Herondive Hollow

[Eaglet]

Thrushfur grimanced as he stood, flicking his ear with dull blue eyes.

" I will once we bury Dustclaws body, I fought the rouge out of our territory. But also because of anger, I couldn't help myself. They killed my best-friend, I simply wanted revenge for Dustclaws killer. "

He mewed, though the event happened way too suddenly. With Dustclaws disappearance moons ago only to be met with the corpse of his friend, bloodied and ravaged with scars.

" Let's bury his body quickly. I don't want any predators scenting any blood from afar. "

He crouched and joined in with Copperfires digging, raking up dirt with his claws.

[ @MaryTheCrow ]

[MaryTheCrow]

- Copperfire -
He/Him

Copperfire felt relief at Thrushfur's words. It seemed he wasn't alone with a murderous maniac, just someone who seemingly got tunnel vision in the moment. He nodded absent-mindedly. He hadn't ever lost someone close to him, but he supposes such a reaction would be normal, having seen some reactions to announcements of deaths.

Once he deemed the hole was big enough, he stepped back. "...Do you want to do the honors?" Copperfire asked. He wouldn't mind putting Dustclaw's body in the grave, but it was probably more respectful to ask if Thrushpelt wanted to do it first.

[ @Eaglet ]

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@Dirtfur @Morning! [Oof sorry this took a couple days, and it’s not great >< ]

The mottled she-cat giggled as the newcomer did, in fact, catch up to them as she was leaving camp. Cougarivy hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to feel out this new cat but already she was feeling stiff and boring. Continuing trotting bouncily through the territory, she needed without looking behind her at the newbie,“Yes yes introductions. I’m Cougarivy, welcome to Shadowclan, yadda yadda.” Outsiders we’re oftentimes more fun coming into the clan, not jaded by so much strictness and order, though other times they were haughty and boring. ”So why’re you here?” she inquired in a sing-songy voice, glancing over her shoulder.

[Morning!]

@Dirtfur @Ravensong

The ginger cat introduced themselves as Redheart and the mottled cat (who seemed to find something very funny) as Cougarivy. A ginger-furred cat as Redheart made sense, but where Cougarivy had gotten her name from was some of a mystery to Owlstorm. Neither one seemed too surprised by her, which lead her to believe rogues and outsiders joined the clan more often than she had thought from Dawnstar's words. Then again, the leader had been impressed by the gifts Owlstorm had brought, and maybe she allowed in cats even if they didn't bring with them anything impressive.

The two others knew the territory and locations better and Owlstorm calmly trotted with them, an ear twitching and eyebrow rising at Cougarivy's question. "Why not? I always knew there were groups of cats like this, but when I started to hear more of them I considered joining. All information I gathered pointed to Shadowclan being the best choice, so I took the pelt and head from a former Thunderclanner and Windclanner respectively and brought them as gifts when I came here. That seemed to be in Dawnstar's taste so here we are."

Small talk. It was a way to pass the time when walking somewhere or busy with a task, but otherwise, it wasn't an activity she'd partake just like that. Though there of course were ways to make it more useful, and maybe gather information. Her thoughts were interrupted by an odd smell drifting their way, and she could see the terrain changing somewhat - pines and spruces turning into oaks and other leafy trees. Yup, seemed like Thunderclan to her.

[Dirtfur]

Redheart padded on, switching his eyes –once looking over his shoulder at Owlstorm-- to ears –as he twisted his head back to look forward again as his ears wiggled to the new warrior’s story.

He did not need his nose to figure out that they were close to ThunderClan’s border; the pine trees gave way to oak and the heavy, humid air feeling like it floated upwards should be a clear giveaway, he thought.

The ginger barely opened his mouth, thinking that a pleasant ‘we’re here’ would be a nice wake up call, but he thought it over and quickly canceled his voice afterward. The repeated mission of other border patrols played in his head: padding over to the invisible line and marking it -the kind of directions he was doing now in the ThunderClan border patrol. He had got so used to it, his clanmates might’ve confused him with a cat who had not left ShadowClan and forgotten a bit about being a warrior when came back.

@Ravensong @Morning!

[Eaglet]

" Mm. " he hummed.

He turned towards Dustclaws body, grabbing the brown tabby by the scruff. And gently dragged him in, he got sudden flashbacks of Dustclaws pleads for wanting to survive - to be alive. He hesitated as he let go of his scruff and grunted. It seems like those words would taunt him forever, he had to watch his own friend die. It was too late, and there was no way he could bring a cat all the way back to camp on borders while dying.

He could only sigh as he went over to the corpses hind legs and pushed them in with his muzzle. Fixing any unnecessary mistakes before fully burying Dustclaw. He nodded then turned to Copperfire.

" I think you've done enough, I-I can bury his body. I would like to send my regards to his corpse and him in Starclan. If that's not too much trouble. "

He murmured, looking up to the tom with pleading eyes. They looked hurt, like swirling blue pools were about to erupt in waterfalls any minute.

[ @MaryTheCrow ]

[MaryTheCrow]

- Copperfire -
He/Him

Copperfire watched the other place the body into the grave. He was glad to be excused from the rest of this. "Do what you must, stay safe," he said with a nod and started walking back to camp. He just hoped there wouldn't be another body here the next time anyone checked. If the recentness of the rogue's scent and the meeting between said rogue and Thrushpelt that apparently happened was anything to go by, the chances of the two meeting again and not ending in bloodshed were slim. Copperfire sincerely hoped the rogue was smart enough to stay off clan territory after a murder which was clearly of an ex-clan cat, and, since the body was here, the rogue was aware of which clan Dustclaw had belonged to.

Copperfire didn't like seeing dead cats, much less seeing other cats' reactions to them. It made the tom feel... odd. Which was why he usually avoided death and had taught himself to care less, as bad as it sounds. Cats die all the time, but it's different actually seeing them. The warrior changes his course towards the forest, with no place in particular in mind.

[ @Eaglet - Copperfire has left]

[Eaglet]

Thrushfur turned to look at Copperfire leave. He silently continued to stare at the russet tabby disappear into oblivion. He whipped around to go and bury Dustclaws body. Using his hind legs to kick the dirt over his friends body. Pile after pile was his body finally buried. He patted it with his paws to make the mound flatter. He sat right near the grave, sending his condolences to Dustclaw. Bowing his head with a small smile. Sadness lingered around him. After a few minutes he raised his head and stood. Licking away any debris on his front paws. And left the burial to head back to camp.

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@Dirtfur @Morning!

The small she-cat continued her forward trot, a half-turned ear, and quickly waning interest, angled towards the new Shadowclanner as she related her story. As the voice droned out, Cougarivy rolled her eyes, Haughty and boring. This newbie reminded her of Elmshadow in her attempts at sounding proper and straight-edge, but without being Elmshadow, boring. She rubbed up against a scent marker as she turned to face the other two patrol mates. "Exciting story! Really. But I'm now bored. If some Thunderclanner wants to start something, let me know. Otherwise, find the scent markers that smell like us and refresh, simple?" She giggled and turned to continue marking intermittently down the border, her eyes switching over to the Thunderclan side. She's had a hankering to taste a Thunderclanner's blood since returning from their residency in the mouse camp. Their apprentices had put up at least a heartfelt fight but their warriors had been lackluster. Maybe by now some of their apprentices had had a chance to learn some more and be made into warriors that could actually give Cougarivy the fun fight she'd been craving when they'd first arrived.

[Pitou]

**Cougarivy**

@Dirtfur @Morning! [To avoid potential IC punishment(not sure how many posts marina is requiring), make sure to post once more but I'm going to have Cougarivy report after this post]

The forest seemed a little too quiet against the noise blaring constantly through her mind. A never-ending torrent of bloody scenes and wishes for excitement, her ears on a swivel for the slightest provocation. Cougarivy continued padding down the border, marking wherever she saw fit, until it occurred to her that she hadn't heard much from her patrolmates in a bit. She stopped and looked around. Without seeing them immediately she shrugged and dismissed them as having possibly gone another way, continuing on her way. When she was finished, confident with the border's markings, she looked around again. She'd have to remember to give those two an extra claw for either falling behind or splitting off without mentioning it. "I'm heading back to camp! Last one back is a rotten mouse!" Her yowl broke away to a giggle before turning back toward the camp and padding back smoothly, confidently.