~«Survival By War»~ (Warrior cat rp)

[Frost bite88]

Brokenwing felt a twinge of guilt at his words, but silently shook it off, not wanting to ruin the mood. "Ever since the fire...well, I wasn't sure how the clan was going to be. But now...I think everything is going to be alright."

~

"No one get's mad at you, that's for sure, or they'll have the wrath of both Canopypaw and Ravenpaw down on their heads!" Ravenpaw mewled bounding forward with a hop as they slipped out of camp.

Lostpaw knew exactly what she meant. "Yeah, everything was just so unknown but I think you're right, Waterfallclan will thrive." He felt some relief at finally saying that out loud, the reality that Waterfallclan didn't end with that fire lifted a weight of his mind.

~

Canopypaw laughed, chasing after her, content with not being quite as fast as she just enjoyed the feeling of this moment of freedom. "They can't get mad at us! We're gonna run this clan when we're older! Ravenstar and her loyal medicine cat Canopypaw!" She exclaimed with kit like joy, almost like they were back in the Nursery playing as kits.

"Oh, it'll be grand, for sure." Still grinning, Ashstripe gave a parting nod after Willowstar. "Perhaps I'll have some news tomorrow to accompany my reappearance."

Willowstar acknowledged her words with a grin. "Looks like the new few sunrises will be nothing but joyous then." She then flicked her tail as her final fair well before she slipped out of the den, her eye adjusting to the new light and the sight of the clan cheering and celebrating amongst each other which made the leader smile and slink towards the prey pile to join in.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Lostpaw knew exactly what she meant. "Yeah, everything was just so unknown but I think you're right, Waterfallclan will thrive." He felt some relief at finally saying that out loud, the reality that Waterfallclan didn't end with that fire lifted a weight of his mind.

~

Canopypaw laughed, chasing after her, content with not being quite as fast as she just enjoyed the feeling of this moment of freedom. "They can't get mad at us! We're gonna run this clan when we're older! Ravenstar and her loyal medicine cat Canopypaw!" She exclaimed with kit like joy, almost like they were back in the Nursery playing as kits.



Willowstar acknowledged her words with a grin. "Looks like the new few sunrises will be nothing but joyous then." She then flicked her tail as her final fair well before she slipped out of the den, her eye adjusting to the new light and the sight of the clan cheering and celebrating amongst each other which made the leader smile and slink towards the prey pile to join in.

"And once Crowpaw and the other traveling cats get back, and solve what StarClan wanted them to, everything will be back in it's place." Brokenwing murmured, watching Sagepaw join Gingersplash and Rabbitleap. It was odd, seeing the apprentice beside the two cats. Gingersplash and Rabbitleap were tall, with strong legs and slightly broadened shoulders from swimming. But Sagepaw, despite having long legs, was tiny, made for running instead of swimming up rivers. "Do you want to get something to eat?" She meowed suddenly, her thoughts changing suddenly.

~

Ravenpaw gave a loud mewl of excitement, leaping onto a high branch. "No one will be able to take us down!" She declared, chest puffed. She looked down at Canopypaw, and grinned. "I guess we should actually search for herbs instead of messing around, huh?"

 

[HeavensHens88]

"I think with practice, you can do it. You have the brains and the motivation for it." Crowpaw nudged her back, shaking his head with a low laugh. "Let's find a rabbit before Palepaw and Star come looking for us, and ruin our hunt." He padded past her, toward the direction the sun was still rising, muzzle in the air. The scent of mice and heather and rabbit and cat flittered about the meadow, both old and fresh. The scent of rabbit was strong, most likely a large burrow was nearby. "Hopefully they all aren't hiding."

Hazelpaw matched his pace, not yet concerning herself with proper paw placement or wind direction. She opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, only to take in a hefty bug and choke violently on it. Once she'd swallowed it, she returned to her purposeful march and kept her jaws slightly less ajar.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Hazelpaw matched his pace, not yet concerning herself with proper paw placement or wind direction. She opened her mouth and inhaled deeply, only to take in a hefty bug and choke violently on it. Once she'd swallowed it, she returned to her purposeful march and kept her jaws slightly less ajar.

Crowpaw whipped around at the sound of choking, making sure that the she-cat wasn't dying. "Try not to choke on anything else, yeah?" He said with a purr after she recovered, before continuing on. He paused suddenly, jaws open. Not too far away a rabbit crept from it's burrow, glancing around. A small nose twitched urgently, ears twitching. He held his breath, praying that the rabbit wouldn't see them.
Finally, the creature hopped from its hole, glancing at the sky with wary eyes. "We're going to have to be careful with this," he glanced at Hazelpaw, keeping his voice low. "It could easily run back to it's burrow. Are you up to it, or should we just wait for a easier option? Your choice."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Crowpaw whipped around at the sound of choking, making sure that the she-cat wasn't dying. "Try not to choke on anything else, yeah?" He said with a purr after she recovered, before continuing on. He paused suddenly, jaws open. Not too far away a rabbit crept from its burrow, glancing around. A small nose twitched urgently, ears twitching. He held his breath, praying that the rabbit wouldn't see them.
Finally, the creature hopped from its hole, glancing at the sky with wary eyes. "We're going to have to be careful with this," he glanced at Hazelpaw, keeping his voice low. "It could easily run back to its burrow. Are you up to it, or should we just wait for a easier option? Your choice."

Hazelpaw's impish smile would've been disturbing in any other situation. "Oh, if it dares to return home, then I'll just make myself an unwelcome houseguest." She sucked in a long breath, pulling her fur taut against her body, and gradually sank down onto her paws. Once she was nearly resting against the ground entirely, her hips rose and her front legs positioned neatly beneath her chest. Then she trained her eyes to the rabbit and nothing but the rabbit.
She barely relocated her attention enough to voice her cursory assent. "Your call."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Leopardmoon saw shining flashes of peaking sunlight through the base of the tall trees as Pineclan moved slowly through their territory, dawn was approaching slowly and they had finally made it out of the tunnels. She still carried Doveheart dutifully and beside her Needlepaw had gave in and was carrying Dogfang with Barkpaw. The rest of the remaining apprentices had huddled around her as well and Leopardmoon watched the young cats with pride and sadness as they walked with heavy paws. Rainstar was leading the clan back, Leopardmoon thought she seemed unfazed by how dead the air felt and how sticky everyone's pelt was with drying blood and the tired deputy had to make sure she didn't curl her lip at the horrible leader.

StarClan, please, have mercy.
Stumbling over cracked, blood-stained paws, the silent prayer never left the tongue of the orange tabby, a broken and mangled soft, dove-gray she-cat held in his jaws.
Never leaving Ivypaw's side, Flamepaw stumbled into the camp, and set the broken body onto the leaf and needle littered ground.
A shriek shattered the harrowing silence, a white-pelted she-cat bursting from a den on the far side of camp, pine needles rising in her wake as she skidded to a halt beside her two siblings. "Dovepaw," the word left her tongue in a breathless whisper, her crystal eyes widened.
Then, she promptly lunged forward, nimble, shaking paws pressing to the torn throat. "No, no, no, Dovepaw...Flamepaw, help me!" She snapped her head up, staring at him with eyes brimming with tears, perturbation clear.
"She's dead." Flamepaw was startled to hear how blatant and austere his voice was. He watched, his sister recoiling even though she already knew the macabre truth.
"No," her tone was harsh, giving a hollow, disbelieving rasping laugh. Then she stopped, staring him dead in the eye, the agonizing look gone, instead replaced by a caliginous stare. "No, no, you're lying. Flamepaw..."
"I'm sorry, Frostpaw! I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't...she...she...killed her...before I could get there..." He swallowed harshly, swallowing back the inevitable sobs.
"Who?" She leaned before, her breath coming in quick gasps that edged on dry sobs.
That left him gaping, his heart pausing. Did he dare give away the truth of his sisters killer? He glanced up, briefly, catching the freezing stare of Rainstar. She sat, watching, cleaning her dirty paws with a nefarious grin plastered across her silver muzzle. "A Tribe cat," he whispered, drawing his gaze back to Frostpaw. "A Tribe cat killed her. I'm so, so sorry."
The transition between the deadly stare in her eye to agonizing realization was quicker then a blink of the eye. "But the Tribe cats..." She broke off, burying her face in the soft pelt of their sister.
All he felt was guilt. He had lied to his own sister, yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell her it was Rainstar. He had seen just how easily the leader had torn his sister's throat without even pausing for a heartbeat. Without even showing a flicker of remorse; all because of Doveheart protecting an innocent Tribe kit. "Doveheart," he rasped. "Her name is Doveheart."
Frostpaw lifted her head. "What?"
"Leopardmoon named her. Doveheart." He leaned forward, and drew his tongue gently over Frostpaw's ear, before drawing back. "It's going to be alright, though. We...we have to keep going. For her."
He cast a swift glance as Ivypaw, and beckoned her with his tail, settling down beside Frostpaw. "It'll be fine," he voice broke as he spoke. "We'll be fine."
You can keep telling yourself that, but it's not the truth and you know it!

Diluted by the forest's dense tangles, dawn's tentative rays could hardly find purchase on the mourning cats' pelts. Ivypaw settled herself down beside Flamepaw and rested her head against Doveheart, but she wasn't seeing her fallen friend and the grieved survivors. Instead, her mother was still looming over her with a serpentine leer, goading her to perform endless acts of immoral carnage, while her brother, her beloved brother, looked on callously without even a whispered mew of protest to acknowledge the abject wrongness of this all.
"Danger." Ivypaw's hollow voice was something out of a hackle-raising tale told to restless kits on a moonless night. "Danger all around us."

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Hazelpaw's impish smile would've been disturbing in any other situation. "Oh, if it dares to return home, then I'll just make myself an unwelcome houseguest." She sucked in a long breath, pulling her fur taut against her body, and gradually sank down onto her paws. Once she was nearly resting against the ground entirely, her hips rose and her front legs positioned neatly beneath her chest. Then she trained her eyes to the rabbit and nothing but the rabbit.
She barely relocated her attention enough to voice her cursory assent. "Your call."

Crowpaw looked down at the pale she-cat, and couldn't help but grin at the readiness of her pose. He lowered his muzzle until it was next to her ear. "Alright. We'll try and get it. Wait here until you see me give a signal. I'll stay behind the burrow so the rabbit can't escape. It's your job to actually catch it."
With a nod, he slunk away from her, sinking himself into the grass. The rabbit was unaware of their presence, sniffing the grass and lumbering slowly away from it's burrow with agonizingly slow hops.
Then it lifted it's head.
It's eyes were wild and ears and nose were twitching rapidly. He paused, breath no longer reaching his lungs. Don't run. Don't. Run. Give her a chance...
And the rabbit didn't. It seemed to have set off a false alarm, instead going back to the inane task of nibbling clovers and yarrow and any other herbs that it may find satisfying.
Crowpaw sank himself down behind the burrow, ready to run if needed. Raising his head slightly, he looked at Hazelpaw from across the field, and flicked his tail. Now, Hazelpaw.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Diluted by the forest's dense tangles, dawn's tentative rays could hardly find purchase on the mourning cats' pelts. Ivypaw settled herself down beside Flamepaw and rested her head against Doveheart, but she wasn't seeing her fallen friend and the grieved survivors. Instead, her mother was still looming over her with a serpentine leer, goading her to perform endless acts of immoral carnage, while her brother, her beloved brother, looked on callously without even a whispered mew of protest to acknowledge the abject wrongness of this all.
"Danger." Ivypaw's hollow voice was something out of a hackle-raising tale told to restless kits on a moonless night. "Danger all around us."

Her voice was so empty. So absolutely hollow and void of the vigor that it once held that he hardly recognized it. It was desolate and barren and bone-chilling and—
And nothing scared Flamepaw more then her desolate tone at the moment. Not even Rainstar. For several moments, her words lingered in the air, hanging in the fragile silence of the mourning felines. A silence so fragile and eldritch, that if someone so much as flicked a whisker out of place it may have shattered and wreaked chaos amongst the camp.
"Ivypaw," he finally got his jaw to move, finally found his voice again. "Ivypaw, look at me. You're—"
"Give her this," Flamepaw jumped when Frostpaw appeared beside him, dropped a few springs of herbs at his paws. "It'll calm her. She's in shock." And with a glance at her sisters body, the she-cat forced herself away to help the rest of her wounded Clanmates.
"I can't promise that everything's going to be alright. I can't promise that. But I'm right here, Ivypaw. And so is your mother and your siblings, and Frostpaw. And I know that I won't let anything happen to you, to any of us, if I can help it." He nudged the herbs closer to her. "Take these, alright? It'll help you."

 

[Frost bite88]

"And once Crowpaw and the other traveling cats get back, and solve what StarClan wanted them to, everything will be back in it's place." Brokenwing murmured, watching Sagepaw join Gingersplash and Rabbitleap. It was odd, seeing the apprentice beside the two cats. Gingersplash and Rabbitleap were tall, with strong legs and slightly broadened shoulders from swimming. But Sagepaw, despite having long legs, was tiny, made for running instead of swimming up rivers. "Do you want to get something to eat?" She meowed suddenly, her thoughts changing suddenly.

~

Ravenpaw gave a loud mewl of excitement, leaping onto a high branch. "No one will be able to take us down!" She declared, chest puffed. She looked down at Canopypaw, and grinned. "I guess we should actually search for herbs instead of messing around, huh?"

"Yeah, hopefully their return will settle things." Lostpaw agreed quietly, watching his clan mates before Brokenwing suggested getting something to eat. "Oh yeah, we probably shouldn't let all that food go to waste... or let all our clan mates eat it all before we get any." He meowed good naturedly as he got up to go examine the fresh kill with her.

~

Canopypaw climbed up after her with surprising grace, she was adapting well to her disability and the territory. She flicked her tail nonchalantly at Ravenpaw's words. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, the herbs aren't absolutely first priority, I think we're doing well so it's not like the clan will die without marigold." She chirped before she continued down the branch, excited to just get put of camp for a while.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"Yeah, hopefully their return will settle things." Lostpaw agreed quietly, watching his clan mates before Brokenwing suggested getting something to eat. "Oh yeah, we probably shouldn't let all that food go to waste... or let all our clan mates eat it all before we get any." He meowed good naturedly as he got up to go examine the fresh kill with her.

~

Canopypaw climbed up after her with surprising grace, she was adapting well to her disability and the territory. She flicked her tail nonchalantly at Ravenpaw's words. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, the herbs aren't absolutely first priority, I think we're doing well so it's not like the clan will die without marigold." She chirped before she continued down the branch, excited to just get put of camp for a while.

Brokenwing purred in amusement, trotting after him. "Oh! Crab!" She meowed excitedly, snatching one of the dead creatures by the leg. She looked back at Lostpaw, ducking her head in embarrassment at her almost kit-like behavior. "Or trout..."

~

Ravenpaw trotted after her, dawn light warming her pelt. "True. I suppose it won't be the end of the world if they're without marigold for a little bit." She meowed. "So," she trotted up to be beside Canopypaw. "Warming shore first?"