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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jul 23, 2019 22:09:19 GMT -5
Hawkstar may your dreams be larger than mountains Sand brown paws threatened to carve a rut in the stone below as the StoneClan figurehead paced a bizarre pattern in the center of StoneClan's camp. Pale amber eyes were wide, glittering with an unusual panic for the patient and level-headed leader. Low murmurings littered the camp, but the big tom barely heard them, only stopping to glance toward the white and gray form of his mate. She looked just as distraught as he felt, like the physical embodiment of his rapidly fluttering heart. Swallowing the bile threatening to rise in his throat, Hawkstar shook his head as though he might escape the feeling of dread weighing upon his shoulders.
Where are they? Where is she? Surely they should have been back by now? The jumbled thoughts crashed into one another, derailing much of his coherent thoughts and replacing it with instinctual dread. Minkfire, his daughter, was gone. He could still feel the pit in his stomach that had formed when Crimsonshadow and Yarrowstorm had returned from patrol without her. And their only explanation had been that she'd walked away. Why would she have walked away? Where in the name of StarClan had she gone? And why hadn't Smokestorm returned yet?
Teeth ground against one another as he ducked his head, and his paws stilled for the first time since receiving the news. When he looked toward Frozenrain again, there was a strange sorrow in his eyes. Closing the distance between them, Hawkstar lowered himself to a stiff sit beside her, resting his chin on her head as he pulled her close. There was little they could do now but wait. He'd sent a patrol consisting of Smokestorm, Herondive, and Hawkfall back to the area Crimsonshadow had mentioned last seeing Minkfire. His hope was that this patrol would be able to locate Minkfire and bring her home.
He had nearly charged out there himself, but he was no fool. He was far from young now, and nowhere near as fast as he'd once been. Even in his prime, he'd never the quickest cat in StoneClan, his bulkier frame better suited for battle. His best chance at finding his daughter lay in the paws of others this time. He lost track of how long he sat next to Frozenrain, time seeming to crawl and soar by all in the same moment. Eventually, the sound of pawsteps drew his attention to the Clan entrance and the big tom nearly leapt to his paws.
Pale amber eyes flashed to the appearing figure of Smokestorm at the head of the patrol. "Smokestorm." He half-bellowed, waving her over with his tail. "What did you find out?" He couldn't help but ask, though Herondive's state directly behind her, with head hung low and shoulder blades protruding as she trudged into camp unable to look her parents in the eye, told him all he needed to know. Swallowing hard, he leaned closer to Frozenrain as though he might find the missing piece of him there with her. leader of stoneclan and may you have the courage to scale their summits background image | harley king | Fawn Taxx | table by phoenix
Note: 112 moons
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Post by Fawn on Jul 24, 2019 20:51:39 GMT -5
They were the difference between sun-drenched stones and a gray winter morning. Minkfire was heat and strength and energy barely controlled; Frozenrain was dignity and poise, and the patience that stemmed from wisdom accrued over many years. They were oil and water, fire and ice. Different as different could be.
But that did not mean Frozenrain would miss Minkfire any less. A mother's love was unconditional; she and her wily daughter would clash once in a while, but never would that dim the feelings the queen would have for one of her own kits. Where are you, my daughter? Frozenrain did not pace like her mate; she did not gnash her teeth or tear at the earth.
Instead, she sat, poised and still, with all the dignity afforded a matriarch who knew in her heart of hearts that the outcome of tonight's searches would be... disappointing. Frozenrain's pupils dilated, and she held her breath, seeing the downtrodden party as it returned to camp; Herondive walked as though every hair on her pelt was heavy. The press of her fur, instead of bringing her comfort, made her flinch. Frozenrain returned Hawkstar's lean, keeping his pieces together while he held hers in place. Without a word, a feathered creamy gray tail wove itself around the stout striped one of Hawkstar's, the mated pair silently bracing themselves for the news Smokestorm was about to impart.
She's gone, isn't she? Frozenrain's baby blue eyes seemed to say, and they were full of sorrow and grim acceptance. Minkfire was not dead, of that she had no doubt. Rather, Minkfire was... had always been a wild spirit. A spirit not even Eagletalon would have been able to tame, were he still standing at Hawkstar's side. Minkfire learned her lessons through experience, not word of mouth. And when she set her mind to a task...
Frozenrain's heart ached. Was it too much to hope, then, that this was a silly little excursion and their daughter would come back to them after a day or two? A quarter moon? Anything longer, Frozenrain feared, and the chances of Minkfire's return would drop. Frozenrain 95 Moons || Elder || StoneClan
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Post by Taxx on Jul 24, 2019 21:55:01 GMT -5
Smokestorm This gal right here's gonna rule the world No, I won't sit still and look pretty Defeat was the only word she could think of to describe this, and she wished she was returning in a completely different way- head up, gait smooth- and a fourth cat tagging along, one found and brought back. But instead, there was tired paws, just the three that had set out, and disappointing news to pass on. How was she supposed to look Hawkstar and Frozenrain the eye and tell them she'd failed- that she'd had to give it up because the scent trail had been old and there'd been no sight of Minkfire?
She flicked her tail to dismiss Hawkfall, who headed toward the freshkill pile, and Smokestorm hesitated a moment as Herondive made her way toward her mother and father. The deputy followed, coming to a halt before the two- a blur of white appearing and skidding to a halt; Snowfeather's gaze only added to the weight of guilt and Smokestorm had to look away. "We looked. We found where she left her patrol and followed her out of StoneClan territory. She met some cat- a loner, I think. He didn't smell like any Clan." Her gaze flicked between the three as she spoke, sitting with her tail flicking restlessly behind her.
"Their scents led away from StoneClan. She could be anywhere, we never got a glimpse of her. I- didn't think it was a good idea to keep looking, when we had no idea where she might be. One of the other Clans might have seen her; we can ask RainClan... or LightningClan." She trailed off, green eyes meeting Hawkstar's, Frozenrain's, Snowfeather's, before she dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry. I pray she's safe. That she'll come back soon. I can send a patrol out to keep looking if you'd like?"
She didn't know what Minkfire was doing- why had she left? The young cat had always done things her own way, had done what she wanted to do with little regard for what others thought, but Smokestorm had never expected her to do this. Didn't she have a single thought for how her family would take it? What if she wasn't okay, and she was lying out there somewhere, hurt? Who would help her then?
She'd have to have a word with Crimsonshadow and Yarrowstorm- some warriors, completely losing one of their patrol. They were supposed to stick together, and they should have tracked Minkfire down themselves, not returned to camp without her.
Deputy of StoneClan
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Jul 25, 2019 10:50:59 GMT -5
Hawkstar may your dreams be larger than mountains He had held onto that hope, needed to hold onto it. Perhaps Minkfire had simply wandered off needing to clear her head. She'd always been such a free spirit, who could blame her for needing some time away from Clan life? But this? This had been too long already. And hearing Smokestorm's report... Minkfire had exited StoneClan territory. Met up with a loner. Had the loner attacked her? Was she in trouble? No, that was impossible. Minkfire was a StoneClan warrior; it was unlikely she would be bested so easily by a loner. She was strong. She could take care of herself.
And she has made her own decision. The thought hit him heavily, pale amber eyes closing just as his youngest daughter Snowfeather skidded to a stop nearby. With his ears tipped back and head weighed down by an unseen force, he looked older now than any silvering of his fur could lend. "You.. You did everything you could, Smokestorm. Thank you." He rasped, lifting heavy eyelids to meet her gaze. "The sun is setting, there is little use putting anyone else at risk by staying out late." He concluded, though the thought rested heavily in his gut.
He glanced to the side, gaze sweeping over his mate just as their eldest and only son padded over with a worried tilt to his head. "Mom..?" Murmured the ebony-furred tom, pressing his fur to the StoneClan matriarch's side. Hawkstar held Frozenrain's gaze a moment, something akin to an apology glittering behind his aging gaze. He wanted nothing more than to send the whole Clan out to find Minkfire, his daughter. But he had responsibility as a leader too. And although he knew a part of Frozenrain would understand, he could only hope that other part forgave him eventually.
With a heavy sigh, he looked back to Smokestorm. "For the next few days, have any patrol heading near that border keep their senses open for a resurfacing of her scent. But... I want no one to cross any borders unnecessarily. Any findings should be reported back to you or myself. I have faith in your judgment, Smokestorm. Act as you see fit upon any information received." With a dip of his head and a wave of his tail, he dismissed his deputy and anyone outside the family who may have been lingering from the news. Now was a time for family.
Almost absently, the big tom reached forward to flatten a stray piece of Snowfeather's fur. Even as he finished, he found it difficult to pull away, settling instead for resting his muzzle on her shoulders and holding her close. A pale gaze searched out his remaining daughter, finding the cream and white she-cat standing somewhat removed. Their eldest daughter looked conflicted, the pain in her blue eyes as plain as the self-imposed blame she wore heavy on her shoulders. Before he could call to her and beckon her closer, she ducked her head with tears in her eyes and bolted, nearly bowling over an unsuspecting black-furred tom.
With a worried glance to Frozenrain, he silently asked if they should go after Herondive. Or was this another child they simply had to let be for the time being? leader of stoneclan and may you have the courage to scale their summits background image | harley king | Taxx Fawn | table by phoenix
Note: 112 moons HERONDIVE Blue eyes stared down at her paws as she listened to Smokestorm's report to her parents. As she listened to the devastation dripping from her parents' voices. Guilt squeezed the warrioress' chest, threatening to suffocate her beneath her own poisonous thoughts. As if sensing her distress, Frozenrain leaned over to brush her fur to Herondive, but the cream and white warrior flinched involuntarily as though she'd been struck. It was of no malice toward her mother; the opposite in fact. She was so caught up in believing she could have stopped this if she'd only been a better sister, a better daughter, she'd led herself to believe it was her fault.
And she couldn't bare to face her parents with that knowledge tugging at her heart strings.
Vipertail's almost kit-like mew was one of the final straws, his single word question a perfect vocalization of just how lost she felt in that moment. Is this what she had nearly brought down upon her parents when she'd considered running away with Falconstorm? Had she been so selfish that she'd been blind to the hurt she could have brought down upon her family? Although she couldn't deny what she'd felt for Falconstorm... How could she have neglected her own family that way? And now, had she managed to chase Minkfire away too?
The thoughts became too much, and as her eyes met her father's defeated gaze, she felt the floodgates burst. Whirling on tired and clumsy paws, she bolted, unsure where she was heading, only knowing she couldn't stay there. Her blurred vision and dim focus led her to collide with someone, sending them both sprawling onto the hard stone. Blinking desperately through teary eyes, she failed to stammer out even a basic apology. As her pupils struggled to focus amidst the watery filter, Herondive came face to face with the wide, worried eyes of a familiar black-furred tom.
A small hiccup left her in a strangled sound, her features contorting as she recognized the warrior before her. So many thoughts, feelings, and words surged to the surface, vying for control, begging her to do something. But she failed, her head collapsing until she pressed her head to the tom's chest from where she lay on the ground and let her tears escape her. The indescribable relief that had swamped her when she'd recognized Spiderheart had proven too much, and although they were very much still in public, his presence somehow made her feel sheltered. Safe.
And so she sobbed wordlessly into his chest fur. warrior of stoneclan @jet | background image | table by phoenixNote: 51 moons
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Post by Fawn on Jul 27, 2019 22:09:41 GMT -5
Family surrounded her, and yet there was a piece of her heart missing that Hawkstar, Vipertail, Herondive and Snowfeather could not patch. They were soothing, they were supportive, they were her reason for life - but they could not hide the truth. Minkfire's gleaming eyes flashed through Frozenrain's mind like a shooting star, beautiful and fleeting and with a deep-found ache at the knowledge that she may never see her daughter's face again.
Hawkstar's gaze found Frozenrain's, and she closed her eyes, dipping her head in a soft nod as though to release him from his bonds. His duty as Clan leader did not surpass his duties as a father; they were one in the same, StoneClan was as much his kit as Minkfire was - and he could not endanger one kit to save another.
"Mom..?" Vipertail's voice was almost kitten-like in uncertainty, a sound she had not heard him make for many many moons. It prompted Frozenrain to open her eyes once more, and to press her nose into his spectacularly dark fur. "We--" The words collapsed at Herondive's sudden burst of emotion, the she-cat wheeling around on unsteady paws, running away from them - from the truth - that every cat knew. Frozenrain's heart wrenched itself out of her chest to follow, the elder queen letting out a soft cry of dismay. "Herondive!"
She could not lose another daughter. The growing distance between her eldest daughter and Frozenrain put her into a distressed scurry, Frozenrain leaving the group behind with a breathless "I'll handle this." Truly, Frozenrain did not have words that would make everything better - not for Herondive, who felt the weight of the world as deeply as Hawkstar did. Herondive had inherited his empathy, his heart, and his preference for shouldering the burden - even when he didn't need to.
It was one of the reasons why she'd fallen in love with him in the first place.
Frozenrain was a foxlength from Herondive when she saw her daughter's posture change, the sturdy figure of Spiderheart suddenly thrust into the role of comforter and protector as Herondive buried her face in his chest. Frozenrain stopped, letting herself catch her breath and realize that... perhaps it would be best if she left Herondive be. As was always the case, there was more going on with her than Frozenrain knew about, and some kind of gut instinct warned her against interfering.
But should her daughter need her, Frozenrain would always be there to dry her tears and hold her close, until the strength left her body. Returning to where she had left the rest of her family, Frozenrain wore a tired, restrained smile. "Let's give her some space." As she passed the slender dilute tortoiseshell form of Smokestorm, Frozenrain drew level with the Clan's deputy. "Thank you for all that you have done, Smokestorm. I believe not even Eagletalon would have found her if she did not want to be found."
Eagletalon would have ventured into the mountains by himself to look; the old scarred warrior had never expressed any concerns about taking risks - even with the moons catching up with him. But that was no guarantee of results. If Minkfire was with a loner who knew the terrain well, then they were at his mercy. He could leave the valley for all they knew. Frozenrain's heart flinched, hating that she could not call out Minkfire's name and scold her back into the nursery as if she were a kit again.
"We will ask the other Clans, as you suggested," said Frozenrain, slowly looking to Hawkstar to see if he was of the same mind. "I will go to TreeClan and NightClan myself, if that is what it takes."
Frozenrain 95 Moons || Elder || StoneClan
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Post by Taxx on Aug 20, 2019 13:36:01 GMT -5
Snowfeather T e l l m e, who wants to look back on their years and w o n d e r where those years have g o n e ? Snowfeather had been watching from the warriors' den for Smokestorm's return, and on sighting the deputy she'd raced over to hear what the older she-cat had to say. Her older sister's posture, however, could have told her everything without coming over; she'd never seen Herondive look so dejected. Smokestorm looked worn out too, her green gaze briefly meeting Snowfeather's blue eyes before flashing away. Squeezing between her mother and father, their warmth against both sides, Snowfeather flashed a look up at both before turning to stare at the dilute calico again.
She didn't say anything as Hawkstar gave his instructions, eyes briefly flashing to follow Herondive as she ran- collapsing at the paws of the dark tom. Frozenrain, who had followed her oldest daughter, returned. Smokestorm dipped her head to the pale she-cat, accepting her thanks. "I'll lead the dawn patrol myself," she offered. "We can ask RainClan if they've seen her, if we meet a patrol." She rose, hesitated as if she were going to say something else, but then gave each a final nod before heading away to the nursery.
"I can look for her tomorrow, Dad," she offered, tipping her head back to meet the big tom's gaze. "If Smokestorm checks RainClan, me and you and Mom- and maybe Herondive and Vipertail- can check LightningClan." Minkfire wouldn't have gotten too far, right? Why she'd left in the first place was beyond Snowfeather, but she was positive that in a day or two, her errant sibling would be back within the Clan where she belonged.
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Conquer the monster in your head, and then you'll fly |
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GaleClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by BlooRey DVD on Oct 23, 2019 19:50:17 GMT -5
Hawkstar may your dreams be larger than mountains Pale amber eyes watched Frozenrain with a mix of concern and uncertainty. The big sand-colored tom struggled to fathom what might have led Minkfire to disappear like she had. Had his daughter truly been so unhappy? Perhaps Eagletalon's death had been too much for her after all. He thought she'd been healing, with Frozenrain's help. But something had gone awry, and now she was nowhere to be found. The StoneClan matriarch returned shortly after going after their eldest daughter, her words indicating they should leave Herondive be for now. The help the cream and white she-cat needed just now may not come from her family, but rather in the black-coated features of another StoneClan warrior.
Nodding his head slightly in acknowledgement of his mate's words, his attention turned next to the pale features of his youngest daughter. His gaze softened upon seeing her, his tail wrapping around her and pulling her as close as he could manage, even as she stumbled her way through an uncertain sentence. Pale amber eyes met the bright green ones of his son, who returned his stare with the same confusion everyone else seemed to harbor about the she-cat suddenly vanishing. Doing his best to offer a reassuring smile, he glanced back down at his daughter.
The last thing he wanted was to cause a disturbance on other Clan territories because of this. But what kind of father would he be if he didn't at least try to look for her. He'd given Smokestorm orders already, and yet... Hawkstar felt as though he would be disappointing Snowfeather if he didn't try once more himself. "Of course, Snowfeather." He rasped, bending to lap his tongue over her ear. "First thing tomorrow morning, we will go looking for her. You, your mother and I will head to LightningClan, while Smokestorm can take Vipertail and Herondive, if they'd like to do, to RainClan's border."
At the mention of his name, Hawkstar's ebony furred son stood up sharply. "Of course I want to go! I'll walk to the mountains and back if that's what it takes to bring Minkfire back!" The shakiness in Vipertail's voice, brought forth by the unusual circumstance, made the StoneClan figurehead's heart ache. With a tired smile and an accompanying sigh, he let his muzzle rest atop Snowfeather's head as he closed his eyes.
"Me too, Vipertail. Me too." leader of stoneclan and may you have the courage to scale their summits background image | harley king | Fawn Taxx | table by phoenix
Note: 112 moons
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