Δ . 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 ‣ 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚙

[DylanJollyRancher]

Tom | 35 Moons | Warrior |Location: Near camp rubble | Mentions: Blackstar | Tag: Open

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Would anything ever be like it was again? It seemed impossible after a day like yesterday. Riverclaw happened to be one of the cats who happened to be out of camp, in a patrol to be exact. Whether it was by coincidence or by luck, the warrior wouldn't ever be able to figure it out. The timing couldn't have been better considering the circumstances.

For, Riverclaw, yesterday seemed like it would become any other repetitive day. He was the cat in the back of the patrol that day, in charged of being aware of anything going on in his position's radius. The bengal warrior was following his clan mate who was in front of him being led out of camp when he noticed his brother, Jaguarpaw. It put a smile on his face seeing the younger tom before he left. Aware that he was falling behind because he wanted to watch his brother for a few seconds longer, he rushed to catch back up with the others. Silently he fell into place, hoping the one in charged of the patrol wouldn't mind too much that he fell behind. Which was ironic since he was left with the position of being to the back of the patrol.

That's when it happened, the noise it made caught his attention first. His head shot towards the monumental rock that always seemed stand tall and look so powerful even from a distance. The walls screamed out in an uproar as they came crumbling down and for some reason he froze. Surely his clan mates in the patrol were seeing the same thing he was, no one could possibly miss this! Eyes went round and his ears pulled back as the only thing to show on his face was horror while he watched the rock's wall fall apart. The direction it crumbled to only left his heart to feel like it was bring torn and yanked apart. Camp. Jaguarpaw!

Riverclaw was unable to get even an ounce of sleep since the mishap that occurred yesterday. Jaguarpaw, along with the rest of his clan mates who were in camp, were buried in the mix of rocks and debris. It was quite the night that followed for everyone that was effected. The constant digging through the wreckage just to find any clan mate who still had a chance at living. The efforts of some going to waste when they came across a deceased clan member. It made him weary in his own efforts to find his brother while he was tireless digging through the ruins. Luck was maybe on his side again because when he did find his brother, he was thankfully alive still. Jaguarpaw was the only family member he had left so it meant a lot to find him. Now the apprentice was sleeping besides him, shaking every now and then. The warrior let out a sigh of relief watching his brother, despite how on edge he felt after being up all night.

Upon's hearing Blackstar's voice, Riverclaw let out a sigh, his body was crying out in exhaustion and his muscles were no friend of him either. He clenched his teeth, wincing slightly, heaving his sore body up to it's paws. If it weren't for his ego and pride as a warrior, he'd give into his paws that were trying their best to hold the weight of his body from falling back to the ground. He glanced towards his leader then back at his brother. "Come on, Jaguarpaw, wake up." He meowed, poking the tom a few times with his right paw. Several of pokes later his brother still didn't wake. Concern filled his heart, but he could still see the tom's body rising and falling. "Jaguarpaw. I'll be back soon." Riverclaw said this time, turning away from his brother to gather near his leader. He chose to sit somewhere in the middle of whatever cats gathered.

Tom | 9 Moons | Apprentice |Location: By the rubble | Mentions: |Tag : Open

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It all came like a blur to Jaguarpaw. One minute he was racing out of the apprentice den to find his mentor to ask about his training, the next rocks came crashing down from above. It all happened way too fast for the apprentice to completely process. After that everything was hard to remember.

Slowly, but surely, Jaguarpaw was gaining his consciousness back. In the midst, the apprentice could hear someone calling his name. It sounded faint the second time around hearing his name. Was Starclan punishing him? No. That didn't seem right. The tom shivered at the thought of Starclan actually punishing him for something he could've done to upset them. Wait a second ... The clan! Camp! Petrified by the sudden thought, Jaguarpaw's eyes flew open and he jumped awake to find himself laid near some rubble. His breathing was a bit fast for a few seconds, unaware of what was going on and why he was still alive. The bengal apprentice glanced around to see others in a similar predicament, it made him weary. Maybe Starclan really was punishing them. He thought silently, feeling a knot begin to form in the pit of his stomach.

[tealfeather]

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

At Blackstar's summons, Ashpaw jerked awake. She had been in a fitful doze after Cinderpaw insisted she eat poppy seeds the night before. She'd tried to tell him to save it for those who really needed it, since she knew the medicine store was completely buried, but he somehow talked her down. She was hazy on a lot of the details of the day before.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she struggled to her feet shakily. A shock of pain ran all along one side, but she pushed past it and focused on identifying all the cats that appeared. It wasn't like they'd been hiding earlier, but it was easier to try and pick them out when they were all together. With a wince, Ashpaw realized she couldn't see any of her family members anywhere. Still, Blackstar was speaking, so she gritted her teeth and padded as close as she could, sitting down heavily.

cinderpaw { camp. open. }
>> he/him. med cat app. nine moons.
>> gray cat with amber eyes.

Cinderpaw isn't sure the last time he slept anymore. He caught a little doze when Ashpaw finally fell asleep, but then there was something else to deal with, and he's been on his paws well before dawn. He stifles a yawn and pauses on his way to go sniff Ashpaw's bandages again when Blackstar calls for a meeting.

With a twitch of an ear, he realizes maybe he should be speaking to the leader at some point, too, but it isn't his first priority right now. Though it does seem like he's limping a little. Cinderpaw narrows his eyes and files away that information for later. He needs to go get more supplies soon, too. He only has so much, and most of what was in the den is now inaccessible. He picks his way through the fallen rocks to be closer to his Clanmates, so he's easy to find. On the way, he shoots Ashpaw a warning look, but he knows she won't listen. He hopes she doesn't push herself too far.

[Laetificat]

Birchkit — Tags: Open
His siblings roused him with their loud whispering to one another, wondering if they should wake him before deciding he was a weird mouse-brain and sneaking out of the den. Birchkit sat up and frowned at his paws, wondering if it really were true. So what if it were? There was nothing wrong with being cautious... He stepped over his mother’s paws and padded to the entrance of the nursery, relishing the faint cool breeze through his fur as he watched the camp’s early morning activities. Dawnbreak soon came to join him, grooming him all the while reassuring the young kit that his siblings were only teasing. She coaxed him to return to their nest at the back of the den when a deafening crack shattered the camp’s peacefulness and a roar louder than thunder rooted him to the spot. Birchkit didn’t remember anything after that other than his mother’s terrified amber eyes as she leapt for him.
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He awoke to suffocating darkness. His eyes were open, yet he couldn’t see. Birchkit lashed out wildly, yowling at the top of his tiny lungs as he tried desperately to escape this waking nightmare. His paws struck fur, and he paused for a moment to sniff. Dust and dirt filled his nose causing him to sneeze, but not before he caught the faint whiff of scent. That was...! “Where am I?” he wailed, his head pounding. Dawnbreak didn’t answer. Birchkit batted at her fur with tiny paws, demanding an answer. The silence was almost as oppressive as the darkness, and his mother’s lack of an answer was like torture to his ears. “I want out!”


Creekwillow — Tags: Open
Yesterday had truly been just another greenleaf morning. Sageclan’s deputy had assigned her as head of the border patrol and in turn, she had assigned Riverclaw the duty of trailing behind them to keep watch. Creekwillow, watchful as ever, noted that he had lagged behind, and would have rebuked him had he not quickly caught up and resumed his duties. She shook her head, noting a nagging pain behind her ear. Probably a flea; she would just have to deal with it later. Creekwillow yawned and turned to do a cursory check behind her when the air reverberated with a massive crack and the mountain broke apart. Living next to the ridge as long as she had, she’d seen rockfalls and watched the bodies of her clanmates get pulled out of the debris, but nothing compared to this. It seemed as if the mountain itself was coming down and right onto camp. “Oh Starclan...” she whispered, her patrol turning as one and racing towards camp. Dust and dirt hung heavy in the air, clouding their sight as they jumped into the recovery effort. Body after body was pulled out, the living yelling for the missing with the occasional happy but more often grief filled reunion taking place. Still, there were clanmates missing. Redfur had been one of the first pulled out, a crazed Brackenfoot hauling her out before continuing her desperate search for her family. Exhausted from the efforts of digging through rock and rubble, and all of the death that she’d seen in such a short period of time, Creekwillow let sleep take her, falling asleep beside the bodies of her clanmates.
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Creekwillow woke to the clan summons of her leader. Blackstar had clearly seen better days and she had been one of the ones who had pulled him out. She had seen a leader lose lives enough to know that he had lost at least one, and even then the tom had been in poor shape when he was freed from the rubble. It had been hard to watch him see that his trusted deputy and medicine cat had perished along with so many clanmates, but she was pleased with his choice of Tigerseige as their new deputy. She only hoped that Cinderpaw could follow in Hawkscreech’s pawsteps, though the tom was already proving himself well trained despite his short time as an apprentice.

[phayraoh]

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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: blackstar
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Fear wasn't an emotion the molly felt often. The last time she had felt afraid -- truly afraid -- was the day her brother was nearly killed by a passing group of rogues looking for a bit of fun. It had been the day of their warrior assessments, and she had found him writhing beneath a pack of fur and teeth and claws, his golden pelt unrecognizable beneath his own blood. Deep fury had driven her then, and her memory of leaping to his defense was foggy beneath the red haze of destruction. She'd felt afraid for herself, too; not because of the rogues, but at the realization of the powerful cat she had become -- the cat her father had shaped her to be. If there was one thing she wouldn't forget, it was the change in the demeanor of the rogues as she'd fought them, the look of a hunter turned hunted. Tigerseige had vowed later that night, during her vigil, to purge the ambitions her father had sown in her heart, leaving only enough to serve her clan and her kin in the ways she was able. Maybe she would never be a good cat. But at least she wouldn't be an evil one.

Now it seemed her day of reckoning had arrived. She straightened up as her named was called, her clouded thoughts whisking away as if by a heavy gust of wind. Her whiskers twitched and her eyes glowed as the dark tabby rose from where she sat at the edge of the crowd. "I would be honored, Blackstar," she meowed with a dip of her head. When she lifted it, there was pride in the tilt of her chin as she swept a pale yellow gaze over the Clan -- well, what remained of it. Her brother, Stagfell, had congratulations in his expression but grief in his demeanor; no doubt the death of his mate would haunt him for many moons to come. Hopefully her new duties would not keep her from supporting him through his pains. She blinked slowly at him, wishing him to know that she would not leave him to his suffering.

Tigersiege turned to Blackstar now, wanting to say more to the Clan but feeling as if they should all look to their leader right now. It would be hard, she mused, to make sure the balance in their powers remained even, he having been injured by the rock fall and she largely unscathed. SageClan needed to have faith that Blackstar was well and capable of leading them -- she mustn't undermine his authority. And yet it would be so easy. She narrowed her eyes, studying him. He must be acting on a wealth of trust by naming her his successor. This was what she had always wanted, and yet somehow it felt like a test. Like somehow her Clanmates weren't quite sure which path she trod in life. And my father to thank for that.

"What is our first order of business?" she inquired. Ragged as the Clan was, their needs remained the same. Food, safety, shelter. Perhaps we can send a scouting patrol to find a better place for us to sleep for now. We're exposed here. We also have no prey, no herbs... the list went on, and with a third of the clan killed, another injured, and another grieving, the tasks at hand seemed insurmountable.

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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: open
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For all he knew, Stagfell was in the midst of a beehive, his clanmates idling about around him, their voices a distant hum. He could only sit and stare at his paws, could only remember the soft, sleepy amber eyes that had gazed up from between them as he told their owner that he was leaving for the dawn patrol, that he loved her and would see her soon. When he had left the Warriors' den, his mate had been warm and comfortable; now she was dead, her body cold and crippled. Stagfell could only hope her death had been quick and painless, but no-one could really say for sure.

When Blackstar summoned the Clan, Stagfell's ears twitched and he glanced around briefly for his son. He hadn't seen Buckspar at all this morning. He'll turn up eventually, the pale warrior thought, shifting on his hindquarters. His kit didn't like to be bothered by him, and though it was confusing and painful at times, Stagfell knew his son would be all the more sensitive having lost his mother. How would Buckspar get along without her now? There was nothing the young tom wouldn't have done for his mother, and Stagfell knew he would always be haunted by the look in his son's eyes when he learned Morningbird hadn't survived the disaster.

The better news, it seemed, was that his sister was just named Clan deputy. He met her gaze with pride in his eyes, and was relieved to see his support returned back to him. Despite their differences in personality, no cat could deny their closeness. Tigerseige had always envisioned herself becoming deputy someday, and Stagfell felt at ease knowing that she would be part of the charge to lead the shaken Clan into a new future.

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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: clan territory > rubble ; tags: open
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Buckspar woke to a howling belly. He hadn't eaten last night, and his limbs trembled as he rose to his paws and picked his way out of a huddle of sleeping warriors. The young tom was well into the forest by the time the sun's light first broke the blackness of the horizon, gulping down a mouse with two more at his side. He'd practically fallen into their nest, but it seemed as if StarClan was making sure their kin had food in their bellies. So they'll keep us from starving but not from dying a cruel death? Buckspar's claws twitched. Why hadn't they sent a warning? A prophecy? Everyone knew StarClan couldn't tell you which prey to pick from the pile or who your true love is, but surely they could've spoken up about this?

The ginger-and-white tom picked up the two other mice and made his way back to camp, his chest aching where his mother's life was torn from him. He didn't want to believe she was gone. He wanted to believe that when he got back to camp she would be waiting to tease him about the tuft of fur by his ear that would never lie flat. "I should've named you Quailkit," she would say, before her warm tongue would rasp over his head. But there would be no more of that. Morningbird was as dead as the prey he was carrying, and nothing would ever bring her back. He would have to go the rest of his life before ever seeing her again.

Gritting his teeth, he didn't bother hiding the droop of his head or lifting his tail from trailing in the dust. He set his mice down on the slim prey pile and pricked his ears to catch the last words of Blackstar's announcement. Tigerseige as deputy? An obvious choice, perhaps, but his aunt had always creeped him out a bit. Sighing, he slid onto his belly and rested his head on his paws. Hardly an appropriate position for a meeting, but he didn't have enough energy to care.

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𝚕𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚊𝚠 ─ 10 moons ─ [lavəndər - pô] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖨𝖢𝖤. a tall, lanky lilac-point siamese molly with blue eyes
location: camp ; tags: frostpaw
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It was hard to believe that just yesterday her life had been wonderful. If she tried, she could still picture the wind in her fur and the earth meeting her paws as she raced across the territory after Frostpaw. Witnessing the plummeting wall of rock from afar had brought instant sobriety to her mood, replacing it with such yawning dread that she was surprised she hadn't fallen into a deep, dark chasm. One could argue that they raced back to camp faster than they'd raced to the top of the hill. Lavenderpaw sure had the raw paw pads to prove it. She gave them a lick now as she woke, roused by the summons of her leader and the rustling of her clanmates' paws on the rocky ground.

She rose tentatively and broke into a stretch that reminded her of her aching body. Wordlessly, she sat down heavily next to Frostpaw and listened intently to what Blackstar had to say. "So your mentor is deputy now. Lots of work in store for you, I'll bet." she murmured without turning her head. Not that it would be a problem for the tom, who'd always worked twice as hard as any cat around him. She didn't expect a response, what with Frostpaw's mother among the many cats missing beneath a pile of stone, but she knew he wouldn't want her pity or hopes.

[alokesti]

❝ 𝐣𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠
warrior | tom cat | crush: to be decided | tag(s): morningpaw [mentioned], clan, open

the spotted bengal was unable to sleep through the night. his heart was broken for he had lost his mother, nettleclaw, in the rockslide the day before. all he could do through the night was lay curled up, trying to fight the tears from falling down. ultimately the tom still woke up with a tear-stained face. he quickly gave his pelt a shake and went to listen to what blackstar had to say about everything.

jayspring wanted to be able to congratulate tigersiege because she definitely deserved to be named deputy but it hurt his heart to think about how the previous deputy, rabbitfur, passed. all he could muster up was a small dip of his head towards tigersiege's direction. jayspring looked around and saw the ginger pelt of morningpaw, oh how he wanted to comfort the young cat. she had also lost one of her parents as did many others. he hoped she would look in his direction and if she did he would be prepared to give her a comforting smile.

❝ 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
warrior | tom cat | crush: to be decided | tag(s): clan, open

the tom was awoken by the saddened voice of his leader, blackstar. he felt guilty for being able to sleep through the whole night while his clanmates around him slept restlessly. however, he did dream terrible things about what occurred the day before. he will never be able to forget the screaming and crashing of rocks. dipperflight tried to get as close to the front as possible so he could listen to see what the next course of action would be.

dipperflight was ecstatic for tigersiege to take on the role of deputy. he knew she was a strong and smart warrior and would be able to assist in coming up with ideas to help rebuild the clan. he gave her a smile, at least, as much of a smile as he could come up with. he waited to hear if blackstar had any ideas on where and how they would be rebuilding the camp. he wanted to be as much help as he possibly could be.

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

stonetooth slept restlessly last night. the gray tom cat kept have nightmares of waspstrike getting crushed by the rockslide. he checked on her repeatedly throughout the night just to make sure the dream did not come true.
once the sun finally began to peak above the horizon he was up and on his paws. he tried to check on all of the clan members that he could and comfort the ones that needed it. stonetooth wanted to let his mate rest so he tried his best to stop from waking her.

❝ 𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐰
apprentice | she cat | crush: to be decided | tag(s): riverclaw, jaguarpaw | mentor: riverclaw

lynxpaw awoke from a long slumber. her chest hurt from being heartbroken. she, unfortunately, lost her father and brother to the terrible rockslide that occurred the day before. the orange apprentice tried to stay strong and wanted to help the best that she could, hoping to distract her mind.
she searched for the familiar pelt of her mentor, riverclaw. she wanted to ask if she could help with anything. she noticed him digging through the rubble and briskly walked to help him but by the time she got there he had already found his brother, jaguarpaw. she let out a sigh of relief.
"I am so happy you are okay, jaguarpaw," she said. nuzzling his face gently with hers. "I am glad you found him, riverclaw," she meowed. "do you know of anything else that needs to be done?" she asked. as soon as the words left her mouth she heard the voice of blackstar calling the cats for a meeting. she followed after riverclaw and took a seat next to him.

[fawn,]

xxxxxx𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓
xxxxx( 22 moons . feeling shellshocked . tagged x . mentioned cinderpaw, blackstar, tigersiege . unmated )
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As far as Peachspot had been aware, the day had started much like any other, she had overslept marginally, but aside from that, it was just like any other day in Sageclan's cavernous camp. Peachspot was usually a very early riser so it was unsurprising that even though she felt she had woken up late, that there were still a fair few warriors slumbering in the den. Peachspot smiled to herself gently as she tentatively made her way out the Warrior's den. She stood at the mouth of the den for a moment, breathing in the crisp morning air and watching as the patrol made their way out of the camp to greet the dawn. She purred lightly to herself and then, as her stomach growled insistence at her, she decided she would got for a spot of hunting before the day began. What better way to start the day than catching herself some breakfast and helping the clan to replenish the fresh kill pile. Peachspot's ear flicked as she thought she caught the sound of a low creaking, but after pausing for a moment and hearing nothing more, the she-cat shrugged it off and began making her way out of the camp. It was just as she was about to step out of the cover of the towering rock that it happened. It felt as though the ground was about to split apart and a thunderous roar was echoing around Peachspot with such ferocity that she couldn't be sure that the vibration hadn't gotten under her pelt. She looked up in sheer terror as the walls around her began to collapse and the next thing she knew was the crushing weight of the darkness.

Luckily for Peachspot, she had been fairly near to the mouth of their camp and so she had been dislodged from the rubble fairly shortly after their whole world had come crashing down around them. She had been swiftly seen by Cinderpaw, who despite his age, was incredibly focused and efficient. Peachspot had been one of the more fortunate casualties and had suffered bruising and the crushing of her tail tip more than anything else. Aside from a slight kink at the end of her tail, she would recover just fine. Unfortunately, she knew the same couldn't be said for a lot of her clanmates. She had been lost in thought when Blackstar's meow had reached her. She robotically stood and made her way towards him, still sort of locked in a daze and unable to truly comprehend the severity of what had happened. It wasn't until Blackstar began speaking about how they would need to find a new home that she truly tuned into him. She had lived here her whole life, this had been where she had said goodbye to her parents, where she had ever single moon of her existence and now they had to move away and find somewhere new, their home was taken from them just like that. A feeling of pure misery coursed through her, not just for her lost home but also for her lost clanmates and it took everything within her to focus on Blackstar and listen to his next words. At the mention of appointing a new deputy, Peachspot's eyes flicked to Tigersiege as she was named and a small smile almost graced her muzzle. Tigersiege was a fine warrior and would make an excellent deputy for what remained of their clan. She only hoped they would be able to rebuild from the shattered foundations of their clan.

[Laetificat]

Saptongue — Tags: Tigersiege
The elder hadn’t been in camp the morning of the rockfall. He had instead elected the spend the night under a bush on the far edge of the territory opposite the looming rock. His bones had been aching and with the sure knowledge of the elderly, Saptongue had known disaster would strike the clan. Not even he was sure how he knew, but he’d hauled his matted and unkempt pelt out of his nest and tottered out of camp through the dirtplace, glancing suspiciously around him with the paranoid notion he was being followed. “They’re all gonna die,” he wailed after a while, sitting down heavily and looking up through the tree branches. “It’s those Dark Forest cats stirring up trouble again, just waiting to kill us all! Well... I ain’t gonna be one of them!”
Saptongue suddenly deflated and looked around wildly, panting with single eye bulging. Someone was watching for sure. They were there to kill him for what he knew. Disaster would befall Sageclan, clan of the doomed and dead, and he’d come back once his creaky bones told him it was safe. Hawkscreech was a fool, and he had claimed that his bones couldn’t tell when prey would be scarce or a cat would die. WELL, that was Hawkscreech’s own fault and Saptongue would be the first to bark his dry crackling laugh when he’d find himself wrong. And off again the elderly tom went, snapping at shadows and skirting wide paths around seemingly nothing in particular.
Naturally, when the rockfall happened, Saptongue chuffed a laugh interspersed with harsh coughing before laying his head back down on his paws and resuming an unrestful sleep filled with nightmares about nothing. It wouldn’t be until he got hungry that he’d rouse himself, stretch with his joints creaking noisily, and set off to find food. All the dust had begun to settle since it was towards the later part of the day by now. Somehow he would catch himself a fat shrew, then proceeded to gorge himself on the sweet flesh before wandering slowly back in the direction of camp. “Fools, the lot of them...” he yowled to the forest around him, reveling in the lack of cats in the forest before proceeded to hack up a lung. “Starclan is punishing all of these foul sinful warriors, the blood mixed and hearts impure with brute ambition! I sought to atone for the sins of my blood and I repented! May Starclan have mercy on these poor fools who know naught their errors...!”
He made it to camp by nightfall, snorted at the sight of Hawkscreech’s crumpled body, and broke into a coughing fit as he waddled away to an unoccupied section of camp far from the warmth of his clanmates. Foxhearts, the lot of him. Ready to toss him to the coyotes at any moment. Ha, he’d show them. Saptongue laid his head on his paws and watched as the desperate recovery efforts continued, no sympathy in his remaining eye. Starclan was telling them the clan was doomed for sure. After all, he’d seen the many broken bodies of his deceased clanmates that had been pulled from the rubble. Already a queen and kits had been pulled out. Undeniable proof that Sageclan was coming to an end.
Saptongue awoke to the call of Blackstar, crippled by the rockfall and trying desperately to hide it. He grumbled and tried to return to sleep only to pause as Tigersiege was named the new deputy. The cantankerous old tom lunged up with surprising speed and unsteadily made a beeline straight for her, pushing rudely past his clanmates until he stood nose to nose with the small she-cat and was bathing her in the foul odor of his putrid breath. “You’ll lead the clan to ruin you foxfaced warrior! Your ambition is unchecked and I bet you’re already plotting to kill Blackstar!”

[dove_]

Ｓｏｏｔｆｌａｍｅ
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Cis tom | 29 Moons | SageClan | Near Camp Rubble | Tags: Blackstar (Mentioned), The Clan, Open
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His eyes dulled as he looked at the buried camp. He scanned the rockfall. The tom caught the grieving cats' eyes. Sootflame stayed silent, his eyes rapidly glancing at the area. The cat watched his clanmates meticulously search for any dead cats or survivors. He had left for dawn patrol the day the rockfall started. "I should have been there!" He spat at himself viciously. The Maine coon's eyes became more concerned for the well-being of the Clan.

Ｔｏｒｎｓｔｒｅａｍ
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Cis tom | 32 Moons | SageClan | Rubble | Tags: x
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The tom struggled to breathe as he tried to dislodge himself from the rocks. Tornstream yowled suddenly. "Fox-dung! I'm stuck in here!" His vision became blurred. As he noticed himself losing his breath, Tornstream's paws attempted to bat at the rocks slowly crushing him. Oh StarClan, you're not this cruel, are you? This will not be how I die. Tornstream yowled again, hoping his clanmates can hear him.

[whispersome]

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

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Shoulders taut, claws sheathing and unsheathing by instinct, Rookpaw was curled into herself at the edge of the ruins that had once been SageClan’s camp. Only in brief instants had she slept the night before, body aching and mind just as fraught. She pressed her claws firmly against the dirt and dug in.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ The anger that often swelled far beyond the restraints of her small body was rumbling within her now, albeit directed toward more than the other cats it tended to be—now, her rage was aimed at the starry pelt well above and the long-dead cats within it. Her siblings had been taken from her before she’d even known them. It hadn’t been much later that her mother had gone too. And only a few moons prior had her father left her as well, leaving her with a clan she was sure was suspicious of her for factors beyond her control, led by kin too busy to grant her more than a second glance. But now StarClan had taken even that much from her, with the rush of rocks and dirt that could have buried Rookpaw had she not been tugged free by the scruff of her neck like some helpless kit.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ She curled her tail tight around herself, feigning sleep, as Blackstar spoke. His words, and those of whoever else was speaking with him, were too distant for her to focus on. Her eyes fell shut; perhaps she could slip into real sleep now. Maybe if she focused hard enough, this would all turn out to be a wretched dream after all, and she’d go back to her normal life of Stonetooth struggling to rein her in and Blackstar too absorbed in his all-important duties to pay attention to her.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Her posture was betrayed by the frustrated flickering of the tip of her tail and the absent scratching of her claws against the ground. Rookpaw forced her ears to lie flat. Perhaps like this, she’d be even less approachable than she was on an average day, hissing at anyone who trod a hair too close to her paw.

↝ BATFLIGHT ↜
He | 30 moons | Warrior
Tags: Cinderpaw, open | Mentions: Blackstar, Tigersiege | Location: Camp rubble

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Pacing absently, Batflight was already awake when Blackstar called a meeting. He’d rested through most of the night, even with the worry gnawing knots deep in his stomach, a fact for which guilt was now starting to weigh on him. Was it really all right to sleep so easily when so many among their number were injured, if not dead? So distracted was he that Batflight nearly missed Blackstar’s announcement—but he managed to draw his attention back just in time to see Tigersiege stepping up toward their leader, and he inclined his head in respect toward the two before dipping back.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He felt… well, a tad useless. Batflight was just a warrior; he didn’t have any particular desire to serve a different role, because he was quite happy where he was, but it still sometimes concerned him how little he could really do in the scheme of things. Throughout most of his life, he’d done his best to take on extra duties—help out the medicine cat when needed, hunt in the dead of night, practice with apprentices when their mentors were worn out.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Now, though, most of that wasn’t possible, with their numbers so slimmed and everyone in such a state of confusion and anxiety—himself certainly included. But perhaps he could do something, he thought when he caught a glimpse of the medicine cat apprentice out of the corners of his eyes. Batflight took a heartbeat to consider his options before flicking his ears and weaving his way over.

‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎“Cinderpaw?” he asked carefully, pawing at the ground. “I know I’m not as skilled in medicine as you probably are, but is there anything I can help with? There’s… a lot to deal with, nothing for one cat—let alone an apprentice—to take on all on their own.” His voice faded the longer he talked, somewhat embarrassed—what if Cinderpaw thought he was being condescending, implying that he thought he couldn’t handle the duties Hawkscreech had been training him for? But Batflight held his ground, swishing tail betraying his anxiety.

⁂ SCORCHSTRIKE ⁂
She | 48 moons | Warrior
Tags: Saptongue, open | Mentions: Blackstar, Tigersiege, Cinderpaw, Jaguarpaw | Location: Camp rubble

‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Scorchstrike hadn’t slept. Yesterday’s calamity had, she was distantly sure, stolen from her the ability to ever get a restful night of sleep again. She was too on edge for that the night before, busy pacing around Blackstar and the rest of the clan seeing what she could help with, trying to figure out who had been lost and injured in the rubble; there were some cats they’d likely never find, she surmised. The uncertainty hurt her more than the tragedy. Her brother’s condition particularly stung—a shattered leg, surely more pain than he’d assured her of, and little more than a kit of a medicine cat apprentice to treat him. To treat all of them.

‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ Shouldering others’ burdens wasn’t in Scorchstrike’s nature, but even she could feel the weight on Cinderpaw’s back. She flicked her ears as she sat, vigilant, near the rubble that had once been their clan. Her eyes were glazed with weariness, but she couldn’t rest, and she merely watched the empty air before her as the night rolled past. She’d longed to do something to combat the restlessness, but after a certain point, her body simply refused to move.

‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ But now dawn was breaking, and the sun stung Scorchstrike’s aching eyes. ‎At Blackstar’s call, she quickly shuffled closer to her leader. She was headstrong and impulsive, but she wasn’t the type to find any opportunity to be insubordinate. Sharp golden eyes watched close, and ears twisted in attention as Blackstar spoke.
‏
‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎His words didn’t quite soothe Scorchstrike’s risen fur, but they didn’t make her hackles rise either. Tigersiege, hm? Not a bad choice of deputy—she was sharp but loyal, traits that would doubtlessly serve the clan well—though Scorchstrike could feel her eyes narrowing slightly in what she wasn’t quite too proud to admit was a flash of envy. Leaving the new deputy and the leader to their conversation, she was about to trudge off in search of her apprentice (surely there was something Blackstar or Tigersiege could put them up to) when Saptongue’s outburst drew her attention.

‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎“Would you like to take her place, then?” Scorchstrike couldn’t help but hiss, her eyes narrowing further. Tigersiege could take care of herself, surely, but frustration was already overwhelming Scorchstrike, and she had never been known to keep her opinions to herself. “Remind me how much you’ve done for this clan’s sake again. Because as I recall, you’ve done nothing to help our efforts thus far.”

[tealfeather]

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

Despite Blackstar's voice carrying out to every cat, as soon as he sat down, Cinderpaw felt himself falling asleep. Exhaustion weighed at his paws, but he knew he could keep going longer if he needed to, and he did. He blinked his eyes open at Batflight's approach, not having noticed he closed them in the first place. His eyes caught on the warrior's paws, needing something to ground him in the moment. After a pause that wasn't quite long enough to be worrisome, he nodded. "Yes, please. I'm sure Blackstar is thinking about it too, but I need more herbs and especially cobwebs, and it would be good to have someone who knows what they're looking for do that."

After speaking, he slowly stood and stretched a little to wake himself up. It wouldn't do any good if their only medicine cat was delirious with lack of sleep, though he refused to acknowledge he would reach that point soon. There were more cats to treat. Once that was done, then he could rest for a while, and hopefully he wouldn't dream this time. With a flick of his ears, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He needed to be practical right now, and everything else could come after.

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

Because her face was singing with pain, Ashpaw was distracted and didn't catch everything Blackstar said, but she decided it didn't matter. She tried to lift herself more upright at the mention of finding mentors, but she just winced instead and then carefully pulled herself to her feet, walking slowly so she didn't have to limp and her expression didn't make her pain very obvious.

Once she successfully weaved her way past her Clanmates, earning mixed looks of sympathy and just plain shock, she settled down heavily next to her mentor and the new deputy, side-eyeing Tigersiege a little bit, though it was probably hard to tell, what with the cobwebs covering half her face. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked, and resolutely did not react to either the pain in her jaw and cheek or the way her voice sounded like it was being dragged over gravel.