༺ to fall or fly v2 - wc rp

[selasphorys]

𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗
(medicine cat) (27 mns) (she/her) (appr: risingpaw, lightpaw) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: open) (mentions: sykestar, mistback)

A thousand stars above, a thousand stars below. They glittered in the pools that dotted the Smoothing Stones, reflecting fragments of that wide-open sky. The morning's rain still slicked the surface, causing it to shimmer in the half-moon's light. Though the whirlpool churned around them with roaring ferocity, fed by floodwater, the Smoothing Stones were safe. Clearing the skies to show the moon, StarClan had granted them this moment of clarity after the storm. An island of peace amidst the turmoil.

Unlike the Highrock of camp, the smooth rocks here were flat. No cat reigned above the others. This was a place of reflection and discussion. As the horrors of today weighed down upon them, the other cats talked in hushed tones. Briarseed held her tongue. Words escaped her, as they always had. She could only fiddle with the bundle of herbs she had brought along. They were mostly traveling herbs for Mistback, to strengthen her lungs for the long walk. But some of it was emergency medicine, in case the inevitable happened. The fear of another disaster loomed above, a shadow they could never shake again.

Crouching beside Sykestar, Briarseed felt the touch of her leader's fur against her flank. It brought her a sense of quiet warmth, even when the damp coolness of stone seeped in from her underbelly. Her leader's dark coat was outlined in silver under the moonlight, as if for a moment she walked with the stars. Hope sparked in her heart. A twinkle of light in this night of uncertainties. She had traveled with Sykestar today, to seek advice from the ancestors. Briarseed had to have faith in their promise. It was the only way she could keep her legs steady after seeing again the jagged scar carved into the earth after the mudslide. They had to pass the devastation to reach the Smoothing Stones. That piece of verdant territory was gutted--- turned to barren valleys of hardened mud, pierced by the snapped trunks of fallen trees. A soft prayer left her lips, a whisper under the voices of the warriors:

"StarClan, light our path. Guide our paws and lead us home."

𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
(warrior) (40 mns) (she/her) (appr: goosepaw) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: open) (mentions: greydream)

Swallowsight found her gaze drawn toward her mother. She stole furtive glances across the Smoothing Stones, quickly tearing her eyes away before they made contact. Shame burned in her eartips. How could she treat her own mother this way? But she knew if she met those pale blue eyes, she would only see the hollow shell inside. Swallowsight was surprised Sykestar would even invite Greydream to this Gathering. It had to have been the old warrior's years of love and dedication for this clan.

But seeing her mother there, under that familiar moonlight, she could almost imagine those gatherings long ago. When her father was nestled in right there beside her, and her littermates jostled around the both of them as they acted out the elders' tales. Now Greydream sat alone. And Swallowsight did too. All she had left were phantom forms, fading memories. This land had taken so much from them. Was it time to say goodbye?

Pieces of a prophecy had reached Swallowsight as well, though she refused to put much thought to rumors. Still, a tiny part of her dreamed. Maybe the prophecy was about her and her brothers: "Birds take flight over bog and wall." Oh, it was silly, she knew that. All of her siblings were named after birds. What if they could all fly away from this fear, fly far, far away to some distant paradise? A new home where they could raise their families in peace, where the spirits would still walk beside them. Where even the most shattered of hearts could heal anew.

𝗣𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧
(warrior) (30 mns) (she/her) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: froststrike) (mentions: sykestar, spottedfeather)

"Congratulations to your sister," Pikecrest meowed to Froststrike, the slightest hint of a growl in her velvet purr. She meant no ill will. But of course, she had wanted the position of temporary deputy for herself. She should be the one sitting next to Sykestar, not Spottedfeather, and certainly not that mouse-hearted Briarseed. Could her sister still not see her worth after all these moons? Spottedfeather was a capable, hard-working warrior, but Pikecrest certainly wouldn't have picked her. Hopperpaw had skipped patrol just this morning. Spottedfeather couldn't handle that flea-brained apprentice of hers, let alone the fate of the clan! Pikecrest's smoky pelt bristled for a moment, before she forced it to lay flat again.

With a sideways glance at Froststrike, she muttered to her old mentor, “What's the use of clinging to this broken old stone? I say we take the leap and leave. Fight off those fox-hearted rogues and take some of their safe territory for ourselves. They're certainly fine with sneaking into ours." What FallsClan needed now was decisive action. No more waiting around, hoping a rock doesn't happen to hit them today. No matter how useless the rest of these cats were, Sykestar could lead them to a better future. Pikecrest was sure of it. Tucking her tail over her paws, she sat up straight and waited for the leader to speak.

-----

𝗥𝗬𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗣𝗘𝗥
(warrior) (26 mns) (he/him) (appr: lemmingpaw) (x)
(location: fallsclan camp) (tags: fogwhisper) (mentions: none)

Waterfall mists veiled the camp, casting all into shadow. The outlines of cats flickered and faded in the fog. Watching with haunted eyes, they whispered of prophecies under the roar of the falls. A whole clan holding its breath, waiting for the decisions made beyond.

Out of the dim gray came a rush of paws. Ryepiper bounded from cat to cat, prey clamped within his jaws. After the mudslide, Sykestar had ordered a suspension on hunting activities for the rest of the day. No cat could bring themselves to eat, but they needed to keep their energy up for whatever came next. So Ryepiper divided up the good prey among the injured and elderly, bringing a piece to each cat with the hopes of lifting their spirits. He was left with the sodden scraps. But he didn't mind. Prey was prey, and it was tastier shared than eaten alone.

The young warrior padded up to Fogwhisper, his hazel eyes softening at the sight of her. "Do you wanna share this mouse?" Ryepiper asked, dropping the prey beside his friend. He nudged her shoulder gently with his nose. "How are you holding up?" Each day had been heavier than the last, with tragedy after tragedy striking the clan. Now they had to wait while the cats at the Gathering decided their fate.

It felt odd, staying in camp under the misty half-moon. Gatherings used to be for every cat, a day of peace and laughter and stories. Back then, the trip to the Smoothing Stones was a chance to hear elders' tales and dream of the stars. He would sit side-by-side with Fogpaw, transfixed by the legends of their ancestors. Ryepiper wasn't sure what he would do or say at a tense Gathering like today's. Whatever they ended up deciding, home was where his friends were. He would follow wherever they go.

𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗔𝗪
(apprentice) (9 mns) (he/him) (mentor: spottedfeather) (x)
(location: elder's den / makeshift treatment area) (tags: gullsplash) (mentions: lightpaw, sykestar)

Hopperpaw couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned in his nest, wrinkling his nose at the musty odor of the Elders' Den. Smells like old Grumblepout. The cave had been turned into a makeshift treatment area as the mudslide survivors filled the medicine den. After his run-in with the rogue, Hopperpaw had been shoved in here to recover. Poultices covered each of the small wounds on his chest and belly. And. They. Itched. Lightpaw had told him not to scratch at them, but Hopperpaw wasn't sure how long he could hold out.

In truth, there was another reason Hopperpaw couldn't sleep. Though he couldn't put it into words himself, it had one simple explanation: guilt. He was the one who had persuaded Gullsplash to sneak out into rogue territory. He got them both into this whole mess. And worst of all, because of him, Gullsplash hadn't been there for his patrol and his apprentice when the mud came crashing down. Then the warrior lied about where they fought the rogue so they could get a lesser punishment for what they did. He said that the rogue had invaded FallsClan territory, when in truth the two of them had gone into rogue lands. How far would his clanmates go to seek revenge? Would the hurt apprentices be okay? Why did he feel so bad?

Unable to take it anymore, Hopperpaw scratched at an itch on his flank. "Ow ow owww..." he groaned. He probably reopened something. Giving up on sleep, the apprentice opened his eyes. "Gullsplash... you awake?" he mumbled. His friend had been hurt more badly in the fight, so he needed the rest. Still, Hopperpaw had to get this off his chest. "We shouldn't have lied about the rogue. We shouldn't have skipped patrol. A-are you gonna tell Sykestar the truth?"

𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗧
(elder) (121 mns) (he/him) (x)
(location: outside medicine den) (tags: open) (mentions: mistback, dapplepaw)

Rumblespout crouched outside the medicine den, one eye watching inside, one eye watching the camp entrance. He would guard this camp until his last breath. His precious granddaughter was resting in the medicine den after her near-suffocation under the crushing mud. He could understand lax Mistback getting caught up in some horrible accident, but vigilant Dapplepaw too? His whole world was turned upside down. Watching them both get carried into camp, one after another, the once-mighty warrior never felt so small. Rumblespout was devastated. He should have taught them better. They should have been able to handle this. They were FallsClan cats, through and through. As what-ifs ran through his graying head, he could only beg StarClan that they would be alright.

His wishes were answered when Mistback awoke, the warrior even insisting on attending the Gathering despite her weakened lungs. Dapplepaw was confined to the medicine den on Briarseed's orders for at least the night. Rumblespout took it upon himself to watch over her as the medicine cats left for the Gathering.

Faced with such horrors, even the most stalwart of cats would be forced into reflection. Rumblespout had to ruminate on whether this territory was still as sacred and safe as it had once been. Could he still trust his family to grow old on this crumbling land? He had to. What did he have left? Even as lingering doubts remained, he refused to believe his stubbornness would doom them all. FallsClan would recover like it always did. The prophecy proved it. His very attentive ears had caught a bit of it as he guarded the camp: "Falls will flow and know no bounds." That was all he needed to hear. Clearly, this was a sign from the stars that FallsClan will prevail despite these tragedies. The clan will triumph over even this, flowing ever onward and growing ever stronger. Satisfied with his interpretation, Rumblespout returned to his sworn duty of ensuring his clan's safety.

[fawn,]

𝐅𝐎𝐆𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑
( 30 moons ◦ she/her ◦ warrior ◦ apprentice; snakepaw )
( mentions: lightpaw, rumblespout, hopperpaw, gullsplash ◦ tagged: ryepiper )
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The quiet was making Fogwhisper uneasy. It was an unnatural feeling, she usually loved the quiet, but after all that the clan had faced recently she found herself missing the every-day jovial buzz of her clanmates. The mist descending around them only added to the thick tension in the air.

Fogwhisper shivered, her mottled pelt fluffing slightly to warm her against the elements as she tucked her paws closer to her chest. Her light green eyes were steadily scanning the camp, making sure that everyone she could see was safe and accounted for. The past moon had been awful, they had faced so much in such a short span and the effect on morale was evident among those left in the camp. She was particularly worried about her younger brother, Lightpaw, the cheery tom had been working harder than ever at being the best medicine cat he could be, but Fogwhisper was sure she'd seen his demeanour slip once he thought no one was paying attention.

Movement flickering in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she looked toward the medicine den curiously. The young molly could barely make out the light grey form of Rumblespout as the elder resolutely took up his post at the mouth of the medicine den. His solid presence offered a glimmer of comfort to the she-cat, since she was a kit Rumblespout had been a warrior of the clan and had spent his days protecting them so to see him resuming business as usual warmed her heart. It was nice to see that despite their challenges, some things wouldn't change. The medicine den needed protecting now more than ever as more cats had been shepherded in there to recover from the recent tragedies. As if the natural disasters that had occurred weren't enough, Hopperpaw and Gullsplash had been caught in a fight with a rogue who had trespassed onto Fallsclan territory, it was like danger was pressing in on all sides, another shiver chased down her spine and she repositioned herself with a distracted frown, wrapping her tail tight around her paws.

Just as she was spiralling into a further reverie, a splash of white and tabby brown came bounding into view from the mist. Fogwhisper couldn't help the purr that rumbled in her chest at the sight of Ryepiper. The two of them had been close friends since kithood and Fogwhisper held the tom very dear to her heart. He was one of her first friends and she had long held a crush on him, though she had never felt bold enough to make a move. Her soft green eyes tracked him as he weaved from cat to cat with prey held gently in his jaws, his presence among them like a soft sunbeam clearing away some of the oppressive mist. Once he'd dutifully attended to the clan, he came trotting towards her with a mouse.

She blinked affectionately at him as he greeted her and purred when his nose nudged her. She nodded and shifted to accommodate a space by her side, "Sure, thanks Ryepiper." she took a moment to consider his question, she could always speak freely with her friend so she wasn't hesitant to share. "I don't know honestly, everything just feels so... wrong. I can't shake an uneasy feeling, even Lightpaw seems off." She spoke softly, her ears flattened slightly, and she leant against him lightly, her pelt brushing his. She ruffled her coat and pressed closer to him gently, doing her best to pull herself from negativity. "How about you? I don't think I've seen you stop since everyone left for the gathering" she flicked his shoulder with her tail playfully and met his eyes with a smile. If he could keep going and keep positive, then she would try too.

[necrobinical]

- - -| Mistback |- - -
She/her ⛲ 43 Moons 💙 Smoothing Stones/Gathering ☄️ Tagged; Briarseed, open

The hope was, as far as Mistback was concerned, that she'd say her piece at the Gathering then lay down. That should be easy, really! How many times over her moons had Mistback pranced into that Gathering with all the energy in Starclan, ready to chat and gossip and talk talk talk. Where was that energy now? It hurt to breathe, now, and not just because of the bloody water inhalation. The panic. The regret. The hatred. Why save a thing like Mistback? Why save a--

"Huh?" Came her croaking voice, her usually perky ears falling almost limply towards Briarseed. "What was that?" Ah, it really hurt to talk, too... Mistback might have swallowed a stone when she and Milktuft went under. That's what it feels like anyway, though maybe the pain is just from how much water thundered into her mouth... Eugh. Her steps are unsteady and her body wavers a bit as she coughs, but just like Mistback had always been, she powers through for someone else.

"It'll be fine, Briars." She continues, trying her darndest to not let the cold in her belly chill her words. "No need fer mumblin'."

- - -| Dapplepaw |- - -
She/her 🍂 10 Moons 💛 Fallsclan Medicine Cat Den 🪐 Tagged; Rumblespout, open

She. Was. Fine.

All this hullabaloo-- she was fine! Her stupid mother should be in here instead of her, but she insisted she go. What has the world come to where Dapplepaw is stuck in the medicine den like--like--like a failure??? Like some other cat who isn't as cool and impressive as DAPPLEPAW? Dapplepaw is far too good at everything to have even been caught by a mudslide-- she should have heard it coming, maybe she even did and just ignored it or-- maybe it was her mentor's fault, or everyone else there--

Dapplepaw writhes in the nest given to her in the medicine cat den. She can't stand this. She can't. After a bit she pushes herself to her paws regardless of the slight ache. It doesn't matter, she's fine. She inches towards the mouth of the den, and does her darndest to slip out without her grandfather Rumblespout spotting her.

- - -| Risingpaw |- - -
They/it 🏵️ 17 Moons 🧡 Smoothing Stones/Gathering 🌠 Tagged; Open

Quiet contemplation found Risingpaw in lieu of mumbling or chatter. As the small herd of cats move along the breadth of Fallsclan territory, all Risingpaw can do is think. Think, gather, and plan.

This was all foxdung. Everyone, especially Briarseed, were acting mousebrained. More than usual, even. Far more than usual. Praying for Starclan to make things better when it was so obvious that Starclan didn't care. Or, if they didn't care, they wanted this. The part of the prophecy Risingpaw had heard swirled in their head-- --when storm strikes and splits the mount, falls will flow and know no bounds. Wasn't it obvious? There would be an even greater storm, and the falls themselves would wipe away everything the clan cats had fought for. If they stayed...

Risingpaw sits on a nice, smooth stone, head tilted upwards at the vastness of the night sky. The moon dared show itself and its small company of stars, and all the sight did was make the young cat's blood boil. Give them this peace so everyone can make fools of themselves, hoping that Starclan will fix everything. Cats are dying. The only hope is within the living. The dead can go away.

[rybka]

🟊 ɢʀᴇʏᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ
location smoothing stones ; mood disoriented, regretful
mentions swallowsight, gullsplash, sykestar + starclan ; tags open

She’d honestly thought her world had already broken apart, that rock bottom had come and gone, and things wouldn’t get any worse. But with everything that happened in the past few days… she didn’t know how to process it. So many tragedies in such a short time, it simply didn’t seem like the kind of thing that could happen more than once in a lifetime. Unfortunately, as it turns out, even though her sun had set, she still had to figure out how to cope through the night somehow.

In the preceding moons, days had seemed to drag on: a neverending series of mindless tasks to complete in between awkward silences with clanmates. All the while, she mentally sent a myriad of silent prayers to starclan, for someone there, somehow, to send her a sign, to remind her how to live.

The sign didn’t come in the form of a gentle, vague reassurance, but in the corpses of Fogfern, Coyoteleap, Milktuft, and Cinnamonthorn.

It all hurt. Fogfern had been there to help her through those hardest days, back when Gullsplash had just been born. Greydream didn't even remember whether she’d ever thanked her for all the trouble. The sweet medicine cat was gone now, as was Coyoteleap. Two steady constants in her life, gone in a heartbeat. It was cruel how unexpected it was. And then… Milktuft. Greydream hadn’t spoken much with Milktuft, but they didn't need words to share a solemn understanding. After all, their lives seemed to have gone down a similar sorry trajectory. The pale molly had been one of the only cats Greydream wasn’t afraid of making eye contact with. She’d thought Milktuft was so much like her, which was a vaguely comforting thought… until she, too was suddenly gone. It was deeply unsettling, to hear of the death of somebody she could relate to. Cinnamonthorn’s death just furthered the panic and urgency: nobody was safe. Bad things would keep happening. StarClan was unhappy. FallsClan had to fix things.

In a moment of desperation, Greydream had shakily asked Sykestar for permission to partake in the gathering. She didn’t know yet what she planned to accomplish there; she just felt she had to try, for once. She hadn’t expected Sykestar to agree to it, but… here she was.

The peace and familiarity of the stones themselves was reassuring, but the journey to them had been anything but. Greydream’s heart ached to see the territory cut up like that, as if it was a gravely wounded friend. She didn't register how many of the murmurs from her clanmates were about leaving this place ─ that would be ridiculous, after all. Leaving wasn’t something Greydream would ever want to do: to abandon this place would be like abandoning family, and ─

And abandoning her family was the worst thing she’d ever done.

Even now, she wasn’t there with Gullsplash as he recovered from his injuries. She didn’t suppose her presence would have been particularly wanted or useful, but still, it was just another anecdote to add to the long list of times she’d failed her children. As she chose her spot on the smoothing stones, her gaze guiltily found its way to Swallowsight, who, of course, refused to meet it. Greydream heaved a sigh. It was only fair that her daughter, formidable warrior she now was, should want nothing to do with her anymore, but it still hurt. Greydream missed her. She wanted to talk to her, but at this point, how? About what? Greydream hadn’t been there for her when it mattered ─ what right did she have to expect Swallowsight to be there for her?

She sat awkwardly on her own, feeling a pit in her stomach as she realised she felt out of place. Here, on the smoothing stones, among her own clanmates, in the territory she’s lovingly called home since forever, she felt she didn’t belong.



🟊 ʙᴜɴɴʏʜᴏᴘ
location fallsclan camp ; mood stressed, awkward
mentions risingpaw, mistback ; tags open

The air was heavy with all kinds of things: fear, anticipation, uncertainty... and fog, as always. It felt very stifling. Bunnyhop wished he could be at the smoothing stones right now. He didn’t have any strong opinions to voice (not that he thought the perspective of an inexperienced, consistently mediocre warrior like him would have much merit), but he just really wanted to know what was going on, y’know? Maybe Risingpaw was out there living up to its name and rising to the occasion with some proposed solution to the Clan’s predicament, as it always seemed to be striving to do. Well, Bunny would ask it later, probably.

For now he was stuck in camp, pensively staring down the sad looking shrew that would be his dinner for the day. He felt too nervous to be hungry. A lot had happened, and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to act. He hadn’t held a strong connection to any of the recently departed clanmates ─ the closest thing would have been his desire to impress the former deputy, but that was something every cat probably felt ─ so the tragedy just left him feeling uncomfortable, disconnected from the grieving proportion of the Clan. Cats sometimes came to him when they wanted to complain about their daily struggles and annoyances, but this situation was out of his league. At times like this, a reassuring smile and stupid joke wouldn’t be appropriate, and those were all he had. The act of having a sincere, emotional conversation was an art Bunnyhop had not mastered.

He worried about Mistback, though. She’d been there with Milktuft when she’d died, right? Bunny hadn’t gotten the chance to ask; practically the moment Mistback was capable of getting up on her feet again, off she went to the gathering. Crazy cat. He hoped she’d be okay.

With a sigh, Bunnyhop abandoned his shrew for the time being, resolving to make himself at least a tiny bit useful by reinforcing the walls of the warrior’s den. It wasn’t an urgent task, as other clanmates had already dealt with the bulk of the damage the storm had inflicted, but it was something. From here, he could casually listen in on others’ conversations, and maybe get some wisdom (gossip) out of it, who knows.

[TheClockmaker]

Gullsplash
Warrior | 25 M | Male | Tags: Hopperpaw | Mentions: none

While he was still sleeping off the poppy seeds Lightpaw gave him, hours after the sun had set, Gullsplash heard Hopperpaw get up and ask him something. He heard faint words about how they shouldn't have ran away from their patrol, about how they should have told Sykestar the truth. However, Gullsplash was so sleepy that to him, Hopperpaw sounded like a disembodied voice in the middle of nothing. While he was awake enough to think about what the apprentice said, he was not awake enough to lift his paw. Gullsplash knew it would probably be better to tell the truth. But not wanting to get punished for entering rogue territory, he then convinced himself that it was okay. If Hopperpaw never snitches, they won't get punished and nothing externally bad will happen to them. Reassuring himself in this manner, he fell asleep again.

Snakepaw
App | 7 M | Female | Tags: open| Mentions: none

Back when Snakepaw was still cleaning the elder's den, she suddenly saw the rescue patrol arrive. They were carrying several muddied and, at first glance, seemingly dead apprentices from the recent mudslide. From a distance, the cats looked like mud monsters rising from a muddy grave. Mud monsters aren't real, she told herself with trembling paws. Snakepaw focused on cleaning up camp until the sun set. Just to be safe, she hid in the apprentice den until she somehow slept.

Snakepaw woke up in a dream, thinking that it was time for morning patrol. Before she even left camp, she heard a loud rumble, and a huge mudslide came down on the clan. It was like the earth had folded over itself and buried half the camp. "It's happening again!" she yelled out loud. Then came large mud monsters, possibly a score in number to overrun and ruthlessly kill all the survivors except for Snakepaw for some reason. They dragged the cats back to the mud, presumably to eat them all.

In the real world, Snakepaw was visibly tossing and turning in the den, while her screams of "It's happening again!" probably woke someone up.

Gorgefang
Warrior | 48 M | Male | Tags: Pikecrest | Mentions: Gullsplash, Hopperpaw, Firefly

Gorgefang was at the gathering when Pikecrest suggested that Fallsclan should invade the rogues. Gorgefang, as a former rogue, was unhappy with the proposition. He had worked with them once, so he knew just how ruthless they could be. Fallsclan couldn't provoke them further. Gorgefang had been terrified since Gullsplash and Hopperpaw were attacked on the territory. Even Fallsclan's forests weren't safe anymore. In fact, they might have targeted Gullsplash because he has a close relationship with Gorgefang. Because they had betrayed the rogues, if he and Firefly get captured, the rogues might kill them or worse. What if this was a sign that he was next? Gorgefang had to ask Pikecrest, "Are we sure we have the adequate strength to fight against the rogues? I don't think we should provoke them. They're dangerous." He hoped that any answer would be reassuring.

[KasperKat]

Burntleaf | he/him | 24 moons | queen

Burntleaf swept Ashenkit closer to himself with his tail, giving a lick to the top of the kit's head. Maplestream was quiet in the back of the nursery, and Burntleaf could understand why. So much grief in the past moon...even for those that hadn't lost close friends or family members, the sheer number of cats that had died was overwhelming. The number of Clanmates who would never patrol, or pop into the nursery with a friendly purr, or play with his kits...Burntleaf could hardly process what it would have been like to lose a sibling or parent to the mudslides, floods, and rockslides.

The whole situation that the Clan had been facing made Burntleaf want to prevent his kits from ever leaving the nursery. He wanted to keep them nestled beside him, where he could keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe. He knew he would kill even his own Clanmates for his kits. This was his blood, the only relatives he had in the Clan, and they meant more to him than any other cat.

Ashenkit squeaked indignantly from Burntleaf's paws, and the little kit wriggled away to go play mossball with his littermates in the corner of the den, his stubby kitten's tail stabbing into the air like an exclamation point. Burntleaf couldn't help the wrinkle of anxiety that creased his brow to even have them that far away. How was he going to survive their apprenticeship? He had promised himself that he would never be overbearing or completely ignore his kits, but it was so difficult balancing between supporting them and hovering over them, even at their young age.

To be honest, Burntleaf was grateful he wasn't going to the gathering tonight. He didn't want to go out there, among the cloud of shock and grief that had descended over the Clan. Maybe that was selfish. But he had his kits to look out for now, and he couldn't let himself be consumed by sadness for the Classmates they had lost. Looking at Graydream and her kits, it was easy to see how well that went for her...he wasn't going to let his kits feel betrayed like that.

Burntleaf paced to the entrance of the nursery and carefully pushed his head through the brambles, peering out at the clearing to see if anyone was about.

[ColonelHamster]

ＦＲＯＳＴＳＴＲＩＫＥ
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➼ age: 41 moons ➼ gender: male ➼ rank: warrior ➼ tags: Pikecrest, Gorgefang

Froststrike strode past his clan mates, giving Swallowsight a gentle nudge as he passed the pretty eyed molly. He tilted his head back at her, flashing a toothy grin before continuing on. "Oops." He had caught the dark look the molly had flashed towards Greydream. Not that he could blame her. Greydream had been through a lot. She had lost two kits, and her mate, but she had left Swollowsight and Gullsplash feeling the loss of both parents rather than just the one that had joined StarClan. Froststrike wasn't very close with Swallowsight these days, but back when they were younger he had been good friends with her, and with her brother Grebecrest. Froststrike also used to have a huge crush on her... but that was before Grebecrest had died. Frostsrike had kept his distance ever since. He watched from afar, unable to look Greydream or Swallowsight in the eye for many moons after that fateful swim in the Foggy Scree. Even now, the tom found it hard to turn his gaze to meet Greydream's with a faint smile. Old guilt soon sprung up as he met her eyes and he quickly turned away from the aging molly.

Froststrike kept his gaze downward as he found a spot among his clanmates. Sitting down, Froststrike curled his tail neatly over his paws, listening to the quiet chatter before the meeting started, his eyes nearly closed. Word of the prophecy had spared, Frostsrikde wasn't much for joining in on the gossip, but he did listen. It was something or another about rising roots, rolling rocks and storms striking the falls? so much for a warning. That was already happening. Was it supposed to get worse then it already was? He shivered at the thought.

His eyes blinked open when the soft growl tinted purr of Pikecrest met his ears. A warm smile spread on his face at his old apprentice, now a fully grown warrior. He heard the slight bite in her tone, but that would be expected. Ever since he'd known Pikecrest, the young molly had wanted nothing more than to be at her sister's side as deputy. Frostsrike couldn't help but be proud of Spottedfeather though. Spottedfeather, his sister had been chosen as a temporary deputy. Skyestar had done well in choosing. Spottedfeather had a good head on her shoulders, and a good attitude that could brighten everyone around her. Froststrike glanced over at Spottedfeather as she sat next to Skyestar, not hiding the swell of pride that filled his eyes. Froststrike purred softly as he flicked Pikecrest with his tail. "Thank you, I'll pass the word on." Froststrike watched Pikecrest for a moment. "I think Skyestar made a good choice... and not just because Spottedfeather is my sister." Froststrike paused, seeing Pikecrest's fur bristle briefly before it once again lay flat. Froststrike's tail brushed along Pikecrest's flank. "After everything that's happened today alone, the clan needs someone like Spottedfeather to look up to during these times while Rabbitsong is recovering. She'll be good for clan morale. Plus, just think, we can let our dear sisters take charge of clan matters while we focus on laying waste to any of those flea bitten rogues that are mousebrained enough to try and step paw on our territory again while the two of us are still around." Froststrike's voice had a playful hint in it near the end as he spoke, giving the young molly a friendly nudge.

He doubted his words would last longer than a few seconds with his old apprentice, if she paid heed to them at all, but as always he tried to give a few words for her to think on. A chance for her to think from a different perspective. After all, if she was going to be deputy or leader one day like she hoped, she'd need to learn to look at things from different angles when she needed to make difficult decisions

Froststrike's ear twitched towards Pikecrest as she spoke of Fighting the rogues for their territory. It was an idea he himself wouldn't mind. Something needed to happen. Truth be told though, Froststrike didn't want to leave the only place he had called home. There was so much history here... memories of loved ones now gone.... his only connection to his ancestors that once walked these same worn paths before him. He knew the strength of his clan was great, but starting a war to expand territory into rogue lands would surely come at the cost of many lives. Did they have the numbers to fight off rogues for moons on end? Would they have to go past rogue territory? Go further away from these once beloved falls to find peace?

Froststriek caught the movement of the long haired tabby Gorefang as the other tom padded up to them. Froststrike dipped his head to the warrior in greeting. The question made his fur ruffle. There were valid concerns about a full on battle with the rogues, but Gorgefang's question seemed to cast so much doubt on the endurance and strength of FallsClan that Froststrike always prided himself on. "They provoked us today when they attacked Gullsplash and Hopperpaw." there was a hiss in his response. The hiss wasn't detracted at Gorgefang, but at the thought of the rogues having attacked two of his clanmates on FallsClan territory. It made his blood turn hot. The rogues had grown bolder. He remembered the stories of old the elders had told him, of when the rogues knew to fear FallsClan. "And they're not the only ones that are dangerous." Froststrike claws extended, scraping on the smooth stone under him. "Gorgefang, you've been a FallsClan warrior for a long time now. Surely you have more trust in the strength and bonds of your clan than that of those that would turn on each other for a scrap of crow food." Froststrike couldn't hide the edge that crept into his voice. He wasn't trying to be accusatory, but why were so many acting like frightened kittens? Times were scary, yes, but they were FallsClan for StarClan's sake. Just because things were difficult didn't mean they needed to run and hide. They'd find a way to thrive once again. Be it near the falls, or far away.

ＦＩＲＥＦＬＹ
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➼ age: 32 moons ➼ gender: female ➼ rank: apprentice ➼ tags: Snakepaw

Firefly shifted her paws as she sat in the misty FallsClan camp. Her gaze watched the camp entrance from her place near the apprentice's den. She was still trying to wrap her head around everything that had happened since she left the rogues just this morning. She had been a rogue this morning, but tonight she was now a FallsClan apprentice. Skyestar had really made her an apprentice. Firefly had hoped to talk with Aspencurrent a bit more, but he had soon left to go to some sort of gathering. She felt a bit odd staying behind. She really didn’t know what to do with herself. She had met some of these cats before, but many were still strangers to her. What would her mother think of this? How much time would pass before her extended disappearance was noticed? How long until they found out she had joined FallsClan? She wasn't looking forward to the next time she crossed paths with her old rogue group.

After the cats had left for the gathering, Firefly had noted that Starlingflight was one of the few that had remained in camp. This might have been a good opportunity to speak with the handsome tom, but she had stayed in her spot next to the den. Her ear tips burning at the thought. Honestly, she still felt embarrassed that she had frozen up when the trimmers had started. Even is Starlingflight hadn't been there to see it, she hated herself for how she reacted. How could she talk to him when she currently felt so ashamed of herself? It had been so unlike her. Freezing up got you killed, it made you weak. It was bad enough that Asspencurrent had seen her in such a state. She was then grateful she hadn’t come across Starlingflight when she first entered the territory.

Firefly gave the camp another look over. It seemed rather quiet. There had been a lot that happened to them in such a short amount of time. As Firefly stood to her paws, she almost stepped forward wondering if she should offer any help, or if it was best for her to stay out of the way after such devastation they had gone through. She stretched, feeling anew the aches from the day. A sudden alarmed cry from inside the apprentice’s den Made Firefly jump. She spun around, fur bristling. "What th-" Firefly lashed her tail before rushing inside the den. Firefly took a cautious step forward when she spotted a small brown tabby tossing in a nest. Firefly’s fur still stood on end as she tried to find out what had gotten the younger molly so worked up. "What's happening again?" Fear echoed in her voice as she Stepped closer to the young tabby, looking her over as she thrashed about. Was.. was she asleep? Firefly reached out a paw, pausing for a moment before gently swatting at the small tabby's flank. "Hey, hey! Wake up! You're okay."

ＬＩＧＨＴＰＡＷ
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✦ age: 8 moons ✦ gender: male ✦ rank: medicine cat apprentice ✦ tags: open

Tired paw carried Lightpaw as padded wordlessly behind Briarseed. There was a noticeable gap between Lightpaw and his fellow medicine cat apprentice, Risingpaw. Lightpaw had always felt a little intimidated by the older apprentice, but after the events of today, Lightpaw was now putting effort into avoiding Risingpaw. Lightpaw wasn't sure what he had done wrong, but when he had been trying to help Mistback, Risingpaw had given him such a dark glare. Sure Risingpaw was older and knew more... but the way Risingpaw had looked at him had made Lightpaw's fur bristle. Was it disgust? Annoyance? Why did Risingpaw seem to dislike him so much? Lightpaw couldn't think of anything he had done wrong to upset the other apprentice. Maybe he should talk to Risingpaw on the way back to camp after the gathering to clear the air. Afterall, StarClan willing, the two of them would be working alongside each other for many years to come.

When they had to pass the sight of the earlier devastation Lightpaw felt his heart drop. He stared for a moment unmoving, his gaze growing burly. So much devastation. Lightpaw lowered his eyes, fixing his sight to his paws, taking care of where he stepped. Part of him was glad Fogwhisper hadn't come along to the gathering, hoping she would be safer at camp, but the other part of him really wanted her there with him at the moment. Despite not being in the same litter, out of all his siblings, Lightpaw felt the closest to Fogwhisper, and she was by far his favorite. StarClan...keep our paws and minds quick and alert as we travel and decide what to do. So much has happened lately. We need some clarity under this half moon. ... And please watch over those at camp while we're away. Especially Fogwhisper. I- .... I can't lose her too.

Upon arriving at the smoothing stones Lightpaw took in the crisp cool air, then yawned. Turning his head towards the whirlpool Lightpaw watched the rush of water that curled in on itself in endless circles. The sight and thunderous noise of it still amazed him as it had the first time he laid eyes on it two moons ago. A shiver ran down his spine from the base of his head to the tip of his tail. Lightpaw looked towards Briarseed as she crouched beside Skyestar. He wondered if Briarseed or Skyestar would say anything about the rumor of a prophecy going around. Lightpaw wasn't sure if there was really a new prophecy. He'd been so consumed by tending to those who had been hurt today to think too much about it. He had first gotten wind of it when he went to get poppyseeds for Gullsplash. Surely if there was a new prophecy Briarseed would have told him. Right? Lightpaw sighed then, fighting off another yawn. It had been a long day.

[Nunavik]

𝑳𝒀𝑵𝑿𝑺𝑷𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮
36 moons & he/him & warrior
mentions. briarseed & tagged. n/a

It had been a long time since devastation had plummeted FallsClan, but in one day, it had cut deep and true. Morning had arrived with heavy rains, flooding the land and laying waste to the medicine cat’s den. By noon, the rains had cultivated into a mudslide, demolishing the landscape beyond recognition. Lynxspring had not dared venture out beyond his patrol’s guidelines, but his half-brother had filled him in upon his own return to the camp.

The deaths of Milktuft and Cinnamonthorn had only added to the devastation. Lynxspring had clung to a thread of hope while searching for Milktuft, only to lose Cinnamonthorn in the aftermath. He could still hear her screams as the flood carried her away, the musty smell of earth and rain washing over the familiar warmth of her. The seal point had stared at the spot where she had vanished, as if time itself had stopped, unable to fathom how she could be there one moment and gone the next. As he screamed for name over the sound of crashing waves, anguish spilled from his lungs. He had begged StarClan to return her. He had prayed that the she-cat’s head would peak above the waterline but his prayer went unanswered. She had been lost.

The walk home had been one of quiet reflection. Lynxspring had never fully comprehend the depth of Starlingflight’s grief after the loss of his mate. He had lost his mother at a young age, a natural death that he had accepted in time. The sudden, tragic loss of life — that was a foreign feeling. Cinnamonthorn had not been close to him, but watching her being ripped away had left a permanent scar on his already fragile being.

By the time he had made it back to camp, exhaustion had crept deep into Lynxspring's bones. Fatigued and of no use to anyone, the warrior had been sequestered into the makeshift medicine cat’s den. With Briarseed away for the half-moon gathering, Lynxspring had been placed under the watchful eyes of her apprentices. His breathing had since returned to normal in the twilight hours. His heart not quite feeling heavy against his chest anymore. But no herbal remedy existed to lift the sorrow that plagued him.

His pale green eyes traced the outline of the nest beneath him. Moss and feathers lined the edges, the faint scent of them tickling his nose as he sank deeper into the bedding. The sound of rustling broke through the stillness, but it quickly died away. Replaced by a small voice in the distance, Lynxspring fought not to focus on the reverb, trying desperately to reclaim the sleep that seemed just out of reach. He closed his eyes once more, the walls of the elder’s den falling into pitch-black darkness.

With dawn’s first light, he prayed for his sorrow to be lifted and good news to be on its horizons.

.𖥔 ݁ 🪐˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ︵ ( & we go beyond the farthest reaches ) ━━━━━━━━━━━━
━━━━━━━━━━━━ ( where the light bends & wraps beneath us ) ━━━━━

𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑫𝑭𝑬𝑨𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹
41 moons & she/her & temp. deputy & app. hopperpaw
mentions. rabbitsong & skyestar & tagged. n/a

The half-moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft white light over the smooth stones before her. Spottedfeather still could not make out the events of the day — how quickly turmoil had given away to the clear night above. The morning’s chaos and the frantic afternoon had left ripples of unease beneath her skin, simmering, and waiting for a moment to rise. The she-cat tried her best to beat it back, to keep it from showing on the delicate features. She had to— for herself, for her clan.

At first, the fear had been cultivated only by the unknown of the natural disasters. In the moment, she’d only felt a rush of raw adrenaline— an unnatural surge of power and strength pushing her to keep her head high like her father— to take action and protect those she loved fiercely. But as the calm settled over her body and beneath her skin, her frame shook. The fear took hold and it intensified when her closest friend, Rabbitsong, had broken beneath the pressure.

The tom had always had the calm one and held the key to calm her own inner turmoil. Watching him crumble had left its mark on her soul. And to make matters worse, Skyestar had told her of a prophecy. Whispers had sparkled among the clan, but Spottedfeather had always dismissed them—never one to engage in idle gossip. Now, she couldn’t ignore it: the prophecy was real and she imagined it could also spell disaster for them all.

Shifting uneasily beside the clan leader, Spottedfeather’s gaze traveled across the stones. Beneath the crisp, olive-green eyes she took in the faces of her clanmates. She never imagined she would find herself in this position. Deputyship had never seemed part of her future, yet now, she felt the weight of it pressed heavily on her shoulder. The she-cat had never aspired for this role, nor had she ever wanted it. In fact, she had never dreamed of much beyond becoming a warrior in service to her clan. Losing the comfort of following others without the weight of responsibility scared her more than she cared to admit. She was expected to lead to some capacity and make decisions alongside Skyestar that could impact the entire clan. Though temporary, Spottedfeather couldn’t help but think back to the previous deputies. Rabbitsong and Coyoteleap had made it look easy. Had they also had these fears? Did they ever go away?

Drawing her tail over her paws, the diluted calico continued her everlasting watch beneath the turmoil of her racing thoughts as the clan settled in. This would not be a night for stories and shared tongues. Tonight would likely be a discussion of their very future.

.𖥔 ݁ 🪐˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ︵ ( another day lost inside the maze ) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
━━━━━━━━━━ ( maybe i'm not my best, but i'm trying my best ) ━━━━━

𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑭𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻
29 moons & he/him & warrior & app. kyanitepaw
mentions. kyanitepaw & tagged. bunnyhop

Peaceful sleep had long abandoned him, replaced by the roaring rapids and the screams of the dead. Every night, his nightmares chased away the peace of happier times— when life made sense and he was still whole. Today had been a fresh reminder of life’s fragility as harsh rains and slides plummeted the territory. Curled against the warmth of a clanmate, Starlingflight slumbered, desperately seeking escape from the torment of the day. His breathing deepened, then stilled as reality tumbled into the dreamworld.

Laughter rang out, faint against the defeatening roar of the rapids. In the distance, Starlingpaw’s eyes struggled to focus on Stormpaw’s silver figure. She stood patient, her smile glowing as she waited for the white water to clear. The whirlpool was no place for any cat of FallsClan. From kithood, they were warned of the danger of them but tose warnings fell on deaf ears when adventure beckoned. Patrol had been a bore and with their warrior ceremony set for dawn the next morning, excitement had filled their hearts

The pair had spent the day trying to convince their mentors to leave camp. Starlingpaw had never been able to entice his mentor to entertain those adventurous ideals. Just a few moons shy of his father, Starlingpaw’s mentor was an equally difficult tom. Stormpaw’s, however, could have been persuaded. With approved passage secured, the clan cats had arrived in their current predciment. Stormpaw bunched her muscles and leapt the distance between the rocks. Starlingpaw could only watch in awe as Stormpaw bounded effortlessly across the rapids with a grace blessed by StarClan. One jump after the other was in perfect rhythm as she bounded forward light as a feather.

Time did not slow down nor did it speed up like he had been told before in the stories shared at the half-moon. Death came on swift wings, and before he could blink, it had swallowed Stormpaw whole. He remembered the rush—the surge of adrenaline, the thrill of his heart as he braced himself to face death. But the water never claimed him. He never felt the cold embrace nor the words of Stormpaw’s mentor pulling him to safety. Only Stormpaw’s voice echoed in his ears:

Starlingpaw! Save me! Find me!

Her words hammered against his skull as the rapids melted away into the devastation of the forest came into view. Starlingflight stood upon a mound of mud, eyes sweeping the land for signs of life. His apprentice, Kyanitepaw, stood at his side. Her trembling frame pressed against his side as they stared into the wake of the destruction. Upon her words, Starlingflight’s chest tightened, his resolve wavering. “I will always find you,” he whispered, voice firm but thick with unspoken promises to himself. “Stay close to me Kyanitepaw.” They had already lost too many of their clanmates. She could not be another.

With a jolt, Starlingflight’s eyes flew open. The darkness of the den met him, and the blue-green color of his irises expanded. The memories of the past and present flooded his senses. The voices of the lost still echoed through his mind, mingled with the shifting sounds of the night. Bramble and moss pressed against his fur as he sank deeper into the bedding, releasing a heavy sigh. Sleep, elusive as ever, slipped further from his grasp.

He stifled a yawn, frustration creeping up his spine. At first, he had been relieved not to attend the half-moon gathering. But now, with dawn yet a way’s off, he yearned for action even if it was simply a walk north to clear his head. A rustle from outside the den drew his attention. His muscles tensed, and with a sharp motion, Starlingflight sprang to his feet, pushing out into the cool night. The scent of a clanmate reached him first, familiar and grounding. A moment later, Bunnyhop emerged from the shadows. Starlingflight’s expression hardened, irritation flickering in his eyes. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he hissed, his blue-green eyes narrowing. "what are you doing here?"

.𖥔 ݁ 🪐˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ︵ ( you still bear the weight of your own existence ) ━━━━━━━━━
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ( & you will never bear the weight of two ) ━━━━━

[KasperKat]

Burntleaf | he/him | 24 moons | queen
location: camp | mentions: Firefly, Snakepaw

As Burntleaf tasted the air outside the nursery, his ears twisted as he heard a cry from the apprentice's den. He couldn't quite make out the words, but the sound of terror was easy to recognize, and his ears flattened to his head. Oh StarClan, what now? Please, just let us be! Burntleaf thought, turning his head up to the stars. He saw Firefly cross to the den, and Burntleaf hesitated, wanting to go help as well. He looked back at his kits, his overprotective instinct telling him to stay with them, but they would be fine if he just went to investigate the noise, and besides the camp was pretty barren. If somecat needed help, they would need all paws available.

Burntleaf quickly told the kits to stay with Maplestream, then padded out of the den, breaking into a brisk trot towards the apprentice's den. As he arrived at the den, he carefully pushed his head inside. The only cat he could see was Snakepaw, and Firefly was gently poking her with her paw. The dots began to connect inside his head, and he murmured to Firefly, "Did she have a bad dream?"

[selasphorys]

𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗘𝗗
(medicine cat) (27 mns) (she/her) (appr: risingpaw, lightpaw) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: mistback, sykestar) (mentions: none)

Briarseed’s ears swiveled toward the sound of coughing. As Mistback’s husky voice reached her, she felt a pang in heart. The once-cheerful gray molly could barely choke out a word. Lowering her eyes from the starry horizon, the medicine cat returned to watching over this broken earth. "Oh, please don’t worry about it. I was sending a prayer to StarClan. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Briarseed answered, picking up the herbs and hurrying toward her. That wobbling gait had her worried. She pressed against the warrior’s side to support her, easing her down into a seated position. Her words carried a note of alarm: “That’s enough of that. You should save your energy for the walk home.”

Ignoring Mistback’s protests, the medicine cat opened her bundle and pulled out a juniper berry. She nudged it over to the warrior with her nose, instructing sternly but gently, “Your voice sounds hoarse… chew on this. The juices should soothe your throat and breathing. You need to keep up your strength so you can tell your story to the clan." Briarseed put an ear to Mistback’s flank, listening to her ragged breathing. She should never have let her come here. But now that she had, Mistback ought to say her piece before she grew too weak.

Briarseed drew back to her leader, dipping her head before beginning to speak. Though her old apprehension around Sykestar still lingered, she could fight through it now. She had to trust that her leader, her former mentor, only wanted her to find her strength. Briarseed raised her head to whisper by the dark molly's ear. "Sykestar, I… I know you must address the clan now. We have your plan. The stars will save us.” She looked down, struggling to find the words. “But I think you should let Mistback speak to the clan first. She is already struggling to breathe. Once she tells them all about what happened to Milktuft, we can work out a solution together."

𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
(warrior) (40 mns) (she/her) (appr: goosepaw) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: greydream, froststrike) (mentions: gullsplash, gorgefang, rabbitsong)

The nudge from Froststrike broke her out of her reverie. “Oh-! Excuse me…” Swallowsight mumbled with a start, as if she had been in the way. She offered the tom a slight smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. But he had already stepped away, gaze turned to the floor as he joined Pikecrest. Another missed connection. As moons passed by, Swallowsight had come to realize how she dealt with the darker emotions under the surface. She didn’t. She distracted herself with everyday duties, letting the monotony of life dull the loss. She avoided the problems, avoided the cats closest her heart, let the simmering feelings cool to ice. Until the cats she once loved became just another face in the crowd.

It happened before, with Froststrike, then with Greydream. She and her brothers used to chase after Frostpaw and romp together in the forest, before Froststrike led Grebecrest to his death. It was an accident that she had never been able to truly forgive, though she had let herself forget. Then came the day when she lost both her parents— Possumwhisker to rogues and Greydream to grief. Swallowsight’s blue eyes crept over to Rabbitsong, watching while the deputy’s stared into nothing. He was still in shock. She could feel herself growing distant from Rabbitsong like she had from her mother, drifting away on currents beyond her control. Why couldn’t she fight against the tide now? Why hadn’t she, back then? Swallowsight was scared of the cat she had become.

Here she was, stuck in a dream, unable to confront her reality.

The murmurs of the other cats trickled into her brain like snowmelt. She slowly became aware of the conversations around her. Her ears swiveled to catch a hiss. Froststrike’s voice, responding to a question from Gorgefang. As they debated whether to retaliate against the rogues, Swallowsight found herself shrinking smaller than she already was. She pressed herself down against the stone, ears swiveling flat against her head. Swallowsight never thought she’d agree with an old rogue. She hated Gorgefang. He was there when her father died. He acted all buddy-buddy with Gullpaw, teaching him dirty battle tactics and filling his head with dangerous ideas. But she didn’t want to fight. Images returned unbidden, of her late father, of Gullsplash’s wounds. Freezing her breath in her chest, a low terror sunk like stones in her stomach.

Her eyes darted over to Greydream. She couldn’t deny it now; she needed help. Swallowsight wanted to curl up against her side like when she was a kit, back when the world outside was much too big. She needed those warm Nursery days. When they were still a family.

Rising to her paws, Swallowsight took a deep, shuddering breath. Then she padded to her mother like wading through a frozen river. Each pawstep was more difficult than the last. “Greydream,” she began, her voice stiff. Mom. “I want to talk about Gullsplash.”

She studied the ground, trying to count each crevice in the stone below. Her throat was dry as she spoke, “When Gullsplash ran into camp, yowling about rogues, he reminded me of you. On the day when Dad died…” Swallowsight lifted her gaze, eyes round. To see her mother now, like she had that fateful day when their paths diverged. Greydream had been the one to bring back Possumwhisker’s body after they were attacked by rogues. He died protecting her. Protecting them all.

“And,” Swallowsight stumbled, afraid her words would cut too close to the truth. Then it all came tumbling out. “I don’t want to lose him too. I’m terrified of fighting the rogues, but they’re getting closer day by day. Ever since Dad died, Gullpaw's been crying about revenge. Now that he’s a warrior, I feel like he’s disappearing from me, like I don’t known who he is anymore. Sneaking away from patrol, abandoning his apprentice. I… I don’t know how to reach him.” Remembering how strict she had been as his mentor, the molly sighed. She hadn’t known what she was doing with Gullpaw. She was too overprotective. She turned him into this. Swallowsight wasn’t his mother; she was barely a warrior. And you weren’t there.

She bit back those vindictive words, instead studying her mother’s face in silence. Perhaps she would see more in those blue eyes than the ghost she had become.

𝗣𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧
(warrior) (30 mns) (she/her) (x)
(location: smoothing stones / gathering) (tags: froststrike, gorgefang) (mentions: none)

Pikecrest felt the tension in her muscles relax slightly when her old mentor took a seat by her side. She listened idly as Froststrike spoke of his sister, studying how her claws glinted in the moonlight. Her gaze snapped to meet his when he gave her a playful nudge. “Hah! You’re absolutely right. Those flea-pelts won’t know what’s coming!” Pikecrest grinned, fangs gleaming. She jabbed him sharply in the side in return, claws sheathed, while her whiskers twitched in amusement. She couldn’t be mad about not being chosen as deputy for long. It just meant she had to do better.

While Froststrike mulled over her idea of taking rogue territory, Pikecrest already had battlemaps laid out in her head. Places where the clan could wait in ambush, places where the rogues could ambush them. Areas with good prey and water. Hollows to take shelter. She knew this territory like the hairs on her pelt, and she could learn the rogues’ land in a heartbeat.

Gorgefang’s interjection cut through her strategy planning. Pikecrest swiveled her head toward the former rogue, nose wrinkling with annoyance. What mouse-hearted nonsense. She let Froststrike rip into him first, as the snowy warrior raised valid points. When her mentor finished, Pikecrest smirked and began.

"Don’t tell me you’re scared of fighting your old friends?" the molly drawled, a mocking tone in her voice. "Or perhaps you value your life more than the lives of your clan members? You were a traitor to the rogues. If you’re too soft to fight with us, maybe you should run away from us too." She swiped at a dead leaf, flicking it into the air before crushing it down beneath her claws. "Us FallsClan warriors don’t appease our enemies. We don’t let our territory get trampled by rogues. We dig our claws in and fight."

-----

𝗥𝗬𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗣𝗘𝗥
(warrior) (26 mns) (he/him) (appr: lemmingpaw) (x)
(location: fallsclan camp) (tags: fogwhisper) (mentions: lightpaw, lemmingpaw, snakepaw)

Ryepiper broke into a purr as he settled in beside Fogwhisper, feeling a glow radiate like sunshine from his nose to tail. For a moment, all the troubles of the day melted away. He could allow himself to relax, tuck his paws underneath himself and rest. Taking a small bite of mouse, he listened quietly and made space for Fogwhisper to talk. Ryepiper gave a slow nod, murmuring, “I know what you mean. This past moon has been upside-down. Everything’s… falling apart.” He pressed back into her, letting her lean on him for support. The closeness was a gentle touch of warmth in the damp cold of the mist.

“Lightpaw handled things so well today. Even though he’s only been training for a few moons, he was the first to treat Mistback and Gullsplash. He’ll become a wonderful medicine cat,” Ryepiper chirped with praise. But seeing her ears fold back against her head, he realized that wasn’t what she needed to hear. He lowered his gaze, reflecting on the events of the day before continuing. “He’s so little, but he’s carrying such a heavy burden. The weight of so many lives. I can’t imagine…” Ryepiper sighed. He tilted his head toward hers with a soft smile, meowing, “It couldn’t hurt to check in with him, after he gets back from the Gathering. Lend an ear to listen. I’m sure he’d be happy just to spend a little time with his sister.” I know I would.

He knew how much her brother meant to her, just as his sister Piperpaw had meant to him. Fogwhisper could be there for her sibling in a way that he no longer could for his. His hazel gaze traveled up to where the stars would be, had they not been hidden by the fog.

Ryepiper only turned back when he felt Fogwhisper tap him with her tail. With a mischievous grin, he poked at her with his and let out a mrrow of laughter. Then, he gently curled his tail around her. It made his heart race to be so close. And somehow, it felt just right, like something solid amidst all this uncertainty. Meeting her warm green gaze, he laughed off her question at first. "Who, me? I’m fine."

His hazel eyes hardened for a bit, and he had to look away. "Well, I am worried about the apprentices. Those young cats are going through things no one should have to go through. And I’m… concerned about Lemmingpaw.” Ryepiper had just been assigned as Lemmingpaw’s new mentor after the poor young tom was passed around from one warrior to another. No mentor could give him the care he needed. “He had a rough start. I want to be there for him where his other mentors couldn’t. I just… I’m not sure what I can do. How have things been going for you and Snakepaw?"

𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗔𝗪
(apprentice) (9 mns) (he/him) (mentor: spottedfeather) (x)
(location: elder's den / makeshift treatment area) (tags: gullsplash, open) (mentions: spottedfeather, laurelthorn, sykestar)

“Gullsplash?” Hopperpaw asked again, hesitantly. No one answered. His friend was asleep… of course he was. With the poppy seeds and everything that had happened today, Hopperpaw should have expected it. Still, he couldn’t shake the strange, prickling feeling that left tremors in his paws. It made the hairs along his spine stand on end.

“I-I have to tell someone…” he resolved to himself in a shaky whisper. The truth would explode out of him otherwise. Who could he tell? His mentor Spottedfeather was the one warrior he trusted most. She was approachable, cheerful, more a friend than a mentor. His first adventures were by her side. She had even supported his more hare-brained schemes in the past— or at least, he wasn’t punished for them. But Spottedfeather had become temporary deputy now. With her new position, could anything be the same between them?

His family was out of the question. No matter who he told, his father Laurelthorn was sure to catch wind of it. He would go straight to Sykestar, probably keep him trapped in camp for moons. He wouldn’t see the light of day again.

Paranoia began to set in. Had anyone heard? Hopperpaw glanced furtively around the den, his green eyes glinting in the darkness. The sounds of rhythmic breathing reminded him that they were not alone. Rumblespout would be returning here soon, once some warrior convinced him to rest. And the last thing Hopperpaw wanted was for that strict stickler to find out.

With a single lie, he was caught in a web of his own making. The young tom hid his face in his paws, burying his nose into the moss of his nest. If only he could melt into those shadows and slip away. As questions plagued his mind, he fell into an uneasy slumber.

𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗨𝗧
(elder) (121 mns) (he/him) (x)
(location: outside medicine den) (tags: dapplepaw) (mentions: none)

A flicker of movement caught his eye. Hackles raising, Rumblespout positioned himself at the mouth of the medicine den and waited. For a good chunk of the evening, he had been listening to the restless of rustles of Dapplepaw tossing about in her nest. Now it had all gone quiet. Too quiet. He knew something was up.

“...Where do you think you’re going, Dapplepaw?” Rumblespout growled, his tone more playful than angry. He thought his headstrong granddaughter might make a run for it. His tail flicked from side to side as he fell into a crouch. He would pounce on her if he had to. After she fell unconscious in the mudslide, the medicine cat ordered for her to rest. And by StarClan, Rumblespout would ensure she did.

“If you don’t get your rest, a sprained tail will be the least of your worries,” he thundered. It was a threat, sort of. Though he didn’t intend to hurt her, if she struggled or escaped she could hurt herself. The last thing Dapplepaw needed was a severe injury to keep her away from her duties. “Why don’t you nap for the night and get back into the swing of things tomorrow morning?