camp SAY IT ☀︎ sunningrock return

[Sunfreckle]

It feels like it takes too long to get back to the ThunderClan camp, each step was agonizing, the pain hadn't subsided and he wanted to crumple into a ball and wait until it passed but he knew that was foolish to do; he knew he had to go home. So Sunfreckle grit his teeth, stepping solidly as he could and as swiftly as he could manage without the entire world threatening to throw him off as it began to spin dizzingly around him. If it were not for his clanmates he would not have even made it, he was sure. He'd have fallen there at the Sunningrocks and been too overwhelmed to even consider getting back up. Unfortunately determination only got him so far, once they had gotten past the bramble wall of the camp he found his legs buckling under him at another jolt of pain that had him dropping to the ground as ungracefully as possible, a whimpering wheeze of a breath escaping him as he struggled to try and regain his footing before standing up. He was done, he didn't want to move anymore; everything hurt too much.
Was he dying? Had he gotten himself and the kits killed? The thought surfaces to his mind in one horrifying ripple of anxiety and he isn't sure anymore, he had told himself he'd go to the nursery before next moon but maybe he should have done so sooner-maybe he should've realized.
"Rabbitnose.." His head lifts enough to try and find his mate, hoping he's nearby in the camp and not off on patrol because if there was any cat he wanted to see the most right now it was the one he knew would comfort before calling him an idiot because he already knew; he shouldn't have thrown himself into a fight.

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[Ooc]
Sunningrock Return 2: Electric Boogaloo did not fit in the title and I'm sad about it.
Patrol - @Flycatcher & @Badgerstrike & @nightbird & @Lionthroat & @Flamewhisker & @OWLEAR & @STORMPAW
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[Flycatcher]

"Sunfreckle, please rest," Flycatcher urges, once the patrol returned to camp. It seemed like most of the cats coming back had some new bumps and scratches from the most recent scuffle, fresh aches and pains making the journey home seem to drag on for longer than it should have. Even Flycatcher himself is not exempt, sporting some new scars on his shoulder which twinge with pain when he walks leaving him with a slightly more awkward gait than usual.

Despite his own pain, most of his concern is for Sunfreckle who didn't seem to be faring well since the battle concluded. It didn't help matters that Sunfreckle was expecting kits again. Flycatcher had only heard a few whispers of what had happened on the battlefield but if half of what was said was true he was more than a little concerned for the safety and wellbeing of his friend. He wanted to go find Berryheart or even Rabbitnose but decided to wait with Sunfreckle for now. "Lean on me if you need to," Flycatcher offered, standing on the side of Sunfreckle which wouldn't bother his own shoulder. "At least until Rabbitnose gets here."

His green eyes glance towards some of the other cats present. "Could someone fetch Berryheart please?" ​

 

[Rabbitnose]

The moment he heard his name from across the camp uttered in such a way, his blood ran cold and his fur prickled in unease. He looked behind him to see the patrol that went to Sunningrocks return, Sunfreckle leaning against Flycatcher and lurched over, tail tucked and a look of agony on his face.

What did they do.

"Sunfreckle!!" Rabbitnose shouted as he made quick work of the distance between them. "What happened, What did they do?" His voice was high with worry and he almost didn't want an answer, but he needed to know.

With a quick glance he looked around for Badgerstrike, but she hadn't come through the entrance yet it seemed. He didn't usually worry about her, he found himself worrying for whoever she fought, usually. But this time, that worry wasn't there. Riverclan had done something to his mate and possibly his kits, and so all respect he had for them was gone. He found himself hoping she tore someone's throat out.

"L-lay down, take it easy..." He said, trying his best to keep himself together. He pressed his head against his.
​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Ever since Stormpaw had returned to camp to tell them all what was going on and get reinforcements, Howlingstar had been pacing the camp waiting for her cats to return. As soon as movement can be heard at the camp entrance, she is whirling around and heading towards it with swift strides. The first cat to enter is Sunfreckle, helped by Flycatcher. "Sunfreckle," The name comes out as a gasp, her heart dropping to her stomach as she falters in her steps and her gaze quickly finds Flycatcher as Rabbitnose goes to his mate. Behind them, the rest of the patrol streams in, all covered in scratches and bites. "I'll get Berryheart." She can wait to hear the update of the skirmish till after her lead warrior is taken care of. Howlingstar turns to bound towards her son's den, disappearing inside to let him know he's needed urgently.

// @BERRYHEART​

 

[Flamestar]

( ★ ) The last thing she had been expecting today was to help chase off trespassing Riverclanners. Her pelt was still prickling with frustration as they emerged into the camp. She couldn't believe that they had fought again over the rocks, and that they had deliberately crossed the border...especially after their leader had agreed to the new code addition. Hypocrite. No matter how angry she was, it was most rooted to the worry she felt for Sunfreckle. He was expecting kits, and the Riverclanners had attacked him like savages. If anything happened to her friend, or his kits, she would tear them apart.

She only had a few scratches here and there, her and Cloudypaw had arrived near the end of the battle. After her, Owlear, and Cloudypaw joined In, they had retreated shortly after. She would have loved to have gotten in a few more scratches, but alas she would have to wait for another day. Snakeblink was lucky he was not there, she would have targeted him first.

Howlingstar quickly left to fetch Berryheart, and Flamewhisker turned her worried gaze to Sunfreckle. "Hold on Sun...Berryheart's coming. Everything's going to be alright." she said softly, begging that her words would be true.​

( WHEN I FIND MYSELF ; I'MA BRING IT ON HOME )

 

[MOUSENOSE]

Mousepaw is enjoying the last of her post-training session meal when a patrol staggers into camp, headed by her father. Sunfreckle's ginger coat is torn in places, and his cramped expression speaks of wrenching agony. Mousepaw leaps to her paws in alarm as camp erupts around her -- Howlingstar sees some urgency in the situation, and she herself runs to get Berryheart.

"Sunfreckle? Sunfreckle!" Her cry is shrill. Rabbitnose comforts him, and the fear in his tone causes Mousepaw to panic. She stumbles over her paws, shoving Flycatcher and Flamewhisker aside. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" Her eyes fill with tears, and she understands something very bad has happened. She doesn't know exactly what, but there is grief in her father's eyes, mingling with the physical pain.

She lets out a kittenish mewl and pushes her nose into his fur.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

 

[>Alderjaw]

— As nosy as a bee poking for pollen, Alderjaw would lumber his way out of the elder den at the sound of communication. All eyes were on the fluffy red tabby upon the patrol's return, was that the only red on them? The older tom would sniff the air futilely. The cinnamon tabby's ears would pin against his head as he witnessed the panic and concern coat the camp like a thick sheet of snow. "This isn't no ending, give 'em some space. Have faith in Berryheart's paws and Sunfreckle's heart." The elder would state, masking his own concern for the younger feline. "I'm sure you'll have a story to tell us later."— tags​

 

[nightbird]

the walk back was almost alarmingly quiet. the rush of battle still flooded through her making her heart pump loudly in her ears. their pace was slowed for sunfreckle's sake. although she did not see what happened, it was clear the lead warrior did not make it out unscathed. stumbling, size reduced by a pained slouch. although they had successfully driven riverclan to a retreat, was it possible that more damage had been done to thunderclan?

she found herself selfishly wishing that she had not let the pale molly go so easily. the fur still clung to her claws like ivy. there should be more. her ears heated with a sudden wave of anger. at riverclan for calling a retreat before they could do real damage. take back the lives that their warriors stole. at herself for not doing just that. the next time the two clans met at sunningrocks, and she was sure that they would, nightbird would remember to not be as charitable as she had been during this skirmish.

the smoke sat, distanced from the group that crowded sunfreckle. help was coming, crowding him further would unlikely bode well. besides, no blood stuck to her fur, matted her pelt. she just observed, pulling up a paw to tear the fur of her opponent free from it, promptly spitting it to the ground as if it's fishy scent had burned her tongue. ​

 

[BERRYHEART]

At his mother's summoning, Berryheart did not waste another second, leaping from his den and hurriedly walking over to the incoming patrol with an assortment of emergency wound-treatments bundled in his maw. Most notably, he dragged a small nest; it would not bode well for Nifty to lie upon the soil.

The scent of fresh blood and wounds thickened the air, stirring up familiar nausea; his jaw snapped tight at the scent and sensation, his stomach twisting with disquietude. This... instinctual nausea, even with exposure therapy, refused to disappear. It was a part of him, he supposed... as much as the patches on his pelt and the laziness of his left eye.

With a flick of his tail, he signalled the building crowd to disperse- to at least give him a little more space. It would not do to overwhelm Nifty before he could work out the true severity of his wounds. Blood was dark and fur more fire-like; the red was easy to distinguish, at least. He blinked slowly, gaze shrewd, as he lay the emergency nest nest to the red lead warrior. "Lie down, here," he murmured, voice as soft as ever despite his instructive intentions. His speech slurred against the slant of his jaw a little, a lapse in concentration from the blood-scent affecting his composure. Still, he was entirely prepared to treat the tom here... though he would wait until he had found comfort on the laid-out nest. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[STORMFEATHER]

Not long after Stormpaw had raced back to inform Howlingstar and attempt to muster reinforcements did the patrol finally come back Her eyes brightened on seeing her mother and father relatively unharmed. Her paws remained rooted to the ground though, holding herself back when she realized the state of Sunfreckle. What had happened? It had all been such a blur—if Stormpaw had known he was suffering she would have tried to make him run back with her. Stormpaw swallowed and kept out of the way once Berryheart returned. Her paws trembled and she tried to tell herself that she had done all she could have.

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[Brackenpaw]

The rumbling of paw steps draws the young tom from his previous chore, cleaning out the Elder's Den and replacing their bedding and such. Of course, Brackenpaw wasn't entirely thrilled to be doing something so—mediocre, but he sucked it up after awhile. The faster he accomplished it, the sooner he'd be done and not have to hear Oakwhisker's(npc) complaining about what he did wrong and how his joints ached if there wasn't enough moss to cushion against the barren floor. Sunfreckle was first to appear, his breathing labored and a glaze look in his eye till he finally tumbled under his large frame. He watches with a narrowed graze, moss clenched still in his maw as the scene unfolds around him. The livid growls and spits of RiverClan clung in the air like fog, tension palpable as Berryheart examines the red tom. Chocolate brows pinch as he furrowed them, his own anger showing as well. Damn fools those Fish-heart are, how dare they? Cerulean eyes flit over the returning patrol as he saunters over, leaving the bit of moss behind to hear the news.
​

[ YOU'RE GONNA GO FAR KID ]​

 

[SHALLOW]

It had never crossed his mind that he might lose Sunfreckle one day. He knew about death and that anyone could die at any moment but he had never thought much about it. - It was simply something to accept that it was part of life. All he could do was try to prevent it from happening to any of his clanmates all too soon. But this was the first time Shallowpaw felt this way, and once again he couldn't even tell what it was that he felt. But it wasn't a nice feeling. Seeing Sunfreckle wounded like that made him freeze up and all he could do was stare from a distance, his emotions like always not revealing themselves in his eyes.


​

 

[Sunfreckle]

He found himself panicking briefly at how many cats were there despite knowing they were his clanmates, wasn't sure why but the illogical fear of it had him tensing into a ball ever tighter that only made him more uncomfortable.

He was faintly aware of Rabbitnose being there, relief flooding him to the familiar scent and gesture of a forehead pressing to his followed shortly after by Mousepaw, no longer angry but worried and he wished he could console her. He wished he could console them both but he felt too awful to offer much more than a grunt as he tried to manuever to the nest Berryheart had dragged out next to him; a task that felt far more laborous than it had any right to be. In the distance he thought he saw the blue pelt of Shallowpaw just past where Stormpaw was standing but he wasn't sure. Everything was hazy, his stomach hurt. The claws torn there had not even been the most painful thing, but the kick itself was what rattled him with worry.
"I....Berryheart...did I hurt them? Are they okay?" The kits. The unborn kits, he didn't even know how many there were; he'd elected not to ask the healer because he liked the idea of the surprise. He was so stupid, why had he impulsively dove into conflict like that; even if RiverClan deserved it for their continued disrespect...he shouldn't have. He should'ved waited. He shouldn't have participated at all. "I'm sorry..."
Sunfreckle didn't know who he was apologizing to, his family, the medicine cat, the unborn kittens...
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[BERRYHEART]

He felt foolish to have forgotten, in what had been a haze of the senses, that Nifty was carrying kits. It had slipped his mind upon his approach and only struck him as he examined the wound, the gash right across his belly where his and Bubbles' kits grew. Though the neutrality of his expression stayed in place, written statuesque upon his features, Berryheart felt his blood run a little colder for a moment. He did not know if he could bear the sight of more kits joining the stars.

As he cleaned the wound, Nifty asked him the very question he had so little of an answer to. There was a long pause, a stretch of silence as Berryheart's work stilled and he placed his paw against Nifty's stomach. There was... he could feel no kicking, no signs of movement. And yet... that did not exactly prove anything, did it? Despite how disconcerting it may be. He was not inclined to leap into bad news that he was not certain about. "It's difficult to tell," he finally admitted. Once Nifty's flesh had knitted itself back together, the kits movements might be easier to feel. He did not want to risk making this wound worse by prodding it.

He resumed his work, slowly halting the blood that wept from the red tom's wound. He would be able to give a more certain answer soon, he hoped. ​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[MOUSENOSE]

Some cats dare to tell her she should get back, away from her father. She clings fiercely, giving every cat who’d suggest it a furious glare. She has a sick feeling in her stomach that builds like a storm as her father asks, “I… Berryheart… did I hurt them? Are they okay?”

Mousepaw looks up from his orange fur, her tear-filled eyes darkening. For the medicine cat, she steps away from Sunfreckle, nearly stumbling over her paws. Now, she seeks Rabbitnose, blindly pressing her flank to his to stifle her terrible, overwhelming emotions.

Berryheart tells him he does not know if they’re okay. The unborn kits—they could be dead. Mousepaw chokes on a sob, her overwhelming sorrow for her fathers almost too much to bear. The she-cat experiences a crippling wave of guilt that nearly sends her sinking to the ground.

Was she responsible for this? Had her wishing harm on these kits, even out of childish rage, put them directly in danger? Had StarClan heard her fury? Were they punishing her fathers for being a parent to her?

“I’m sorry,” she croaks through her tears. Her selflessness has cost more than hurt feelings this time. She’s convinced of it.
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[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

 

[freckleflame]

large paws plod into camp at the wrong time, it seemed. before the squirrel in her jaws is so much discarded into the freshkill pile, it’s scent is giving way to the bitter odor of iron and fear. there is a flock of cats drawing around someone large — someone blazing red and ever familiar, ginger - kissed as she. her heart skips, ticks faster in her chest with each stride closer, nearly bounding by the time she shoves past alderjaw to hobble into focus.

blood, injury. the sour scent of fish and water that twists her little nose, swaying long whiskers and fixing her face with disgust. mousepaw is already pressed into their fathers fur, tears welling in bright eyes and perhaps it’s selfish, the way irritation pulls at her chest. the girl is blubbering, in the way, attention - drawing as she had ever been and frecklepaw pauses a tail - length away, clicks her throat on a hard swallow. berryheart worked valiantly, pressed his paws to sunfreckle’s flank with gentle pads — but he offers little consolation, little reprieve from the worry that etches his face.

it was all wrong, and the apprentice wants to tear her fur off with it — the tightness in her belly, rising up to lodge in her throat. he’ll be fine. the girl moves forward, aims to press gently into rabbitnose’s side — but she says nothing, uncharacteristic as it was. her barbed tongue remains still, seaglass eyes far away. he’ll be fine. he will be.

《 ⠀ CONVO 𖤓 VISUAL ⠀ 》

• 
  i.
  
• FRECKLEPAW ——— ⠀ 𓍊𓋼 ⠀ . ׁ
  f. she / her. apprentice of thunderclan, daughter of sunfreckle and rabbitnose. fluffy cream tabby / tortoiseshell chimera with seaglass eyes. her namesake shows shows himself in shades of vibrant russet, doused in swathes of shadow and interwoven with ribbons pale cream. unspecified maine coon heritage from sunfreckle’s side brings her to a size expected of a thunderclanner — with large, round paws and tufted, long - furred toes upon thick, tabby - splotched limbs. reaching adolescence, kittish fuzz has lengthened, allowing her bulk to appear deceivingly fluffy, concealing layers of toned muscle in licks of red - orange.
  
  𖦹 . lesbian, single with no crush. smells like warm stone and oak leaves.
  𖦹 . nine moons, ages on the 25th. thunderclan apprentice. mentored by wolfwind.
  
  penned by antlers​
  
  
• 
  
  
  

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