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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2017 20:36:17 GMT -5
The day had started off relatively normal. Batchaser awoke, ate breakfast and then headed out to start her usual routine of hunting. One thing she found a bit odd however was that she hadn't seen Marshpaw at all today. Perhaps with most apprentices this would be normal, but Marshpaw had always said goodbye to Cloudyfeather and Batchaser before she left camp. It was sort of her way of letting them know where she'd be in case they got worried. She just assumed that the kitten had been ushered out of camp in a hurry by her mentor though and didn't have the chance. Anyway, it didn't stop her as she continued on her way into the territory, beginning to scent for prey as she got closer to her destination. It was her ears however, that picked up something first. Though the sound she caught made her blood turn to ice. It was faint at first, sounding an awful lot like a bird screeching, so she just ignored it. With time though, it grew louder, soon resembling a voice accompanied by the sound of rough footfalls. 'What on Earth is happe-' Batchaser was unable to finish the thought as Marshpaw dashed into view, thick fur coated with blood and sparsely able to keep moving. It wasn't long before the apprentice's legs gave out and it became apparent what she was running from. A large mass of red fur was hot on the kitten's tail, maws covered with a fluid similar in color to the liquid staining her daughter's fur. Instinctively, Batchaser hissed and stepped in front of the collapsed feline, fur bristling as she did her best to block the fox from her daughter's body. The black cat puffed up as much as she could manage, doing everything she could to try and scare off the offending predator. She knew there was no other choice, if she couldn't scare the creature off, she would have to fight it. As the fox advanced though, it became clear that it was not intimidated by the she-cat's tactics. Batchaser decided then and there to strike, bolting forward and raking her claws down the animal's muzzle, drawing a cry of the fox above her before dashing away from it's maw before it had the chance to retaliate. She soon turned and charged instead into the creature's rear leg, using her weight in attempt to knock it over. Due to her recently declining weight however, she had only been able to cause the predator to stumble a bit, allowing it to turn in time and clamp it's jaws down on her tail. The dark she-cat let out a screech, scrambling for purchase, to find something, anything she could tear into that would cause the vulpine monstrosity to release her. In her blind panic, her claws met with the animal's soft underbelly, and like that she hit the ground with a pained hiss. It took a moment, but she rose to her paws once more and aimed a swipe at the fox's throat. Before the attack could hit however, the fox turned and she was met with it's shoulder instead. Still, the attack connected and once again her opponent reeled from the pain. A spark of hope ignited within Batchaser, maybe, just maybe shed be able to fight it off! And then, she lost her footing. It was a simple mistake, one anyone could have made. But it was the type of mistake you couldn't recover from, one that couldn't be erased as the one who made it was erased soon after. The moment Batchaser tripped, she could see her life flash before her eyes, from the day of her birth,, to the current moment followed by a flow of regrets. 'I wish I could have told my friends and family goodbye, I should have spent more time with my kits, I wish I could have gotten Cloudyfeather to realize just how much I love her.' For a couple of seconds her mind was the busiest place on Earth. Then, she felt an intense pressure on her throat, and moments later, everything was gone. The outgoing she-cat faded from existence with a sickening snap, yellow eyes dull and lifeless as the fox held her victoriously in his jaws. Then, as though remembering the apprentice not far from it, dropped Batchaser to the ground, striding towards Marshpaw slowly, as if gloating over it's victory. The fluffy apprentice, injured though she may be, had still been conscious enough to watch the battle that took place, and was stricken with horror as the fox viciously ended Batchaser's life.There was nobody left now, no cat was there to save her and she couldn't make her limbs move in order to run She was trapped, with the fox inching ever closer. So in a last ditch effort to save her life, Marshpaw opened up her mouth and yowled at the top of her lungs, crying out for Cloudyfeather, for anyone to come and save her. Fawn @poptart Hellion williams Taxx @medusa |
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Post by Fawn on Nov 19, 2017 21:10:03 GMT -5
Cloudyfeather 23 Moons, LightningClan Queen At first, the squealing had sounded like a bunny whose life had been cut short - but that didn't make sense. Her hunting partners - Spottednose and Brightpool - were right here. They were just discussing a plan to hunt just outside the Clan's territory... Oh no, Cloudyfeather breathed, as something awful grew in the pit of her stomach. A horrid, frantic feeling she couldn't escape.
Without a single stammered word to her Clanmates, Cloudyfeather started running. Running towards the sounds of battle, knowing in her heart that something was profoundly wrong. No no no, she whimpered, even as the enveloping smells of fox, blood and fear permeated the air like must. Cloudyfeather's pelt fluffed, every strand on end; the damaged undergrowth made it easy to see what was up ahead.
And what was up ahead was-- "Get away from her!" Cloudyfeather shrieked, leaping high over Marshpaw to land between her kit and the fox. In an uncharacteristic display of fierceness, the little tabby queen bared her teeth, snarling. She remembered at the last second to unsheathe her claws; something caught Cloudyfeather's eye.
A heap of black fur.
"N-No!" The air was choked from her lungs, and the world blurred under the sudden rush of tears. "B-Bat-Batchaser no!" She can't be dead! Cloudyfeather swayed on her paws, but held herself together long enough to arch her spine, spitting at the advancing fox. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe.
Everything was just happening. Or had happened. And she couldn't stop it. StarClan, she couldn't stop it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2017 14:39:31 GMT -5
 Poppythorn, LightningClan, 38 Moons, Warrior
Poppythorn remained as still as stone as she scanned over the moorland. The hills were quiet, beside the odd cricket chirp and the gentle raindrops rolling from leaf to leaf. The ebony she-cat had been trying to decide the best place for Marshpaw to learn how to hunt.
Should she teach her in the toughest part of the territory? Learning to hunt in harsh conditions during Leafbare will make usual hunting seem like a breeze. However, maybe easing Marshpaw into hunting would be better - since the apprentice seemed more withdrawn than the others, and difficult hunting might dampen her spirit.
The ex-queen sighed heavily, a few birds falling silent briefly before beginning their song again. This mentor business was harder than she thought-
A screech echoed across the territory. Feline. Poppythorn's spine shuddered and she growled, slowly stalking towards the source of the yowl. Her steps became quicker and quicker until she broke into a full-sprint; skidding to a stop as she saw a fox bearing down on Cloudyfeather, a bloodied Marshpaw and a still shape. Was that... Batchaser?
Cloudyfeather's spat and the fox's harsh scent smacked Poppythorn in the head, a familiar rage screaming in her head until it reached her paws - the black warrior racing forward with a savage snarl, her eyes narrow slits of burning hatred.
Her hindlegs bunched under her and she flew over the trio, landing square on the fox's back. She felt herself slip, an idea coming to her head, and let her hindpaws drop onto the fox's face. Sinking her claws into the beast's shoulders, Poppythorn propped her feet under her and pedaled her back claws as furiously as she could. The fox screeched in agony and bucked furiously as Poppythorn scratched feverishly at its eyes.
Tags - @marshymutt Fawn - *war cry* I want sacred, I want final And I'm seeking it wherever I go |
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Post by Taxx on Nov 21, 2017 13:56:14 GMT -5
 Can you see the secret inside?
The fox, the source of the trouble, was having a fit, and with good reason. The ginger warrior recognized the dark form clinging to it immediately, and fear crawled up his spine as Poppythorn began to batter at the fox's face with strong hind legs.
His own fur bristling, Spottednose planted himself beside Cloudyfeather. He would have acted but the fox looked like it was taking enough of a beating from Poppythorn, and he was afraid to do anything that might panic it further; his sister was awfully close to those sharp teeth, and a slip in the wrong direction could do far more harm than good for her.
"Let it go, Poppythorn! It's had enough!" Protective as she was, killing the fox was pointless- and if it hadn't learned its lesson about staying away from cats by now, then he, Cloudyfeather, Brightpool and Poppythorn working together might teach it so.
Tag: @medusa Fawn @marshymutt
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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 Nov 21, 2017 19:36:44 GMT -5
 The ginger she-cat padded alongside her brother, happily chattering to the tuxedo tom. Much of her conversation revolved around how excited she was for him and Palescreech. She couldn't believe she was going to be an aunt! Bouncing from paw to paw and occasionally butting her head to the powerful tom's shoulder affectionately, she continued to prattle off a variety of names after Nightstep made the mistake of mentioning they had yet to pick some for their soon-to-be offspring. Kindleflare couldn't help but offer some suggestions, the names just tumbling out of her mouth.
That is, of course, until the earsplitting caterwaul broke the silence. Nightstep's body went rigid, his sharp eyes snapping to her. "Stay close." He growled lowly, his pace quickening to a near-sprint. When the scent of fox assaulted her senses, the medicine cat's lungs were screaming for air, her body untrained in holding such a pace. Terror was quick to set in, her brother's tail lashing from side to side. "Stay put." He ordered, leaving her on the outskirts as he stalked silently toward the screeching mass of fox and Poppythorn. Her limbs were rigid with fear, but seeing the terrified Cloudyfeather hunched over the comatose form of Batchaser pushed her forward.
Slipping up beside the distraught queen, Kindleflare pushed her nose against Batchaser's chest, prodding along in desperate search of a heartbeat. Her own crashed against her chest, aware of the fox so dangerously close, worried for her brother, and distraught at the loss of life before. Her ears flattened against her skull when even her fifth prod failed to find signs of life. "I-I... I'm s-sorry.." She rasped to Cloudyfeather, unable to stay near her much longer. Moving to Marshpaw's side, the ginger and white medicine cat's dark amber eyes were stretched wide in horror and the sheer amount of blood.
Left scrabbling with no herbs at her side, no cobwebs to stop the bleeding, the LightningClan healer pressed her paws to the apprentice's wounds, doing what she could to apply pressure. Searching her surroundings desperately, she'd been about to open her jaws and beg for someone's help when she saw a flash of black and white fur lunge at the distracted fox. With the creature so wrapped up in Poppythorn's claws agonizingly scratching at its face, it failed to see the encroaching tuxedo demon until a set of claws slit its throat in one powerful rake.
Deep crimson exploded from the fox's skin, a line of red blooming to existence from its right-side jaw to its left side shoulder. As though expecting his Clanmate to catch on and leap off to save herself from an unneeded tumble, the tom collided his shoulder against the stunned fox's as its life bled from its neck. Crashing to the ground in a writhing mass of red fur, the fox gurgled pitifully as the ground soaked up its blood. Kindleflare was forced to look away, ears flattened against the sounds of death.
"C-C... Cobwebs!" She suddenly screeched. "I n-need! N-Need cobwebs!" Turning back to the apprentice beneath her, the frightened medicine cat stammered. "M-Marshp-paw? I n-need you to l-listen to me, o-okay? L-Listen to the sound of m-my voice and d-don't you s-stop..." Oh StarC-Clan, where are th-the cobw-webs.  |
@marshymutt Fawn @medusa Taxx Note: 49 moons old |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2017 21:01:20 GMT -5
The combined damage from both Poppythorn and Nightstep had been enough to finish off the vulpine menace. As it spluttered and struggled for breath through the flood of blood and the laceration to it's windpipe, the red-furred creature soon collapsed to the ground, struggling and clinging to life as best it could before it was no longer able to keep going. It's movements steadily weakened before stopping all together. Marshpaw whimpered in agony, staring up at Kindleflare as the medicine cat tried to keep her conscious. The apprentice could only give a weak smile in response to her efforts though, thankful for her efforts though fear gripped her like the vice grip of the fox that had just been slain. The world was spinning, she felt woozy, and as the ginger and white she-cat spoke to her it sounded as though she were far away. It was difficult to handle, but she knew the attack had resulted in her losing a lot of blood. It was clear to Marshpaw that she was unlikely to survive this ordeal, no matter how hard the others worked to save her. "I-I'm so sorry! I just thought I'd try hunting on my own today a-and......I didn't know this would happen. I never meant for a-anybody to get hurt." She spoke frantically, her mind pleading with her to apologize for the mess she'd caused before her final moments were up. Fawn BlooRey DVD Taxx @medusa |
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Post by Fawn on Nov 25, 2017 14:06:49 GMT -5
Cloudyfeather 23 Moons, LightningClan Queen "S-Shhh, shh Marshpaw," Cloudyfeather whispered, curling protectively around her daughter even as Kindleflare worked. There was so much blood. She felt like it was choking her. Like she was watching the life actually fade out of Marshpaw. No! I can't lose her too. But the fates were not kind. Cloudyfeather could no more hide the trembling of her body then she could the fear in her heart, and the look she gave Kindleflare was pleading. "Please save my kit."
Cloudyfeather had to believe that Marshpaw wasn't beyond their healer's reach. That kinship she felt with Kindleflare (another nervous she-cat that had found her place in the Clan) turned to a kind of desperate respect, an overwhelming hope that Kindleflare could do the impossible.
"It's alright, M-Marshpaw," Cloudyfeather nuzzled her daughter, ignoring the blood that stained her snowy paws and pale throat when she did so. "You're being so brave. I'm s-so proud of you."
If the tragedy unfolding before her hadn't taken up the entirety of Cloudyfeather's focus, she would have noticed - and felt relief to see Poppythorn, Spottednose and her own former mentor, Nightstep, standing beside the body of the fox. Batchaser was... Batchaser was beyond help... But Marshpaw wasn't. She had to believe this to be so. Cloudyfeather suppressed a wail. It was so hard to breathe. So hard to think.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2017 16:19:31 GMT -5
Poppythorn, LightningClan, 38 Moons, Warrior
Poppythorn was barely aware of her brother's voice, feeling a rush of triumph as the fox began to scream in agony as her claws dug into its eyes; a flicker of black and white informed her of Nightstep's arrival and she bunched her legs underneath - jumping off and away from the fox in the opposite direction of Nightstep's charge, hoping it would watch her.
The ex-queen smirked as the fox lunged to snap towards her; Nightstep's claws slicing open its throat as it left itself open. She watched it gurgle and scratch helplessly at the dirt - only jerking back to the situation at hand when she heard Kindleflare's command.
"I n-need! N-Need cobwebs!"
Cobwebs? Wasn't Batchaser already- Poppythorn's orange gaze widened as she saw Marshpaw and the amount of blood flowing from the apprentice. She took a step forward before racing away.
Cobwebs, cobwebs. Cracks in the ground? Under a log. The black she-cat hissed in a mix of fury and frustration as she searched, finally finding a mass of dusty webs inside a hollow branch. Swathing as many as she could around her paw - which didn't feel like enough - she raced back to Kindleflare.
"I found some." Poppythorn gasped, heart hammering in her chest. She stared wide-eyed at Marshpaw's limp form, her orange gaze slowly swiveling to Cloudyfeather. A deep forgotten grief welled in her chest but she buried it again; she knew what it was like for a queen to lose her kits, and she prayed that Marshpaw would pull through and spare young Cloudyfeather from that pain.
@marshymutt Fawn - dangit marshpaw, you're making Poppythorn look like a bad mentor I want sacred, I want final And I'm seeking it wherever I go |
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Post by Taxx on Nov 26, 2017 10:47:17 GMT -5
Can you see the secret inside?
Nightstep's unhesitating strike sliced through the throat of the fox; Poppythorn sprang clear a moment before the white-and-black tom's blow landed. She landed safely, but the fox was already dying, its blood gushing freely from the gash in its neck. Spottednose looked away, back to Batchaser- he couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed still, but at the same time. The fox had killed Batchaser. How could he condemn Nightstep for looking after a Clanmate? Kindleflare was calling for cobwebs, having left Batchaser for Marshpaw, and Poppythorn took off to look for some.
Spottednose shifted paw to paw, blinking at the medicine cat as she worked, suddenly at a complete loss of what to do. He couldn't help Kindleflare- what did he know about healing?- and the threat of the fox was gone now. There was still Batchaser... Amber eyes flicked to the still form of the she-cat. She would have to be taken back to camp. Another moment of indecisiveness and then he moved toward the dead warrior. Hovering over the medicine cat as she worked wouldn't help. Poppythorn had returned with the cobwebs Kindleflare had asked for.
Instead, Spottednose turned to Batchaser, lying where the fox had dropped her after taking her life. She had died for Marshpaw, saving her daughter. If only they had been closer- they might have been able to help her. She might still be alive.
Tag: @medusa Fawn @marshymutt
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2017 15:45:06 GMT -5
redscar The cats of Lightningclan weren't the only ones affected by the fire, many of the denizens of the forest felt the same pressure the cats' did. Their bellies gently reminded them of the shortage of food that plagued their territory. It was becoming ever more apparent as all life in Lightningclans' territory, from the smallest piece of prey up to the largest predator, grew ever thinner. As the forest became a harsher place it tended to become a more violent one, and Redscar found himself called by the sound of distressed cats towards a scene he wasn't at all shocked to see. The rules would be stressed ever more fervently after an accident such as this, however as always hindsight was 20/20. Surveying the scene Redscar began to mentally walk through the task of cleaning the whole incident up, there would be bodies to bury, cats to shepherd back to camp and console, and one large stinking fox to dispose of. For now however it was best to let Kindleflare work, helping however she requested. deputy of lightningclan |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2017 8:16:50 GMT -5
(Hope you don't mind but I'm kinda eager to finish this up.) She'd stopped paying attention to the others after a while, her mind focused almost solely on Cloudyfeather.Marshpaw's heart trembled at the thought of leaving her. She could already hear her adoptive mother's heart breaking as she struggled to continue clinging to this mortal coil, it pained her to imagine how much it would hurt when she finally withered away. She wanted so badly to overcome this, to make a full recovery and continue on with her life, to make her mother proud. But her body screamed and ached with every movement, and her vision was becoming blurry. She simply had to accept the facts, she wasn't strong enough to survive. The thought alone was enough to cause the she-cat to let out a terrified wail, realization and fear taking hold of her. "I don't want to die! P-please mama help me, I-I'm so scared!" She began to frantically thrash, struggling to try and get back up, to push herself to keep going. The kitten wasn't sure what she hoped to achieve by doing this, perhaps some part of her hoped that if she managed to get herself moving, it would keep her ground to the Earth. It wasn't long before she tired herself out, ceasing her violent struggling and panting heavily. It was then that she saw them. A duo of starry cats,she hadn't noticed them there before. One was huge, almost as large as her former father was, and bearing the same tabby pelt that Marshpaw had, she didn't recognize her. The other cat however, was a more familiar face, and Marshpaw's eyes widened in surprise. "Batchaser?" She mewled out softly. Though, to any other cat this likely looked very strange, she was simply staring up at the sky, with the black she-cat still quite dead not far from her. Unfortunately,none ofthe other cats would have the chance to ask her what was going on, for she merely looked over at Cloudyfeather with a sad smile. "Mama, Batty and I want you to know that we both love you very much.....a-and we're very sorry." She said, taking one final breath before she stopped breathing altogether. Fawn @medusa @poptart williams Taxx BlooRey DVD |
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Post by Fawn on Dec 12, 2017 15:56:02 GMT -5
Cloudyfeather 26 Moons, LightningClan Queen Grief seared her heart worse than any wildfire could. Cloudyfeather frantically pressed her nose to Marshpaw's cheek, going deaf to all but the fading sounds of her daughter's breath - and then silence. "N-No! Please stay with m-me, I can't l-l-lose you too!" But those cries of anguish fell on dead ears, the body they belonged to no longer capable of answering her.
Cloudyfeather stared, vision hazy. Unfocused. Unseeing. Marshpaw had been scared. That frightened pleading had all but crushed Cloudyfeather's spirits, her expression twisting into helplessness - and lingered long after the Marshpaw had said her last words.
"Y-You have nothing to be sorry for, Marshpaw," she whispered into the kitten's feather-soft fur, the stench of blood already trying to permeate through the scent Cloudyfeather had come to know and love. "I love you to the stars and back. P-Please be happy in StarClan. B-Batchaser... please..." She couldn't finish her sentence. The words wouldn't come.
White paws, stained red and brown from the evidence of the attack, retreated. With each step backward, the reality began to hammer into her like rocks being piled on top of her back. Marshpaw was dead. Batchaser was dead. That she still had Sunnyheart, Galestorm, Jaypaw and Blazepaw to go back to did not lessen her grief. Marshpaw and Batchaser weren't just walls in the nursery to be patched up when they were broken.
They left holes that couldn't be filled in. Cold, dark holes where no light could reach.
Cloudyfeather wailed, trapped between the body of her daughter and her best friend. Unable to let go of either one, unable to turn her back to either one. There was no waking up from this nightmare. XD I give up on the posting order, lol. |
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