somewhere beyond the sea - missing

[Howlfire]

It had been too long since the family had gotten to spend time all together like this what with their duties as warriors and apprentices to contend with. Of course, they shared meals in camp when and where they could, but it had been hard for them to get out and enjoy walks like this. Howlfire was determined to spend some time together, managing to convince Figfeather to let Wolfpaw skip some duties with some gentle pleading. Howlfire only hoped that they would be fortunate enough to bring back some decent prey with them from the Tallpine now.

As their kits walked ahead, Howlfire looked towards Coyotecrest and smiled fondly. "Look how big they are," She cooed softly, speaking in a tone that would have only clearly been heard by him. "It won't be long now until they're proper warriors." Thinking of the three of them - nearly fully grown at this age - it was hard to believe how small they had once been. In the brief moment Howlfire and Coyotecrest had spoken to each other, Howlfire was suddenly aware that their kits had gotten a bit ahead of them and out of sight. At the very least she could hear them chattering up ahead. "Hey, you three!" Howlfire called out, hoping to catch their attention. "Don't wander too far!"

She broke away from Coyotecrest, hoping to catch up with whichever of the kits were talking, when a sudden, startled yowl froze her to the spot. Howlfire didn't move for a moment, unsure if it was from a would-be attacker or an injured cat nearby. It was only when she heard panicked cries for help and recognised the voice that everything changed. That was her daughter yowling. That was Wolfpaw.

"WOLFPAW!" Howlfire cried out, quickly darting in the direction of where the yowl had come from. Had she hurt herself? Had another rogue caught her by surprise? Howlfire refused to entertain the possibility that one of her kits was being hurt again. She was not sure her heart could endure such a sight of seeing one of her children mauled and left bleeding in front of her.

Somehow, what she does find is both better and worse at the same time.

Wolfpaw was not injured mercifully but she had been scooped up a twoleg. Howlfire arrives in time to see her daughter bundled into one of those metal cages that she too had once been bundled into. "Stop!" Howlfire screeched, desperate for the twoleg to stop what they were doing. She tries to catch up to them, foolishly thinking that perhaps she alone could free Wolfpaw from the twoleg's grasp but she is too slow, too powerless. She watches as the twoleg places the caged Wolfpaw into a waiting monster before also getting into it and driving off towards the twolegplace, leaving a broken family in its wake.

Howlfire remains rooted in place, trembling on the spot, watching as the monster becomes little more than a speck in the distance. "Wolfpaw..." She mutters, before slowly sinking to the floor in defeat. Oh, how she wished the ground would swallow her up there and then. "Not Wolfpaw..."

//
@Coyotecrest @wolfpaw! @Hawkpaw @BLAZINGPAW
please don't post as this is a private family thread!

but the lovely @meghan decided to drop wolfpaw for now and we made the decision to have her get taken by twolegs, as we could not imagine her dying or being written out entirely. we've loved meg and wolfpaw and will miss them but hope they might make it back one day!​

 

[Coyotecrest]

The flaxen-hued tom cherished moments like these for they were far and few between. It pleased him greatly to hear Howlfire managed to put together an outing specifically for their family. Allowing Blazingpaw and Hawkpaw time off was easy to do since they mentored their children. But Figfeather giving the go-ahead was a miracle in and of itself. His ear swiveled in his mate's direction when a whisper tickled his lobe. "They've grown so fast...It seemed like only yesterday they were waddling around at our paws." What he wouldn't give to relive it all over again. A whistful smile decorates his maw, nodding as he continues. "But you're right. It won't be much longer and that both excites me and bums me out a little. Mentoring Blazingpaw has been a blast." He confessed with a chuckle.

Once he looked ahead again he realized their kits were no longer in view and his brow pinched as he craned his neck in search of them. "You know you're supposed to remain in sight!" He shouted in quick succession after his mate's call. Cream paws snap into a run, eager to catch up as he zips behind Howlfire. However, he is not met with the smiling face of his daughter. Instead, her shrill cry echoes around them, sending ice into his veins as his heart thrums and adrenaline flares.

His chest heaved as he propelled his limbs further, spotting the metal cage that held their kit captive. "No! No wolfpaw!" He shouted as he stumbled to a halt beside Howlfire. A twoleg was taking her away and ushering the tabby into the jaws of a large monster. Her desperate screams for help tore away at his heart as her captor entered the roaring monster. "Hold on!" He yelled, head snapping back to the dazed torbie at his side. "I'll find her. I'll bring her home." He declared although in his heart he knew it was a harebrained idea. But he couldn't stand around weighing the possibilities, he was losing time and Wolfpaw was still in there.

Coyotecrest touched his nose to Howlfire's in a hasty goodbye before lurching forward, barrelling after the rolling hunk of metal as it roamed down the street, gaining speed. In that moment memories of his daughter flashed within his mind's eye as the distance between him and the car grew. Her first bite of prey. The pride she felt during her ascension to apprenticeship. They all played back as willed his body to keep up with the fleeing vehicle. "Wolfpaw!" He cried again, voice trembling and cracking at its core. His moorland blood could only provide him with so much speed. But if the stars willed it, then he would track his daughter down and bring her home himself. ​

̶̶̶̶  «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶   skyclan warrior / twenty-two moons old / he/him  ̶ ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶  ​