camp Wake me up when it's all over || owl sighting

Feathergaze

The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before
Nov 20, 2023
56
7
8

It's dark. She's never been fond of darkness. Her paws were too large, treading on twigs or tripping over roots, to fit into its silence. Her pelt was too bright, catching silver rays and tossing them back to the moon and stars like a beacon, to fit into its shadows. Most of all, her heart lay too open, always reaching for connection, begging to be known with every beat, to fit into its emptiness. In the darkness, her past swam just out of reach. Beyond its ebony veil, her future taunted her, reveling in its own mystery, a snake twisting free of its captor for the umpteenth time.

Go outside.

The oversized molly squirmed in her nest, fluffy pelt twitching as she longed for sleep. Why wasn't she asleep, anyway? Mere moments ago she must have been, in order to find herself in her current haze. Dark fuzz edged her vision, and Feathergaze squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. She chose to focus on the breaths of her clanmates, rhythmic and soft, a rumbling snore here, a quick sneeze there. The warmth radiating from their bodies was comfort truer than most. A sure sign that despite the stillness, she was not alone.

Go outside.

Though her belly seemed to shrink in protest, pale green eyes blinked open. Her ears flicked back on instinct, senses reeling in the limbo of seeing, yet not. The thud of her heartbeat in her ears was heavy and all encompassing. Slowly, painfully slowly, the darkness lessened as her night vision kicked in. Bodies curled around her, sides gently rising and falling with the stillness of dreams. Looking around, Feathergaze felt the bands constricting her heart loosen, her ears picking up more than the thrum of blood in her veins. The night was peaceful.

Go outside.

Her heart fluttered, an ache blossoming in her lungs as though the oxygen around her was not enough. I've no need to be out there. Guards were assigned earlier, and none of them were me. Though her insides beckoned her to roll over and close her eyes once more, her head refused rest. With a soft huff Feathergaze got to her feet. One step at a time she navigated her way around nests until she slid out. The darkness was less absolute in the clearing, for which she was grateful for. She still didn't appreciate the dim and the grey, but at least she could see the clouds of her own breath. Feathergaze tossed her head up, breathing deeply the clear, frozen air. A booming call sounded above her ears, and the molly leaped backward, tripping over her paws and landing on her haunches with an 'oof'.

Mossy emerald eyes stretched wide, the silver warrior searched the few lonely trees that stood like pillars around the island. Tucked atop the bare branches of one that leaned over the nursery, she could just make out an oddly large lump of shadow.
"H-Hey," she called to one of the warriors on guard duty, keeping her voice low to avoid stirring anyone unnecessarily. She flicked her tail skyward, toward the almost majestic mass. "I um, I think there's an owl, up there." It was definitely a bird, and the size of it made even the large molly uneasy. The winged beast sat unperturbed, twisting its head to preen. Fish bones. We can't just leave it there, right? While it wasn't acting hostile now, it was a threat to the kittens nestled below. Feathergaze herself had never learned to climb, and now she was kicking herself for it.
"Do we... Should we throw something at it?" The silver warrior winced at her own words. Right, because that will be so helpful. She tried again, swiping her tongue over her jaws and shifting her weight. "I mean, we can't let it stay, right?
 
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cheets_lichen_2_headshot.png

It wasn't uncommon for Lichentail to abandon the camp in the wee hours of the night in favor of getting some extra hunting done... a single extra patrol just to be absolutely certain everything was secure. That was made a lot harder with the rule not to travel alone... she couldn't fault the new restriction-- was her tattered ear not proof of that danger?

Instead, she could suffice to stand at the edge of camp with ears peeled for danger. She thought, with mixed emotion, about when Smokestar had once assigned her to 'stay back and guard camp' to help her feel useful when under strict punishment... in a weird way, despite this being a self appointed task, it felt familiar to that. She'd messed up... again. And now sat vigil with her thoughts, begging StarClan as if that might spare her. Might spare her unborn children. Might bring Smokestar's fury to a simmer.

He is scared too, and she wishes that sunshine smile had not been so convincing, that her fear had not been so blinding.

"H-Hey," a voice whispers in hissing tones and Lichentail swivels immediately to look at who has woken in the middle of the night to bother her. Feathergaze... the deputy deflates almost immediately. Ugh... this shivering mess of a warrior. Getting to her paws with a huff of effort, she flicks her tail to the other guard stationed, a silent I'll be right back.

She wanders towards the anxious molly and follows her gaze to the canopy, lips drawing down to frown as the situation clicks details into place. That was no pesky robin twittering away past daylight... The suggestion to throw something up there forces a dry laugh from her- you can't be serious, her eyes seem to say. "I don't think I can throw anything that far up anyways..." It is a non-starter. Luckily, this girl seems to figure that out pretty quickly. "You're right.. we can't let it stay there. Lest it decides to live there permanently."

Sizing up the trunk, the state of the withering branches, even Lichentail is worried at the prospect of climbing it to shoo that beast away... but who else was going to do it? It wasn't that long ago her clan-mates deemed her a 'convincing SkyClanner' too. Drawing in a heavy breath, the deputy decided this was a responsibility only she could handle. "You'll need to be ready in case it tries to roost on one of the dens instead... If you're worried about hurting it I'll need someone else to help me then..." It wasn't a secret that Feathergaze was non-confrontational...

Prowling towards the roots that held a feathered foe, the lynx point leapt at the bark with no small amount of practice under her proverbial belt... scaling up it was not the hard part though. Trying to scare the intimidatingly sized avian was. Swatting at the bird with a menacing hiss, it seems none too impressed and screeches a retort. Shit.

Backing up a few paces, the molly's tail lashes in a struggle to keep her balance on the swaying branch. The owl's feathers puff up in a display far more intimidating than Lichentail's raised hackles and she becomes increasingly aware of how far down the ground is. Well.. I did say I've fallen from the trees before. It is a sour thought in its humiliating reality.

"If I tell you it was a joke, would that make this better," she asks the approaching bird. A ear-splitting shriek of an answer does not reassure her that is a 'yes.'

[ this dumb ass rolled a 5 to scare the owl.... ]

WELL IF YOU WANT MY BLOOD I'LL MAKE SO MUCH BLOOD
THAT YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DROWN
 

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
FOUR MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

Shadows devour where fitful sleep writhes in aching agony. Dreams twist with dark sensations, the heat of fury, and the stab of grief. Voices call, too distant as they echo, taunting. In his slumber, Nettlepaw sleeps in shattered peace, where he claws at shadowed faces and jeering teeth. When eyes finally snap open, he feels confused and panicked, the nightmare akin to a fresh, bleeding wound upon his mind. The moss of the boy's nest is shredded and strewn, and a tense yawn strains his jaws as Nettlepaw rises with a huff.

He's not so careful as he makes his way outside, unseen paws treading upon stray legs and tails before he finally reaches the mouth of the den. Cold air blasts his whiskers, bites his nose. The boy blinks as the sting of the frigid breeze draws moisture from his clouded eyes. At least the breath he draws is fresh. It reminds him that the dreams were not real, that he was safe now. Everything was fine, at least on this night.

The darkness doesn't bother him, really. Nettlepaw sees no differently now than he does during the day. An ear twitches as voices carry into his ears, and as Nettlepaw shakes out his fur to embrace the chill of leaf-bare's shadow, he finds himself drawn closer. An owl? Sightless eyes flick from Feathergaze and up into the tree, as if he'd be able to see it among the branches. Of course, he can't. Darkness blots out the sky and the light of the moon is dim. Focus shifts to Lichentail as the deputy responds, before the sounds of her claws piercing tree bark fill Nettlepaw's ears. He's not so sure this is a good idea... were owls not predatory? Weren't they large? But Lichentail manages to clamber up the tree by herself, filling the apprentice with both determination and concern.

Surely the deputy knew what she was doing... right? Maybe she'd need some help? Nettlepaw presses his own nails into the tree bark of the willow, deciding to follow them into the branches in case something went wrong. He doesn't really manage to get very far, though. Nettlepaw doesn't know how to climb, and his claws scrabble hopelessly for purchase before he slides back to the ground in defeat.

"Lichentail." The boy speaks, and he realizes he has no real authority here, that his words meant nothing, as a mere apprentice. Still, he utters, "Be careful." The screeching of the owl betrays irritation, though Nettlepaw is unable to witness any of it, save for the sounds themselves. "Lichentail?" Nettlepaw calls up again. That didn't sound very victorious up there... it didn't sound good at all, in fact. "Maybe try breaking off a branch to stab at it with?" He offers, hoping there'd be some thin but long branches the deputy could snap off up there. The branch would keep distance between owl and cat, and might be enough to shoo it away if the poking is forceful enough.
 
Awakened by the commotion, as well as them being a light sleeper, Aspenhaze finds themself fighting off the blur of tired eyes to go and check on whatever might be happening outside. They're hit with an eerie air as soon as they arrive close to the tree, barely even noticing the owl at first. When they do, they give a shocked expression at the mass of feathers, before coughing and praying to StarClan that it's dark enough that no one sees.

They give a snarky laugh as they finally spot Lichentail in the air, assumedly having tried to chase it off by getting closer and ultimately getting spooked. What a deputy that Smokestar chose. Would they have to make a fool of her once more? That thought alone is convincing enough to try and show the owl what happens when you face their wrath. “Let me also attempt. If anything happens to me, we can just watch Lichentail fail again,” they say to Nettlepaw, half playfully and half serious.

// Rolled a 12!

Aspenhaze narrows their eyes as they sink their claws into the wood, not used to it even with some experience. It was a brief period spent in SkyClan, after all. However, they are met with some success, and as they reach a ways away from the ground and closer to the nocturnal predator, they give out a sharp hiss. The owl flinches if only for a split second, and that’s enough of a good sign for them that it can be properly chased away.

They can feel their claws starting to slip as they stay in place, so they try and scare it one more time, puffing their long strands of fur up, trying to look as intimidating as the bird of prey. It backs away some, but that’s as far as it goes before they plop softly back onto the ground. Hmph. Putting up a fair fight.” Aspenhaze lets out a low growl before turning their head to the two also down with them, one eye still on the owl.​
 
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Thank goodness for Lichentail, the young molly though, exhaling a soft sigh through her nose. It was best not to risk whatever accidental damage she might cause by solving the situation herself. If she hadn't said the words out loud, she might've actually tried to throw something to deter the bird. What an embarrassment that would've been. Or what if she had tried climbing the tree, utterly failed, and come crashing down onto the nursery? You'd flatten anyone inside! Yes, entailing the deputy's help was the smart move.

Lichentail stepped forward, looking the tree up and down. Feathergaze took a step back, intending to keep out of the way. Her back foot slipped on an unseen pebble and she wobbled, hastily lashing her tail for balance. Of course. If her moment of clumsiness wasn't bad enough, the deputy murmured a suggestion that made her ears burn as though infection were eating them away. 'If you're worried about hurting it I'll need someone else to help me.' Pale eyes dropped to the ground, coiling snakes and venomous thorns erupting to do battle in her innards. If a hole had opened up next to her, offering an eternity of dark nothing, Feathergaze would've leapt in headfirst.
"O-Of course, Lichentail. You can... I-I'll be ready."

You're a disgrace of a warrior. Your own deputy doesn't trust you to defend against common threats. She backed off further, fixing her eyes on the dens she had been charged to watch over. The ugly monsters in her gut continued to hiss and spit, cutting into her organs and leaking acid. It's worse than that... If they hadn't said anything, you wouldn't have even thought about swiping at the beast if they had managed to dislodge it. Feathergaze would've stood by, eyes wide and mind in the clouds, gaping at the magnificence of such a creature in flight. She would've assumed the bird would fly away on its own, the thought of confronting it to be sure not even a seed in her mind. It could probably have snatched my eye before I'd done gawking. You're... You're pathetic.

As Lichentail made her way upward the silver molly slammed shut the doors of her mind to focus, praying that the rotting feeling in her gut would dissipate eventually. She hears the voice of Nettlepaw, the young boy padding over to smell and to listen, and to wish their deputy care. For a moment, Feathergaze felt a glow of warmth. He's going to be a great warrior one day. Her head snapped back toward Lichentail, who was spitting and hissing to the owl's complete uninterest. Fish bones. That's not good. Nettlepaw called upward, suggesting they attempt to stab the beast. Feathergaze struggled to think, shifting her weight from paw to paw. What if that doesn't work? I can't climb up there, I'd just, I'd just make everything worse. Luckily, Aspenhaze showed up, keen to try an attempt of their own. They saw more success than Lichentail, but ultimately the owl stayed put.
"Maybe, er, maybe if you both tried to scare it at the same time? I-It looks far less comfortable, I bet it would fly right off."​
 

bio ₊˚✧ ゚. Woken by a curious, muffled sound Bitekit emerges from the nursery with a chip on his shoulder, ready to shrill something in annoyance. Blinking the blur out of his eyes, he walks with hackles half-raised. He's about to let those outside know he has a bone to pick with them, his mother is trying to sleep, and so is he.

Squinting, sleep still lingers incessantly, placing a heavy weight on his eyelids. Everyone gathered seems to be tipping their heads upwards to look at something, Featherhaze stammering something he doesn't quite catch. Harboring little knowledge regarding the crisis of confidence, no trepidation marks his arrival.

"What are you doing?" He spits angrily and loudly, his tail lashing a storm as he begins his approach. He's ready to spite, to spit and curse. Not wanting to rouse his mother, he's removed himself carefully from the den. This is clearly something he can handle on his own. It's only when he's striding over that he catches sight of the owl, his eyes becoming as big as the creatures. The owl peers at the kitten with it's luminous eyes, his ruckus drawing it's attention.

No longer just regarding them in inaction small, distancing movements, the creature is raises it's feathered wings. It doesn't take long for the beast to swoop down at the kitten legs first, identifying the easy pickings, no longer puffing it's feathers. While not exactly small for his age, he's certainly still young. "HELP!" He screeches, terror lancing through him. He reaches out his hind legs to drag on the ground, unearthing soft dirt under him.

/rolled a 19 for danger..
 

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
FOUR MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

He steps away from the tree as Aspenhaze decides to join the tension of the scene. Despite their bravado and confidence, however, it seems they are no more successful than Lichentail had been. Sightless as the boy is, he cannot watch, but his ears are pricked and alert to take in every sound. Feline claws which scrabble against tree bark, owl feathers bristling in the face of intimidation, then... Feathergaze, offering a valuable suggestion.

It all changes when Bitekit charges out of the nursery, seemingly none too happy about all the noise. Younger, smaller, and the owl is, perhaps, angry. Vengeful. And undoubtedly hungry.

Nettlepaw can hear it unfurling it's powerful wings. The air that rushes beneath the feathered titan. The talons that scrape wood before descending through wintry night air with a whistle. Nettlepaw crouches low, fear sparking across his sightless vision, ears flat and fur bristling. It was attacking.... but it did not dive for the warriors, or even the large apprentice. It goes for the weakest of them, the most vulnerable, the most obvious target of them all. Bitekit screams.

"Hey! No!" Terror melts to something cold, a grim acceptance of death, not of Bitekit's, but of his own. Nettlepaw is a selfish, prickly tom. Foul tempered and rebellious. In this moment, however, he is something else. A RiverClanner, proud and loyal, lunging from the darkness.

He may not be able to see, but he can hear the flapping of it's mighty wings, the dragging of Bitekit's legs. Claws reach in desperation as a war cry explodes from the young tom's mouth. His paws find the feathered legs of the owl, and he claws his way closer, snapping teeth around the raptor's scaled limb. It's cry of pain is mixed with rage. It releases Bitekit, but talons find Nettlepaw instead, swiping clean through his ear.

The blood that splattered the cold ground is both owl and feline, predator and prey. Nettlepaw has released his hold, and now he crouches above Bitekit, crimson drenching one side of his face. He knows that if the owl swoops down again, he may not survive the attack. Nonetheless, the blind apprentice bares his fangs with defiance and challenge.
 
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cheets_lichen_2_headshot.png

Aspenhaze's attempt to help is not unwelcome... though she does not assume the wry warrior to prove any more successful. If even the resident 'bird freak' couldn't handle shooing off an owl, what hope did this one-hit wonder of a tree-climber have against it? When the avian hardly does more than budge, the lynx point's lips crease to a frown. Well... this was definitely not working out as easily and simply as she wanted it to. Feathergaze suggests collaboration, which gives the deputy some room for irritation- half of this crowd was too young to have even remembered a time before the clans, much less have any skills that weren't water-bound and useless to their current plight. If it were that simple, it would be done already... but she can hardly be blamed for her inexperience.

The unfortunate little hiss of a kitten too big for his britches marks a more troubling problem- owls are opportunists in these situations and with a new, easier target to pick on, it doesn't hesitate to turn from the blue molly and pursue a less resistant path. "Get back in the nur-" It dives faster than she can urge that foolhardy child to find cover and she swears Smokestar is going to kill her for the now imminent loss of one of their youngest members. Scrambling to turn to the trunk, to shred her claws down its bark in a clambering effort to get back onto the solid ground, it's by StarClan's fickle will that Nettlepaw blindly makes himself a hero.

She whirls on her paws to try to get to the two younger cats, glancing towards the adults nearby, "Quick, cluster around Nettlepaw and Bitekit." Lips drawn back in a menacing hiss, the blue molly inserts herself between the bleeding boy and their rapidly more threatening enemy; she crouches slightly before leaping up after the beast trying to take flight again, snagging her claws into its exposed belly and tearing out a pawful of feathers and leaving a nice, red-dripping mark to remember her by before plopping to the ground with a huff.

If all kits are this stupid... I might die of a heart attack before anyone else gets the chance to kill me.

/ rolled a 16 to attack

WELL IF YOU WANT MY BLOOD I'LL MAKE SO MUCH BLOOD
THAT YOU'RE GONNA FUCKING DROWN
 
The situation goes from nearly comical to certainly deadly in the span of seconds. The silver molly’s eyes dart to Bitekit, every nerve in her body screaming at him to back up. Then they fly to Nettlepaw, the foolish apprentice offering up his own life like a lamb before the alter. Then Lichentail, as she flies down the tree as though she and the owl were kin. Move. Move NOW. As Lichentail calls to their warriors Feathergaze is in motion, the flash of owl talons reflected in her wide eyes. Don’t take them. Not Bitekit, not Nettlepaw. It was her fault they were out here in the first place, drawn by her concerns. They couldn’t die. They couldn’t. Blood rains from Nettlepaw’s head, his ear an open storm cloud of violent crimson. She makes it to his and Bitekit’s side as Lichentail takes a swipe at the hungry bird, drawing angry shrieks from the beast. Feathergaze crouches, lips twisting in a strange snarl as she fixes the retreating bird with pale eyes. Don’t touch them, don’t touch them, don’t touch them!

With a final screech the beast is gone, winging silently into the darkness. Whether or not it will return one day the warrior doesn’t know, but for now the battle appears to be won.
 

The nursery is quiet most nights. Most, as there was the occasional evening camp was victim to late night disturbances such as this. A tight ball of silky fur, Hazecloud had found herself a miracle that no bellows and barking plagued her sleep. The stars had blessed her with a single nights rest in the whirlwind of many that were not. That was until a kittens screech broke through even the thick insulated walls of the nursery and has Hazecloud up on her paws.

Fur stood on end down her spine and her fur was fluffed, sticking out in quivering alarm as she wobbled out of her nest. Sleep still weighed heavy at her paws and she blinked it away from bleary eyes. What she opened her eyes back to must have been another dream. Bitekit, cowered beneath Nettlepaw's bristling frame. Aspenhaze standing beside Feathergaze and Lichentail. The trio of warriors bared their defense against an owl- an owl.

The molly may have been foolish but she was not a complete idiot. She didn't take a single step out of the nursery despite the urge to herd Bitekit back to his mothers side. Her stillness has made her go unnoticed by the owl, too caught up in the throes of a fight for preying on Bitekit until it's decided the little scrap isn't worth it. Hazecloud exhaled a breath she hadn't realized was still caught in her throat.

"Bring him inside, please." Her paws still felt rooted to the ground, not willing to make herself a target in case the owl decided to come back. "If I have to start staying up all night so you kits don't wander into danger..." The threat in her tone was quickly lost as the tear in Nettlepaw's ear took her attention. He had taken the brunt of the attack, lucky the owl hadn't gone any further.
 
bio ₊˚✧ ゚. It all flies by in the blink of an eye. Protests, of his emergence. He's flailing, then Nettlepaw lunges up close, and he's released. Free from the talons of the owl, he tumbles to the ground, unharmed. Usually boisterous, emboldened by confrontation, he does little more than to thin his lips and widen his eyes. A tremor rattles his paws and body as he scrambles to his paws behind Nettlepaw, Lichentail and Feathergaze. The red dripping from the apprentice has his stomach churning.

Of course he's going to invoke that disappointment he can never get away from. The horrible feeling incited by the bloody sight is the same as the rogue attack, is the same unpleasant churning in his gut that has his paws rooted to the floor. More blood marks the owl's retreat. "See Ravensong." He says distantly to Nettlepaw. He's unable to focus much outside of his heart beating furiously. Hazecloud. Off-centerdly he's wandering back into the nursery of his own volition, joining her. Guilt burns hot under his paws, he can't offer anything in his own defense. Retreating back to his nest to seek the comfort of his mother.
 
  • Crying
Reactions: Feathergaze

NETTLEPAW ♂
RIVERCLAN
APPRENTICE
FOUR MOONS
BLIND IN BOTH EYES
BIOGRAPHY AND TAGS
APPRENTICED TO PIKESPLASH
PLAYED BY SHEOGORATH

The owl is gone, at last. Lichentail and Feathergaze had helped drive it off, though Nettlepaw isn't so certain that the beast won't return another night. It is now aware that there is easy prey in the camp, provided it could reach it before the warrior's intercept. Bitekit has endangered more than just himself. Hazecloud calls the youth back into the nursery, though the kitten points out that Nettlepaw should see Ravensong before disappearing into the den.

I'm injured, Nettlepaw realizes with concern. He can feel the hot, sticky blood dripping down his face. As the adrenaline fades, the sting of his wound intensifies, until it's all he can think about. Raising a paw to his muzzle before swiping it across his torn ear, the apprentice attempts to clean the wound. He can tell, as he brushes a paw over the edges of torn flesh, that the skin has been split. A notch now marks him for life, where the owl's talon had sliced through the thin membrane. My first scar... part of him feels proud. The pain of the injury is too intense to focus on that just yet, though.

"My brothers are going to be jealous." Nettlepaw comments, trying to distract himself from the stinging sensation of his torn ear. His sightless eyes shift toward the medicine den, nose twitching as the boy scents the air. He wonders if the medicine cat is asleep right now, blissfully unaware of recent events. With how loud the owl had been, Nettlepaw can't imagine how anyone could have slept through such a thing.

"I can probably wait until morning... " He offers, though he's not so sure he can. How was he supposed to sleep, bleeding and in pain? But the boy wants to sound tougher than he is. After all, he had just faced down an owl. No small feat.
 
It all happened too fast for Moonpaw to be of use, only catching the tail-end of the confrontation with the owl that hung above the nursery. When she had finally emerged from the new den she reside in she had seen it swoop and as she had moved forward to help in whatever way she could it had flown off, no longer interested in those it had chosen as prey. Heartbeat drummed in her ears and quickly she looked around, eyes wide as the apprentice surveyed the scene.

Cats in the trees and on the ground and the smell of blood, Bitekit heading back to the nursery after telling Nettlepaw to go to see Ravensong. Ears flick as Nettlepaw speaks in response, that he could wait until morning and quickly she scoffs, amusement lingering on her tongue as she speaks. "No you won't, come on." She mews at last, attempting a friendly nudge towards the other before she moves towards the medicine den once more.

  • MOONPAW formerly Ratpaw || NPC x NPC || sister to Rowanpaw || apprentice to Ravensong.
    -- She/Her || 7 moons old, ages every 17th
    -- smaller than average, small rounded ears. SH white masking cinnamon torbie with orange eyes.
    -- soft-spoken, often found humming, tries to comfort others by smiling