He really wasn't what he used to be. Jaystorm found himself nose to the ground, every moment of tracking he'd learned being willed to the front of his mind. How embarassing was this? Sniffing along the ground like some sort of mongrel... the elder let out an angered chuff. Damned territory, damned senses, damned...
The freckled tom paused in his tracks as the scent of camp suddenly became so strong he was sure it burned his nose, and a grand rumble followed it. His whiskers twitched oddly, analyzing and churning the sound over in his mind. What had that been? In all of his moons, never had he heard anything like that...!
His unsure gait sped up, paws recognizing the path near camp, finally. Something unable to be ignored was the chattering, writhing mass of his clanmates, uncharacteristically gathered together. He lifted his head to scent the air, leading him to the edge of the crowd. And even with his newly-hazy vision, Jaystorm could make out the abyss that had swallowed what should have been Thunderclan camp whole.
The spindly elder stood frozen for a few moments, stunned. It had been moons since Thunderclan had planted themselves here, but it certainly didn't seem like long enough now that he saw it all destroyed. In his stillness, he quietly pondered what possessed the stars to make them vagabonds over and over again - and why nobody else seemed to do a thing about it.
Time was supposed to heal all wounds, though, and Jaystorm thought of the camp that Thunderclan had left behind in the wake of the blaze that had consumed them before. Would they be doomed to the same fate if they returned? He didn't know, but he figured having
some goal would keep the rest of his clanmates from running around like headless chickens like they do in the midst of other disasters.
"Thrush-- star," He called, clouded eyes searching for the probably-new-leader's form,
"You aren't planning to have us squat here, are you? We should be staying anywhere but here. Our old camp... do any of you know where it is? Even ashes sound a whole lot better than a giant hole."
[ @
Eaglet old man ex machina ]