Activities:
Salmoncress's shrieks were filling the camp clearing yet again. Except this time the pain she was claiming was real and her cries were heavy with actual fear. She had done this before, she'd given birth quite a few times in fact being a show cat breeder as she was back when she was a kittypet, but she had never given birth feeling this exposed, this cold! She bit down on the stone Dunpond had given her and clenched the other in her paws. Her two mates where perched next to her protectively, Dunpond licking her ears rhythmically and trying to calm Pigeonkit while Stormripple fretted. Asptail, Sunkbrush hurry up! She needs you!" "But she doesn't need you," Asptail snapped, shunting the father-to-be out of the way and maneuvering the queen more gently towards the tunnels. "But-" "Shut it, you're stressing her further. Just go hunt or something! I want you out of camp." Stormripple looked about ready to claw the self righteous medicine cat's ears off and the normally calm Dunpond seemed ready to help. "D-d-dad?" Dandelionbloom had stepped in front of the pair, her fluffed pelt making her look a lot like her name-sake. "D-don't worry. I'll watch out for Pigeonkit and Mom when you're away." The she-cat pulled her younger adoptive sister closer to her chest, poor Pigeonkit whimpering softly at the lack of milk and warmth she was used to. "And we'll watch her," Flaxpool promised, which Dandelionbloom took appreciatively rather than offensively. Stormripple still seemed a bit uncertain but Dunpond nodded and tapped the tom over the shoulders with a tail-tip. "Come on, our kits are completely capable, and so is Salmoncress, she'll be fine." The two mates departed to join the hunting patrol.
"Before we head out to gather much needed food before leaf-bare sets in, there's something you all should know." Sorrelstar managed to keep her mew calm despite the continued screeches from the tunnels. And despite the panic that she tried to keep from flaring up in her chest. "Speckledbeetle has left us." More than a few gasps rose up among the gathered cats, especially from Shadowslip and the kits who had grown up listening to the elder's stories. "Why'd he just leave us?" Frostsong asked, "Especially in the beginning of leaf-bare?" The leader opened her mouth to say something when Malloweyes stepped out of the shadow of the tree line and interrupted her. "He said that he didn't want to drain the clan's resources through leaf-bare by sticking around. More kits on the way meant more mouths to feed and he didn't want to take the food that belonged to the newest generation. I tried to stop him from going but he insisted." The murmurs swelled and quieted again. It did seem like something Speckledbeetle would do. "Who will tell our kits stories then? Shouldn't he have known that he more than makes up for what he eats?" Malloweyes just shook her head sadly to Shadowslip, as if mourning the loss as she was. "He had his own morals and wanted to stick by them. But I am still here to watch over the kits, I would be delighted to in fact." Something about the way the she-cat said it, or maybe the way she peered at Pigeonkit who was batting at the leaves her sister blew at her, didn't sit right with Sleetfoot. He opened his mouth to challenge her when Sorrelstar coughed loudly and the attention returned to her. "Speckledbeetle will be missed but with the snows coming we will not be able to track him down, or should we disrespect his wishes. Instead we must carry on with leaf-bare preparations in his memory."
"Were you there? With Malloweyes? When Speckledbeetle left?" "Y-yes." "Did she tell the truth, is that what really happened?" Cedarslash looked down at her paws, debating briefly whether she should tell the truth or... A vision of Malloweyes sneering her, "I'd hate to lose you," sent a small tremble down her spine. Once you were in with the Beechclan elder there was only one way out, and Cedarslash didn't fancy her chances of getting into Starclan. The only good thing she was capable of now was keeping Sleetfoot from getting mixed up in it all. "Yes," the she-cat mewed, meeting her friend's gaze with her own, equally determined one, "That's exactly what happened." Sleetfoot didn't seem convinced, but he shuffled his paws in the way he did whenever he had something to say but was too scared to. He really is a coward, thank Starclan for that. Maybe she could use that fear to keep him far, far away from it all. Far from me. "There's...there's something else I wanted to ask you." Sleetfoot took a deep breath and a step towards the other warrior. Cedarslash managed to stand her ground. "Would you...would you be my mate?" No! Yes! No! You'll get hurt! I'll get hurt! No! Cedarslash stood stock-still for what felt like forever, emotions battling within her. A small figure, more eyes than anything else in the shadow, narrowed its green lights and then gave a tiny nod. Yes? Was that a yes? "Yes," breathed the she-cat, and Sleetfoot visibly relaxed. But Cedarslash couldn't, not even when her...mate presented her with a heart shaped stone and began joking about how hard it had been to get, not until Malloweyes smirked slightly and then turned tail, freeing her from the petrifying gaze. "Hah oh yeah, you still can't swim now can you?" "Hey! I can...some. You still owe me a bunch of lessons." "Hmm...now so I do."
Speaking of lessons, with Burntsoul back from whatever she had been doing Cougarpaw's and Wisppaw's were finally back on track. Webwing was extremely glad his friend was finally taking responsibility for her charge, even if it did come across as extremely forced. "I'm going to take Cougarpaw to try her paw at fishing, you want to come?" Burntsoul wrinkled her nose at the very suggestion. "Fishing's boring! We're going to learn how to fight, isn't that right Wisppaw?" Wisppaw continued to stare at the knots in a nearby beech tree, only the slightest trembling of his shoulders indicating he was paying attention. "Fighting, are you sure? That doesn't seem like a-" "Some on Webwing! I'll race you to the river!" And Cougarpaw was off like a shot, careening though the forest and just barely missing several roots and boulders. Webwing cursed silently and bounded after his blind apprentice, hoping to catch up with her before she hurt herself. "Stupid apprentices, you have to go and ruin my day every time. I should be out hunting with Webwing, real hunting, or doing something besides waiting on you!" Wisppaw didn't move. "What, nothing to say in your defense?" Burntsoul growled, and got no answer yet again. She was tired of everything, not least her stone-wall of an apprentice. "Fine, let's see if this gets through your thick head!" The she-cat launched herself onto Wisppaw, with claws unsheathed, wrestling with and pinning the tiny apprentice to the ground. "Let's teach you to fight."
Hunting patrol: Sleetfoot, Sorrelstar, Sparksong, Barkknot, Dunpond, Stormripple
Border patrol : Claywhistle, Frostsong, Sunheart, Shadowslip, Flaxpool, Cedarslash
Training: Webwing -> Cougarpaw, Burntsoul -> Wisppaw
Herb gathering: Skunkbrush, Asptail
Becoming mates??? (kits but neither knows): Cedarslash & Sleetfoot
Still meeting Cinderblaze (but not right now): Asptail
Kitting: Salmoncress
x1 large fish consumed- 3 servings, x1 squirrel consumed- 2 servings
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