pafp WITH NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME — return to camp

[LAKEMOON]

LAKEMOON — me and the devil, walking side by side.
She’s trying not to stumble, or falter, or show any sign of vulnerability.
Not as she carefully walks with her mate clutched to her side, her face mutilated at the claws of Lakemoon’s kin.
Lightingstone was generous enough to accompany them, while Lakemoon is ready to take on all the mollys weight if she had to, she is grateful for the extra help, her stoic and rigid stance much too fragile at the moment, she was like glass. She couldn’t protect Lilybloom in the battle, she could only pick up the crimson pieces afterwards.
Blood stains on her lip, and her shoulder is bruised, but she looks much worse than she actually is, most of the blood that coated her feathered pelt being Lilyblooms.
She feels another knot in her stomach.
She can still feel the burn on her lips from how far back she had stretched them as she faced the brown tom seconds after he had slashed Lily’s eye away, the burn from her ferocity.
That emotion is dead now, all that is left is defeat in herself. Raccoonstripes horrified gaze and Howlingstars dead body still plastered on her frontal lobe.
Finally, they arrive to camp, a shaky exhale leaving Lakemoons chest before she guided Lilybloom inside.
"Please, can you get her parents?" She finally speaks, her voice is splintered from her cries in protest, ragged from her grief. Still, she makes the effort to turn to Lightningstone when she speaks to him.
It’s only when his head would turn away from them that Lakemoon would carefully bury her muzzle behind Lilyblooms ear. "You’re home, okay? We’re going to get you settled down." Her voice is far from comforting, but it is full of love, of worry.
I’m so sorry. Lakemoon could only hope Lilybloom would not resent the blue tabby as much as she herself did.

// Currently supporting @LILYBLOOM. & talking to @LIGHTNINGSTONE
Asking for @MUDPELT
- They left the sunningrocks battle early due to Lily’s wounds, they do not know the outcome of the battle. please wait for Lily or Lightning to post first ! <3 ty
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[LILYBLOOM.]

It had taken what little reserves of energy she had left for Lilybloom to stagger home, albeit supported between Lakemoon and Lightningstone. Now relatively safe within RiverClan'a camp, Lilybloom can feel her strength waning, pawsteps starting to drag as she pads into camp.

She's a sorry state, bleeding, scratched, and with a tuft of fur missing from her neck. The quick swim back to camp has washed the worst of the blood away from her brindled pelt but Lilybloom looks a far cry from her usual self. When Lakemoon sends Lightningstone off to find her parents, she is of half a mind to beg him not to, almost scared of letting them see her like this. She thinks their reactions will hurt her more and make this whole thing all the more real.

Lakemoon says they'll get her settled and Lilybloom nods weakly. "Home..." She says softly. Naturally, she can't see well enough to confirm, but the mix of scents from her clanmates affirms her mates words. Lilybloom lets Lakemoon settle her down somewhere, moaning a little in pain as she lowers herself to the ground. "Where's Beesong?" Lilybloom asks. "Can he save my eye?" It's a foolish question, even as she asks she already knows the answer. "Lakemoon," Her voice trembles as she calls for her mate. "Stay with me? Please? I need you."​

 

[MUDPELT]

As soon as the trio make it across the river into their island camp, Lightningstone swiftly nods towards the younger warrior and dashes off. Moments later, Mudpelt's pained cry can be heard from across camp. "Lilybloom? Lilybloom!" The hulking tom barrels towards him, somehow appearing pitiful despite his imposing figure. Tears prick at his eyes at the sight of his oldest daughter; it only pushes him faster.

"LIlybloom, oh StarClan," He breathes as soon as he slides to a halt at her side. He takes a moment to stare at the spot where her eye used to be, now bloodied and empty. His jaw is slack, his lips peeled back in horror and grief. "I-I'm here, Lilybloom. Daddy's here. I've got you." He's crying, though he fights to choke back the tears it is painfully obvious in his voice. His firstborn, his sweet Lily....they'd get through this. Just like when she fell into the river, he'd be there every step of the way. "I'm here." He presses against her, tears streaming down his cheeks as he nuzzles the smaller she-cat. He prays his best friend can help her recover swiftly. It's all he wants. It's all he needs. "We need Beesong!" He wails to whoever is listening.​

 

[LAKEMOON]

LAKEMOON — me and the devil, walking side by side.
When Lightingstone rushes off, Lakemoon moves as quickly as she can, only making it to the entrance of the medicine den before letting her mate rest, desperate to ease the tortoiseshells pain.
"Their coming, flower. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere." Her voice is coarse, but it has steadied a little. She vowed to be the warriors rock, and she would make good on it.
She does not settle with her though, instead positioning herself in front of her, as if she could possibly shield her from any and all prying eyes. She doesn’t answer Lilybloom’s question, she doesn’t have enough time to before Mudpelts cries ring out.
Selfishly, she wishes his grief could not be so big, wishes that his emotions could not be on such a public display. Yet, she also knows that she is no parent, and is a fool to think she would react any less to her own child in such a state.
All she can do is stand closer to her mate, feathered tail protective as it drapes over her mottled flank while her father comforts her.
It’s only when Mudpelt begins to wail that Lakemoon instinctively presses an ivory paw on top of the toms caramel, the gesture meant to be one of small comfort, in Lakemoons own way.
The fathers cries remind her too much of her own on the battle field, for her Lilybloom, for Clayfur as he ripped into Howlingstars throat. All too eerie. All too raw.
"Beesong is right behind us, I promise." She assures with her rasped voice, but her tone is firm, and reassuring. She keeps her gaze steady on Mudpelts until he would meet it, where she would then give him a small nod.
She would withdraw her paw from his, and shift her other one to Lilybloom’s now, having no more words in her to whisper, but the love shines through in her actions, the silver warrior makes sure of it.


@BEESONG

"speech"

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[BEESONG]

as lakemoon promised, beesong is right behind the trio. mudpelt's wailing only digs a more bottomless pit in the medic's stomach, his curled ear twitching downward. away from the heart-wrenching noise. his face is kept impassive, aside from the rigid line of his tense jaw; as much as he despises being so, he is a pillar of riverclan. he has to be strong, for his clan. and for his best friend, who cries for his wounded daughter.

"she's going to live," beesong tries to reassure the frantic warrior. lilybloom would live. aside from her eye, she hadn't sustained any life-threatening injuries. and the cobwebs they'd hastily applied at sunningrocks had staunched most of the major bleeding, thank the stars... yes, she would live, but things wouldn't be the same. there is only so much that beesong could do. nothing short of a miracle would be able to restore lilybloom's eye... or lack thereof. and as she asks if they could perform such a feat, beesong swallows around the moss ball that seems to have lodged itself in their throat. "no," they answer, quiet but brusque. "there's nothing i can do for your eye. sorry." the apology is stiff, sounding more akin to a formality than a sympathetic gesture. but their stare does soften with quiet condolences, a broken hum resonating behind clenched teeth. they understand how difficult it is to lose a major part of one's senses... it is never a change that one is prepared for. however, lilybloom is lucky to still be breathing. be grateful that you're alive. there are others before her that could not thank the stars for sparing them, who have been torn away from their loved ones by selfish claws. at least mudpelt does not mourn for a daughter lost too soon.

beesong tears his gaze away from lilybloom long enough to glance towards his den in a silent gesture. "bring her to my den, please." he doesn't feel like entertaining an audience while he works, and lilybloom probably doesn't, either. it would be easier to treat her with his storage at his paws, anyway.​

 

[LILYBLOOM.]

Drained and confused, Lilybloom is only faintly aware of what is happening around her. She hears Lakemoon agree to stay with her, assuring her that Beesong would be here. A part of her wants Lakemoon to sit with her but she is glad for her presence regardless, standing protectively over her like a watchful guardian lest some other evil befalls her.

As expected, the wail of her father almost breaks her. For the first time since she has arrived back in camp, she looks somewhat alert, her green eye widening as she looks around frantically for the familiar form of her father. The pained expression on his face as he acknowledges her, followed by his tears, almost sets her off. And perhaps is her mind wasn't so hazy at that moment she might have burst into hysterical tears alongside him. He nuzzles her gently and Lilybloom returns the gesture, feeling comfort and safety from his presence. For a moment she isn't Lilybloom, just Lily, and she's looking up at her father like he's the most important cat in the world and that everything would be alright so long as he was there.

"Dad, I--" Her voice catches as she struggles to find the words. "I'm sorry." Lilybloom finally says. But sorry for what? Even she's not sure in that moment. Sorry for letting him see her like this? Sorry for getting mauled like this? Sorry for pushing him away when he was only trying to help?

Eventually, Beesong chimes in, assuring Mudpelt and Lakemoon that she would live before telling Lilybloom he could not save her eye. "It's okay," Lilybloom responds in a prolonged, drawn-out answer. "It was silly of me to hope otherwise."

The medicine cat asks for her to be brought to his den. Lilybloom nods and tries to rise to her paws and move in that direction by herself, but her unsteady walk makes it clear she won't make it there without help.​

 

[MUDPELT]

Lakemoon's words register in his frazzled mind and he can only look at his daughter's mate with wide, terrified eyes as he nods his response. Beesong's coming. Beesong's coming. And when he arrives, he looks to him expectantly, backing off just a bit to give his friend space. She'll live, and that's all Mudpelt needs to hear. "Don't apologize, Lily," He croaks, pressing his face against her neck as he tries to stop his pitiful crying. "You're going to be okay. We...we can train. Smokethroat can help you, maybe, I-I can ask him..." Anything to help his beloved girl adjust.

When the medicine cat asks to bring her to his den the father quickly obliges. He scrambles to his paws, uttering a swift, "Of course, of course!" He looks to Lakemoon as if to confirm she can help and offers his shoulder to Lilybloom as she struggles to her paws. "Lean on us, we got you." His voice is gentle, just like he'd always talked to his kits. No matter what, he'd let her know he's here for her always.​