camp HIDING IN MY FOX HOLE [nursery]

[CRABPAW]

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 The sky swirls dark with smoke above the trees, visible even as Crabkit pokes his head out of the nursery. Outside of the nursery, Ferngill stands guard, like the big strong lead warrior he is. Crabkit has been told to stay in the nursery because WindClan is staying on RiverClan’s territory side their own territory is on fire. "Um, uncle Ferngill?" He looks up to the older ginger tom, eyes round as river stones.

"WindClan is… bad, right?" If WindClan is bad, then why is Smokestar letting them come onto RiverClan’s territory? Aren’t they supposed to not like WindClan, and ThunderClan? He doesn’t understand, but… he thinks of what his mama would say. She wouldn’t want any WindClanners here, would she? He flickers his ochre-striped tail at his uncle, boldly puffing out his pale chest. If he’s gonna be a cool RiverClan warrior someday, then he should start acting like one right now. "Well, don’t worry—I’ll fight ’em off if they try to do anything bad! You don’t hafta guard us." The kit’s bravado is clearly exaggerated, a determined grin painted across his muzzle.​

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[FERNGILL]

Crabkit's voice was one Ferngill would always answer with immediacy- bright green befell his nephew's face, and softened at the roundness of his little green eyes. Stars, he couldn't imagine how confusing this all was for him... whispers of WindClan sprawling around camp, it was probably terrifying. Ferngill dreaded to think how he might have reacted, a bug-eyed little runt craning his neck for a better look at the goings-on.

WindClan is bad, right? Before the journey, Ferngill probably would have unequivocally agreed... but he'd met WindClan, seen their warriors work to prevent the five from dying out just as every other Clan had. No matter what, the five Clans had to live on... even if it meant helping cats who had done awful things in the past. It didn't make him feel very pleasant to think about... but he reminded himself that WindClan had kits among them, kits as young as Crabkit staring up at the walls of fire, watching their home be destroyed so badly that they apparently had nowhere but RiverClan to turn.

"When Sootstar was their leader, WindClan did some very bad things." Ferngill nodded slowly, his voice gentle. It wasn't up to him to disclose to other people's kits what those bad things were, though. "But we have to trust Smokestar that they really needed our help." He couldn't deny his unease, but... he knew that Scorchstreak had been at their head. It felt odd to try to explain to Crabkit that he was friendly with a WindClan warrior, that... though he would fight her if it came to it, he did not believe she would deliberately trick RiverClan into pitying them. It might be too complicated.

Ferngill laughed at his nephew's overblown bravado, given levity. "Oh, with you here, I definitely don't have to," he grinned, warm encouragement flickering from him as ever. "But I'm guarding you because I want to."​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[willowroot]

( ☾ ) anxiety bubbles in the dark smoke's chest as she pads towards the nursery, a large salmon clutched in her jaws. verdant eyes find the familiar shape of ferngill, whose flaming fur mirrors the little scrap peaking out of the den. willowroot sets the fish down, nudging it towards crabkit with a soft smile. "heya crabkit, i brought you and the other kits a meal," she explains, the flick of her tail tip the only sign of the nervousness she feels deep in her gut.

smokestar's choice had been a shocking one, even for willowroot, who knows the leader so well. her best friend has always been intensely anti-windclan, an opinion mirrored by much of his clan. his choice to aid them in this time means either he's been duped to the stars and back, or the moor dwellers are dying out. the former is expected, the latter terrifying. so, willowroot remains in camp, doing what she knows to do in times of trouble. distract, protect, repeat.

the emerald gaze softens as the smoke feline listens to the uncle and nephew pair. crabkit resembles ferngill in almost all he does, and the overblown bravado reminisces of iciclefang and steepsnout. these kits are a mixture of all of their family. how lucky they are, she ponders.

THE ECHOING HYMN ☾ OF MY FELLOW PASSERINE

• // "#91A26C"
  
  
  
  
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  WILLOWROOT ☼ SHE / THEY, WARRIOR OF RIVERCLAN. MENTORING ROBINPAW. PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a long-haired black smoke oriental with sage-green eyes. smokey long fur coats the length of willowroot's lithe body, with friendly sage green eyes that narrow in an almond shape. her muzzle and limbs are thin and long due to her oriental heritage.
  
  
  
  

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[hazecloud]

The prickling beneath the queens pelt has made it's home since Pebblepaw announced WindClan's stay. No amount of close cuddles with her kittens or splash of water over her face would shake it out, and by now she has made peace with the fact it may remain until the copse is free of the moorlanders.

Ferngill, she knew, still held hope ever since their time spent with a pawful of them. She had thought the same once they returned, that not all WindClanners were the shame bloodthirsty teeth-gnashers as Sootstar. She had even saved one of them herself, Milkpaw, who most certainly had his warrior ceremony shortly after.

But the feeling of betrayal is something that struck her deeply. Though they may have been hers and many others saviors from the hounds, they did not hesitate to needlessly shed more blood. It's an unfortunate lack of knowing who was involved in Smokestar's attack that made her distrust them all once again. Not knowing who among them stood by and may have even supported her until which moment they decided to join Sunstar's path against her. Too much unknown for her own comfort.

"When bad things happen to the Clan, it's not always because StarClan is upset with them." Its a twisting hypocritical thing for her to say, but these kits deserved to believe in a merciful StarClan than the wrathful one she knew, or thought to know.

"Sometimes things just... happen. And the Clans support each other so they can continue to thrive after it all." Yellowcough, fires, floods. They endured it all yet five still remained, as they had promised the spirits that night.

Willowroot arrived with a fish sure to attract the attention of other hungry kittens, and she smiled to the other molly with a flick of her tail. "Thank you, it's sure to be a long night." ​

 

[Gladefrost]

Troutsnout had recently returned from the Beech Copse, exhausted but still making a stop by the nursery. She wanted to see how Robinheart, Hazecloud and the others were doing. It was probably difficult taking care of kits and trying to keep them settled from bouncing off the walls, and it could be physically tolling on them. Her head peeks in and she is partly startled to see Willowroot and Ferngill here as well, partly catching part of Crabkit's and the leader warrior's conversation. A chambray gaze shifts to the fish that Willowroot brought and she internally pouts as it's less work that she has to do, so she would have to go off and find another job to do.

"Crabkit would make a great warrior," her voice would rumble with a faint smile curling the corner of her lips, her plumed tail swaying behind her. "Ferngill and I will make sure none tries anything bad to you or the rest of Riverclan." Her coat still holds a lingering scent of ash and smoke, glancing to Hazecloud at her statement. The five clans always worked together when external factors occurred that prevented them from solving it such as the yellowcough that spread moons ago, Sootstar's tyrant reign and now Windclan with a raging flame racing across.

"Do you guys need anything? Water or more moss for the nests?" The warrior would inquire with a faint tilt of her head, a soft yawn parting her jaws which forces her to shake her mane to remove the sleep rattling on her body. No time for rest, she had to make sure everyone was comfortable and happy then she could rest.

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OOC
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