear her. Had Starclan really abandoned them? She didn't think that they would, they were Starclan! But Spirtstar was their leader, could she be wrong?
|
|
|
Post by 🌙Moonpower🌙 on May 10, 2024 6:32:07 GMT -5
"WHAT?!" Spiderbite's jaw dropped at Spiritstar's words. "That's the most bird brained thing I ever heard. StarClan hasn't abandoned you or us, Spiritstar. How can you say that?" He stared dumbfounded at his leader. He couldn't fathom this was really happening. How could Spiritstar, a former medicine cat turned leader, stand before him and turn her back on StarClan? "This must be a test." Spiderbite took a step forward and looked at his clanmates. He was trying to hard to lift this spirits, Spiritstar doubting StarClan could undo all of it. "I know not what StarClan has planned for us, but surely they did not intend this. Remember, the Dark Forest is active once again. Perhaps it was them that caused this tragedy! But StarClan grieves with us."
|
|
|
Post by thistle on May 10, 2024 7:06:44 GMT -5
The cold dread that had been threatening to drown him gave way to simmering anger as Spiritstar - no, as Robinstar, of that he was now certain - proclaimed that StarClan had abandoned them. Warblerwind's hackles rose, and he began to move through the crowd pressing around their leader and Silvercloud's body, desperately trying to control the rage making his blood flow.
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 9:07:44 GMT -5
“Every life taken from us in such horrid ways only convinces me further!” Spiritstar argued sharply with Spiderbite, glaring down at the tom before she announced. “Lavendersky lay dying as we speak in the Medicine den. She has been given no sign, nothing to quell her suffering. I know Starclan. I have spent my entire life serving them in every way they have asked of me. I read their signs, healed under their code, accepted the nine lives they gave me.” She stalked darkly in a circle, eyeing each Clanmate she passed as she hissed.
“You expect me to send more of you to your deaths by operating a search patrol that will only end in vain? I will not!” She looked at Hawkpaw with cold eyes, anger and sorrow coming from her as Robinstar put on her performance of the hurting leader who lost her closest friend. Spiritstar hunched over Silvercloud. “If they were powerful enough to kill Silvercloud, my most respected Warrior and friend, then they would have killed Whitesun and Jadefeather. I will not send you out to share that fate. If Starclan wishes to turn their back on Skyclan, then I shall turn my own back!” She decided firmly.
“What?!” Emberpaw wailed, eyes wide with shock and anger. “Y-you can’t just- you have to send a patrol! Spiritstar, what are you saying?”
“Turn our backs on Starclan?…” Plumwillow breathed, eyes wide. Spiritstar had always been the closest leader to Starclan. Had everything affected her so deeply that she was losing faith alltogether?
“Spiritstar has a point… Starclan hasn’t done anything for us.” Dewcloud muttered miserably, her ears falling as she ignored the surprised looks around her. She narrowed her eyes. “I’m loyal to the Code, we serve our Clan and now our desperation to eat and survive has only led to death. How can you keep saying things but they never happen?” She asked Spiderbite sourly.
Nettlesting stared at Silvercloud’s dead body, numb and tense with nerves, anger, and apathy. He was done. He was done with this! He watched Spiritstar lose her mind, while the Clan was scrambling with panic and anger.
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 17:52:15 GMT -5
Firefang returned to camp with Buzzardfall and one of their catches in his jaws. His jovial mood faded sensing the confusion and grief quickly spreading through camp, glancing sharply at his friend. "Something's not right... we need to hurry!" he gasped, hearing Spiritstar's angry yowling close by. "Silvercloud-" Willownose jumped to her paws in shock. How could she have gone down?!? Her ears flattened. And the others were missing? "This can't be happening," she hissed to Redspring. Pheasantcry felt her stomach drop at the grisly scene. Her tail trembled in dread seeing her leader act the way she was. Is she truly beginning to lose faith? StarClan, no!Buzzardfall rushed into camp with Firefang, her breath escaping her in a choked noise as she recognized Silvercloud's still body at Spiritstar's paws. She could hear the end of her loud and angry words, and the Warrior felt her ears fall as she watched, unable to get her words out. "Spiritstar's losing it!" Redspring whispered tightly, for the first time in her life unable to come up with words to say or a solution to give. A part of her agreed that sending more cats to Twolegplace was a horrible idea, but Whitesun was their deputy! Surely they couldn't just... leave him there? What if he was still alive?
|
|
|
Post by 🌙Moonpower🌙 on May 10, 2024 18:20:00 GMT -5
Spiderbite stared dumbfounded at Spiritstar. Though he saw her pain, he only felt fury. First Eclipsesky stepped down. Then, Opalmist was banished. Now, Spiritstar was turning her back on StarClan? 'How many more would fall?' he thought. He felt the blood drain from his face. The looks of his clanmates terrified him. Spiritstar was destroying all hope SkyClan had. "If you turn your back on StarClan, then you are unfit to lead this clan." Spiderbite raised angered eyes to Spiritstar. "StarClan sets us apart from renegade rogues and loners. StarClan gives us purpose and a destiny, but they have enemies in the Dark Forest that would see us destroyed! You were chosen by StarClan themselves and this is how you repay them? Spiritstar, do not give into your grief. SkyClan cannot give up on any warrior. You must at least try to find Whitesun and the others. Their efforts for this Clan deserve that much!"
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 18:38:17 GMT -5
Spiderbite stared dumbfounded at Spiritstar. Though he saw her pain, he only felt fury. First Eclipsesky stepped down. Then, Opalmist was banished. Now, Spiritstar was turning her back on StarClan? 'How many more would fall?' he thought. He felt the blood drain from his face. The looks of his clanmates terrified him. Spiritstar was destroying all hope SkyClan had. "If you turn your back on StarClan, then you are unfit to lead this clan." Spiderbite raised angered eyes to Spiritstar. "StarClan sets us apart from renegade rogues and loners. StarClan gives us purpose and a destiny, but they have enemies in the Dark Forest that would see us destroyed! You were chosen by StarClan themselves and this is how you repay them? Spiritstar, do not give into your grief. SkyClan cannot give up on any warrior. You must at least try to find Whitesun and the others. Their efforts for this Clan deserve that much!" "Starclan has used me!" Spiritstar whirled around to face Spiderbite, padding closer to the medicine cat as silver-blue eyes flashed for a single second as eggshell blue, before they returned to their icy glow. She shook her head wildly, clearly out of it as she paced in circles in her outrage. She grunted furiously. "I am just now no longer blind to it anymore! I have led this Clan for moons without their signs anymore, without their will as a medicine cat, and I have done it with fairness and empathy. I suffered lifetimes for this! Starclan has sent you nothing as of late, all you hold onto now is your blindness!" She took a deep breath, seeming resolved as she growled. "I will not send a single patrol back to that wretched Twolegplace, not one!" Emberpaw's bewildered stare grew into one of deep hatred and resentment. Not only for Spiritstar's refusal to send a patrol, but because Spiritstar was right about one thing. Starclan didn't care about them, just as Goldfire had told her over the past nights she had spent learning from him. If they had been alive, Whitesun and Jadefeather were now likely dead, if they hadn't found a way back. She felt her claws extend, too angry to speak.
|
|
|
Post by Foxstar26 on May 10, 2024 19:16:44 GMT -5
Slateheart looked in shock as his mate. This wasn’t like Spiritstar at all! She had never lost her faith in starclan. He stepped forward towards her. “Spiritstar… think about what you’re saying. Starclan cannot have abandon us. You’re just tired and stressed.”
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 19:32:15 GMT -5
Slateheart looked in shock as his mate. This wasn’t like Spiritstar at all! She had never lost her faith in starclan. He stepped forward towards her. “Spiritstar… think about what you’re saying. Starclan cannot have abandon us. You’re just tired and stressed.” “I have been tired and stressed for nearly all of my life!” Spiritstar snapped harshly at her mate, an aggression in her she had never once shown him coming through. “Do not belittle me, Slateheart! Not while Silvercloud lay dead at my paws!” She lashed her tail with warning, as though she hadn’t even seen him as her own mate. “She’s gone mad!” Wingpaw startled, not caring if his voice was heard by the leader, as the volume of their Clanmates rose with each passing second.
|
|
|
Post by Foxstar26 on May 10, 2024 19:37:13 GMT -5
Slateheart recoiled in shock. Not even in their worst moments did Spiritstar talk to him like this. “Stop.” He spoke lowly. “I’m not trying to belittle you. I’m just trying to help.” He assured. “Please just sleep on it before you make such declarations.”
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 19:55:46 GMT -5
Slateheart recoiled in shock. Not even in their worst moments did Spiritstar talk to him like this. “Stop.” He spoke lowly. “I’m not trying to belittle you. I’m just trying to help.” He assured. “Please just sleep on it before you make such declarations.” Robinstar felt a sense of glee knowing that she could ruin this part of Spiritstar’s life before she killed her. She put all of her vitriol into her voice as she growled deeply. “I’m sure that sleeping will solve every problem, or bring Silvercloud back to me? I am your leader before I am your mate, and this won’t be an instant where you can coddle me into changing my mind. Enough of this!” She stalked back to Silvercloud, hunching over her as she twitched with agitation.
|
|
|
Post by Icefire15 on May 10, 2024 20:38:48 GMT -5
Hawkpaw's ears flattened against her head as Spiritstar snapped at everyone who spoke up, even her own mate wasn't spared from the SkyClan leader's anger. This was nothing like Spiritstar at all! She was completely different from the kind and generous leader that her father has praised before! Her tail lashed behind her as she felt her own anger start to rise in her chest, lifting her chin and sending her own glare at the SkyClan leader, "You might be turning your back on StarClan, but how can you do that to Whitesun? He's been your deputy for moons! No one has been more loyal to you than him!" She growled, pushing past her sister and Spiderbite. "I don't know what's come over you lately, but you're nothing like the Spiritstar I know! That any of us know! You would never have lost faith in StarClan before, or let any of our Clanmates fend for themselves in a place like the Twolegplace!" She snarled, claws digging into the ground as she confronted Spiritstar.
|
|
|
Post by thistle on May 10, 2024 20:48:08 GMT -5
Warblerwind could stand by no longer, thrusting his way into the space that had cleared around Spiritstar, Hawkpaw, Spiderbite, and Silvercloud's lifeless body.
"Hawkpaw, please!" he said, gently pulling the apprentice away from Spiritstar before she could lash out at her, too. "Please," he repeated. His gaze bore into hers, his eyes green pools of misery. He hoped she understood he wasn't backing Spiritstar - quite the opposite. "Let me take care of this." His eyes skipped across Slateheart, Spiderbite, and Emberpaw before resting on Hawkpaw again. With as much feeling and meaning as he could muster in only two words, he added, "I'm sorry."
He steadied his breath turning back to the frenzied SkyClan leader. He knew with utter certainty and dread that this was Robinstar now and that he was at least partially responsible for her being here. He moved closer to her, hoping somewhere in the prison of her mind Spiritstar could sense him, as more than one of her warriors but as her son.
"Mother," he murmured into her ear. "Please, stop this. Let's go to the forest, for that walk we talked about, yeah? Everything will be easier with a clearer mind."
|
|
|
Post by Moonblazer on May 10, 2024 20:55:03 GMT -5
Spiritstar had been prepared to return a brutal response to Hawkpaw, her hackles raised at the apprentice, before Warblerwind's words instantly served as the que that Robinstar was looking for. By now, Warblerwind would have realized what was going on, and now was the perfect opportunity to finish this folly once and for all. After tonight, Spiritstar would be dead, and Skyclan would no longer have leadership. Their faith in Starclan would be shaken, and darkness would fill in the gaps. She took a long and deep breath, looking around at her Clanmates slowly before her bristling fur slowly lowered, and her eyes glazed over, as though the grief was exhausting her.
She slowly nodded once, her voice graveled like stone as she rasped. "I need some air... I cannot be here for this." She looked at Silvercloud as though the burial would destroy her. She mewed abruptly. "Prepare her for vigil. I... I will return, I just..." She shoved through the surrounding Clanmates towards the camp entrance, ignoring the frightened looks, whispers and noises of bewilderment.
"Skyclan needs a deputy to be named, at least temporarily-" Poppyclaw tried to remind Spiritstar, keeping as brave as possible, though he felt a flicker of indignation as he was ignored by the fleeing leader. He looked around pointedly, not liking how conflicted everyone looked.
Emberpaw had stood protectively in front of Hawkpaw, agreeing with her sister entirely, only for her to bare her teeth at Spiritstar's back as she moved to stumble out of camp. She wanted to scream that the leader was a coward, even if it broke her heart to see a cat she once respected so greatly act like this.
|
|
|
Post by Icefire15 on May 10, 2024 21:00:32 GMT -5
Hawkpaw whirled on Warblerwind when he started trying to pull her away from Spiritstar, a glare and sharp words on her tongue as she turned. She frowned when she saw the look in his eyes though and instead let out an angry hiss, storming past him and away from Spiritstar and Silvercloud's body. Hawkpaw lashed her tail as she left the rest of her Clanmates, heading for a secluded corner away from everyone.
|
|
|
Post by Foxstar26 on May 10, 2024 21:01:43 GMT -5
Slateheart just stared after Spiritstar. How could she say that to him? He took a step back and shook his head. What in starclan..
|
|