Δ . 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 ‣ 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚙

[Fawnie]

[✵] Wrenshine [✵]
xxxxxxxx▶ age: 32 moons || gender: female || rank: warrior || location: camp || tags: dusttail & reddawn (that's who they're finding)
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Determination gleamed in Wrenshine's eyes as Tigerseige acknowledged her request. She bowed her head at the new deputy, Yes! I can change! Wrenshine wasn't sure if the weight in her chest was exhilaration or exhaustion- her tired muscles begged the latter- But no matter what, Wrenshine was not going to let this moment to prove herself pass her by. For far too long she coasted by, only doing what was asked of her and nothing more. Even in her apprenticeship, Wrenshine always felt a little different than her other denmates who never seemed to want to go to sleep at night. She could remember the ambition that blazed through their pelts and in their eyes; Wrenshine was always content with supporting their goals but never creating her own.

As if reminiscing turned manifestation, Dusttail's always collected voice sounded out beside her. Wrenshine's ears perked forward in shock, but a warm smile quickly replaced the pleasant surprise. "Of course you will be!" Though unspoken, Dusttail seemed to share Wrenshine's outlook on their role as warriors. It wasn't that she or even Wrenshine herself were below average in skills and smarts, and of course she couldn't speak for the gray tabby, but it just seemed as if they preferred blending in. Maybe Dusttail was also experiencing a change in heart from their shared near-death experience; but whatever the reason, Wrenshine was happy that Dusttail was right here beside her.

She lightly rested her tail on her friend's back as she scanned the camp for signs for a good place to start. Her eyes closed in focus and her jaw parted as she tried to get even the slightest trace of cat scent among all the dirt and stress. "Let's try over there!" Her tail shot up as her eyes shot open. The fluffy gray warrior didn't want to raise anyone's hopes, but she was almost certain she caught someone's muffled scent buried beneath the rubble. Her limbs carried her as fast as they could, aching every single paw-step of the way. Immediately they began churning through the rock, and as she looked over at Dusttail, she only hoped it wasn't wishful thinking.

[Laetificat]

Birchkit — Tags: Open
He continued screaming, terrified by his mother’s silent presence beside him. The rubble shifted ominously around him, though that did little to deter his frantic yet useless attempt to escape.

Creekwillow — Tags: Blackstar, Ashpaw
Saptongue’s rude intervention drew a shocked gasp from her, with a fight nearly breaking out between the elder and Scorchstrike. Thankfully, Blackstar quickly stopped anything further from happening, and Creekwillow was almost sure that Saptongue wouldn’t have had second thoughts about laying claws on a clanmate. She had been born a few moons after his accident, but she had heard all the stories about what had happened and how the tom had changed. Starclan’s will truly could be cruel at times, but there was no need to let their seeming anger stop her from trying to help her clan.
Tigerseige sent out a few patrols and sent the rest of the clan to continue sifting through the rubble or hunt for their clan. Glancing apologetically in the new deputy’s direction, Creekwillow did neither - although she personally would have gone hunting as most of their clan was already accounted for, one way or another- and instead padded towards Blackstar. That foolish tom was trying his hardest to seem strong for the clan, but they’d been mates long enough for her to know him like the back of her paw. It hurt her to see him like this, but she’d drag him by his tail if she had to in order for him to get well.
Ashpaw reached him before she could though, and so she quietly sat beside Blackstar, taking comfort in the fact that though his fur was dirty, it was warm with however many lives he had left. Creekwillow let the injured apprentice speak first, contenting herself with gently grooming her mate’s fur. Once Ashpaw was finished, Creekwillow would make Blackstar to go see Cinderpaw, if only to get something to ease his weariness.

Saptongue — Tags: Cinderpaw
His eyes grew wide in rage and he nearly rounded on Scorchstrike with claws outstretched had Blackstar not interfered. Saptongue’s matted fur prickled with rage, but he heeded Tigersiege’s orders, stomping away to find Cinderpaw as he muttered crude insults. Scorchstrike had set his blood on fire which her words. He should be in Tigersiege’s place! Done nothing for the clan? He had done everything to be rewarded with nothing.The elder’s fury was interrupted by a harsh bout of coughing, blood speckling the ground at his paws. Saptongue sneered at the sight, then continued onwards.
Saptongue paused a tail-length from the medicine cat apprentice, and looked at him with contempt. “I was told to help you,” he sneered, before doubling over once more as he again hacked up a surprising amount of blood. The dark brown tom felt no worse than he usually did so he chalked it up to his throat having been coughed ragged rather than something worse being wrong with him. He sat down ungracefully with his bony sides heaving as he fought to regain his breath.

[chick magnet]

☀..DUSTTAIL......................→ tagged- wrenshine, reddawn........→ location- camp rubble........→ feeling- exhausted

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As Wrenshine's tail completed it's graceful arch, finally pausing as it fell on Dusttail's pelt, the unsettled she-cat heaved a morose sigh, but otherwise remained perfectly still. Her friend's small touch had a grounding quality to it, reminding Dusttail of the tension that was profusely bleeding into her body. The pounding in her head reminded her starkly of the earlier avalanche, thoughts painfully ricocheting in her skull like boulders. Somehow she knew the rest of her clanmates were facing a similar internal turmoil - it was always astounding to the warrior at how bonded they all were to one another. When one of them suffered, all of them did, which made the events all the more painful. Especially considering that the ones that were still unaccounted for hovered like phantoms in the back of Dusttail's mind.

Wrenshine's sudden exclamation immediately yanked Dusttail out of her mental fog, a chill trailing up her spine as she watched the gray warrior dash over to a shadowy pile of rubble at the edge of the ruined camp. Her mouth opened slightly as she attempted to catch any scents emitting from the area, but her face twisted in grim annoyance as the cloying smell of dirt washed over her. If Wrenshine had picked that area for a reason, Dusttail was oblivious to it. Unfortunately it seemed that the combination of stress and the airborn sediment was putting a damper on her skills. Wasting no further amount of time, the sullen warrior lifted herself off of the ground and bounded after Wrenshine, coming to a halt as her friend started pawing frantically through the debris. "Careful," Dusttail murmured as she started to shift rubble to the side. "Some of these stones are rather jagged."

As the two warriors continued to dig through the rubble, a tuft of ginger fur caught Dusttail's eye - or did it? It might have been a trick of the light, after all they were all quite exhausted, but still she could have sworn she saw something. The ever shifting rubble didn't ease the task in the least but when Dusttail's jaws parted for a second time, a faint scent washed over her. Reddawn. The elder had been one of several clanmates that had been missing since the rockslide occurred. With a quiet bewilderment, the she-cat's head dipped down towards a small crevice in-between two stones. Caught in some rubble, one could just barely make out the shape of a paw within. Dusttail's head whipped around towards Wrenshine, hairs rising along her neck. "Over here! I think I have something."

[fawn,]

xxxxxx𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓
xxxxx( 22 moons . feeling relieved . tagged brindletuft, tornstream . mentioned brackenfoot, brindletuft, cinderpaw . unmated )
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x

Peachspot had been desperately dislodging rocks and blood was roaring in her ears so loud that she found she was barely able to hear her clanmates around her, her focus had become lasered onto the points where she was digging. Before she could even really register what was happening another warrior joined her alongside Brackenfoot, Peachspot's focus wavered a moment as she recognised the molly beside her. Brindletuft had thrown herself into the fray with an admirable amount of enthusiasm and was dislodging the rocks at an impressive pace. The sheer spirit the warrior had gave Peachspot some hope. She smiled at Brindletuft and helped her paw away more rocks as the other she-cat recognised their clanmate buried among the rubble. A relief so strong she almost collapsed ran through her as she realised Tornstream was still alive. Peachspot helped Brindletuft to remove the last of the rocks and the two mollys acted to help Tornstream escape his rocky prison.

Once Tornstream had been removed from the rubble, Peachspot finally took a shaky breath and felt pleased that they had been able to save a clanmate. She turned to Brindletuft with a smile, "Thank you so much for the support, you were really incredible there!" Peachspot stood a moment, her eyes flicking around the camp for Cinderpaw, surely the apprentice would want to take a proper look at Tornstream seeing as he had been in the rubble for a considerable amount of time.

[tealfeather]

cinderpaw { camp. batflight, fireflight, saptongue, tornstream. }
>> he/him. med cat app. nine moons.
>> gray cat with amber eyes.

Cinderpaw dipped his head in acknowledgement and appreciation at Batflight. There wasn't much else to say, and either way, he was too tired to come up with something by the time the warrior had walked away. Cinderpaw never was good with that sort of thing.

When Saptongue spoke, Cinderpaw turned and scoffed. An elder who was coughing blood was of no help to him, and especially since he knew he'd only be a pain in the tail about it. Saptongue wasn't that badly hurt, so he was about to try and find something to soothe his throat, but Fireflight beat him to it. With a nod, he said, "Thanks," and then turned back to what was left of the medicine den. About half of it was caved in, and Cinderpaw did not want to think about that, but it meant he was missing a lot of herbs. He'd done a quick check earlier, at some indeterminate point, but he couldn't remember whether he had something to treat Fireflight's paw or not. "Stay off that foot," he said, and was about to start trying to sort the herbs himself, but-

Tornstream was pulled out of the rubble and Cinderpaw's eyes immediately caught on that. These two will be fine on their own for a while, so instead he turned back to them and hastily added, "Sort the herbs in the den, and that would help a lot. You don't need to know what they do, just be careful and divide them by smell." His gaze lingered on Fireflight, as if to say sorry for leaving him with a grumpy elder, and then he whisked away.

Finding himself in front of the rubble without remembering walking there, Cinderpaw just decided to focus on what was in front of him instead. "Can you breathe okay?" he asked, which was something he'd asked countless times in the past day.

ashpaw { camp. blackstar, morningpaw, pidgeon. }
>> she/her. warrior apprentice. twelve moons.
>> dilute bi-colour torbie with gray eyes.

Tail flickering with frustration, Ashpaw huffed. Her frustration wasn't directed at Blackstar, but rather at the fact he was right, and there wasn't anything for her to do. She was glad she would protect the Clan, but nighttime was ages away, and they'd need to find a new camp before that. Blackstar had succeeded in making her feel important and valued, but still - she itched for something to do. How could any cat sit still and just do nothing, at any time, never mind a time like this?

She glanced around, spotting Morningpaw talking to some unfamiliar cat, and she would be kneading the ground if she could. Instead, her eyes lit up. "Can I go deal with that?" she asked, already sick of listening to Creekwillow and Blackstar talk. There had to be something for her to do, even if she admitted that it wasn't like she was particularly mobile.

Without waiting for a response - she knew he was busy and injured and would say yes anyway, since she was her own cat and could make whatever choices she wanted - Ashpaw walked over. It was painful how slow she walked, both actually painful and just annoying, but if she pushed herself any harder she was afraid she would pass out, and that would be worse, for everyone involved. She didn't want to be more of a burden on Cinderpaw, who already had so much to handle, and she didn't want to miss out on anything.

Once she reached the two of them, she looked Pidgeon over, from his obviously distressed expression to his overall demeanor. She lifted a paw, and then winced and realized she was not the intimidating one in this situation. She was just giving Morningpaw someone else to protect, but then again- "I don't think he's here to pick a fight," she said on a gasp, dropping her paw heavily immediately after.

She certainly hoped that was the case, at least, since she had just gone and put herself in front of someone, and she was clearly very vulnerable, what with the slow movements and - right - the cobwebs on her face. She was sure there was some nasty scarring going on under them, too. Sometimes she needed to stop throwing herself headfirst into danger with no regard for her own well-being, but, well, it had been worth it during the rockslide, hadn't it?

Turning her gaze back to Pidgeon, she grinned. "I'm Ashpaw, and this is Morningpaw. What are you good at?"

[nightmyth]

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𝚝𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚒𝚎𝚐𝚎 ─ 46 moons ─ [ˈtīɡər - sēj] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
𝖣𝖤𝖯𝖴𝖳𝖸. an unusually small dark brown maine coon molly with bold black stripes and pale yellow eyes
location: rubble ; tags: morningpaw, ashpaw, pigeon
xxx

Tigersiege gave an approving nod when Frostpaw loped away, feeling a dash of worry for the young tom for a heartbeat or two. It would be just like her apprentice to hide some kind of internal wound and collapse in the middle of the grasslands somewhere. Memories, too, of her own assessment made her heartbeat pick up with anxiety. She could practically smell the rogue cats that had ambushed her brother. Wait.

The dark molly's head whipped around, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing. The scent was real. Curling her lip, she slid her claws out and began prowling towards the smell of outsider. Heat flooded her pelt, and her jaw clenched as if biting down on an imaginary enemy. "He'd better be good at running away," she hissed, shoving the loner away from the apprentices, away from her home. She turned to the two mollies. "I don't remember giving apprentices permission to make these kinds of decisions...as for you--" her raptorial stare pinned back on to the loner, "--there's enough to deal with here. We don't need an outsider stirring us up. Be helpful and go away." Tigersiege wasn't quite sure what she might do if he refused. Her pelt twitched, and her claws sheathed and unsheathed themselves. Stagfell's pained howls rang in her ears, the smell of blood stung her nose. Throat tightening, she fought to keep her voice from trembling. "Get out of here!" she snapped.

A loner slinking around her clan and her territory was the last thing she needed right now. Dozens of her clanmates had just died, and now this stinking ball of fur had to come poke his nose in? Tigersiege swallowed, but her mouth was running dry. Her eyes darted around, checking to see if any other outsiders were slinking about. What if he wasn't the only one? What if he was part of a larger group? What if he wasn't the only loner drawn by the rockfall? Where is Stagfell? I sent him out on patrol. What if they get attacked? Memories of her brother's broken, bloodied body came rushing into her mind, so out of place in the orderly medicine den. But her brother hadn't been Hawkscreech's only patient; Tigersiege had suffered from paranoia for moons after the rogues had nearly killed her brother. He's fine...he's fine...he has the patrol with him.

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𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚕 ─ 46 moons ─ [staɡ - fel] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
𝖶𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖱. a large, pale ginger maine coon tom with apple-green eyes
location: rubble ; tags: scorchstrike, jayspring, jaguarpaw
xxx

The golden tom's whiskers twitched. "There is wisdom in your words. But I think the role of deputy is Tigersiege's to learn." He sighed and rolled his shoulders, wincing at their protest. "Ah, Jayspring, there you are," Stagfell mewed. "I figured we'd hunt on the prairie. Larger prey to be found there -- eagles, hares, and the like." His green gaze flickered from one cat to another. The maine coon lifted his head, spotting Jaguarpaw in the crowd. "Jaguarpaw you daft furball! Let's go!"

Standing up, Stagfell kinked his tail over his back and began the journey out of the remains of SageClan's camp. He kept his ears pricked for the others to follow, but he was ready to be out in the open grasslands, beneath the blue skies, in the soft hands of the breeze---he would feel close to Morningbird out there, in the golden sea of grass she had always loved so much. Better to remember her in her beauty than be reminded of the ugliness of her death back in camp. The tom let out a heavy sigh, murmuring a soft prayer to StarClan, to receive and love her with all the love he had, to accept her stubbornness and fierce desire to be heard. He hoped her body could be recovered from the rubble. She deserved a proper burial, out here beneath the burning white fire of the stars, not stuck forever beneath the stone and misfortune that had claimed her life.

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𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚛 ─ 16 moons ─ [/bək/- /spär/] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
𝖶𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖱. a medium-furred white tom with ginger tabby patches and pale green eyes
location: rubble ; tags: dipperflight
xxx

Buckspar flicked his ears, wondering what could possibly be good about this morning. "Oh...er...I guess we could start with the border, see if anyone's crossed it." He tried to return the tom's smile, but he had a feeling it was more of a grimace. Or at the very least some kind of creepy grin...he'd never really been able to replicate his father's charming smile, the one his mother always said had won her over. "I could never say no to that smile. Every protest I had was put to rest by that smile." The bicolored tom sighed, screwing his eyes shut. How long would it be before he forgot the sound of his mother's voice? The scent of her fur? At once he wished she would stop plaguing him, but also that she would never leave him.

"Why would this happen? Do you think StarClan did this to us?" Buckspar asked, glancing over at Dipperflight. His Clanmate probably didn't have any clue, but it might feel better to know that he wasn't the only one thinking all of these things. As they grew further from camp, it almost seemed easier to breathe, easier to convince himself that it was just any other day and any other patrol. He lifted his muzzle and scented the air, checking for any signs that something dangerous -- or nosy -- had come to see what had become of the Clan.

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𝚕𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚊𝚠 ─ 10 moons ─ [lavəndər - pô] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖨𝖢𝖤. a tall, lanky lilac-point siamese molly with blue eyes
location: camp ; tags: blackstar, rookpaw.
xxx

Lavenderpaw watched Frostpaw go with wide eyes, only turning away when she couldn't see him any longer. She kneaded the ground, wondering if there was someone she could bother. Maybe she should find some thorns for Tigersiege's nest; it would certainly be easy to blame it on another apprentice, Lavenderpaw was always on her best behavior with her superiors. Nah...maybe later. Ears perking up, she turned her head towards Blackstar and Rookpaw. Leave it to her to beg for special treatment. Snorting, Lavenderpaw trotted over to the pair, dipping her head respectfully to Blackstar. "Rookpaw can come with me. I know where Hawkscreech used to gather herbs." There wasn't anything else she could think of to do. Unless Rookpaw wanted to help clear the rubble. Either way, Lavenderpaw wanted to get out of camp. Away from all the grief and the sounds of desperation her Clanmates were making as they pulled cats from the rubble. She didn't want to hang around to see whether those cats were alive or dead.

[whispersome]

⊳ ROOKPAW ⊲
She | 10 moons | Apprentice
Tags: Blackstar, Lavenderpaw, Stonetooth | Mentions: Creekwillow, Waspstrike | Location: Camp rubble

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ A hot flush crept across Rookpaw’s fur as Blackstar peered down at her, his eyes weary and his tone leaving little room for argument. Rookpaw had a habit of wiggling her way through regardless. She opened her mouth, not certain what she was going to say herself, but Lavenderpaw’s voice cut through before she had the chance to find out.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ The fur on Rookpaw’s back rose. Her and Lavenderpaw’s personalities were both fierce, lending themselves to sharp clashes that had gotten Rookpaw reprimanded more than once—but perfect Lavenderpaw, always so respectful of her elders, had been spared of the same chiding, of course. It was possible that Lavenderpaw’s presence alone irritated Rookpaw because they were a bit too similar, although Rookpaw wouldn’t admit that even to herself. With a glance just short of a glare thrown over her shoulder, she said in a voice just as decisive as her uncle’s, “If Stonetooth tells me to, sure. I’ll go talk to him.”

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ She dipped her head toward Blackstar again, so fast it barely had time to be processed, and strode off without a second glance. Tensions were tight all around, making the crowded clan seem even more oppressive and offputting. Any other time, it was something Rookpaw would have reveled in, using it as an excuse to bat her claws and fangs around indiscriminately, but now even that wasn’t worth it, with the traces of disappointment in Blackstar’s stare worse than him not looking at her at all. Her claws, unsheathed by reflex, scraped against the ground. A frustrated look flickered upwards. It wasn’t as if Rookpaw could ask her father himself, so instead she projected the questions that had been rattling around her mind since she’d first woken to the sky: Why did you bring me here? Why couldn’t we have just been loners together? It would have been hard, but it would have been even if my mother and siblings were still around. And even if I had to stay here, why couldn’t you?

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ It took a moment for Rookpaw to recall her intention for walking away to begin with, and she shook off the haze. Soon her wandering stare caught on her mentor’s silver pelt, not far from his mate’s as Waspstrike shoved at the rubble. Rookpaw’s eyes glazed with envy for a heartbeat before she cut her gaze away. Undoubtedly Stonetooth’s focus was on Waspstrike, whatever she was doing, but Rookpaw had few qualms with interrupting; she scurried toward him, her tail swishing in greeting.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ “Stonetooth!” came her sharp yell, high mew only emphasized. “Blackstar told me to come find you. Are you helping clear rubble? You’re not nest-building, are you?” Her nose twitched with irritation. “Whatever you’re doing, I can help. I’m supposed to, anyway. …but I hope it isn’t gathering nests.” Words running together, she looked up with a flicker of hope, the spark more forced than anything.

↝ BATFLIGHT ↜
He | 30 moons | Warrior
Tags: Open | Mentions: None | Location: Camp rubble → Territory outskirts

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎( just walking toward herbs… open to tags, will actually write for him next time )

⁂ SCORCHSTRIKE ⁂
She | 48 moons | Warrior
Tags: Jaguarpaw, Stagfell, Jayspring | Mentions: None | Location: Camp rubble

‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Scorchstrike’s ears twitched as she walked past her clanmates, Stagfell’s voice still audible as she made her way toward her apprentice. The crack of his shoulders reminded her of the crunch of her own whenever she moved a certain way. They were getting old, the lot of them—and she had a couple of moons on Stagfell and Tigersiege, even. Times like these made Scorchstrike’s mortality all the more apparent; but, StarClan willing, she’d swat and bite all the way into the elders’ den one day, although she’d much rather die in a blaze of glory as a warrior. It was right there in the name.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎Though it didn’t seem anything like that would arrive today. The promise of a hunting patrol filled her bones with the deep-seated contentment that often came along with such routine duties. As she walked, she flexed her legs as if feeling the weight of a rabbit beneath them. It felt like she had been down for days. Warming up and hunting would do her some good, especially away from the strench of death and calamity that curled around them all like dense fog back here at the ruins of their camp.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎The same likely went for Jaguarpaw. When Scorchstrike reached him, she gave him a quick once-over. His face was a bit blank, and he wasn’t hiding his anxiety as well as she suspected he thought he was; trying too hard had the opposite effect. Scorchstrike was not a lenient mentor—neither was she the hardest the clan had ever seen, more likely than not, but her expectations were as high for her clanmates, not least one under her direct supervision, as they were for herself—but these circumstances were, to say the least, unprecedented.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Still, she had a reputation for a reason. She tilted her chin up and let the silence stretch out for a heartbeat longer. When she spoke, her tone was neither unkind nor tender. “You’ll need to try harder if you want to hide your emotions from me. Fear is not weakness, so long as it doesn’t interfere with your responsibilities.”

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Then, turning once more, she flicked her tail in a beckoning gesture. “Come,” she added simply, the order reinforced by Stagfell’s distant call. She did have some degree of fondness toward her apprentice, and she’d had motivations for snapping earlier—now, there was little to no reason to be overly harsh. Slowing to allow Jaguarpaw the ability to catch up, she stepped back toward Stagfell and Jayspring. “I believe I heard Stagfell say something about hunting on the prairie. You’ve caught plenty of hares before, yes?”

[wildsight]

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───── ♣ 𝐁𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊 !!
age. 50 moons gender. male/♂️ rank. warrior location. inner territory tags. frostpaw
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██
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────As the tom approached the camp entrance, memories of the previous day began to plague his mind. The shadows that laid across the ground seemed to reach for him, the rubble that surrounded him seemed to close in on him. It felt as if the very air was becoming thinner, fleeing from the ruined camp. Almost as if the memories and grief were all too much for such a mighty force to bear. Alas, the tom wanted to run himself and continue to. He didn’t want to turn back nor think of anything. A thick mist clouded his mind, seeming to blur his vision and memories. He didn’t know what to do nor what to think, it was all just a jumbled mess of emotions that in truth, he couldn’t handle. He couldn’t handle it...no...he would handle it.

────Bumblebrook’s paws seemed to turn to stone as he neared the entrance, his heart heavy and soul seeming to fade away. Perhaps one should have felt freedom after leaving the ruins, but such was the only thing he’d ever known. The only thing he would ever deem as a safe-haven, a shelter, a home. Home. The word seemed to snap him out of the haze he’d been trapped in, noticing that he’d been absently staring at the ground. He’d only stood there for a moment or two, but it’d felt like a lifetime. There was no need to stand around, no need to dwell on the past. There was no changing it, all that once was...was no more, fading away into the realm of time and would soon enough be forgotten, within a generation or two perhaps. Whiskers quivering, the tom continued onward, knowing that he couldn’t sit around in mope about - he had a clan to care for.

────Just as he had rounded the corner and was on his way, a sudden voice was heard at his side. It was soon revealed to be the young tom, Frostpaw. Bumblebrook’s gaze rested on him for a moment, before nodding slightly. “It was either hunting or clearing rubble. So naturally...hunting seemed more appealing.” He replied with a quiet sigh, amber eyes trained on their surroundings. “I suppose you’re out hunting too then? Or are you just getting away for a bit?” The tom questioned, noticing no others seemed to be following them. Frostpaw didn’t seem weighed down by grief like some of the others, his stride was still strong and purposeful. He flicked an ear at the thought, past memories entering his mind for a moment, before he pushed them away again. He didn’t have time for memories, he had a clan to serve, just as he always had.

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───── ☀ 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍 !!
age. 110 moons gender. female/♀ rank. elder location. under rubble > ruined camp tags. wrenshine, dusttail
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────Reddawn had never been the type to willingly rely on another, she’d always preferred to take care of things herself. Whether it was for the better or worse, was another matter within itself. This time, it would probably for the worse. Her limbs ached and pleaded to rest, but the elder refused to heed their cries. Reddawn’s whiskers quivered as she prepared for another push, readying herself as she placed her paws upon a stone. Using her remaining strength, she tried to force it out, but alas it didn’t move one bit. The molly let out a groan, laying her head upon another stone awkwardly, too tired for the moment to try again. Why Starclan? Why? She asked the stars above, but of course, there would be no answer. She hadn’t expected one, since she was only a mere elder anyway. Except I’m not. Despite this, she still wondered what the clan had done to deserve this. It didn’t make sense to her, that Starclan would let so many cats meet such a terrible end and leave the remaining souls in piles of sorrow and despair. And that was particularly literally for some, much like herself for instance.

────As the molly rested, she thought she could hear something moving around upon the rubble. Her ears twitched for a moment, before she realized there was something up there. As a matter of fact, it seemed like a clanmate. She was torn - feeling both relieved yet heavily embarrassed considering her situation. Her pride still remained just as it had when she’d first became a warrior and being caught in a predicament such as this, wasn’t a particularly pleasing image. Nonetheless, she was thankful that someone had found her. Otherwise, she’d probably wouldn’t be able to make it out. Speaking of which. The molly heard a voice, recognizing it as Dusttail. Another feline seemed to be nearby as well, which seemed to be Wrenshine by the scent. Perfect. The two were hard-working warriors and would no doubt get her out quickly. As rubble began to shift away, allowing more sunlight to filter through, Reddawn heaved herself up a bit, before pushing through more of the rubble. Now. The ginger tabby wasted no time in pushing the rubble from the other side, soon enough the beginnings of freedom appeared once more. Yet she grew tired as the light ahead shone bright. With another heave, the molly managed to claw her way out of the rubble for the most part, with the aid of Wrenshine and Dusttail. She winced as her leg throbbed, her breathing heavy. “I think I can handle myself from here.” Reddawn said to the two warriors, as she laid her head on her paws for a moment, whiskers quivering.

────She’d rest for a bit, before worrying about her leg, it didn’t hurt too badly, so it wouldn’t take long to clear the last of the rubble from it. And afterwards, she’d finally be freed and could return to her normal routine. Except, there would be no routine for her to return to. As she gazed around the camp, her eyes widened as she took in the destruction. It’s worse than I thought. Starclan really hadn’t shown mercy upon them. Of course, there were survivors, but could they even recover from this? It was a question that the elder couldn’t answer and to be honest, no one could.

[alokesti]

❝ 𝐣𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
warrior | tom cat | crush: to be decided | tag(s): stagfell, scorchstrike, jaguarpaw, open

jayspring followed after the group. he trailed at the end so he could take his time and not hold anyone back. the warrior took each step carefully, still a little shakey from the day before. he took deep breaths and tried to focus on the breeze pulling at his pelt.

❝ 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
warrior | tom cat | crush: to be decided | tag(s): buckspar

"that sounds like a g-good place to start," the tom meowed, slightly stumbling over his words. dipperflight was happy to be away from the rubble that was their camp. he felt like being away meant that none of this happened even though he knew once he returned his dreams would be shattered by the reality.

dipperflight was a little taken aback by buckspar's question so he took a moment to dwell on it. he sighed before beginning, "I honestly do not know, buckspar," he meowed. "it would really shatter my heart to learn that starclan was the reason for all of this destruction," he added. "maybe it's better if we never know the real t-truth," he mewed as he watched his paws hit the soft forest ground.

❝ 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡
warrior | tom cat | mate: waspstrike | tag(s): waspstrike, brackenfoot, tornstream | apprentice: rookpaw

as blackstar's speech came to an end and cats began to focus on their assignments, his eyes caught the sight of a familiar pelt. "waspstrike?" he called out as he walked over to his mate. his gently laid his tail on her shoulder to draw her attention away from her searching. "how long have you been awake, love?" he questioned. he helped her lift some of the rubble to try and take the stress off of her. "should you be doing this? i do not want you to get injured," stonetooth questioned. he knew that his mate was strong and could definitely handle her own but the whole clan just experienced a traumatizing event.

before his mate even had a chance to answer calls came from the rubble and waspstrike ferociously began digging through the rubble. he was shocked but also relieved to hear the voice of a kit coming out of the rubble. the large tom helped waspstrike and brackenfoot who joined in with searching. excitement shown in his eyes as tornstream was pulled from the rubble, happy to see another clanmate alive. soon after waspstrike spotted the kit that was calling out and he quickly dashed over to her to help her hold the large piece of rubble longer. his eyes frantically searched the clearing for a small cat. "rookpaw!" he called to his apprentice. "come help!" he added.

❝ 𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐰
apprentice | she cat | crush: to be jaguarpaw| tag(s): riverclaw, heronflight, jaguarpaw [mentioned]

lynxpaw was happy to hear the reassuring words from riverclaw. "glad to hear you are alright, riverclaw," she meowed as she happily followed after her mentor, flicking her tail in goodbye towards jaguarpaw. "where do you think we should hunt at?" she questioned, wanting to get an idea of how far away they were straying from the camp. she also wanted to keep herself distracted from the ache that was still throbbing in her chest from all the loss that has occurred.

[Fawnie]

[✵] Wrenshine [✵]
xxxxxxxx▶ age: 32 moons || gender: female || rank: warrior || location: camp || tags: dusttail & reddawn & cinderpaw
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Wrenshine's heart was thudding as fast in her chest as her paws were churning rock. Dusttail was able to detect that it was Reddawn that was burried beneath. For a moment, the foreign feeling of jealousy burned in her gut like a bad mouse she once ate. Dusttail was very observant and obviously had super sharp senses. Sure Wrenshine had an inkling that someone was buried beneath the rubble, but Dusttail was able to tell who it was. If this were an ordinary mission, pre-camp-destruction, would Wrenshine trust her instincts? Why did it take their camp being weathered into bits of earth for her to finally have some confidence?

Wrenshine shook her negative thoughts from her head like shaking cold water from her pelt from a sudden downpour. "I think you're right, Great job Dusttail!" This was no time for jealousy or "what-if" situations. Now that they were close enough to detect that it was Reddawn, Wrenshine slowed her pace. If she wasn't careful, she could cause the rest of the den to fall in on the elder. Reddawn was notorious for being a bit proud, especially when it came to accepting help. When Wrenshine was an apprentice, she remembered being told that by some of the other warriors that Reddawn would give you the cold shoulder if you even thought about treating her like an elder.

"I know you can Reddawn." She answered breathily, pausing for a moment to regain some strength once it was clear that her and Dusttail would be able to rescue the elder. "But the clan needs you out here with the rest of us as soon as possible, you're no help the longer it takes to get you free." She exchanged a glance with Dusttail- hopefully they wouldn't be sporting matching claw marks in their ears from Wrenshine's comment. As Reddawn was finally able to breathe fresh air and feel the sun beam down into the hole she was in, Wrenshine wasted no effort making a clear path for the elder to pull herself through. However, concern quickly twisted across her facial features upon noticing the swelling in Reddawn's hind leg.

I hope we weren't too late... No. No more of that. Wrenshine swallowed hard, sending all the feelings of regret, jealousy, fear, and uncertainty down deep into her stomach. "I'm going to get Cinderpaw." Trying to keep her voice from wavering, determination flashed in her eyes. "I know the two of you have it from here!" With a dip of her head, the warrior turned away from the two and scanned the ruined clearing for Cinderpaw.

A frown met her maw as she spotted the medicine cat apprentice tending to Tornstream. The tom was in the same condition as Reddawn, and her heart wrenched with worry. Was Sageclan going to be able to survive this? Especially without a medicine cat? As hard as she tried to force her negative thoughts away, they still continued to loom in her mind like an eerie thunderstorm.