Galeclan; Cats of the Moorlands (Open)

With all three apprentices in agreement that returning home would be ideal, the siblings nodded in agreement with the younger apprentice, though equally unsure how they were going to escape fully grown cats. If a tracker were among the cats, they were very likely doomed but now sure wasn't the time for pessimism. Firepaw, however had absolutely no idea how to return home at this point, though he was reluctant to mention he'd gotten lost among the plants. Thankfulyl for him, he didn't need to share his shame as Featherpaw initially looked thoughtful, then suddenly perked up.

"I can't say if it's a shortcut, but I do know how to navigate the Heather Beds. The southern end, just before the steep cliffs, open up fsirly close to the camp." Featherpaw explained while Firepaw looked on silently and anxiously. "Depending on who is after us, maybe the scents will confuse them long enough for us to get down there, then we can make a run for camp." Surely it was still a fair distance, but this time they weren't trying to find someone either.

Amberleaf gently pressed against the panicked mother in a gentle attempt to calm her as he heard her woes, though he were no more pleased to hear confirmation he'd heard her right. Both apprentices were certainly gone. "They are clever little things, I'm sure they are alright." he reassured at first, though he would surely not leave her with empty words of comfort among the hysteria of their dead clanmates, "But, if they're missing, Reedwing may have already sent someone after them. In fact, I saw Kestreltalon and Birchheart flying out of camp just as I returned."

Granted, he hadn't caught exactly what they were off doing, but it was as good a guess as any under the circumstance and he hoped that knowing Kestreltalon might be on tracking duty just might give her reason to feel more at ease. Relying on family could surely be more comforting than the words of a simple clanmate, even the Medicine Cat.

Of course, he knew the irrational fear one might feel for the safety of their children might dilute the effectiveness of reasoning but any means of calming the she-cat even a little was a step in the right direction. "Now, now, you wouldn't want them to come home and see you frazzled out of your mind, would you?" He added in a gentle tone, hoping to assuage her worries with thoughts of what she'd do when they returned rather than the current fear of what if they didn't. Redirection was at times the best medicine.

Birchheart was relieved to see the tracker taking his comments all in good humor, after all, he always believed there was a healthy balance between the code and an understanding for one's own clanmates and he didn't truly see Kestreltalon as unreasonable by any means. If anything, he admired the tracker's dedication to the clan and could hardly fault him for wanting better for the clan as well. "The elder's den has been quiet lately, I think Haretooth would be glad for your company." The large ginger teased as playfully as his former comments had been, though he seemed to straighten up with purpose as Kestreltalon confirmed they were likely on the trail of the apprentices.

"A good idea, I'll have to join the Haretooth myself if I have to make it a habit to chase after wandering apprentices." he added with a smile that betrayed how unoffended he was by the job. With Kestreltalons confirmation of what was likely the apprentices, Birchheart broke into a sprint towards the heather beds, slowing down only when they were approaching the thick flora.

Featherpaw nodded in acknowledgement to the dark colored cat before turning in the southern direction, and scampering forward, though she was more careful to stay somewhat aware of her companions. She was most used to the southern patches anyways, that often being the direction she'd come from camp when joining one of the Medicine Cat's for herb collection. After all, they'd only gone such a round about way when leaving camp due to looking for her brother, of whom seemed to be keeping pace fairly well behind her, thankfully. Perhaps if they'd come the shorter way from the beginning, they'd have found Firepaw sooner and been back to camp, but there was litle reason to think about what ifs at this point.
When the pale ginger finally came to a stop, she was peeking into the moorlands from the heather, hoping that she wouldn't see other cats, though she was grateful to see the hills in the distance that sheltered the camp. It would be a heck of a sprint, especially if someone was close enough to see them, and in that case she hardly thought they'd make it before being jumped but they had come this far... They didn' have much choice.

The grieving may not have completely subsided, but with the leader's address completed, Shadowstep pushed himself to his paws, gaze drifting to the forms of the dead cats with an unspoken sadness. If nothing else, he felt he could slip away for the time being and escape the looks that, although beginning to die away, still remained to a lesser degree. It wasn't as if he had room to defend himself, nor would he have if asked; he hadn't been there and even to him that made him just as guilty. Whether or not his presence would have changed anything mattered not, nor did the fact they'd told him to go on home ahead, for him it was the principle itself that he had left them at all.

Offering an unspoken prayer to starclan, the long-limbed tom made his way along the side of camp, his attempt to remain out of the way, towards the Warrior's den. He only wished it was not almost directly across from where he'd been sitting previously. Even that small walk felt like it took so much longer. Shadowstep continued passed Palewhisker and Gorseleap, unaware that he was their current topic of discussion, and soon had leapt up the short ledge and slipped into the darkness of the warrior's den.

Featherpaw glanced back towards Crowpaw and Firepaw with a nod, agreeing that they just might be able to make it. "I don't think we have any other option anyways." She added before turning her eyes back to the Moors, taking comfort in the knowledge that at least free from the heather beds she didn't have to worry about losing her companions. Even so, that was equally bad for them should someone be behind them... However, even if it was danger, chances were they'd get close enough to camp for help to arrive, although that would hardly look good for them either.

She only hoped she could at least lessen the trouble for Crowpaw, mostly because it was her fault he was out here in the first place. Firepaw, on the other hand, deserved whatever he got and Featherpaw would accept her punishment. Not that she was too sure what could be done to her, Amberleaf wasn't exactly the strictest cat either but this was a very serious time to be vanishing. "Alright, let's go..." the pale ginger replied before making a dash for it.

The look on Firepaw's face told everything it needed to, the young tom very aware he was going to be in big trouble, but it still paled against the grief of knowing he'd picked such a poor time to go against his own moral compass. Honestly, he felt like he'd be lucky if he was promoted to senior apprentice after this stunt, his paws feeling like led under the tragic reality he might have been assigned a mentor any day now but instead... well, he couldn't begin to say for sure what Greystar would do and he didn't think his previously pristine track record was going to save him.

Pulling himself from his dreary thoughts at the words of the other two apprentices, he gave a light nod, though his gaze fell back to his paws soon after. This wasn't the time to be moping and yet.. Shaking away his thoughts again as Featherpaw took off, he followed behind as fast as he could go.

Once again, Birchheart couldn't help but be amazed by the Tracker's skill, his own nose only catching the barest traces once in a while through the scent of heather and lavender. He was simply glad, at this point, that he'd chosen to accompany Kestreltalon. It'd surely turned what could have been a difficult search into a quick and efficient one, and he looked forward to returning to the camp safely with the three young cats.
As the tracker spoke, he slowed his step, doing as he was directed with an affirmative nod, "I'll just have to be careful not to run them over." he replied in a joking manner, as aware as anyone that he was a fairly large cat, but his size had hardly been an issue in the past. Well, aside from anything including small spaces. "But right, they sure aren't runner apprentices so it shouldn't be an issue." he added agreeably, though he doubted even a runner apprentice could have out run the two warriors at that age.

Once they'd both confirmed they were ready, and perhaps out of time to debate it, Birchheart swiftly dove forward after the fleeing apprentices alongside Kestreltalon. Tragically for the younger cats, Their small legs hardly had the speed and power to outrun a fully grown cat and although it may have felt longer, it was but minutes before Birchheart was able to move ahead and swerve in front of the young cats to forceably bring them to a skidding stop.
"You three have sure kept us busy."

Featherpaw and Firepaw both came to a skidding halt, practically crashing into the thick ginger fur of the warriors where they would immediately share looks of horror. For a moment they weren't sure if being found by clanmates was a better option to being gobbled up by non-clan cats. "Uh.. F-Fancy seeing you two here..." Featherpaw murmured out awkwardly, avoiding making eye contact with either of them while Firepaw stared down at his paws guiltily.

Although Crowpaw had already informed the dark ginger apprentice of the deaths that had occured that morning, it certainly felt more real coming from Kestreltalon, Firepaw sinking lower in guilt and shame. Of course he didn't think the other apprentice had been lying in that regard, but he'd hardly the time to process it and part of him had hoped it had just been an exaggeration. That maybe they'd only been injured and just seemed like they were dying, though that was childishly naive and improbable. He knew, however, that his uncle would make no such mistake. It was certainly worse it was Kestreltalon, though, the young apprentice looking up to his uncle, and Firepaw couldn't say he was being treated unfairly over the incident, even if he didn't like it. He may not have necessarily broken the warrior code, but he had caused distress among his clanmates and leaving without a word was certainly not the correct option.

"I understand, Kestreltalon." he replied simply, offering no excuses for his actions as more petulant apprentices might have. It wasn't as if he could even say his little romp through the Moorlands had anything to show, he'd completely failed at catching anything amongst the scarcity. Although he might have liked to leap to Featherpaw and Crowpaw's defense, he had no legs to stand on in that regard and simply cast apologetic glances their way in silence.

Featherpaw briefly wondered if perhaps asking the Warrior for help first had been a mistake, knowing that had probably put him on their trails that much faster, but knew they'd have been found out one way or another. She had only wished it wasn't out here like this where she absolutely didn't have a paw to stand on against the valid accusations. She doubted her own mentor would oppose her uncle's punishments, though, so perhaps it was a pointless endeavor regardless.

However despite the hot shame burning into her coat, she stood tall with an indignant gaze at the older cat, "Me and Firepaw deserve to be punished, certainly, but I would say Crowpaw did nothing but follow the ill-conceived notions of a Medicine Cat's apprentice." She stated sharply, though she felt as though her legs might give out from the sheer nerves she was stirring up by actively speaking against not only her uncle but a full-fledged warrior. She wasn't even sure her words would hold up but she would have said them to Greystar himself if it even had the smallest chance to absolve Crowpaw of misdeeds, after all, he was going to have a hard enough time fitting into a clan that despised outsiders without a negative mark on his figurative record so early.

Birchheart observed silently initially, allowing Kestreltalon to make his point, and perhaps he also did not wish to step where he had no right to. After all, Firepaw and Featherpaw WERE Kestreltalon's kin and Birchheart could only imagine how upset the cat had been despite putting on a strong face this whole experience. The large ginger also knew his own weakness for his clanmates and wouldn't wish to risk his own softness downplaying the severity of what had transpired, although ultimately Greystar would be the one to dole out more extensive punishment. Their leader was fair, but he was certain that Kestreltalon was letting them off easy compared to what awaited them back at camp.

He almost pitied Featherpaw, though, her defense of the new apprentice was admirable, but to talk back.. well.. he certainly didn't envy that. Perhaps it was to prevent further discourse that he suddenly spoke up, "We should return to camp." he began, "If nothing else, Greystar will want to follow up with all this, and Wisteriaflower will want to know these two are alright." he explained, glancing over to Kestreltalon as if hoping the tom could ignore the apprentice's disrespect for the time being.