At the question, Twilightstar cocked her head unable to recall who the tom's parents were. Maybe she was getting old? "If they were clan, then yes they were buried here. You're only... seven moons. So they'd be here." WindClan's been living in the prairie for four seasons now. It would bug her that she couldn't recall the names but didn't let it bug her for too long. She's lost so many cats.
"Yes, pretty but difficult to search for the correct herbs." Twilightstar purred, eye dropping down to peer at the herb he had had. It looked correct to her, Twilightstar wasn't sure she had picked the right herb as it was. She was sure Lightningstorm would let her know. She could always come out here later if they were wrong.
"Shall we get back?" she asked the apprentice, ducking her head to grab the chamomile.
@Lightningpaw666 [Yeah, that's perfectly fine. It'd be confusing if you didn't.]
Snowpaw hated being even a little quiet! But she was worried that if she wasn't, Starclan would curse her! Uh, that would be terrible. Snowpaw didn't say anything, for a change, or think about any pranks. She went into an attacking crouch. That WAS how you did it, right? She snuck up on it very sucessfully, though. (using Primal Instincts, if that counts. If not, she learned it from all her pranks, my silly girl!)
Hawkfur
WindClan
he/him | 50 moons
[Russet tabby with tuxedo markings and sky blue eyes] Purrks: Flock Together T3 [ACTIVE], Beefed Up T1
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Hawkfur was pleased to see how easily stalking came to Snowpaw. It seemed he wouldn't have to do much to help her out, then! Hawkfur padded up to her, flicking her shoulder with his tail. "Good work. Now try scenting the air--once you catch onto a scent, try to hunt it!" He would be hunting himself, but would ensure to keep an eye on Snowpaw in case she needed help.
Splitting off a few pawsteps, Hawkfur opened his jaws to scent, catching a few small prey scents that made his mouth water. He followed the scent of a few mice, their scents twining and mingling into one trail. It wasn't hard to sneak up on them, as they didn't really seem bothered by his presence. He almost felt bad, but then remembered how his clan had many mouths to feed, and the guilt faded. Hawkfur leapt forward, landing with massive paws on two of the mice and crushing their spines instantly. The third mouse squealed and ran off, only making it a tail-length away before Hawkfur was upon it, snagging his claw into it's flank and dragging it back so he could kill it with a swift bite to its neck. What a lucky catch! Hawkfur tilted his gaze to the sky and silently sent up a prayer of thanks for StarClan making his hunt easy and successful. He then picked up his mice and padded over to Snowpaw, settling down and watching from afar.
At the question, Twilightstar cocked her head unable to recall who the tom's parents were. Maybe she was getting old? "If they were clan, then yes they were buried here. You're only... seven moons. So they'd be here." WindClan's been living in the prairie for four seasons now. It would bug her that she couldn't recall the names but didn't let it bug her for too long. She's lost so many cats.
"Yes, pretty but difficult to search for the correct herbs." Twilightstar purred, eye dropping down to peer at the herb he had had. It looked correct to her, Twilightstar wasn't sure she had picked the right herb as it was. She was sure Lightningstorm would let her know. She could always come out here later if they were wrong.
"Shall we get back?" she asked the apprentice, ducking her head to grab the chamomile.
@Lightningpaw666 [Yeah, that's perfectly fine. It'd be confusing if you didn't.]
Lightningpaw would hold off on picking up his herb a part of him wished he had more time to talk to his leader like this it was nice to just talk not be surrounded by all the recent troubles to just have what felt like a peaceful time. "Hey Twilightstar do you think that things will calm down after all this stuff with Riverclan?" Lightningpaw mewed to his leader wondering if she had any inkling as to what the future might hold. The constant tension has been waning on him but he was certain it wasn't anything like what Twilightstar was feeling. @Moonraven
Hmm? The scarred leader cocked her head and scowled at the reminder of the trouble with RiverClan. "I would love to tell you it will calm down after, but I can't be certain. If Riverclan was smart they'd take their punishment and leave well enough alone, but I can't promise they won't retaliate." She sighed sadly. "Whatever comes our way, we'll have to take in stride and relish the peace we have." She told the apprentice as she started padding down the hill towards the camp.
@Lightningpaw666 [Lightningpaw]
Hawkfur
WindClan
he/him | 50 moons
[Russet tabby with tuxedo markings and sky blue eyes] Purrks: Flock Together T3 [ACTIVE], Beefed Up T1
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Hawkfur was pleased to see how easily stalking came to Snowpaw. It seemed he wouldn't have to do much to help her out, then! Hawkfur padded up to her, flicking her shoulder with his tail. "Good work. Now try scenting the air--once you catch onto a scent, try to hunt it!" He would be hunting himself, but would ensure to keep an eye on Snowpaw in case she needed help.
Splitting off a few pawsteps, Hawkfur opened his jaws to scent, catching a few small prey scents that made his mouth water. He followed the scent of a few mice, their scents twining and mingling into one trail. It wasn't hard to sneak up on them, as they didn't really seem bothered by his presence. He almost felt bad, but then remembered how his clan had many mouths to feed, and the guilt faded. Hawkfur leapt forward, landing with massive paws on two of the mice and crushing their spines instantly. The third mouse squealed and ran off, only making it a tail-length away before Hawkfur was upon it, snagging his claw into it's flank and dragging it back so he could kill it with a swift bite to its neck. What a lucky catch! Hawkfur tilted his gaze to the sky and silently sent up a prayer of thanks for StarClan making his hunt easy and successful. He then picked up his mice and padded over to Snowpaw, settling down and watching from afar.
[Sounds great!]
Snowpaw smelled the air, and she could scent a rabbit. It seemed to be sniffing around in the heather.... she snuck up on it, and it didn't seem to notice her presence. She pounced, and it spun around, startled, but Snowpaw managed to snag its pelt and thus hung on. She then bit the rabbit's neck, killing it. She looked at her mentor for approval.
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Wisppaw is the medicine cat of Darkclan. She has an open den policy. Find her here
I am currently on hiatus, will make it as semi as possible so if am not answering for a long while, that is the reason why! Looking forward to being back full time, which is not happening until school starts up again. Will miss you all, have an amazing time! (mumbles 'lucky' under her breath)
Hawkfur
WindClan
he/him | 50 moons
[Russet tabby with tuxedo markings and sky blue eyes] Purrks: Flock Together T3, Beefed Up T1
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[Snowpaw - @Mizu ]
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Hawkfur gave his apprentice an approving grin. "Great!" He chirped, grabbing his mice and padding over to her. "Excellent job sneaking up on it. At some point I'll teach you how to hunt rabbits on the run." It was one of his favorite skills, after all.
"Let's head back to camp." With that, he lead the way home.
Hawkfur
WindClan
he/him | 50 moons
[Russet tabby with tuxedo markings and sky blue eyes] Purrks: Flock Together T3, Beefed Up T1
· · ────────────── · ·
[Snowpaw - @Mizu ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Hawkfur gave his apprentice an approving grin. "Great!" He chirped, grabbing his mice and padding over to her. "Excellent job sneaking up on it. At some point I'll teach you how to hunt rabbits on the run." It was one of his favorite skills, after all.
"Let's head back to camp." With that, he lead the way home.
"Yay!" Snowpaw picked up the rabbit, admitadly with some trouble. It was kinda heavy, but not unbearably so.
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Wisppaw is the medicine cat of Darkclan. She has an open den policy. Find her here
I am currently on hiatus, will make it as semi as possible so if am not answering for a long while, that is the reason why! Looking forward to being back full time, which is not happening until school starts up again. Will miss you all, have an amazing time! (mumbles 'lucky' under her breath)
Time was not fixing this wound. Even through the long walk back Fernpaw had not woken. Stars, at this point Crowtooth was sure he never would again.
Maybe it was the severity of the wounds, the number of them or any number of the things wrong with the little toms from but he wasnt coming back. And Bravebird wasnt realizing that.
Oh stars, how was he even to manage this?
Arriving at the meadow the tom scanned the stones that marked some of the graves of the burial ground, knowing that Fernpaw would soon find his own as he tried to give the molly a moment as he thought. His friend was firmly in denial now, unwilling to confront that a return was not in the cards but moving to anger would be delicate, and ran the risk of that anger being aimed at him. Crowtooth wouldnt mind it, understanding that Bravebird was simply grieving, but knew she'd regret it later.
Bravebird didnt need that burden.
But how, how? .....The tom wasnt wise enough to know, and so hoped Twilightstar would. .....Twilightstar would grieve this loss too wouldnt she, oh stars this death just growing in its devastation.
"Its never taken this long though...." The tom rasped gently, trying to not overwhelm the molly. "Ill get Twi but I aint sure what Lightnin' could do fer Fern now.... Herbs can only help if hes awake." and Fernpaw wouldnt be waking.
"Maybe.... Maybe he's talkin' ta Eldersky. The two prolly miss eachother somethin' awful, I know I miss Creekdash like a limb. Ill be back in a moment, ya stay here wit' him an' be sure let him rest while Im gone. I think everyone here knows just how exhastin' comin' back can be... Be right back."
How exhausting, how taxing, how painful coming back could would always be compared to the sweet gentle embrace of death. Bravebird knew this feeling better then Crowtooth really, for he remembered little of his own resurrection but maybe she'd reflect on it more while he was gone. On how unless you had sometime amazing to return to the pain wasnt really worth it, and that Fernpaw had an awful lot in death to finally stay at peace to be with.
Because that was the truth in the end. If Fernpaw could come back he had a long painful recovery to go through and a harsh life (including a war with a clan he'd once had loved ones in) to experience. Death was kinder for him now, if harder for Bravebird.
Making a quick pace to camp Crowtooth was wheezing hard has he marched in, face serious enough to deter any idle chat from clanmates. He beat straight to the base of the leaders den, passing Wolffang without acknowledgement as he did even as the faint scent of death from Fernpaw probably startled the other tom and quickly set to rousing Twilightstar.
He didnt try to climb into the leaders den again (this time) the tunneler gave a quiet but urgent yowl, shifting nervously as he waited for the leader to appear, ears half pinned and lowered.
When she did and joined him on the ground, the tom spoke quietly though in his usual way Crowtooths quiet was not that quiet, leaving Wolffang able to overhear. "Me an Bravebird were goin' on a trot ta the falls ta see how the mink left the place an' we...... Well Im so sorry Twilightstar but we found Fernpaw. From what I can tell the kid was put through a hell o' a lot an' got caught in a scrap wit' a cur o' a fish at the border... He hauled himself ta the falls where he succumbed.
I know from what ya told me that part aint usually the end fer him but.... From what I can tell he died some time ago an' aint comin' back. Me an' Brave sat there fer awhile an' then even carried 'im ta the starry meadow an' nothin'. Bravebird, she's in denial but I just feel Fernpaw aint comin' back......
Im so sorry."
Crowtooth rasped for a moment, just silently working his jaw as he wheezed breaths in and out, unable to convey any words that'd mean anything in the face of this loss. Twilightstar had lost yet another cat and there was nothing to be done with that....
"I figured ya'd wanna see an' say goodbye or make sure," maybe help Bravebird come to terms if anyone could "so I got 'er waitin' at the meadow fer ya...."
Although Wolffang's throat wound was still fresh and more painful than it had been yesterday, he'd gone outside. He could tolerate pain - StarClan knew he'd been through much, much worse - but it was a beautiful day, and the sun's warm rays never failed to make him feel better. His large yet lean frame lay across the lush green grass and ferns, its hues of medium and dark gray tinted golden as his thick pelt soaked up the light. Unfortunately, he couldn't breathe in the aromas of fresh, growing plants; the heady scents of unfamiliar herbs and dried blood blocked that all out. He couldn't tip his head back, either. To prevent the poultice from tearing, he'd put his broad head on the ground and kept it close to his body.
He hated the feeling of pressure on his throat. It felt like teeth were closing in, sinking deep and cutting off air. Breathing was an effort that made his pain flare up every time he did it. It didn't help that he only smelled herbs and blood. And phantom traces of mink and ShadowClan. This could've been a lot worse if it weren't for Dawnstar. Wolffang's teeth gritted, but the motion sent another throb of pain through his throat, so he quickly let them go.
He felt vulnerable. Barely able to breathe, weak from blood loss, Dawnstar's rescue hanging over his head. A debt. It was a debt, he told himself over and over. One Dawnstar and her Clan of fox-hearts will never be able to repay, no matter how many RiverClan cats they kill. Revenge was needed for Fallownose, desperately-
Heavy pawsteps briefly brought Wolffang to attention. Crowtooth was coming into the camp. Wolffang suddenly wondered if this was what Crowtooth felt like. Did he have constant pressure on his throat, struggling to breathe? He wasn't sure, but if so, that only increased his respect for the bulky black-and-white tunneler.
As Crowtooth grew closer, though, Wolffang could tell that something was wrong. His mismatched gaze was grim. Scents clung to his pelt - Bravebird and RiverClan and blood, though Crowtooth wasn't injured. Wolffang's pelt spiked. Something was very, very wrong.
And there was another scent, too, he realized as Crowtooth passed him and slipped into Twilightstar's den. One that was very familiar... Wolffang sniffed, careful not to disturb his bitten throat.
His heart nearly stopped.
No, that can't be right. He must be imagining things. There were ferns all over the clearing. They were bound to bring up memories of-
Crowtooth was coming outside with Twilightstar now. The tunneler was quiet, but his words carried, and...
Well, Wolffang wasn't an eavesdropper. He kept to his own business. But this might concern his Clan's safety. It might have to do with RiverClan. And he swore he could smell his scent - but no, it couldn't be him. He must be mistaking it for another Clanmate. Perhaps a missing one because there was no trace of WindClan detectable, and there was also a faint reek of death, and it just couldn't be because that didn't make any sense. Wolffang mentally shook it off. He wouldn't dare to actually move his head. Not with the mink bite.
Crowtooth and Bravebird had gone to the Falls. Twilight Falls. The one Fallownose had jumped into. A pang of loss struck the former deputy. Poor Fallownose. RiverClan was going to-
We found Fernpaw.
Every muscle in Wolffang's body tensed. His musculature bulged to the point of snapping. Any pain in his throat faded to a distant haze. The blood roared in his ear.
No, he was hearing things, wasn't he? Because he thought he'd picked up Fernpaw's scent? But he hadn't-
From what I can tell, the kid was put through a hell o' a lot an' got caught in a scrap wit' a cur o' fish at the border... He hauled himself ta the falls where he succumbed.
No no no no no.
The world was frozen. It had to be. No one was moving. Twilightstar and Crowtooth... they were turning blurry, despite Wolffang's eyes being stretched so wide that they looked like they were about to bulge out of his head.
His ear began to ring. Yet he still heard more of Crowtooth's words, in snatches.
...usually ain't the end fer him... ...ain't comin' back... ...Bravebird... ...sorry...
Falling. Wolffang was falling, even though he was lying on solid ground. The world tilted. He... he couldn't make sense of what Crowtooth was saying. Fernpaw. Sweet, innocent Fernpaw, mature Fernpaw, pained Fernpaw. The apprentice who kept dying and coming back to life, the young tom who had given him an egg, the cat he'd comforted when Owltalon died, the one who'd told Wolffang not to lie to him, the tom who had been skinned alive, the tom who had desperately pressed grass to Wolffang's wounds as he'd bled out, the cat who'd been Bravebird's apprentice, the apprentice who'd gone missing, the apprentice whose family Wolffang had stood up for...
Blood. Death. Gone through hell.
"...no..." The word was barely a croak. A reflex. An impulse. Wolffang's throat gave a powerful warning throb, the pain kicking back in in full force, but he ignored it.
Fernpaw. Dead.
The surrealism of the moment evaporated. Wolffang snapped back to reality.
That apprentice who had been so special to him, who had disappeared, whose reappearance he'd longed for... was gone.
He kept coming back, but how long would that continue on for? He'd suffered again. And now Crowtooth... Crowtooth seemed to think he was gone for good.
Poor, sweet, innocent Fernpaw.
Those fish. That's what Crowtooth had said.
Fish. Swimming with Fallownose. Fallownose. Death.
RiverClan.
Wolffang staggered to his paws. His throat wound began to throb more, tossing dark spots in front of his eyes, but he hardly gave a rabbit's tail. He bounded over to Twilightstar and Crowtooth. His head reeled, both from this news and the blood loss he'd dealt with yesterday. His gait was tipsy, his huge paws clumsy, but his gaze burned with amber fire.
"What?" he rasped. The word was meant to be intense, but the pressure in his throat increased, almost choking him. The wound shrieked in protest, its throbbing getting worse, and he could feel the poultice start to rip, but he didn't care. He. Didn't. Care.
His head whipped from side to side, from Twilightstar to Crowtooth. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, what he was going to do. All he felt was horror, grief, rage, all conglomerated in one mixture that he couldn't take apart. His breathing was heavy, ragged, pained.
He turned his gaze on Crowtooth. "RiverClan... Fernpaw..."
Fernpaw.
Small frame, brown tabby fur, glistening green eyes. Sweet, innocent, mature.
Dead.
Tortured.
Murdered.
Without warning, Wolffang collapsed, his long claws sinking into the grass and ripping it up. His jaws parted in a howl that came out weak and strained. The pain in his throat was blinding, the poultice was ripping, but more agonizing was the thought of Fernpaw, weak and trying to find his way back home - the place he belonged - to reunite with loved ones, mentors, friends, him. Only to have it ripped away when he deserved everything good in the world.
Tears poured from Wolffang's eyes as another strained sentence escaped his lips.
"...not him..."
@Rani @Moonraven (If Twi forces him to stay back at camp due to his throat, that's okay, but I'd prefer it if Wolf got to say goodbye to Fern!)
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Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
Re: Starry Meadow
