the ghost next door ☣︎ hawk

[Mintshade]

Spiderbloom's kits were already a pawful. She heard they tried to wander off out of camp or something, no idea how that went but frankly they were little troublemakers and it was honestly quite hilarious. Their father had been a very aloof, cold and loyal tom who rarely laughed and did his duties as though he knew nothing else. What a dreadfully boring tom, what the point molly had seen in that blue lump was beyond her but it had ended in tragedy all the same. Mintshade did not know grief like most, no cat she was very close with had been lost to her before. She had never wept at a grave, not for her parents nor any other, and he closeness with others was prickly at best and nonexistent at worst. The dark she-cat needed no one, nothing, and it suited her fine. Her life was just a haze of duties and delights, waiting for the next time she could truly live in combat; blood spilling between splayed toes, claws dyed crimson. The exhilaration of defeating another.
The idea of doing anything like what most of her clan was, settling down and having families, had not even crossed her mind once. Everytime the nursery filled with kits she was only thinking of how annoyed she'd be having to avoid tripping over the little furballs as she walked around. Even now she could not sunbathe in peace without the shrill sound of kittens playing disturbing her and she rolled to her side on the flat rock to glare at them in silence. If she chewed them out they'd cry to their mother and she'd have to listen to Spiderbloom get hissy at her for being mean to her babies, some queens were far too overprotective. She ate a rock once as a kit and she was pretty sure she was called stupid for it and still left the room to do it a second time if she really wanted to be an idiot. Her acid green gaze closed again, determined to enjoy her nap but before they did fully she swore she saw a flicker of overhead as though the sun had blinked out briefly. It was jarring enough to rise her up to her paws alert, gaze scanning upward and squinting. What had that been?
As quickly as she'd looked up the shadow made itself present, a sharp V-shape careening downward toward the center of the camp where the idiot furballs were rolling around and Mintshade sprang from her perch to rush forward on long limbed strides; reaching the kits in seconds and perhaps even accidentally knocking one or two of them over in her attempts to present a far too large target for the swooping avian. It worked, somewhat, pulling up last second before coming down in face of the snarling spitting shade that had suddenly formed beneath it; its wings beat a frantic staccato as it lifted up to hover overhead. Briefly distracted but not fully dissuaded it seemed.
"Hawk! HAWK IN CAMP! GET THE KITS!" She couldn't move to grab one and run until more cats arrived to help, otherwise she risked them being without cover for the predatory bird's next attempt. It was alone...thankfully. Enough cats showed up and it'd be scared away most likely. What a foolishly stupid bird, or maybe starving...who knew.

---

[Ooc]
Prompt: A hawk flies overhead camp, how does the clan react? Do they take any protective measures?
Tags for the kits & their mom - @Spiderbloom & @SCORPIONKIT & @Juniperkit & @HOLLYKIT
​

 

[TIGERFROST]

TIGERFROST ♂

0/9

WINDCLAN / LEAD WARRIOR
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

HEALTH: ████████████████████​

---

He hadn't really been paying attention, grooming the dust out of his fur after a long hunt. The warning cry is ear splitting, though. Tigerfrost jumps to his paws, ears flat and fur bristling, as his eyes snap toward the scene taking place. A hawk overhead, having just pulled out of it's drive after Mintshade's protective stance over the playing kits. The Lead Warrior tosses himself in the midst of it, sprinting quickly toward the scene, where he reaches out to grasp one of the kits by the scruff, not a word spoken. While Mintshade stands over those who remain, Tigerfrost returns one of the kits to the safety of the nursery.

"Stay inside until your mother declares the danger is passed." The Lead Warrior grunts, before he turns back toward Mintshade, already rushing back over to try and grab another kit. Hopefully, other WindClan cats will have reached the scene by that point.​

​

 

[Cloudedsky]

( ♬ ) "Scorchstreak and I were cleaning out the tunnels beneath ShadowClan territory yesterday, and you wouldn't believe the smell under there. It was absolutely revolting. I told her and Cottonpaw and I'd never understood how they can live eith a revolting stench. It smelled like a drowned carcass left out in the sun for too long." A dusted pink nose would crinkle in distaste, pink lips curling back as she shuddered. She'd been talking to @SUNSTRIDE about yesterday's tunnel expedition, picking at a half eaten nouse between patched paws. Molten eyes traced over the golden lead warrior, waiting for some witty response she knew he always had under his sleeve. It was fun listening to him speak, she soaked up every word from his and Wolfsong's maw—always delighted to listen to banter.
A warning cry grated her ears suddenly, the shrill voice of her aunt echoing within the camp clearing and Cloudedsky leaped to her paws with bristled fur. A hawk?! Her head cranes upward, squinting against the clear sky and sure enough—a silhouette of wings and a tapered beak catches her eye. The fur along the nape of her neck bristles in alarm and she looks towards Sunstride and Tigerfrost, the white faced lead warrior sprints to the first kit he sees.
Despite her smaller stature and broad shoulders, Cloudedsky reaches the bundle of kits within a few bounds while Mintshade stands over them. She goes to grab one by the scruff, soft kitten for foreign upon her tongue and lifts one carefully. Her steps retrace over Tigerfrost's own, ducking her head within the nursery to place them within the confines of safety. "Please stay here, as Tigerfrost said." She murmurs in a rushed tone, already wheeling around to head back for another. The hawk swoops lower and her heart lurches inside it's ivory cage. Should it get close, they'd have no choice but to take it down.

​

( You should see me in a crown ; I'm gonna run this nothing town )

 

[Spiderbloom]

Everything was peaceful in camp. It was a nice day, and Spiderbloom had decided to sit outside the nursery to observe her kits playing in camp. Most of her anxieties had been assuaged, they were safe here. They would all be fine... Her kits would have good lives and become good warriors.

She settled down with her paws tucked under her and let her eyes close. Her ears remained pointed, listening to the camp and her kits play.

For once, she wasn't plagued by depression. She wasn't wishing Jasper were here, wishing Juniperfrost were here. She was in the present, living in this peaceful moment.

It was short lived when she heard Mintshade cry out. A hawk.....

Her eyes flew open and she sprung to her paws, looking up to see the bird circling overhead. She bristled and quickly scanned the camp for her kits.

"Kits! Into the nursery, right now!!" She called, keeping an eye on the hawk. If that bird wanted to try it's luck, they were having it for dinner.
​

 

[: ̗̀➛ SCORPIONPAW]

₊°⟡ I'M GONNA WIN, I'M GONNA TRY

---

Scorpionkit had been playing with her siblings when it happened. First: Mintshade bounding towards them, her long legs nearly knocking them over. A shadow cast over Scorpionkit and her siblings. They squeak protest, but have no time for words. Second: a bird, larger than she's ever seen, with grasping talons, swooping towards the larger cat. It careens away at the last second, cowed by the sight of the warrior. For a moment, she's left blinking in surprise.

Hawk, cries Mintshade, panic in her voice. Two cats come, one grasping her by the scruff before she can protest. Tigerfrost, the brown-and-white tabby carrying her to safety. She does not make it easy for him, bursting into motion the second that she's off the ground. "Lemme go, lemme at it! Scorp's not scared!" she protests, bristling as she's deposited at the nursery. Stay inside, he instructs, and she sticks a petulant tongue out at him, but does not move to leave. Spiderbloom said to stay in here too, and she's not going to say no to her mama.

---

I'LL NEVER LOSE, I'LL NEVER DIE ! ₊°⟡

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• SCORPIONKIT small but deadly.
  — she/her. 1 moon.
  — windclan kit.
  — a high-energy bundle of ambition. fearless and thoughtless.
  
  casual character, inconsistent activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[Badgermoon]

A bright, sunny sky, the sound of kits playing and warriors and apprentices chatting...it was an idyllic day, and Badgermoon was settled in a patch of shade, his speckled paws cupped around his lunch: plover eggs. He had just cracked the shell of one and had gotten halfway through lapping up its tasty contents when a harsh warning cry cracked through the air, followed by the dreadful thump, thump of a bird's beating wings. Hawk! Badgermoon shot to his feet, abandoning his half-slurped meal and closing the gap between himself and the encroaching predator with a few bounds. Tigerfrost and Cloudedsky had acted more quickly than he did and swept the kits into the nursery, and he noted with relief that Spiderbloom was standing at attention and keeping her children corralled where they were safe. This left Mintshade trying to fight the hawk on her own, and without a moment of further thought he threw himself towards the hovering bird, slashing wildly in an attempt to scare it off - or wound it, if it got close enough. He would be damned if he was going to let one of WindClan's children be snatched up by some big feathery rat.​

 

[JaggedOak]

"THEY SAY THAT IM RECKLESS BECAUSE I'M RELENTLESS"​

The large brown tabby had just nearly finished his walk back from his lookout spot at Outlook Rock. Paws about to push through the wall's tunnel entrance, his ever vigilant gaze picked up on the flicker of light as the sun was blotted out for only a blink of time. He wouldn't have made any reaction to it if it wasn't for the weather having been clear this day. So when he looked up and saw the all too familiar shape of the large predator bird that had haunted them last leaffall, his instincts took over and he burst through the tunnel and into camp.

❝ EVERYONE GET COVER!! ❞ It was yelled as he entered, even if a second to late as he noticed the shadow that was MintShade standing over the few kits of the camp that looked like fresh morsels to the large bird. Always grateful for the Soot family line, his copper gaze snapped to the problem at hand. He didn't slow his rushful gait as he entered and took in the scene, he simply adjusted his direction to close in on what was now his prey.

Seeing multiple warriors swoop in to snatch up the defenseless kitten's under Mintshade, his deputy was the one that stood out as the black and white launched himself to aim a hit on the bird itself. Perfect. Hoping that the bird would move towards him in it's attempt to escape the deputy, the brown tabby skidded to a spring loaded stop, his back legs bunched under him, before he jumped as high as he could with outstretched claws. There was a small flash of memory of when he had done the same to lash at a strange round object and how it had backfired so badly when it exploded. But here was a solid being. One he knew where all he needed was to injure a wing. Tear it's feathers out to down it. Then it would be their lunch.
​

⊱ ♞ ⊰​

 

[Juniperpaw]

One moment Juniperkit is avoiding getting pummeled by Scorpionkit's wild paws, the next everyone is hollering and screaming and running in circles. At first, he pauses, squinting up at the sky to see a dark shape circling overhead, its silhouette fragmented by piercing rays of sunlight. He doesn't understand the danger. It just looks like any other bird he's seen lazily circling overhead, though this one is definitely much larger. "What's happen--" he starts to ask Cloudedsky, only to be interrupted as the warrior grabs him by the scruff and quickly deposits him in the nursery beside his sister who is protesting in aggravation. Only then does he start to get nervous as he watches the warriors scramble to defend against another swooping attack. "Mama!" he calls, voice anxious. If he needs to be hidden away safely, then surely his mother needs to protected from this danger, too. Juniperkit wavers at the entrance of the nursery, unwilling to disobey orders but concerned for Spiderbloom's safety.​

 

[SUNNVAR]

What had been a chuckle of amusement is quick to change. His teeth, bared in smile, change to a pointed grimace. His paws, in quiet gait, lurch to a run. The kittens have been taken to the nursery, as quick a scramble as he has ever seen, and at once Sunstride can understand why these birds are so dangerous a presence upon these moors. There is no cover. Their dens and their tunnels, that is all that they have. The speed with which they react is all that would save their youth. Thankfully, at least, WindClan does not falter in their rush to protect what is theirs. He stands first before the nursery, crouched posture ready with every muscle prepared for a pounce. If it came as close as it has in its first swoop, there would be no escaping his claws. Badgermoon and Jaggedoak frighten it; the hawk's wings spread and surge upwards, thwarted once more. Though their claws may have hit, feathers falling towards the dirt floor of their camp, it is not dead. Yet.

"Spiderbloom!" he shouts, a command in only this. "To the nursery; your kits will listen to you far better than any other." He crouches lower. "The rest of you, together! It will regret thinking us easy prey!"

﹥ˏˋ〘  OOC NOTES INFORMATION 〙ˊˎ﹤

• ooc: —
• SUNSTRIDE. named for his coloration and his bold chasing of fate.
  —— cis male, he - him. thirty-eight moons old. lead warrior of windclan + former rogue.
  —— gay, but somewhat closeted. will not be open about his interests. single, will be so.
  —— seems comparatively stranger than who he was some moons ago, serious and cool.
  
  sunstride is broad and bold– a creature standing above most of windclan, though not a beast beyond its borders, with fur that flames red at its base and deepens to a burnt amber with every whorl and stripe. his eyes, in comparison, are a pale summer's blue, still as bold as the rest of him.
• "speech"

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[HOLLYPAW---]

☽༺♰༻☾​

sitting quietly to the side, hollykit watches as her siblings share clumsy blows, tussling in the grass. she lets out a yawn, shifting into a more comfortable position to observe. relishing in the sun warming her black pelt, the kitten lets out a disgruntled mew as it is taken from her. mintshade calls out the hawk's presence swooping over head and her eyes widen slightly, frantically trying to get a peek of the bird around the shield. juniperkit and scorpionkit are plucked from beside her and quickly deposited into the nursery. hollykit hesitates, hearing her mothers call, but doesn't make her break yet. warriors were quick to distract it, she would wait for a moment where the bird had undivided focus on the older cats. the second it found a new target, small legs went flying out into the open, beelining it for sanctuary. once under the safety of cover, she panted to regain her breath, tail flicking anxiously behind her as she watched everyone outside leap into action.

​

 

[Cloudedsky]

( ♬ ) She knows the frantic mewling of questions would be only met with a serious look from the young warrior before she sprints away, letting Sunstride hover over the entrance of the nursery to protect the young. Cloudedsky keeps her gaze trained upon the swooping hawk, singed blue ears planted firmly against her skull as Badgermoon leaps for the bird, Jaggedoak would rush next and spring high to grasp at the predatory bird. A guttural snarl would rip from her vocal chords, muscles bunched beneath her slender body and a wild lashing tail. She wasn't as quick as the moor runners, but she was still a capable fighter nonetheless. She'd not let a feathered parasite pluck off her clan mates for an easy meal. Training within the tunnels had given her hardened muscle and powerful limbs, sturdy she was becoming.
Once the hawk swoops down low and Jaggedoak aims for it, she will also launch her body into the air. Ivory claws splayed out in front of her, still sharp and lethal, would aim to take seige into tawny feathers and hopefully sink into delicate flesh. A flaring surge of fire would blaze through working muscles and flare within her chest. Her heart pummels within it's ivory cage, besting at her ribs furiously. She wasn't going to let it just get away. The warrior could only hope that they'd bring it down together with their added weight if they were able to make it connect. A feast like this would feed multiple cats.
​

( You should see me in a crown ; I'm gonna run this nothing town )

 

[cottonsprig]

Cottonpaw had been sat beside her elder sister, eagerly listening as Cloudedsky recounted their previous visit to the ShadowClan tunnels to Sunstride. It felt nice to be a part of a story, when more normally the stories are of days long before her own. The young apprentice was seconds from adding her own tidbit to the conversation, excited to finally have a chance to do so, when she hears the screech her aunt lets loose. Hawk. Hawk. StarClan, is this some sort of cruel joke?

Her back stings as both Cloudedsky and Sunstride launch into action, alongside several other warriors. Cottonpaw remains frozen, however, pupils shrunk into pins as her gaze moves steadily to center camp. She spies just in time as Badgermoon and Jaggedoak leap upwards to combat the feathered beast that threatens them, others moving quickly to get Spiderbloom's kittens to safety. And she is still stuck. Still useless. Still lifted into the air as she was weeks ago, helpless, lost, clueless -

She spies a little black blur racing clumsily across camp. Hollykit? Cottonpaw swallows thickly, eyes flicking from the tiny mass of fur to the chaos that was only fox-lengths away. Had no one rescued her? Maybe the hawk swooped again - or maybe it delayed, waiting for this very moment - maybe it wanted to taste kitten again -

Cottonpaw lurches forward, eyes focused on Hollykit as she attempts to catch up to the poor kitten. The tunneller apprentice can only hear the pounding of her own heart as she willingly crosses the open expanse of camp. She eventually makes it to Hollykit, albeit not far from the nursery itself by that point. "Just - keep going, it'll be safer," she huffs, hardly shaking the fear from her tone as she continues on the short journey with the child. Hollykit makes it, just as Scorpionkit and Juniperkit do before her. Cottonpaw is tempted to slip into the nursery with them - to hide from the carnage and hope that the hawk hasn't come back for seconds. However she stands steadily at the mouth of the nursery, claws desperately gripping the sandy earth beneath them. She won't attack it head on - StarClan, she can barely digest that its there - but she can at least linger nearby and swipe her claws. If she can even manage that.​

 

[Sunflowermask]

.°☀ AND IF IT EVER STARTS TO FEEL BAD, LITTLE FANG

---

Hawk, cries Mintshade, and the first thought in Sunflowerpaw's mind is of Cottonpaw. It wouldn't try to take her twice -- they hope, yet they've seen fearful way that she glances at the sky, as though always searching for its return. Even if it doesn't take her, they still feel a tightness in their chest at the thought of the other apprentice looking up, seeing the same creature whose talonmarks still still stretch along her back.

The warriors are swift in bringing the Spiderbloom's kit's to safety, but Sunflowerpaw's golden-eyed gaze searches for another cat. They find Cottonpaw just as they feared she'd be: frozen in place with blue eyes wide. But then -- she moves. They follow with their eyes to see -- oh one of the kits was left behind, little Hollykit running for the nursery, but Cottonpaw is swift on her heels, keeping the child safe as the two run forwards together. Relief floods Sunflowerpaw, as they follow not long behind.

Cottonpaw puts herself in between the nursery and the hawk, claws at the ready. A show of bravery; there is still fear in her eyes, even as she purges it from her tone. Sunflowerpaw says nothing as they take their place beside her, standing guard, yet they press their side gently against her own, a show of reassurance. Their eyes flicker to her for only a moment before settling on the hawk, softness draining as they watch the feathered beast with wary contempt.

---

IT'S EASY TO EXPLAIN 'CAUSE THIS WORLD'S NOT TAME .°☀

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //
  ​
• SUNFLOWERPAW named by their half-brother vulturemask after his friend and mentor.
  — they/them, 5 moons.
  — windclan apprentice, mentored by wolfsong.
  — reserved yet loyal, distrusts most.
  — mild limp.
  
  primary character, high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[VULTUREMASK]

Hawk that wicked black molly yowled across camp loud enough to echo itself into Vulturemask's den. He dropt the herbs he had been collecting to the ground as he would hurry himself to the entrance eyes wide as he greeted the light outside after having been stuck in there for the whole day. Vulturemask instantly went to search for the hawk in the sky and a dreadful terror settled deep into his chest just by the sight of it. Not for himself. Never himself only for the lives it could take from him.

Vulturemask eyes started to circle around camp after three certain cats that was held dear and close to his blackend heart. It was a relief when he find one of them. There was no hesitation that followed when he left the safe from his own den to rush out to camp heading towards Sunflowerpaw and Cottonpaw. Taking a side to Cottonpaw's otherside his claws was going out ready for yet another fight with the winged monsters. But while he tried to keep his attention up on the sky he couldn't help but to let his eyes wander now and then across camp searching for them. " Where are they?!." he would burst out to himself, his eyes widen like a deers who had got caught in the headlights. Shadowpaw and Goldenpaw...where had they gone?!. He needed to find them. He needed to make sure they were safe!. The image of their bodies laying in front of him in the same way Rosepaw's body had...it haunted his dreams every single night. Today was like one of his worst nightmares had escaped from his dreams to come into reality.

WHERE ARE THEY?!.

Vulturemask was about to leave both Cottonpaws and Suflowerpaws side to go out looking for them. The only time he would lose his composure and a grip of reality was when they where in danger.

//


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[LEMONTONGUE]

He's lounging after a hard day's work, when Mintshade's shout breaks through the camp. Hawk! The cry sends chills through Lemontongue, tears into his otherwise peaceful day with talons as sharp as the avian beasts above. Hawk in camp!

A yellow gaze looks up to see the bird's silhouette growing swiftly as it makes its descent on the camp, rounded eyes growing wide in fear.

He knows what these birds can do, has seen the injuries, the pain, the long paths to being healed that those talons had brought onto the first patrol they'd sought after, seasons ago. Torn muscles, broken bones, death. These birds were not to be messed with - their aftermath forever seared into his mind, a star in his nightmares.

And, while he is grown now, he was once as small as the kits being ushered to safety. Smaller than his sister had been, when the hawk scooped her up in a bone-shattering drop, smaller than Cottonpaw is now, a recent survivor of the hawk's attacks. While he now knows how to strike down the birds, Lemontongue doesn't charge toward it, with WindClan's smallest in mind. Instead, the tom turns for the nursery, moving to usher any stray kits inside amidst the chaos. There are apprentices at the ready, nearby, standing guard too near the nursery, but they are young, still fresh out of the nursery themselves.

Lemontongue stands beside them, claws unsheathed as he preys to the stars that the hawk doesn't break past those already striking it, that it doesn't come any closer to the nursery.
​

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