vanishing grace | missing

[Howlfire]

Howlpaw had left undetected in the morning. Since the gathering her sleep had been short and disturbed. She was getting enough rest that she could wake up fairly alert in the morning, but by the afternoon she was finding herself increasingly tired. She just could not stop thinking about her grandmother's words.

My daughter, Little Wolf, has given birth to two strong and healthy kits: Dusk-kit...and Skykit.

The longer she thought about it the more emotions threatened to bubble to the surface. Her parents loved each other and only each other didn't they? Little Wolf would never take a mate again which meant surely Skykit and Duskkit had to be Blazestar's children too. But surely her father would have told her? Told Fireflypaw? She couldn't remember what their reactions had been like at the gathering as she had been too surprised to really register much else beyond the fighting. She wished she could have asked her brother about this to try and gauge his reaction. However, Fireflypaw felt more unattainable as of late, present in her life but just out of reach.

Careful not to disturb anyone as she went, Howlpaw slipped out of the apprentice's den carefully. She shivered at the sudden change of temperature and looked around. A few older warriors were beginning to emerge from their den but none seemed to notice her much to her relief. Howlpaw stood in camp and considered what to do next for a moment. What she really needed was to be alone. She needed time to process everything that had happened and how she felt about things.

Howlpaw only intended on leaving camp for a little while. She'd find somewhere quiet, like the hollowed stump she and Termitepaw hid in to avoid the rain, and would eventually make her way back to camp before anyone panicked. Alas, even the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry. Howlpaw left camp as she intended but she did not return in time to avoid suspicion. No doubt her mentor and family would quickly grow concerned and try and seek her out. If her scent was picked up her clanmates would find it leading out of camp and through the forest before finally coming to an abrupt stop not far from the twolegplace border. Her scent had vanished and so had she.
​

 

[Orangestar]

Orangeblossom had been too preoccupied by pretty much everything else that happened at the Gathering to pay much attention to Howlingstar's announcement. RiverClan and WindClan on the brink of war; a too-far-off lightning strike that could have solved half the forest's problems in one night; Chilledstar, ascending among the leaders for the first time in an official capacity. But for that reason, she's had little cause to linger on the impact it may have had on Blazestar's children.

"No, she didn't come back." Someone says, urgent - Orangeblossom turns her head towards the source of the conversation, torn from thought, nose twitching as the feathery bundle in her jaws tickles it. She crosses the camp to the fresh-kill pile and drops her catch, a small sparrow. The sunkissed molly regards it for a moment with pride, her first catch of newleaf and a bird at that - but the moment is cut short by a Clanmate trying to get her attention.

"Have you seen Howlpaw? She didn't come back at all today."

Orangeblossom's initial thought is yeah, of course I have. But was that last dawn, or this one ...? Thinking about it, she'd noticed Howlpaw slip out a few fox-lengths ahead of her own patrol leaving the camp, but hadn't really thought much of the sight - ever practical, Orangeblossom had just assumed the downtrodden apprentice was going to make dirt or something.

"She left camp just before our hunting patrol ... she hasn't come back?" She demands, scarred maw set in a scowl. Plumy tail flicks uncomfortably, mind beginning to race - had she gotten lost? Been injured out on a hunt? Passed out? She glances up at the sky, mildly overcast but hopefully kind enough not to threaten rain ... hopefully.

"Has someone told Blazestar yet? The weather's been good, we might be able to pick up a scent trail."

— info

•  
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

JUST MOVE WITH ME, DARLIN'​

---

Behind Orangeblossom was Quillstrike, a mouse hanging from his jaws as he padded toward the freshkill pile. It wasn't the biggest rodent of its kind, but it was plump from the recent thaw and he was satisfied that it would make a good meal for some cat as he went to place it atop the growing mound of food. As he does so, he can't help but overhear the conversation about Howlpaw. That's a long time for an apprentice to be gone alone.

"Are you sending out a patrol? I can go." he offered as he turned to to face the Deputy.

Quill was more than used to being on his feet and he preferred to have something to keep him busy unless his friends were around to handle that for him. Besides, if something had actually happened then it was best to have as many paws as possible. His mind couldn't help but recall the torn bodies of Twitchbolts parents and the grief it had caused him, and it only made him all the more intent on joining.
​

---

skyclan - male - 12 months - bisexual - homoromantic - single - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[BLAZESTAR]

"Did anyone tell Blazestar what?" His tone is amused. Blazestar has just caught Orangeblossom's hunting patrol returning, and it looks to have been successful. The Ragdoll gives Quillstrike an affirmative nod. "What's the matter? It looks like you all brought back plenty of prey."

He is catching more snippets now, though, as he's closer. "Are you sending out a patrol? I can go." The chimera warrior offers himself quickly. Blazestar narrows his eyes. A patrol? For what?

Howlpaw. "She left before our patrol went out." Blazestar's expression freezes, his ears flattening against his skull. "What? She's been gone that long? Did she leave by herself? Did anyone see?" He's dumbfounded. Howlpaw has been upset, but she isn't one to leave camp without a warrior. Not for that long, for sure.

Blazestar's throat begins to tighten. "We need to send out two patrols," he says to Orangeblossom, pitch rising to frantic. "N-no, three. One to each border." His mouth is beginning to feel hot, watering uncontrollably. He's going to be sick.

I will not lose another kit.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[SLATE]

Huh, an apprentice had gone missing? Blazestar’s kid, right? That certainly wasn’t good. According to rumors, the leader had lost one of his children before. The man looked as if he were going to be sick.

Slate picks and chooses what to get involved in, but for some reason, he feels inclined to be useful. The burly tom steps forward at the call for patrols, and Slate meows, “You can send me to the cit— uh, twolegplace border.” Right. Clan cat terminology. “If anything comes up, I’ll know where to look.” Slate knew the rough streets and alleys like the back of his paw. It had been a few months since he’s ventured out that way, but he wouldn’t forget so easily. Hopefully young Howlpaw wouldn’t have gotten herself lost out there; twolegs and feral cats weren’t always too friendly.

// mobile

 

[ThistleBack]

Thistleback pads across camp, eyeing Quillstrike’s catch before nicked ears catch the report of Howlpaw missing for far too long. Brows furrow and a nose wiggles briefly on a white maw, cogs churn behind his eyes- the image of Howlpaw ripped and tattered on the ground. Blazestar would surely finally break, shatter, become sand in the hands of Skyclan and pour from their grasp. Thistleback feels his claws rotate forth in their sheathes.

He stills on his hocks next to his former apprentice, has someone told Blazestar yet? , the man appears after these words and the piebald levels him with his attention now. A kind voice is spun into the pitch of panic, the anxiety lifting like dust around him. Thistleback nods, two, no three patrols. " probably still stuck in her head, I'm sure she's fine. " he adds in hoarsely, father to father now- hoping to alleviate some of the worries threading through the leader's heart.

" we'll find your daughter " he finishes, even if she isn't- and hopefully not in the state we've been finding most of our missing ranks. Thistleback nods again affirmatively, waiting for the patrols to be assigned. Whipping his chin toward Slate as the former loner speaks up, offering to check the Twolegplace.

​

OOC INFO REF

• —
  
  
• 
  
  
  
  Thirty-three moons EVENT TRACKER | IMPORTANT INFO
  — Lead warrior of Skyclan since 12.22.22
  — Devoted to Deersong 9.29.22 | polyamorous
  — Father of Coyotepaw, Pricklepaw, and Eveningpaw.
  — mentoring Snowpaw graduate(s) Quillstrike
  — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes.
  — voice & accent
  — biography･ﾟ✧​
  OPEN for Dice battles | stine#3004
  
• 
  
  

​

 

[Fireflyglow]

Gossip went far enough; the talk of Howlpaw disappearing for a bit wasn't something that particularly worried him. His sister liked her alone time, as did most apprentices- a simple walk to clear her head wasn't out of the norm. However, with the news of their mother having more kits.. One could possibly worry a little bit more. Especially with the newest prophecy given to him. His brain swam with reasonings, paranoia fueling his thoughts until every single reason he could think of didn't make sense anymore. Why hasn't she come home? Why is it taking so long for her to return? If this was a simple walk for a breath of fresh air, wouldn't she have returned by now? Wouldn't she have told somebody where she was going, if she was going on some sort of journey somewhere?

Fireflypaw hobbles over on unsteady paws as they begin to discuss the possibility of his sister's whereabouts. His father demands three patrols be sent out, to which Fireflypaw can't help but to nod in agreement. Three to every border was enough; would they go to the twolegplace as well? He sure hoped so. "I was right," He softly speaks, a haunted expression on his face despite eyes being closed. "I was right. Something happened to Howie." He exhales a shaky breath, head turning away from the group. He'd distance himself a bit more, backing away.

You knew something was going to happen, and they brushed you off. They'll never take you seriously. You're a joke, Firefly.

He wills himself to shut up, to stop that obnoxious thought; but he can't. He's already spiraled by the time that he steps away from his clanmates, "Haku told me, and you didn't take me seriously! Oooh, but don't worry! Firefly is just cracking jokes! He can't be right, can he?" He howls, dramatic yet fueled with emotions he doesn't quite understand. "Howie is gone, and I warned you! I warned all of you! Boughs of the pine, was it?!" He snaps, paws slamming into the ground, sending dust to his sides. His voice is ragged. "Mom went and moved on, and here we are suffering! Does she even care about the kits she had first? Does she even- No! No. Nonononono. I'm going out to find Howie. I want Howie." It's almost pitiful, the way he reacts to being without his sister. He needed her. He needed to see her. She needed to be okay, because if she wasn't, he hadn't done his job as the elder brother right.

Without another word, Fireflypaw turns and dashes away- back to the medicine den to hoard himself inside once more. Dawnglare wouldn't make a fool of him; he'd understand. The High Priest always understood.

// out! sorry for the quick tantrum.​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

Howlpaw was missing? It was a verdict that caused the maine coon to approach the rally quickly, swallowing down the gnawing anxiety as best he could. There was a logical explanation to most things, perhaps she had gotten lost on the winding streets of the Twolegplace, or perhaps she'd turned tail to be with the same family that seemed to reject her. There were so many explanations, but until the truth was found, the lead warrior wasn't sure how much weight they held. A quick glance at Blazestar told him of the leader's reasonable panic, an emotion that left his own paws shuffling in the dirt like a kit meeting a badger. Slate offered to check the Twolegplace and for once, he found himself grateful for the bastard's intervention - Silver still did not know how he would be able to concentrate on finding Howlpaw if he was forced to remember the disheveled hole he'd crawled out of moons ago. Absentmindedly, he skirted the interior of the camp, looking for signs of the apprentice beyond just their fading scent. As he did so, another commotion was struck up, and his tufted ears twitched.

Fireflypaw, in a frenzy, seemed to be blaming the council... blaming him. Silver had been the most vocal to object to Firefly's suggestion in hopes that life continuing as normal was ease their paranoia, in hopes that shielding just one member of the clan would not doom the rest to calamity. He felt his throat tighten from the tension, protests threatening to spill from an icy mouth, but perhaps taking the apprentice's words more seriously than they believed, he held his tongue. It was grief that was making the point an accusatory idiot... it had to be. He couldn't take responsibility for it. Had he been wrong to exercise caution in offering favours to those who were family to the council, then surely someone would have protested it other than a mere child... right? He kept his gaze low and averted from the fleeing medicine cat apprentice, a contemplative frown etched across his maw. "I will go wherever I'm needed, naturally." Subconsciously, his attention seemed to shift to Slate for a fraction of a second. Gnawing the side of his mouth, he offered his best condolences. "There's always an answer. We'll find it." 'I just hope for your sake, Blazestar, that the answer isn't marked in blood'.

​

 

[CHRYSALISWING]

He hadn't noticed, at first. Chrysalispaw knew to shut out the geese-squabble of a cacophony that his clanmates were, and soon their babbles became nothing but a birdsong's whisper, a mere decoration to the tapestry of the forest's noise. He had never been a fan of songbird melodies, anyhow. They were too shrill, too stringent. It was much of the same with his clanmates' chatter. He didn't care to listen to most of it, because it never involved him anyhow. Though, keen ears caught upon the tangled dissonance of Fireflypaw's tantrum, shouting about how he wanted something or, rather, someone. It was all kitten's speak, the frivolous wishes of the younger beed. The chimaeric apprentice trotted over if only to sate his ever-yawning curiosity, in flippant tangents he allowed his paws to wander even as duty had called him first. As conscientious as he liked to prop himself up as, he knew that the waysides provided more to the eye at times.

What he was met with was a grim reality. Perhaps he did not panic as Howlpaw's father and brother did, but he sensed a sort of discord in the air. It was faint, like a tail of yarn coming undone. Like the yarn, its unraveling would bring down its structure. It was only a matter of time before worry consumed them all. He still thought they were overreacting since she hadn't been gone for even a day. She'll turn up.

"... I'll come along, too. If she's been gone for a few hours, she couldn't have gotten far." Chrysalispaw's usually-fiery tone was a mere murmur now, biting his tongue when he knew it was appropriate to do so, like a glimmer of a glim. It was a shadow of the wildfire, yet he only held that flame closer to himself. He couldn't say he was friends with Howlpaw, but he never truly wished her ill either. He glanced out to the endless sea of trees and wondered, mismatched eyes a pensive pool of thought, of which musings did not usually surface. Still, in this rare occassion, his gaze had softened if only for heartbeats.

( feel free to put chrys on any of the search patrols :3 )
​

 

[TERMITEHUM]

₊°✩ SOMEONE TELL ME, WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BE?

---

Howlpaw had been gone from the apprentice's den by the time that Termitepaw woke up, but that was nothing unusual. The molly has a habit of staying up late and sleeping in, it's no surprise that she should miss the leaving of her early-riser friend. It's happened plenty of times before. There was no reason to worry.

And yet, as the day wore on a crawling dread began to tug at Termitepaw's chest, a creeping sense of uneasy accompanying their usual anxiety. Snippets of conversations from Clanmates -- Have you seen Howlpaw today and She still hasn't come back building into worry, worry, worry. It's probably fine, right? They know they tend to get worked up over small things. She probably just went out with Orangeblossom's patrol, or something. They left pretty early, after all. But Termitepaw can't focus, can't stop thinking that something might have happened. Sure, she doesn't know Howlpaw the best, but she still likes her, still considers her something close to a friend.

And then Orangeblossom returns to camp, and her fears are confirmed. Howlpaw is not among the returning cats, and the deputy has no idea where she is.

Everything happens very fast, then.

Patrols, patrols are being organized to search for her. She's gone and no one knows where she is. Termitepaw tries not to let herself spiral, but oh how inclined to spiral she is, imagining all the horrible fates that have surely befallen the fellow apprentice. They wish they'd spent more time with her, before she went and disappeared. What if she never comes back?

No, no, can't think like that. It's hard not to, though, as Fireflypaw's anguished howls fill her ears. He's right, he knew it was happening and no one listened to him -- Termitepaw would have listened, but she is only an apprentice, and now Howlpaw is missing and Fireflypaw is devastated and Termitepaw is trying so so hard to remain calm. It is her brother's voice that eventually grounds her, softer than she's ever heard it. She can't have gone far. Right, yes. They can still find her. Finally, Termitepaw speaks. "I-I will go as well," she says, struggling to hold her voice steady.

---

GIVE ME DIRECTION, I NEED AFFECTION ! ₊°✩

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• TERMITEPAW named for their dark and shiny fur.
  — she/her, they/them, or it/its. 10 moons.
  — skyclan apprentice, mentored by ashenclaw.
  — cowardly and superstitious, yet still kind.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
• 

​

 

[GREENEYES]

He could have sworn he just saw Howlpaw, but, with the bustle of clanlife, maybe he hadn't? Maybe it was days ago? Yesterday? He isn't sure.

But it doesn't matter now, does it? It doesn't matter if he'd seen Howlpaw the other day, if she isn't here now. If she's missing, gone without a trace.

Greenpaw watches with wide eyes as Blazestar begins to panic, as Fireflypaw begins to panic, to shout, to... to... Greenpaw doesn't like it. Doesn't like seeing his friend upset. He... he would have listened to him, if he'd known what was happening - if he'd known what a Haku is, had been allowed to know even half of what the stars share with his friend. But, Fireflypaw claims he's right about whatever this is, so Greenpaw will believe him.

"Fi --" he starts, but the medicine apprentice dashes out of his sight before he can find the words to say. Ginger ears flatten against his head and he looks to the rest of the gathering cats, worry rising within him.

"She'll... She'll turn up, right..?" He asks, voice small, uncertain. He knows what it's like for a sibling to go missing. He knows the devastation, the worry for a sibling's safety - knows the state Figpaw returned in, the fear he felt at the sight of his crimson-stained littermate. Greenpaw can only hope that Howlpaw returns home safely, that history isn't repeated, again and again and again.

She couldn't have gotten far, Chrysalispaw says, and, the sour taste in his mouth aside, Greenpaw chooses to believe him too. The closer she is to home, the less likely she'll be of being hurt, right? Right?

"I want to go too," he volunteers himself with a nod of the head. The more helping, the quicker they'd be able to find Howlpaw.
​

 

[Orangestar]

"We'll be thorough, Blazestar. Do you want to come on one of the patrols?" She doesn't want him to come. He'll be frantic, inclined to miss things in his worry over Howlpaw. However, as well as a father, he is SkyClan's leader. She has to at least offer.

Slate volunteers immediately, a small comfort. He knows those streets well, and may know some loners who could keep an ear out. "Good, thank you. Take Shrimpy Boy, Johnny and Ashenclaw with you; do not bring Coyotepaw. Termitepaw, you can choose whether to go with Ashenclaw or a different patrol." Slate probably wouldn't have brought the restricted apprentice regardless, but she feels it necessary to set that boundary. As for Termitepaw ... she'd leave that decision up to her, this time. Experience is a tough balance to strike with sentimentality when the missing party is an apprentice herself.

"Quillstrike, same deal. Get RiverClan to keep an eye out for a cat matching Howlpaw's description, go along the river and the ravine. Twitchbolt, Sharpeye, Bananapaw, Silversmoke and Chrysalispaw, you go with him. Oh, Blazestar - do ... you want the other Clans to know who we're missing?" Orangeblossom orders with a nod, but hesitates briefly with a question pointed towards Blazestar again. She hates to think that the young she-cat might have fallen in, but having helped to rescue Silverlightning last moon she knows better than to rule the concept out. Offhandedly, she realises that this would be Quillstrike's first patrol as leader - her original plan had been to send him hunting, like she had done with Cosmosbloom, but this would arguably be better to test his mettle with. Brown eyes flick to his former mentor next, another volunteer she's grateful for.

"Thistleback. take Blazestar, Bluejay, Sheepcurl and Greenpaw to ThunderClan. Howlingstar will probably recognise who we're looking for but personally, I don't care at this point as long as she comes home safely." She shakes her head. Another kitten from that cursed litter, lost ... all Orangeblossom can hope is that they don't find her dead.

"I'll be taking a group into the territory to see if she's injured or stuck somewhere. Our hunting patrol didn't see or scent her around Tallpine earlier, so that's lower priority - so we'll start around Rockpile and see if we can pick up her scent. Dandelionwish, Eveningpaw, Chestnutsplash, Duskpool, Figpaw, Auburnflame." She picks her patrol group, a larger pawful of cats than she was sending to the borders - but they had a lot of ground to cover. She turns to address the SkyClanners gathered, lifting her chin.

"I want you to all be aware that these patrols might not be back until after moonhigh. Even if you have to head back out, make sure you return to camp to check in at dawn. If you need to go to your twoleg nests for the night, do it now." This was going to be a long night. "Dismissed. We have no time to lose."

But there's one more thing. Orangeblossom pads over to the medicine den, poking a scarred muzzle in to find Fireflypaw - who'd snapped at them all and vanished back into his hidden corner as quickly as he'd arrived. For a moment, she considers turning tail and leaving him be; but reconciles that with the fact that she'd want to be given this offer. "Do you want to come looking for Howlpaw in the territory with us? If she's stuck or scared, she'll want to see you."

— info

• // the initial search parties have been chosen based on recent activity levels as well as who's posted in this thread! normal patrols will go up over the weekend :]
  
  with slate, to twolegplace (link): @SHRIMPY BOY @Johnny @Ashenclaw @TERMITEPAW
  with quillstrike, to riverclan (link): @TWITCHBOLT @Sharpeye @Bananapaw @SILVERSMOKE @CHRYSALISPAW
  with thistleback, to thunderclan (link): @BLAZESTAR @bluejay @sheepcurl @GREENPAW
  with orangeblossom, territory search (link): @Dandelionwish @eveningpaw @CHESTNUTSPLASH. @YOUKAI | DUSKPOOL @FIGPAW @Auburnflame
• 
  orangeblossom. tags.
  — she/her, skyclan deputy.
  — mentor to eveningpaw.
  — attack in #e08550. uses trees as an integral part of her fighting style.
  — mean enough to note that her thoughts don't reflect my opinions as a writer haha.
  — penned by mercibun; @ me in any official tabbytales discord for plots. :]
  — art by merc!<3
  

​

 

[QUILLSTRIKE]

JUST MOVE WITH ME, DARLIN'​

---

Tension was bleeding thick into the air around them as more and more cats padded over at the sound of a commotion rising. Lips tugged into a frown as firefly bolted for the medicine cats den, and if he'd had the capacity to comfort them he would have- he and Firefly were friends after all, even if Quill wasn't an apprentice anymore. They'd still been 'paws' together.

But Quill didn't know much about comforting others, and he knew the best thing he could do for the younger tom would be to help bring their siblings back safe and sound.

His own sister, a face he'd purposefully not thought of in months, surfaced in his mind for just a moment to haunt him, but he was quick to remind himself that things were better now. She could live a happy life with mom and dad without having to listen to the screaming all the time and without bursting into tears every time a physical fight broke out. Without Quill there, they could be a real family.

His surprise at being called to head one of the patrols was short-lived, barely more than a raised brow before he was nodding in understanding. Inexperience wouldn't scare him off from the task at hand especially when he heard the names 'Twitchbolt' and 'Bananapaw tacked onto the patrol he was meant to lead.

"Dawn at the latest. Got it." he replied with a nod before turning to assemble the cats he'd been assigned.
​

---

skyclan - male - 12 months - bisexual - homoromantic - single - a very tall, dark chimera tomcat with mismatched eyes and several scars. has bluejay feathers woven like spikes along his spine and neck.

 

[Auburnflame]

Howlpaw, where have you gone?

Pale irises trace along the clearing, searching through the throng of felines as if she were to pop up right there at any moment, declaring that she was here. No such moment came, and Auburnflame's stomach began to churn. He let's his dusty pink nose graze the ground, attempting to find any trace of the apprentice. But it mingled too much with the others, a bland scent of pine and sugared sap. His heart sinks, mingling along the others as question upon question buzzed in his ears. She couldn't have just wandered off, right? She'd have come back by now, come home. Tension rises, thick and heavy among them all, and a voice breaks through the barrier. His anger and resentment is evident in his tone, accusatory and full of worry. Auburnflame stares at Fireflypaw with a concerned expression, crimson plated ears drooping back along the base of his skull. "Firefly—" The warrior tries to speak to him, to reconcile and hopefully get his head back squared, but he dashes off without another word.
A voice calls now, his name drifting past through scarred jaws and he turns to Orangeblossom. She's directing out search parties—one to every border and also within the territory. Every able body would be out, searching the wilderness for any sign of the apprentice. Mint hues linger upon Blazestar for a bit, his own throat and chest tightening. He could only fathom what their leader was going through. Howlpaw was his child, his own flesh and blood. The warrior inhales, stoning his features whilst coming to Orangeblossom. "I'm ready when you are." The tom states, his tail lashing from behind him. All traces of his lighthearted spirit had gone, all that lingered was a stoic man ready to do anything for his clanmates.
​

[ SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY ]​

 

[TWITCHBOLT]

A furore nearby- there was always some sort of problem, wasn't there? Some announcement, or someone at the border, or- Stars forbid, some other invasion. But this was a different sort of storm brewing- a squall swollen with rain, with anticipation. With weeping clouds and not crashing lightning. Silent- for once- lingering in the background, he quirked his ears to attention in an attempt to get hat what the commotion was about. And it was- graver, more worrying, than some petty argument. Howlpaw was missing. Disappeared, in the dead of night- or in the youth of morning. Immediately, he felt his breath catch, quicken- and speed up a little more when he heard he was to be on one of the search patrols.

He searched for his patrol leader- Quillstrike. This had not been what he had been picturing when he'd wished for them to be on patrol together. Still, he pushed through, frayed fur and whiskers bristled with panic. A frazzled form stepped forward- and through all the stormy worry in his eyes, he gave Quillstrike an affirmative nod. Reporting for duty. They had a job to do- they had a Howlpaw to find. And he couldn't let himself fall down that pit of panic, not when there was someone relying on him this time. Despite his trembling, he's stay as stable as he could.​

penned by pin ✧​

 

[TERMITEHUM]

₊°✩ SOMEONE TELL ME, WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO BE?

---

Termitepaw hesitates, for a moment, when the patrols are assigned. She certainly doesn't know the Twolegplace as well as her patrolmates, has only been there a few times. A part of her wants to go with her brother and Bananapaw -- familiarity, comfort for the fear that she is trying so hard to quell. But the twolegplace patrol is so small... And they need to cover as much ground as they can. And this patrol needs someone who knows her (as much as Termitepaw can claim to), who's committed to finding her.

The black and white molly steels herself. What's most important right now is finding Howlpaw. They need to get her back, they don't want anything bad to happen to her. What if she's hurt, what if she's scared? She'll need a friendly afce, then, and Termitepaw hopes thta she can be that if the Twolegplace patrol finds her. "Yes," she says softly. "I'll go with Sla-ate." She catches his eye, pads towards him. Her mentor will be there, at least. Little as she knows Slate and Shrimpy Boy, at least she can feel confident alongside Ashenclaw.

She isn't panicking. She isn't. She has to be brave, now. They're going to find Howlpaw, and she's going to be okay. Termitepaw has to believe that.

---

GIVE ME DIRECTION, I NEED AFFECTION ! ₊°✩

⟪ OOC ⟫ ⟪ INFO ⟫ ⟪ REF ⟫

• //​
• TERMITEPAW named for their dark and shiny fur.
  — she/her, they/them, or it/its. 10 moons.
  — skyclan apprentice, mentored by ashenclaw.
  — cowardly and superstitious, yet still kind.
  
  primary character, medium-high activity. penned by saturnid.​
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