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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Aug 31, 2020 22:17:23 GMT -5
News *A giant forest fire broke out, quickly claiming the forests. *ThunderClan and SkyClan's territory were consumed first. *WindClan sent out warriors to try and save cats. *ShadowClan's territory was destroyed and RiverClan is started to catch on fire. *More WindClan set out to help. Their leader went with them. *RiverClan territory is gone. *Twolegs are everywhere trying to put out the fire. *Some cats from SkyClan and ThunderClan made it to WindClan territory. *The barn was on fire as well. *Twolegs seemed to finally control the fire, and it has stopped spreading. *The clans are gone, burned in a giant forest fire. Any survivors have fled to the former WindClan territory to hide until it is safe. *So far, only a handful of cats from the clans have survived.
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 1, 2020 18:55:00 GMT -5
Leafstar trudged resolutely forward, her head hung low and littered with ashes. Only two cats followed her - Troutsplash and Firepaw. It appeared that living next to a large body of water did nothing for the Clan, which had been consumed all the same. The cats looked weary and shell-shocked, as if the thought of their entire clan being wiped out had still not caught up to them. As they began their ascent up the hill, Leafstar looked up, catching sight of the SkyClan and WindClan cats that remained perched at the top, and a soft, guarded relief crept into her gaze at the sight of other, somewhat familiar cats. Her step hastened as she bounded to meet them. "Thank goodness. I was beginning to think no other cat made it out." She meowed in greeting.
"Don't count us out so soon, RiverClan." Duststorm croaked as the ThunderClan group joined the others. His voice was dry and cracked, as if he had been inhaling smoke for a long time. He walked guardedly close to the more vulnerable members of his group - 2 apprentices and a pregnant queen. His amber eyes widened as he scanned the now larger group. "Is this everyone who made it out?" He asked in stark disbelief. A quick glance showed him that only around twenty cats stood before him; a mere fraction of what the Clans were. "There have to be more survivors!" His voice cracked at the thought of what his Clanmates could be going through, and it broke into a harsh cough, scattering ashes out of his pelt.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 1, 2020 19:54:30 GMT -5
"There very much could be others," Scarletfeather, the ShadowClan medicine cat, replied. "They could have tried to escape the flames in another direction or are hiding somewhere. There was no guidance as to where to go. Only to run and escape the flames." The she-cat got to her paws unsteadily and looked around. Out of her whole clan, only herself, Viperfang, and Snowflight, the newest queen with her kits, managed to make it. But they were better off than RiverClan who only had three current memebers. Shaking herself to try to ride the heaviness of exhaustion, fear, and pain, she turned herself towards the nearest cat, Goldenheart. "I'm going to start checking you all for injuries and see the best way I can treat you."
Quailcall's eyes were wide with fear and grief. "How could this have happened? How could StarClan have let the clans suffer like this?" Her voice was far more raspy than ever as she ended with a series of harsh coughs that forced her to lie down, drawing Duskstar from her trance. "StarClan might not have been able to stop this. This could be the work of twolegs and their fire-pits. I've been seeing them further in the forest with their leaf-dens." She stated.
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 1, 2020 20:26:26 GMT -5
"Twolegs! It's always twolegs!" Duststorm spat between his coughs, glaring at the licking flames as if he could see twolegs within them. His eyes were dull with exhaustion and pain as he tried to keep his burned paw pads off of the ground. Despite his anger, he didn't seem too worse for the wear, and was in fact itching to return to the territory and help any other survivors.
Goldenheart, normally effusive and happy, flinched slightly as the ShadowClan medicine cat approached her, unused to the situation and the other cat, but the hesitation lasted only a second, and she quickly relented. There was a shallow burn on her flank where the fur had caught fire, and her ear was torn from the frantic escape, but she looked otherwise unharmed.
"I'll help!" Tigerpaw, the ThunderClan medicine cat, quickly piped up. She looked nervous and skittish without her mentor, and thoroughly unnerved by the entire situation, but having another more experienced medicine cat around helped comfort her slightly, and she knew her help was needed. Thankfully, the RiverClan group didn't seem too worse for wear. She mainly wanted to check on the queens and elders. She was also worried about Blizzardtail. The large SkyClan tom had several singe marks along his pelt. She continued looking around, hoping there was nothing serious among the rest of the cats.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 1, 2020 22:00:01 GMT -5
"It's possible it was them. We can't really know. This season has been so dry..." Duskstar trailed off. She looked to Leafstar. "Did you see any other cats when you were leaving the forest?"
Rumbledsong watched the tree lines sharply, praying that someone would appear. He signed heavily and sat down. Burns and soot littered his pelt as he hung his head. The tom had no idea what the future would bring. Would they be able to recover from this? Would more cats appear? And if not, what would they do? Could the clans survive through this or...he looked back at the mixture of cats behind him. Could they create a clan and be together? Could they leave the past in the past and survive as a clan? He heaved a sign that broke off in a nasty cough.
"Alright, that's it. Rabbitleap, I'm going to have to insist that we take these cats back to your camp. They must be treated, and I need herbs." The fierce she-cat turned to the WindClan warrior. "When Hedgestar (WindClan leader) returns, I'm sure he and Flowerbreeze won't mind considering what has happened tonight."
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 1, 2020 22:22:47 GMT -5
"I'm not going anywhere until I know Wrenstar (ThunderClan leader) is okay!" Duststorm snapped resolutely. Tigerpaw turned towards her Clanmate, startled. "Duststorm!" The young she-cat exclaimed. "Our clanmates need to be treated! You need to be treated!" Duststorm bent his head to press his nose to the medicine cat apprentice's ear reassuringly. "I know. You go with them, Tigerpaw, take Whisperpaw and Quailcall with you. I just can't leave knowing someone might have survived and need my help. I'll wait a bit longer, and come later." He meowed. Tigerpaw sighed uncertainly, not entirely sure about the idea, before turning to look at her clanmates in response.
"Are we really letting them into our camp, Rabbitleap?" Beechpaw whispered with wide eyes, passing furtive glances at the other cats. Like the other surviving WindClan cats, he had come out unscathed in comparison to the rest of the cats. The gruff voice of Ashwhisker boomed "Of course! In times of crisis like this, it's important that the Clans help each other." The elder was surprisingly none worse for the wear, though that may be due more to his constitution rather than anything. His eyes were rimmed a deep red from the smoke however. He led his denmate Brackensnap carefully, guiding him with his tail.
"Thank you." Blizzardtail meowed, padding up to stand beside his leader and longtime close friend. I'm sure we could all use some rest." He ignored his own injuries, looking over the other cats with concern. Goldenheart stood still as Scarletfeather examined her, then wriggled as she heard the harsh cough from Rumbledsong. She moved to her clanmate's side, with a meaningful look at the ShadowClan medicine cat.
"Why do we have to go to WindClan? They're smelly!" The indignant meow came from Firepaw. "Not now, Firepaw." Leafstar cut her off briskly, slapping her tail into the petulant apprentice's mouth to silence her. "Riverclan will join you." She mewed, exchanging a glance with Troutsplash, the other surviving warrior.
Snowflight sighed as Vixenkit and Cloudkit scampered eagerly around her paws, blissfully unaware of the danger their Clan and the entire forest faced. To the young kits, this was all just a fun new game, that got them out of camp. Their mother, however, was exhausted, from carrying them all the way from ShadowClan territory and outrunning the fire. She slowly rose to her legs, wobbling slightly as she looked down at the two kits, contemplating if she still possessed the energy to carry them both.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 2, 2020 20:31:57 GMT -5
Whisperpaw looked at the other cats fearfully. She was a young apprentice, only been one for maybe a moon. She had missed on the most recent gathering and knew very little of the other clans. She looked around at all the older cats and felt so small. She wished her mother was there to comfort her and her father to guide her. She wish her mentor with all his wisedom was there to laugh off her fears. Whisperpaw shivered into the ground and looked at Duststorm. "What will happen if Wrenstar doesn't show up?" she asked him quietly.
Quailcall coughed hard again and forced herself to stand up. The edges of her vision were darkening, but she mustn't let it consume her. Her legs shook heavily as she managed to pad several steps forward behind the ShadowClan medicine cat and queen before another round of coughing shook her body and she slumped to the ground. There was no way she was going to make it to the WindClan camp on her own. Tears stung her eyes as she thought of Bravewind, her mate. He had been the deputy of the clan and worked so hard to get everyone to safety. She had no idea what happened to him.
Rabbitleap looked hard at the elder, Ashwhisker before nodding to Beechpaw. "Yes. We cannot stay here. It is not safe for anyone. We have to pray to StarClan now to guide the others. However, I will wait here with Duststorm to try and help any other cats that might appear. Beechpaw, help them reach the camp. And let Brackensnap and Dogpaw know what is going on. Make sure Dogpaw helps out those severely injured."
Duskstar nodded to the WindClan cats. "SkyClan thanks you. Rumblesong, Blizzardtail, and Goldenheart, head with them back to camp and help those that are needed as well." The she-cat cast a quick glance to the struggling Quailcall and Snowflight with her bounding kits. Duskstar looked at Blizzardtail, knowing there was so much to say and do, but right now was not the time. They would have to discuss what had happened more later. "Of course, Duskstar," Rumbledsong said in his usual deep voice, scarred only by the harshness of smoke from his lungs. He nudge Goldenheart gently and jerked his head towards Scarletfeather to follow her. Movement caught his eyes as he spotted Vixenkit and Cloudkit bounding around their exhausted mother. Padding over, the tom gently as could be bent down and grabbed Cloudkit by the scruff of his neck. With a pointed look to Snowflight to show he meant no harm, he nodded at her to lead the way.
Troutsplash cuffed Firepaw on the ears none too gently. "Mouse-brain! Do you wanna go back in the burning forest? Wanna smell of soot the rest of your life? I think not! Be grateful they are letting us stay. We probably smell...fishy to them." Troutsplash wanted to roll his eyes at his horrible pun. What awful timing...
Scarletfeather nodded towards Tigerpaw approvingly. She had meet the young she-cat when she had been introduced to the Moonpool. Although young, the apprentice seemed quick to learn and easily understood that her medicine cat duties went beyond that of normal clan cats and clan boundries. "Young apprentice, I will need your help to care for these cats." She called out to her.
Viperfang rolled his eyes at Scarletfeather's kindness. As far as he was concerned, clan boundaries should still be in effect. Scarletfeather should be looking after Snowflight and her kits first before any other cat. Let the others fend for themselves until their medicine cats arrive, he thought to himself. He knew, however, that speaking up in front of the two leaders against his own medicine cat would not make him look good. Silently, the tom grumbled about the whole thing and stalked towards the WindClan camp, ignoring all else.
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 3, 2020 16:21:12 GMT -5
"Don't worry, he'll come. Wrenstar is strong." Duststorm replied with a meow, hoping he sounded confident, though internally, he was just as worried as the rest of them. This fire was so vicious it had razed all five Clans. Who was there to say it wouldn't be enough to rip multiple lives from a Clan leader? He shook the disturbing thought from his head, and instead, he pressed his muzzle to the scared apprentice's side comfortingly, before gently nudging her in the direction the WindClan cats were heading.
Beechpaw didn't appear too convinced that the strange cats wouldn't immediately raze the camp the moment they arrived, but he dipped his head obediently. "Yes, Rabbitleap." He meowed before turning towards the direction of the WindClan camp, and one of the few remaining untouched areas of the territories, with Ashwhisker close behind.
Tigerpaw knelt beside Quailcall, clearly worried. It was clear that young queen wouldn't make it any farther without help, and she had no strengthening herbs with her. Just as she wondered what she could possibly do for her, a large shadow loomed beside them, and Blizzardtail joined them. "Let me." The SkyClan warrior meowed gruffly, leaning to support Quailcall's side. The broad-shouldered tom could more than manage her weight and support her to the WindClan camp. Goldenheart joined Quailcall on the opposite side of her clanmates, and together, the two of them supported the queen. Tigerpaw blinked her gratitude at the SkyClan warriors, who being larger and stronger, were much more suited to the job. She then moved to pad closer to Scarletfeather, hoping that the more experienced medicine cat knew what to do.
Snowflight's blue eyes narrowed as Rumbledsong approached, and her hackles raised slightly as the subconscious instinct of a mother reared it's head, but as Rumbledsong simply picked up Cloudkit, her bristling fur flattened. Ignoring Vixenkit's squeak of protest at being interrupted from her play, she picked up the other kit and slowly rose to her paws, falling in line behind the WindClan cats.
Leafstar sighed as it seemed like they were finally ready to move, and she flicked her tail towards them. "Let's go, Troutsplash, Firepaw. The sooner we get some strength back, the sooner we can look for our missing clanmates." She mewed decisively. Clearly, she had not given up on the thought of survivors. She stepped forward with the other cats, leading her two clanmates forward.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 3, 2020 22:26:40 GMT -5
Duskstar nodded to her cats as they left before joining Duststorm on the hill. She gave him a slight nod before sitting down. Looking over the lake, the she-cat could still see the orange of the fires burning brightly in some areas while others were dark with soot and smoke. She could see twolegs running around trying to put out the fires. So much was still burning, but she could see that they were at least stopping it from spread. Duskstar took a deep breath before it turned into a hard cough. Shaking her fur, the she-cat managed to regain her breath.
Rabbitleap joined them and looked at the blazes. "I can't believe it's all gone. All the trees and paths, gone." He whispered to them. "I used to wonder what it was like to live under trees. Always having shade from sunlight or harsh wind and rains. How you could live not being able to see the stars. It was so...different." His eyes searched the land before him as if they would give him his answers.
Whisperpaw nodded to the elder warrior before padding quietly after the cats. She shivered in fear and pain. One thing that Whisperpaw did hope for was that the camp would be able to help her rest. She felt like she had just run for a thousand moons. The she-cat let out a cough and moved quicker to catch up with Quailcall.
Quailcall felt two cats move to her sides as the scent of SkyClan filled her nose. Although not a terrible scent, she still had to stop her nose from wrinkling. Looking at the two cats, she couldn't help but feel grateful. SkyClan was known for having less strict teachings of the warrior code when it came to helping others. Starting off away from the other clans probably did that for them. Forcing herself up and between them, the she-cat stumbled on weary paws towards the WindClan camp, half being dragged by the SkyClan cats. "Thank you," she managed to rasp out. She would do more for them later, if she could. She would make sure to tell Bravewind of their help as well.
Troutsplash fell into step beside his leader. With a quick glance around, the tom began to very quietly talk to her. "Leafstar, what are we to do? The territory is destroyed. How will the clan survive? There will be no herbs or prey or shelter for many moons." He glanced towards the cats in front of him to make sure they couldn't hear. It wasn't any other clans' business what RiverClan was to do.
Rumbledsong quietly padded after the queen. He had no reason to not help her. She was a queen with kits! And the warrior code said to protect kits no matter what. Well, this was a no-matter-what scenario. Holding back a cough and a slight gag from the soot on the kit's fur, Rumbledsong managed to keep behind the queen until they made it to camp. He sure did hope that the WindClan queens wouldn't mind some new additions for the time being.
(Question! Would you mind if I possibly wrote this as a fanfiction? Also, we probably should add a WindClan queen or two. Doesn't make sense that they would leave camp. I can understand why Beechpaw would be behind [as the youngest apprentice?]. And Dogpaw and Rabbitleap would be behind to watch over the camp left with probably only elders, queens, and kits.)
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 8, 2020 8:34:50 GMT -5
(Hi, Skyblaze! Hope you had a great long weekend!)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 8, 2020 16:09:13 GMT -5
(Hey! So sorry for the delay, I had a really busy vacation weekend and couldn't find the time to get on. I'm typing up my reply right now, hope yours went well as well!)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 8, 2020 17:54:40 GMT -5
"That's fire." Duststorm growled simply, yet though his mew was blunt, the tom was devastated. The beautiful forest landmarks that he had walked his whole life had been reduced to cinders. He could only watch in silence as distant shapes attempted to douse water on the blaze, and the small embers danced through the night sky, like orange fireflies. He watched the remaining charred treeline carefully, intent on spotting any potential survivors now that the lapping flames had finally receded, but there was no life stirring from the charred wood. Wrenstar...everyone...how can you all be gone? There's no way all that's left of ThunderClan is four cats! He thought miserably. As time dragged on, and no cats appeared to allay his fears, he felt a prickling of guilt that he had let his clanmates go on without him. He was sure they were tired, and scared, and he was the only warrior of the group. He should be with them. Finally, the brown tabby got to his paws, shaking the ashes out of his fur. "I'm going to the camp." He mewed with a glance at Duskstar and Rabbitleap. "There's no point sitting out here any longer. My clanmates need me."
Tigerpaw drew back to pad beside Whisperpaw, and rested her striped tail on the white she-cat's shoulders. ""Don't worry, I've met WindClan before." She meowed reassuringly. "They're a fair group. We'll be fine until Duststorm comes back." Tigerpaw decided to leave out the fact that she had only met WindClan once before, at her medicine cat apprentice initiation, and it had only been the medicine cat. The other she-cat was nervous enough as it is.
Leafstar let out a sigh, her blue eyes slightly clouded with worry. "I'll worry about our territory when I know our clanmates are safe...is what I'd like to say, but who knows how much the fire has taken." She replied in a low mew. "We can't stay with WindClan forever. We're all tired now, so we should rest for tonight, then go take a look at the territory tomorrow, once we're sure the fire is gone. If anyone's survived but haven't made it with Duskstar and the others, they would have sheltered somewhere in the forest. That will be our best bet at finding them." She sent up a small prayer to StarClan, willing their ancestors to keep their Clanmates, if they were still alive, safe from the blaze.
Goldenheart dipped her head awkwardly towards the queen, still unused to being this close to a cat from another Clan. Nevertheless, the bracken-pelted she-cat was happy to help. She had met Quailcall in Gatherings when she had still been in an apprentice, and the she-cat had always been kind despite Clan lines. She felt bad for the queen; no pregnant cat should have to deal with such stress. "Let's get you to the Camp and some much-needed rest." She meowed in response.
Meanwhile, Ashwhisker plodded ahead at the front of the group. Despite his age, when he had heard about the fire, the elder had refused solidly to stay behind, and though Hedgestar had convinced the tom not to join in the rescue, he couldn't bear the thought of waiting back in the camp. So, he had joined them on the hill to help survivors. Beechpaw hovered anxiously close to the elder, worried for him, but Ashwhisker seemed relatively unscathed.
Soon after, Beechpaw scented a comforting and familiar scent - the WindClan camp. "We're here!" He meowed, some of his energy returning at the sight of his home. The young tom scampered ahead, calling out for his denmate, the other apprentice deemed too young to join in the rescue. "Dogpaw! We're back!" He meowed excitedly.
"It's about time." Snowflight puffed around the scruff of Vixenkit, who wriggled restlessly. "It's tough for queens as it is." The ShadowClan she-cat turned her head to blink sympathetically at Quailcall. It was tough managing two live kits, but she couldn't imagine the exhaustion of trying to escape while so pregnant.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 11, 2020 20:48:23 GMT -5
Rabbitleap slowly stood up too. There was a great heaviness in his step and in his eyes. Hedgestar and the other warriors and apprentices, never appeared. Even their medicine cat and apprentice were nowhere in site. The fires had mostly gone out now, yet no one had shown. It was time he too, returned to what little clan he had left. "I will return with you. I must...I must inform the clan of this..." Duskstar glanced at them in worry. She looked back over the lake with hope dying in her eyes. Yet, the she-cat didn't move. "I will remain here...for the time being. I mustn't give up hope for any survivors." She stated and turned back towards the cats. Although her posture looked tired, there was a light in her eyes. The SkyClan leader could be stubborn when she wanted to be.
Whisperpaw looked at the medicine cat apprentice with a grateful look. "Thanks, Tigerpaw. I'm not really too nervous about meeting the cats. I'm more worried they will get mad at me for doing something and kick us out. I know Duststorm will protect us till Wrenstar returns...but what about afterwards?"
Troutsplash thought on the words his leader said for several heartbeats before he quietly replied. "And...and if we can't survive off the territory. If the fire has damaged the land beyond our survival...what will we do?" The tom licked his jaws before continuing. "Will we have to leave the lake territory?"
Quailcall purred as best she could. "Rest...that would be very nice..." Her voice suddenly seemed faint in her ears, as if she was speaking through a long tunnel. The she-cat struggled to stay on her paws as they entered the WindClan camp. Quailcall had never been in another clan's camp. She briefly wondered for a moment if they all were as open as this. Still, she could tell were the medicine cat's den and nursery was just by the smells alone, and the apprentices' den by the scuffs in the ground around it. She didn't have time to think of much else before darkness suddenly swallowed her vision. Quailcall collapsed on her legs and landed with a soft "puff" onto the ground.
Dogpaw poked his head out of the apprentices' den just as Beechpaw and the other clan cats entered the camp. His eyes wide, the apprentice looked confused. "What in StarClan? Why are there so few cats? Did the leaders just send those that were needed?" He questioned his fellow apprentices. Dogpaw had no idea that this was all that could remain of the other clans.
Rumbledsong nodded and placed Cloudkit on the ground gently near his mother's paws. "I don't know how you managed it with these two. They seem to have moons of energy." He flicked his tail towards the kits. There was no malice in his eyes, only affection. He was a softy to kits. "I'm glad that they don't seem affected by this."
A tortoiseshell head poked out from the nursery just as Quailcall collapsed. The queen let out a gasp and quickly forced her buldging body from the safety of the nursery. "Oh StarClan! The poor dear! Beechpaw, fetch water, quickly!" The she-cat bent down to sniff at the queen, taking in the scent of smoke, ash, and burns. Ryeflight looked worried. "I hope Dewlight (WindClan medicine cat) returns soon!"
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 13, 2020 15:31:56 GMT -5
Duststorm nodded in response to Rabbitleap, before his head swiveled to Duskstar at the calico she-cat's response. For a brief moment, he wanted to reply with a scathing comment on how sitting around wouldn't do anything for her remaining clanmates. He decided against it, however. It wasn't his place to tell a cat from another Clan what to do, much less a Clan Leader. "Hopefully you find some." He finally replied, before his gaze returned to Rabbitleap. "Lead the way." He invited. Despite his own confidence, the tom was acutely aware that he was in a foreign territory that he knew next to nothing about, further driving home the fact that he was far from home, despite his own territory lying only a few fox-lengths down the hill.
"They won't kick us out when we have nowhere to go." Tigerpaw responded with a small purr of amusement. "I'm sure Wrenstar will sort everything out when he comes back." If he comes back. She didn't say the last part out loud. It almost felt like saying it would make it come true. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if no other cat returned from their territory. She was saved from the unwanted thoughts when she heard the sound of Quailcall collapsing to the ground, and her uncertainty was replaced with panic. She hurried to the queen's side. "Scarletfeather!" She called, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She could feel Quailcall's exhaustion and distress coming out like waves, but she simply didn't have the training yet to know what to do.
Leafstar opened her mouth immediately to respond to Troutsplash's question, then she clamped her jaws shut once more as she considered it more closely. There had to be five Clans. That's what StarClan had decreed. If they left the lake behind without the other Clans, she was sure it would invoke disaster. Yet, if the territory was that badly devastated, and no other cats returned, were they still RiverClan? The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. There was no way she could force her Clan to try and live in a territory devoid of shelter and prey. Yet, leaving on their own felt wrong, like a violation. She sighed softly, conflicted. She wished Beestripe was here with her now. The RiverClan medicine cat had been separated from them during the escape, and she had no idea where he was now. The tom was older than her, and wise, and she had come to appreciate his advice in these matters. Finally, she replied, "I don't want to consider it. But if nothing is left of our Clan, we may have to face it. I won't be deciding anything yet, not until I get a chance to speak with Beestripe and the other Leaders."
Beechpaw's green eyes flickered at Dogpaw's question. "No one else came back, Dogpaw." He replied slowly, shaking his head. "Rabbitleap is with Duststorm of ThunderClan and Duskstar of SkyClan, seeing if they can find any other survivors. The fire was worse than we thought." The tom's ears pricked at Ryelight's call and he glanced at the now still Quailcall. The tom nodded and quickly bounded to the stream that ran nearby the Camp, eyes darting in search for some nearby moss.
Snowflight let out a soft sigh of relief as she was finally able to sit down, making sure Vixenkit remained firmly between her front paws. She nodded in gratitude to Rumbledsong as he deposited Cloudkit beside his littermate. "Thank you. You have no idea. One would think these two are ready to become apprentices." She replied with a small note of amusement in her mew. "Can we?" Vixenkit mewled in response, looking expectantly up at her mother. "No, Vixenkit, you still have a few moons to go." Snowflight replied, with a tone that implied this was not the first time they had had this conversation. She turned to look at Ryelight, the WindClan queen who had just emerged from the nursery. "Do you mind if we go inside? It's been a long night, and these two need to rest." She requested, the exhaustion in her mew evident.
Beechpaw soon returned, carrying a large wad of moss soaked in cool water. His gaze flitted between Ryeflight and Scarletfeather, as if asking how to proceed.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 13, 2020 21:44:24 GMT -5
Duskstar watched as the two warriors padded away. The she-cat turned back to the lake and watched as the twolegs began to put out the rest of the fire. She sat quietly, praying for a miracle from StarClan. The clans can't be over like this, she thought. StarClan, please don't let the clans end like this. The she-cat thought of the kits that have been raised in her clan, of the elders that had been laid to rest. She thought of the battles and the prey caught. Then Duskstar thought of the other clans. How they had fought so hard to be there as well. Fear crept down her spine. What would her clan do now? Where would they live for the time being? SkyClan couldn't keep intruding on WindClan. That wasn't how things worked. Duskstar signed and laid down. She hoped something good happened soon.
Rabbitleap nodded to Duststorm and lead the tom towards the camp. He was quiet, not really wanting to talk to the obviously-on-edge tom. He figured it was best to lead him to his clanmates and hope he didn't cause trouble once Hedgestar returned. He had a feeling he would be difficult to work with. Rabbitleap padded down the hollow to the entrance of the camp. He paused as he entered. Ryeflight was out of the nursery, leaning over Quailcall who looked like she had fallen.
Whisperpaw gasped in fright and raced over with Tigerpaw to the queen. She watched with fear in her eyes, wondering what was happening to her clan. Tears blurred her vision as she flattened herself to the group and watched it all with shock. Whisperpaw was usually more of a confident cat, but the fire had really shaken her. She wasn't so sure of herself right now. It was a lot for a young cat to take in.
Troutsplash nodded, taking in his leader's words. "Of course, Leafstar. I just hope we will be able to return soon." The RiverClan tom turned his head as a commotion came from the entrance of the WindClan camp. Quailcall seemed to have passed out as Rabbitleap and Duststorm returned without Duskstar. The tom's ears twitched. "It seems like ThunderClan has given up on waiting for their leader." (Psst! They are RiverClan.)
Dogpaw's eyes widened in shock. He turned and watched as the queen fell, and Beechpaw rushed off. There was a ringing in his ears. He knew the fire was bad based on the fact that WindClan had to run in and help the others. He knew it was worse when more cats were sent out and the medicine cats followed. The tom licked his lips and looked around the camp. There were more strangers in the camp than actual clan cats. Uneasy shifted his pelt. Was this all that was left of WindClan?
Rumbledsong went to reply when he saw Quailcall fall. He frowned heavily, watching for a heartbeat before turning back to the queen. "I think we should take them to the nursery and out from under anyone's paws. Plus, you seem to be exhausted. I don't think they would mind sharing a nursery with you tonight." He bent down and grabbed Cloudkit. Rumbledsong headed over to where the WindClan queen had come from and the scent of milk the strongest. (If you wanna add another Windclan queen or kits, go ahead!)
Scarletfeather rushed over to Quailcall as she fell, leaving an annoyed Viperfang to watch. He didn't seem to happy with her caring for another cat from another clan. However, if he was truly bothered, he didn't voice it. The ShadowClan medicine cat quickly began to look over Quailcall. Her breathing was shallow and raspy. There were burns on her paws and sides, and her fur was messed up. Listening to her breathing a little more, the she-cat turned to Ryeflight and the other WindClan cats. "I'm sorry. But I'm going to have to take some of Dewlight's herbs. Tigerpaw, rush to the medicine cat's den and get coltsfoot, juniper berries, goldenrod, and honey if they have it. Quickly!" As she spoke, Scarletfeather began to groom the queen. She eyed the SkyClan cats as they stood by. "Her breathing must be stimulated. Help me. Lick chest to keep her warm and to help her breath."
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 14, 2020 3:39:35 GMT -5
Duststorm followed Rabbitleap to the WindClan camp in silence, not much emotion crossing the stony expression on his face. He didn't want Rabbitleap to see how worried he truly was. After all, they were still rival Clans as far as he was concerned. His expression softened, however, upon witnessing the scene in the WindClan camp. Quailcall lay in the center of the camp, and Duststorm's heart lurched in worry for his Clanmate, then relaxed slightly when he saw that Tigerpaw was with her, as was the ShadowClan medicine cat. He wasn't sure how comfortable he felt about another Clan's medicine cat tending to the queen, but Snowleaf (ThunderClan medicine cat) was nowhere to be found, and Tigerpaw was at least there to provide a watchful eye. Instead, the tom padded over to Whisperpaw's side, and pressed his muzzle to her's comfortingly. "Hey, it's okay." He murmured comfortingly, the normally boastful tom's voice surprisingly gentle. "It's been a long night. Why don't you get some rest in the apprentice's den? I'm sure one of the WindClan apprentices can show you the way. Don't worry, Quailcall will be just fine. She's got two medicine cats looking after her." Duststorm had never had his own apprentice yet, so he hoped that his words were soothing.
As Scarletfeather took control, Tigerpaw's hackles, which had been bristling in alarm, relaxed and the young she-cat listened more intently, carefully absorbing what the older medicine cat told her. Tigerpaw was intelligent and resourceful, and and with a little direction she was calm once more. "Yes, Scarletfeather." She meowed promptly, before turning to the moss covered den that could only be the medicine den, protecting the precious herbs from the elements. Her eyes darted around quickly, taking in the unfamiliar piles of sorted herbs, quickly identifying coltsfoot and juniper berries. "Good for breathing." She muttered under her breath as she looked around for goldenrod. She soon spotted the yellow flower, and added it to the pile. She searched a short while longer for honey, but there was none to be found. Adding some cobwebs in case there was any bleeding from the burns, she wrapped the bundle up in a large dock leaf and hurried back to Scarletfeather's side, setting down the herbs beside her.
Meanwhile, Blizzardtail moved into action, rolling Quailcall carefully onto her side and rhythmically running his tongue along her chest fur, fluffing it up against the chill of the night. After a brief pause, Goldenheart followed suit with the senior warrior, taking up position on Quailcall's other side. She'll be okay, right? The question rang in her head, but she didn't dare ask it. Instead, she just let Scarletfeather do her work.
Leafstar looked over at the cats helping Quailcall, and felt a pang of sympathy for the exhausted ThunderClan queen. She wanted to help, but she knew that too many cats crowding around would only serve to impede the medicine cats in their work. She turned to Troutsplash and Firepaw. "Let's rest for tonight." She ordered. "You must both be tired. I'm sure Hedgestar won't mind us using his dens for the night." She turned her gaze to Firepaw, who looked about ready to protest. "If anything changes, I promise to let you both know. Now go and rest." Firepaw looked like she wanted to reply, but Leafstar fixed the apprentice with a hard gaze, and she thought better of it, clamping her jaws shut.
"I'll take you to the apprentice's den." Beechpaw offered, exchanging a glance with Dogpaw, after witnessing the exchange between the RiverClan cats. He had left the moss with the medicine cats, and had realized there was nothing more he could do to help. "I'll find it myself." Firepaw huffed, brushing past him. To her credit, she did make it to the warrior dens, but couldn't make out which den was for warriors and which was for apprentices. Finally deciding that it wasn't worth the embarrassment of picking the wrong one, she decided to sit outside the entrances rather self consciously.
Duststorm noticed the apprentices retreating to the peace of the den, and he nudged Whisperpaw gently in their direction. "Go with them and get some rest." He meowed encouragingly. "I"ll handle things here."
As Snowflight and Rumbledsong entered the nursery, they were greeted with the small figure of a tortoiseshell kit, about 5 moons old, fangs bared in a hiss. "Invaders! Attack!" She yowled, fur bristling, before a russet tail emerged from the cozy darkness and wrapped around the kit, pulling her back. "No, Robinkit, they're survivors." The voice of a she-cat rumbled in amusement as her amber eyes glowed in the gloom. "Are they RiverClan? They smell weird!" Another voice squeaked, small eyes appearing from the queen's fur, soon joined by 2 other pairs, all peering curiously at the new arrivals.
"ShadowClan, actually." Snowflight purred in response, before looking up at their mother. "I hope you don't mind us staying the night." She meowed. The queen, Shellfur, shook her head in response. "Of course not, but you'll have to excuse these four. They heard the commotion and now they're too big to go back to sleep right away."
"Is ShadowClan going to join us?" One of the kits asked excitedly. "Are we going to fight them?" Another queried. Shellfur gently nosed the kits to settle them down. "No one is joining us, Cricketkit, and we're certainly not attacking anyone, Hopkit. Now look, Rainkit has already gone back to sleep, be like him now." She urged. The remaining three kits fidgeted and squirmed, but finally relented, obediently returning to the crook of their mother's flank.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 14, 2020 17:21:08 GMT -5
Rabbitleap's ears twitched in uncertainty. He had no idea how Hedgestar or Dewlight would react to the other clan cats in the camp. He was sure that Dewlight wouldn't mind the herbs, but his leader might mind the cats sharing a den. Still, there was nothing to be done about it. These cats needed help and refuge. It would be against StarClan to turn them away, especially with kits involved. Rabbitleap walked over to where the elders, Ashwhisker and Brackensnap sat. "I want to wait for Hedgestar to return. But should we offer some of the queens and apprentices some prey? They've had such an ordeal. I just don't want to step on Hedgestar's toes."
"Prepare the goldenrod and spread it over the burns and her paws." Scarletfeather meowed as soon as Tigerpaw approached. Nodding to the two warriors helping Quailcall, she grabbed the juniper berries and squished them to release as much of their juices as possible. She placed the coltsfoot to the side and moved the berry pulp in front of Quailcall who was slowly opening her eyes. Quailcall's eyes felt heavy as she felt the rough licks on her back and chest. There was a dull pain running through her that she couldn't seem to focus on. Blinking, she forced herself to try and pay attention to whatever the ShadowClan medicine cat was telling her. Her head felt heavy yet light at the same time. She sniffed at the berries as they were pushed up to her muzzle. QUailcall didn't even have the energy to wrinkle her nose at them as she licked up the pulp. Closing her eyes, Quailcall fell back asleep, too tired to move anymore. Scarletfeather's tail tip twitched back and forth uneasily. She so weak, she thought. A queen this heavy with kits is going to need special attention from now on if she doesn't want to lose them. Scarletfeather pulled the leaf away and glanced over at Tigerpaw to see how she was doing.
Dogpaw raised an "eyebrow" at Firepaw's reaction. He didn't understand why the RiverClan cat was so aggressive. Shrugging, he turned back to Beechpaw and spotted the ThunderClan apprentice walking over, obviously tired as well. "Hi. I don't think I've seen you at a gathering before. I'm Dogpaw." He greeting the younger apprentice. "Whisperpaw," the she-cat greeted back with a small nod to the WindClan pair. "Do you mind sharing your den for the night? I hope it isn't a bother." Dogpaw's whiskers twitched in slight amusement. "Not at all. You can sleep next to me as Beechpaw likes to kick in his sleep." He let out a soft chuckle before padding over to the apprentices den. Surprisingly, Firepaw had gotten it right. There was a small bush that served as their den. Most of the WindClan cats liked to sleep outside of the den under the stars. But, he assumed the forest cats would prefer the shelter of the leaves. "You can rest here."
Rumbledsong chuckled at the older kits before placing Cloudkit (ShadowClan) down beside Snowflight. "I see that WindClan is going to have a pawful when these four are apprentices." He winked at the kits before turning back to the WindClan queen in greeting. "I am Rumbledsong of WindClan. It is nice to meet you." (Do you want to give me the description of Shellfur and her kits? Also, are there two Cloudkits now?)
Troutsplash just nodded again and padded over to a nearby spot to lay down. He didn't really feel like sharing a den with strangers. His spot left a good view of the whole camp. Troutsplash's ears twitched as he spotted Viperfang sitting down near the camp entrance, watching Scarletfeather with annoyance. He lightly wondered what the medicine cat was doing that annoyed the ShadowClan warrior so much.
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 14, 2020 18:43:11 GMT -5
(Yep I'll get the descriptions up for you! And nope not 2 Cloudkits, just my single brain cell overloading at 2 AM lol! I edited it!)
"I don't see why not." Ashwhisker meowed in response, slowly swiveling his head to look at the younger warrior. "They're going to have to eat eventually, if not today, then tomorrow. And it's clear that there's no prey left in the forest, so unless you wanted to let them hunt in our territory..." The old tom pointed out, trailing off at the question. "Hedgestar will understand the situation, and if he doesn't, he has bees in his brain." Ashwhisker meowed simply, speaking casually in regards to the cat who had once been his apprentice and was now a good friend.
Tigerpaw immediately took the golden fronds in her jaws and began to chew, mashing up the herb into a potent salve that she could apply onto the burns that marked the injured queen's pelt. When she was satisfied with the consistency, she leaned over and began to carefully trickle the paste along each burn, working carefully and efficiently. Though her movements were a bit awkward from inexperience, she had a sharp eye and dedication to her work. Once the goldenrod had been applied, she began to carefully wrap the burns with cobwebs, to take care of any bleeding from the exposed skin as well as protect them from the elements while they healed. She was so focused that she didn't even notice Scarletfeather's eyes on her until she looked up. "Should we give her a poppy seed for the pain?" She asked, with a glance towards Quailcall's distended stomach warily.
As soon as Goldenheart saw that Quailcall was moving, and even opened her eyes, the young warrior let out a sigh of relief before leaning back. Now that the immediate crisis had been averted, the golden-brown she-cat's vision was swimming from the exhaustion of the day. Blizzardtail noticed, and immediately nudged her towards a sheltered outcropping. "Go, get some sleep. Now." He meowed sternly. Goldenheart wanted to say that she could still help, but she knew she could barely put one paw in front of the other anymore. She simply nodded and wobbled wearily towards the outcropping, curling up underneath it. "Let me know if Quailcall needs any more..." Her trailing reply was cut short with the immediate arrival of much needed sleep.
Blizzardtail straightened up as well, but the look in his eyes was concern rather than exhaustion. "I'm going back for Duskstar." He meowed, turning to the entrance of the camp. "She's been out for a while now. She needs to rest too." He didn't wait for a reply, and turned to make his way out of the camp in the direction of the hills. Maybe she found some survivors. He thought, but he didn't dare vocalize the thought, as if saying it out loud would invalidate it somehow.
"I do not!" Beechpaw protested lightly, casting a look of amusement towards Whisperpaw. "You can use my nest, if you'd like. I think I'm going to sleep outside tonight." He meowed with a glance towards the sky. Something told him that he wanted the cool air of the moorland on his fur after the ordeal of the night.
Firepaw paused at the entrance of the den, and realized that she was being a bit ungracious. "Thank you." She meowed, before quickly entering the den, until only her bright ginger tail-tip was visible, before it quickly whisked away. As she entered the den, she took in how empty it was. All the older apprentices must have joined in the rescue. Only Beechpaw and Dogpaw remained. Her fur prickled in guilt, as she realized that WindClan had lost so much helping the other Clans. She would apologize tomorrow, she decided. For now, her joints were aching and sleep already pulled at her paws. She picked a spot by the entrance and curled up, letting sleep wash over her.
"Snowflight of ShadowClan." Snowflight meowed softly, dipping her head in gratitude towards the bluish-gray queen. She slowly sank into the soft moss and down, letting out an audible noise of relief, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as she finally got the chance to relax. As Rumbledsong dropped Cloudkit by her paws, she nosed the two kits into the nest, encouraging them to sleep.
"Shellfur. WindClan, of course." The queen meowed, dipping her head courteously. As her kits finally settled down, the queen turned to Rumbledsong with a worried look in her eyes. "Did you happen to see my mate, Brackenclaw? A large golden-brown tabby?" She asked in a low voice. He had joined in the rescue alongside the other WindClan warriors.
Shellfur's question caused a pang of sorrow in Snowflight's heart as she thought of her own mate. Toadpelt had been one of the first cats to be consumed in the inferno, and the last she remembered of him were his green eyes, stricken with terror, peering out from the lapping flames as she watched helplessly. She had been so frantic, so focused on getting her kits to safety, that she hadn't even had a chance to mourn yet. Now that they were safe, she lowered her head, heavy with grief.
Once she saw that both Troutsplash and Firepaw had settled down, Leafstar lay on her paws with a small sigh. She wanted to curl up and go to sleep as well. Her eyes were red-rimmed with exhaustion and smoke. However, she couldn't. If Duskstar had found any survivors, she needed to be awake as their leader to ensure they were okay. The openness of the WindClan camp, doubled with the absence of most cats, stretched eerily for her and she was acutely aware of the disparity of cats from each Clan. Only three RiverClan cats had made it out so far. She hoped and prayed there had been more.
Duststorm rocked restlessly on his hindlegs, clearly fidgeting with impatience at the knowledge of Wrenstar's - and the rest of his Clan's - fate. Part of him wanted to rush right into the forest and find as many cats as he could, but he knew it was a fool's mission. He'd die of ash and smoke inhalation before he made it three fox-lengths into the forest. A noise from Quailcall served as a momentary and welcome distraction, and the tom padded over to join his two clanmates and the ShadowClan medicine cat. "How is she doing? Are the kits okay?" He asked.
(Shellfur - Small bluish-gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Shellfur is a practical and cool-headed cat, but is kind to other cats, and has a soft spot for queens. She had miscarried her first litter, and as such, takes particular interest in the care of other pregnant queens. Robinkit - dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes and a fluffy, feathered tail. She's an impulsive and hotheaded cat who isn't afraid of saying what's on her mind. Cricketkit - light brown and cream tabby she-cat with green eyes. The most diplomatic and level-headed of her littermates, she's soft-spoken but assertive. Hopkit - Large cream-colored tabby tom with white paws and a white muzzle, and blue eyes. He's energetic and a mischief maker, always prone to try and sneak off on his own to explore. He doesn't respond well to orders, and prefers a more free-handed approach. Rainkit - small bluish-gray tom with deep blue eyes. He's quiet and timid compared to his littermates, and prefers to be left to his own devices. He's also quite frail and sickly, and has been prone to debilitating coughs since he was kitted.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 19, 2020 10:43:30 GMT -5
(Sorry Sky! I got locked out of my proboards account. I'm back up though and will post a reply soon!)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 19, 2020 13:15:48 GMT -5
No worries, glad to hear everything's okay! Looking forward to it! ^^)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 22, 2020 13:24:08 GMT -5
( Wildfire* - 🦉 hope everything's going well! ^^)
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 22, 2020 21:35:38 GMT -5
(Yeah! My computer's been giving me trouble. Sorry about the no reply. I'm working on it right now!)
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 22, 2020 21:59:59 GMT -5
Rabbitleap chuckled at the elder before padding over to where the apprentices were. He was pleased to see that Dogpaw and Beechpaw were welcoming the other apprentices. "Dogpaw, Beechpaw. Fetch some fresh-kill for the queens and elders of our clan. Whisperpaw, you can go feed the queens that came with you, Tigerpaw, and Scarletfeather. Then, all three of you can grab something for yourselves." The tom thought he might have issues with ordering around apprentices that were not from his clan. However, he figured they should still eat after the eldest and youngest of the clans had eaten first. Gotta keep some familiarity, he thought. He looked to where Firepaw was in the den, fast asleep. "If Firepaw wakes up, she can join you. If not, don't bother her. It's...been a long night."
Scarletfeather shook her head. "No. With how close she is to kitting, I don't want to risk it. She shouldn't be in too much pain. If she's struggling in the morning, we can give her one or two seeds." The medicine cat walked around to the other side of the she-cat and sniffed at Tigerpaw's healing. She let out a purr to her. "Well done! Nice use of the cobwebs as well. Smaller paws are able to work with cobwebs so much better." She gave the apprentice another encouraging nod before Duststorm walked over, worry written all over his face. Scarletfeather gave him a sympathetic smile. "She should be fine. She's just exhausted from the journey." Ryeflight padded next to the ThunderClan warrior. "If you can help me, we can get her into the nursery. She would be more comfortable there." The WindClan queen gently nudged Quailcall. "Come on, sweetheart. You're almost to a nice, warm nest." Quailcall stirred briefly. Her eyelids hung heavy as she gazed in a blur to the other queen. Shakily, the she-cat began to force herself to her paws.
Rumbledsong nodded as Snowfeather and her kits curled up in a nest nearby. He was sure that the WindClan queen would be more than welcoming to them. The tom's ear twitched at the WindClan's queens quiet plee for relief. He looked into her eyes with worry of his own. "I think so. He was running into our territory, out of ThunderClan's. There were a couple of other cats with him. It was hard to tell who though through the smoke and flames. I'm sorry. I don't know much more. I was trying to get two of our elders to safety..." The tom trailed off and looked away. They hadn't made it past the ThunderClan border.
Duskstar sat at the very top of the hill, facing away from the WindClan camp. If anyone would have known better, she would have seemed completely calm with her tail curled over her paws. By this point in the night, most of the fire was gone. Only a bit was seen between the border of ShadowClan and RiverClan. Most of the sky was filled with smoke, and the trees around them - as barren of leaves as they were - looked darker than ever. Duskstar looked on with pain, knowing that there would be no more cats joining them tonight.
(How many cats should we find once a patrol is sent out? I'm thinking maybe four or five RiverClan cats but only one or two cats from other clans? I'd like to have SkyClan find one of their queens having died but successfully protected her kits.)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 22, 2020 22:58:55 GMT -5
(No worries! Glad to hear everything's okay ^^ I was thinking maybe 8 cats max (4 each)? That way we don't get overwhelmed with too many characters. So 2 each of our cats could be RiverClan, and then for the remaining 4 perhaps 1 of each remaining clan? I like the kit idea - perhaps Snowflight would take them in? Also, when did you want Quailcall to kit? Since you mentioned she was very close. I also think that the Cats would have to find the bodies of the remaining 3 Clan leaders, as I doubt they would choose to leave if they think their leaders are still out there somewhere.)
Beechpaw's ears pricked as he heard Rabbitleap's voice, and the black tom lifted his head. "Of course, Rabbitleap." He meowed, astonished at himself that he had forgotten to do so. The night's must have affected him more than he thought, he realized. "I'll fetch something for Shellfur and the other queens." He meowed, realizing with a pang that ShadowClan had no apprentices left; not until Cloudkit and Vixenkit became apprentices, at least. "Can you handle the elders?" He asked Dogpaw. "And we'll leave the medicine cats to you, if you're not too tired." He meowed to Whisperpaw, blinking kindly. He was sure that the healers would be the easiest to handle.
Duststorm nodded after hearing Scarletfeather's report, relief flooding his eyes. "Thank you, Scarletfeather." He meowed, dipping his head in respect to the medicine cat before movement at his side caused him to turn, noticing that Quailcall had begun to stir. Immediately, he moved to her other side, supporting her. Thankfully, the nursery wasn't too far. Slowly, he began to walk her over.
As soon as Tigerpaw heard that Quailcall would be alright, she collapsed weakly in relief. The striped she-cat had been so focused on helping her clanmate that she hadn't even noticed her own exhaustion. She let out a rusty purr of gratitude at Scarletfeather's compliment, too tired to respond. She contemplated just curling up there in the center of the camp for the night. She wasn't sure if her legs had the energy to carry her to any den.
Shellfur nodded slowly as she listened to Rumbledsong, before closing her eyes, drawing a deep breath. It sounded bad, but there was still hope. A chance he was alive. Either way, she couldn't display open dismay in front of the kits. Finally, she opened her eyes, and they were pools of calm. "Thank you." She mewed in response. Snowflight raised her head once more, grief and bitter anger battling in her beautiful blue eyes, but her gaze softened as they rested on her now sleeping kits. As much as she wanted to curl up and wail her grief aloud, she couldn't. Not while her kits needed her. That's what Toadpelt would have wanted.
"Duskstar." The gentle and familiar voice rumbled from behind her as Blizzardtail walked up to join her. Blizzardtail wasn't just a warrior. He was her longtime friend. They had played in the nursery together, trained as apprentices together, and became warriors together. He knew how much she shouldered the pain of something like this, even when it was out of her control. He didn't bother asking if there were any survivors. He could see by the empty plain that no life stirred in the forest. Instead, the massive tom silently padded up to sit beside her, sharing his warmth and comfort. "You should come back." He urged gently.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 23, 2020 19:47:41 GMT -5
(I fell pretty hard at work today. It might take me a moment to reply after this. I'm good with that! I'm thinking maybe she goes into early labor because of the ordeal and when the cats return from patroling the lake [it takes them two dasy to travel according to the second series], she's kitting. I think it would be interesting to have a leader missing. Cause more drama and hope that one more is still alive. Maybe the ThunderClan leader? We can find out later or something that twolegs found him and took him away to get treated. Also, maybe one of the RiverClan cats is the deputy? And maybe another medicine cat or apprentice?)
Dogpaw nodded. "Sure! I'll be right back." With a nod to the apprentices, Dogpaw bounded off to the fresh-kill pile. He grabbed a rabbit from the pile so the two elders could share it. Thankfully, he was tall enough to not drag the creature on the ground as he padded over to the WindClan cats. Placing the rabbit in front of them, he dipped his head. "Is there anything else I can get for you two?" Whisperpaw nodded as the WindClan warrior left. She waved her tail to Dogpaw before turning to Beechpaw. "Yeah, I can get them. I'll see if Tigerpaw wants to join us." The ThunderClan apprentice padded over to the fresh-kill pile and sniffed. The scent of rabbit and mouse flooded her senses, making her mouth water. Shaking her head, she grabbed the fattest mouse she could find and carried it over to where Scarletfeather and Tigerpaw were sitting. Duststorm and the WindClan queen were trying to help Quailcall to the nursery. Bounding over quickly, the apprentice placed the mouse on the ground. "Beechpaw is currently taking prey to the nursery. Do you need help getting Quailcall there?" Ryeflight purred to the young apprentice. "No, thank you. I'm sure if we need it, Beechpaw can help." Whisperpaw nodded before grabbing the mouse and quickly moving back to Scarletfeather and Tigerpaw. Placing the mouse gently at Scarletfeather's paws, the she-cat backed up a bit. "Thank you for helping Quailcall." She said quietly. Looking over at the exhausted Tigerpaw, the she-cat moved over to her fellow apprentice and pressed against her side. "Come on. Let's get you with the other apprentices. We can eat then."
Ryeflight pressed reassuringly against Quailcall as the trio slowly made their way to the nursery. Ducking down in front of them, Ryelight blinked in the dark. She should tell that Shellfur was with her kits where they were normally curled up. Another body - probably the ShadowClan queen - was somewhere between her nest and Shellfur's. Grabbing some of the extra moss in the corner and some from her own, Ryeflight quickly made a nest for Quailcall. Quailcall stumbled the rest of the way into the nursery before collapsing into the nest. She gave out a great sigh as relief flooded her bones. As tired as she was, she missed the sound of the wind in the camp. The rustle of the trees and nighttime chirping of bugs. She managed to lift her head towards the scents of Ryelight and Duststorm. "Thank you," she whispered, before laying back down again, falling asleep. Ryeflight turned back to the ThunderClan warrior. As gentle as the queen usually was, she was currently giving the tom a hard look. "We need to talk. Outside, please." The tortoiseshell she-cat squeezed passed him, out of the nursery.
Rumbledsong could only nod as he padded out of the nursery, just barely missing Ryeflight, Duststorm, and Quailcall. Padding over to the only other SkyClan cat in the camp - where did Blizzardtail go? - Rumbledsong curled up next to the she-cat. The camp wasn't too different from home, in that the sky was clearly visible. But he did feel so out of place. Worry clawed at his stomach. So many had not returned. So many had lost their lives. He wondered what RiverClan was going to do based on the fact they only had three cats. ShadowClan had no leader or deputy as didn't ThunderClan or WindClan. And they, SkyClan, only had warriors. No next generation. Fighting off panic, Rumbledsong forced himself to lay his head down in an effort to get some sleep.
Duskstar pressed back into Blizzardtail. The she-cat was fighting of a cry of sorrow over the loss of the forest, her clan, and so many cats. "Oh, Blizzardtail...I feel like I've failed as their leader. I tried so hard to get them to safety, to try and gain some control over the cats. And dear, dear Oakgaze (SkyClan deputy)...I could do nothing for him when that branch fell." The she-cat bowed her head as tears began to leave tracks in her soot-stained fur. "My heart is breaking for everyone..."
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 24, 2020 16:16:49 GMT -5
(Oh no! I hope you're doing alright! I like the early kitting idea. How many kits did you want to do? And did you want to RP all of them or split them? Sure we could have a missing leader. Perhaps ShadowClan or WindClan? I wanted to use the ThunderClan leader's death as a way for Duststorm to come into his own as a leader of the Thunderclan group....though alternatively, having him disappear, only to return eventually and find a different cat in charge would definitely be a fun point of drama. What do you think? I was planning on doing a RiverClan warrior, RiverClan apprentice, ShadowClan warrior, and SkyClan apprentice. Gonna be replying shortly!)
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Sept 29, 2020 17:28:52 GMT -5
(I'm better. I really hurt my knee and wrist. I couldn't even walk. I would love to split them! Three kits? You take two and I'll take one? I'd like to rp the runt of the litter. The kits are already small, but I'd love to rp a runt. I think ShadowClan with the missing leader. That would give a lot to Viperfang in ways of plot. He's very aggressive of others so it would be cool to see him react to the fact they are giving up without finding his leader. Especially against Scarletfeather. I will do the RiverClan deputy, RiverClan warrior, ShadowClan warrior, and the SkyClan kits.)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 29, 2020 18:25:58 GMT -5
Okay sounds good! Sorry for the delay, I've been unwell for the past couple days (not covid). Working on my reply now!)
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Post by ~Skyblaze~ on Sept 29, 2020 19:44:34 GMT -5
(By the way, does Ryeflight have kits or is she pregnant?)
Ashwhisker perked up at the scent of fresh-kill that wafted into the den. The tom had been washing Brackensnap and himself, cleaning out the ashes that had gotten stuck in their fur. The elderly tom leaned forward to sniff the rabbit approvingly, pulling it closer to his denmate. "I'm alright, Dogpaw, thank you." He meowed kindly. "How about you, Brackensnap?" He asked, turning to look at his sightless denmate.
The familiar scent of Whisperpaw seemed to revive Tigerpaw, and the young she-cat managed to get to her paws, allowing the warrior apprentice to lead her to the other apprentices. The scents of five Clans so suddenly jumbled had disoriented her, and it was comforting to be able to scent something she knew and recognized. "Do you think Willowstem is alright?" She asked, her thoughts returning to her missing mentor now that Quailcall was safe. Like other medicine cat apprentices, she had a close relationship with her mentor, and she couldn't fathom that the grizzled old tabby she-cat hadn't made it out of the blaze. Willowstem had always seemed so invincible, like nothing in the forest could shake her.
Duststorm let out a small note of relief as Quailcall finally settled in, seemingly looking comfortable. He leaned forward and gently touched his nose to the queen's ear-tip. "Let me know if you need anything at all." He meowed quietly. As he straightened, the tom heard Ryeflight's low mew, and caught sight of the expression on her face. Leaving Quailcall to rest, the young tom turned to follow the WindClan queen out of the nursery, ear twitching in curiosity. What's ruffling her fur?
Beechpaw passed the two cats as he entered the den, jaws laden with fresh-kill. He placed a large, plump rabbit in front of Shellfur. Her kits were close to apprentice age, and regularly shared fresh-kill themselves. He looked at Snowflight and her kits, fast asleep, and paused uncertainly. He didn't want to wake them. "Leave it here, I'll make sure they get fed when they wake." Shellfur meowed. Beechpaw dipped his head and dropped the mouse beside the rabbit, exiting the nursery and making his way back to the other apprentices.
"There was nothing you could have done." Blizzardtail responded gently. "There was nothing any cat could have done. All cats are helpless against fire, even StarClan couldn't have protected us against the blaze." He knew how deeply the loss of so many clanmates hurt Duskstar. He felt it himself, like a razor sharp claw tearing through his chest. Yet, he needed to remain strong, for his leader and for his Clan. The white tom curled his tail around her shoulders. "If any other cat escaped, they wouldn't have the strength to leave the forest tonight." He meowed. "Come to the WindClan camp. We can come back and look again in the morning." He would have happily spent all night on the moor, looking out for lost and wandering Clanmates, yet both cats were exhausted, and he knew sleeping out in the elements would do no good for either of them. They needed proper rest.
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Post by Wildfire* - 🦉 on Oct 2, 2020 17:16:45 GMT -5
(Still pregnant. She'll probably have her kits after Quailcall. I wanted her to have a big litter so maybe four kits.)
Brackensnap snorted and stood up. Using mostly his nose to distinguish where Dogpaw and Ashwhisker were, the tom bent his head down to sniff at the rabbit. "Couldn't have gotten a less sooty one, could ya? I'm going to be coughing up sootball instead of furballs." Still, the tom took a bite of the prey, never one to waste fresh-kill. Raising his head, he managed to stare properly into Ashwhisker's eyes. "You should eat too. We don't know what will happen after this point." Dogpaw, sensing that he wasn't needed anymore, dipped his head to the two elders and padded back to the apprentice den, snagging a couple of mice for the group. He spotted Whisperpaw and Tigerpaw making there way over as he placed the mice on the ground. "Wanna grab some more prey, Beechpaw?"
Whisperpaw's eyes were clouded. "I-I don't know. Willowstem...for as strong as she was, hasn't shown up yet. And...and no other elders like her made it out of the fires." Even though Willowstem was still the medicine cat, it was a clan assumption that as soon as Tigerpaw gained her full medicine cat status, the she-cat would retire. "But I think if she did, she's probably with Wrenstar and the others. You know she would never give up on caring for her clan!"
Ryelight was looking away as Duststorm exited the den. She waited a heartbeat or two to compose herself before turning back to the ThunderClan tom. "How...How bad is it out there? Dewlight didn't want me leaving camp so I couldn't see what was going on. But Swifthawk (her mate) is still out there. And I know he would return if he could. What is happening to the clans?"
Duskstar knew her friend was right. She needed rest for the sake of being able to search in the morning. Still, she felt like if she left that spot, she was giving up on all hope. The she-cat shook her head. "No. I will spend the night here, where I can see the lake and all the territories." Glancing up at the sky, the SkyClan leader began to see the night sky and stars behind the disappearing smoke. "There are some rocks and heather nearby I will rest under."
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