WHEN ALL HOPE IS GONE // searching

[RAVENDUSK]

There was no time to rest, to sleep or forbid to even eat at such a doleful time like this. Ravendusk wouldn't allow such luxury right now feeling far from deserving of it, not when his apprentice where out there somewhere still, stolen away with the flood along with many others. It was far to cruel of a punishment, yet again someone had been taken from them. Good things simply didn't belong in thier grace. They had sadly already prepared, accepted for the worst possible outcome. At this point in life Ravendusk knew better than dare to hope when all odds where against them. The reason they contunie to go out there to search were not to find anyone alive but to retrieve the body of the believed dead apprentice who's light had been taken far too soon...Only the brightest light would fade away the quickest, always - always too soon. He could never protect it no matter how much he tried. Darkness should never be allowed close to the light.

Only time they returned back to camp was to help to rebuild some of the damage, to save what could be saved after this disaster only to return back out there when the opportunity was being given, to walk side by side with the river to search for yet another body to mourn. Why. That was the question that always remained yet so unfairly never got an answer.

It was time yet again, after returning back for a short while to help out to rebuild what once had been thier home, Ravendusk was leaving yet again to find little comfort in the search with rest left days behind them. It was another stroll by the river, searching for anything that could be golden with eyes that needed nothing more but sleep. Ravendusk hadn't even allowed exhaustion to hit them until today, when eyes were so tired that blackness started to take a hold of them. The warrior stumbled forward, for once steps not elegantly placed as he almost fell into the river himself but saved himself from such a fall with a paw firmly put down at the shore's edge.

Ravendusk took a few steps back and tried to shake his head back into focus so the blackness in front of his very eyes would fade and disappear. There was in fact no time right now for this body to bedray them not until Blackpaw's body had been find. With a low hiss to themself in frustration mostly placed a paw on top of thier head as they waited for thier blurred vision to become clear again so they could contunie on to push themself to thier final limits. It was the least they could do....for having failed them. It should have been me.

He was the one who should have got taken by the flood not....her who's life had been ten times more worth then his ever would....



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[Hawkcloud]

As Hawkcloud picks her way along the riverbank a few fox-lengths away from the older warrior, paws passing over the flood's aftermath of strewn, waterlogged plants and soaked earth — she thinks she's never known the river to be so dangerous. Even as an apprentice, when the waters had nearly claimed the life of her littermate, Foxtail, and when a snapping turtle in its depths had claimed her tail and left her waiting listlessly in the medicine den for the bite to heal, these both had only seemed like unfortunate accidents. But when the rushing river had stolen away the life of Hawkcloud's own apprentice, leaving Magpiepaw drowned at the water's edge, cold — and then, not long after, this flood came along to drive their Clan from their home — well, it nearly seemed purposeful now. As though the river was hungry, merciless. Hawkcloud is beginning to understand her brother. She understands Ravendusk, too, as she watches the long-furred warrior stumble and push his way, exhausted, along the edge of the water, continuing to search for his apprentice.

As he catches his swaying body with an instinctive paw, as though the weight of his grief might tip him into the river at any moment — Hawkcloud understands. Both as a former mentor mourning her lost apprentice, and as a Clanmate knowing the desperate drive to keep searching for the cats, swept away in the current, who may still be alive. Watching Ravendusk's head swim, fatigue consuming the older warrior's body, Hawkcloud nearly wants to rush to his side. But she isn't very close with him, and doesn't want to make him feel pitied. Instead, she approaches cautiously, a concerned frown tugging at her maw. "Ravendusk, do you want to get some rest?" the she-cat asks carefully. She doesn't want to command him back to his nest, she's sure he wouldn't listen. "I can keep searching for Blackpaw, just for awhile." Her heart clenches, saying his apprentice's name. She doesn't think she's uttered Magpiepaw's since.​

 

[PIKESPLASH]

While he is grateful that his family was not lost to the flood, many have been swept away by it. Blackpaw was one of many who had been swept away, and ever since then he's been watching Ravendusk search tirelessly for his apprentice. Pikesplash understands it. He has mentored Catfishleap and even though she is not of his blood, she is kin to him. He remembers throwing himself into danger to save her. If he had been asked if he regretted the design his answer would come swiftly. It is a resounding no. In every life he would throw himself in harms way for his apprentice. Truthfully he would rather sacrifice himself, then allow another to be taken from his claws. After all, he's lived many moons. There were so many bright futures within the clan that shouldn't be snuffed out.

You feel the same don't you? It should have been us rather than them. They have so much to live for, we've already lived long enough. Unlike Hawkcloud, he is much older. He and Ravendusk are nearly the same age, though Pikesplash is older by a few moons. That is not to say Hawkcloud can not relate to them nor share their grief. If anything, he envies her grief. His grief has seeped into his bones. Petalnose is a loss that he has not recovered from, even if she will turn away from him when he meets her in Starclan. Very few of us live that long. How many cats do I know that have been around as long as I have? There's Snakeblink, Ravendusk, Lichenstar, Hazecloud, and Willowroot... Our numbers keep dwindling.

The silver tom does his best to ignore those facts as he approaches the pair. "I'll help look for Blackpaw too." While he highly doubts they would find the apprentice, he hopes with two looking, Ravendusk would be more reassured. "You need to rest. You're only going to get sick if you continue to run yourself ragged. Hawkcloud and I will look as best as we can."​