Thunderbird Cavern

***Rani*** · #1 November 20th, 2024, 04:50 PM

In a densely-forested part of the territory, and near a large Twoleg Thunderpath, is Thunderbird Falls. A pair of waterfalls rush down from a short cliff-face and into a small pond that houses fish, frogs, and salamanders. Behind the falls lies a cave, concealed by hanging ivy and covered in layers of thick moss. Stalactites displaying their own layers of vegetation hang down from the ceiling, and drip water into tiny pools beneath, creating a constant sound akin to rainfall. The ground is soft and holds onto pawprints.

As one ventures further in, the rock walls grow narrower, until the only thing that's accessible is a thin tunnel made of a strange material that extends out to the surface on the other side of the Thunderpath. Bats sometimes seek shelter in the cave, and crayfish and other tiny fish can be found within the inner pools.

A far wall at the back stands as a living record of honorable past and present high ranks and hornets from the time of the caves discovery.

***Rani*** · #2 November 20th, 2024, 05:06 PM

If one spent enough time in the clans, quietly watching and taking in the eb and flow, you'd oft come to find it cyclical.

Each disaster was anew in its own way, and each time it gave and took clanmates in turn changing faces like seasons. But each one would be weathered in time, the damage healed, and there'd be peace, however brief, until the next.

It was all routine and not at all, and if Mudhound in the scant quiet intelligence they had knew anything, it was that joy must be enjoyed while it existed lest you find yourself drowning in the devastation that'd follow soon.

Enjoy life while it lasted, take the hardships as they came, mourn what was but do not wallow, move on and find new joy, repeat.

Sometimes however, this mindset felt awfully hollow and hard to follow. Like now.

Mudhound had weathered loss before, knew the hollow feeling of grief. But this felt different, felt more, felt endless in a way it'd not before and their only solace was that the cold bleak damp and dead sight of thunderclans territory in leafbare felt fitting. The world was mourning the loss, not just the cats who's lives had been left a little more barren in its wake.

They had to get out. They had to get out of this damn camp too full of memories of a happier time they need to get OUT and free their lungs of the sludge that awful sickness had brought, that horrible sickness that'd taken more then it had any right to-
They needed out. But they didnt trust themself to be alone right now, fearing the silence of a now lesser territory and now louder wailing thoughts would overwhelm them, so stood frozen in the camp entrance. Stood frozen staring out into the treeline like it was new and foreign to them again, and they were lost all over.

@BEAR.

**BEAR.** · #3 November 21st, 2024, 02:19 AM

It was a sensation he was unused to, this raw coldness inside him. An emotion so unfamiliar he was unsure how to process it, but it brought him back to that night - that night Mapleface had - when Bumba had -

he thought he'd lost her, for good. And she came back. But Redhawk would not. She had no second chance, no lives at her disposal. Bumba didn't have enough to bring her back, too - (could she even, if it worked for Violet? would she even, if she could?)

It didn't matter, in the end. Time's arrow marched forward and with it came the burial. Willow's Rise had never felt so far away.

It reminded him of those trees, so long ago. A lifetime even. They spiraled to the sky and they conquered them, the old claw marks of her sister beneath them.

Of how she was who he spoke his ambition to, and whom he would have continued to do so - but the world was cruel, and kept her away.

Of a leg, mangled to save a traitor. Of sorrow, a twisted sense of grief and worthlessness transformed into the hope of a better future. She didn't have to settle. They could fix this.

... of Death, a mistress that stalked everything and nothing. Of a sickness that burned his lungs and tainted his heart, his very being corrupted by an invisible enemy.

The movement across the makeshift camp wouldn't have normally caught his attention, head sunk toward the ground. If Wolfhive had looked skeletal before Redhawk's passing, he looked decrepit even further - what little appetite he had before lost to the void. If not for recognizing Mudhound's form, he might've ignored it altogether.

The Tripod was gawking past the entrance, seemingly lost in ...Wolfhive wasn't sure, but he took it as a sign they wanted Out.

Getting to his paws was an ordeal in of itself. In the last moon or so he'd hardly moved, wasting away under this disease - and he nearly buckled before he managed to catch his footing. His paws were shaking, his legs trembled, and he was breathing hard in between fits of cough.

But he still pushed on, unshaky steps leading him forward until he met Mudhound near the camp entrance. "Come... on..." there was no point in just standing around, and some time away from Sunkissed Creek might do them some good.

[ @Rani ]

***Rani*** · #4 November 22nd, 2024, 01:05 AM

They needed out. They couldnt guarantee they'd come back if they went. They needed out. They couldnt guarantee they'd come back if they went. They needed out. They couldnt guarantee they'd come back if they went. They needed OUT-

Wolfhive interrupting felt like a punch to the chest and suddenly Mudhound was gasping for breath, panting as if they'd ran a marathon (or perhaps had a panic attack) or'd not been breathing for almost too long. Their muscles ached, vision swam and for a long shuddering moment it was akin to being dunked in ice cold water. A feeling Mudhound had never wanted to feel again after one disastrous winter given they couldnt swim.
In sum total they hurt now, more then the ache of illness and more then the dull throb of grief.

Why had Wolfhive disturbed them? What was he doing, wanted from the tripod? Mudhound didnt know, felt lost and clueless at the moment but given he seemed to have a better idea for direction right now then them they followed without question.

It quickly turned from him leading to the much healthier tripod using their bulk to forge ahead and break through thunderclans thick undergrowth to clear his path, flank just at his shoulder to provide support as the two walked. It wasnt in a direction Mudhound thought theyd ever gone in before but.... Well perhaps that was better. If they were walking somewhere new it meant the memories couldnt ambush them.

As they did the normally chatty hornet was silent, empty of words for almost too long until the horrible oppressive weight of everything in the quarantine camp was distant enough to be away. Then?
"...... I think I hate the sunkissed creek now. Hate feels new and bad."

@BEAR.

**BEAR.** · #5 November 27th, 2024, 11:40 PM

There they went, with Mudhound quickly overtaking the world-weary Wolfhive. In another lifetime he might have been irked to have to rely on Mudhound for support, but in the moment he was grateful to have a massive doofus to lean on. This sickness had rooted within him quickly, eating him alive.. and yet somehow, despite those grim odds, he remained.

Redhawk never had the spite that generated his being. She had been warm and pure, looking for the best even in the worst places. ".. It ..isn't the ..Creek that ..took her, ..it just.. feels.. that way.. 'cause it's.. where.. she left.." A shaky breath, a weak swallow. Broken, sputtered coughs in between words. ".. ain't gonna.. get any.. easier.. no matter.. where.. you go.. you'll just.. think of.. her.. regard..less.." The pain might lessen with time, but never truly go away. Such was life, as cruel as it was.

It dawned on him, as they made their way through undergrowth and brush, that he wasn't sure.. where they were.. Maybe it was the sickness confusing him, it wasn't like he could rely on his nose presently. The woods around them seem to have grown thicker, and he could scarcely see through the foliage. Distantly, he could hear the rumble of a monster. ".. we.. near.. the.. Thunder..path?"

[ @Rani ]

***Rani*** · #6 November 28th, 2024, 11:13 PM

The bitter laugh that ripped itself from Mudhounds throat was not theirs. It was not the bubbly bright thing that often rung out in the camp. It was sharp, harsh, mean and thankfully cut off with a cough, a laugh of an altogether different hound who perhaps was a lot less pleasant to be around. A threat to all rather then a boon.

Because honestly? No kidding Wolfhive of course they'd see Redhawk everywhere and it'd haunt them, somehow somewhere the molly had become Mudhounds whole damn life only to see that clearly when she was gone.

Mudhound didnt blame the tom for these mean thoughts though, they were born of the aching too late realization that they shouldnt have wasted time being afraid Redhawk would reject a relationship and that even if they had spoken earlier there was nothing they couldve done to prevent this cruel end anyways. Regrets but the result wouldnt change anyways.

So really it didnt matter and Mudhound discarded the mean side of themselves born of this, knowing Redhawk wouldve hated it and simply said. "So Ill hate everything I see until I can cope with the grief. Makes sense, but I hate hate. Maybe its unfair to her but I wanna just skip all this until Im ok with living again." Because nothing Mudhound could do would bring her back anyways. Because she'd want Mudhound to be happy. Because cats needed them to not fall appart. Because they hated feeling like this. Because for all they wanted to be with Redhawk more then anything letting life stop for this was not even an option.

An odd way to deal with grief, and usually the tripod would hide it to not disconcert others while they tried to support them but screw it. Mudhound more then anyone had right to mourn.

The walk was silent for a time again, tears rolling down brown cheeks as they walked until a distant rumbling perked folded ears up and the tripod focused once more. "Thats... weird. We're heading in the right direction but shouldnt be close enough to hear it." The tripod had a good sense of direction for the twoleg place and things in it given how long they'd lived around it but this.... A large head cocked this way and that and they mused "Thats not car-sorry monster rumbles. Thats something else."

It was something new, something not linked to the loss of Redhawk. They were investigating, if only for a task to take their mind of things and Wolfhive was going with them.

@BEAR.

**BEAR.** · #7 December 14th, 2024, 11:23 PM

This was probably the most normal Mudhound had ever seen, at least to Wolfhive. He was used to the endless attempts of being upbeat and he wasn't sure how worried he should be about the oversized puppy's mental health.

It was hard, trying to formulate words around loss when he himself was so inexperienced. Because yeah, wouldn't it be great if one could just wave their tail and make the pain stop? Life didn't work like that, though, so when the Thunderpath distraction came he was glad, as he wasn't sure what to say. He knew enough to know that no word could fix the hole in Mudhound's heart.

"..car?" Once again, Mudhound was proving themselves an odd one with their words. He understood monster well enough, but his senses were so dulled by the sickness it was hard to have a true bearing on where they were. ".. what else.. could make.. that... sound?" Mudhound was right, of course - it didn't have the same vibration or roar, but it was unfamiliar and he didn't like it.

As they ventured through the dense forest, the unfamiliar noise began to make sense to Wolfhive - it reminded him of rainfall, torrenting against the earth. But there was no rain, and he began to wonder if this was another instance of spirits messing with the world. Until he saw it: the vegetation broke just enough to reveal a small pond, and more importantly, the twin waterfalls that fed it.

He'd seen some things, but nothing like this, and stood in quiet awe.

[ @Rani ]

***Rani*** · #8 December 15th, 2024, 01:21 AM

It was kind of funny. They'd only just stepped outside thunderclans border, a five minute walk pushing past the outsider border moving slightly closer to the twolegplace at most, and yet as they traveled the area became new and alien. It was almost like no one ventured to this part of the territory, for all the border was strong, and as they stepped into the brush outside of thunderclan land headed towards the sound things suddenly went from known home to wild.

Had no one found this place before? Had no one investigated the strange sound just outside their borders? It was a welcome distraction from grief as thoughts raced, Mudhounds head on a swivel as they looked around.

Wild felt a good descriptor as the light dusting of snow brought by the winter didnt really exist here, blocked by thicker trees and a perpetual dampness in the air. The dampness, heavy and oppressive, gathered on everything, causing little icicles to coat the trees like leaves turning their familiar forms strange and wetting the ground, causing mud to squish below their paws. And even with the leaves that did remain they werent... normal, not looking as if they belonged as vines unlike anything Mudhound knew wrapped around the trees and laced their canopies. And the steady rumbling... It only grew, blocking out all sound but it and drumming in the tripods chest as they approached. Almost like a hook in their chest attached to a line drawing them in.

It was a risk, a huge one to keep looking with only two sick cats, but neither seemed at all inclined to turn around.

What they found was both completely unexpected and not at all. Of course something like this was in a place like this.

~See first post area description~

"I...... I had no clue something like this was even here.... Its..... Its......" No words could describe this but the tripod still tried. "Awe inspiring. The sound traveled so far and is so loud because its empty inside like a cave...."

Peaking into the pond the waterfalls fed, partially frozen over but not quite yet, small fish darted around, catching wide captivated eyes. It didnt smell like anything was here, didnt look like it but maybe illness had made Wolfhive wary rather then his usual unabashed boldness. Mudhound would stop, not go in if he wanted that. But he'd need to say so, as

"I wanna go inside."

@BEAR.

**BEAR.** · #9 January 28th, 2025, 12:13 AM

BEAR. is going to leave the intrinsic details to Rani, so don't mind the lack thereof here.

"Then.. let's.. go."

The only reason Wolfhive hadn't was because he was admiring the view, but he was itching to see what was in store.

There was a gap behind the waterfalls that lead them into the cave, getting them minimally wet by the spray. He was glad.. he didn't like getting wet, even with his swimming ability. Leave that stuff to Violetma.

He did have to break once they were inside, wheezing for a semblance of air. The cave was impressive - he didn't know why the ceiling was so pointy or...

He jerked back abruptly, startled by an explosive bat. A short hiss escaped him before he broke down into coughs.

[ @Rani ]

***Rani*** · #10 January 28th, 2025, 03:41 AM

The tripod jumped as the bat came screeching out, hissing at it like that'd scare the stupid thing before it flew off and they felt kinda silly. It wasnt even a big bat or an angry one, just kinda startled from its sleeping spot with the rest of the bats on the roof. Huh.
"Stupid fake-bird thing...."

God that one bit of fright was tiring and the tripod gave a cough of their own, even as they worriedly sniffed at Wolfhive and murmured a "Sit down and rest, Ill check to make sure its safe here. Dont think we got the energy to go straight back and theres water here." worried.

It was partially true but also... Well Mudhound just couldnt cope with going back yet. They couldnt go back to that awful camp Redhawk had died in, where everyone was rotting and getting worse and hope was just draining. Nonono. There was a distraction here that allowed the tripod to ignore their horrible grief and they were going to take it just to not think about how the love of their life was gone.

So again, nope on going back, Wolfhive could supervise and rest.

Plodding around the area and sniffing the area the tripod noted that oddly enough for so sheltered and perfect an area there was no predator scent or really any indication any mammal bar the bats had been here in a long time. It was safe, flush with water and prey and really just perfect.
Then there was the hole at the back with the different rock that went further and sticking their head in the hornet noted it seemed pretty twoleg like from their experiences. It also downright stunk of the thunderpath, with the faint tinge of fresh air on the other end. And considering the thunderpath was abooooout right overhead at this point? They were pretty sure? It might just cut right under.

This was a fun thing to find and padding back over more awake and free from the weight then they'd been in awhile with something to focus on their eye caught on a large stone wall, paws digging into the thick mud below it.

"We found a treasure Woofie! Like a secret hideout~ We should mark the occasion before we go, theres a big wall back there and its screaming for some mud art! What do you think, I seriously think we're the first cats here ever."
The words and exploration had obviously wiped the tripod as they flocked hacking and kind of desperately drunk down some water from the pool. It was cool and soothing at least for their sore throat.

@BEAR.