Lionstrike returned to camp carrying a large woodchuck for the clan to share. It would be able to feed quite a few cats, so it was prey that would hopefully not go to waste. As he dragged it over to the freshkill pile, he was famished and decided to take a few bits of it, the lion-like warrior swallowing the chunks down hungrily. He then thought back to Yarrowfang, and how disturbing his recent encounter with him had been...But then the tom shrugged off his thoughts and licked his lips of the meal. Satisfied, he settled himself near one of the camp's entrances to stand guard.
Last Edit: Oct 22, 2015 19:22:03 GMT -6 by Deleted
Exiting the nursery, she found that there was a woodchuck in the pile. However, she continued to notice a lack of her mother, or any other cats who had gone to the Gathering for that matter. Frowning, she shook her head. She hoped her mother was okay. Anyway, she ate a share of that Woodchuck, then headed back toward the nursery.
Molefur returned to an oddly barren camp yet again, placing the remains of his ferret in the pile and turning to one of the only cats he currently saw there - Lionstrike.
" Has no one returned yet? It's nearly been an entire day!" He said, with a slightly worried tone in his voice. Where was the rest of his clanmates?
Ravenstar trudged into camp, bent underneath a taxing load. He struggled over to the medicine cat's den, then slowly lowered to the ground. A pale form slipped over his head and onto the ground, leaving the leader's face wet with blood. His back and shoulders were slick with the sticky substance, some of it hardening into a brown crust on his fur.
"Robinpelt!" he demanded, his voice breaking with emotion. Although it felt like a sickly mixture of many, there was only one feeling overtaking him. Anger. In some ways, it numbed him. In others, it burned. It was a confused but powerful anger, aimed at everything and nothing all at once. "ROBINPELT." he practically snarled, a rising growl gurgling in his throat. Saliva hung from his fangs as he scanned the camp around him with a dangerous look.
His eyes dropped down to the wounded warrior at his paws, and for a second, he did not recognize the expressionless face of Ratnose. "Batclaw is hurt," Ravenstar whispered under his breath, his brother's name slipping from his mouth. There was an instance of realization, and he corrected his mistake. "No. Ratnose. He's wounded."
This was all so familiar, and yet... not the same.
Ravenstar slowly looked up, a bead of blood trailing down his forehead. It hesitated at the bridge of his nose, then rushed down to balance on a single whisker. It hung there precariously for a heartbeat. Then it fell.
The hairless white fleshed tom slide off Ravenstar's back. He didn't move. It would be easy to mistake the tom for dead if there wasn't a slight rise and fall of his stomach. He had suffered two deep wounds that caused dark crimson blood to spill from his body, creating a pool of blood around him.
(I really only wanted to post this to get Ratnose in the camp. I'll wait till a medicine cat posts.)
Moonfire had heard Ravenstar enter the camp and was surprised to see Ratnose injured. She slowly walked up to ratnose with a look of worry. "Rotnose" Moonfire said quitly no able to say anything else. She saw that he was brething and she sighed a bit knowing that there was hope for him. "Please be ok Rotnose" Moonfire continued looking up towards Ravenstar. Moonfire hadn't really talked to Ratnose but she still felt worried for him. After all he was still part of her clan. "Anthing ou want help with Ravenstar? I know i'm not a medience cat but i'm here to help if needed" Moonfire finished asking Ravenstar due to be helpful if she could.
Robinpelt pads to the freshkill pile, letting out a simple, "Mph." At the sight of the fairly fresh caracas of a woodchuck. "Good enough." She mews to herself, picking up the remaining half of the deceased creature and beginning to eat. She pads over to the group. "Do you need my assistance?"
Last Edit: Oct 28, 2015 14:37:07 GMT -6 by Deleted
Heading outside, carrying Barkkit by the neck flap, eyes heavily tearing up, she spotted Ashenmane, Ravenstar and Ratnose nearby. Her eyes widened once more. What had happened? Had they been attacked? Had it been /him/? Well, she wasn't sure...But, she deeply wished this wasn't the way they would find out about her kits after returning from the gathering. Setting Barkkit's lifeless form down gently, she looked other cats. "My- My daughter Barkkit has died. I- I'm not sure how it happened." She should have made sure she fed her kits as much as she could. "B-but-" Her eyes were tearing up even more. "I h-hope she'll be buried with respect." She sniffed. "E-excuse me, I still have my remaining kits to take care of..." She headed back to the Nursery, tears still streaming down.
Ratnose felt a stinging pain once again and this caused his eyes to slowly open. At first his vision was blurry and the voices around him were just noises. When his vision began to clear so did his hearing. He slowly looked around, his head still on the ground. He noticed familiar sights, such as the dens, and came to realize he now lay in camp. Listening in, he heard the voice of Shatestorm and the sad news that one of her kits had passed on. Passed on. Why didn't Ratnose passed on? Why was he still alive?
Slowly and painfully, Ratnose lifted himself into a resting position. He looked around and noticed Ravenstar was covered in dried crimson blood. Who's blood? He began to remember what had happened. Talonhawk had showed up and attacked Ashenmane and himself. He had taken to strong blows and was out. Looking at his body, his fur-less body covered in his own blood.
"What happened to Talonhawk?"
As Ratnose asked the question he cringed in pain and tried to calm his ragged breath.
Something had to be wrong. It had to be - his clanmmates would have been back by now if not. And just as those worried thoughts crossed his mind, he realized it was true.
Seeing Ratnose like that, it scared him. This could not bode well for their clan - where were their other clanmmates. Starclan must be...must be sending them some kind of a message.
Or maybe, specifically just to them.
Shadestorm reappeared from the nursery with a small limp body in her jaws. No. One of his perfect, precious daughters. He felt his throat close, in worry and sadness. He came and pressed his nose against her small body; eyes meeting Shadestorm's sad ones with his own. "I'll take care of her. I will bury her for Starclan to find."
For a moment his eyes met his leader's as well - hoping he would be allowed to take this task on himself. It was his child, after all...and his clanmates have other problems to deal with.
"I will return. I'll...I'll gather something. Hunt."
Hunt, and morn...as he slipped out of the camp entrance with his daughter's cradled gently in his jaws.
Her bloody wounds had partially congealed by the time Ashenmane limped her way into camp; gore had dripped from her shoulder wounds staining her lighter ruff pink and red. But she had arrived, with heavy, dragging pawsteps. And she was by far better off than poor Ratnose. She looked towards the fresh-kill pile and grunted in disgust. The food left there was stale.
"Moonfire. Take someone with you and go hunting; we don't care what for." She growled, as she made her way over to Robinpelt and Ravenstar. "I stayed and made sure he wasn't going to sneak back in. Bloody coward," She snarled. Then, she looked around and noticed another lacking figure.
Molefur padded into camp as fast as his paws could carry him, a new bounce in his step as he was determined to be more helpful than horrid in his grief. Ravenstar was there now, as was Ashenmane, and he felt a bit of the worry in his heart lessen as he deposted the remains of the Woodchuck and ripped it into single servings. He set one aside for Shadestorm, but brought the other over to Ashenmane and, seeing that Ratnose was now somewhat conscious, left the other piece close to his fellow warrior.
"I...I thought it would help if I were to go hunting..." He mewed. "I...I can try to get more if someone'd come with me to bring it back. Before night falls, we can bring back a bit, and get rid of..." He looked over his shoulder at the putrifying pile behind him.
"Or...I can do...anything else." He said, bowing his head to Ravenstar. "We just..we weren't so sure. We were worried, about...what was going on. What HAPPENED?"
Ashenmane looked up at Molefur as he placed the strips of meat at her paws, feeling oddly greatful to the young tom. She was feeling bone tired, honestly, and settled down, eating the prey in short, quick bites, wincing as the fastness of her chews caused her shoulder to twinge painfully.
"Thank you, Molefur...perhaps you could join Moonfire. We need prey - we need to be prepared. "
The white skinned tom watched with saddened blue eyes as the Molefur took the body of his lifeless kit out of camp. Ratnose was able to relate to the tom's grief for he did it for both of his kits that Roxy had died birthing. Ratnose said nothing as Molefur disappeared.
Then Ashenmane returned to camp and Ratnose gathered what had happened as he was on his way to passing out. The she-cat had been hurt by Talonhawk and he had done nothing by lay there like a helpless kit. Now with his bitter emotions gone, Ratnose felt a stab to his heart. He had treated Ashenmane so poorly because he's mind had been clouded with confusion and grief. Then, he wasn't able to protect or help her and burden her. Feeling it wasn't the right moment to apologize and explain to Ashenmane, he held his thoughts and words for now.
Molefur had returned with a fresh-kill within his jaws. Not expecting to receive anything, Ratnose smiled warmly towards the tom as he placed some of his kill in front of him. "Thank you," Ratnose said with a respectful bow of his head.
The tom lowered his head and ate his share with slow bites. Every movement he made caused pain, but he was determined to endure it. If anything, he saw this as rightful punishment for how foolish he had been acting.
Moonfire half listerned to everyone around her wondering what had happened to ratnose. After a while she zzoned back in and heard what ashernfur had said as well as Molefur. "What?... Oh right sure, come on Molefur." Monnfire said turning round to Molefur and nnnding her head in signal to lead the way, not being in the mood the walk in front.