THE WATER SCREAMS SUBLIME \ all-nighter

[BERRYHEART]

Long ago he had been asked a question, before the Clans had fractured into five. Before they had names of land, water and sky, instead named for their territory, kept together only by the safety in numbers. He could not say he missed the marsh- much of what he would have mourned had migrated with him, save for one wayward niece. But the question, asked by one kitten the colour of rain regarding the rainfall itself, had taken residence in the very back of his mind and had settled there, refusing to leave. Truly the did speckled tom know there were other endeavours of education he should focus on... but his attention had been captured the moment he noticed the rainfall settling into puddles from the dandelion patch he was gathering from, and he could not shake off the urging whim.

Herbs tucked at his side, Berryheart took shelter beneath a tree and stayed there, patient and still as a statue. In the belly of their territory the flame-flecked tom had spent the entire night, lopsided eyes trained fully and absolutely upon the puddle. His blinks were long and restful, but slumber did not take him- no, for he needed to know the answer to that question. Medicine would be his gateway to all knowledge- the completion medal. Before he mastered healing, he would need to know all the rest. Only as the light of sunrise lit a flame upon the forest canopy, tinting the light almost immediately, did he realise how long he had truly been sat here...

Yet, he felt no urge to move. They would find him eventually... he still had an answer to gather. At the very least this puddle was certainly smaller, but still he had no concrete answer to Raincloud's question- Where did the rain go?​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[Leafshade]

SO YOUNG, YET SO BROKEN​

---

He was getting restless. Leafshade could be seen pacing back and forth in front of the camp entrance and he had been there since he noticed that Berryheart had not returned from whatever task he had been doing.

Anxiety wormed its' way into his veins, mental flashes of that traitorous molly swooping in and exacting her revenge on their medicine cat, and his claws would score the earth as he feared it. That's it. He was going. Should the tom have been so worried? Probably not, and yet Leafshade couldn't stop the frustrated growl that came from his throat as he turned and left camp on hurried paws.

Berryheart was fine. Probably just got distracted by something stupid, but he at least had to check. More mental images of Dewdrops this time flashed through his skull and Leaf had to shake his head angrily to get them to leave. No. Berryheart was fine.

He would catch his scent quickly enough, though the rain hadn't made it easy, and following it lead him to a tree where sure enough, there lay Berryheart, staring at a dwindling puddle. A breath he hadn't been aware he was holding left him, but the scowl on Leafshade's face was at least familiar as he stalked over to his clanmate, "Berryheart." He would call the name in a voice that would sound angry to others, but perhaps the medicine cat would pick up the relief that floated behind it, "What in the hell are you doing out here? " ​

 

[sloestride]

THIS WEIGHT ON MY NECK MAKES IT HARD TO CONNECT​

Slant, wax-flame skimmed the dewy rows of foliage, the apprentice’s eyes furrowed against the constant rain. It was annoying. Sloepaw had slipped after Leafshade, content to search for the medicine cat and wake up with an early patrol. He didn’t mind either of the toms, they put him somewhat at ease.

A sneeze cuffed his pursuit of the warrior for a moment, discomfort rattled from his nose when yet another droplet knocked his whiskers. Annoying… Murmurs beyond a fan of ferns rallied him however, and he shook the water free. A mottled pelt came into view, like leaf litter, and Sloepaw unknowingly mirrored Leafshade’s exhale of relief. He’d been more optimistic than the warrior, aware of Berryheart’s weird experiments, but he had been a little worried.

His dark head snaked to peer at the puddle- another investigation? The pool looked ordinary, boring even. "Is there something in it?" One ear flat to Leafshade’s frustration, Sloepaw tried to sidestep the terse atmosphere. "Or… a reflection?”

@HOWLING WIND memtorm <3
​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Even when she may not seem like it, Howling Wind is always watching. It's a mother's instinct to keep a watchful eye out, to observe those she cares about. At this point, this extends to all of her clanmates. Notably, her apprentice. She watches him slip out of camp after Leafshade and fern eyes narrow. He's supposed to be eating breakfast before training, and instead he's going exploring after a warrior.

The deputy makes quick work of the journey, her stout body pushing through the wet ferns and brambles in the territory. The feeling of the droplets painting her pelt is one she's not fond of, but it's a tiny bother. Her main focus is following after Sloepaw and Leafshade, and when she finally arrives at their sides, she realizes it was Berryheart they were looking for.

A soft cuff over Sloepaw's ear is all she gives him. He knows her well enough now to know what the scolding is for. Turning her gaze to her son, she lifts her brow and trills, "Have you been out here all night?" In the rain? Did he get a cold? Even as a medicine cat, the tortoiseshell can't escape his mother's concern.​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

She is pleased to finally be allowed to roam the territory once more, no longer is she cooped up inside the nursery, inside the camp, her mother fretting over her every move, loving but doting like she is a sick child. Still, she would always appreciate it, appreciate her. Little Wolf is all too familiar that time, especially with family can run out. The familiar pant of loss stabs her in the heart when she thinks of her father, how she misses him so. She is glad the rest of her family is here though, that they are safe and with her.

The day after a rainfall was always so pleasant, at least in her mind. She enjoyed the smell of the damp earth, the mud squishing between her toes that reminded her of their former home. "Can you scent any prey?" she asks, green eyes turned on her apprentice, her daughter, before she lifts her own head to drink in the air.

What she smells, instead of food, is other thunder clanners. Her face alights with surprise as she trots into the small clearing, curiosity overtaking her. When she sees her brother lounging beneath a tree, staring at a puddle she lets out a small laugh. "Of course he has! Just look at him!" she says in answer to her mothers question. "Berry you look like you’re going to fall asleep any second now!"

// @Howlpaw
​

 

[Howlfire]

Going out training the day after a rainfall was something of a new experience for Howlpaw. Of course, she had been out after the rain before but this was the first proper time since becoming an apprentice. Whilst the feeling of mud squishing beneath her paws wasn't exactly the greatest, she had to agree with her mother that the smell of the damp earth was strangely pleasant. When Little Wolf asks if she can scent any prey, Howlpaw takes a moment to stop and scent the air. "Not really," Howlpaw admits, looking at her mother. "Maybe a squirrel but it's really faint."

What she could smell was ThunderClan scent though. And whilst she might not have thought anything of it for the moment, her mother pushed on ahead, clearly curious about the strong scent. They came across her uncle, Leafshade, her grandmother, and Sloepaw. Judging by the topic of conversation and by how tired Berryheart seemed, he had clearly stayed out here all night. "Just don't fall asleep on the job!" Howlpaw tittered from behind her mother.​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Oh, what a crowd he had accrued. From the undergrowth, and past the weary blear of his eyes, he first caught Stretch's visage- one he met with a smile. Perhaps an ill match to the point's obvious frustration, likely borne of worry, but he was simply glad to see someone cared enough to look for him. Soon after came the goose-pelt of his mother's apprentice and the matron herself, concern in familiar eyes of forest green. Then another gaggle of familiar familial faces, Dynamo and Shady. Between the latter two buzzed a conversation, but he'd been asked a question- several- and it would be rude not to answer. "I wa-ff investigating..." he hummed, speech slurred with his crooked jaw. Ah- he needed to concentrate, speak slow, or else his pronunciation would slip like so...

A clear of the throat. "Nothing in it... it gets smaller, yet the water goes nowhere." He hardly blind as his askew gaze lingered upon the puddle, still desperately hoping to catch even a twitch of movement. Nothing, nothing at all... his sister's exasperation brought from him a rare laugh, much the same as little Dynamo's threat did. All quite good humour in this stupor, though his laugh was as low and almost-silent as ever, tell-told by the shudder of his speckled shoulders. A great yawn split his awry jaw as he rose to his trio of white-toed paws, a stretch almost stumbling him. "I won't..." A fatigued promise to his niece and sister both- once he got back to his perfectly-constructed nest, then he would let rest take him. This experiment had been inconclusive- he'd have to build his energy for the next.​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​