camp QUIET SHADOWS // death

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
//CW: Death, disease
Follows on from this thread --> https://tabbytales.net/threads/sun-and-moon.3443/

The entrance to the den was cleared at last, but whatever joy it might have given was lost on Sunnyday. All it did was offer a cruel light to be shed on the bitter reality that lay inside. A dry cough rumbled from him as he stepped around the body that he had just been laying beside moments earlier. There was an eerie peace in the way that Blackmoon lay there, finally at peace and no longer making the noises infamous of a cat suffering from the final throes of blackcough. The whole thing haunted Sunnyday.

Slowly he strained his body into motion as he began to pull the deceased cat from the nest that they had been sharing over the past number of weeks. Like a solitary pallbearer, he brought Blackmoon out into the clearing. The cold caught him immediately and he struggled to move around in the snow, but he remained committed to bringing the tom out into the light. Every fallen warrior deserved to have a vigil, right? Though what worried Sunnyday the most was who would carry Blackmoon to the burial grounds. Could he even be buried? With all the snow around and the frozen ground he imagined that it would a toll too great to bear.

He set the body down with care before he began to tend to the ruffled black fur, grooming the deceased tom and trying to make him presentable. Once he was done he sat beside Blackmoon with his head bowed. "Blackmoon has passed away." The announcement needn't be long. But it had to be said.
​

 

[Silverlightning]

War weighin' on my heart but I can't fall

Silver had busied himself with tending to more camp clearing by digging more snow into piles here and there when the ominous new reached his ears. The ticked tabby lifted his head, lean form gathering together as he cast his gaze in Sunnyday's direction. The mournful, golden tom sat quietly beside the ebony body of Blackmoon, body growing colder by the minute due to the frigid elements. A low sigh exited Silver's maw in the form of smokey brume. Turning around he quietly lumbered over, eyes skimming over the body a second time before looking to Sunnyday. "They were a fine warrior..." Silver murmurs, offering his condolences before falling into a respectful silence. Loss was not something he'd seen within the clan yet and as a result was ignorant of their customs. Rather than make a fool of himself by asking a potentially insensitive question he decided that with time it would be made known to him.​

Seekin' shelter from the storm on this blank road​

​

​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

This has been a long time coming, hasn't it? Blackmoon had fallen ill around the same time as Sunnyday, but while the golden tom had slowly regained his strength, the dark-pelted warrior had grown weaker, frailer. The warrior's den has felt strangely empty without Blackmoon's gruff war stories, his sly winks to cursing kits and threats to nursing queens about teaching their children unspeakable words.

And now they'd never hear them again.

Raccoonstripe bows his head. Sunnyday lays his old friend's body in the middle of the clearing, with a simple declaration: "Blackmoon has passed away."

The tabby joins Silverlightning, dark eyes soft and somber as he regards the fallen warrior. "He should've lived to see the greenleaf," he murmurs. "Should've died in battle."

He presses his nose to the dead warrior's shoulder. It's stiff and feels strange, the way the fur parts, like a piece of prey -- but he is not unaccustomed to the feel of a corpse.

None of ThunderClan is.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[Flycatcher]

Like Silverlightning, Flycatcher had busied himself with assisting with the last of the clean up. There was still a little bit of snow around but it was now much easier to get to the dens and around camp.

He knows what is coming before Sunnyday makes his formal announcement because he watches the golden tom carry the now limp body of Blackmoon. Flycatcher knew he had been sick, afflicted with the same illness that had affected many other cats in the cooler weeks, But whereas most - including Sunnyday - had gotten better, Blackmoon had sadly declined. Despite his own mixed feelings towards the tom and his behaviour, Flycatcher bows his head solemnly at the body of Blackmoon. "Hopefully he is at peace now," Flycatcher mewed softly. ​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Failure slumped his head. Selfish to think of his shortcomings at a time like this, but how could he not? Foul-maw had refused to take his herbs, and Berryheart had let him refuse. A more well-accustomed medicine cat would have learned how to urge their patients to trust judgement, even when they did not want to. A firmer personality would have shoved the herbs down Foul-maw's throat, even at the risk of catching the illness themselves. But he had failed, and the shining victory of Leggy's survival rang hollow in his heart.

His mourning had already been offered in the walls of his den, when Foul-maw's ribs had retreated to frigid stasis. Corpse now upon the ground, not yet mint-dressed, his form was a magnet for mourners. Quiet, solemn, did Berryheart's wayward gaze follow the approaching paws. Smoky, Blue, Stripes... no anger was cast his way, and yet he felt it should be. Someone else might have urged tirelessly. The last thing Berryheart wanted to be was any less useful that he knew he could be, and yet...

Potential could not be instantly reached, and he had learned to enjoy the process. But an abyss would be left behind in Foul-maw's wake, and the journey to potential would never aid that.​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[Flamestar]

Flamewhisker — I'll sleep when I'm dead

From in her nest, she would watch as Sunnyday dragged a dark figure into the center of the camp. She would slowly stand up, and pad towards the entrance to the nursery, halting just in the entrance way. Her ears angled towards the yellow tom, hoping she could hear what had happened. Blackmoon has passed away. Her heart dropped. While the tom wasn't a favorite of her's, he was a formidable fighter, and he would be a great loss to the clan. A sigh left her maw, and her gaze dropped slightly. Leafbare had claimed another soul...He shouldn't have died this way. It wasn't fair...would her kits die too?

A wave of emotion washed over her, and she quickly retreated back into the safety of the nursery.
​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

Little Wolf watches with eyes riddled with sadness as Blackmoon's body is brought to the center of camp, watches as one of her brothers goes to press his nose to the departed's shoulder and murmur goodbye and she closes her eyes so she does not have to see it. Thunder Clan had suffered too may goodbyes this leaf-bare. Raccoonstripe is right, the tom should have been able to see new-leaf, it wasn't fair. But then again, what death ever was?

When she opens her eyes again she sees Berryheart. Softly, she pads over to him, flicks his shoulder affectionately with her tail but she does not say anything. What was there to say? She does not go to Blackmoon either. Later, she would say goodbye, before he was buried, but she hadn't known the tom terribly well and wanted to leave the mourning to cats who had been close. For now, she was content to be right here, next to her brother who she was certain needed her support. Holding a life in your paws and losing it couldn't be easy.
​

 

[SHALLOW]

Blackmoon, not a cat he was familiar with but it looked like this tom had meant a lot to Sunnyday by the way he looked. It was the first time he had seen Sunnyday look sad, to not shine as brightly like the sun. He wasn't really sure what to feel about it to be honest. Changes made him feel uncomfortable. But he rememberd having seen that look before on his mothers face when she had lost one of her kin. If she hadn't been neglectful and distant before she for sure had been after that. Was that gonna happen again?. Just when Sunnyday was starting to feel all better too. It had not been easy without them but he had tried his hardest to do his part around here unfortunately not everyone believed a rogue could wash out their spots. He hadn't told any of it to Sunnyday because it was not something he should feel concerned about.

" Are you okay?" he had sneaked himself up to suddenly stand beside the tall and golden warrior, his head titled upwards to stare at them. His question could mean many things. If he was cured from the sickness now, or if he was fine after Blackmoon's death, or if they where fine. Maybe it was all of them. Still he seeked for an answer.




​

 

[Hollow Tree]

Blackmoon was dead. The words echo out and she feels the bitter cold on her heart. She hadn’t known them very well but they had been a part of Thunderclan. Hollow Tree pads closer to look at the body. Closing her eyes for a moment of silence. Blackmoon walked with Starclan now, with Morningpaw. Stepping forward, she takes in a deep breathe.

“May you rest easy among Starclan.” she says, taking a step back. Soon the elders would come to prepare the body. He would be buried under the trees. ​

[ you fall through the trees . tags ]​

 

[FAWNCLOUD]

death has claimed yet another one of their own, its unseen hand had cradled the sickly form of blackmoon and guided him away from the living and towards the stars above where he needn't worry about any sickness or cold ever again. fawncloud stands among the rest, head dipped slightly while their eyes fall closed as those around him share parting words with the warrior one last time before a proper burial ensues.

he didn't know blackmoon very well but his passing is still quite heavy-hitting, may starclan welcome him with warm smiles and opem arms.
​

[ LIFE HAPPENS WHEREVER YOU ARE. ]​

​

 

[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
Others approached and it prompted Sunnyday to shuffle back in order to give them room to gather so final respects could be paid. It was no lie that Blackmoon could be abrasive, and at times difficult to get along with, but he knew that the warrior had cared about everyone in the clan. "He would have loved to have died in a battle..." He murmured in quiet reply to Raccoonstripe. Alas, this was one of those fights that claws and teeth couldn't win.

A familiar voice reached his ears and prompted him to look down at Shallowpaw. The usual shine didn't fill his eyes but there was still something there, almost as though it was straining through the haze of his grief. Slowly his raised a paw up and he then aimed to rest it on Shallowpaw's head so he could ruffle the apprentice's fur. The familiar action seemed to give him an air of comfort and he was able to muster a smile as he looked towards the youth. "I will be."
​

 

[Sunfreckle]

Hunting had been less than successful but he had one mouse to show for his troubles and was trotting along into the camp with a shake to toss the snow that had built along his back off before moving to the freshkill pile. It was only when he raised his head up to glance around did he see the gathered cats and the motionless form they were circled around and his heart stopped. "Oh no."
Blackmoon.
Loudmouthed, brash, rude and unruly. A bit of a stubborn tom who no doubt loved his clan and had his own unique way of expressing it. The speed with which he had hurried off to find whoever had dared attack a child, the dutiful nature he held when it came to patrols and following orders despite his protests. They had never seen eye to eye, but he'd been an admirable warrior all the same and Sunfreckle dipped his head slowly down to touch his nose to the side of the fallen tom's temple before rising back up with a quiet sigh. He had a similar thought to Sunnyday, fretting over the frozen earth and snow that would make digging a burial a tedious and possibly painful task. And take quite a long amount of time.
"He was a good warrior...biggest pain in my tail I ever met and I'm sure he'd be pleased taking that title with him."
His green gaze wandered the many grieving faces present that matched his own before settling on Sunnyday and he gave a gentle lean into the other side of the golden tom opposite Shallowpaw in a silent gesture of comfort. It was just like Blackmoon to do something as sudden as dying without letting them say goodbye, he didn't seem very fond of the touchy-feely stuff...
​

 

[SHALLOW]

He wasn't entierly sure how to feel about that look Sunnyday was giving him in that very moment. It looked faded, like the light had gone out of them. That brought discomfort to his chest right where his heart was supposed to be. It came as a surprise when he felt that big paw got placed on top of his head like so many times before. He had become so used to it, so familiar with that touch that he not until now realised how much he had missed it. That he had wanted Sunnyday to pat his head like he had done in the past. Why?. He couldn't tell.

Shallowpaw would allow it like he always did as he stared up at them, searching through their face. He noticed that recognizable smile which in shallow's eyes made Sunnyday to Sunnyday and now believed himself seeing some spark of light in the warriors eye. It might be small, and that smile might just have been for show but it would have to do for now. At least Sunnyday didn't look distant, like he was looking right through him like...his mother had done in her grief.

He didn't move, letting Sunnyday pat his head as many times as he wished, or wanted. He didn't mind if it...would make them feel better. After the moment was over, Shallowpaw would stand there for a while longer before he caught sight of his mentor Sunfreckle on the other side of the warrior. He saw them lean themself against the senior warrior while sharing mournful words to the fallen warrior, Blackmoon. He blinked, paying close attention to how close they were to Sunnyday. He would blink, standing there for two more seconds before he turned his position around so he would stand lined up with Sunnyday. With unblinking eyes he would take one small side step closer to the warrior, and then another one, and another one, side-tipping his way over until he stood right beside the golden warrior. His jaded eyes where left unblinking the whole time, and slowly, very slowly he leaned his upper body to the side so he awkwardly could lean himself against the warrior. There he had reached his goal, his destination, and like that he would stand still, not moving, not saying anything just staring at nothing or Blackmoon's body.


​