The Dark Hunger{ShC EVENT}

[Pitou]

**Branchfire & Sunsetthorn**

The brown tom moved stiffly out of the den as some of the coughing cats were beginning to trickle in and it all made sense to him. The beginnings of apprehension were starting to plague him. The coughing, and it was spreading enough that Elmshadow felt it important enough to build a whole separate den for the ill. From the corner of his eye, as he watched the cats entering the den from a few paces away, Sunsetthorn's bright coat caught his attention. For their entire lives, Branchfire had been exclusively the first-move maker. In their kithood, he was friends with everybody, except the elusive Golden/Elm litter, least of all Sunsetthorn. She was aloof and didn't give him a second glance. During their apprenticeship, it was much the same. And then she was gone. Branchfire hadn't thought much of it but had heard the rumors of Goldenstep leaving in the night, stealing Elmshadow's kits. When Sunsetthorn returned without her family, he was interested but their was a new sort of aloofness to Sunsetthorn. She no longer had her family to engulf her attention but she still brushed him off, now more gruffly, as though he were only there to pick on her. But since her accident with the twoleg thorn that took her eye, he's found a new sort of dedication to her, one she clearly didn't reciprocate, until now... He turned his head, smiling as the she-cat approached him, her head low but her blue eyes looking up to meet his. "Good evening. Have you eaten?" The tickle struck his throat again so he cleared it immediately, though a small cough escaped.

Sunsetthorn's ears perked and her head cocked. "Are you okay? Elmshadow shouldn't have been making you exert so much energy when there's so little food to go around. For another den? Because surely he can't be bothered to share his own den with anybody."

Branchfire smiled. "I'm fine, really. And I don't mind making it. There's some sense to it, you know, if there's a lot of sick cats. Maybe it'll help it from spreading."

Sunsetthorn snorted. "You say that as though you believe he acctually cares."

The brown tom's smile faded slightly and he looked down at the golden she-cat as she sat down beside him, her longer fur brushing against his. His short pelt made the leafbares that much colder but suddenly a warmth spread through him. "I think he cares more than you realize."

Her blue eye narrowed, avoiding the tom. "You didn't grow up with him as your father."

Branchfire nodded conciliatorily as he turned back towards the dedn he'd freshly built. Another tickle hit his throat suddenly and he went to clear it but the hacking cough erupted from his throat. The force of the fit buckled his knees and he found himself half-lying on the chilled ground. Sunsetthorn was on her paws, her eye round with more emotion than she'd allowed herself since losing her mother upon her return to Shadowclan. She lowered her flank firmly into Branchfire's to give him support as the coughing fit slowly faded and the tom was left panting lightly. "I guess I must've inhaled some dust," he meowed roughly, trying to put on a smile as he looked back at Sunsetthorn pressed against him, the worry sparkling in her eye. He thought, not for the first time, the shame in her losing such a beautiful eye though maybe there only being one made it all the more special.

[Estelle]

[ @Ravensong - I do apologise for the delay! The first part of the post is kind of as a flash-back response to when she was offered the borage, I figured the two could be merged into one rather than make two separate posts. I also thought her mentioning that after she took the borage it briefly caused a small augmentation in her milk couldn't be bad ]


The last time she had come here it was to offer help. instead, she had gotten some unusual plant, borage, to eat. To help with her hunger, her weakness. She still felt terrible about it, not even Ivysnake didn't seem entirely partial to the idea before agreeing. The young queen still felt guilt concerning that. But it helped. Although only a little, it helped her enough to get through the following sunrises. But stars, she still did not feel great. She had... Fallen back into that habit. Foraging food more than eating it. Sometimes it almost made her feel sick, just looking at it, just the idea of eating. It made her hungry, but oh so uncomfortable.

And now she was back, painfully so. She had done all she could after first coming, trying to keep the kits in the nursery calm while their mothers got treated. And, quite clearly, it showed. The queen's hazy breath sounded softly even to her ears. She couldn't be certain, but seen the amount of kits leaving day by day for that very reason... Well, Nightshiver was almost certain. She just needed Elmshadow to confirm it. Somehow, just the thought of having to face the medicine cat made her feel like a failure. She tried to help how she could, and in turn caught the kits' illness too. That wasn't supposed to happen - and just when she was supposed to return to her duties too, the white lady couldn't feel more disappointed in herself.

Still a bit shaky, she allowed herself to take a single step into the herb scented den, sincerely hoping Elmshadow nor Ivysnake were terribly busy. She would hate to interrupt them, but simultaneously wasn't completely unaware of the sharing abilities this peculiar ailment had (clearly, as she had fallen victim to it too).
"El-elm..shadow..?"
She had to force back a light cough, waiting for the tom to arrive. At least she could hope it was in its early stages - assuming it in fact was that - as the queen decided to come as soon as the cough came on.
"Ah.. I- I'm... afraid... I might've" soft single cough, her throat was a teensy bit itchy when speaking "caught it... from... the kits.."
She pulled an apologetic expression, nerves burning warm under her skin about having to admit that. If only she could've been of more help than trouble. 'That' being her suspicion of the cough - with the den extension it was a clear outbreak, she didn't feel like she needed to much elaborate for that much to be clear.

Help.. Which reminded her. The borage. The young queen had noticed, for however brief it was, that seemingly the milk that was meant to stop coming, didn't... At least, not fully. She couldn't be more dry now, unable to nurse any kit again - but for that brief moment several sunrises ago, before the coughing mess, it was almost like it... Helped? She wasn't sure if Elmshadow knew - milk wasn't exactly any of her complaints as it was meant to be leaving, yet here she was. She averted her mismatched gaze by looking downwards. If anything, it couldn't hurt.
"Oh... and... That, uhm- plant... the.. Blue flower?" that's what it looked like, if she at all remembered "It... some-how, I think.. It he-helped. with... milk. I... Don't know... much. But, that.. is.. what it... felt..looked? like.."
She had to take in a deep breath, both calming and for the cool air the soothe her itchy throat. She wasn't sure if Elmshadow would be offended by her telling him this, but... Perhaps it was a risk to take.
"I... thought, perhaps.. you should... know"
She added quietly, before awaiting the medicine cat's reaction. Stars.

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

@Estelle

With cats beginning to make their way into the quarantine den, Elmshadow turned towards the still scant freshkill pile, though there was at least something there. He barely took a step when he was stopped haltingly by his name. He turned his attention to Nightshiver. His eyes narrowed just slightly as she made out her concern. His muscles relaxed into resignation as the indicative cough escaped her lips. He nodded, "It certainly sounds that way." He motioned a paw towards the new den. "Get settled in a nest. We have some freshkill now, I'll bring some over." He started to turn but was stopped again by the she-cat. The plant...blue flower... Elmshadow searched back in his mind to remember what exactly he'd given Nightshiver and why, everything the past few days simply seemed to blur together. Then it hit him, blue flower, he'd given her borage for her hunger pains, it helped her milk supply? He nodded thoughtfully, "Interesting. That's good to know. Thank you, Nightshiver."

After a gentle gesture towards the quarantine den, Elmshadow turned away from Nightshiver and moved to the freshkill pile. Grabbing what he could, he took long strides back to the quarantine den, setting up the mini pile near the entrance but another cough caught his attention and, before he had a chance to organize the pile, he looked at Branchfire a few paces away from the den, Sunsetthorn at his side. A cold dread moved through him. Sunsetthorn had only recently recovered from the incident that had cost her her eye and being around whitecough could potentially affect her more than the average young cat. He left the den entrance, walking quickly to the two. His green eyes peered down his nose, pulling the brown tom's gaze from Sunsetthorn's to meet his own. "We can't risk this cough spreading any more than it is. Grab a nest, there's some freshkill in there."

**Branchfire & Sunsetthorn**

Indignation set into Sunsetthorn as her father approached them, callously ordering Branchfire in the den where he'd just sent so many sick cats. "You don't even know if he's actually sick! You just made him build an entire den, it's not completely crazy that he may have inhaled stuff. You could be getting him sick by sending him in there!"

But a fluffed up tail laid gently over her shoulders and, when she turned to look, Branchfire's yellow eyes were watching her gently. "It's okay. He's doing what's best for the clan." He met Elmshadow's green eyes and gave a small nod. "I understand." He stifled a cough and looked back at Sunsetthorn. "I'll be more help in there anyway. It'll be fine." He turned to glance at Elmshadow, the dark medicine cat's expression remained unchanged. He couldn't totally decipher the medicine cat but he knew if there was a sick cat hanging around his family, he'd also want them separated, regardless how much he wanted to reject the idea that he could've caught whatever cough was going around.

Sunsetthorn shook her head, not taking her blue eye from Branchfire. She meowed resolutely, "Then I'm going with you. You were by my side when I lost my eye, I can help you and all the other sick cats now." Branchfire took a step away but Sunsetthorn took a step after him, until Elmshadow took a half step, signaling his intention to cut his daughter if should she try to join the sick cats. Sunsetthorn rolled her eyes, growling, "I've been around him already. If you actually want this thing to stop spreading then I should be in there too."

Branchfire felt the tensions rising, his yellow eyes looking between father and daughter, then he stepped back into Sunsetthorn. "We can visit from outside the den. I'm an otherwise healthy warrior, I'll be out in no time." He turned to look back at Elmshadow but the medicine cat gave him one last look and turned away, padding off towards his den.

Sunsetthorn watched her father walk away then her one eye switched back to Branchfire, a gentle persistence deepening in her blue eye. She opened her mouth but, at first, nothing came out. Branchfire could see the thoughts circling behind her eye, the emotions filtering through her features, the twitch of her lost eye as her other searched his face. Finally, in a hushed mew, Sunsetthorn confided, "Branchfire, you need to come back out of that den...I know I'm not yet fully accepted by the clan and...and I can't raise kits on my own..."

Branchfire was confused, silent as his mind tried to make sense of what Sunsetthorn had said. "Why would...?" A smile slowly spread across his face, his yellow eyes sparkling as he searched her face.

Sunsetthorn's face remained emotional, worried, but a new gentleness was there that Branchfire hadn't noticed before. "Tell me you'll be my mate? That you'll get healthy and help me raise our kits? Please."

Warmth spread through Branchfire but a knot stuck in his throat. He nodded then moved in, wrapping his body protectively around Sunsetthorn's, pressing his cheek into the flank that housed his kits. Until the cough interrupted the moment and he broke away from his mate. He took steps backward, facing the golden she-cat. "All the more reason you need to stay away. We can't risk our kits." He took a breath, softening his features. "But of course. You're crazy for even needing to ask. I'll be your mate and we'll make the most amazing kits this clan has ever seen. I wouldn't miss this for all of Starclan."

Sunsetthorn's features clouded with worry as Branchfire moved away from her, another coughing fit racking his body. The thrill of her kits and finally finding somebody that began to fill that hole that was left with the loss of her family was overshadowed by the foreboding feeling as Branchfire moved away from her and, with a final sparkling look back at her, disappeared into the makeshift den.

Just inside, Branchfire picked up the smallest piece of prey from the pile. Everything seemed to look different now though he'd just been in this exact den building it. There was a new sort of eerie feel to it, but nothing could bring down his mood. He'd never thought much before about kits and a family; growing up he'd simply enjoyed the company of other cats, he hadn't put thought into settling down with a mate, but with Sunsetthorn it all felt different and now, the thought of sharing a life with her, raising kits with her, it all just felt right. He settled down into an open nest near the entrance and tucked into his freshkill. It didn't taste overly fresh but he'd wanted to leave the good freshkill for the queens and kits who'd need the strength more.

[SatoruSaki]

SmallLeap
ShadowClan
She/Her

~ @Ravensong ~
(Sick Cats Can Interact Too!)

SmallLeap Dragged her Heavy body into the isolation den... she plopped down on the furthest nest and sighed... So many times she'd been isolated from everyone due to an illness... She felt as if she wasn't a useful warrior... After All, Instead of protecting the clan, She just got them sick. She buried her head into her paws and began to cry...

[Pitou]

**Elmshadow**

When the dark medicine cat returned to the quarantine den, he was relieved to see Sunsetthorn had moved away and Branchfire was inside. He carried a bundle of herbs in with him. He didn't yet have any catmint and he wasn't sure what to do to fix anything so he figured he'd start experimenting with some of the herbs he didn't know. He was experienced enough to get a generally good idea of what plants could safely be ingested and what definitely couldn't but whether the safe plants would have any beneficial effect or not, Elmshadow couldn't be sure until he tried them out.

[ @~SilverShine~ Parsley won't have any affect on Meadowleap, she'd still progress into Greencough if you still wanted her to ]
He moved first to Meadowleap, dropping the recently-collected delicate green herb in front of her with a lizard. "Try this. And eat only what you can stomach."

[ @Estelle (sorry for the double mention! Just figured I'd get all of this in at once ><) @IvySpirit Chickweed does actually treat whitecough so they can start feeling better shortly after taking it (or at least not get worse and progress into greencough) ]
He carried the viney herbs with him, dropping them in front of Nightshiver and Smallleap with a piece of prey each. Smallleap was a concern but he had no catmint so he could only hope the she-cat would end up with an herb that could help, even if only her symptoms before she began declining.

Branchfire's body looked different than it had when he'd seen him just earlier, standing outside the den. The tom had been afflicted by the severe, dry coughs indicative of whitecough but he'd been lively. Now the tom seemed sunken in and curled around himself, tucked into a nearby nest. Elmshadow stepped to the tom, putting his nose down close to sniff for signs of progressing illness. His nose was filled by a sour stench; it was faint but recognizable nonetheless. He searched around the nest, finding the remains of a small, past due rodent kill. He wrinkled his nose, the frog-brain must've eaten bad prey. He flexed his claws into the dirt. Eating sketchy freshkill could upset anybody's stomach, but a cat who was already ill... He pressed a broad paw into the brown warrior's pelt. The fever was still mild but he'd have to figure something out. He hesitated in setting down the broad round leaves beside Branchfire but he decided it couldn't hurt, he'd return with something to ease the warrior's pain if he could. For now, he grabbed a soaked moss ball and set it beside the mallow leaf. "Branchfire, I'd expect you to know better than to eat bad freshkill. Drink some water and take this." He turned as the warrior grudgingly lifted his head and lapped feebly at the water, sucked down the mallow leaf then followed it with a few more laps of water before curling back up.

[ @Wingnettle @candy hearts. @maple. @/anybody else ]
Before leaving, Elmshadow went through the den, dropping watered moss and pieces of prey for each of the sick cats in the den, splitting some of the larger piece of freshkill into halves, or even thirds, to split among the cats. Splitting would help the freshkill go further but also, more importantly to Elmshadow in that moment, a starving cat could easily overindulge which would result in an upset stomach, vomiting, or worse, none of which cats suffering from Whitecough could afford.

[ -1 parsley -2 chickweed -1 mallow ]

[*longfire*]

[ ok i think i'll still have her progress in greencough]

Meaodwleap swished her tail onto her paws then seeing elmshadow back lizard sure she'll eat that herbs hesitant obviously her eyes gazed at the herbs as if she was having a staring contest" ok" the molly said plainly as she really didn't like being in the med cat den and eating herbs but seriously no one likes that so make what you could i guess she grabbed the herb first to get it over with and as she ate it, before she ould eat the lizard she coughed again then grabbing the lizard she took a bite then left the rest in front of her sitting there one bite wouldn't fill the stomach but she wasn't very hungry nor in the mood to eat
@Ravensong

[Wingnettle]

Moonkit (she/her)
Black calico with half face ginger and amber eyes



•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

Moonkit blinked unhappily outside the temporary den, which Elmshadow had stuffed with sick and coughing cats all around her. Why isn't Pinekit visiting me? Has he forgotten about me? She clenched her jaw in frustration, trying to ignore the feeling of her chest shrinking more and more at every heartbeat.

Then, a scent reached her nostrils. Her eyes lit up as the medicine cat appeared with his mouth full of warm, delicious prey. A mouse was dangling from his jaw, and quickly she hooked it away with her claws and devoured it in a couple hungry mouthfuls. She stared blankly at her paws, the light stain of blood sinking into the soft ground. It's... already gone... Had she just eaten a whole mouse? She still felt like starving, and everyone around her was still having their meal.

She glanced accusingly at the medicine cat, who had already turned away to return to his den. "Wait! We need more!" She called back, oblivious to why this tom was letting every sick cat starving with tiny scraps of fresh kill. It's not fair! Nothing was fair. Nothing was making sense.
She was tired, alone, hungry, weak. Nobody paid any attention to her. I want to go away! The thought pierced her like a claw and her throat closed off.

[ @Ravensong ]

[Pitou]

**Branchfire**

The lighting in the den seemed to change so little as the sun set outside, plunging into darkness then the morning sun rose, filtering in small beams of light. As Branchfire moved smoothly between consciousness and disjointed dreams, he was never sure what time it was or how much time had passed since his last bout of consciousness. The pain in his stomach that he'd felt that first day in the den had subsided quickly after Elmshadow's herbs though the prey he'd given still remained mostly untouched. Branchfire was unaware of Elmshadow coming in but the moss beside him stayed hydrated no matter how much he lapped from it. Sunsetthorn...he knew Sunsetthorn was with him but he wasn't panicking at her presence so near his sickness, somewhere in his delirium he realized he must know she wasn't actually there. She was apart of his disjointed dreams, bringing him a sort of peace, a strength, a knowing that he had to make it out of this. Starclan wouldn't grant him kits, kits he never knew he wanted until Sunsetthorn told him of the ones in her belly, and then take it all away from all of them by calling him to them. No matter how many lucid thoughts of needing to get better passed his mind, he was distantly aware of rapidly getting worse, of everything around him slipping in and out of reality. it was growing more difficult to determine what was delirium dream and what was disorganized reality. He didn't have the capacity to worry or panic, his world didn't extend beyond the nest he'd been confined to for...however many days. He let his mind slip away into another lapse though, he realized somewhere in his fevered mind, he didn't know if he was slipping in or out of consciousness.

**Elmshadow**

The dark medicine cat slipped out of his den and sat down, his green eyes watching the entrance of the quarantine den. His daughter's golden pelt punctuated the neutral browns and greens of the den as she sat at her new vigil near the entrance. She didn't move except to sleep, wake up and complete her duties, then return to her post. He knew Sunsetthorn was waiting on Branchfire to come out of the den but he was concerned about how long the young she-cat would be content sitting outside the den and not venture inside, exposing herself to the dangers of illness. She hadn't spoken to him since he ordered the young tom into the quarantine den so there was no way for her to know exactly how he was doing; how long would she be content with waiting blindly?

Elmshadow rose to his paws, slipping back into his den. He grabbed a honeycomb then walked back out and straight for the quarantine den without looking at his daughter. He hadn't noticed any more coughing cats so he was hopeful that the quarantine den was doing its job and keeping the illness contained and thwarting the spread. All the same, he needed to focus on getting the sick cats out of it. It hadn't spread but none of the sick cats had gotten noticeably better either. He slipped into the dank den. Meadowleap [ @~SilverShine~ ] still hadn't eaten much. Elmshadow stopped by her nest, picking up the moss ball and dipping it in honey before refreshing the water in it and setting it back beside the warrior. If she couldn't manage to eat prey, at least the honey would give her some sustenance and encourage her to at least drink water. She'd been one of the warriors who'd gotten a somewhat experiental herb but it hadn't seemed to do anything; Meadowleap was neither better nor unreasonably worse. He wasn't ready to give up on parsley but it didn't seem to have any benefits towards whitecough but likely any sort of illness. With a light touch to Meadowleap's flank, Elmshadow meowed lowly, "You need to try to eat and drink, keep your strength up. How are you feeling?"

He moved on to Moonkit. The she-kit had been ravenous and despondent but he could understand why. He dropped another small vole beside the kit then repeated the procedure he'd done with Meadowleap's moss, dipping it first in the honeycomb then soaking it with water to give both the medicinal affects of the honey but to also encourage the kit to keep drinking water. "How are you feeling?"

When he turned to Branchfire, it was apparent that something needed to change. The tom had been another warrior with an experimental herb, mallow if he remembered correctly. When he'd returned later that day to address Branchfire's bellyache due to eating bad freshkill, he realized the bellyache was improving. While the mallow had no clear affect on the whitecough, it had seemed to ease the bellyache. Now the situation had turned, and not for the better. Branchfire's prey sat mostly untouched, Elmshadow wasn't sure the warrior had gotten more than a few bites of prey in over the past couple days and, while he was drinking plenty of water, the fever radiating off him could be felt without even touching the tom. His cough was worse but it didn't have the same luster it had when he was first placed in here. Elmshadow didn't want to put the thought into words but he couldn't dispel the certainty of Branchfire's progression into greencough. He soaked the tom's moss in honey then fresh water before slipping out of the den to hurry towards his den. He grabbed the borage from the storage then hurried back.

Elmshadow was stopped as Sunsetthorn moved into his path, meeting his eyes with her one blue eye sparkling with accusation. "What's going on?" She glanced down at the herbs in Elmshadow's mouth. "Who's that for?"

Elmshadow was silent for a moment, chewing over his thoughts. Telling her the herbs were for Branchfire could prompt her into the den but lying to her...could he do more damage to their already nonexistent relationship? "It's a den of sick cats. Of course I'm giving what herbs I can to everybody in there." He was aware that his voice, from lack of use over the past day or so and with herbs in his mouth, came out as a dismissive growl but he didn't want to linger around to fix how he may have come across. He brushed past his daughter and quickly dove into the den, dipping the borage in some of the honey then offering it out to Branchfire. "Eat this." The weak tom lifted his head, yellow eyes cloudy and unfocused as he parted his lips and took the herb tentatively from Elmshadow. He chewed it then lapped at the soaked moss before curling back up and slipping back into unconsciousness.

[ -.5 honeycomb -1 borage ]

[SatoruSaki]

SmallLeap
ShadowClan
She/Her

~ @Ravensong and @Anyone/else ~

SmallLeap woke up from a long nap... she looked a lot better than she did when she had fallen asleep... she must've eaten some strong herbs...

[*longfire*]

Meaowleaps eyes began to feel heavy in tiredness as she really didn't get much good sleep in the warriors den as she felt elmshadow touch her eyes opened the moment she heard the toms voice, before she could answer a cough escaped her again"just a bit tired and not very much hungry or thirsty" she replied softly
@Ravensong