ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ :: вυιℓ∂ιηg нσρє

[juuchanisu]

1 on 1 roleplay with @The Octopus Garden

It came so fast...all I saw was bright red and orange, blurring my vision as I tried to hurriedly get out of the forest. The wildfire spread quickly, killing all of my precious clanmates. It was devastating...




= = =

​

"Snowfeather! Get out of here! Grab the kits and run! Get to the river, now!" Whitewing yelled out, holding three small baby kits in her jaw. The kits wailed frantically. Snowfeather's eyes widen as he grabbed the kits before turning to her mother.

"What about you?" Snowfeather asked, her voice muffled by the crackling sound of the forest bruning. Whitewing smiled sadly.

"I'm going to get all these kits out, make sure all the apprentices are safe! Please, be a dear do not fret, my daughter." Whitewing meowed, before jumping back into the burning camp. Snowfeather's eyes widen.

"Mother! You can't! You just gave birth!" Snowfeather cried out. It was too late. Her mother had went back to save the apprentices.

"Snowfeather! Hurry! Get those kits to safety!" Cedarstar commanded. Snowfeather turned to find Cedarstar carrying a pair of kits in his own jars. Snowfeather nodded, running toward the river, Cedarstar following close behind.​

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Fire!





The screeches of his clanmates rang in Sandpaw's ears as the tom snapped into consciousness. A haze of black smoke and harsh orange light swirled around the apprentice den, shrouding the path to the entrance. Sandpaw's heart thudded in his chest as panic began to set in. Where was the fire? Could he get out? He couldn't get out, could he? It was too late. It was too late.

*****

​

"Birdsong!" Ashwind's howl breeched through the roar of the fire. "Birdsong, where are you?" The apprentice had to find his mentor. Their clanmates needed them!


"Head for the river!" Ashwind's head snapped around to witness Mistyeyes just a few tail lengths away from him. Her brown pelt was ruffled and her blue eyes were wide and blazing.


"I need to find Birdsong," Ashwind argued with her. "We need to help everyone out!"


"It won't do us any good if both are medicine cats die in the fire," Mistyeyes countered with a lash of her tail. "Head for the river!" The brown she-cat whipped around and started for the entrance of the camp.

*****

​

Blackfire charged towards the elders den, twisting and halting throughout her journey to avoid getting eaten by the ravenous flames that were rapidly devouring her home. Above her, smoke that rivaled the color of her pelt blocked the moon from sight, leaving only the light of the fire to guide her path.


"I'm coming to get you, Crowtail!" Blackfire yowled to her father.


A terrible crackling answered her. Blackfire skidded to a stop as the tree she once climbed as a kit came sailing down just a few fox lengths ahead of her, collapsing on the ground with a tremendous thud right in front of the elder's den entrance.


No. No no. This can't be happening...

 

[juuchanisu]

"Sandpaw! Sandpaw, don't give up!" Rosepaw mewed as she kept low to the ground. She nudged her brother, "Don't worry! We'll get out! Please, don't give up!" Rosepaw cried gently. "Kestrelpaw is on the other side! Hurry!" she urged.


"Sandpaw? Rosepaw?" Sparrowtail called out, "Sandpaw?! Rosepaw?!"


"Daddy, we're in here! We can't get out!" Rosepaw called back out.


- - -


Birdsong coughed as she weaved through the fire, Riversong and Rowanfur flanking her. Riversong nudged the medicine cat, "Keep on going Birdsong! We're almost to the river," she cooed gently. Rowanfur coughed. Riversong looked over to Rowanfur, "Please, stay strong Rowanfur! We can't lose our medicine cat!" she mewed. Rowanfur coughed against, nodding.


- - -


A yowl of pain made Snowfeather freeze as she quickly spun around to find Cedarstar falling over. "Cedarstar!" her muffled voice cried out. "Cedarstar, are you alright?!" she asked. Cedarstar groaned as he weakly got up.


"G-et the kits...to safety..." he groaned. Snowfeather bounded over to him, crouching down. "T-Tigerkit...N-Nightkit...climb onto Snowfeather...." he groaned, dropping the kits. The kits scrambled over to Snowfeather, climbing onto her back and biting harshly on her fur, making sure not to fall down.


"D-Daddy, are you going to be alright?" Tigerkit whimpered.


"Don't worry about me...I love you...take care of my kits, ok, Snowfeather?" Cedarstar grinned.


Snowfeather's eyes widen. "C-cedarstar! What about Amberflight?! She'll be devastated!"


"I..I can't...I don't have the effort...just get to safety...Amberflight is waiting for them..." Cedarstar grinned. Snowfeather's blue eyes were widen in fear before nodding, running toward the river.

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Sandpaw’s gaze darted to the side at his sibling’s voice. His eyes fell on Rosepaw and he felt some relief trickle down his back when she nudged him, but it small in comparison to the fear that had every hair on his pelt standing on end. Where had the fire come from? Sandpaw remembered falling sleep to the dull throb of thunder just outside the apprentice den. He thought it had meant a rainstorm was approaching. Why couldn’t it have been rain and not this?


“Father!” Sandpaw found his voice when he could hear Sparrowtail’s calls outside of the den. “Father, please help us! We’re trapped!” Sandpaw’s mew cracked into a cough as the young tom inhaled smoke from the flames.

*****

​

Ashwind watched Mistyeyes go, despair filling his blue eyes when he realized she was right. Birdsong—if she was still in camp—would have wanted it that way. Besides, maybe she had already left. He just had to find whomever he could and get out while he still had the chance.


Looking around, Ashwind spotted a familiar shape through the fire. She was standing with her hackles raised, staring at a tree that had fallen over with a crash that had resonated throughout the forest. Ashwind rushed to her side, butting her in the flank to get her attention. She didn’t turn to look at him.


“We have to get out of here,” he hissed.


“The elders,” she choked out, unable to tear her gaze away from the inflamed tree. “The elders, they’re—“


“I know, Blackfire. I know.” Ashwind’s eyes clouded with pain. “There’s nothing we can do for them now. We have to get out of here.”


Blackfire didn’t respond. Ashwind grasped her leg and tugged on it roughly.


“We have to get out of here,” he repeated, more urgently. “Please, Blackfire. Listen to me!”


The she-cat wrenched her gaze away from the scene and nodded weakly. Turning tail, the cats streaked away from the camp side by side. Their paws thumped hard against the tarnished earth as they darted in the direction of the river, away from the fire.

 

[juuchanisu]

"Sandpaw! Don't push yourself, son! Do you see an opening of any sort? Just big enough to fit you and Rosepaw?" Sparrowtail asked, his voice cracking. He kept his voice low, murmuring lowly to Kestrelpaw and Squrrielpaw. "If you see an exit, run through it quickly, but be careful!" Rosepaw glanced over, before spotting a large hole made by two branches. She nudged her brother.


"I see one, father! And it's on the other side!" Rosepaw shouted, before coughing.


"Great! Run through it, then run toward the river! I will join you guys soon!" Sparrowtail told them. Rosepaw nodded.


"Alright! Come on Sandpaw! We have to do it!" she told her brother, before crashing through the two branches. The cream-colored she-cat got out safely, waiting on the other side for her brother.


- - -


Snowfeather, Birdsong, Rowanfur, Riversong and Amberlight stood by the river with a few kits swarming the pure white she-cat. Snowfeather had told the deputy the devastating news, making Amberlight burst into tears.


"N-no...he's not dead yet!"


"He's on one life, Amberlife! It's no use!" Snowfeather objected. Amberlight shook her head, before turning to the fire.


"Get the kits and Birdsong onto the other side. I'm going back in. I will save my mate and the others," Amberlight hissed. Snowfeather's eyes widen.


"What?! No! You can't!" But it was too late. Amberlight had dived into the burning fire, looking for her mate.

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Sandpaw listened intently to his father’s instructions. Sure enough, the large hole Rosepaw pointed out came to the apprentice’s attention and the tan-furred tom took off full tilt in its direction. A fresh wound of panic set in when the tom’s pelt got snagged on one of the branches, but Sandpaw managed to wriggle his way free. Panting, he joined his sister on the other side.


“Let’s go!” he gasped.

*****

​

Through the whirlwind of smoke and flames, Ashwind and Blackfire managed to find their way through the rapidly dissolving camp and to the river. When Ashwind caught sight of his mentor and the group of surviving cats, he breathed out a soft, “Thank StarClan.”


The tom crossed the river carefully, craning his head back every once and awhile to make sure Blackfire was still following him. The she-cat’s eyes were dull and her movement was rigid, but she was moving along right behind him. Within a few more leaps and bounds, the pair were back with their clanmates.


“Where’s Cedarstar and Amberflight?” the gray tom asked tentatively.

 

[juuchanisu]

Rosepaw and Sandpaw manage to meet up with the other apprentices and survivors, breathing heavily. Rosepaw looked up, "All the kits are here..but Poppyseed's..." she mewed, fearfully looking up. Snowfeather averted her eyes.


"I only manage to get my siblings and Cedarstar's and Amberlight's kits out..." she mewed, brushing her tail over five kits. Rosepaw's eyes widen.


"But...but..." Rosepaw objected, walking forward, "We needed to get all the kits out!"


Riversong sighed, "Rosepaw, fear not. Birdsong manage to get one surviving kit." The beautiful she-cat mewed. Birdsong reached over and grabbed the barely breathing kit. "She's young, but Birdsong says she'll live...as long as we stay away from the smoke. While for you question," Riversong dipped her head to Ashwind, "...Cedarstar and Amberlight didn't survive. We can't wait for anymore survirors. The fire will spread, and we need to get the kits and apprentices to safety," Riversong meowed.


Snowfeather sighed, "Alright. What Riversong said." she mewed. She looked over the five-now six- kits remaining. "We have Tigerkit, Nightkit, Dewkit, Icekit, Dawnkit, and finally, Larchkit." She listed off each kit, brushing each kit's forehead with her nose.


Riversong glanced at the group, "And the remainings of FeatherClan are me, Riversong, Snowfeather, Rowanfur, Blackfire, Ashwind, Birdsong, Rosepaw, Kestrelpaw, Squirrelpaw and finally, Sandpaw." she mewed, sadness weaved through her tone of voice. She dipped her head, hiding her eyes. "FeatherClan has died in the fire..."

 

[The Octopus Garden]

"They—they didn't make it?" Ashwind stared at Riversing, alarm in his blue eyes. Blackfire bowed her head and Sandpaw stared down at his paws. "That can't be..." Ashwind shook his head slowly, disbelieving. There was no way both the leader and the deputy of their clan were dead. They couldn't be dead. The clan needed them.


"FeatherClan is not dead!" Mistyeyes spoke up from among the tattered group of survivors. She whipped her tail defiantly, casting Riversong a glare. "I didn't risk my pelt getting out of that fire just to give up in the end," she pointed out.


"Didn't you hear her, Mistyeyes? Our leaders are dead." Blackfire had lifted her head and was now staring at the she-cat. Her ears were back and her pelt was bristling. "What are we supposed to do without them?" She looked along the ranks of cats around her, waiting for an answer.


"Well—" Mistyeyes paused, stuck on a reply.


"What about the medicine cats?" Sandpaw piped up softly from behind Mistyeyes.


"Yes, the medicine cats!" Mistyeyes gazed hopefully at Ashwind and Birdsong. "Has StarClan given you any signs recently?" she asked.


Ashwind's eyes wandered to his mentor's briefly and he scuffled his paws in the dirt. "Well..." he began uncertainly. "I mean, StarClan never spoke to me about the fire. There were no warnings, but—" Ashwind glanced at his mentor, hoping for her support on the matter.

 

[juuchanisu]

Birdsong twitched under the gaze of the remaining warrior cats. She turned her head and crossed the river, saying nothing other than: "Come on, we must get the kits and apprentices far away from the smoke."


Riversong flickered her ears in annoyance. Of course Birdsong would avoid the subject. She never says anything that has to do with StarClan, and only speaks when Cedarstar and Amberlight says so. Sure, she would share some information with her apprentice, but it was rare. She sighed as she scooped up a kit and crossed the river, Snowfeather and the others following with a kit in their mouth.


"I think..." Snowfeather started, her voice muffled by Tigerkit's fur, "I think we should appoint Riversong and Mistyeyes as our temporary deputy and leader. They show great leadership, do they not?" she said.


Rowanfur made a grunt sound, "Temporarily? Why not assign them now?" he asked.


"We should wait until StarClan says something," Snowfeather answered.


"Or if Birdsong said something," Riversong sneered quietly. Obviously, Birdsong heard and flickered her tail in annoyance.

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Ashwind couldn't hide his disappointment when Birdsong refused to give an answer. In times like this, when their clan was scrambling for a shard of light to guide them through the dark hours of the night, even a comforting lie would be better than her silence. The big gray tom swallowed his sadness and picked up one of the kits in his mouth, resigned to follow his clanmates.


"Let's focus on finding shelter first," Mistyeyes suggested to her companions. "We can decide on leaders later—or when StarClan decrees it," she added with a small dip of her head to Snowfeather.


Blackfire's whiskers twitched irritably at the she-cat's words. Great StarClan, she hoped their ancestors wouldn't put her in charge. The black she-cat pushed her way past Mistyeyes and soon found herself traveling alongside Riversong.


"Where are we going to go?" Sandpaw spoke the question that had to be on every cat's mind. He glanced back once in the direction of their old home, worry filling his eyes. "What about the other cats—the ones who make it. How will they know where to find us?" He thought of his father, Sparrowtail. Sooner or later, the tom would come looking for his two kits. How would he know where to find them if they left?

 

[juuchanisu]

Birdsong flickered her tail, "They won't be able to find us. Maybe trail our scent? But it was washed away by the river." She said bluntly. Riversong sighed, her eyebrow furrowing.


"Birdsong, please for Starclan's sake, be quiet. You're no help right now," Riversong hissed. Snowfeather and Rowanfur sighed as they looked at each other and followed down the trail.


Rosepaw frowned, "We're not gonna become warriors...?" she asked in a small voice. Snowfeather turned her head slightly, before cracking a small sad smile.


"Maybe, Rosepaw. You guys will be named warriors soon, it just won't be by...our leader," Snowfeather meowed, refusing to say her ex-mate's name. Rowanfur saw the discomfort, and settle his tail on her shoulder, whilst flanking her in comfort. "For now, we'll walk until sundown, and probably take shelter in the woods. I just hope we don't find any hostile cats. We can't afford to lose anybody or get injured, seeing as our medicine cat doesn't have her supplies."

 

[The Octopus Garden]

"If there are more survivors, I'm sure StarClan will guide them to us," Ashwind reassured his clanmates, casting his mentor a look in the process. It was almost as though he was challenging her to disagree with him.


Sandpaw dragged his tail along behind him as he walked. Even with Ashwind's word, he couldn't help but doubt the power of his ancestors. If they were the ones in control, couldn't they have found a way to prevent half the clan from burning in the flames? Perhaps they couldn't stop the fire, but a warning would have given them time to evacuate. Had their ancestors foresaken them?


"The last time we scented rogues or other intruders near the woods was about a half-moon ago," Blackfire reported, ears twitching. "I don't think we'll run into trouble, but we should tread with caution."


Mistyeyes flicked her tail. The woods. She had no love for that part of the forest. The endless trees that stretched far and wide made it almost impossible to see the sky, and in the places where the sky was visible, the territory was marshlands. She loathed the idea of getting her paws wet, but she didn't make a second suggestion. Where else could her clan go? They could go to the barn, but it was near Twolegplace and there was the risk of being trampled by the large cloud-like creatures who lived there. The woods was the most viable option for them at the moment.

 

[juuchanisu]

"We can't really call them intruders if they're not intruding in our land, can we? After all, FeatherClan died with the fire. We're the only survivors, or unless they're a few other cats from FeatherClan that had survived as well." Birdsong meowed as she walked across the field, her eyes flickering around.


They were in the plain fields, one past the river where none knew about. Have they been here before, probably not. FeatherClan's territory stretched up to the lake, and nobody in their group of the survivors had been outside, excluding Birdsong as she had traveled a bit further away to search for some herbs that didn't grew in the grassland that FeatherClan was used too. Climbing up a small ledge, Birdsong settled the kit she was carrying and looked around, looking for a den of somesort.


Snowfeather flanked the medicine cat, then looked down. The ledge they were standing on had a small opening, enough to fit two warriors and ktis. However, it wasn't enough room for all the cats they had. Jumping off the semi-high ledge, with a kit in her mouth as she looked at the den, then back into the sky. "Sundown is coming soon. We should stop here and rest. We can fit a few warriors in here, but for now all apprentices near the back, kittens in the middle and warriors outside. We'll keep at least two on guard," Snowfeather suggested.


Rowanfur let out a gruff laugh, speaking up for the first time. "Snowfeather, you would think that you'd be a leader or deputy," he remarked at the beautiful she-cat. She blushed and looked away.


"That's not true. Riversong and Mistyeyes are the best choice to take over FeatherClan," she meowed, glancing up respectively at the two she-cats. Riversong looked at Snowfeather before flickering her tail.


"Let's not talk about it. For now, we'll do what Snowfeather says. Rowanfur and I will go hunt for some freshkill. Blackfire, take Krestelpaw, Squirrelpaw out for a hunt. Sandpaw, Rosepaw you'll keep lookout for any intruders, can you do that?"


"Mhm!" Rosepaw smiled, nodding.


"Alright. We'll settle down for now."

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Blackfire grunted in acknowledgement and gestured with her tail for the two apprentices to follow her. She wasn't positive they would have much luck hunting tonight; the fire had likely spooked the majority of the prey out of the area. After mulling over it for a moment, the she-cat decided to take to the woods. She didn't have a problem with dense forestry, and she figured they would have more luck finding something the further away they went from their own home.


"We can do that," Sandpaw agreed quietly. Keeping guard for their clan would make good practice for when they had to hold their silent vigil as warriors—if he and the other apprentices became warriors, that was. Sandpaw's stomach twisted with anxiety. The uncertainty of their future unsettled him. FeatherClan had been around since before Cedarstar, their former leader, had been a kit in his mother's belly. The apprentice thought his clan would remain forever, but a band of ravenous flames had changed that. What would happen to them now, the survivors? What did their ancestors have in store for them?


There was one cat within the ranks who intended to find out. If StarClan wasn't going to come to them, then Ashwind was going to head for Moongrove and speak to his ancestors himself. The gray tom couldn't sit idly by and do nothing after the disaster that had taken his clanmates' home and kin. He had to get answers.


Ashwind glanced around, checking to see that the area was clear. Those were going out hunting were starting to file out of the makeshift campsite while the rest were busy settling in for the night. The tom slunk past the stationed guards, out of the camp. Moongrove was a journey that would take him until sunrise to get there and back to camp, but the tom was willing to sacrifice sleep for the good of his clanmates. He would come back with something to help them. He had to.

 

[juuchanisu]

The two toms padded over to the small she-cat, glancing around the field they decided to take shelter on. Squirrelpaw yawned, his eyes narrowing. "How are we gonna feed everybody? We have kits, us..." He started, his tail flickered as he padded beside the warrior. "We can be hunting in somebody's territory for all we know," he mewed. Krestelpaw nodded his head.


"Yeah, Squirrelpaw has a point. What happen if we run into another clan?" He asked.


- - -


Birdsong glanced around, trying to find her apprentice. She had needed him to find some basic medicine cat needs, seeing as they do have kits to tend too. However, she found nothing. No glimpse of his gray fur, his long whiskers. Nothing. Growling, she knew what he probably went off to do, but it didn't bother to ask.


"Have you guys seen Ashwind?" she meowed, slipping out of the den that the kits lay, exhausted and tired. Snowfeather turned around, who was tending some wounds to Mistyeyes. She shook her head.


"I haven't seen him since we settled down. Are the kits okay?" the beautiful white cat meowed, standing on all fours and trotting over to Birdsong.


The black and white she-cat nodded, "Yes. A few of them need to be out in fresh air to clear their lungs, but they should be okay. They must have some space, enough to breathe and walk without any problem," she meowed.

 

[The Octopus Garden]

"If there was another clan who lived nearby us, we would know," Blackfire answered as she padded through the grassy field. "If they were tactful, they would mark their territory." The she-cat flicked her tail. "If we do run into other cats that happen to be hostile, we'll retreat. We don't need a fight right now. In fact, it would be best if we avoided areas with fresh cat scent entirely. We were born with noses for a reason, you know.


"If there's not enough prey for everyone, we'll have to ration the catch," Blackfire continued, pausing to scent the area before she went on. "It'll be like what we do in leaf-bare. Kits, the injured, and—" Blackfire broke off, the word 'elders' sticking in her throat. "—a-and then the rest of the clan will get their share, if there's anything left."

*****

​

Mistyeyes lifted her head at the mentioning of Ashwind. The gray tom was a good friend of hers. She'd grown up with him as kits and had trained with him up to the point where he became Birdsong's apprentice. Even with his change in calling, the pair had remained close. She didn't understand his fascination with herbs, but she knew from the beginning that her friend would make a better medicine cat than a warrior any day. His head had always been stuck in the clouds, away from hunting and battle training.


"I can look for him, if you like," Mistyeyes offered, slowly rising to her feet with a small grunt. In the midst of escaping, the she-cat had managed to scrape her shoulder up while whipping past a thorn bush. It stung, but she could ignore the scratches. Finding her mousebrained friend was of primary importance to her.

 

[juuchanisu]

"No, no, no. You're wounds are still fresh, so we need to clean those up," Snowfeather meowed as she gently pushed the sandy-colored she-cat back down, her eyes fill with worry. "Just rest for now. I'm sure Ashwind is find, right Birdsong?" Snowfeather meowed as she turned to the Medicine cat, however the white she-cat was ignored when she realized her medicine cat was glancing back toward the clans, more like at Moongrove. "...Birdsong?"


"That mousebrained tom went to Moongrave, to see if StarClan will help us," Birdsong hissed, sitting down and wrapping her tail around her paws. "Let him be. If he wants the answers, then let him have it. I'm not stopping him," the she-cat spat, making Snowfeather's fur bristle.


"Birdsong! How could you say that about Ashwind! Ashwind is your apprentice! You should be worried about him!" Snowfeather cried out, then the sudden wailing of the kit from the den they makeshift made her lower her voice. "If anything happens to Ashwind, it's your fault." she hissed.

***

​

Squirrelpaw and Krestelpaw nodded in understanding, "So...you're saying we'll just catch enough to feed the clan? Alright..." Squirrelpaw mewed. The tom looked over at the fields, where the still burning forest was seen from miles away. His eyes soften as tears threaten to pour out. His clan...

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Since when did you become a medicine cat? Mistyeyes had to refrain from voicing her retort. She knew Snowfeather was just trying to help, but honestly, Mistyeyes was fine. She didn't need her clanmate fretting over her like a mother would a kit. She could handle herself fine; she always did.


Mistyeyes curled her lip, once again holding back some choice words—though this time her irritation was directed towards Birdsong. She'd always gotten the vibe that the she-cat cared more for her work than for the wellbeing of her clanmates. She was cold and aloof; Mistyeyes assumed she always had been. The she-cat did not envy her friend for his mentor, that was sure. To study under Birdsong was a test of endurance in its own.


"At least let me speak to the guards to see if they saw anything," Mistyeyes spoke to Snowfeather, meeting eyes with the white she-cat. "Perhaps he said something to them on his way out? It may be worth asking." Mistyeyes once again rose to her paws.

*****

​

Blackfire allowed silence to lapse over the hunting party as they trekked into the beginnings of the woods. The sky quickly disappeared as she immersed herself in the undergrowth, buried beneath a haze of trees. The she-cat tasted the air, concentrating on scents through the thick aroma of leaves and plants.


"I don't scent any prey nearby," she whispered to the group. "There's was a squirrel, but it's stale. Let's keep going."

 

[juuchanisu]

Snowfeather sighed, before nodding. She trotted back to the den where the kits laid and curled up, wanting to rest and pretend nothing happened. She hoped that when she woke up that she'd be in her clan camp and it was all a horrible dream. She propped her head on her paws as the kits curled up against her, seeing as she was a large cat enough to provide warmth for the tiny kits.


Birdsong gave a gruff sound before padding over to the edge of the forest, not far from the camp to check for anything that might help with wounds. "I'll need to find something to carry my herbs..." she mumbled.


Rosepaw's ears perked when she heard somebody trot over. She turned her head to find Mistyeyes, "Hi Mistyeyes. What can we do for you?" she asked with a smile.


- - -


"Gee, how do forest cats hunt? It's so hard to hunt for anything when all you can spell is ferns," Squirrelpaw mumbled as they kept walking. His ears twitched, however, when he heard something scurrying along the ground, not far from him. His ginger tail raised, indicating he can hear and smell something. He bounced into hunting position, and began to stalk slowly toward the sound, his nose twitching.


Krestelpaw, however was looking at something in the branches, wanting a bird to snack on. But he knew all too well he can't be picky, seeing as their home just got destroyed. Biting on his bottom lip, he kept looking around, staying silent as he watched in the corner of his eye, Squirrelpaw hunting.

 

[The Octopus Garden]

"Have either of you seen Ashwind?" the brown she-cat asked the apprentices. "He's not in the camp at the moment. Birdsong was wondering where he went." That wasn't entirely true—Birdsong seemed to already know where the gray tom had wandered off to—but Mistyeyes didn't want to alarm the two cats with the medicine cat's indifference towards her apprentice's safety.


Sandpaw shook his head a little. He hadn't seen the medicine cat apprentice. He glanced over at his sister, wondering if the she-cat had caught a trace of the gray tom during their watch.

*****

​

Blackfire let out a soft note of agreement. Hunting in the forest was hard with all the vegetation wreathing around her paws, tangling her up. The future seemed too far away and hazy to think about, but she hoped that if her clan moved, they wouldn't end up somewhere like this. It was too messy for FeatherClan paws to tread.


The dark she-cat spotted something small sat beside a tall oak tree. Venturing closer on silent paws, Blackfire managed to move in on the prey—a shrew—and snagged it with her paws, killing it with a lethal bite to its neck. The she-cat proceeded to dig a hole in the earth and bury the prey, planning to pick it up later once they finished hunting. It wouldn't feed more than a single cat, but after the day her clan had endured, the she-cat was grateful to have caught anything.

*****

​

(Sorry for the wait. Real life and writer's block got in the way with my rping. >.> Everything's seemed to have cleared up now however, so hopefully I'll be able to get in every-other day updates at the least for you in the future. c: )

 

[juuchanisu]

Rosepaw shook her head at the warrior's question. Her tail flickered, "I haven't. Is it bad? I can go find Blackfire and the other apprentices to go search for him," she meowed. A soft breeze brushed against the small groups of cats and Rosepaw shivered, "I hate cold..." she grumbled.


Snowfeather walked up to Mistyeyes, resting her tail on her shoulder, "Mistyeyes, fear not. Ashwind knows what he's doing. He knows where we are and we won't depart without him," she mewed. "If he's not back by sunrise, we'll search."


~


Squirrelpaw buried his prey along side Blackfire's, a sigh leaving his lips. "We only got two prey, not enough to feed everyone," he meowed, scratching the dirt floor.


Krestelpaw gave him a grim smile, "There is also Rowanfur and Riversong hunting," he mewed. "They might have better luck. After all, it's the two best hunters together, there's no doubt they'll have at least a pile of prey! I want to be just like them when I grow up!"

 

[The Octopus Garden]

Mistyeyes shot Snowfeather a warning glare and stepped pointedly to the side, just out of the reach of her tail. She was not in the mood to be comforted like a kit by the other she-cat—in front of a pair of apprentices, no less.


"No, it's fine," Mistyeyes answered Rosepaw, meeting the younger she-cat's eyes briefly before her gaze flickered to the woodland ahead. "I was just wondering if you'd seen him before he left is all." When the gray tom came back, he would be getting an earful from Mistyeyes, that was certain. The she-cat flicked her tail in irritation.

*****

​

"In time, I'm sure you will be," Blackfire responded, giving Krestelpaw a small nod. "Come on, let's continue." Blackfire tasted the air, catching the familiar aroma of mouse on her tongue. She flicked her tail, signaling for her patrol to follow as followed the trail further into the forest.

*****

​

(Hey, should we skip to morning when Ashwind gets back? I don't think there's a lot left to do at this time in the RP, unless you had something else in mind.)

 

[juuchanisu]

( Sure )


Birdsong flickered her tail as she sat on the small hill, watching as the sunrose. The breeze brushed against her fur, making her close her eye and sigh. "Exhausting..." she grumbled, staring up at the still darken sky. It wasn't until she saw the outline of gray fur. "Ah, he's back. Wonder what he has to say..."


"Birdsong?" Riversong yawned, exiting the den as she looked up at the medicine cat, "Something wrong?" she meowed, glancing over her shoulder to find Rownfur and Snowfeather curled up together, a surge of jealousy through her. However, she brushed it away as she glanced up the medicine cat, who was watching her with unnerving gaze.


The brown she-cat shook her head, "Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep, we won't leave until later. We're in no rush," she meowed.


Riversong opened her mouth to protest, but the small weak mewl of one of the kits made her shut up. "I'm gonna go get some water for the kits, I'll be back."

 

[The Octopus Garden]

The sun was scarcely breaking through the sky by the time Ashwind returned to the makeshift camp. The trip to Moongrove had left his paws ragged and his mind buzzing with thoughts and worries, but there was a new light in the tom's blue eyes as he padded swiftly through the grassy terrain towards his clanmates. Admittedly his pace slowed a bit when he spotted Birdsong watching him from her place on the hill—he didn't know how kindly the older she-cat had taken to him disappearing on his own last night—but the tom didn't alter his path in an attempt to avoid her. With a deep breath, Ashwind met his mentor at the hill, greeting her with a small dip of his head.


"Birdsong," he spoke to the she-cat, suppressing a yawn as he fought back his exhaustion from the long journey. "I went to Moongrove—"


"You went to Moongrove?" Ashwind lifted his head, immediately regretting it when he met eyes with those of his best friend. The tom ducked his head and avoided the brown she-cat's accusatory glare.


"Mousebrain," Mistyeyes hissed at him. "You went all the way back to home to visit Moongrove? What were you thinking? You could have died!"


"I needed answers, Mistyeyes," Ashwind responded calmly, braving another glance at his friend. The she-cat snorted in reply, her tail twitching back and forth irritably.

 

[juuchanisu]

"And what answers did you get?" Birdsong interrupted, her eyes narrowing at her apprentice. "I believe you didn't get much, but seeing as your eyes are lighting up like fire, I would think you got good news," she meowed, observing Ashwind carefully.


Riversong had came back, with a leaf filled with water. She glanced at the three cats standing outside of the den, nodding lightly in acknowledgement. She entered the den, her tail flickering as she set eyes on Rowanfur and Snowfeather once again. She set down the water for the kits, who lapped it eagerly.


Birdsong was watching, her eyes softening at the sight of kits. The she-cat wished she had kits of her own, but she knew when she took the job as the Medicine Cat apprentice, she wasn't able to have a mate or kits, which internally crushed her but she didn't allow anybody to see it.