sensitive topics But we've been fucking mean ♡ THIRD BODY DISCOVERY

[WRATHHOWL]

*+:｡.｡ At little over nine moons old, Wrathpaw knew the truth.

Looking down upon his prey left his stomach in a knot. Its little paws limp, big dark eyes staring sightlessly through him, empty, hollow. It was strange to think of creatures as full and yet, it had once been. He remembered seeing this same animal dancing upon the leaf litter, swiping dew from its whiskers as it yawned to greet the new day, bushy tail swishing with energy- with joy for life itself. He can't imagine it'd wanted to die, even if it was for a good cause.
As Wrathpaw's parents had implored, it was the only way to build his strength back up. He'd been born with so little, you see, made so small and fragile with pieces missing. Much of his kithood had been lost because of his many trips to the medicine den with many days lost still to the fog of sleep. Still, he will always remember those eyes. When they'd been bright, and when they'd been hollow.

The truth was, death was scary.

Creatures can be emptied and they can be full, but what about spilled? He'd wondered about that, too, as days crept by where he couldn't do more than sleep, where he watched other kits wrestle and run around without a care. What did his eyes look like, back then? He'd seen the light of life, the darkness behind the eyes of those in death, and it had left him scared to see what the severing of that line between looked like.

The truth was, to become stronger, prey needed to die.

Wrathpaw hadn't been able to do it back then. Taking that bite, no matter how badly he needed it, left him sicker than before. Not even the pain in his parents' eyes had been enough to change his stance. He knew now how ungrateful his decision had been. Prey was always finite, strength even less so, and the impact that wastefulness had on the lives around him...Wrathpaw couldn't bear it. For his parents, and for his clan, he needed to be strong.

The truth was, this had to be done.

And yet, with every heaving breath, he felt his lungs drained even more of their strength. Each breath was a struggle, rattling his fragile ribcage, and leaving his heavy paws trembling. So much strength had been needed to hold Pebblestep down, so much more to hollow him out. To take everything that made a light shine in a person's eyes was much more difficult than Wrathpaw had ever imagined. He'd...he'd thought it would've been easy. That if he just thought about prey, did the motions, and let his hunger and desperation lead the way then...then it wouldn't be different. But it was -

The truth was, this was murder.

Pebblestep had a name. Pebblestep had family. Pebblestep had served his clan for moons. He'd always been kind to Wrathpaw, diligent in his work, shook the dew from his whiskers, danced on leaf litter, and smiled at the morning sun he - he'd been full of life.
And Wrathpaw had helped take that away.
For the sake of Thunderclan, that was the truth, right? As his parents said, to devour was to find strength.
But there was none here.
Just blood, the reek of waste, and eyes round and empty, the only remnant left of life found in the sorrowful dew fading at the edges.

The truth was...

"We should go" he speaks weakly, ripping his gaze away from those empty eyes to look at Sleekserpent and Smokefur. Meeting their gaze, he notes with a blooming horror that there's an emptiness in theirs, too. A different kind, a slower fade, but it's there, it's the cost.

His reflection is no less hollowed.

*+:｡.｡ Updated 6/13/24

• 
  
  
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  GENERAL:
  ♡ Wrathkit
  ♡ DMAB— He/Him
  ♡ 9 moons — Ages 1 moon every month real-time
  ♡ Brother to Lovelight, Joywing, Laughblossom || Pridepaw, Merrypaw
  ♡ Thunderclan — Kit
  ♡ Mentored by Wildheart
  
  
  
  
  
  
  COMBAT:
  ♡Physically mediocre | mentally easy
  ♡ Attack in bold #4a59ff
  injuries: None currently

​

 

[✧ Sleekserpent.]

// tw for dehumanization and minor gender-stereotyping + internalized transphobia

ALL GROWN UP NOW BUT IM CONFUSED
WE DIDN'T TURN OUT THE WAY WE WANTED TO​

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sleekserpent & 18 moons & genderfluid & he/she/they & thunderclan warrior ​

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There is something unsettled in blue eyes - shaken. Perhaps, he justifies to himself as whiskers tremble, because it his first. Her first kill - and not even an outsider, an enemy attacking, but her own clanmate. Sleekserpent stares at still warm body with blank eyes - unseeing, unsettled. This.... this thing, it was a kittypet. A stain upon thunderclans name. That 'thing' had had a name, a face, a family - Pebblestep.

Tongue wipes the blood from his lips in absent minded gesture, paws thudding softly against the earth as the young warrior pulls away. She should... fell something, shouldn't she? For all that hunting and fighting has come so easily over the moos, they are no killer - not before now. A cat so preoccupied with keeping their paws clean and free of mud has now sullied them in a way they can never recover from. It will not matter how furiously he grooms himself, this stain will no leave.

And yet, she feels nothing - just an a unsettled sense of apathy, of nothingness. Killing a cat had been no different then snapping a sparrows neck, a quick clean thing. The kittypet had never stood a chance, not against three of them. And all Sleekserpent can think of is green eyes, and wonder if this is the right thing... think of their fathers words - of their mothers scolding - of their little sisters smile.

They'd wanted him to be strong - to stop being soft, always crying like a kittypet, and be strong. To be the protector e was meant to be as their firstborn, their only son. Do what needed to be done, for Thunderclans sake. A true warrior.

She wonders what they'd think if they could look at her now

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

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B O Y S ━ D O N ' T ━ C R Y ━ A N D ━ I ━ W O N ' T ━ T O O

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[Smokefur]

It had been risky, exterminating Pebblestep in the dirt place. He could practically hear his heart pounding in adrenaline. But their plan had worked, and so far nobody had noticed them. As he gazed down at the kittypet's blood pooling around his limp body, Smokefur grinned an evil smile. He had never fought before outside of battle training...it was much easier than he had thought. Or perhaps the tom had just been an easy kill because of his soft blood. Regardless, Wrathpaw was right, they needed to leave. The new warrior lifted a paw and shook the blood from his claws. He could still feel the tearing of flesh, watching the life leave from his eyes. 'That's for Ravenstrike and Darkthistle.'

He would have much rather of taken Stormywing out, but if they had targeted her, they risked giving themselves away. His ears had already been chewed off by a pawful of their clanmates about spreading rumors about the grey and white she-cat's weakness, but unfortunately for her she had littermates. Part of him had hoped Pebblestep would've lasted a little longer, tried a little harder, but his death had been quick and silent. Perhaps that was for the best. The last thing they needed was the entire camp swarming them.

"We'll sneak out the back and split up. They'll never know." the dark grey tom ordered, motioning with his muzzle towards the opening. He doubted they would be caught regardless, but splitting up was safer than sticking together. Their clanmates hadn't been able to tell who had murdered the prior two kitty pets, they wouldn't be able to distinguish their scents, especially in the dirtplace. He waited for agreement from the two of them, before slipping away into the forest.

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‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── ooc ⋆⋅☾⋅⋆ info ──┐‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• this thread is now open!
  Wrathpaw, Sleekserpent, and Smokefur are long gone and won't be able to be detected :)
  
  
  

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• SMOKEFUR ✩ he/him, warrior of thunderclan, 14 moons
  ⭃ lh blue ticked tabby / blue smoke chimera with yellow eyes. mentored by ravenstrike
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by Icey ! ↛ @icefang65 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

​

 

[badgerstripe]

Sleep was troubled for Badgerstripe lately. Two deaths, in close succession to each other, with the culprits never found - but she had her suspicions. Threatening words and gnashing teeth; her distaste for the friends of a friend grew into hatred, and she readily jumped onto the assumption that it had to be them.

Who was safe? Who wasn't? Badgerstripe made sure not to leave camp alone - even in a group with her friends, with each cat keeping their eyes and ears peeled despite the intentions of a relaxing night out. Paranoia sprouted from each shadow distorted by tired eyes, each gap between trees, every little rustle in the undergrowth. It felt nearly impossible to leave camp and feel safe.

But she was always safe in camp. Her worries melt away when she nestles in close to her denmates, in the new nest she had made away from the secluded corner she's slept in for moons. Badgerstripe felt at ease knowing that the worst of their troubles were no longer within camp walls - the gossip had hardly lessened, but there would be no more 'hunting competitions' and the unnecessary threats that came with it. She felt comfortable knowing - rather assuming - that any of their accomplices would have left with them. Real ThunderClanners would not attack each other, and once they found the exiles, it would all be over with.

Right?

A soft yawn leaves Badgerstripes mouth as she groggily departs from the warriors den towards dirtplace. She hopes to be able to fall asleep successfully when she's done and back in her nest - assuming that she does not let herself wake up any more than she needs to, distracted by the nightly birdsong and rustling of the wind and her own thoughts.

But.. the sight she stumbles upon certainly jolts her awake.

It scares the daylights out of her. A lifeless body, just like Ploverhop and Morningcloud. A cat gone too soon, too young.. a valuable warrior lost to.. to who?

Badgerstripe stumbles and backs out of dirtplace with a loud, strangled cry. " N - no! No, not again! Not again! " she gasps out, tripping over her paws as she backs away from the small hollow and falling flat on her flanks. Her green gaze flickers around camp, devoid of the business of daytime, but it takes merely moments for heads to poke out of their dens. " Pebblestep - Pebblestep is dead! Come quick, please! " How long ago had it happened? If she had been any sooner, could she have stopped it? Could they still find the culprits, if they began their search now?

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) text

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[nightbird]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ nightbird wakes to stretch her legs, a moment of solitude before camp became a busy place. she expected it to be short lived, for the kits to notice she was absent and come nipping at her heels. before they get the chance, badgerstripe bursts into camp, horror etched on her face.

another thunderclanner slain within their borders, another body that would leave her mouth with the lingering taste of blood hours after she helped gentlestorm prepare it for a vigil. nightbird stares at the gorse tunnel, paws twitching, begging to carry her out and find some way to put an end to all this mess. the queen hooked her claws into the ground to remain anchored to the spot.

the skin along her spine twitches as if caught on a thorn, grass is uprooted in her wake as she stalks back to the nursery. already, curious heads were beginning to pop out. "stay here until i say you can leave." she mutters, tail twitching as her eyes rake over her children, eyes and ears still drooped with tiredness. her gaze lifts to roeflame, unsure if the other lead warrior had heard badgerstripe's call. nightbird beckons her with a sharp tilt of her jaw, turning back with one last stern look to twilightkit in specific. she had the best odds of keeping everyone in check during nightbird's absence.

"where is he?" she asks once closer to badgerstripe, teeth dipping into the skin on her cheek in anticipation. the thought of something like this happening close to camp while they all slept blissfully unaware irked her.

‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ┌── THE CROWS IN THE GARDEN ⋅⋆⋅ ARE LAUGHING AT MY EXPENSE ──┐‎

• ooc ↛
  

• 

• 
  NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 35 ☾'s
  ⭃ a small black smoke molly with a white paw and pale silver eyes. currently a queen residing in the nursery.
  ⭃ mate to raccoonstripe / / currently mentoring none.
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by vayle ↛ @vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[badgerstripe]

Nightbird is the first to approach, and for once, Badgerstripe is thankful for her immediate presence. She was level-headed, responsible, and generally unemotional.. all the things that Badgerstripe was not, for she couldn't bare to look at that body longer than she had to, let alone bring it back into camp.

" Dirtplace, " she rasps, wavering as tears dot her rounded eyes. The image of blood stains her mind just like every other death that had come before: Batwing, Sunfreckle.. Badgerstripe feels as if her legs could collapse underneath her with the roiling sickness that courses through her dread-filled body. Meekly and hushed, she stammers out, " There wasn't.. I didn't see.. " Who's doing this? she wants to ask, but knows that nobody has an answer. Surely the exiles she suspected wouldn't stray so close to camp without rising suspicions? Then again, this did happen right under their noses anyway..

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) SUPER QUICK response just to answer nightbird's response for easier progression!! sorry for the double post!! <3

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[HOPEPAW]

⊱⊰ This is the third death in only a pawful of days. Hopekit hadn’t seen the first two, though, because one of the queens had ordered him to stay in the nursery and away from the commotion happening in camp. He’d only caught a glimpse of a bloodied body slung over Howlingstar’s back before his view was blocked by the figures of concerned clanmates. Now, though, there’s no one to stop him from slipping out of the nursery in the midst of it all—Nightbird focuses on her own kits, leaving Hopekit to nudge past the entrance and mak his way over to where Badgerstripe is making a ruckus. The same ruckus that had initially woken him up, and is the reason for the pinched expression on his face now. "Again…?" He mutters, glancing tiredly back and forth between the two she-cats.

Three cats. Three clanmates. All accused of being former kittypets by Skyclaw’s dumb little gang of jerks. Isn’t it obvious who’s killing them? Redflower, Darkthistle, and Ravenstrike literally just got exiled; of course they still smell like ThunderClanners. And of course they know when patrols would be out and about. They can easily be blamed for the deaths of Morningcloud and Ploverhop. But… Badgerstripe manages to blurt out, finally, that Pebblestep’s body was found in the dirtplace. The kit’s muzzle turns in a wrinkled scowl. How would the three exiles get that close to camp—practically inside of it? It doesn’t make sense. "How do we know… you didn’t do it…" he murmurs, ears swiveling back against his skull as he tips his head to stare up at the blue tortoiseshell. She’s nice, but maybe she’s lying. Maybe she’s the one who’s behind all this, and if Hopekit calls her out, then Howlingstar and the rest of the clan will thank him for it. Maybe…

【❖】 the hunt is my muse

• ooc: —
• 
  HOPEKIT ❯❯ he/him, thunderclan kit
  ⊱ skinny, thick-furred lilac tom with deep copper eyes. soft-spoken and sleepy, but can be a bit of a grouch.
  ⊱ son of batwing and leopardtongue ; brother to bravepaw, hazepaw, cardinalpaw, coalkit
  ⊱ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ⊱ penned by foxlore

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​

 

[antlerbreeze]

If she was numb when she carried Morningcloud's body back before, she was torn open now. Her heart hurt, it felt heavy, and everything tasted of ash. Ash? That was funny- the prey she had just eaten had been full of blood, juicy, warm. Dawn patrol had caught it. Ash. It didn't taste. It infected her mouth with the rust of iron, with the knowledge that the bodies she's brought back to teary-eyed camp was something she may have been able to prevent.

Who was she kidding, though? She trudges to where Nightbird and Badgerstrike speak, steps around them to approach the body at Dirtplace. What an undignified place to die, she thinks to herself, and it is swept away with a great tremor in her soul, a sickness in her stomach. She swallows any bile- still ash tasting- and speaks, her words entirely too soft and easily unheard. "Help... help me move him." She asks anyone, anyone that was nearby.

Her shoulder slides under Pebblestep's cooling body, and she thinks her teeth grit together. Whoever did join her helped Antlerpaw carry Pebblestep out of that undignified place. Blood spills over her once again, and her stomach churns yet. Another soaking in the river, more gray-clouded water. Another nightmare filled night to come. When will it end? She thinks to herself as she steps to the middle of camp. Another night, another vigil, another round of herbs tucked around a cold body.

Antlerpaw's vision does not find Hopekit's, does not urge him away like she normally would. She is no longer attached to the thought of protection- she is detached from his world. Her voice cracks as it lifts, orange eyes turning towards the only soul she could think of to call right now- "Howlingstar." She says, head then dropping once more with the weight of what has been done.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ┌── SHE SAW IT IN MY EYES ⋅❁⋅ SHE DIDNT EVEN CRY ──┐‎

• "speech"
  // @HOWLINGSTAR
  

• 

• ANTLERPAW she/her, apprentice of thunderclan, twelve moons.
  ⭃ LH cinnamon lynx sepia with low white. smaller body, agile and slippery, fits really well in small gaps in the underbrush. soft spoken but strong and determined.
  ⭃ mentored by howlingstar / / mentoring no one
  ⭃ padding after no one / / sibling to fallowpaw and doepaw
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ⭃ penned by dallas ↛ dallasofnines on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[Glowingpaw.]

THE LIES YOU SUCCUMB TO
BLISSFULLY UNAWARE​

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glowingpaw & 07 moons & female & she/her & thunderclan apprentice ​

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' Pebblestep - Pebblestep is dead! Come quick, please!'

Glowingpaw is pressed against @WRATHPAW when the cry reaches the apprentice den, her worries over his state not quite soothed no matter what he says. Still, she thinks little of it at first, pale blue eyes turning to meet darker shade, lip once more caught between her teeth. Should she go see what's happening? Does she even want to? Mind thinks of Ploverhops body, of Morningclouds, and she suddenly feels ill. Maybe... maybe she should just stay here? Its not any of her business, she'd only get in the way, right? Surely, the adults can handle it? The fact her clanmates are dying is terrifying, but Glowingpaw has never liked to face her fears head on. She is not brave. Mind preoccupied as it is, she misses the most damning piece of evidence - dirtplace, they say, but Badgerstripe's words fall upon deafened ears.

━ actions & " speech, " & 'thoughts/quotes' ━

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W E ' L L - A L W A Y S -B E -S O -P E R F E C T L Y- H A P P Y

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[skyclaw]

Skyclaw cannot claim this plan to be solely his own. He's given direction, he's given suggestion - he's encouraged and engaged and committed himself. But without the claws of his friends, he would not be able to pull off all that they have. The tom wakes, easily stirred by the fearful cries of one of his Clanmates. Palefire's friend... He presses his nose to the ruff of the she-cat's neck briefly before standing, pulling from the warrior's den to join those outside of it.

He says nothing, idling nearby as Antlerpaw and another retrieve Pebblestep, his blue fur stained red. Skyclaw wonders who inflicted the final blow, but doesn't dwell for too long - for accusations are slung by a nearby child. An orphan, like him. He'd have more care for Hopekit if the runt wasn't so mouthy. (Rich thinking, coming from the false tortoiseshell.)

Skyclaw looks over Badgerstripe, hiding his boredom beneath a layer of fatigue. "There's nothing new to scent out there?" He asks. Nothing more than the dirt and blood, if the others worked right. Skyclaw lashes his tail, "You checked, didn't you?"​

 

[badgerstripe]

The crowd grows from Nightbird to many. A kitten, who has seen far two much in his little life; an apprentice barely out of the nursery that she can think the same of; Antlerpaw, who valiantly moves to retrieve the body that Badgerstripe couldn't stomach to look at, and Skyclaw.

Hopekit raises copper eyes to challenge her, to aim at her the very question she feared. It would be all too perfect, wouldn't it? For Badgerstripe to murder someone in cold blood, and play the stumbling victim who just so happened to be the first to find it. She feels pairs of eyes burn into her pelt, and though only one is particularly accusatory, she feels her pelt burn with anxiety and anger. " I wouldn't, " the molly answers sternly, sincerely. " I would never lay a claw on my Clanmate. W-whoever did this.. that f-foxheart.. " The words, though truthful, begin to stumble and fade with a sudden exhaustion and sadness, now that the adrenaline and shock of witnessing the remnants of a murder has worn away. For all her mistakes and negligence from the past, she vows she would never intentionally hurt one of her own.. she still has yet to get over those that were hurt indirectly.

While Antlerpaw and whoever else helps with moving the body, Badgerstripe turns her attention to Skyclaw. He was not much older than himself, nor did he hold more authority, but his words are met with an obedient nod. " Nothing, " she croaks out in reply. " Just.. dirt and ThunderClan.. just like.. " the others. Her voice trails off, and she shakes her head. There was no obvious foreign scent, but in her fear, she barely took the time to examine him for any other clues. " We could check for.. for fur, maybe, or.. " Who is she kidding? Badgerstripe hasn't an ounce of detective in her. Her gaze lifts now, desperately, towards where Antlerpaw approached Howlingstar. She would have answers.. she always did..

BADGERSTRIPE ( she/her )​

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( ooc ) text

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[doepath ࿔]

The sudden.... rise in corpses that have been paraded through camp for their last farewells are enough to unsettle what little comfort and confidence Doepaw had. They are clan-mates, bodies that had once been dozing happily in a crowded warrior's den, hunters that had run the forests with eyes round with the thrill of hunting a bounty. Their number is such rabid succession had not been repeated since the wolves had stormed through the camp and ripped friend and family to shreds between their teeth.

Friends and family.

Each final breath exhaled made the hot breathing of death feel ever closer. Like it drew towards her neck, the phantom fangs of its teeth pulled into a gnarly grin and just waiting. Had she escaped it too many times? And how many more times would she be permitted to until it found her next? Or maybe it was their proximity that made it so, it started vague. The knife growing clearer the closer they became to her, a girl surrounded by a whirlwind of snipped fates and tattered story pages.

She thinks she can remember what Antlerpaw's face looks like... the sharpness of her cheeks, the fluffiness the drapes down her neck, the pinch of her nose when she's frustrated or upset. The pin-point tiny pupils of a child horribly afraid. Doepaw imagines she looks the same as she did then, kind of. So brave in the face of certain doom, for the sake of her litter-mates but all too prepared to crumble in the silence and privacy of night. When closed eyes would allow her to freely muddle through her feelings.

The ruddy molly detaches from the body that had become alike a cape, seeking for Howlingstar's den and feverishly, frantically, the fawn she-cat rushes after her, a consuming anxiety telling her that letting her out of her sight would make it the last time they saw each other at all. Her voice is hollow when it calls for her mentor and Doepaw frowns, far too cowardly to be the voice her sister needs when given the fortunate suffering of witnessing it all without hinderance.

Did she know how bad death smelled... the way Doepaw did?

"I-It keeps... happening," she murmurs, searching for the brown tabby's shifting form. "Howlingstar.... Are.... we safe?" It had sat as a question on the tip of her tongue after the second death... and now seemed more prudent than ever.​

 

[STORMYWING]

Stormywing's heart pounds in her chest as she hears Badgerstripe's frantic cries. Her eyes widen in shock and horror as the realization of what she hears sinks in. Pebblestep is dead. She springs into action, her paws beating fiercely against the ground like the frantic wingbeats of a bird. She flies towards the dirtplace, a torrent of thoughts racing through her mind.

"Pebblestep!" She roars, scratchy voice trembling. "Where is he? Show me!" As she approaches the tunnel, Stormywing's vision blurs with tears of anger and sorrow. Her body freezes as his body comes into view and her claws dig into the earth. Through blurry eyes she examines the scene, searching for any clues or signs of what happened. A third murder. Her own brother has been made into the third victim. The tabby’s breath comes in ragged gasps, and her eyes flash with a burning resolve. "We'll find them," She growls, turning to Badgerstripe and the others who have gathered. "We'll find who did this and make them pay. Pebblestep deserves justice! We need to start searching now! They could still be close!"

Her grief is raw, palpable in how it rolls off of her in waves and chatters in her teeth. But it only fuels her determination. She watches as clanmates move her brother’s body back into camp. Instead of going to grieve, she turns and storms out into the forest, desperate to find a scent, a clue, anything. She will avenge her littermate. With tears rolling down her cheeks and ears pinned to her skull, the warrior disappears into the undergrowth.
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