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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2019 1:06:36 GMT -5
After the dry start to greenleaf, the rain had since made a rather spectacular return to the valley. NightClan had not had to try to use the river to get their water, fortunately, for the rain had returned just in time to replenish all they had lost. However, at this point, they were getting much more water back than they needed. Hunting in the lower parts of their territory the last several nights were muddy affairs at best.
Today was no different, as the dawn greeted the last of the NightClan cats that strayed outside of camp with dark, heavy clouds in the sky, the air laden with the scent of more rain. It wasn’t until long after the NightClan camp had gone quiet as the majority of Clan curled up in their nests, however, that the storm finally broke. Rain poured down in thick sheets too difficult to see through and the camp guards took cover beneath the boulder that protected the camp entrance. It wasn’t until Oakblaze turned to wake the sunhigh patrol, splashing down the tunnel into camp only to land in a sizable puddle and look back up at the water streaming in, that the first hints that something was wrong registered in any cat’s mind.
The tom padded warily toward the warrior’s den, splashing the entire way, his steps growing quicker and quicker as some panic began to set in, and then the vague feeling turned into real memory of the last time NightClan’s camp had flooded. He’d only been a new apprentice at the time, him and Thornpaw and Ashpaw. Ravenstar had ordered him and his siblings to help Smokefur carry out whatever herbs they could. Silverfox had ended up half dragging him up the tunnel.
He burst into the warrior’s den, yowling in alarm, “The camp is flooding!”
Several heads jerked up all at once, confused and alarmed murmurs rippling through the den, and Rainfur pushed quickly to her paws to take control of the situation, maintaining a startling calm, “Thank you, Oakblaze. Go wake the rest of the camp, please.” The tom spun and hurried back out, yowling his alarm as he went. Rainfur sighed, wishing she’d thought not to send him in such a panicked state, but there was no helping it now. “Everyone up! If the camp is flooding we need to evacuate quickly!” The deputy ordered mentors to find their apprentices, as well as naming several cats to assist the elders, medicine cats, and queens and kits, before she followed the rest of the warriors out of the den.
Darkstar had been woken by Oakblaze’s panicked yowling and came to meet her. Rainfur dipped her head briefly, “I’ve already sent warriors to assist those who may need it.” Darkstar’s gaze flicked about the camp, watching her warriors hurrying Clanmates out of their dens and toward the tunnel, where water was rushing in. Rainfur drew her attention back, “This happened once, right before I was made an apprentice. The entire Clan sheltered at the pineneedle clearing until the camp dried up. I suggest we head there now.”
Darkstar nodded, ears flat against the unpleasant sensation of water rising against her legs, “Lead the way then. I’ll make sure everyone gets out.” Rainfur dipped her head again and hurried up the tunnel to where some cats were already waiting in the downpour for their next instructions. Darkstar gritted her teeth and waded through the rising water to hurry the rest of the Clan out and ensure no one was getting left behind. “Pigeonpaw, hurry up! The Clan is heading for the pineneedle clearing. We need to get to higher ground now.” She gave the alarmed apprentice a shove toward the entrance tunnel, “Find your mentor!”
Clouds heavy with rain sweep in through the night, darkening the rising sun. By midday the storm clouds unleash in a torrential downpour, drenching any soul who dares to step outside within seconds. |
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| I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. |
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INVENTORY
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Post by Ginger on Jul 28, 2019 22:08:43 GMT -5
Privetshade had been standing guard by the entrance to the camp, keeping ever vigilant for wandering kits who dared to leave the camp. Recently, Nightclan had been having some issues with a very adventurous litter. He sighed, remembering the days that he got dragged along by his siblings on their adventures. He never said no, but the small tom was never one to suggest such crazy adventures.
As Oakblaze walked past him and into the camp, Privetshade gave him a friendly nod. Guarding the camp could be so boring, so he scrambled for any break from the monotony, whether it be in the form of small-talk with a random warrior, or even the slightest "hello" at anyone passing by. Oh well. It's a necessary evil.
Privetshade continued on with his job, noticing the water at his feet beginning to rise ever so slightly. Odd. Choosing to ignore it, Privetshade instead looked out at the sun as it began to creep up, but become immediately covered by dark clouds. At least it won't be awfully sunny.
Two warriors ran past him. And another two, looking more and more frantic. Confused, Privetshade stuck his head into the tunnel, only to immediately jerk it back out as he saw the surge of cats coming towards him. There was a jumble of voices, the cacophony overwhelming the black tom, but in the chaos, he made out a few words: "flood, camp, evacuate." That was all he needed to hear before he sprang into action, diving through the tunnel into Nightclan's camp. Paying attention to the water now, Privetshade realized that it had come up past his feet and continued to rise.
Elders. Elders. Elders! Green eyes surveyed the camp until he came across the form of Echobreeze struggling to move as fast as the others. He sprinted over towards her, opening his mouth to call out. "Echobreeze! Come with me!" As soon as he got beside her, he slowed his pace and pressed against her, supporting half of her weight so that the two cats could shuffle along at a faster rate before the waters rose to a point where he would have to push her through the water.
365 words |
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| You said my words would kill you but you stood there all the same. |
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STAFF
GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 on Jul 30, 2019 11:10:32 GMT -5
when you grow up your heart dies BrAmBlEKiT nightclan she-cat 3 moons Mama? The thought came to her hazily, through the murky reality of a dream. Her small brown paws kicked out in the waking world, hitting soft fur. Whether it was Thornscar's tortoiseshell belly or Hollowkit or Breezekit, she didn't know. Half asleep, Bramblekit raised her head, whiskers twitching. She could still taste the blood of the newt she'd eaten the previous night for dinner. The moon had been at its highest point in the star-streaked sky, but being underground, she had seen none of it.
Why... why am I cold? Her eyes flew open, and she quickly realised that the soft bedding beneath her belly was soaked through with water. "Mama!" She yelped in shock and confusion, rolling sideways and finding herself plopping into freezing cold and filthy water. She lost her footing and her head went under, unable to see through the mud. Not knowing which way the ground was, her paws flailed in the water, struggling to find something to grip onto. Teeth closed around her scruff and hauled her out of the rising water, and she hacked and coughed the mud from her throat. "What's happening?" She shrieked, and her mother, who held her by the scruff, had no answers. Thornscar had to place Bramblekit down to call for cats to help her with the kits, and Bramblekit found that she could keep her chin above the water if she balanced on her toes in the flood. The sound of pelting rain and rushing water was deafening, and Bramblekit found her golden-amber eyes gazing wildly around at the nursery that she had felt so safe in for her entire life, filling up with water.
"Thistleheart!" Thornscar called the second she spotted the brown point tom, and the father of her kits swerved towards the nursery. "Hollowkit, Breezekit!" Bramblekit mewled, trembling. She wanted her littermates. She wanted her nest. She wanted to know what was happening. "I can help you carry the kits." She heard her father say to Thornscar, his voice shrill with urgency.
She could hear Darkstar and Rainfur shouting orders in the background, and her head swam with panic at the chaos that was erupting all around her. She cried out in fear and discomfort as a wave of water splashed over her head, whiskers dripping with floodwater. Never in her worst nightmares had she ever imagined that this could happen. That water would spew into her home, cold and relentless. It was so easy to be brave when everything you have ever faced in your short life has been non-deadly. This situation took a different kind of courage, one that Bramblekit hadn't learned yet. Drenched, like a drowned rat, the little kit struggled through the water, pitiful mewls rising in her throat. |
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Post by Taxx on Jul 30, 2019 19:45:49 GMT -5
Watch me, I'll make a name for myself Oakblaze's panicked yowls of warning roused the camp pretty quickly; Crowflame and Cinderfur emerged from the warriors' den, the she-cat instantly griping about the water that was puddling across the ground, turning the earth to mud under her paws. She lifted them high as she made her way toward the nursery, worried most for Thornscar and her litter of three. The tortoiseshell queen appeared in the entrance of the nursery before Crowflame got there, Bramblekit hanging from her jaws; the kit was lowered back to the ground and Thornscar called for Thistleheart.
The brown-mottled tom was quick to bound over and offer his aid, grabbing up Hollowkit, whose bushed fur and wide eyes were obvious signs of fear. He didn't wiggle like he normally would have, indignant at being treated like a newborn kit who couldn't stand on his own legs. "I can carry Breezekit?" Crowflame offered, and then tossed a glance over her shoulder. The familiar lanky form of her sister was the first thing she saw, and the calico called to her. "Graywolf- help me out here!"
She noticed, in passing, the dark form of Cinderfur passing on his way to help Privetshade with the elders, offering his shoulder to Batcry and trying to hurry the three elders without actually pushing them forward; his tail flicked in agitation but he kept the rest of his demeanor calm. There was no need, just yet, to get rough with any of them, so long as they kept moving and got out before the camp flooded too much. Crowflame NightClan Warrior I won't be just another face in the crowd Ginger Ghost the Undead Goddess || Notes |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2019 20:07:33 GMT -5
The medicine cat den that Smokefur had called home for so many seasons sat higher than the average den in Nightclan's camp. This was a slightly convenient fact as when the camp flooded, which had been known to happen from time to time, the medicine cats were given more opportunity to save what precious resources they could. Oakblaze's panicked call alerted Smokefur to the water rushing in past the caves entrance, and after poking her head out of her den to survey the damage she was thankful that Oakblaze had given her plenty of time to work. Smokefur quickly started grabbing the herbs she knew were going to be more difficult to replace, and began bundling them in the less valuable herbs in her stores. Even if the useful herbs got out of the camp without becoming water logged they were still at risk of getting drenched by the rain coming down outside of camp.
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| "If you're gonna hit it, hit it until it breaks." |
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GaleClan Leader
GorgeClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on Aug 2, 2019 14:43:34 GMT -5
Graywolf NightClan She-Cat 15 Moons An involuntary growl left the gray feline's throat as water pooled along the floor of the caverns. Already her petite paws were soaking wet and growing muddy as she moved from the Warrior's den as the sound of the panicked call from Oakblaze echoed loudly around Nightclan's camp.
She hated water. She hated being wet. Let the fish-brained Rainclanner's keep their swimming and water theatrics to themselves. The over dramatic gray feline preferred the shadows, even the marshy lands on which they lived caused her issues at times.
Annoyed green pools looked around before landing on the nursery. Crowflame's mostly white form was standing over by the nursery, at the call of her name, Graywolf quickly bounded over to help. More than likely she would have found herself over her anyways, there were three young kits who needed to get safely out of the caverns before more water started to pour in.
Their cavernous camp only had one entrance, and it just so happened to be where all this water was pour in at.
"Crowflame, give me Bramblekit!" The slender feline softly pressed her flank against her sister's for a brief second. Though she managed to mask and control the small stress and fear rising within her chest, but she used that small gesture for comfort and to ease her nerves.
The brown splotched kit was passed over, Graywolf holding onto the small she-kit's scruff to keep her away from the slowly rising waters. Ears flickered ever so slightly, the noise around her in the busy cavern was growing louder as the rain and flood waters grew as well.
"Hold on...." Her voice was muffled through Bramblekit's scruff as Graywolf moved forwards as quickly as she could, feathered tail curled over her back to keep from getting soaking wet. Those green eyes were full of determination as the feline made her way towards the cavern that led out into the territory above them.
Her paws slipped slightly, but she quickly regained balance. Carrying a growing kit was difficult when water was rushing against her paws, not to mention the cave floor was slick. However a familiar scent brushed past Bramblekit's into her nose and a flank pressed against her own.
Ghostshadow!
"Doing great Graywolf." His voice was gentle and calm as always. Out of the three of them he was the more level-headed and easy-going, where he got it from was a total mystery. But then again, their father was lazy and differently motivated as well. Green eyes flashed with faint amusement but mostly with appreciation as her brother helped her keep her footing across the camp and toward the exit.
I'm Trouble, Y'all |
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| "Monster is a relative term. To a canary, a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat." |
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Staff
GorgeClan Leader
MistClan Medicine Cat
INVENTORY
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Post by Abyss on Aug 9, 2019 23:28:03 GMT -5
TELL ME BABY, WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
She hadn’t been there when it happened. As per usual, the dark-colored torbie she-cat, often described as the loner of Nightclan, had been out of camp. What she was doing was unknown, but it could be suspected that she was either out hunting or scouting the borders. Or perhaps just taking some time to herself, which she did quite often.
The head of a toad slammed into the ground as a pair of black paws beat down against it, a pair of sharp jaws quickly snapping at the thick neck of the small creature. As its body stopped moving, Brindlemask looked down at it for a moment, blinking a few times, before she picked it up by one leg in her jaws. As she lifted her head, a drop of water smacked down against her nose. Her head lifted to the sky, examining the dark clouds above her head. Another drop, right between her eyes. And another in the middle of her back. The rain rapidly began to increase in speed and pressure, eventually feeling like occasional tiny thorns poking at the areas of her skin that were less dense with fur.
I should probably start heading back. She turned, but rather than head in the direction of camp, she went a little further up the path, approaching a small patch of recently dug-up dirt in a small mound. She lightly pawed at the mound, revealing a decently sized dead squirrel. She leaned her head down and momentarily letting go of the toad, adjusting the position of her jaws to grab both pieces of prey.
As she began gently trotting back to camp, she began to notice the ground slightly more muddy than usual. She at first suspected that this was just because of the rain, but as she came passed a small thicket of dense brush, her eyes widened and she nearly dropped her prey. Water. There was water slowly rising towards her. Had she been near the Amush Pond or the Muddy Pools, she would have seen this as just a small concern. But this water wasn’t coming from either of those. No, this water was rising from the direction of camp.
She lithe she-cat burst forward, dodging and weaving around trees and running through bushes that got in the way, toad and squirrel wildly flailing from her jaws. As she got closer to camp, she could hear the panicked cries and voices of her clanmates. Soon, she was able to see them, cats quickly running from the camp entrance with their pelts soaked. As others left the entrance, she jumped through it, paws landing down within the water flowing into camp. As she jumped through the water and into the main area of camp, she found herself looking at what she had suspected. Cats quickly helping one another to the entrance. Warriors helping Elders from their dens. Other Warriors crowding around the nursery to help get the kits and Queens out. Some of the less experienced Apprentices regrouping with their families and holding on to whoever they could when they slipped.
Out of instinct, the torbie rushed towards the Warriors den, practically crashing into her sister, Short-tail, as she reached the entrance.
“Watch where you’re going! Why are you even here?” Her sister growled, going quickly passed. Thankfully, Coppernose emerged from the den behind her, looking quickly to Brindlemask. Just as she went to speak, a small wave of water rushed into her side, knocking the older she-cat right off her paws. Even Brindle nearly found herself stumbling into the water, but she caught her balance. She jumped forward and opened her jaws, releasing the toad and the squirrel and replacing them with her mother’s scruff. She pulled her mother back to her feet, and while she did feel the urge to grab the prey once again, she knew they had to get out. The water was already reaching her chest and would very quickly surpass it if they didn’t hurry. With her mother at her side, the slender she-cat made her way towards the entrance, half swimming and half walking across the slippery ground.
WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHERE YOU WANNA GO THIS TIME?
WARRIORESS OF NIGHTCLAN |
688 | TAGS Cricketpaw 6 moons | She-cat | Nightclan
“The camp is flooding!”
Light brown eyes quickly opened as the sound of a panicked voice and the feeling of hard nudging against her side awoke her. Cricketkit looked to the side to see Ravenflight, face plastered with a look of terror, eagerly trying to get her up.
“Come on Cricket, we need to go!” At this, the small black and white she-cat jumped up out of the nest, the same panicked expression on her mother’s face quickly transferring to her own. Head darting side to side, she found that both of her brothers were already gone from the nest. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and saw her mom quickly go to the front of the nursery, assisting Thornscar with her own smaller kits. Fear suddenly shot through the black and white she-kit’s whole body. Yes, she was older than Thornscar’s kits. She had even recently turned old enough to be an Apprentice. But she was small. Smaller than most cats her age. And she had never actually swam by herself before.
“Momma!” She let out a mix between a squeak and a chirp, representing her namesake. She stood at the edge of the nest, water nipping at her paws as the nest slowly began to both float and sink. She went to take another step forward towards the edge of the nest, but found the other side of the nest lifting up quickly behind her. With a much more panicked and frightened chirp escaping her jaws, the little she-cat fell face-first into the water, the coldness immediately sending deep shivers through her whole body. She rapidly kicked her legs against the ground that she could just barely reach and the water, only just keeping her mouth above the water. She felt water going into her mouth and even a little into her nose, causing her to cough and somewhat choke on the water.
She suddenly felt a somewhat sharp pain on her scruff as she was lifted from the water. She coughed out the water in her mouth and whimpered every moment in between. As Ravenflight turned back towards the entrance, Cricketkit in her jaws, the little kit saw both of her brothers near the entrance, as well as some Warriors taking each of Thornscar’s kits in their jaws and rushing towards the entrance.
As the large and fluffy black and white Queen exited the nursery, she turned back to check on her two sons, a worried expression on her face.
Made by Aqua |
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Post by Fawn on Aug 17, 2019 19:38:13 GMT -5
Roachkit, 3 Moons Roachkit clawed his way to the entrance as if his life depended on it. And it did. Sablefoot was nowhere to be seen, and his mother, despite having much longer legs, had been bottlenecked with the other queens and kits at the nursery cave mouth. But not Roachkit. He wriggled through the gap between two warriors, ignoring the desperate cries of Bramblekit calling for her mother.
Water splashed into his eyes and mouth, making him sputter and stagger, half-drenched, as warriors and elders all vyed for the camp entrance. Rainfur was calling for order and calm, but Roachkit wasn't listening. I can't get through! He was too small. Too weak. Roachkit tried once more to scale the steep incline of the cave's mouth, but the gushing water in his face made it impossible. He was already so tired, even as his pulse pounded his eardrums, screaming at him to keep going.
He had to be smart. He had to be a survivor...
Roachkit's copper-brown eyes latched onto the nearest figure to him, and, with a mighty wriggle of his hindquarters, Roachkit launched himself onto the unsuspecting cat's back, clinging like a burr as the warrior made for higher ground. "Get us out of here!" He yowled, clinging tighter.
Hollystorm & Bonetail, 51 Moons
"Get off me, you little piece of--" Bonetail hissed, glowering at the half-drowned rat-like creature latched onto his back. It didn't matter that it was a kit, he could see it in the little brat's eyes that Roachkit was only interested in his own survival; they were one in the same in that regard. And Bonetail's survival instincts didn't factor in pesky little runts who tried to hitch a ride in his pelt.
Bonetail bared his teeth, rewarded with a flinching hiss from Roachkit. I hope you fall off and drown, you little fleabag. Bonetail pushed through the crowd of cats, his lungs expanding and filling with clean night air as he broke through the congested tunnel. Lilyfrost was beside him, and he could see Hollystorm following just behind, the rain littering her pelt like stars.
"Where are Graywolf, Ghostshadow and Crowflame?" Bonetail asked, bicolored eyes flicking to the camp entrance when he did not see his three kits emerge. He suppressed a groan. He wasn't going to have to go back in there, was he?
"They're helping Thornscar's kits. Have you seen S--"
Bonetail's ears pricked, expression narrowing with intrigue as Hollystorm interrupted herself. "Have I seen...?"
"Never mind." Hollystorm stepped forward, brushed her pelt against her brother's before stepping away. "Make sure Coyoteheart gets to the Clearing. I have to find someone."
Without much more warning than that, Hollystorm darted off. Bonetail rolled his eyes. If that ginger-furred not-mate of hers wasn't getting drenched in the camp, chances were that he was fine. If he was smart, he'd hauled himself up the nearest tree to wait out the chaos. Speaking of...
With Coyoteheart appearing next, Bonetail nudged his mate in the direction of the clearing. "Our kits will be fine. Let's go."
Nettleheart, 27 Moons "Foxdung! Snakestep, where are you?" Nettleheart was one of the few cats going in to NightClan's flooding camp; she slipped in with the gushing water, losing her footing so that her entry was more a slide than a deliberate descent. No one had seen her red-eyed brother make his way to the clearing yet; Nettleheart sputtered, nose stinging as water somehow got inside each nostril, her thin pelt clinging to her small frame as she searched. "Snakestep!"
The tightness in her chest eased somewhat as the fluffy figure of her littermate appeared beside Applewhisker, whom he must have been helping her through the chaos. Nettleheart stomped over to them both, ears flat and stance wide. "What are you two mousebrains doing? The camp is flooding! We have to go, even if that means stepping on top of anyone in our way." She pinpointed Snakestep with her stare, not trusting her far-too-softhearted brother not to drown while he patiently waited his turn to leave camp.
Even still... She was glad to see Applewhisker, and expressed it with a soft flick of her tail, checking over the tom-queen briefly. "Am I speaking frog? C'mon! Let's go!" Anything to get out of this dreadful wet. The water was up past her paws now, and her stomach was hugging her ribs, terrified of the inevitable.
If they didn't get out soon, they were all going to drown. |
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| You said my words would kill you but you stood there all the same. |
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STAFF
GaleClan MCA
INVENTORY
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Post by ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 on Aug 28, 2019 14:26:20 GMT -5
when you grow up your heart dies BrAmBlEKiT nightclan she-cat 3 moons The cold of the water cut right down to her bones as she struggled to keep her footing on the slick cave floor. She could barely hear the tumble of shouting and words erupting from the warriors around her as they barked out orders, the evacuation in full swing. The brown mottled kit felt her scruff being tugged upwards, and she kicked her legs involuntarily at the sudden lack of a foothold. She was trembling hard when Crowflame passed her to the barely familiar, sodden form of Greywolf. Bramblekit dangled awkwardly from the warrior's mouth, held above the water as the grey warrior craned her neck. Bramblekit was shaking.
Greywolf could be helping someone else get out of the camp! Instead, she had to lug her around. "I-I ca-can swi-swim!" She squawked, teeth chattering as her tail brushed the chilly water. But Greywolf didn't seem to listen to the little she-kit's protests. "Hold on!" Greywolf meowed around her scruff, her voice barely audible around the mouthful of fur. Giving in far more quickly than she normally would have, Bramblekit tucked her paws and legs in close to her belly, an attempt at making the escape easier for Greywolf. Despite that, the slippery cavern floor had other ideas. Greywolf stumbled, and Bramblekit squeaked in alarm as her stomach lurched into her mouth. The warrior regained her balance, grunting with the effort.
Bramblekit felt her heart racing as she watched with wide eyes as more and more water roared into the camp. We won't make it! She thought wildly, images of being fully submerged in the murky water flashing through her mind. But a shape loomed from her left, and Bramblekit recognised the calm eyes of Greywolf's littermate, Ghostshadow. "Doing great, Greywolf." She barely heard the words over the slosh of the water. |
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