camp GUN-EQUIPPED CAVALRY \ shelter patrol return

[TALLULAHWING]

// this takes place after this thread.

i play blazestar so he is here listening when tallulahwing arrives. i'll post with him reacting to the other information later in the thread <3

this is open but i especially want @Sweetybee @Bananasplash @MOMOWHISKER @WYRM @bluejay so they can explain what they saw to the Clan!

*

Daylight breaks over the horizon in a wash of pink and pale gold. The wind is brisk, ruffling Tallulahwing's pelt and the ribbon tied about her throat. The she-cat's characteristically confident gait is inhibited. She is bone-weary from her expedition, and there's an air of defeat about her that's evident. She hopes the other half of the patrol -- Momowhisker's half -- had made it home. She realizes with a pang that she does not know who all will be here to report.

Tallulahwing sighs, anger at herself flaring. She is loathe to tell Blazestar that another warrior has gone missing, thanks to her careless leadership. She will face her shame with dignity, but every moment will feel like enemy claws drawing across her flesh and fur.

"The patrol is back!" Murmurs rise to excited cries. The clamor is immediate. It's not long before Blazestar appears, his eyes expectant but posture guarded.

Tallulahwing hates that she has to disappoint her Clanmates. She dips her head to her leader and begins. "We found the shelter," she says, her ear twitching. "'Bout an hour into the Twolegplace. It's a very big Twoleg nest that stinks of dog and scared cats." She glances behind her to see who else from the patrol will be filtering into camp. "Even at moonhigh, Twolegs were inside, waiting. We..."

Tallulahwing shuts her eyes tight, gritting her teeth. "We lost Grizzlyridge. I'm sorry, Blazestar. I couldn't fight against the Twolegs. There were too many. They came out because of the noise the other half of the patrol made..." Her tail droops. "He went fighting."

Little consolation, she knows. She turns wearily to those who had gone on the expedition with her, hoping they will help pad her explanation.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[MOMOWHISKER]

He was going to get into so, so much trouble with his Twolegs, but they were the last thing on his mind as he entered the camp. Exhaustion crept in his limbs and lungs as he moved forwards with his own patrol, gaze first finding Tallulahwing and Sweetybee. His jaw dropped at the noticeable absence among them, a heavy weight suddenly thrown upon his shoulders. 'We all knew it could happen,' he had to tell himself to suppress his guilt. standing taller than ever to hide it. They at least knew how to get their missing clanmate back, though that was a paltry defence against what the poor tom must be feeling right now trapped in one of those tiny boxes. He wouldn't know if the patrol was a success if he even stood a chance of being saved, or if he'd risked his freedom for nothing. Momowhisker stared at Blazestar but found he couldn't quite reach the leader's eye, for it too had been riddled with a recent hopelessness that left him ashamed to have a 'paw in two worlds', as a certain Lead Warrior had put it. 'I can prove my worth,' he told himself as he steeled his nerves for Tallulah's report.

Momo gave a pointed look to Tallulahwing as she mentioned the loss of Grizzlyridge, his serpentine tail low and gently swaying. He frowned, wounded, and spoke quickly to avoid offense. "That's not... particularly fair but alright." A better leader could've stopped the noise before it ever occurred, but a part of the point cat couldn't help but bristle defensively. To tell yourself you were terrible was one thing, to hear it from another was... well, he would likely avoid the other for a little bit if that was how she felt. Blue eyes scanned the campgrounds, feeling as if he could read their thoughts. 'Of course the kittypets couldn't get it done. Of course they'd lose a warrior'. He stepped forwards with a conviction he didn't truly feel. "We found our clanmates. They were..." Momo bit his tongue, large ears creasing at the memories of that wretched place. The smell was overwhelming, the cages all small and lined up side-by-side, the looks of cats who believed they would never be loved again. It was the look he hated the most, those sallow empty eyes bearing into his own and seeing nothing. His inhale was shaky as he forced a smile upon his prominent muzzle.

"They are in cages near a window. Windows are like... seethrough things that Twoleg dens have. Well sometimes, they're open, and something on the one we saw broke when we tried to climb it. If we act quickly, we can sneak in and save them before it gets fixed I bet." The corners of his mouth contorted. He hadn't finished speaking but he was trying to find the right words. The same thought that plagued him back then plagued him now, a poison on his conscience that wouldn't go away as he recalled the number of strangers trapped within those hellish conditions: 'I can't make that decision. Stars, how could I ever be the one to decide someone's fate?' An idea struck and he prayed his lie would not be easily found. "There are other cats in there too that said they would join SkyClan in exchange for their freedom. Newleaf is here and prey is plentiful, having all them new warriors and apprentices could be a boon if the other clans are getting annoyed at us. I think we should help those outsider cats too.... once our own are safe, of course."
​

 

[Orangestar]

She's awake already, habitual rising with the sun to accompany dawn patrols despite her temporary retirement, but Orangeblossom is glad for that fact when one of the night-guards calls that the shelter patrol has returned. It sends the camp aflutter, ginger-and-white molly included as she clambers to her paws and exits the nursery, growling a warning to a couple of the gawking warriors to move as she shoulders her way to the front to stand by Blazestar as Tallulahwing and Momowhisker give their reports.

They found it. A large den a little ways into the twolegplace, a nest that reeks of dog and fearful cat. They'd lost Grizzlyridge, twolegs attracted by the noise that half the patrol had made, but they might have another opportunity before the twolegs fixed their window, as Momowhisker called it. There were other cats inside, not just their Clanmates.

There's so many questions to ask. Would Grizzlyridge still be there if they went back? Would it be worth posting a watcher to see if the twolegs left at any point? Would it be worth inviting the shelter cats into SkyClan to give them a chance at a new life in the forest, or would they just return to their twolegs? Ahead of that, however, burns one question: and it takes a moment, but when Orangeblossom speaks, her voice is small. Hopeful.

"... All of them?"

— info

•  
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  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

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[Sweetybee]

The trip back was a hard one, she had considered going back for Grizzlyridge herself several times. He was right there, and then he wasn't. It felt wrong to leave. But she knew better. She alone couldn't do anything, so she dragged her paws back to camp with her clanmates and kept herself from shedding any tears. It was always a possibility that twolegs would be there. Of course they wouldn't leave so many cats and dogs unattended. They did all they could have done.

They couldn't fight a twoleg.

She let Talullahwing and Momowhisker speak first, sitting politely with her tail wrapped around her paws. "We didn't have much time to see if all of them were there....Unless one of the others knows otherwise?" She speaks, then looks to the other patrol for clarification.
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[Johnnyflame]

LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW​

---

Johnny had arrived in camp only a few minutes before the patrol. He never stayed the nights in camp, always returning to his humans at dusk to spend the nights watching over them, but the stocky patchwork tom always reappeared in camp around dawn, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Well, figuratively speaking, seeing as how he didn't have a tail.

His attention was quickly grabbed by the returning group of cats though. Tensions had been high ever since the patrol had set out to find the shelter, and Johnny found himself among the group of eagers cats listening to the report that was given.

"This is a win though, right?" the patchwork tabby encouraged, trying to defuse things a little. "Even if they manged to take one of us while getting the info, we know where they are now. With a strong enough plan, we can get our cats back. Hell, we might even be able to help out a few of the others that are trapped in there too."
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---

 

[FIGFEATHER]

FIGFEATHER ♀​ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥​

The clan was swift to swarm the returning twoleg place party. Figfeather looks to Tallulahwing expectantly for news. A horrified expression eventually takes shape on her face, she imagines the scary twoleg nest and the indestructible, cold, and tight traps her clan-mates were being held in. Not only that but they lost Grizzlyridge, her ears flatten, another cat gone?! It doesn’t take time for cats to start hinting questions on if their own loved ones were lost, and Figfeather leaps in despite Sweetybee’s explanation. ”Did you see Snowpaw or Daisyflight or Butterflytuft?” Even if they were there it’d bring the she-cat little relief… the situation sounded hopeless! It’s why she looks to Johnny in disbelief, a win? How could he be so confident? Now as a warrior, she has newfound confidence to speak up when Figpaw wouldn’t have. ”We might know how to get in, sure. But when I saw my kin captured I didn’t see any viable way to open the cage, how are we going to accomplish that?” Figfeather worried they’d pile into the twoleg nest only to trap themselves… Unless there was an idea that has not been spoken, Figfeather disagrees that this plan was strong enough… not yet.

 

[~Deersong~]

( ♬ ) Deersong listens quietly, but the emotions swimming within her aqua gaze says enough. Relief, anger, and grief at the loss of Grizzlyridge, and yet the grief is swept away as determination takes its place. She trots forward then, coming to stand beside Johnny as she listens to cats throw their opinions and ideas of what to do back and forth.

Her half-tail lashes behind her and while she agrees with Johnny's attempt at looking for a silver lining, she also heard the reality ringing within Figfeathers voice. They needed a stronger plan, one with as little risk to the rescue team as possible. But no matter what the plan was, Deersong would be part of it.

Her gaze slides over to Blazestar and Orangeblossom then, waiting to hear what they wanted to do with this report. If they needed cats to go and bring their clanmates, their family, back then she wanted to be one of the ones to go. For Quillstrike. For Snowpaw. ​

( LET YOU BREAK; MY HEART AGAIN )

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar can see by the disappointed expression on Tallulahwing's face, by her submissive and apologetic posture, that the patrol had not gone well. He sits beside Orangeblossom, his expression losing hope as she recounts the tale. Their patrol had split up, and someone had alerted the Twolegs by accident -- and... "He's gone?" He feels his breath fail him, just briefly. Grizzlyridge had been in his den with him only days ago, and now he's gone into whatever hell the Twolegs have dragged his Clanmates to?

Momowhisker arrives second, clearly not pleased with Tallulahwing's report. His version does bring a flicker of interest back to Blazestar's gaze, though. They had found them! Momowhisker had seen their Clanmates! In cages, in the shelter, in the Twolegplace. Blazestar's whiskers begin to quiver as Orangeblossom asks quietly, "...All of them?"

Sweetybee said there hadn't been time to see who all was there in the rush of their escape. Blazestar feels himself agreeing with Johnny: this is a win, because surely Grizzlyridge will be at the shelter, too.

Blazestar's first instinct is to organize a rescue patrol. He wants his cats out of that Twoleg trap immediately, and the coals in his belly are stoked in his excitement. But Figfeather, despite being a new warrior, raises an excellent point. Say they were able to storm the shelter, how could they free them from the cages? He deflates a little. No tooth or claw could tear the strange silver ligaments securing the cats inside.

"There must be some way to open them that we aren't thinking of," he murmurs. "We can't bite through the cage pieces. We've tried that. And the force of a cat's body being thrown around isn't nearly enough to weaken them." He'd seen Auburnflame and Cloverjaw struggle to free Slate, Slate struggle to free himself.

He twitches an ear thoughtfully.

"Does anyone have any ideas?"

​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[bluejay]

The idea of their clanmates being trapped in those hard cages terrified Bluejay; she'd never been put in one of those- her twoleg always carried her around on her back! It was a tight fit, but comfortable; she could always look around through the clear wall that separated her from the world when she wanted to. But these traps, they were hard to figure out- with Grizzlyridge kidnapped, they were down yet another Warrior. Bluejay straightens up then, listening to everyone's ideas before she puts forward her own.

"What if we wait for a twoleg to open the traps, then storm the cages?" She offers, trying her best to come off as helpful in this situation. In reality, opening up the traps themselves seemed next to impossible. "..Or something like that."​

 

[Johnnyflame]

LIVE AS IF YOU WERE TO DIE TOMORROW​

---

Figfeather was right- going there would only cause more trouble if they didn't have a solid plan, which included having a way to open the cages. Unfortunately he didn't think they were going to get lucky enough to have the twolegs open all the cages for them. It posed a big problem, one they were going to have to come up with an answer for before they went through with whatever plan Blazestar okayed.

He shot a reassuring smile toward Deersong as she settled beside him, the shecat no doubt swimming in the same anxiety and excitement as her clanmates at the prospect of being so close to her lost clanmates.

"What if we could practice before we went?" suggested Johnny slowly, the gears turning in his head. "A lot of us daylight warriors have cages at our houses. Granted, our twolegs only put us in them when they're bringing us somewhere specific, but I don't see why they wouldn't open and close the same as the ones in the shelter." explained the bobtail.

He was pretty sure at this very moment his own carrier cage was sitting in the garage somewhere, easy enough to access but tucked away since it was only used when Johnny had to visit the vet or they were changing nests.

"If some of us daylight warriors could learn how to open them, we could get them out of their cages once we're there."

​

---

 

[ThistleBack]

Waiting for the patrol left the camp in distracting whispers and hushed hopes. Thistleback had been gnawing on his latest gift from Johnny, the fox bone clattering audibly against his teeth as he drags them down with a soothing yet harsh scrape that brings peace. If anything, the image of the junkyard he grew up in swells around him. Where the tune of metal clangs and hum of machinery would lull him to sleep.

The call of the patrol’s arrival was earned with his quick move to stand, crossing the camp quickly to stand at attention. Steel stare moving from cat to cat, they bleed into camp from the bramble walls with the story of defeat written in the language of their bodies. Tallulahwing’s report drags an annoyed twitch out of Thistleback’s tail toward the upwalkers, but there was still a chance. Still an opportunity. They had to take this as a victory. He nods deeply with Johnny’s words.

Once again, brilliant minds voice. One in particular earning the snap of his hues. Once again, the wonderful bobtail proves that Thistleback crossed himself with a miracle when he recruited him. " that . " Thistleback lifts a knuckled paw with a point to Johnny. " Is a damn good idea. "

" are there cages in your twoleg homes? " he raises the question to the other daylight warriors.

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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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[MOMOWHISKER]

The questions were immediate and he found it harder and harder to meet the eyes of the SkyClanners. Cats wanted to know where family and friends were and all he could do was imagine their faces when he told them he didn't know. Momo straightened his posture and pointed his tail to the sky, offering anyone who asked a reassuring smile. "...All of them, yes. I went inside but got out before they saw me." He swallowed a lump in his throat as he finished his sentence. He'd heard Slate's name, he'd heard Butterflytuft's call, the others could be anywhere in that sea of abandoned cats but... they were somewhere. Perhaps if he repeated it enough to his clan, he'd believe it too. Blazestar appeared and he found himself gravely silent in the leader's presence as he was reminded of a certain missing cat presumed dead. Did he bring her up? He didn't know what to say, the truth suddenly became a lot more vicious after he'd spent minutes hyping up his lie - he had no clue where Howlpaw was. There was a shift in conversation that he was grateful for and his attention quickly wandered back.

Storming the cages was one idea, then, the bob-tailed tom mentioned another that gave the Oriental pause. Practice? Oh he's going to have so many questions. Thistleback asked them all about it and Momowhisker shuffled his paws. He tilted his head in thought, the glued gems on his collar catching on dawn's light. "My Twolegs have one to take me and my brother to the vets but I'm not sure where they keep it," he admitted. That cage was different than the ones he'd seen, smaller, less intimidating, but fundamentally Johnny was right - wasn't it the same? His muzzle twisted about and his tail wagged in conflict - he wished he could do more. His eyes suddenly lit up as another idea hit his head. "When we made a noise, it caused the twolegs to go outside. Maybe... we can utilise..." He shook his head left and right to emphasise, holding onto the note of silence as long as he could before he couldn't contain his excitement any longer. "A distraction. Gasp." Momowhisker giddily looked to his clanmates for approval - it was a good idea, right? Right? Stars, sleep deprivation was getting to him.

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[FIGFEATHER]

FIGFEATHER ♀​ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥​

It was so simple, but her fur fluffs up knowing she had Blazestar’s support in her inquiry. She watches the clan furrow their brows in deep thought, and Figfeather too, thinks deeply. Yet she is no daylight warrior, no kitty pet of any sort, her knowledge on the cages are next to none. Bluejay is the first to speak, suggesting they wait for the twolegs to open the cages themselves. It sounds viable, but Figfeather can’t help but doubt the twolegs would open all the cages at the same time, then surely their clan-mates would’ve been able to bust themselves out? Johnny’s idea sounds a bit more sound to her, the daylight cats would have to go home and learn how to unlock their own cages. Momowhisker says he has one at home but doesn’t know where it is before proposing they also could distract the twolegs. She nods, that would be wise and StarClan know’s some cats in the clan were incredible at making ruckus! ”Good idea… I also have a friend in the twolegplace. Maybe I could ask for her help in learning how to open the cages too?” Thoughts of Fanta swarm her head, she doubts the she-cat would help her after… well, everything. Figfeather had made it pretty clear they were not to speak anymore… but maybe she would if she knew it’d help lots of cats? Not just Figfeather? //for anyone not in the loop with her plot; Fanta is captured so this wont be able to move the plot at all its for my own plot moving purposes JHBFHJBSXF

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar listens in relative silence, relying on the daylight warriors -- both those who had been on the patrol, and those that had not. They know more about the cages and how to operate them than the rest of their Clan, even those that had once been kittypets. His dark blue gaze flicks from Bluejay, to Johnny, to Momowhisker, and then to Figfeather; he nods slowly. "Our best hope, I think, is for daylight warriors to go to their nests for the night and practice this."

He gives Figfeather a nod. "If you'd like to visit your friend and get any insight from her, I give you leave to go to Twolegplace. But do not go alone." He edges this command with sternness, knowing the bright tabby had been numerous times, even while Twolegs were snatching their cats.

After a moment, Blazestar said, "All daylight warriors report to me at dawn." There is a note of hope in his voice, though he does not flaunt it. There's a chance his plan will fail spectacularly.

But if there's even a sliver of hope that their lost Clanmates can return, Blazestar knows they have to grasp at it with both paws.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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