camp GATE TO THE TRUTH / news

[SILVERSMOKE]

His fur had not stopped bristling since the incident. Each time he thought it had settled, memories of the event replayed, and his pupils and hairs expanded exponentially once more. They'd gotten lucky, but it didn't feel good to have run, not when there was still so much they didn't know about the Twolegs. Reaching the campgrounds alongside the patrol, uncertain eyes watched as Blazestar immediately moved towards his den, Orangeblossom in tow. His paws ached, perhaps even bleeding - he had not been careful with where he placed them when all he could imagine the entire time was a twoleg snapping at his heels with sharp fingers. Attention began to fall onto the three and Silversmoke instinctively moved closer to Auburnflame, grateful he could blame his panting on having sprinted like a mad dog rather than fear. It was Cloverjaw's brother who was gone, in a regular world, it should've been his job to convey such information. But, this was not a regular place, twolegs had infested it like fleas, and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that they'd all be overrun if he didn't get Slate's message out fast enough.

Slate's message. Ugh, he hated it when the black tom made a good point. His swan song scarcely seemed like the last thing he'd ever say when he'd given them all a clue, at least he could still berate the lost enemy for not telling them sooner. 'He only acts when his own life is in danger, why am I so surprised?' A side-eyed glance was offered to Cloverjaw and, perhaps still sensing some animosity be it fabricated or real, the silver tabby decided against comforting him for the time being. Instead, he focused on his clanmates, his head, and tail tilted upwards in a display of confidence that hoped to inspire others not to crumble as he almost had. "Slate has been taken by Twolegs." He didn't know anyone who would mourn the bastard outside of Cloverjaw and Orangeblossom, but the meaning behind his capture should've been enough to make anyone feel something. The Twolegs weren't stopping anytime soon. For a split second, he wondered if the clan would think that he was somehow responsible. Their hatred for one another had become public, resulting in near-fights almost several times. The thought nauseated him - he would not wish subjugation from a Twoleg on anybody.

"We saw the Twoleg responsible, a towering beast wearing a pelt as red as roses. A warning if I've ever seen one." He scoffed and took a deep breath. How the hell could Blazestar have the strength to shout in meetings? When it didn't feel natural to do so, Silversmoke felt his jaws grow tight. "But, all is not lost! In his final message to us, Slate spoke of a place we may be able to find our missing clanmates! 'The Shelter'! Any that know of its whereabouts should speak to Blazestar at once." He'd heard of the place, its name was too soft for the horrors that lurked within. Yowling all day and all night, cats coming out with collars, never being seen again when they were stuffed into the back of Twoleg monsters. He regretted hearing the rumours from the rogues, there was no telling the damage that had been done to their clanmates already - or if they were even still there at all. Eyes scanned the crowd in hopes of seeing any recollection from those gathered. As loathed as he was to admit it, perhaps the Daylight Warriors would stand a better chance of knowing.

[ @Auburnflame @CLOVERJAW -- feel free to post before them!! ]
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[Sweetybee]

Another warrior gone, and Sweetybee can't help but feel nothing at Slate's capture. It's petty, she knows. She should shove it aside and be responsible, mature. It's terrible that he was taken.

And yet she had to take a moment to prepare herself to speak.

"The shelter......I was there, once. With my friend Fish." She began. It's how she got adopted. Fish was so clingy and protective of her that the twolegs adopted them out together.

And now they have a twoleg that holds this funny rectangle stone at them all the time. It's really weird, she doesn't know what to think of it.

She had been lucky to not have been there long, but she was still aware of the misery the place harbored within. Tales of cats disappearing if they stayed there too long kept her up at night during her stay. She didn't know if it was true or not so she wouldn't say, but the pit in her stomach was still there.

" We weren't there long, but I may remember a few landmarks...." She said. If only it was possible to follow the monsters who took their clanmates.... They were so fast.
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[Johnnyflame]

LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW​

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The shelter. The Shelter. Of course! Why hasn't it crossed his mind before? Sure, this wasn't how people usually went about it, but it made sense!

"I'm too new to this twoleg place to know where their shelter is, but I know we'll need a plan if we're planning on breaking in there." Johnny said as he strode forward to join the clan. He may not know the whereabouts of the building they needed, but that didn't mean he didn't have information to offer up as a Daylight Warrior.

"It's a twoleg building where cats and dogs are taken to find new housefolk- if they're lucky." he informed them, jumping into the details as quickly and cleanly as possible. "We'll have to find a way in without being seen, locate our cats, and then bust them out of whatever cages their being held in. Anyone who gets caught is likely to end up caged with them, so if the plan is to bust them out, it needs to be well thought out."

That was all he knew, though. Johnnys old vet had worked out of the local shelter, and so he had gotten a glimpse into the world of shelter animals a few times in his life- even was able to speak to a few while healing up from a minor surgery back in the day. He'd never been to this shelter though, didn't know the layout or what kind of cages the cats were kept in. Charging in there without a plan would only end in disaster for all of them.
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[sparrowsong!]

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The return of a patrol, looking miserable at best, was enough to turn many heads with concern, Sparrowpaw's being one of them. They paused rolling about a pebble they had found, anxiety already sitting heavy in their belly. It quickly turned into a jolt of fear when the silver feline called out. Slate has been taken by Twolegs.

No. No, no, no. The brown tabby slowly shook their head, hardly aware that they were mumbling the plead aloud as their ears pinned and head hunched. They saw the Twoleg, they went on, and Slate warned them of a place called the Shelter. No, they wanted to weep. It was too late- it had to be. They would hurt Slate, they would hurt the other SkyClanners they had taken. They would all be taken. They had to flee- but where else was there to go?

The next breath Sparrowpaw drew was a hiccup, the fur along their spine bristling and muzzle lowering to press itself to the earth. They didn't want to go back. Don't- it's not safe, they wanted to cry out, to warn them of the futility of it all, but the words wouldn't make it past their lips. ​

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[Fireflyglow]

Fireflypaw can hear the murmurs of 'no' from a short distance, hackles raising as he walks over to comfort the new apprentice with a gently nuzzle against their cheek. Sparrow, so new and so unsure of themself. When he seats himself, he gazes towards the cats talking about a plan of helping their clanmates escape from somewhere called the 'Shelter'.

"Have you discussed this information with my father yet?" He asks calmly, facial expression schooled for a moment if only to properly maintain himself. He didn't want to start panicking right now, didn't want to risk showing such weakness to cats who depended on him. His tail lashes behind him then, eyelashes fluttering. "This Shelter.. Is it far away?"​

 

[Auburnflame]

Adrenaline had faded from his body long ago, leaving his body in a near crumpled heap as he forces himself through the entrance of bramble towards the open clearing. His disheveled fur even more messy than it's usual, waves still ruffled and prickling from alarming fear. Auburnflame falls back onto his haunches in an audible thump, hind legs splayed out in front of him to catch his breath. His heart still roared like a summer storm, hammering against it's ivory cage and he does little to steady his breathing. Slate was gone. Taken. Their prying jaws did nothing to help him, only left with with an empty sadness and sore limbs. His paws ached from pounding against the earth as he sprinted home, taking little notice to the sticks and foliage he trampled in his wake as he charged after Blazestar. One of his paws stung more, crimson ichor dotting where he laid his paw from a broken claw to the quick when Blazestar shouldered him away from the steel trap as the lumbering Two-Leg nearly snatched them up as well.
He takes little notice as Silversmoke moves closer to him, his red-rimmed eyes fixated upon the earth by his paws. The lead warrior announces to the gathering cats that began to corral around them as Blazestar immediately met up with Orangeblossom to speak in private, and he doesn't utter a word to anyone. All he can see is all of their captured clanmates, stuffed in some dark void in steel cages and screaming for help. Howlpaw, Twitchbolt, Quillstrike, Ashenclaw, and now Slate. The tortoiseshell wants to curl up in himself, to shut out the world around him and just hope this was all some vivid nightmare that he had conjured up within his mind. But the pain, the tension crackling, and the chaotic thrumming in his chest proved otherwise. What were they to do now?
His solemn gaze finally lifts from his distant staring, settling upon a small earthen form that pressed themselves to the soil. Sparrowpaw convulsed lightly from their hiccup, fear drenching their small form. Auburnflame instinctively moved over toward them, now ignoring the shooting pain in his paw as he aimed to wrap his crimson tail protectively around the apprentice in silent comfort. Fireflypaw also drew in close to them before speaking. "Yes. He was there. I'm sure he heard Slate's last words as he pried me away from the trap. He's talking to Orangeblossom now..." The warrior finally speaks up, his voice thick with emotion and nearly croaked from recent panic-filled tears. His next question, however, leaves him quiet. There was no telling. Not with how quickly monsters could run along the winding Thunderpaths. His gaze drops back to the earth below him, dread sinking into his heart.
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[ SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY ]​

 

[ThistleBack]

The news rippled over the clan like breeze through nettles, Slate has been taken by twolegs naturally a squint settles over metallic hues. How ironic should this news come from the former rogues greatest nemesis within the brambles of their home. Thistleback wonders if the striped coated lead had anything to do with it, briefly. Then again, perhaps cruel coincidences was just the theme of Skyclan.

The urchin furred tom shakes his skull with an angry sigh, how many more boughs- Starclan?

Sparrow shrinks and bristles, Johnny’s familiar voice rises above and he watches the bobtail move forth to deliver information about the shelter. Thistleback knew of catchers, it was a hushed warning from elder strays but he had hardly dealt with twolegs. They kept their distance from the grimy stray that worked out their rat problem . The black and white tom focuses intently, nicked ears tilting on axis as he zones in silently.

Auburnflame looks raw and pained, the way Thistleback felt as Quillstrike was stolen away. The rage lights in his abdomen again, his ears fold backwards and he wished he was the size of a lion so he could make for a fair match against this red-pelted upwalker.

" Twoleg eyes don’t shine in the moonlight and they use sun-sticks that glow several tail lengths from their paw. I think they cannot see as well in the dark as we can. " he lets in, suggesting at the very least this patrol should be orchestrated in the moonlight. Thistleback takes a stand next to the chimera, pelt brushing theirs.

Eyes shifting abruptly to Sweetybee, they claim to have been there with a friend. " Perhaps Fish remembers too?" he asks the molly with the pink ribbon.

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OOC INFO REF

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  Thirty-seven moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
  — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
  — Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
  — Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
  — mentoring Snowpaw graduate(s) Quillstrike
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
  — voice & accent
  — biography･ﾟ✧​
  OPEN for Dice battles | stine#3004
  
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[sparrowsong!]

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The pawsteps beside them, although gentle, are enough to make Sparrowpaw jolt. Even softer still is a muzzle brushing against theirs, the chocolate tabby barely sparing a glance to see who it is before they're turning to bury their face in pale fur. A sniff mixed with a shuddering breath is just enough to tell them that it's Fireflypaw. Fi.

Not long after is the curling embrace of a plumed tail, the apprentice turning their head just enough to see the striking crimson of Auburnflame. While they continued to shake, biting back on a small whimper, it was a welcome sense of comfort and safety, and they pressed into the seal point just a bit harder, ears flattened to block out the panicked chatter.

"Don't," they whined softly to no one in particular, unmoving save for a shake of their head. "Do- don't let them. You can't. Please." Don't go. Don't let them take you too. Please don't.​

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[Sweetybee]

She didn't expect Thistleback to ask about Fish. She wondered if it would be a good idea to get him involved..... He wouldn't mind, but.... She loved Fish dearly and trusted him with her life but he wasn't the sharpest thorn on the rose. Far from it.

He may be a little stupid, but he has a good heart and if he learned about this, he would be inclined to help.

She thought for a moment with a soft hum. Did she want to inflict Fish on these cats...?

......

Yeah. They needed help.

" He might! He would be happy to help however he can!" She said finally. She hoped Fish wouldn't mind her volunteering him for a possible rescue mission.

"The shelter isn't..... Too far away, I don't think.... Depends on your definition of far away, I guess." She said. "I think we should watch it, see when the best time to sneak inside would be......."
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