WALKING PARADOX &. [ 6/4/23 ] meeting

[smogstar]

Throbbing wounds kept him confined to the bounds of Starlingheart's cave. It hurts far worse than the aftermath of his initial brush with the moor rats' ringleader. Certain clawmarks ran deeper than others, and gave rise to a lasting soreness that seeped into his very core. Though there was no shortage of herbal remedies to quell the pain, and being off his paws relieved the strain significantly, the most debilitating aspect of his current state was knowing how lengthy the path of recovery will be. Moons will have to wax and wane before he's as spry as he'd been prior to the skirmish.

Fortunately, his abilities were not entirely diminished in the wake of the attack. Every so often he'll escape the den and roam around the hollow, contriving names for patrols as he limped along. Seeing his kids doesn't comes with little difficulty whatsoever, and given his leave from recent patrols, he finds that he's been gifted more time to spend in his mate's company. And, on top of it all, Smogmaw has all the time in the world to conspire a countermeasure, a punishment commensurate with the torment WindClan has put onto him—thus, a multitude of silver linings amid the adversity.

A summons for a meeting reaches the mouth of Starlingheart's cave. The deputy would struggle to stand upright, groaning in his gravelly tone as he shifts his position, before shuffling in the direction of Chilledstar's echoed words. When the pain - exacerbated because of his movements - becomes too much to bear, he opts to simply linger at the lip of the cave and listen from there.

The litany of announcements blend from one to another in a predictable rhythm. Always were there kits blooming into apprentices, and though he'd refrain from joining the carol of chants which swept across camp, he nods in silent congratulations to Betonyfrost's three. How long might it be until it's his own children standing at the centre of attention, receiving their new names, and being assigned to warriors whom he'd have to closely monitor? The notion may very well have saddened him, had he not been so numbed to such things.

As the meeting progresses, his focus is seized by a matter he hadn't quite anticipated. Sabletuft is beckoned to the forefront, and Smogmaw lends a keen ear to the apparent promotion of his old friend. Chilledstar's judgement cannot be faulted for this decision. The dark-furred tom has long established himself as a competent figure in ShadowClan, which was a prerogative Smogmaw extended to few. He holds no qualms in knowing that Sabletuft will join him in his leader's council, and once again, offers a wordless applause for his comrade's achievement.

An eerie silence suddenly fractures the air. Brows would crease as an early end is brought to the announcements in the most unnatural manner. Whatever's wrong eludes his scope, but he jolts upon hearing the cry of a foreign creature resounding from somewhere in camp. "Is that... what I think it is?" he remarks in an incredulous tone, gaze pivoting to meet his own apprentice's. @SHARPPAW., who has too moved to the medicine cat den after WindClan's attack, becomes the object of his focus. His eyes carry an abnormal glint of fear as he meets her silvery stare.

Chilledstar's ensuing order collides tears across camp, just before the clearing is engulfed in a storm of head-splitting chaos. A louder roar erupts from nearby, a large measure of the outlines he'd been watching evacuate from the hollow, and Maggotpaw barrels into the cave, all in the span of mere moments. "Who's invading our territory now?" he asks the pallid she-cat. If the uninvited guests' presence demanded an immediate evacuation, then his mind needn't wander far to tally some possibilities, all of which meant an intense amount of danger.

"Maggotpaw, you must help me with the wounded," orders the deputy, who curses nastily under his breath whilst he moves his body once again. Beyond him and his apprentice, there was an assemblage of clanmates whose injuries held them back from reentering clan life. "We'll slip through the pine trees that encircle camp," he says, "and then reconvene at the thunderpath tunnels, as Chilledstar said." Muddy eyes then flit over to Sharppaw's form. "Come on, and don't tarry."

A solitary concern grips his mind while he departs the camp with the wounded in tow: Halfshade, wherever she may be, best be keeping the young ones in safe paws.

// @Maggotfur. @SHARPPAW. ​

 

[FERNDANCE]

Something was wrong, something had been wrong since the day she and her patrol had stumbled upon dookie out in the territory. Whatever had taken stock of their territory and decided it liked it, Ferndance was convinced that the camp would be forever safe - concealed to the point where even WindClan hadn't been able to reach it, it was a haven like no other... until it wasn't. Barely having time to register who was a warrior and who became a peer, her attention quickly shifted to the little black figure stumbling towards their food. A bear?! Not a second passes before something else practically barrels through the camp like the walls were nothing. A bigger bear?! She squared her paws and her eyes widened in fascination whilst her tail puffed out as prickles of fear began to nip at her brain. "Woah... that is a big cat." Not only that, it was an angry big cat, with ears like kittypet bowls and a body like the large ThunderClanner she'd thought moons ago. Ok, so maybe it wasn't a cat at all, why did she say that

Clanmates began to scatter and her large ears pinned at the call of her leader. Chilledstar had told them to run, and so she did. Past those struggling to their paws, past the ebony beast, and right out of the camp. She didn't stick around to hear a follow-up of Chilled's call, nor to see their body on the floor - for perhaps the first time since arriving in ShadowClan, she'd taken a direct order to heart. She knew better, far better than to get in between a mother and her young, for anyone's sake.

/ out!
​

 

[Emberpaw]

Come on, Chilledstar, wake up! We gotta move, we gotta- Hey, let go. Let me go! NO!" A piercing wail lashed through the chaos, sounding as though Death had personally come to reunite the panicking kit with her foster parent. As she was ripped away from their body Emberkit flailed, throwing her body every which way and raking the air with pinprick claws. The idea of death had not exactly cemented itself into her psyche yet. Emberkit did not know in her heart that Chilledstar would not get back up, but the sight of their wounds had wound her into a frenzy, and a terrible feeling deep in her chest told her it was imperative that she be by their side.
"Stop it, stop it," she howled, hiccoughing with each teary breath. "They need help! We can't leave them, we can't!" But the young warrior was not leaving Emberkit with much of a choice. Despite her wild thrashing, Needledrift's hold would not loosen. The dark tabby was whisked away, the image of Chilledstar's broken body burned in her drowning eyes.

 

[mossblood]

i'm always the outcast, i'll take the blame
▵the first night you met me, you forgot my name▵​

---

Chilledstar's impatient call signaled across the camp clearing, just barely to be heard above the vicious winds. Mossblood stepped out of the warriors den staggering once on his paws from an unexpectedly violent gust tearing through. He gathered amongst his clanmates in front of the large rock and looked up to Chilledstar's glaring eyes as a chorus of shaking tree limbs played in the distance. A flicker of a grin set onto his face at witnessing Chilled's gall to suffer the winds up high on the meeting rock.

"Woo, Comfreypaw,. Yarrowpaw. Jitterpaw." His flat voice joined the others in welcoming the apprentices. It didn't feel like it was too long ago when he was in the same position as them. Then Sabletuft was offered the position of lead warrior. Wow. Everything fell apart after that...

The alien grunts and roars of the two large predators in camp pierced the sound of wind. The black creature and its- hardly small - kit were enormous enough to take out the entire clan. Mossblood swallowed hard. This was no good. His green eyes were rounded in panic and he stood completely still for several moments, messy fur bristling. His mind raced but it found no finish line. By the time he came to, several clanmates were rushing to gather kits and to stall the mother bear.

He noticed Needledrift approach and duck around the bear's swiping claws. His body started to grow cold when it looked like she was toast – unable to dodge a second slash. Suddenly a flash of dark fur intercepted the blow meant to crush Needledrift. Lynxjaw's solemn scream in protest filled his ears. It had been Chilledstar, they were down…, bleeding even.., limp and dead, maybe. In a single blow...

Mossblood wanted to listen to orders to retreat. Fighting that thing was impossible it seemed. He trusted older warriors would handle this. He hoped. With Lynxjaw and Roosterstrut standing tall in front of the outraged bear and with Chilledstar's earlier tactical footwork that moved the bear away from the entrance of camp, they'd be able to get out safely. The dull furred warrior ducked into the crowd of fleeing clanmates and headed out of camp to the Thunderpath.

/out

Spoiler: ◣ TAGS ◥

◸ general info ▵ appearance ▵ persona ▵ relationships ▵ interaction ▵ background ◹

• 
  name ▹ mossblood
  

  ↳ named prefix "moss" for his dull brown-grey fur. given the suffix "blood" for connection with his clan and his variable intensity.​

  gender ▹ male - he/him
  age ▹ 12 moons
  

  ↳ ages real time on the 1st of every month ​

  sexuality ▹ bisexual
  
  clan ▹ shadowclan
  rank ▹ warrior
  
  created on ▹ june 1st 2023
  toyhou.se ▹ link!
  penned by ▹ @starsheep
  ​
• 
  short description ▹ a dull brown-grey spotted tabby tom with a cream underbelly and bloodshot green eyes; his medium length fur is unkempt and wild
  
  physique ▹ he stands shorter and is smaller than an average tomcat with a lithe and skinny body
  notable features ▹ his green eyes are often noticeably bloodshot; his fur is known to be unkempt and somewhat unhygienic and poorly groomed
  eye details ▹ his eyes are a cool green color and shaded by detailed effeminate lashes
  
  scent ▹ has a distinct musty scent; cool, mildewy, stale and damp
  voice ▹ has a short and informal manner of speaking paired with a flat tone; his voice is an unemotional tenor
  
  demeanor ▹ he carries himself on dainty and oddly graceful paws; he has an ability to blend into the background when he wants to; he usually has a soft but vain grin on his maw but his his eyes hold a kind of tiredness within them
  
  ​
• 
  personality traits ▹ a tad superiority complex / selfish / skeptical of starclan / rational / spontaneous / unhygienic / unpredictable / relaxed / unambitious / crafty / nihilistic / sometimes tactless / flexible
  
  alignment ▹ neutral evil
  mbti type ▹ ISTP-A, 'the virtuoso'
  hogwarts house ▹ slytherin
  
  likes ▹ living in the present, swamps and water, cricket sounds, recognition, novelty, fishing, comedy
  dislikes ▹ long-term commitments, being rushed or pressured, ghosts, hard deadlines, boredom, large open spaces, visiting the medicine cat
  
  ​
• 
  generation ▹ gen 1
  status ▹ single / crushing on no-one
  
  partner(s)/mate ▹ n/a
  parents ▹ elmstripe (npc) x minktail (npc)
  siblings ▹ briaroath (npc), owlhowl (npc)
  offspring ▹ n/a
  
  mentor ▹ dustburn (npc)
  apprentice(s) ▹ none
  
  friends ▹ none; open to friendships!
  enemies▹ none; open to enemies!
  
  relations notes ▹ WIP for now until more relationships are formed~
  
  
  
  ​
• 
  interaction notes ▹ get along well with most cats and can form many acquaintances however it can be difficult to become a close regular friend of his given his complicated nature / he is often looking for other to participate in activities with / he is loyal to shadowclan and his clanmates but will look after himself first / tends to be perceived as cowardly in physical altercations and he can be passive even in tense situations / will flee fights if the outcome is disputable / he holds few strong convictions and so his enemies are not usually plentiful but it is not difficult to find his faults / he has an uncommon type of charm with his relaxed, open, and spontaneous attitude / powerplay of peaceful and non-violent actions allowed / all character posts & opinions are IC and not OOC
  
  adept at ▹ good swimmer - he has practiced traversing the thick swamp waters, skilled stalker and good at going unnoticed if he wants to, navigating and seeing at night, remaining calm under pressure or in crisis, speaking his mind, he tends to be easy to get along with
  inept at ▹ he has a wavering will and low endurance, he has a dislike for speaking in front of large crowds, he struggles with reading others' emotions and delicate situations
  
  stats ▹
  

  strength ◆◇◇◇​

  stamina ◆◇◇◇◇​

  speed ◆◆◆◆◇​

  charisma ◆◆◆◇◇​

  intellect ◆◆◆◆◇​

  
  

  hunting ◆◆◆◆◇​

  swimming ◆◆◆◆◇​

  climbing ◆◆◇◇◇​

  fighting ◆◆◇◇◇​

  
  ​
• 
  kithood ▹ mosskit was part of the first generation of kittens to be born under the newly established shadowclan. he grew up in the forest shaded swamplands as his only home. his childhood took place within a turbulent time and under briarstar's and pitchstar's reigns. he had two siblings, owlkit (npc) and briarkit (npc), that he was raised alongside with by his parents elmstripe (npc) and minktail (npc).
  apprenticeship ▹ At four months of age, mosskit became mosspaw. he was trained and disciplined by the clan collectively until the age of eight months when he was formally assigned his mentor, dustburn (npc). he often tried to sneak away from dustburn's training and meetings with him but despite rough and unproductive patches he managed to graduate to a full-fledged warrior. he was now known as mossblood.
  12 moons - current ▹ at current, mossblood is a new and inexperienced warrior of shadowclan. he is serving under the new leadership of chilledstar and trying to deal with the new responsibilities that come with his warrior name.
  ​

 

[STUMPYSPOTS]

STUMPYSPOTS ♀​ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡ ♡​

Lambkit's wail is the first to greet her, she looks down at the tri-colored she-kit, their gangly legs wobbly. I don't know where Addercoil went! Stumpyspots quickly glazes over the nursery and confirms the queens absence, she must've taken her brood to safety and left Lambkit behind. There isn't time to contemplate whether it had been an intentional fault or otherwise, not when there were two gigantic beats parading in camp. "We'll find her youngin', just stick close to me, you hear?" Her voice is strained over the roaring of the bears. Crowkit and Lambkit are taken under her wing, she looks at Halfshade as she corrales her own litter. Stumpyspots realizes she was right in coming, there was no way she could've handled anymore than her own four. Terrified yowls and screams pierce through camp, her ears fold back and though her eyes dare to pry, she doesn't look. Whatever happened- these kittens needed to be brought to safety. She's appreciative of Sabletuft's presence, the new lead warriors promise to have both Halfshade and Stumpy's own back was a reassurance she needed. Knowingly she nods to him. Stumpyspots begins to make a move out of the nursery, doing her best to keep all the kittens in order and in her sights. The sound of stomping paws and bear grunts makes her heart skip a beat, but Sabletuft would alert them if a charge was coming their way. Only to her complete dismay, Emberkit with a shriek darts of in the direction of Chilledstar's still body, right torwards the bear. "No, Emberkit!" Despaired she reaches a paw out to grab the kit, but all her paws land on is empty air. She fears she was about to watch a child's life taken, but Needledrift plucks the kit up before sprinting to safety. Stumpyspots guides Crowkit and Lambkit out of camp, refusing to leave their side and get them to the thunderpath. //primarily interacting with @S A B L E T U F T @crowkit. and @lambkit !! don't want to interrupt anything on Halfshades side of things seeing the thread on the board so im assuming im assuming they took different paths/got separated along the way <3 p.s sorry this is all over the place OUT unless any of the kits say otherwise

 

[COMFREYPAW]

Comfreykit's apprentice ceremony is today. Her pelt is well-groomed, sleek and dark from thorough washing, and her amber eyes are bright with excitement. She's sad to be leaving the nursery, but after the verbal spat she'd had with Betonyfrost and the resulting embarrassment, part of her young mind has reconciled herself to the beginning of a rift. She looks for her mother and doesn't see her cheering for her as Chilledstar names her Comfreypaw, but she does see Roosterstrut, and she gives him a heartbreaking smile, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

He may not be my father, but at least he cares about me. It's the best she's getting, ever, and perhaps she needs to recognize this, too. Comfreypaw turns to find Rosemire, the leggy white albino who'd scolded Betonyfrost. She approaches him semi-nervously, wanting to make a good impression. Surely he would not scold her, too. She leans up to touch her mentor's nose. "I'll do my best," she murmurs to @rosemire .

She sits beside her new mentor, watching Yarrowpaw join his and Jitterpaw join theirs. Her adult life has begun, in a way, and a pit of nervousness forms in her stomach. She does not know how she feels about it yet. She barely listens as Chilledstar promotes Sabletuft, as other warriors cheer for their newest lead warrior; she's completely out of her head until a horrid scent brushes her nostrils. She wrinkles the bridge of her nose. What's going on?

In a split second, chaos erupts. Chilledstar screams for ShadowClan to run, and cats begin to yowl in confusion and fear. Comfreypaw turns from where she sits, closest to Clanrock, her amber eyes stretching wide with shock and terror. A creature like a monster from a kit's nightmare stands, looming over a stunted-looking cub. The monster's lips peel from its teeth, and the roar that bursts forth causes every hair on her pelt to fluff out in terror. "What is that?" Her shriek rends the air, though its lost in the chaos.

She desperately looks around as bodies slip and slam around her. Chilledstar barrels in front of Needledrift, who faces the creature with silent rage. Comfreypaw watches, her limbs shaking violently, as her leader is killed by a single swipe of the bear's massive paw. "Oh no," she cries, but she's too scared to move. She's frozen in place, unable to see her mother, her siblings, Roosterstrut. She sinks to the camp floor, petrified.

But then she sees him, his scarlet pelt sticking out sorely amongst the browns, grays, and tortie shapes milling about in panic. "Roosterstrut! Help us!" She forces herself to run to him, her terror clouding her mind. She's never left camp before—she does not not know where the Thunderpath is, how to find it, where to go. "Where's… where's my mother?" Tears spill like magma from her golden eyes, but she bites her lip, trying to be brave.

// will follow @ROOSTERSTRUT wherever :,)
​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

 

[SHARPSHADOW]

† Sharppaw was much unlike her mentor. He took to pushing his way out of Starlingheart's den when he was able. No more gushing of blood. No scrapes to the leg of pierced bone; he was not entirely stopped from leaving aside from the threat of covered wounds splitting open once again. The older they grew, the lesser they became, though. Like him, Sharppaw's legs had not been shattered. It may sting still, to blink open his eyes. He might feel a stutter in his chest when he breathes (–and there was always momentary panic, the thought that his life would stutter to a dull and pathetic end, not cut down in the heat of battle, but crumpled at the paws of the medicine cat just as Rainshade had). He still aches when the magic has worn off, but his legs are fine. He can walk. He can move.

He doesn't do much with this freedom, though. He takes to spending days toiling within Starlingheart's den, and maybe he'll keep going for as long as she allows him to. Glimpses into the outside world bore terrible things– worse than mud and wind. It's entirely self - imposed, he knows. ( Or would he have strange looks cast upon him, murmuring. Had anyone seen how quickly he'd been pinned? ) ( It's not as if he was worth murmuring about at all. ) He takes to leering from the cave's maw instead, and exchanging side - long glances with her mentor, miraculously alive. She's thinking about what to say to him. She's been thinking for a few sunrises, now.

The call for a meeting dredges them both from their gloomy corners. Sharppaw does not put the same effort into avoiding him that he had before. He does not think about it, really. She's almost happy to be sure he's alive. Sharppaw would crawl up alongside him, situating a little ways behind. New apprentices are named; Betonyfrost's kits. A lead warrior joins Chilledstar's council of questionable (no, more than questionable...) accruement. Rubber - black lips press together in a line. He doesn't know what to think, and it unsettles him.

He thinks about what he should be for too long. The eerie silence fallen upon them all does not register. It's not until roaring– unlike any sound a cat could make– reaches his ears that he is alert, eyes suddenly blow wide as porcupine - like ruff begins to sit up on his neck. Smogmaw meets her gaze with auburn eyes reflected a rare glimmer of feel. She's not stupid for being afraid, for once. " I-I– " she doesn't know what it was.

Not long after, Magpiepaw is tucking herself amongst them. Sharppaw blinks bewilderedly at her sudden appearance. She can't tell what's happening, but if they have to leave–

He looks to Smogmaw, and Smogmaw looks to him. A single nod is all he gives before following after his mentor.

Sharppaw should've been a warrior today. It was easier to not think of this way.

[ following smogmaw out of camp ... ]​

 

[Lynxjaw]

Chaos continues to whirl around him, his clanmates flying to Chilledstar's body in grief and panic in efforts to pull them out of this dreaded camp. He keeps himself as a wall, a relatively small one compared to the beast that raises up. It stands tall, a towering height that no cat could dare reach. It towered over a Two-Leg, he was sure of it. Roosterstrut screams at him, his defiance both annoying and warming all at once. He bore the biggest heart here, his all too caring personality causing the older warrior to grimace. "Go, I'll be right behind you. I promise." Once Spectermask and Frostbite have gathered what remains of their leader, hauling them to safety and the kits have been corralled, he would be right behind him.
Lynxjaw backs away slowly, his large still what remains of a shield between them and the lumbering beast that roared to the sky. It was damn near ear shattering, the echo reverberating in his skull and fear piercing his heart. Molten eyes flit back to Comfreypaw, only just apprenticed and still so young. She had no inclination of where to go or what was happening and she was terrified. He nods to Roosterstrut, "Take her and go. I'm right behind you." His broadened shoulders move and aim to nudge at the warrior in effort to move him forward, his long tail sweeping around Comfreypaw to urge her forwards as well. Most of the camp had fled and now it was their turn. He turns to move with the pair hopefully still in front of him and running, powerful hind legs kicking dirt out from behind him as he launches himself into a hefty sprint, not caring that nettle and mud caked up around his legs in efforts to slow him down. They had to get to safety, and he prays to StarClan that these beasts do not follow them.

//out


​

[ DESOLATION COMES UPON THE SKY ]​

 

[CHITTERTONGUE]

જ➶ He doesn't really have much of the enerfy to attend the meeting but he does want to see it. The tom makes his way forward to sit just outside of the medicine cat den. His body aches but his chesire grin never wavers as he listens to what Chilledstar has to say. His tail flicks back and forth as new apprentices are made, mentors are called out and then a cat is deeemed worthy enough to become a lead warrior. He shuffles his paws and nods his head, an odd bobbing of a face stretched too much with a grin. He curious of the events of the meeting but they are halted by a small yet larger than them creature crashing into camp. The tom looks with wide circle eyes and stares at the small thing. Trying to figure out just what it is still he realizes then and there that something is wrong. Especially when it begins to cry out. Something bigger comes barrelling through the tunnel, breaking everything and he jolts before pushing to his paws. His body sways and he jerks himself around. " @STARLINGHEART . ! We have to go, right now." The sudden sense of giddiness enters him and as he turns around he sees it.

Their leader struck down by the large creature. His jaws clench and he jerks his head back to look for his sister, tail lashing. He knows he will not leave without her. He can not. Needledrift is fine, Rosemire should be fine. Oh he hopes and he starts to look for an exist away from the bear.​

 

[>Ratwater]

— This should've been a happy moment. The youth were ranking up, her brother was getting a promotion, and yet.. There were now cats running around in fear. The musk of something unknown tainted the air. These large beasts made their stand. The smaller seeming unknowing to it all and the larger.. There was intent behind those eyes. Ratwater's flank still burned from her injuries, she knew fleeing would only further prolong recovery. Their leader had already been knocked down, what's a few more bodies for these brutes?

Paws as white as the snow were planted. Her eyes as bright as burning embers were locked onto the unholy. She was no longer a feline but a piece of this earth, her ivory talons exposed like fresh roots. They had just fought for their home and now something else threatened it? It was stupid to attack, she knew that much after witnessing Chilledstar's body fall limp. Sabletuft was her kin, this was her clan but.. What did that all really matter? She threw herself to aid Chittertongue from that short-tailed Windclanner, and she supposed the lilac tabby had bought her some recovering time after but, was that intental? Questions pelted her mind. What were they all really? A gaggle of cats in the marshes?

Dark ears would fold down against her head as she stared at the creatures. These things have shown their dominance here. A fleeting look would be thrown towards her fleeing clanmates, towards her brother before she'd run towards the beasts. This wasn't a heroic moment, far from it. A monstrously large claw would sweep for her, she thought she was faster than it.. She thought wrong. The large paw would swat the molly clear across the clear, as flaring up her injuries to remind her of her stupidity. Ratwater would lay on her side, her breaths laboring at the feeling from the heavy paw having noticed her air from her lungs and possibly even misplacing something. She wasn't going down again for others that can't help. They provided aid to the weaker now but that was temporary, those would be the cats they eat if they starved.

Staggering back to her paws, she'd glare in the direction of the beastly beings. Pain seared from her sides, but she wasn't done. Again, she'd lift and thrust claw-adorned paws into the earth as she re-attempted her escape. The claws would sweep for her again but she'd agonizingly roll out of the way. Her speed kept up and she threw herself out of the camp, not stopping or chasing after others. How long would any of them last with those things around anyways..
//TLDR: Rat aided no one, got swatted by a bear, ran out in a different direction ((out)) — tags​

]

 

[Starlingheart]

When she leaves the injured behind she had been certain they would be safe in her den. Despite the battering wind she had made her way out into the clearing, squinting against the force that whipped at her fur, threw sand in her eyes and though she strained to hear her leaders words, she still chanted with the rest of them, calling out the names of new apprentices. Her mouth is opening to call out Sabletuft's name as well but suddenly, the camp erupts into utter chaos.

Like she has when the possum attacked her when she had been much younger, she freezes. Large bodies crash around her, screams ring out and for a moment all the can do is stand frozen, her ears plastered against her head and her green eyes wide with shock and terror. It is only when she sees Chilledstar's body go flying, dispatched by one of those enormous paws does she move into action. Her first thought is to go to her leader, but one look at his still sides and she knows it is too late. She can do nothing to save this one of many lives and instead she needed to grit her teeth and make her way to the medicine cats den. There were cats who were relying on her in there, and if she could just get her emergency bundle of herbs….

She darts forward, her small body low to the ground and her eyes set on the den. Mind determined to get to her destination and she does almost make it.

Almost.

A paw slams on the ground inches away from her body. she gets a good glimpse of sharp claws and she knows there's no way around, no way into the medicine cats den. She has about five seconds before this fearsome creature turns its head and sets its sights upon her and for a moment she despairs. She will have to leave her herbs and anyone in the den behind. They do not have anyone to take up the mantle if she were to die here. She was it. It feels selfish but if she was injured or dead who would look after everyone else? And so, with tears stinging her eyes, she forced herself to turn and sprint for the nearest exit, to escape and save herself.

// out!

​

 

[EERIENIGHT]

Tail curled around his paws, the apprentice sits beside his mentor to listen to Chilledstar's announcements.

It's nothing too special, what they announce first - three more apprentices in Comfreypaw, Yarrowpaw, and Jitterpaw, which means even less room for Eeriepaw to rest in the apprentice den. He'll have to curl his limbs even tighter, have to hope his legs don't ache in the morning while the storm's still around and he has to take shelter from the strike of wind.

It won't be too long before he's out of the den permanently, he realizes, as no warriors are made at this meeting.

Soon he'll be a warrior, another change of name upon him. Eeriepaw has liked going by Eeriepaw, and has been doing so longer than he'd gone by Eeriekit. He thinks it'll be strange, then, when he has to go by something else. He tries to match his name to a warrior's own, tries to imagine someone calling him such.

Eerieshadow? Eeriefur? Eeriestep? They all sound wrong to him. Off. Unfitting.

But Chilledstar is bound to find one that suits him, when the time arrives.

While there is no new warriors, Sabletuft is brought forward to become a lead warrior. The void-furred tom's gaze moves to watch the warrior, awaiting his acceptance to congratulate him in the form of blinking eyes.

But, acceptance doesn't come. Instead, rustling, a shout - ShadowClan, run! Eeriepaw doesn't have to search far to see what they're supposed to be running from - to see the forms that linger in their camp. Shadows, like him, only bigger and bulkier. Amidst the panic, Eeriepaw wants to observe the dark-furred beasts but Spectermask is quick in shielding him, in nudging him forward.

Don't try to be a hero today, his mentor hisses, and he can hardly see who the black and white warrior is talking about. His head cranes to take a peek at who he's talking to - at what's going on - and when he finally is able to catch a glimpse, it's at the wrong moment. Dark brown eyes catch sight of the large shadows, catch sight of claws striking Chilledstar. The leader falling, faltering, dying.

"No!" he shouts as Spectermask's own cries ring through the air. Heart pounding, the apprentice moves to look at his mentor - to ask what to do, how to help, if Chilledstar was going to survive - but his mentor is gone from his side, gone from his sight. Panic gnaws at him then, as he frantically scans the crowd for the snow-masked face.

Spectermask can't die too. Eeriepaw needs to find him, needs to help.

But the crowd is moving, pushing against him, urging him to move with its current. And if Spectermask makes it out alive, Eeriepaw must move too - lest he risks being trampled, being the one left for dead. Spindly limbs move forward, eyes stinging as he silently calls to the stars - as he prays this isn't the last time he sees Spectermask and Chilledstar.

// out!​

​

 

[RIBBITLEAP]

The day he'd been fearing since he'd set sight upon the Great Sycamore's claw-struck form has arrived.

If Ribbitleap had been aware of the catastrophe that would interrupt the meeting, perhaps he would've sat a little closer to his mother. Perhaps he wouldn't have made a point to sit as far as he could away from her, to distance himself from the frustration he still feels towards the recent evolutions to his family.

Perhaps then, as Chilledstar's words still into a warning, into a shout to flee, Ribbitleap wouldn't have to search for Geckoscreech in the rushing crowd of fleeing ShadowClanners.

"Mom?" he calls out, wide eyes scanning for familiar twists of ivory as dark paws pace the area. He can hear his name being shouted above the crowd, a call of Ribbitleap that causes his ears to twitch in recognition.

His name is cut off by a roar echoing through the camp, and Ribbitleap turns, a green gaze cast upon the form of a fallen leader, of Spectermask and Frostbite carrying the red-tinted shadow. Dead, Chilledstar is. The warrior doesn't have much time to process this - doesn't have much time to think about how ill-fated a ShadowClan leader's death can be, how StarClan seems to fail them when it comes to nine lives.

The only thing he can think of is his mother, of her getting too close to the danger her mate had fallen to. In his mind then, Chilledstar still has more lives than Ribbitleap will ever know - more than Geckoscreech will ever have.

"Mom!" he calls once more, paws moving towards the leader. She must be nearby; he can't logically imagine her being anywhere else, if Chilledstar is hurt - if they're dying. It seems only right to go this way, to meet up with his mother and make sure she's out of here before getting himself out.

// looking for @GECKOSCREECH & headed in the opposite direction​

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[Yarrowpaw]

It was hard to believe that today had finally arrived, but it had: the time had come for their apprenticeships to begin. The chocolate tabby seemed to almost radiate excitement as he waited alongside his siblings, glancing occasionally between them with an enormous grin on his face. He had been ready to leave the nursery for a long time, been ready to explore ShadowClan's territory and take his first steps into becoming a ShadowClan warrior. The boy's blue eyes shone with glee as he was made an apprentice, locking eyes with Leafjaw and puffing his chest out with pride. The moment their ceremonies were completed, he'd spin around and attempt to bump his smaller siblings with his shoulder, striped tail lashing vigorously. "We did it!" he exclaimed to Comfreypaw and Jitterpaw, speaking in an undertone so as to not interrupt Chilledstar.

A new lead warrior...though he wasn't totally certain on what lead warriors actually did, Yarrowpaw was confident that Sabletuft would be good at it. He was only half-listening to the black-and-white leader's voice, being too preoccupied in beaming at Roosterstrut and seeking his mother's characteristic blue pelt and curled ears in the crowd, when everything changed. Rank scent and thunderous sound crashed into camp in the form of entirely-unfamiliar beasts, and sheer instinct powered Yarrowpaw to his sister's side near Roosterstrut, fear and confusion evident in his saucer-round eyes. "And where are we going?!" he added to Comfreypaw's question in a desperate tone of voice. Unbidden, a voice in the back of his mind asked: has she already left? Did she abandon you?​