Post by Fawn on Feb 26, 2017 16:23:59 GMT -5
Mockingbird
33 Moons. Warrior-Queen of TreeClan Clean white claws unsheathed against the frost, letting them catch the sunlight streaming through the tiny holes in the roof of TreeClan's camp. With fluffed up fur as dark-gray as the aftermath of a forest fire, Mockingbird stepped out of the fallen tree.
Her kits were accounted for in a swift glance to the apprentice's den, where Owlpaw was sleeping with his tail tucked around his paws for warmth, and Ravenpaw was plumping up her nest for maximum comfort. Where is Berrypaw? Searching for her last kit, Mockingbird felt no sensation of fear or had any casuation for worry, until she spotted two nervous-looking apprentices at the edge of camp.
Fernpaw and Sedgepaw cast frightened looks at her. Intrigued, Mockingbird smoothly walked over to meet them, unperturbed by their fear - merely wanting to know it's source.
"Is everything alright?" She crooned in an affectation of the kind, doting mother.
Sedgepaw bowed his head. "We... We can't find Berrypaw. We..."
An ice-shard pierced her gaze, but it thawed in time for her to smile as if she had the patience of a dozen saints. "Where did you last see him? I'm sure he hasn't gotten far." Tell me, you little rats.
Fernpaw and Sedgepaw glanced at each other.
"Go on," she coaxed.
"We were just playing around!" The she-cat burst out. "It was just a stupid dare, we didn't really think he'd do it!"
The hair along Mockingbird's spine raised a whisker-length. "Do what, exactly?"
Sedgepaw shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, and Fernpaw just looked guilty.
Finally, Fernpaw spoke up.
"W-We dared him to take a peek inside Demon's den. He said he'd bring us back a piece of his nest, and we haven't seen him since then."
You sniveling little pieces of wormfood.
Without a word, Mockingbird left the two apprentices babbling apologies at her back. A fierce, maternal protectiveness - coated in a thin layer of an inherent penchant for violence - lent speed to her paws. With a glint in her eyes that was similar to a mother badger looking for a lost cub, Mockingbird found Sootmask. "Berrypaw's in danger. Play your part and help me find him."
He knew what those words meant.
How peculiar would it be, if their uncle, her very own brother hadn't bothered to search for his missing kin?
Even as her claws itched to shred the ears off of those two idiot apprentices, Mockingbird was making a sharp beeline in the direction of Demon's den. It was only the voice of the deputy that caused her to slow; suppressing a small sneer of derision (his authority meant nothing to her, when her kits were in danger), Mockingbird's tail-tip twitched in surprise as Gorsetail volunteered to help find him.
"Thank you." She almost meant it. "If anything happens to my son, I want those two punished. Severely." And in this case, Mockingbird meant every word.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.