sensitive topics TEAR DOWN THE MOON [✦] Stranded WindClanners

[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR​

TW // IMMEDIATE blood descriptors and injury detailing The viper slithers out from the heathers. She wears a mask of blood, dried from the ravine-like cut that ran across her face. Her pelt twitches similarly to that of a horse’s being harassed by flies, only she was dealing with a much bigger irritant than insects. Rogues have driven her clan out of their camp and the fight against them had not disproved their devotion. WindClan fled to the sound of the beasts yowling promises of inflicting worse if they dared returned, and Sootstar most certainly would dare. She stands here at the border firstly furious, but secondly and almost more prominently, humiliated. A feared leader did not kneel at another clan’s border at their mercy, a fearful and strong leader would’ve commanded a clan who could’ve squished the intruders like the parasites they were. ’Weaselclaw, I’m glad you are not here to share my shame’ Sootstar know’s her fallen mate would be just as frustrated with this outcome. ”My camp has been invaded by rogues.” She tells the first ThunderClan patrol that arrives, ”We’ve been made to leave our home. They’ve threatened to kill our kits.” This note was played intentionally in hopes of playing at the heartstrings of ThunderClan. Sootstar would not have shared such vulnerable information without intent. ”I ask that ThunderClan returns with us to our camp… and help WindClan drive them out.”

☾ INFO BATTLE

• > @HOWLINGSTAR
  All WindClan and ThunderClan cats may post in any order :)
• 
  » Soot ․ Sootstar
  » WindClan Leader
  » She/her ․ Mate to Weaselclaw
  » Tiny blue smoke she-cat with green eyes.
  » "Speech" ․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A high-stamina foe who can be difficult to hit.
  » Excels in quick, short moves.
  » Fights to kill and maim
  » Fatal attack of choice is an underbelly dive.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[Bluepool]

Bluepool is not proud of what she had done. Like a frightened kit she had stood before her sister and she had begged for her to call for a retreat. Sootstar's words ring in her ears, calling her a coward but she does not regret her choice. Her Clan would have been wiped out if they had stayed. Scorchstreak would have nothing to return home to. She takes up the rear of their little troop, both to make sure they are not followed and to help those who were struggling to keep up. One thing that everyone would notice is how uncharacteristically silent she is being. Normally, even in a crisis, she was good at lifting the spirits of those around her or at least she liked to think she was, but right now she has nothing witty to say, no clever words to roll off her tongue.

All she can think about is the way her sister had sneered at her, how much disgust had filled her eyes when she looked in her direction.

When they make it to ThunderClan she is still quiet but she does make her way closer to the front, to the border. No other reason in mind then hope. She digs her claws into the earth and prays to every StarClanner she can think of by name, begs them to please let this all work out. She also hopes that Brightshines pathetic little troop is nearby. Perhaps seeing the kits in question would really seal the deal and ThunderClan would agree to help them.
​

OOC NOTES . ✦ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — ​
• 
  

  ➵ she / her
  ➵ WindClan lead warrior & moor runner
  ➵ single
  
  

  

  - - a small, silver tabby she cat with short fur a cropped tail and yellow eyes
  ↪ toyhouse [ ✦ ]
  
  - - Reckless. Impulsive. Spontaneous. These are all the words that may come to mind if asked to describe Bluepool. She is an incredibly loyal cat who loves her family, her friends, and her clan fiercely. She is well known for her outspoken behavior, often just speaking whatever is on her mind or diving into things without really stopping to consider the consequences of her actions first. Once she has set her mind on something it is difficult to get her to change it.
  ↪ ESTP-A 'the entrepreneur'
  
  ➵ skilled fighter ; decent hunter
  ➵ SOOT CLAW X PEBBLE BREEZE; sister to sootstar and mintshade
  ​

 

[Graypaw.]

Cowardice had been shown by the apprentice. Fear had clamped her jaws shut and her claws had done nothing but shred the earth beneath her as she fled. In the distance she had hid, silent and listening to the horrific sounds of screeching battle. The stench of blood hung heavy in the air and indulged her desire to flee ever stronger. She watched the leader, the warriors, even the kits battle fiercely and spew words of hatred and rage. Graypaw had trailed along the path of blood left by Sootstar as she and the Clan retreated to the ThunderClan borders. Her head was hung and her tail dragged behind her, stirring the dirt.

In her maw she had carried a young kit. Finchkit. One of the survivors, the saved. She gently nudged the kitten as she set him down, her eyes staring off in distant thought. "It's okay Finchkit, we're safe now." she tried for force an expression of calm but her heart raced too fast and she could not focus as her gazed danced along the gathering WindClanners.

"I'm sorry," she croaked softly. She had heard, upon retreat, the claims of cowardice toward each other. "I should have done something. I am a coward, if any of us is to take the title." she looked at Bluepool, her eyes brimmed with sorrow. The moor runner was silent and Graypaw could only wonder the thoughts that danced in their mind. Even Sootstar's thoughts were a curiosity to her. What was it that the leader felt after the failure of the Clan to protect their home? What thoughts of pain and anger swirled in their mind?

"Are we going to be safe here?"

 

[VIOLETHEART]

Violetheart stood behind Sootstar, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he stared at the ground beneath his paws. Grounds that didn't belong to him, nor to any of WindClan - and he knew that his leader felt humiliation, because he felt similarly over their situation that had forced them to ThunderClan's doorstep - and yet... it was for the best, that they were here, and not still fighting the rogues that had invaded their camp. Violetheart was willing to admit that much, and he couldn't help but wonder if Sootstar also could bite back her pride so much as to admit it to herself at the very least, or if she was only standing where she was because of Bluepool's words.
"No one needs to take the title of coward," Violetheart murmured to Graypaw as he glanced over at the apprentice. "There's... no shame, in retreating when the odds are against you." He wished that he had more to say to the young she-cat, but the wounds, both physical and metaphorically, were still too fresh for him to think up something poetic and wise. Instead, Violetheart shook his head and stifled a sigh, turning his gaze upon the ThunderClan patrol that now held WindClan's fate in their paws. StarClan willing, they would be kind.​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

Snakehiss emerges from the moorlands hardly scathed, with a scratch or two in certain spots along his flank but nothing more. He hopes that the chaos and the situation at hand will be enough to distract his clanmates from the fact that he had laid low during the rogue invasion. They were desperate, starving, and beastly cats who would take the moors by any means possible — Snakehiss knew he was expected to give his life for his home, but fighting a rogue was a fool's errand. He would live to die another day, in a much more honorable manner.

He is tired, disheveled, and most of all frustrated that WindClan has lost the battle. They were supposed to be the strongest clan in the forest, but cats missing from their ranks had doomed their chances against the unexpected flood of barbarians. Snakehiss vows that this will not be the end of the fight, that he will return to his ancestral homeland soon when everyone has regrouped and regained strength.

While Sootstar addresses the ThunderClanner, out of earshot of the Moor Queen, Snakehiss grumbles, "This is humiliating, crawling to ThunderClan for help." The dark-colored tom gives a lash of his tail before huffing, "Not like they've ever been keen on helping us before." ThunderClan has stubbornly remained independent, refusing to ally itself with WindClan following the troubles with ShadowClan and RiverClan. Howlingstar had refused to grant WindClan passage through their land to wage war upon SkyClan for harboring their traitors. Would that old fool of a leader finally gain some sense and help WindClan drive the rogues away from their land? Trouble for WindClan also meant trouble for the surrounding clans, and Howlingstar should see that.

✰ INFO

• 
  
• 

  ✰ SNAKEHISS
  —— he/him; warrior ( moor runner ) of windclan
  —— bisexual; single; not looking
  —— long-limbed black tom with green eyes, a small white chest patch, and a notable bite mark on his right foreleg
  —— "speech", thoughts, attack
  —— link to full tags; @ on discord for plots.
  —— penned by beatles

​

 

[Morningsong~]

He's never fought so hard in his life, and he's exhausted from it. He aches, wounds littering his body and blood smeared on his face from the wound that would probably leave a scar across his eye. On top of the torn ear, he has plenty of blood on his face. Escaping had been difficult, but enough twisting and writhing and one lucky kick had released him from his enemy's grip.

His family is safe, and he is relieved.

It angers him that he was forced from his home, but it was for the best. To be killed in camp to those rogues meant no one would be able to defend the kits and elders, and he feels sick just thinking of that outcome. Retreat was the best option, and anyone who thought it wasn't was an idiot in his eyes. An idiot blinded by pride.

He stands amongst his clanmates, at ease knowing no one was killed, most importantly his family.

"We live to fight another day." He says. "We'll get our home back." He tries to sound reassuring, but he is tired. His voice is weary, and all he wants to do is lay down.​

 

[FOGBOUND]

your entire existence gives me a headache, go stand over there .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

He had bitten the bullet, leaning on whoever with what little dignity he had left, ego all that more wounded, but Fogbound refused to show it. He slid a ruby optic to see the familiar pelts of his family. He hummed, wincing. No doubt he would get scolded for the injuries he obtained during the fight. What a shame.

His fur was riddled with scars, but did it not make him that more appealing? He couldn’t say the same for the knick on his cheek with crusted ichor bleaching his white fur. Certainly, a task to get the pinkish stain out of his white-splashed fur.

He breathed. They had been driven for their home, as much as Fogbound despised the idea. He rumbled, pivoting his helm in an elegant arch to peer at the others, battle-worn. He hummed. He was curious to see how this would play out. He wondered how ThunderClan would react, seeing them at their borders. He grinned, tapping his claws against the ground, ignoring the pull of his wound.

Fogbound grunted, muzzle crinkling to ease further off of his side, turning to lick at the wound. He tasted nothing but ichor. He peeled away from the wound to turn to Rabbitclaw. “A shame our date was ruined, don’t you agree?” He commented, tone giving nothing away.

/ interacting with @RABBITCLAW ​

​

thought speech​

 

[Honeydapple]

Unfortunately, she had not been on patrol, but on a lone hunting trip through the familiar trees of ThunderClan. The cacophony of sounds and scents alerted the pointed cat of their presence. What the? Picking up her fresh kill, the warrior hurried to the border commotion.

A small mouse hung from her jaws, and stunned silence ensued as her blue eyes fell upon the mass of injured cats. Quickly, she approached, taking in the horrifying scenario. Sootstar's words, though hard to believe, gained her full attention. Easily swayed, her heart twisted at the sight of stumbling kits and sank even further by the depravity of these rogues. Fury, an emotion the genteel feline seldom felt, coursed through her veins.

Through all the voices, she couldn't make much sense of it, but she knew someone with more authority needed to be present.

Nodding adamantly, she meowed. "I'm so sorry this has happened to all of you, but this is not my decision to make." Her gaze dropped in remorse. "Give me just a moment. Let me fetch our leader or a nearby patrol and relay the message." Setting down the meager catch, she offered it to the bloodied leader in empathy. "Please, take this and replenish some of your strength." Despite the cry of her pained stomach, the molly turned and bolted without a second thought, rushing back into the treeline.

Nimble paws flew effortlessly across the grass as she sought her clanmates.


OOC; Honeydapple went to grab @HOWLINGSTAR or any nearby patrol.
Feel free to powerplay this interaction!
Accepts any IC consequences for sharing prey.
Assume she is next to whoever returned to address the Windclanners.​

 

[Azaleafrost]

Azaleafrost seethed in anger as they were forced to flee their territory. She wanted nothing more than to kill every last rogue that set foot in their camp, but her feelings of anger quickly faded into worry.

What about Mintshade? She was in the badger set, sick and dying. Azaleafrost felt her stomach twist at the thought of those rogues finding her and killing her. Mintshade didn't deserve to die that way, Azaleafrost refused to let her.

But she couldn't rescue her on her own. She needed help.

"We need to go back for the cats in the badger set. We can't leave them...." She says, looking back towards the moors.

She couldn't leave Mintshade behind. Wolfsong and his kits are safe, and now she must make sure her former mentor is as well.

No matter what condition she's in from her previous injuries, she will fight her way back through the moors if she has to. She can't lose Mintshade.​

 

[Flycatcher]

Flycatcher had been on patrol nearby when the familiar tang of WindClan scent hit his nose. Occasionally, if the wind was strong enough, you could pick up their scent on certain parts of the territory but it had never been this strong. Immediately, his pelt prickles with unease, his mind jumping to the worst conclusions. He decides in his mind it must be a war party, Sootstar turning her ire on them after expending her search options in RiverClan and SkyClan for her wayward deputy. He is put at ease by the arrival of Honeydapple, who confirms it is indeed a WindClan patrol, before asking him to follow her back.

A signal to his patrol urged them to follow the two of them. It looks almost as if the whole of WindClan is here, and by the state of them, they had left in quite a hurry. His gaze immediately finds Sootstar in the crowd, brows furrowing as she explains what had happened. "Rogues," He groans, not so much at the WindClan patrol, but rather the thought of the rogues. So it wasn't just ThunderClan facing an issue with them. Her plea for help seemed genuine enough but Flycatcher is wary about the prospect of helping to fight off these rogues when his own clan was already weak. "I cannot promise we can help drive off the rogues...ThunderClan has its own problems right now," Flycatcher responded honestly.​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──ᨒ↟↟ᨒ↟ᨒ↟↟ᨒ── With Azaleafrost and Icebreath, he has kept his and Sunstride's children from a fate Wolfsong faced as a kit himself. Yet the relief for their temporary safety is swallowed by renewed concern when they reach ThunderClan's border and Sootstar makes her case. He licks over his kits' heads gently, ignoring the disgruntled rumbles among his clanmates in favor of watching their leader carefully. He has no herbs for the wounded, no moss nor cobwebs, and he does not preoccupy himself with wishing he did; instead, he steps away from the children to near Sootstar, his eye solemn.

From the sounds of ThunderClan's deputy, they are not not the only to contend with opportunistic beasts. Which is what worries Wolfsong so. "Sootstar," he murmurs lowly, with a glance at his mate. He does not know whether she will accept his counsel. "ThunderClan may face an incursion of their own if we take their warriors to WindClan, and we will be scarcely better off than before. Our wounded need rest if we are to have any chance of successful retaliation."​

WOLFSONG of WINDCLAN FORMER ROGUE TURNED MEDICINE CAT. 38 MOONS, HE/HIM, NPC X NPC. MATES WITH SUNSTRIDE (07/05/2023). BIOGRAPHY, PINTEREST, & PLAYLIST.

medicinal expertise med. part ii med. part iii med. part iv

• — ★★★☆☆ WOUNDS: You're (mostly) in safe paws. You'll know if he's less experienced if he asks for your permission to try a treatment. No wound can scare him away from knowledge.
  — ★★★☆☆ INFECTION: He can prevent most infections. If you feel feverish, let him know; he'll hum thoughtfully over herbs and sniff your wound before saying, "With your blessing..."
• — ★☆☆☆☆ ACHES & PAINS: If you complain to him of pain, he'll ask where. If it's a headache, you'll likely feel a bit better. For anything else, "Try this, if you'd like, and tell me how you feel."
  — ★☆☆☆☆ BROKEN BONES: At best. he can ask you to remain lying down in the den. He may try to distract you with conversation while he considers what herb to feed you.
• — ★★★★★ TRAVELING HERBS: Going somewhere? No worries; Wolfsong knows just what you need to stay hale and healthy during your journey. The rest is up to you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ KITTING: Thanks to Starlingheart, he's better prepared for the arrival of kits, but any complications will need a little faith and a lot of luck.
• — ★☆☆☆☆ POISONS: It's best if you avoid eating anything unfamiliar to you— it's probably just as unfamiliar to Wolfsong. The best he can do is offer you yarrow and sit with you.
  — ★★☆☆☆ ILLNESS: If it's white or greencough, you'll likely recover. Otherwise, prepare for odd concoctions and the usual request that you consent to a little trial-and-error.

​

 

[SUNSTAR]

✦　　. 　 ˚　.   There is something so terribly familiar about this long trek away from home. They are not alone– it is not him and Wolfsong, Ellisif against the world. But there is something in the way that they are doomed to leave it all behind he cannot shake. Sunstride knows that he must remain strong for all of their suffering warriors, and yet even still...the very central part of him begins to crumble. He keeps himself close to his mate and kits as they walk. His paw is there to nudge them up when they tire or steady them if they stumble. Though weary and heavy, his eyes are kind for them. Always for them. Fatherhood is familiar now. That is almost a curse in times such as this. His heart still howls for war. Retribution, and blood. To storm the moors again and take back their home. For his family, however, the warrior refrains.

Wolfsong speaks of their rest, and though there is a sudden unease within him as he glances to their leader, it is unfounded. She has always cared for WindClan. She has made it known she cares for them even above StarClan. He does not speak to her, but to Flycatcher. "So will we all, until our warriors return. Now is the time to stand together. If not in battle, then at least in protection. As Sootstar has said–" He looks down to the kittens near his paws and sweeps his tail around the closest of the bunch. "There is more at stake here than what they may steal from our borders."

𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌 𝘈𝘚 𝘓𝘐𝘍𝘌 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘗𝘖𝘐𝘚𝘖𝘕; 𝘚𝘜𝘕-𝘉𝘓𝘖𝘖𝘋 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌  ╱╱ 9.16.2023 ˊˎ＜

• OOC. —
• ✦　　. 　 ˚　.   FORMERLY SUNNVAR. HE - HIM - HIS OR THEY - THEM. DEPUTY OF WINDCLAN. 4 YEARS OLD. PENNED BY REVELATIONS.  —————————
  
  
  ——  a tall auburn tabby with thick fur and bright glacial eyes. sunstride is broad and bold– a creature standing above most of windclan, though not a beast beyond it, with fur that flames red and deepens to a burnt amber with every stripe. his eyes, in comparison, are a pale summer's blue, still as bold as the rest of them. he radiates confidence and self-assured authority.
  
  

  ✦ NPC x NPC. DECEASED MOTHER, ESTRANGED FATHER. NO LITTERMATES. MATE TO WOLFSONG. FATHER TO BEARKIT, SINGEDKIT, RIVEKIT, SUNLITKIT, AND FEATHERKIT ——

• "speech"

​

 

[Bearflight]

He remains wandering under taller limbs, occassionally stopping with a distressed huff before continuing onward. This is the furthest he had ever walked, him and his siblings as well as Brightshine's litter too - he glances over to the other kits struggling to keep pace with the longer limbs of their parents and lifts his head a little higher. Bearkit kept his strides surefooted and confident as he could, trying not to let show how tired he was, how much his paws ached, because he didn't want to let the other kittens despair. If even one of them began complaints or crying then they all would and he would not be the one to start it. It didn't make this trek any less agonizing, but at least he could focus on looking as pulled together as possible and not think about how his limbs felt as though they would melt into puddles under him the second he stopped.
For more distraction he raises his head, steps to the side and finds himself wandering under Sunstride, "Father, where are we going again?" He was sure someone had explained it but he'd already forgotten. His attention span was not entirely there during their immediate evacuation, replaced by wariness and unease. "What about all of ðir's plants?"
He didn't want to sleep where he could not be soothed to rest by the aromatic scents of the herbs - something he now associated with his other parent.
​

 

[SOOTSPOT]

Trust was a thing seldom earned, always broken. Sootspot was certain he had earned Mothmoon's trust with the way he had thrown himself at that rogue, but in doing so, he found his trust in those who looked up to his mother had thinned to the width of newleaf ice. He thought of all those that had been absent in WindClan's defence and it was difficult not to allow a bristle to ruffle his silky pelt, their names forever etched into his memory, their names the subject of whatever mockery the young Tunneler's mind could come up with as he walked beside his fractured clanmates. StarClan's strength had abated them, but that was all it took to prevent his outcry, his demand that those who would see them dead to be sent to the rivers to sink or swim. His eyes, sharp and sunlit, did bear so obviously into the backs of those clanmate's heads, only softening when he felt other gazes weigh upon his weary form. He would not blame the rogue for being uncouth, nor the kittypet for being weak, their natures were not so readily moldable as the nature of those who'd have once killed for Sootstar.

Eventually, his attention moved to ThunderClan, eyes settled on the Deputy with a condifence that suggested that he believed himself to be talking to a common warrior. "ThunderClan will have more than just a few problems if you do not help," his brows furrowed upwards, voice a still lake amidst a resonant cave. "No WindClan, no moonstone. One can't help but wonder what happens when the voices of our ancestors are lost to us; do nine lives turn to one?" It was a question that had already plagued WindClan, but for ThunderClan? It was new, frightening, he imagined, that Star-touched leaders would become just like anyone else the second that the moors fell to anarchy. His tail gently moved behind him like a guiding paw, he wouldn't ask a selfish clan to suddenly care for another, but he hoped they would at least care for themselves and recognise that it was for the good of all that WindClan's status on the moors be returned. Pupils flittered to the kits amidst them, mouth parted, the slightest curl of a smile. He remembered not which sibling he had told that the medicine cat would always favour his own young over his clan, but whichever one it was, he hoped that they would see such treachery in all of its glory now.



​

 

[RABBITCLAW]

To be honest she didn't care where the heck they ended up. All she wanted was a place that was more or less safe for them to rest and heal up from their recent loss against the rogues. She had escaped with Fogbound and just like him, her pelt was darkened with red and she received another handful of scars. If they were that bored she supposes Fogbound and her could compare who had the most at this point, but the wounds that bothered her the most where the ones on her back, throat, and flank. Her neck stung along with the other scratches, but it wasn't as annoying as her throat. She didn't speak to Fogbound while they retreated, wanting to focus on breathing and thinking of her kin. Specifically those who went on the journey. Would you have missed me if I bit the dust there?

She had been lost in her head, vaguely aware of everyone's words of concern or anger, as well as when paws stopped. Blue eyes looked ahead, distant. She hadn't licked her wounds yet, but it would be difficult to even lick the large one on her back properly. That's if. She even wanted to lick her wounds right now. Her attention was taken by Fogbound who she just realized she sat beside. Huh? He was here the, right. That makes sense. Blue eyes blink slowly, before she turns to face Fogbound. When she pays attention to him, as in actually become present... She shows weakness towards him. He would see her expression morph into one of horror. The reason? She had seen him crumpled. Unmoving. Never had she experienced such a thing with somecat that wasn't kin. It disturbed her. She could've lost him not once but twice there. NO! We don't do this for a reason. Remember Riley. This is Fogbound. A big handsome, curse his parents for making him handsome jerk.

Horror is replaced with a grin that doesn't quite feel all there. It's then that he brings up their date and a genuine chuckle leaves her maw. She quite honestly forgotten about that. Without a doubt he is joking about it, or at least she assumes he isn't actually bummed about it. With his tone its quite difficult to tell how he actually felt. She huffs playfully and answers "Truly. Rogues have no sense other than stupidity. We can always have a date another day." There is some truth in what she says, however to him, maybe it is difficult to tell as well. The fact that she doesn't take back her words or elaborate further leaves room for questioning.

Questioning that he wouldn't be able to ask because blue eyes stare at his wounds. She had been eyeing the wound he had been licking and while she could've just let him figure that all out... She was plagued by one thing. For that reason she leaned closer to him, their fur touching. No words are given to him. All she would do was this. She would lean to a wound she knew would be a little annoying for him to lick himself, and began licking it for him. Sharing tongues was not uncommon, but was uncommon was the fact that she herself would attend to him. Part of why she did it was to thank him. Sure he got his butt handed to him, but he did help her and risk his life. Another part was to confirm he was alive. Good. You're still here. Don't do something so stupid Foggie.

Wanting to respect his space once she had finished, she knew better than to lick any other wounds. Well... let's say she respected whatever space was left. Drawing away she kept her gaze on him and then glanced towards Sootstar and then to Sunstride. Rabbitclaw leans towards Fogbound again and whispers words only meant for him "Thank you." For once, he experiences the kindness she posses. The question is whether or not he would reject it or accept it. He had teased that she cared about him and perhaps now with some thought he could see that she did indeed. For now, it's as though she never voiced her gratitude with how her focus shifted to Sootspot's concerns.

/ interacting with @FOGBOUND​

 

[Moonwhisper]

She is at Flycatcher's heels when he arrives, the murmurs of WindClan bloodied at their border were something she needed to see with her own eyes and she scoffs the second she gets within ear shot to hear them being as indignant and pushy as ever, their deputy for once has the good sense StarClan gave him to say they had their own problems. They didn't need the moorland rats to add to it, WindClan only ever took, never gave and now they wanted aid because something had finally put them in their place. Moonwhisper's whiskers quiver and she resists the impulse to smile.
Sootstar's demands are ridiculous, as usual, and her warriors mope and groan about ThunderClan never helping them before - helping them what? Not expedite an attack on SkyClan? As much as she loathed the kittypet clan she didn't much care for having another take a stroll through their territory to get there.
"Can the all powerful WindClan not handle this on their own?" One of them dares to bring up the Moonstone as if it being on the moor territory meant anything, as if StarClan meant anything to these blights on the forest. She hears a kitten cry in the crowd of cats, but finds she can not offer any sympathy to ThunderClan's enemies.
​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

As soon as Howlingstar hears word of WindClanners at their border, her mind immediately returns to that night. A battle party stood poised, fur bristled and claws unsheathed, calling for revenge. She and Flamewhisker and Oakfang has stood up to them with pride and fear, but it clearly hadn't been enough to ward them off for good. First Yellowcough, then the rogues, now WindClan. StarClan, we need rest, help us! She can't help but pray, immediately calling on a handful of warriors and @skypaw to follow her before she bounds towards the direction of Fourtrees.

When she arrives at the WindClan border, she is surprised that she doesn't see a war patrol prepared to fight. She sees bloodied warriors and small kits sticking close to their parents, small voices filled with confusion and fear. Her eyes are wide as she draws closer, finally eyes settling upon the moor queen herself. Her gaze, usually so gentle and warm, holds no softness for the she-cat. Blasphemous and blood-thirsty, she has the nerve to stand here now and beg for ThunderClan's help yet again. But this time is different. This isn't Sootstar's normal battle-hungry roar; her clan truly, desperately needs help.

"The rogues did this?" She asks for confirmation, scanning the group once again. Her heart drops - she cannot sentence a clan to homelessness. But to enter this fight...ThunderClan can't do it. They have enough sick and injured as it is, they cannot risk a war. The tabby exchanges a look with her deputy, one filled with concern and uncertainty. "We can discuss retaliation later. Right now, you need to get your clan to safety. Come with me." She nods to her clanmates and turns, beginning to lead the WindClanners to the large sandy clearing deeper in the forest where mentors train their apprentices. She is no fool. WindClan has raided and attacked too many camps over the last several seasons for her to ever trust them anywhere near ThunderClan's camp. But at least at the Sandy Hollow, they will be safe.​

 

[icebreath]

Her senses are in overdrive, ears swiveling and wide-eyed gaze flitting this way and that as WindClan flees the moors, searching for any sign of pursuit. There is none; the rogues seem content to remain in their stolen camp, surely celebrating their victory. This is hopeless, Icebreath miserably decides while limping near Wolfsong, desperately clinging to his side throughout the trek. It's growing harder and harder to keep up; she'd been forced to run with all four paws on their way out of the camp, her instincts screaming to use everything she had to get out as quickly as possible, and now her injured foot is hurting with renewed ferocity. Every time she thinks about it, they remind themselves that they're the lucky one, that the rest of their clanmates are in far worse condition and they'd done nothing to help. They try to stave off the guilt with the reasoning that Wolfsong specifically told her to stay out of harm's way, but their efforts are largely in vain.

It meshes awfully with their anxiety; not only do they still worry about the rogues, but the closer they draw to Fourtrees the more that ThunderClan becomes a concern in her mind. They're the least threatening of the surrounding clans, but that doesn't negate the threat. Who's to say they won't seize this opportunity to extinguish the beaten down WindClan once and for all? They're truly shocked that Sootstar chose to bring everyone here instead of unclaimed lands, where they could rest and recover in peace, though who's to say they'd be able to find enough herbs in the wild to sustain them? Still, everything about this feels wrong and incredibly unsafe.

Her pale gaze lingers on Sunstride, Wolfsong and their kits while they wait at the border, the way the fathers comfort their children and stand protectively over them. She longs for that same sense of security, that comfort, but after a bit she averts her gaze. From there she notices approaching ThunderClanners and her muscles tense, short fur bristling, but the reception is... surprisingly merciful. One warrior even offers them a piece of prey. There's clearly derision and suspicion among them, but nothing like Icebreath had feared.

Still she remains wary, especially with Howlingstar's arrival --- they recognize her from the few gatherings they've attended. Seeing her up close feels so strange. She doesn't tower above her own clanmates, but she's still larger and more imposing than many WindClanners, Icebreath included. They stare with cautious curiosity at the molly, almost afraid to look at her for too long and quick to avert her gaze if Howlingstar's own eyes coincidentally drift anywhere close to Icebreath's direction. She prepares herself for the disappointment of rejection, wondering what will become of WindClan after the fact, and finds herself shocked to be invited further into ThunderClan's territory. Is this a trap? they wonder, glancing around at their clanmates to gauge reactions, and only once everyone begins to move does she follow suit, never once letting her guard down.
​

 

[BLUEFROST]

◇────────────【☆】★【☆】────────────◇​

XXXXXBluepaw despises the treeshadows flung over their pelts, concealing them from StarClan’s eyes. She loathes the crunch of crisp, withered leaves underpaw, alerting every creature within a hundred foxlengths of their arrival. The scent here is dank and thick, layered with unknown scents of the forest, and it threatens to put her fur on end. She’s familiar with ThunderClan’s border—more familiar than some of her Clanmates are, she thinks ruefully—but to be led into their territory by the Clan leader is an assault on her senses.

XXXXXShe’d been surprised, in truth, to hear Howlingstar grant them safe passage. Bluepaw does not miss the uncertainty glowing in her green eyes, the way she regards Sootstar with wariness. Perhaps she feels as though a den of foxes has traipsed into her territory. She wishes she were a fox, with the heart of one—she’d have torn clean through the filthy heathens invading her home, driving them away from all they’d ever known.

XXXXXHer tail tip flicks against the little calico kitten who’d first found her in the midst of the invasion, but her eyes go to Sootspot and then their mother. They are at ThunderClan’s mercy, and how pitiful it feels.

─────────​

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[GRAVELSNAP]

The moor runner feels out of place here, settled below tree branches and unable to see the sky above. There’s flickers of it through the tree cover, but not enough to satisfy them. They suppose this is better than being ripped apart by the claws and teeth of those rogues—as it is, they wear new wounds across their flanks, their shoulders, their neck where one rogue’s teeth had sank in—but still it feels overwhelmingly wrong. ThunderClan has accepted them into the forest territory, but Gravelsnap cannot help but wonder at the cost of such a favor. What will Howlingstar want in return, and what will Sootstar be forced to hand over as payment for this blessing, if it can be called that?

They grimace as they stumble over an exposed root, bloodied paws struggling to keep up in the absence of their usual sharp perceptiveness. It’s as though the forest has dulled all their senses, or perhaps it’s the pain causing such a haze. Anxiety gnaws at their gut, only adding to their distraction, and the warrior is forced to take unnaturally deep breaths just to ensure that they keep breathing. They hate this. They hate all of this. What if—if Peri and the others return, only to find WindClan gone entirely? What if they return to find rogues in place of their clanmates, and meet a horrible end? They chew at the inside of their cheek, tasting blood but not aware enough to stop.

At the very least, the clan has made it to relative safety. Bluepaw and Thriftpaw are safe, the kits are all accounted for, and they think every clanmate manages to escape with only minor injuries. A small mercy, at least. Another gift that they’ll be expected to show thanks for, at some point.​

[ you put the fun into dysfunction ]​

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