The Tree-Trunk Den (New Site Restart){CLOSED}

[monfang]

(I killed off one of my most wonderful charries to add development to her brothers, but dang it in order to redo this thread I am going to say this: She never truly died, but she was saved by STARCLAN and she brings her brothers back to their first den, and the become good like they once were!)
Maximum, Onyx, Lynx, and Salem are four cats who grew up together alone in a tree-trunk den. Before they joined the syndicate, they were the most loved by Clan-ers and loners alike. But when they joined the syndicate every bit of love was wiped away, and Onyx himself became a ruthless killer. All because Maximum had died. Or so they thought.
She survived her wounds, and merely entered a short term coma, and she woke in the den, wounds patched and healed. This is where the story begins....
( @Frosty for lynx's daughter, Moss @Spirited Darkness for Zia the former healer)
Maximum opened her green eyes. They weren't blind. Had StarClan saved her? Was Fernsong right? She shook her head and looked around. The beams of vines and wood lined her all to familiar home. The Tree Trunk Den.
ONES ABLE TO POST ARE: @Frosty @Cedar @Spirited Darkness

[doghouse]

Zia padded into the den, a mouthful of herbs in her jaws. She dropped them in surprise as she saw that the molly was awake at last. The cat had been asleep for a very long time, and Zia was a bit shocked to see her awake.
“You're awake at last!” Zia breathed, her dark tabby fur fluffed up against the cold, the reddish brown blotches standing out in the fading sunlight that no longer offered much warmth.
As leaf-bare was nearly upon them, and the air was colder.
Outside, snow fell softy, and Zia was lucky to have found the catmint and marigold, even if it was a bit frosted and shrivelled. She imagined it would work just the same, maybe a little less. But it couldn't be that much worse than fresh herbs, could it?
She tried to remember if Ardis had mentioned anything about this, but she couldn't remember. She'd also brought some moss, and she padded over, setting down the moss beside the molly.

[monfang]

Max looked up at her and smiled. "Y-Yeah... I am..." she breathed.

[doghouse]

Zia dipped her head. “Do you need water or anything?” she asked, looking down for a moment then looking back up, her eyes full of sympathy for the older cat. She missed Ardis, so she was choosing to follow in Ardis's paw steps. She grabbed the moss again, ready to dart out to find the puddle she'd been using to soak her moss.
She wondered who exactly this was, but that wasn't really important at the moment, she she didn't see why there was any need to ask.
Zia fluffed up her fur against the cold, trying to keep herself warm, as the snow was falling harder. Leaf-bare would be very soon.
She flicked her ears, listening to the cat's breathing. It sounded even enough.

[monfang]

Originally Posted by Spirited Darkness

Zia dipped her head. “Do you need water or anything?” she asked, looking down for a moment then looking back up, her eyes full of sympathy for the older cat. She missed Ardis, so she was choosing to follow in Ardis's paw steps. She grabbed the moss again, ready to dart out to find the puddle she'd been using to soak her moss.
She wondered who exactly this was, but that wasn't really important at the moment, she she didn't see why there was any need to ask.
Zia fluffed up her fur against the cold, trying to keep herself warm, as the snow was falling harder. Leaf-bare would be very soon.
She flicked her ears, listening to the cat's breathing. It sounded even enough.

Maximum nodded. "Yes please..." she replied, and tried to stand, but she was still a bit weak, and she stumbled back down. "Well this is going to take a bit..." she huffed.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Tiny Moony

Maximum nodded. "Yes please..." she replied, and tried to stand, but she was still a bit weak, and she stumbled back down. "Well this is going to take a bit..." she huffed.

“Have patience.” Zia replied, remembering how Ardis used to tell her the same thing. She turned with the moss in her jaws, heading for her water source. Likely, it was frozen, but she could try to break the ice.
As she padded on in silence with the moss in her jaws, she thought of how she used to watch the healers in the Dusk Syndicate do this.
She reached the puddle, and unsurprisingly, it was frozen. The dark gray, nearly black tabby sat down, putting both forepaws on the ice and pushing as hard as she could. The was a crack, and a thin web of cracks appeared in the ice, spreading outwards until the ice broke.
Zia pulled her paws up, but not soon enough, and they were a bit wet. She didn't really care though, and dipped her moss in the water.
Once that was done, she raced back to the tree trunk where she'd left the molly.

[monfang]

Originally Posted by Spirited Darkness

“Have patience.” Zia replied, remembering how Ardis used to tell her the same thing. She turned with the moss in her jaws, heading for her water source. Likely, it was frozen, but she could try to break the ice.
As she padded on in silence with the moss in her jaws, she thought of how she used to watch the healers in the Dusk Syndicate do this.
She reached the puddle, and unsurprisingly, it was frozen. The dark gray, nearly black tabby sat down, putting both forepaws on the ice and pushing as hard as she could. The was a crack, and a thin web of cracks appeared in the ice, spreading outwards until the ice broke.
Zia pulled her paws up, but not soon enough, and they were a bit wet. She didn't really care though, and dipped her moss in the water.
Once that was done, she raced back to the tree trunk where she'd left the molly.

Maximum looked up at Zia. "How did you find this place?" she asked, memories of cats and friends filling the dean, laying on the crossbeams of wood and vines, her brothers challenging others playfully. It was all coming back to her. She missed those days.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Tiny Moony

Maximum looked up at Zia. "How did you find this place?" she asked, memories of cats and friends filling the dean, laying on the crossbeams of wood and vines, her brothers challenging others playfully. It was all coming back to her. She missed those days.

Zia tilted her head. “I just... Did. I found you, and you were injured so a dragged you to the nearest shelter, which is this place. Why?” Zia asked, curiosity at the molly's question quite obvious in her voice.
The molly was thin and with a black and white splotched coat, and Zia still wondered what her name was.
“Also, what's your name?” Zia asked, the silvery streaks on her face standing out
against the dark of the rest of her pelt.

[monfang]

Originally Posted by Spirited Darkness

Zia tilted her head. “I just... Did. I found you, and you were injured so a dragged you to the nearest shelter, which is this place. Why?” Zia asked, curiosity at the molly's question quite obvious in her voice.
The molly was thin and with a black and white splotched coat, and Zia still wondered what her name was.
“Also, what's your name?” Zia asked, the silvery streaks on her face standing out
against the dark of the rest of her pelt.

"This was where me and my brothers were before we joined the syndicate."
Maximum stood, and wobbled a bit, but caught her balance. She walked around the large tree. She could see Fernsong on one of the crossbeams, laughing as Lynx fought Pebblepelt, a RiverClan tom. Onyx and Salem arguing who was better, clan cats sitting and talking, the commotion rang in her ears like a song...
~Story Time~
Maximum shook her head as Lynx tackled Pebble down with a laugh. She looked up at Onyx and Salem, hearing their debate.
"I am better because of my nose, pal." Onyx purred.
"Yes, but I have the speed, do I not? What good is your nose if you cant catch me?" Salem retorted.
"What good is both without strength!" Lynx called.
Maximum laughed. "What good is all three if your blind?" she purred. Each one of them had a place in their family. They had to be together because of this. Lynx was the strength, Onyx was the nose, Salem was the speed, and she was the eyes.
"Good point, Max!" Pebblepelt called and pounced on Lynx, pinning him. "Well, I finally won." he panted, jumping off.
"Yeah, thanks to those bafoons!" Lynx laughed. The three orientals smiled mischievously, and Lynx gasped. "Oh, crap!" he mewed as Onyx, Salem, and Maximum jumped on top of him. They all laughed, everyone in the den.
~~
The memory faded in her mind, and she could see Lynx by the entrance, staring out, his eyes saddened and darkened.
"No more parties... No one can come back..." he said softly.
"But, Lynx..." she started.
"No... I can't... Fernsong didn't deserve to be exiled... and she's dead, along with my daughter... No more parties, no more clan-ers...."
~End~
Max blinked away the few tears that welled in her eyes. "This is where we lived, where we enjoyed life. But that changed when we joined the Syndicate, not realizing what it would do to us." she said. She turned to Zia and smiled softly.
"The name's Maximum, but everyone calls me Max."

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Tiny Moony

"This was where me and my brothers were before we joined the syndicate."
Maximum stood, and wobbled a bit, but caught her balance. She walked around the large tree. She could see Fernsong on one of the crossbeams, laughing as Lynx fought Pebblepelt, a RiverClan tom. Onyx and Salem arguing who was better, clan cats sitting and talking, the commotion rang in her ears like a song...
~Story Time~
Maximum shook her head as Lynx tackled Pebble down with a laugh. She looked up at Onyx and Salem, hearing their debate.
"I am better because of my nose, pal." Onyx purred.
"Yes, but I have the speed, do I not? What good is your nose if you cant catch me?" Salem retorted.
"What good is both without strength!" Lynx called.
Maximum laughed. "What good is all three if your blind?" she purred. Each one of them had a place in their family. They had to be together because of this. Lynx was the strength, Onyx was the nose, Salem was the speed, and she was the eyes.
"Good point, Max!" Pebblepelt called and pounced on Lynx, pinning him. "Well, I finally won." he panted, jumping off.
"Yeah, thanks to those bafoons!" Lynx laughed. The three orientals smiled mischievously, and Lynx gasped. "Oh, crap!" he mewed as Onyx, Salem, and Maximum jumped on top of him. They all laughed, everyone in the den.
~~
The memory faded in her mind, and she could see Lynx by the entrance, staring out, his eyes saddened and darkened.
"No more parties... No one can come back..." he said softly.
"But, Lynx..." she started.
"No... I can't... Fernsong didn't deserve to be exiled... and she's dead, along with my daughter... No more parties, no more clan-ers...."
~End~
Max blinked away the few tears that welled in her eyes. "This is where we lived, where we enjoyed life. But that changed when we joined the Syndicate, not realizing what it would do to us." she said. She turned to Zia and smiled softly.
"The name's Maximum, but everyone calls me Max."

Zia dipped her head. “I'm Zia. Oh, you know of the Syndicate?” she asked, mildly surprised by Max's words. “And I'm sorry.” she added, blinking slightly. Her fur bristled slightly, but she forced it flat. She wanted to return to the Syndicate, just for a little bit, maybe for a little while, to see her siblings and parents again. It'd been many moons since she'd seen them. Her paws ached from the cold, but the dark, almost black tabby ignored it. Instead she focused on Maximum. She sat down. “My family lives in the Syndicate as well.” she replied, her green hues gleaming in the dark. The molly's tail was now wrapped over her paws, her ears perked forwards, though flicking around, listening for danger. She stood up, pushing the wet moss towards Max with one paw, and then sitting again. Normally, she would be flinching or tense, but Max seemed kind, and in her weak state, Zia knew that she wouldn't be able to hurt her off she tried.