beginning [p]

[Razor-Clawed Briga]

•° Violetfreckle °•
Rapid Recovery • Collector • Master Scout

---

Something was wrong.

For the past few days, Bumblestar had been... quiet. Reserved. Absolutely not the strong-willed, bull-headed, loud and opinionated cat she knew and loved. At first, she'd given her mate some space; everyone had their off-days, and being leader was one hell of a lot of work, Violetfreckle figured. But then one day became two, then three, then more and more. This couldn't be ignored anymore. Something was very wrong.

She crept into the leader's den, feeling wary. "Bumblestar?" she called as she walked in. Violetfreckle stopped for a moment to take in the familiar scents and truly acknowledge them, a brief moment of pause before what could be a hard talk. Bumblestar's scent, intertwined with her own. Strong. But there, just faintly, Wolfhive's. Despite moons of not being here, it still lingered. Violetfreckle missed the kid; she was honestly about to go out and find a damn cure herself. A sigh as she realized she'd just have to trust that he would be back here soon enough. And then, just barely, a little bit of a flowery scent. Maybe Violetfreckle would have to grab some snowdrops soon, depending on how this went.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Vi took just a few more steps in and fully entered the den. She went to nestle and settle beside Bumblestar, assuming the other cat would let her. "Bumblestar," she repeated, softer. Gentler. Almost a mumble. "What's wrong?"

// @dino. \\

[dino.]

Four days ago, she had buried her son.

Four days ago, she had locked herself in her den, and hadn't left since.

She should have told the Clan. They deserved to know - all of the deaths, not just Wolfhive's, or Redhawk's - but she couldn't force herself to get up and say it out loud. And having to say it, well, that would just make it all the more real.

Bumblestar was being selfish, but it was better than admitting her son was gone.

Violetfreckle's quiet voice floated over her, nearly breaking her all over again as she realized she didn't know. Oh, stars, how could she tell her? She deserved to know, possibly more than anyone else here, but damn it all, Bumblestar knew the words wouldn't make it past her throat unless she slit it open and pulled them out that way.

Her unkempt fur bristled where Violetfreckle's made contact. The open aggression wasn't fair to her mate, even if she couldn't help it. Bumblestar pulled her face away from her paws, eyes glassy, and opened her mouth to try to explain.

What came out instead was a pathetic, pitiful noise. Her shoulders shook with a fresh bout of sobs as she shoved her head against Violetfreckle's, desperately seeking out any ounce of comfort she could reach. "Th- The cure-" A crack in her words. "Wolfhive-"

[ @vellichor ]

[Razor-Clawed Briga]

•° Violetfreckle °•
Rapid Recovery • Collector • Master Scout

---

Bumblestar's fur bristling initially shocked her, and Violetfreckle's knee-jerk reaction was to react back with hostility. Whatever was wrong, there was no need to take it out on her just for trying to be there. Thankfully, though, Vi was able to swallow the instinctive growl that was trying to make itself known. Old habits die hard, she supposed. Aggression couldn't be the answer to everything, especially when Bumblestar was clearly not herself. It was her job to be there and be patient, not to react.

And then the leader fell apart, crumbling like a long-dead branch falling to the ground. And Violetfreckle felt Bumblestar lean against her as if she was the only thing keeping her from breaking. Vi leaned into the contact, taking the time to curl up around the smaller cat as she tried to speak.

The cure. The cure had arrived? Her heart raced. Surely this was a good thing. After three Starsdamned moons the suffering could finally end. Or wait, was there still no cure? Was that what she meant? Was there no cure? Wolfhive. Something had happened to the kid, and Violetfreckle's ears flattened. Was he still sick? "The– the cure?" Her voice was a hushed whisper. "Is it here? Or, is Wolfhive– is he still sick?" Did the cure not work? Did the cure not work on him? Did he need the cure badly? Was he doing badly? Oh, StarClan above she hoped not. Because if that was the case, she was going to have to march into that sick camp herself and make sure her mate's son – practically her son – was taken care of, her own health be damned.

// @dino. \\

[dino.]

Bumblestar felt her heart splinter all over again. "No, no, you're not- you're not understanding-" She couldn't do this. She couldn't say it. Where was Mudhound when she needed them? Spiderthroat? Anyone?

Her breathing hitched and shuddered. "He's- they didn't make it in time. He's not-" He's not here. Not coming back. Not even in her dreams, and oh, how she'd searched and wished and begged as much as she could bear to do so.

"He's... gone," she forced out. "He's gone. I'm sorry. He's not coming back."

[ @vellichor ]

[Razor-Clawed Briga]

•° Violetfreckle °•
Rapid Recovery • Collector • Master Scout

---

She wasn't understanding? If Wolfhive wasn't sick, if the cure had made it, if all the sick cats were being healed, what could be wrong? Her head was spinning as she tried to make heads or tails of this. What, what was Bumblestar talking about? What could be so wrong that she'd hide herself in her den for four days?

Oh.

Oh.

There was a ringing in her ears that drowned out everything. The muffled noises of the camp. Her mate's sobs. Vi's own quickening breaths. Nothing but an awful ringing as Violetfreckle's vision spin and she felt her blood run cold.

"No." It was a whisper, disbelief. He couldn't be. No no, he couldn't be. That wasn't possible. That wasn't supposed to happen.

"No." Slightly louder. A growl seeped into her voice, bubbling up like floodwater. Her claws dug into the nest.

"NO." Not quite a yell, but in the quiet of the den, it may as well have been. Her teeth were gritted, she was losing touch with reality. There was that ringing in her ears, and it started to drown out her other senses too. Her vision kept spinning, she couldn't feel the ground beneath her or Bumblestar leaning against her.

He wasn't. He couldn't be. Surely, surely, StarClan wasn't this cruel. They couldn't be. They were the ones who let Bumblestar bring her back after Mapleface... Why couldn't they do it again? No, they could. Why didn't they do it again? "No, no. Nonono. No. No." It was all she could say.

She was pulled back to reality, anchored by the sounds of sobbing. Was that her crying? Or was that Bumblestar's? It was both, she realized with a start as she choked out an ugly sob. She wanted to offer words of comfort, to tell her something, anything but that one word. She tried opening her mouth and closing it several times, and each time, nothing came out except choked cries. So she settled for holding her mate tight, wrapping herself around Bumblestar so that nothing in the forest could ever reach the two of them.

// @dino. \\