wc rebels COGS in a MACHINE ☣︎ late arrivals

[Mintshade]

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She had been content to serve as a soldier, but she was not property and she would never submit to being considered anything but her own self; Mintshade had always been a proud cat, confident in her abilities and skilled enough to handle herself in battle but her pride had an arrogance that would not bend her into submission. Sootstar's spiral had been met with her usual indifference until it came to a disastrous finish, a declaration of war against her own clan - against StarClan itself. She would have once dutifully turned her teeth on those who questioned her sister, against any cat who dared speak out to risk WindClan's strength and unity but she had seen the fractures beginning to form long ago. A brown tabby body, the sickly sweet swill of sickness in the air, the scorch marks on a stone monolith, it had all been a gradual decay like any rot was until it was hard to ignore the scent of it festering. But for it happen like this, well, she had been unprepared for it. Whatever hesitance she had vanished in the blink of an eye when Bluepool made her stand, a loyalty divided between sisters and she'd chosen the one she knew she couldn't live without. Claws and fangs clashed, the moorlands sang with blood, it was a wonder she had managed to slip out given her tenacity and refusal to accept anything less than victory but even Mintshade knew when something was a lost cause. It was flee or die and she decided a future where she might sink her claws into her own blood's throat would be more befitting her.

But she had been unable to keep up. In her retreat that black and white brute grappled with her, they had twisted and yowled, fought tenaciously but she'd been backed into a corner and given no other option than to run and it risked retaliation - he had nearly ripped her pelt off in gouging marks, hooked claws trailing blood pools in her wake and when she finally lost what little energy she had left she collapsed in the tall grass. Would it be her fate to bleed to death like this? Alone and lost? Fate decided the answer was no and spared her some company.

Sunstride's son had been a surprise, but it had probably been a surprise that saved her life. Too wounded to move for several days, he dutifully brought water and prey while they waited her to recover enough strength to drag her battered carcass more than a few steps. Wolfsong would be proud, she thought, the little bastard knew just enough from his days in the medicine cat den to stifle bleeding, but she smelt the sour of bad blood and knew she was not going to make it without some kind of assistance.
The dark she-cat groaned as she struggled forward, every lift and lower of her paws sending waves of pain down her back where the claw marks scored her flanks so heavily it was a wonder she could walk at all. All the while the rosette apprentice danced ahead of her, pausing to walk back with words of encouragement she met with barred teeth and narrowed eyes but despite how annoying his optimistic demeanor was it was motivating enough.
She couldn't die here, she had to deliver this brat back to his parents after all.

☣︎ All my friends are heathens, take it slow ☣︎ — Wait for them to ask you who you know

• Ooc- Yes this is a PAFP thread with myself, no I will not apologize! Since I was sick during the takeover and it feels too late to reply what essentially happened was Mintshade fought with the rebels immediately and got battered pretty badly by Harbingermoon while retreating, it injured her enough she was slow to catch back up to the group and ran into Bearpaw who had gotten seperated from his mentor in the chaos of their escape as well. Bearpaw stayed behind with her while she rested enough for them to make the journey to horseplace with the others!
  
• 
  
  
  Mintshade
  —⊰⋅ Warrior (Moor Runner) of WindClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ SH Solid black cat w/ acid green eyes.
  

​

 

[Bearflight]

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He felt himself a coward and it stung more than any claws might have if he had fought alongside his siblings and clanmates in their rebellion. Bearpaw had been too caught up in his own horror, the dawning realization that what he dreaded most had finally arrived and his father had been caught in the whirlwind of it. The chocolate tom had clung to Brightshine’s side as she searched for her own kin in the chaos, but he had lost track of her as he fretfully tried to find his own as well - panicked apprehension rising in his throat to choke im with fear when he just barely caught the sight of Rivepaw on the ground and bloodied. His mouth had opened in a scream, but it cut off into a short cry of alarm as he was pushed over by bodies rushing by in combat and others attempting to flee. Having lost sight of his family he made the decision to pick a direction and run and he did so with wide blue eyes watering, he had no idea what fate might have befallen them all; he prayed to the stars they would be okay and he would reunite with them soon but as his tired paws carried him forward he realized he had gotten himself turned around and the unfamiliar area he stood in no longer carried the scent of WindClan but a stale and uncomfortable reminder that he was out of his element.

It was there he’d practically stepped on Mintshade, her dark figure nearly blending in with the shadows of the tall grass and the sharp scent of blood overwhelming. The dark she-cat had always scared him a little with her cruel laugh and her barbed quips but she was friendly with his parents in her own unique way and he set about trying to push moss down onto her wounds in an effort to stop the bleeding. When she came to she cursed at him to leave but he held his ground. Fetching dripping moss from a nearby puddle and a mouse to keep them fed, he made the decision to stay until the molly was able to get back up and together they had eventually made their way to the horseplace where he catches the scent of familiar cats in the distance, “Mintshade, we’re here! We-” He whipped his head around, ears flipping atop his head as he realized with trepidation she had collapsed again, “Help! HELP! Someone help!”
He swiftly rushed back to her side, head nudging at her with a little more force than he meant in his desperation to get her back up. No, not here. Not when they were so close!

◈ ——— it's easy to explain ◈ ——— 'cause this world's not tame (little fang, little fang)

•  
• 
  
  
  Bearpaw
  —⊰⋅ Apprentice of WindClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ SH Chocolate Rosette Tabby w/blue eyes.
  

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[Azaleafrost]

Azaleafrost had been lucky enough to escape from her bitter enemies with her life, her wounds had done nothing to stop her or slow her down. Staying with the barn cats is what made her uneasy. She didn't like it here, it was too much too fast and she had yet to adjust to living here. The barn smelled funny, the horses felt too close sometimes even if they were nowhere near her, and she felt vulnerable whenever she looked at the few strange faces that lived here.

On top of that, she felt a hole in her heart. Two cats she had not seen join them, Marmotbite and Mintshade. She felt hurt that Marmotbite stayed behind, and sickening worry over wherever Mintshade was. Did she stay? Did she run, is she dead? Not knowing upset her and she fought the urge to snoop the moors.

She hears voices outside. She believes the voice she hears is Bearpaw's, another cat she had thought unaccounted for, and quickly leaves the barn to find him...Along with the collapsed Mintshade. A gasp leaves her before she can control it.

"Bearpaw...Your parents are inside and will be happy to see you." She says, calming her nerves to assess the situation. "Mintshade...We have to get her inside-" She continues, seeing how rough her old mentor looks. "Who did this. Did you see who it was specifically?" She asks as she tries to lift Mintshade by the scruff to help carry her inside.

Whoever did this will most certainly die.​

 

[RATTLEHEART]

In the chaos of the battle that had finally torn apart their clan, Rattleheart had been desperate to keep those close to them safe. Unfortunately, that had turned out to be a rather long list - and they had been forced to focus on their family, as well as their now-mate, Venomstrike. Aside from that, they hadn't been able to take a second to just pause and truly inspect the battlefield around them. They hadn't been able to see where Wolfsong and Sunstride's children had gone off to, nor had they been able to see the choice that Mintshade had made in the midst of the chaos. Their own encounter with Harbingermoon had been brief, leaving them with a long wound that now ran down their side - but also filling their mouth with the strangely satisfying taste of the loyalist's blood. If they had known what he'd end up doing to Mintshade... it's likely that they wouldn't have aimed for his shoulder, and instead headed straight for his throat as they thrashed their head from side to side.

Though it certainly seemed as though Azaleafrost was eager for her own chance to get revenge, if Bluepool didn't make sure to get to it first.

Swift strides brought the tunneler over at Bearpaw's frantic cries, relief rushing over them in a wave when they saw the apprentice standing there, apparently unharmed. Mintshade was unfortunately in a far worse state, her collapse causing them to wince as they grew closer. "Here, let me help. We'll get her to Wolfsong and he can hopefully patch her up..." It seemed as though Bearpaw had been doing the best he could, but the sharp stench of souring blood on the air indicated things beyond the poor child's abilities. Though hopefully not beyond Wolfsong's, even with the limited medical supplies that they had gathered at their temporary home within the barn.

They pressed themself lightly against Mintshade's side, trying to provide her with a support as they let Azaleafrost carry her forward. They made sure that it was their good side helping to hold her up, knowing that things wouldn't be made any better by them reopening their own wound while trying to help. "You did a wonderful job getting her here, Bearpaw... your family will be so relieved to see that you're safe. The rest of us are, too." They made sure to shoot a soft smile in his direction, hoping to reassure him if he was feeling any doubt about how much he had helped. Mintshade wasn't in an amazing state, sure, but she would have been much worse off had Bearpaw not been with her.
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[ PENNED BY EO ]​

 

[Bluepool]

She had not forgotten about her sister but the battle had been chaotic, claws flying and bodies blurring together and she could not have afforded to focus on the location of another if she herself had any hope of getting out alive. She remembers Sootstar hot on her heels, her name screaming from her mouth. But she does not remember Mintshade and it makes her wonder when finally she is able to rest her head down for the night. What was the fate of her kin? If she had joined Sootstar then so be it, but she would certainly grieve the loss. She loved her sisters, loved her blood more than anything. To have lost both in one fell swoop made her feel strange, isolated and alone for perhaps the first time in her life. Like she had lost something much more vital than her tail.

She isn't expecting to see her again, if she is honest. As the day passed she believed her kin to either be loyal to her sister or dead. So imagine her surprise when a shadowed figure comes stumbling over the hill, propped up by ginger and white fur. "Mintshade!" she cries out, coming to press her nose to her sisters forehead, not caring that Azaleafrost and Rattleheart were nearby, not aring that they were speaking too. She couldn't hear them over the sheer relief that makes her heart pound in her ears. She does, however, hear Azaleafrost ask who had done this to her and she finds herself nodding "Whoever did this will pay" she vows, claws digging into the soft soil and a fierce look flashing in her golden eyes.

They needed to get her to Wolfsong as soon as possible, Rattleheart is right. She shoots him a grateful glance as he moves to help her. "You'll have the comfiest nest in the whole barn I'll make sure of it" she says, already planning on using the wool from her own nest to ensure her sisters was extra padded. After this ordeal, she needed it.

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[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── The news Moorblossom brought of deaths delivered at Sootstar's paw had spurred lurid, terrible imaginings of what fate might have found his son. Rivepaw, still recovering fitfully, has kept his mind occupied— though not so much that he hasn't had silent, lonely moments that fall prey to the worst of possibilities. Fate guides them all. It was fate which killed his parents, fate which bound him to Sunstride, and fate which separated his kits in the chaos. It does not mean Wolfsong finds peace in that helplessness; quite the opposite, in fact. He has never challenged the predestined path for himself, yet he finds he would tear it out root and all if it meant his children would walk with him but a little longer.

His son's voice sets a fire in his blood, and he hastens to the small crowd and exhales shakily when he finds Bearpaw among them, unharmed. The same cannot be said for Mintshade, supported by Azaleafrost and Rattleheart, but even so, the relief does not suffocate. It is weak, yes, and tired as Wolfsong is, but is son is— not safe, not yet, but here, and fate will not yet fall under his claws.

"Bearpaw," he breathes. "Your siblings are inside. I am..." Wolfsong swallows and rasps his tongue over his cheek. "Later. I have missed you." He looks to Mintshade and starts for the barn. "I will prepare what I need for her. She has waited long enough for treatment; she should wait no longer."
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WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 41 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★★☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart and his own pregnancy, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

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[HOUNDTHISTLE]

"BECAUSE COWBOY DAN'S A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE COWBOY SCENE"​

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"Vengeance is what got us in this mess in the first place," He huffed out, shouldering the doors of the barn a bit wider to allow the group inside, his towering form standing straight as he eyed the grasses behind them all, lips set in a thin, tense line. His heart hammered like a jack rabbit banging on tunnel walls, his eyes scanning for anyone who'd picked up Bearpaw and Mintshade's scent to their make-shift camp. They hadn't shown any sign of following the groups yet, but that still didn't stop Houndthistle from being ready to throw himself into a blood bath first. "Goin' out t' find specific cats to paint the moors red no matter the cost is what she does," Houndthistle essentially lectured, his features tinged with worry for, as long as everyone stood out in the open, they were more likely to be hurt.

With the doors adequately open, he trotted over in a hurry, craning his head to get a look at Mintshade. "Y'all want me t' carry 'er? I'll get 'er in quickly," He meowed, sliding past Wolfsong to sniff at Mintshade, seeing if she was even able to be lifted without hurting her more.

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"speech"

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OOC CURRENT STATS INTERACTION RULES

• text
• Physical Health
  
  100%
  ⤷ left eye is blinded
  Mental Health
  
  98%
• 
  Single | Bicurious | Not actively looking | Interested in Wolfsong, Scorchstreak, Sootspritespark
  
  Houndthistle is both an easy one to gain the trust of and impossible to gain the trust of. He'll rarely reveal personal information or be vulnerable-if he's even capable of such things-but he will show trust in his willingness to lay his life down. To gain it, he needs evidence that you're loyal and strong, same as him, otherwise he understands he may one day have to come head to head with you.
  
  — will start fights / will not flee / may show mercy
  — excels at Fighting, Tracking, Following Orders, Intimidation
  — poor at climbing, swimming, stealth, talking, strategy, politics
  — sounds like: deep, gravelled and thick with a sort of country accent / Arthur Morgan
  — smells of iron, leather, and wood
  — speech is #435E75

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[Mintshade]

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"...the kid okay?" It's a slurred out question, teeth red-stained and giving the faintest flicker of a grin as she sees Azaleafrot and she can't help but feel glad her former apprentice was here; part of her wondered and worried if she was left in the madness that was once their clan, surrounded by their howls - a pack of dogs preparing to hunt. Mintshade gives a strained, agonized hiss as she shifts upward back to stand, vision blurring and acid green stare unfocused.
It takes every ounce of strength she has left just to let herself be pushed up, propped up between two other cats and stumbling like a newborn kit with every step. Her head remains dropped down low up until Bluepool's voice reaches her and she lifts head slowly to the light touch of a nose on her forehead, "Blue, you're alright..." Of course she'd worried, had seen Sootstar chase her with gnashing teeth and murderous intent and she had not seen the rest of their battle to know if the tabby molly had escaped unscathed; there is a new scar on her chest crossing the mark of their sister's loyal followers but something in her tells her that Soot had no caused that particular wound.
The dark she-cat leans into Rattleheart as she stumbles, head drooping once again with not energy to keep up the effort of appearances, "That...Harbingermoon bastard...got me on my way out." She hisses between her teeth, a cackle of a noise like a laugh splitting the air at Houndthistle's offer, "...let me have the last dredges of my dignity that weren't bled out of me on the way here..."

☣︎ All my friends are heathens, take it slow ☣︎ — Wait for them to ask you who you know

•  
• 
  
  
  Mintshade
  —⊰⋅ Warrior (Moor Runner) of WindClan
  —⊰⋅ She/Her
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ SH Solid black cat w/ acid green eyes.
  

​

 

[SUNSTAR]

His love is not so gentle as his mate's in this moment. Sunstride's tongue is not a gentle lave– his claws nearly dig to Bearpaw's scruff, pulling him closer from his running arrival, straight into his own still-scabbing chest. There is nothing that he could say in this moment. What fears he has carried since their haphazard departure leave his chest in a broken huff of air, what is nearly a cry into the air. Sootstar had torn from him what he cared for most. Rivepaw sat nearly with the stars, and he could not know what became of Bearpaw. So many of his friends were wounded. Mintshade missing. His kittens too far from him to protect. He holds him close for a moment longer, releasing him only when Wolfsong turns fully towards the barn, and rasps, "Go. Follow Wolfsong. Your littermates are waiting for you, as is a meal. You have done well." He nudges him precisely towards the barn, and turns to Mintshade with a louder crack to his voice.

"And you–" She is lucky she's already squished between the two of them, or he would scruff her himself to drag her inside. "You have not had your dignity for many moons, my friend." She had done all she could to make a menace of herself. Now that she's carrying these wounds...he cannot help but once more miss how things had been. Simpler, that is for certain. "Were you followed at all as you came?" To the others: "Quickly, to a nest. And keep an eye on the moors!"

𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓  ╱╱ 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐕𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 〚 11.22.2023 〛 —————«

• OOC. —
• 

  SUNSTRIDE. WINDCLAN DEPUTY & MOOR RUNNER.
  ——– HE – HIM – HIS ╱╱ 48+ MOONS OLD, ADULT.

  NPC x NPC, LONERS. MATE TO WOLFSONG; FATHER TO BEARPAW, SINGEDPAW, RIVEPAW, SUNLITPAW AND FEATHERPAW. MENTORING SCORCHPAW.
  
  TH ╱╱ LARGE CHOCOLATE ROSETTE TABBY, ICY EYES.

• "speech"

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[RATTLEHEART]

Harbingermoon. Of course that flea-bitten mongrel had done this to Mintshade. The very mention of his name sent Rattleheart's ears down, pressing flat against his head as an uncharacteristic snarl pulled back his lips. "Great. Figures that he'd get you on your way out, that no good coward. Brainless brute wouldn't know where to put his own paws without Sootstar guiding him through it." There were very few cats that the tunneler could earnestly say he hated, and Sootstar now remained firmly planted at the top of that list. However, Harbingermoon had managed to find himself hot on her heels - unsurprising, considering the way he echoed her ideals with glee. Though Rattleheart found that he could flash Mintshade a supportive grin as he stayed pressed against her side. "If it's any consolation, Venomstrike and I nearly tore him apart during the battle ourselves. Pretty sure I'll still have the blood from his shoulder in my teeth for weeks." He could still see Harbingermoon crashing to the ground in his mind, caught off guard and startled by the massive and sudden presence of Venomstrike's snarling form upon his back. The blur of the fight had managed to not only leave Harbingermoon wounded and bleeding, but also caused Rattleheart's heart to swell with even more love for his now mate.

As he continued to lead her inside, Sunstride's words only caused his uplifted mood to sink. Their de facto leader was right to be worried - the loyalists were vicious and unyielding, and it wouldn't surprise him if any of them had saw fit to follow Mintshade's fleeing form. A thought that made him snarl, considering all any of them wanted was their home. He turned just the slightest bit so that he could mutter over his shoulder, his long tail twitching behind him. "Once we get Mintshade to a nest, I can help with a watch to make sure we've got guards trained on the moors." He wasn't the most impressive thing at the moment - not that he ever was, when it came to fighting - but he wasn't as bad off as some in their midst, considering his side was healing at a steady pace.
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[ PENNED BY EO ]​