THE WANDERING LAMB | intro, stuck

[RAMWIND !]

MAY I STAND UNSHAKEN AMIDST THE CRASH OF THE WORLD ✧​

ram has never been so embarrassed in his life. not that he can remember, he's sure he's done something far, far worse than this and had simply blocked it out of his memory, but this was humiliating. an unfinished hole, perhaps abandoned by a hare or feline, ensnared the poor tom. his rump high in the air, a bobbed tail moving erratically as the apprentice wriggles and writhes. desperate for the tension around his shoulders to release. his paw is sore, he thinks it's from his trip in. his face is scrunched in discomfort, although the world outside would never see it. all they see is some foolish apprentice who isn't looking where he's going. ram would say that it was just covered in snow, and how was he supposed to see it amongst all the other blank moors? it just blended in! so really it wasn't a fault of his wandering mind or not paying attention to his surroundings, it was a plot from some scheming apprentice...or rabbit...or badger...oh. he hadn't thought about that. what if he intruded and was about to be eaten? he's sure there aren't any badgers here, but what if there was? what if one had snuck it and decided to make ram its final meal?

his wriggling intensifies, with muffled sounds coming from within the hole, "HELP!" is all he calls, although he hopes a huge party doesn't show up to see this. his tail falls with his mood, eventually accepting his demise in this godforsaken hole. he just hopes that they bury his bones somewhere nice. or maybe not bury them. if he's already stuck in this hole he doesn't want to be stuck in another one. maybe they can throw them at a bird or something. or a tree. a low whine echoes from his chamber as ram contemplates on what exactly will happen to his remains. ​

 

[WOLFSONG]

──⇌•〘 INFO 〙 Where the other clans may look to the trees or ground for the liveliest of their hunts, Wolfsong learns steadily that WindClan relies much on the passage of paws below the surface. Privately, Wolfsong mourns the lack of densely-gathered bark-giants; he loves to climb, and there is very little here that he can challenge against his haunches. He fits well enough to skulk around the hollow snake carved out beneath them, but the air is stale and he cannot look out over snow-steeped earth and trace its slumbering body to the horizon.

The Outlook Rock isn't the same. It does, however, provide Wolfsong with enough visibility to notice a squirming shape down in the moors. At first, he mistakes it for prey, but he quickly abandons his hunting prowl the moment he spots the long tail. He's...stuck. Fantastically so. There are no fresh markings nearby that aren't his. This is his doing— and accidentally, if the flurry just before the burrow is any indication. He is glad it doesn't seem to be the work of fellow apprentices.

"Let's get you free, shall we? And try not to squirm." That said, he sets to work digging at the bottom section of the hole. Better that he widens the base to avoid collapsing the top onto the poor child.
​

 

[strawmoon]

"Hahaha." Straw had made their way over after hearing a particularly distressed call of help, peering over to watch Ram squirm inside. He looked like a worm... Instead of their blunt attempt of laughing like before they begin to actually giggle though quite oddly its cut off abruptly as Wolf rounds to start digging. They were gonna call Rampaw 'Wormpaw' now, they thought it fit him quite better than Ram in all actuality. Straw swishes their tail before standing still like a statue, idly watching Wolf dig at the corners to widen it...

Thats not how it worked... Would it be mean to start putting dirt on Rampaw...? Straw blinks thoughtfully. In a poor attempt to be playful they attempt to sweep snow atop of him, their stony face not matching their supposed attempt. "Oh, no... You're dying..." flat voice matched with blank face, oh, the woe. They call his bones once he perishes, they would take very good care of them and not use them as a destruction device to the Wormclan invading the hills. After all, there is only room for one god and that true messiah would be Strawpaw; the worms wouldn't even know what hit them.

Eventually Straw finds themselves besides Wolfsong, peering up at them before eyes return to the hole. Dig, dig, dig... They were good at that so they unsheathe their claws and begin to try to help. It's a lot softer than their last attempt. Diggy, diggy hole, diggy hole, time to dig... Straw liked this game.​

"speech"​

 

[OWLTALON]

Owltalon hated the tunnels, honestly. With his long legs, it was hard for him to wiggle his way into them for sure; besides, he much preferred level ground he could fight on. Where he doesn't have to worry about someone being buried alive. The yowl of 'help' from an apprentice grabs his attention soon enough, and Owl is praying for the kid to be put out of their misery or yanked out of the hole.

"Another one bites the dust.. Or dirt, I guess." Owltalon cackles softly to himself, clearing his throat only to die laughing once more as the flat Oh, no.. You're dying.. Left Strawpaw's lips. My, these kids were so funny, weren't they? What happened to these personalities when he was younger? He watches Wolf from the side, before he hums. Maybe he'd just watch. This was a lesson well learned, wasn't it?​

​

"speech"​

 

[RAMWIND !]

MAY I STAND UNSHAKEN AMIDST THE CRASH OF THE WORLD ✧​

when his savior comes, the tom is moaning and groaning. uncomfortable with having to rely completely on wolfsong and his digging skills. he says not to squrim, but it's hard. he can't help the way his body tries to escape its tomb, but he tries to suppress the urges. a heavy sigh falling from his lips as he has to learn the skill of patience. however it is not long before life flares back into the apprentice, hearing a particular lowly laughter.

he attempts to kick his leg out at strawpaw, trying to shut their trap anyway he can. he's gonna smother that loser when he's out of here. "stop, you rat!" a lowly whine escapes the tom as the chill sets in, the snow they had pushed upon him trying to sink deeper into his plush fur. he tries to help out wolf in anyway he can, trying to let the older tom have more room to dig him out. after this, ram is sure that he never wants to see another hole ever again. which is hard in the moors. oh, he is doomed.

soon another set of paws joins, he can tell when the dirt starts moving quicker than it had. "best be you, straw!" his drawl sounds, no longer as muffled as it had been. it's then when owltalon makes his voice heard as well, in its strange tongue. "you ain't helpin'?" ram calls, desperation eating away at his tone. he just wants out, and he's starting to get cold. maybe he should kick some snow at owl. so they both can share in this misery.

eventually, the tom pops out. a dark head revealed as it turns to swivel and glare upon strawpaw. he thinks about chasing them down and butting them into the hole, but he resorts to dwelling in his embarrassment of the situation. a mumbled "thank ya'" leaves his lips, unwilling to make eye contact with wolfsong. ​

 

[Firefang]

Firepaw knows plenty about embarrassing herself, if it was a task on her apprentice assessment she'd pass with flying colors but she didn't think anything she'd done could compare to the humiliation of getting stuck in a hole with only your butt sticking out and wriggling around to notify your clanmates of your fate. She'd come following after Strawpaw after having heard the cries of the poor tom. She however doesn't go to his aid at first much rather the minute she pads on over to the sight she can't and won't bite down the bombastic laughter that roars from her throat ❝KRAHAHAHA! YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS!❞ her laughter opposes her normally gruff voice, she comes closer looking him and the hole he was trapped in closer, didn't look like one of the tunnels they made use of and if they did it hadn't been for a long while so how did he even fall right into it? ❝You make for one weird lookin' rabbit y'know❞ she comments watching at first from afar until she notices the other apprentice she'd been following mess with the snow nearby it doesn't sit right with her and she'd make a move to go help at last biting her tongue to stop her laughter as her brows draw down ears following but before she can say anything to Strawpaw pop goes the weasel and Rampaw is freed from his dirt prison. It doesn't stop her from meowing out at Strawpaw.

❝Hey mousebrain don't drop snow on someone! don't wanna accidentally bury someone do you? someone would've cried if ole Rabbitbutt got hurt❞ she warns the strange apprentice, she doubts they were trying to be cruel or anything but who knew what could happen it could be her in a hole next time and she wouldn't take kindly to someone putting snow on her, she'd say Rampaw was being pretty tolerant despite it. Her gaze saunters back to the disheveled tom a huff of laughter opening her meow ❝Try to watch where your steppin' next time, I might actually mistake you for a rabbit if I see you like that again.❞ it's easy for her to tease - it comes naturally but talking to him and the other apprentices normally not so much. ❝Uhmmm... Anyway you're not hurt or anythin' are you?❞

​

( PLACE ME IN MY CASKET TONIGHT ; BECAUSE IM ALREADY DYING INSIDE )

(edited)
December 29, 2022

 

[SNAILSTRIDE]

A grin was stretched from ear to ear when the bubbly apprentice bounced over, their sapphire eyes wide with amazement. Wow, and he thought he was bad at digging tunnels! Snailpaw chose a solitary position as they approached the flustered tom and his band of onlookers, standing with squared paws on the opposite side of Rampaw as they assessed the damages. "You know, I might have some advice I can offer you!" they offered giddily, malice absent from every inch of their expression. Snailpaw truly did not know what had motivated Rampaw to get stuck in a tunnel, it seemed like a pretty inconvenient thing to do if it required a whole warrior to help you free yourself. Still, they remembered their mother's words of wisdom in times like this, and without waiting for a likely 'no' from the other apprentice, Snailpaw mewed "Have you tried not getting stuck?".

It would probably seem obvious to Rampaw in hindsight. Snailpaw spoke as if they had just unveiled a wisdom only StarClan knew, and a twinkle in their eye suggested that they hoped Rampaw saw it the same way too. "I mean, it was a pretty nasty fall-and-all! Imagine if you never got found and your bones were found and they were all gross and mushy and-" he gasped, "still stuck! I would not want to face my ancestors with that story to tell, no I would not!".