development if it makes you happy [disappearance] then why are you so sad

[Hollow Tree]

Hollow Tree waited for a night of soft rain.

She knew she wasn’t well but it wasn’t something Berryheart could fix. Her paws had always carried her far. She loved to explore as a kit. Remembering the soft scolding of her mother to not go where she couldn’t see her. Hollow Tree didn’t know why, but she found the comfort of being able to go wherever she pleased. That was not the life of a warrior.

The brown tabby steps quietly over her sleeping clanmates and slips out of camp.

Hollow wasn’t sure where she was gonna end up. However, she did know that she probably couldn’t come back. Even if she wanted to. Her eyes gaze at the clouded sky wondering if Starclan was watching. Was Gray Wolf watching? How disappointed they must be. How disappointed everyone will be.

A coward who didn’t say goodbye. A traditor. Left while cats laid sick and others were risking their life on a journey to save the ill. Hollow Tree had no words to explain her feelings. She knew they wouldn’t understand. How could they understand a cat who would leave their kin because of their feelings? So, maybe it was best to leave this chapter open ended.

She lingers on the end of the border for a moment. Howlingstar, Little Wolf, Sandpaw, Berryheart… everyone. “Starclan. I don’t deserve to ask anything of you. But, please keep looking after them.” and with that, Hollow Tree leaves Thunderclan territory.

--☼--

Sunlight floods the camp and cats would wake to the smell of morning dew. The rain erased most of her scent except for her nest that was cold. She left no signs of where she was going or that she had ever planned on leaving. The warrior hadn’t really talked to anyone in days.

​

[ you fall through the trees . tags ]​

// hollow tree left without any kind of notice or signs of what could have happened to her. it's up to your characters what they assumed happened to her!
icly hollow has been very distant and barely talking to anyone for the past 2 moons.

 

[sandthorn]

"GOLDEN CHILD, LION BOY;"​

sandthorn awoke at dawn with a yawn, rolling over in her nest to catch sunlight just beginning to filter through. the warrior's den felt empty without the sick cats and ones away journeying, notably hollow tree was missing from her nest but the young warrior didn't alarm yet. it was possible she had already stepped out into camp anyways, there was no need to worry.

she goes about her morning, helping apprentices grab prey to deliver to those who needed to eat first before finally settling down with a breakfast of her own. she would have liked to eat with hollow tree this morning, the she-cat had been distant for a few moons now, reasoning unbeknownst to her. it would have been nice to catch up with the molly who brought her into the clan, but still she was missing.

with a frown, sandthorn stood and padded to the first cat that looked like they had been up for a while. "have you seen hollow tree yet this morning?" she asked calmly, tail tapping the ground with growing anxiety as she awaited a response.​

✦ 𖤓 ✦​

 

[BERRYHEART]

His sister had been distant. She had always been a quieter sort- though when one had as many siblings as Berryheart, one stopped paying overt attention to their differences and why they were the way that they were. With a slew of kin, they were bound to be different. He would curse his inattention, though.

Dune-pelt was a face he would always greet with pleasantry, having grown a small attachment to her in the moon she had spent in the medicine den, recovering from the wound Leggy had inflicted upon her. It was a wordless care, not much stronger than that he held for the majority of his Clanmates- but there was tranquility in familiarity. At least, in kinder circumstances. As she approached him- asked him about Dolce, a slight frown darkened his features as he was forced to reflect.

Disquietude danced in his eyes. When had he last seen her? His own kin? It had been so busy, he couldn't possibly pay attention to everyone- but he did his best, and he was near-certain it had been a while since he'd seen her. Near-certain; there was only one thing he was completely certain about. "No..." he murmured, suddenly slightly sickened. He had decidedly not seen her that morning.​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

“I didn’t hear her name called for patrols.” Raccoonstripe sidles up beside Berryheart, his frown deepening at the implication. He looks from his speckled littermate to the glowing golden pelt Sandthorn wears. His brow furrows. “Surely my mousebrained sister wouldn’t go wandering about by herself while there are rogues attacking cats and stealing prey,” he hisses with annoyance. Hollow Tree had always kept to herself, a daydreamer and a wallflower, but even she couldn’t be so clueless, surely?

The tabby flicks his tail, pressing his paw into the grass nearest the gorse tunnel. “The rain would make it hard to track her if something happened,” he mutters. An idea, cold and long like an adder slithering along his spine, causes his fur to prickle. “You don’t think she…”

His kin would never abandon their Clan, he argues with himself internally. But his eyes stray to the tunnel, looking for the rustle of someone entering. He prays to see light brown tabby fur, guileless golden eyes, a quiet smile.

“Surely she wouldn’t leave while Little Wolf is gone,” he says, incredulous.

ooc ✧ 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺

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  — raccoon . raccoonstripe
  — he/him ; lead warrior of thunderclan
  — heteroflexible ; single
  — long-haired black tabby with white and dark brown eyes
  — “speech”, thoughts, attack
  — penned by Marquette
  — chibi by Rai

​

 

[WOLFWIND]

The question is pretty damn innocuous, something she catches with the flick of an ear while she goes about her business. ThunderClan is not lacking in members, some can end up wandering – though, huh, with many of the healthy members of their clan gone on the journey, it's certainly much easier to keep track of folks here, 'specially while so many are bedridden, those up and at 'em are bound to dwindle further. Not to mention — sorry to the rest of ya — Wolfwind would probably mentally keep track of her kin more than anyone else.

Berryheart's answering no is enough for her to lift her head, now taking a moment to drag fire eyes across camp to catch a chestnut pelt. She joins the minor gathering of her kin then – padding towards her uncles. She eyes their respective reactions warily, unsure just how concerned she should be about this – no patrols, huh. Maybe a walk, but – Raccoonstripe's right, that would be stupid as all hell. Wolfwind hadn't seen her in the warriors' den this morning. ...When had she last seen her? Wolfwind had never quite worried about such a thing, figuring it was a matter of schedule; early and late risings and sleepings. Suddenly, she felt very lackluster, in terms of a relative.

" She's probably just, um, out, " Wolfwind offers, and she doesn't totally believe herself, if she's honest. Wolfwind hadn't really known her to be so reckless, but she supposes she didn't know her, much at all... Her heart drops. " Surely she wouldn’t leave while Little Wolf is gone. "

" Leave? Like – " Her lips press into a thin line. That didn't make any sense. " Surely she wouldn't leave at all, " she says. Would she? She glances to her uncles, who would know her better than Wolfwind certainly did. " Maybe she simply needed a fresh catch for the day, or... or... " Had she really been so fickle? Had Hollow Tree feared another tragic leafbare so much that she'd leave? While friends and family are sick? Wolfwind swallows. " ...She'll be back soon. "

OOC ✨ 9.5.2023 BET MY MONEY ON A STUPID HORSE, I LOST THAT

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• [ SO I RAN OUT TO THE TRACK TO GET MY CASH BACK ] WOLFWIND THUNDERCLAN LEAD WARRIOR! LITTERMATE 2 LAKEMOON; KIN TO MANY.
  —— SHE / HER, CONFUSED BY BUT NOT OPPOSED TO THE USE OF OTHERS
  —— CURRENTLY 22 MOONS OLD. AGES EVERY 1ST.
  
  FRIEND TO MANY! UPBEAT AND UPFRONT. MOVES THROUGH LIFE WITH AN UPBEAT EXTERIOR AND BRIGHT EYES. MAKE NO MISTAKE! TAKES HER JOB VERY SERIOUSLY. THERE'S IMPORTANCE IN SAFETY, RECKLESSNESS ONLY GETS YOU SO FAR. ONCE A FOOL, BUT NO LONGER

​

 

[Flycatcher]

Hollow Tree was missing. Or at least that was what he assumed to be happening based on the confused questions of her kin. Flycatcher tries to think when he saw her last, vaguely recalling seeing her in camp the day before but had not seen her this morning. Raccoonstripe mentions he hadn't seen her for patrol assignments that morning and Flycatcher agrees, not recalling seeing her among the gathered faces that morning.

"I'm sure she can't have gotten far," Flycatcher mews softly, trying to reassure the cats present. It's a wishful comment in truth, but Flycatcher doesn't want to jump to the worst conclusions just yet. Hollow Tree always was a bit quieter compared to her kin but she wouldn't have just left would she? "If she hasn't shown up by sunhigh I can send a patrol to look for her," Flycatcher offered.​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

The murmurings of Hollow Tree's whereabouts draw the mother near, her steps quick yet cautious. "She's been gone all morning?" She trills suddenly, joining the circle of family and friends as her tail begins to flick back and forth worriedly. "With these rogues about?" Surely her daughter is smarter than to head about on a solo hunt when their borders have been terrorized. Her ears fold back with concern, and she's about to offer to head out herself when Raccoonstripe makes a cautious guess.

She rounds on her youngest son, eyes wide with shock as she snaps, "Hollow Tree wouldn't leave!" The fact he would ever suggest such a thing makes her head spin. Her eldest daughter had always had a good head on her shoulders, and she'd always protected her family. She is far too responsible and compassionate to leave her clan in such a dark time, when they need her most. She kneads the ground and turns to Flycatcher, eyes burning. "Send one out now. Send two. Maybe she's in trouble." ​