sensitive topics SCORPION AND THE FROG // skyclanner

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- // continuation of this thread, && tw for talk of injuries //

// tldr;; Brightpaw is currently tresspassing in ThunderClan territory about halfway between the WindClan and SkyClan borders, heading towards SkyClan. She's limping and badly wounded (wounds almost all over but the main concern right now is her chest that is heavily bleeding and she has a bad bite wound on her paw and her wrist is badly sprained) //

Had Brightpaw known for sure she wouldn't have been able to make it to the fourtrees, she wouldn't have even tried. Her stubbornness had blinded her and now she would be punished for it - Brightpaw was sure more than she had already been at the WindClan border for simply wanting to walk near it. She knew that WindClan disliked SkyClan and the kittypets that they let join - why else would they have attacked them so recently - but she didn't realize the hatred ran so deep that they weren't against attacking SkyClanners is someone else's territory entirely.

Thoughts swirled through Brightpaw's mind as she slowly walked back towards the border, pain and exhaustion wracking through her body. Every now and then she had to stop to wipe at her eyes, blood getting into them causing her issues with seeing. She didn't realize it now, but her exhaustion could be due to how badly her chest was bleeding, blood being lost quick enough where it wasn't yet able to scab over. Her scratched face was causing enough issues with simply trying to get back home that she had yet to realize there might be cats coming near the border.

// @HOWLINGSTAR (feel free to post before her!)​

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[BURNSTORM]

The midnight-furred warrior had heard from his sister about the recent transgressions of his fathers clan. Kittypets who had no business wandering about the forest, that's who Blazestar preferred to surround himself with, who he had chosen over his own flesh and blood, his own mate even. He will never understand it. He makes his way through the forest alongside the rest of his patrol, pushing through foliage and weaving his way around obstacles with the ease only possessed by someone who had grown up somewhere their whole lives. He knew every inch of ThunderClan like the back of his paw. It is when he stops, when he lifts his nose to the air to drink in the smells around him that he indetifies the intruder. He is surprised, he had been looking for prey after all, not enemy cats lingering inside their borders. What's even more surprising is the smell of SkyClan and blood. Half of him wonders if it's possible that SkyClan really is so stupid that they would allow yet another trespasser, and the other half worries that something had happened and they were asking for help.

He signals with his tail to the rest of his patrol "Intruder" he hisses to them before taking off, slinking through the shadows and following the scent. When he comes upon the apprentice, he leaps out, a snarl on his face "You better have good reason for being here" he says, tail lashing furiously behind him. If she had been any less injured he would have attacked but as it was he would not feel good about putting an apprentice to death in such a way. Nonetheless, his claws curl into the earth, ready to be used at a moments notice.
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[Flycatcher]

Flycatcher had heard from Howlingstar about the recent incident at the border with SkyClan. A SkyClan warrior crossing the border. It wasn't the first time this had happened either, with at least one other incident that he recalled. Despite previous bad blood with SkyClan, he liked their neighbours in the pine forest. However, if their warriors kept wandering across, accident or not then his patience would surely start to wane.

When Burnstorm calls out that there is an intruder, Flycatcher's head snaps up in attention, watching as his former apprentice darts off to confront them. Flycatcher is quick to follow, though opts not to launch out of the bushes, assuming that Burnstorm has given the intruder enough of a fright as is. The smell of SkyClan is unmistakable upon this cat, and Flycather's mouth parts to begin to speak, only for him to get a good look at the cat in question and take note of their injured state. "You are trespassing on ThunderClan land," Flycatcher informs them sharply. "What happened to you?"​

 

[BASILWHISKER]

⋆⍋ Keen senses catch the scent of SkyClan beside the dark-furred tom, though Burnstorm is quicker to hiss the warning than he is. Regarding the semi-frequent occasion of these daylight warriors overstepping the boundaries of other Clans (it wouldn't make sense if ThunderClan was the only one, right?) Basilwhisker was about to assume it was another feather-brained cat. The first time it had been a wanderer, the second over a rock, Maybe this time a feather was worth the risk. He thought in slight agitation.

He wouldn't consider himself a ThunderClan cat entirely, but he knew the importance of respecting the forest that housed him. He wondered if these daylight warriors were purposefully pushing the boundaries and trying to force their claws. Maybe they wanted a war, maybe WindClan's wrath wasn't satisfying enough.

One thing Basilwhisker noticed especially was the SkyClan scent was paired with the tinge of blood. His wide eyes found Flycatcher first before joining their pursuit, coming across the injured trespasser with ease. She looked like an entire pack of hounds had flayed her. Underneath the thick layers of kibble dust and blood was... WindClan. What had this apprentice been up to?

"Are we letting her bleed out in our forest...?" Basilwhisker had never seen so much blood coming from a living cat. How she was still standing was a miracle, he thought. He was curious though, with how far the SkyClan border was, if it would be easier to return her to their camp to be cared for. Was it against the code? Would SkyClan think they had attacked her? Ugh, why couldn't they have found her after her wounds killed her. ​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

It was only days prior that commotion had drawn her close to the SkyClan border. Now, a similar tension brings her trotting through the woods to Flycatcher's patrol who was nearby. With @skypaw . at her side, she blinks wide eyes at the bloodied SkyClanner. "What in StarClan?" She practically bellows, striding forward quickly to give the injured apprentice a quick up-down. "What is going on?" At first, she assumes her clanmates were the causes of these injuries, but a quick look at them makes it obvious it wasn't them. Their paws are clean, and they look just as surprised as she feels. Her attention returns to the SkyClanner. "What is your name? What are you doing here and what happened to you?" Not knowing she just repeated her deputy's question, she waits for her response, her heart pounding in her ears.​

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Somehow, by some miracle of StarClan, Brightpaw had made it from the SkyClan camp to the WindClan border with very few incidents, and she shouldn't have expected the same thing on her way home. All the faces that came out towards her, the accusations and the staring caused the apprentice to flatten her ears to her head in fear. She shouldn't have done this, she shouldn't have gone out, regret and fear and guilt were screaming in her mind while the rest of her was tired. She wanted to be home in her nest sleeping away, not here hoping she wouldn't be attacked once more.

That was simply her punishment for knowingly ignoring code and sneaking out, especially at such a young age.

"I'm sorry..." She whimpered out reminiscent of a kitten getting scorned, which is very much how she felt right now. Tears formed in the apprentice's eyes, the realization of what was going on and what she had done finally hitting her, "I shouldn't have gone out... I just wanted to see the fourtrees, I never got to see them before and I thought I could, and I asked for help but she didn't want to help me... I just... I just want to go home." She was shaking now, whether it be from the crying, the exhaustion, or the blood loss couldn't be known. Eyes turned up towards Howlingstar then, before looking down at her paws, "My name's Brightpaw, I'm so, so sorry."​

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[skyclaw]

Skypaw keeps on his mentor's heels when she detours, the air filled with the same SkyClan scent that had permeated the land days before. The only difference here is that blood accompanies the stench. Maybe his sister finally had enough... He turns the corner and spies the apprentice with an unimpressed expression. Given his leader preceding him and the other warriors lingering about, Skypaw has no need to speak. He can't help but mutter a, "You've got to be kidding me," under his breath, however.

The tom skirts the group, standing a little closer to his brother and further blocking any entry into ThunderClan land. He almost feels bad for the apprentice, as clearly she had gotten into a mess of her own. Her naivety is grating, however, and he holds his tongue from calling her anything short of an imbecile. His long standing lineage seems to be made up of empaths and brutalists - and as it stands, Howlingstar is far more the former. She would only tolerate so much verbal bashing.

"Should we show her the long way around the territories?" Skypaw suggests. After all, that path is how WindClan assumably found SkyClan, rather than through their land. He doesn't care to suggest they patch her up, however. Brightpaw should arrive home in the state she's in, just so Blazestar and his kitty-pet friends can see that not all cats are kind.​

 

[GENTLESTORM]

( ❄ ) The scent metallic smell of blood was enough to make the older warrior stop in his tracks and see what the rest of the patrol had gathered around, large paws would carry him forever until he caught the sight of a bloodied young she-cat and he couldn't help but wince briefly. "Jeez. Did she fight a fox or something?" He thought quietly to himself and listened to how the apprentice had gone out to sneak over to Four Trees cause she had never seen it before, his ears lowering themselves against his skull and unable to feel just a bit of pity for the Skyclan apprentice but it diminished within the few seconds it had arrived. She had been foolish to go on her own.

His ear flicking when he heard Skypaw mention how they'd show Brightpaw the long way around the territory, Hailstorm biting his tongue for a moment before speaking out to look over at Howlingstar "Are we going to help her first?" An innocent inquiry only to add afterwards knowing that even if there was a miraculous possibility of Brightpaw somehow arriving at Skyclan, she'd already lost a lot of blood or may succumb to a potential infection "Whoever did this definitely did a number on her... And it would probably be in our best favor if a Skyclan cat didn't bleed out in our forest." It was genuine question and well, Hailstorm was definitely not an empath or brutalist like his other clanmates... Unfortunately. ​

( O SOL PEDIU A ; LUA EM CASAMENTO )

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

He’d been hunting solo, a luxury he can partake in without a little burr clinging to his flank now that Moonwhisper is a warrior. The tabby’s nostrils flare with the stink of blood and SkyClan, and by the time he’s skulked toward the unfortunate injured apprentice in question, she is surrounded by his Clanmates. He catches the tail-end of her explanation and Hailstorm’s question, and he snorts. “SkyClan is awfully comfortable in our territory these days.” He gives the girl a glare devoid of sympathy. “What mousebrained apprentice goes to Fourtrees on her own? I suppose SkyClan mentors let their apprentices do whatever they please.” He shakes his head.

He agrees with Hailstorm—letting her die is probably not the best move politically, although at this point he fails to see why Howlingstar wants to maintain any sort of friendship with Blazestar. That fool leads a troupe of playing kittypets, not a real Clan, he thinks.

✧ INFO.

•  
• 
  — 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

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

She can see the tears gathering in the young apprentice's eyes, and though Howlingstar is known for her maternal instincts, it is hard to push aside the frustration she feels. She had wanted to see Fourtrees, so she intruded through an entire forest to do so? She couldn't have waited for a Gathering? This third intrusion by SkyClan has Howlingstar beginning to doubt Blazestar's strictness - just what do they teach the cats there for all of them to end up so...mouse-brained? Skypaw suggests they take her all the way around, which would be a good lesson if it wasn't so illogical right now. It would take the majority of the day to make that detour, and with such a heavily injured apprentice, it is not realistic.

Hailstorm and Raccoonstripe arrive next, the former asking if they'll take her back to camp before escorting her back to SkyClan. Howlingstar lifts her face to peer back in the direction of camp, pondering. "The SkyClan border is closer than camp," She comments with a shake of her head. "But we will make sure she gets home. Can you walk?" She asks, soft green gaze returning to the apprentice. She has a few choice words for Blazestar, anyhow. Her son, she knows, can be judgmental towards other clans, but in this case she agrees with him. Three incidents in such a short time is no coincidence.​

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Mouse-brained is what Brightpaw had been, and mouse-brained is what she would be calling herself until she was proven otherwise. Her apologies were shared with ears that did not want to hear them - for good reason - and so the apprentice closed her mouth, eyes carefully watching her paws as those around her spoke. One asked if she should be brought back to their camp, another suggested the long way back - something which she could only hope wouldn't happen - before another mentioned SkyClanners being comfortable in ThunderClan territory. She hadn't thought about the accidents that had happened before with other cats accidentally going into the territory, she had been so blind in her stubbornness.

It was then that she worried about what would be said when she got back home, what Blazestar would say and how disappointed Shadowfire would be, and ears pinned to her head for but a moment before Howlingstar spoke once more. This time she was being asked a question directly and all she could do in the moment was look towards her and nod her head. She could walk, yes, though it pained her to do so at times she didn't want to stay here any longer than she had to.​

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[BASILWHISKER]

⋆⍋ Basilwhisker looked between his Clanmates one at a time as they questioned the ashen cat. It sounded like the rest of them shared the same feeling, disbelief, irritation. Skypaw suggested bringing Brightpaw around the long way, and part of him wondered if that was intended to let Brightpaw suffer her injuries longer. She was already bleeding so much, sure to becone infected if not treated quickly.

Howlingstar's statement of the SkyClan border being closer to camp sounded like an answer for his prior question. He wondered how close SkyClan's camp was to the border then, if Howlingstar was willing to test Brightpaw's endurance. "So we are letting her bleed in our forest." His statement lacks any emotion to incline how he felt about it, but truly he's just curious how this would end. Would Brightpaw survive the trek? If she died before reaching SkyClan, would ThunderClan be considered at fault from negligence? Was it right to deny her help because of her code-breaking, was it deserving of this? Many questions he had, most to go unanswered.

The young warrior fell silent, fell in line, awaiting the command to escort Brightpaw home.​

 

[Moonwhisper]

Another one? Moonwhisper pads along, not too far behind her former mentor but far enough to make clear she hadn't been following him dutifully as she once had.
"Don't be ridiculous, Basilwhisker. Did you not hear her? Our camp is so much further away, she'll be treated faster if we take her to SkyClan directly."
What a cruel thing to just say in front of the apprentice anyways, and here she thought she was callous. If she bled to death on the way there that was not something they had control over - stupid as the girl was, she didn't deserve to die so the most expedient solution was best. A cold blue glare is shot to the offending speaker, tail flicking in annoyance over this entire situation.
Moonwhisper's voice is not kind, tired of cats questioning Howlingstar as if the black tabby was a fool when she was, if anything, too lenient with the mouthy and wretched problem makers of the clan. The tortie point remembered her anger at her grandmother for not sending Sunnyday away but had not questioned it; a good warrior knew when to hold their tongue whether they agreed or not and such pointed accusations only caused conflict in the moment.
"If she needs carrying Burnstorm and I are big enough to handle it."
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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howlingstar nods back to the apprentice, acknowledging her, but before she can say anything more Basilwhisker makes his comment. She turns a surprised gaze to him, caught off guard by what he was saying. "I just said we're taking her home," She replies incredulously, wondering where in StarClan he got the idea they'd let her sit here and bleed out. Was he deaf? She turns her attention to Moonwhisper as she speaks, having to withhold her satisfaction as she retorts. But the offer stands, and Howlingstar looks back at the apprentice worriedly. "You and Burnstorm will help her walk, she'll need you two holding her up, and if she needs it...yes, lay her across your backs; we can help with that, too."​