amethyst14 wrote:Tantoclaw had ran as fast as he could, going to the spot that Willowdusk had told him. He heard the yowling and shortly after could smell the scent of blood. Just as the tom skipped to a halt in the freezing snow he saw the limp body of a grey tabby a cat's tail length from a worry tom. Tanotclaw cleared his throat and asked, "What happened here?" He looked at Mudpuddle.
Muddpuddle's eyes grew wide, "I-I, he attacked us! I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't! I didn't mean to take a life!" The brown tom stared at the limp body of the leader, worried that he would not get back up and scared what the leader might do if he does.
Tantoclaw shook his head, "Go back to camp and see Owlseed, I think Willowdusk is with her too, but you need to take care of that gash on your side there. It looks like it might get infected. Don't worry about Sagestar, I will talk to him, maybe I can get him to calm down." Tantoclaw had no true intention to calm down Sagestar, what the leader did was disgraceful and dishonorable to him. When Mudpuddle was a good ways away Tantoclaw moved closer to Sagestar and shook his head, "Disgraceful flea bag, not even better than your own warrior, a cat you claimed to have trained? He bested you in one verse one combat and you couldn't even hold your own."
Sagestar let out a gasp, his body filling back with life. The leader looked around dazed and scanned the battle area, it all started to come back to him. Sagestar looked at Tantoclaw and growled, "Where is Mudpuddle?! Did that coward flee?" The tom got to his paws and puffed his fur up, a show of strength but not a very good one compared to Tantoclaw.
Tantoclaw shook his head and resisted the urge to roll his eyes and lied, "No I told him to go back to camp and get Owlseed. Sagestar, are you okay? Why did you attack them in the first place?"
Sagestar looked at the deputy, "It is none of your business, they disrespected me, the leader, and I had to put them in their place. Stop asking questions, and leave me be." The leader walked off with fake pride, to Tantoclaw it was a walk of shame and defeat.
Tantoclaw let Sagestar walk off, hopefully that tom won't come back. The deputy instead went back to camp, to check on his clan mates that were injured by Sagestar. When Tantoclaw got back to camp it was oddly quiet, however the closer he got to the medicine cat den the louder it got. He cleared his throat once again and the cats blocking the way moved back for him to get through. He spotted Russetmist and instructed the tom to gather a few others and go on a border patrol before turning to see his mate Snowfeather, "Gather some others and go hunting, we might be okay on prey now but its a tough leaf-bare. Don't take any apprentices hunting with you this time." Nods from the two and cats finally leaving the den made it easier for Tantoclaw to get to Owlseed. "Owlseed, when you finish examining them please come find me in my den, I want to know how they are doing." The quiet molly only nodded as she continued to work.
Later that evening Owlseed came into the deputy's den, "You asked me to come here? I assume you want a report of what will happen to them?" A slight nod was all Owlseed was going to get, to exhausted to really care she let out a sigh and muttered quietly, "Mudpuddle will heal over time, his wounds were deep enough that they will scare instead of healing completely. I will have to keep a closer eye on it to make sure no infection sets in. Perchpaw has a few minor scratches that didn't really need to be looked after, he can resume training any time without concern. As for Willowdusk, Sagestar damaged her eye pretty badly. I fear she will lose the eye or lose the sight in it. Only time will tell for her and I hope Starclan will be on her side."
Tantoclaw nodded, "Thank you Owlseed, that is all I needed from you."
Owlseed turned to leave but stopped before exiting the den, she wanted to ask the deputy where Sagestar was but ended up shaking her head and leaving. Tantoclaw watched the molly fight with her thoughts, not bothering to open his mouth and ask. He was exhausted and wanted to take a nap, but it seems his work was not over with because Mutesoft rushed in his den and laid two kits in front of him, they were cold and smelled unfamiliar to him. There was no point in asking the mute molly where they came from and he doubt the kits would speak to him so he decided to order Mutesoft, "Take them to the nursery and let Dawnflower care for them, I am sure she wont mind in the slightest."
Mutesoft nodded and picked the kits up and left the den, leaving Tantoclaw to his thoughts. A clan full of weak cats, kits should not be in camp, they cause to much trouble for the older cats. If queens can't take care of their own kits then how does this show that these kits are strong? Things are so much different in this clan, my clan was strong, we pushed out the old and weak, there was no room for them in a clan of strong. Tantoclaw eventually fell asleep in the warmth of his den, Snowfeather had returned from her patrol and joined him quietly, making sure not to wake him as she moved into his nest and snuggled against his side.
Meanwhile, back in Owlseed's den Willowdusk and Mudpuddle chatted. They both knew they needed to rest like Owlseed had instructed but they couldn't help but enjoy each other's company as they usually do. This time however, it was more intense. Willowdusk asked Mudpuddle, "Why did you get involved? You could have saved yourself from the injury." She didn't bother whispering, no cat was inside the den but the two injured warriors.
Mudpuddle looked at his paws, feeling the heat rise in his head. He knew he had feelings for the molly, and has had them for a long while but could never bring himself to tell her. Then they were both busy mentoring apprentices that they didn't have much time to hang out and get closer like he wanted. "Well, I didn't like what he was doing, and then when he did what he did to you I just kind of lost it. You are my friend after all." He cringed at what he has said and cursed in his thoughts. He knew if Russetmist where here there would have been snickering in the background.
Willowdusk shook her head, taking the cringe as a sign of pain, "Do you need more poppy seeds? I am sure Owlseed has some more and I can go and get her." Mudpuddle shook his head vigorously and the molly shrugged, "Toms.." she muttered. There was silence now in the den and Willowdusk had started to fall asleep. Just as she felt her eye close she felt a dull ache in the injured one, before she could adjust herself to get comfortable she felt a pelt squish against her and the gentle grooming that came after. She didn't have to open her good eye to know that it was Mudpuddle that laid next to her. She knew he was being cautious as he groomed her and it helped her relax, even the dull ache from before had disappeared.
Mudpuddle finished grooming the molly, not wanting to get to close to the injury. He smiled when he heard her quiet purr, it was warm and comforting to him and that helped him relax. Maybe it even gave him the courage to tell her what came out of his mouth, "Willowdusk, I love you." There was a quiet chuckle from the molly, she didn't move though as she simply said, "I know Mudpuddle. I am also sure that you know I love you as well." Mudpuddle's heart skipped a beat, he did not know and it was nice to hear that his feelings were returned. He purred quietly with her, the two eventually curled together and fell asleep.
───────────────────────
It has been a few weeks since the incident with Sagestar, though he had only returned to camp a few days ago and acting as if nothing had happened. Tantoclaw had grown use to ordering the cats, but it was his job as the deputy to keep the clan moving in the absence of the leader. Things at first were tense and many cats didn't follow Sagestar's orders as they did Tantoclaw's. The deputy noticed too and waited for the leader to give orders first and then repeat them, he wanted to avoid another situation from occurring with the short tempered leader. The clan ran like this for some time though, however the only one seemed bothered by this was Owlseed, she did not understand in the slightest and seeked answers. Answers that Starclan might be able to help her with.
Owlseed made the journey to the now frozen river, just behind the frozen falls was a cave that held the clan's Moonpool. The pool inside never seemed to freeze or get cold like regular water, so it was no surprise that she saw the smooth round stone in the center of a warm pool of water. The medicine cat stepped into the pool and touched her nose to the stone, "Please Starclan, join me in my dreams as I lay here with you." The molly stepped back and out of the water before finding a place to curl up and lay down, she licked some of the water that stuck to her pelt before she started to fall asleep.
Owlseed knew she was dreaming when she woke up in a clearing not blanketed in snow but rich and abundant with the greens of new leaf. Her mentor Archpool had come to her with a cat that looked so much like her, was this her mother? Archpool was the one to speak first, "Owlseed, this is Owldust. She is your mother, but we are not here to chat. I came here to warn you, you need to prepare what you can and leave. Leave to the place where you found help or you will fall to the tragedy. Don't worry about Briarclan, we will guide them there later but you need to leave today and don't hesitate."
Owlseed shook her head, "Wait, I want to ask why? Not why leave, but why are you letting Briarclan suffer through Sagestar? Why did Starclan give him the nine lives and become leader?"
Archpool shook his head, "His nine lives are not from Starclan, they are from the dark forest. Do not worry though, Starclan will help with what we can but the cats of Briarclan are not controlled by us, the cats need to make their own decisions and those are not always the best decisions to be made. Go now, you need to leave with what you can and don't come back. Your mother will look after you from here, but leave the rest to us." Just then Owlseed looked around and spotted all the pelts of cats that have died, she couldn't help but feel the grief and loss that they all suffered, never to grow old with their families. Lives taken by Sagestar.
Owlseed nodded and closed her eyes, when she opened them once again she was back inside the cave. The molly knew she was not alone when she heard the coos and hoots of an owl perched on a boulder in the cave. It was a snow owl with black splashes on it's feather, "Mother?" she whispered to the bird, only a hoot was replied. It took a moment for Owlseed to start moving, leading the way out of the cave and down the slippery slope that lead to the opening.
When Owlseed made it back to camp she looked around, the owl perched itself on a tree just above the entrance to the camp. The medicine cat dipped into her den and did what felt right, she grabbed a beech leaf that she had gathered a while back and tested it, it was still bendy enough that it would not crack or break. The molly managed to wrap a paw full of herbs in the giant leaf before carrying it out, cautious enough to make sure she did not run into any cat.
There was a loud hoot from the owl at the entrance before Sagestar appeared in front of Owlseed, "What are you doing?" he growled.
Owlseed laid down the bundle and shivered, "I was just discarding some of the old herbs, the snow made them freeze and crack so they are no good to me now." Hopefully he would buy this excuse and let her leave.
Sagestar rolled his eyes, "Fine, what ever, when you get back come and see me. I think Tantoclaw is plotting against me to be leader so I need your help to help me rid him from camp."
Owlseed looked wide eyed at the leader, he only turned and walked away from her. A hoot from the owl once again brought her back to her senses and she moved quickly now, if she wasn't back soon then Sagestar will know what she was planning. He would know where she is at too, the snow will show her trail. She was wrong though, the owl that flew behind her covered the trail in a layer of snow as it flew over it. Owlseed only paused once to notice it, thanking her mother with a smile before continuing on.
───────────────────────
Its been a few days since Owlseed had vanished, most of the cats didn't know what happened. Sagestar insisted on calling her a traitor to the clan, however most cats didn't believe him, in fact the wondered if he had killed her for helping Willowdusk and Mudpuddle. Life went on though and the daily routines continued on.
Briarclan woke to a loud humming noise and then went into a panic when trees started to fall and crash down around them. What ever it was caused a panic in camp. Cats scattered everywhere before Tantoclaw yowled, "Stay calm! Everyone get to the meadow!"
"No! Go to the river! We will be safer there!" Sagestar yowled above Tantoclaw, there was no hesitation with the cats as they all started to head to the river. Sagestar, leading the way.
Tantoclaw was the one that stayed behind to help Dawnflower with the kits, the older ones could run on their own with the rest of the clan. Just then the monster crashed into camp, bulldozing over the medicine cat's den first and then heading towards the nursery. Tantoclaw knew they were not all going to make it and grabbed the nearest kit he could before darting out of the way. However Dawnflower and a few of the kits did not make it out in time.
Tantoclaw ran with the other kits to the river, a few warriors had come to help him. Sagestar led all the cats inside the cave behind the waterfall, Sagestar let out an irritated growl, "This water is not suppose to freeze like this! This is the Moonpool, this is a safe place for cats!" Several cats gathered around the now frozen pool, curiosity in their eyes but it was masked with fear.
The clan cats had all gathered inside the cave now, however a small few did not make it to the cave, eaten by the monsters that the two legs drove. Sagestar meowed once again, "This is the Moonpool cave, we will all be safe in here."
Tantoclaw felt the ground below him vibrate, "Sagestar, we can't stay in here, we have to leave. This cave is not as safe as you say."
"I said it was safe! That means this cave is safe!" Sagestar roared at the deputy, Tantoclaw didn't flinch back like the others, he only shook his head and took a place towards the back of the cave, a few others took his example and did so as well. It wasn't long until they felt the vibrations and rattling below them. By then rocks started to fall from the ceiling of the cave and crash down onto the cats.
Panic struck Sagestar though and when he went to run out of the cave he was stopped by starry pelts, "This cave is you grave Sagestar!" Cloudstar boomed at the tom, "You followed the Dark Forest and you try to take refuge in the sacred Moonpool. It was you that tainted it and Starclan has moved on from this location."
"Let me through!" Sagestar tried to leap forward but was stopped by even more starry figured cats, the ones he killed and led to their deaths. Large rocks started to fall from the top of the cave now, landing on a few cats as they try to scatter out of the cave, Sagestar then knew that this is where he would die, his remaining lives being torn away from him by Starclan themselves.
Tantoclaw collected the cats that escaped the cave collapse just outside on the river bank, with the humming of monsters in the background cats looked to him. Fright, worry, shock all on their faces, many questions that wanted to be asked. The tom knew what he must do, he was their deputy and now the leader since Sagestar was crushed. He took this time to address the clan, "Cats of Briarclan! As you can see Sagestar took advantage of the clan, all he wanted was power and it went to his head. He was only ever looking out for himself!" Murmurs and nods from the cats before him, he raised his tail slightly and hushed them before continuing, "Starclan has killed many of us so far, they have turned their back on us and it just proves that we must survive without them, what help have they been? The plague! We all suffered loss that day when Sagestar exiled them, where was Starclan? Sagestar's rage and cowardice, where was Starclan? The monsters that destroyed us just hours ago, where was Starclan!? And for those that just died in the cave collapse, where were they?" A brief pause as he looked around and saw that a few cats grew angry, the anger he felt then for Starclan. Tantoclaw knew that Starclan was just a thing for cats to believe in but he knew what these cats before him needed, "I will tell you where! They were sitting by and watching, who knows? Maybe even laughing and causing us this great harm? They never came to help, where was their answers to our prayers? Why were they not there for the cats that had fallen by Sagestar's claws? Why did they give Sagestar the lives of a leader when he clearly did not deserve them, did they want Briarclan to crash down the way it has?"
"What about now? They were here just a moment ago, I saw them! They stopped Sagestar from leaving the cave!" Tantoclaw heard Sparrowclaw shout.
Tantoclaw shrugged, "Why did they not warn us? Why did they not save the innocent cats? What about all the other times they could have saved many warriors, apprentices or even kits? To me that is a sign of weakness, they don't care for us. We are merely a play thing for them to toy around with. They are weak and let the weak lead the great, I think it's time we change. I think it's time for us to move and create our own traditions. Create our own paths and promote the strong. I think it is time we live without the help of Starclan, we can prove to them we don't need their help! We are strong enough to live our own way, because all we have been through and we are still standing here!" Tantoclaw grew silent then, cats shared glances with each other before little by little the others stepped forward and shouted, "Yeah!" or "He's right!" A few moments later and the cheering started, Tantoclaw smiled at them and nodded, "Times will be tough but we cannot call this place home anymore, we must move. The journey will be tough but we will have each other." The tom gave the cats a moment but the humming started to move closer and there was no more time for the clan to grieve for the losses of others, Tantoclaw led the way across the mostly frozen river and into the unknown.
───────────────────────
Tantoclaw woke to the prodding of Sparrowclaw, "Tantoclaw, we should get moving now. I know you had just lost Snowfeather, but you are our leader now and we need you to keep going." Tantoclaw looked at the molly and only nodded. It had been a month now since the clan was on the move, being chased by other clans or predators in a suitable looking spot. The remainder of the clan knew they did not want to remove another clan from their territory and kept going.
Tantoclaw looked back at the two bumps in the ground where they had buried Snowfeather and Mousepaw, though the snow had stopped falling by now it covered the ground still and made it exhausting to walk through the days. The tom closed his eyes and said his final goodbyes to all those that had passed on the journey.
Willowdusk, Mudpuddle, Sunkit and Palekit were the first to pass away. It was the beginning of the clan's journey and they got caught in a blizzard. When morning came by the clan noticed that they were missing and a small search party found them frozen in the snow, Willowdusk and Mudpuddle has twined themselves around Sunkit and Palekit to keep each other warm. It did not work though and the group did not survive. However it did not look like the group had suffered and seemed almost happy and in bliss as if they were asleep when they succumbed to the cold together.
Sandswift, Newtpad and Rustlesky died next. Though it was not all at once but close enough that they were buried by each other. Sandswift had died shortly after Newtpad, the group of cats had to run from a pack of wolves that ambushed them. Everyone made it out okay but that night the two had died in their sleep, their bodies showed their exhaustion even after death. A week later the clan had found out that Rustlesky had not eaten and refused to eat before the others ate, he eventually fell into a coma and passed away. The clan mourned for them for a week before Tantoclaw kept them moving.
Mousepaw and Snowfeather were the most recent deaths. Tantoclaw was to eager to find the clan a place to call home and it started to show on the others. However it did not stop him from pressuring them to move, however the death of his mate made him see that not all could keep up with him. It was an eye opener to him and he allowed the clan to rest for a few days while he took the task and dug the graves for Snowfeather and Mousepaw.
"Tantoclaw, Tantoclaw!" Murdochdash came running to the leader. "It's Rockpounce! He's not moving!"
"What? Another cat?!" Tantoclaw meowed before following the young tom to the thin, limp body. Rockpounce was curled up and there was no signs of life coming from the tom, not even a shallow breathe. Tantoclaw hissed and cursed himself, to him this was his doing and he should be more mindful of the others. The tom turned to the gathered cats, sadness in his eyes, "Rockpounce has passed away. By the looks of it, it was in his sleep and possibly due to hunger. This is my fault, I should be more mindful that we still need to hunt and rest for ourselves. I promise that there will be no more deaths on this journey, and I hope we find a new home soon." With that Tantoclaw turned to dig yet another hole next to Snowfeather and Mousepaw, he let the others mourn for the fallen while he stayed quiet.
───────────────────────
[[Death from Human Monsters] Nightkit, Fungikit, Dawnflower, Mottledheart and Robinshine.
[Death from Cave Collapse] Sagestar, Mutesoft, Lightningeye, Brambletuft, Needlenose, and Dewkit.
[Death from Exhaustion on Journey] Mousepaw, Sandswift, Newtpad, and Snowfeather.
[Death from Hunger on Journey] Rockpounce and Rustlesky.
[Death from Cold on Journey] Willowdusk, Mudpuddle, Sunkit, and Palekit.
[Ran away/Lost] Perchpaw got frightened and kept on running from all the commotion, never to look back(As if he could).
[Leaving] Tragedy struck and the clan is on the move with the remainder of the living cats. A few cats die from hunger and exhaustion while others die of the freezing cold nights out in the open. Tantoclaw leads them on a 3 moon journey, until they finally reach a suitable place to live, far from the monstrous humans and the evil lands they once called home.]
imagination 
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/28157674_2036272836647336_5502986028354371584_n-5a949fc5ae9ab80037974a91.jpg){kind=link}
