I Still Don't Want to Die [OPEN, need Ashstar and/or med cat]

Storm stumbled into the strange yet familiar camp, delirious. Blood poured heavily from his wounds over his throats and shoulders onto the dry grass below him. The missing piece of his lower jaw resonated with pain. Reaching the center of the strange area, he stumbled off of Annabelle's support and landed on his side in the sandy cleaning. Everything seemed tinged with red to him as he sat there, watching blood drip from all over his body.

OOC: short and mobile

Annabelle helped Storm into this strange place full of cats, heart pounding nervously. It wasn't the strange cats the scared her, they didn't bother her, but Storm's condition did. She had just found someone she could actually love, and she didn't want to lose him to death already. "Hey! Storm was attacked by Rockthorn and is nearly dead! He needs help immediately!" she shouted into the clearing, not to anyone in particular since she didn't know who was leader. She looked around desperately, hoping that someone would help him.

Ashstar was helping Brindlewhisker organize patrols when two cats, smelling of Twolegplace and blood, ran suddenly into the middle of camp. A young tom, covered in scarlet and obviously in pain, and a younger she-cat with a kittypet collar who frantically tried to help him. The WindClan leader was taken aback, to say the least. Why would these cats come to her? She wasn't Darkstar or- StarClan forbid- Crowstar, taking in every kittypet or rogue who waltzed across her path. Though the rogue tom did look familiar for some reason she couldn't fathom, she wasn't inclined to take non-Clan cats into WindClan. But her motherly heart (or what was left of it) wouldn't let her abandon the poor injured cat. Her intentions to help him, small though they had been, grew exponentially when the kittypet cried that he had been maimed by Rockthorn. Rockthorn. Would she never escape that tom's horrid actions? She realized as she looked at the cat's wounds that they had indeed been inflicted by the savage once-ThunderClan murderer. Memories of Shadepaw flashed nightmarishly into her mind, passing across her worried green eyes. That monster. Her mind was made up. The gray-furred leader strode over, keeping the anger out of her tired but powerful gaze. "Beetlewing, Sagepaw! This tom needs your help!" She looked curiously at the two cats. "Why... Why have you come here? How did you know how to find us? And how do you know Rockthorn?" She spat out his name like it was the vilest of curses.

Annabelle sighed in relief that this cat was willing to help, but was a little taken aback by all of her questions. "What does it look like we came here to do? Thanks for helping him, by the way. Well, we were at first coming here because Storm has a brother, Hollow something, in WindClan. And I know Rockthorn because he brutally attacked my companion, and Storm knows him because apparently he was in the barn for a while. Anyways, can you tell me your name so I can properly thank you?" Annabelle tried to be as polite as she could, this cat was helping to save her beloved Storm. But she was a clan cat, so it was hard not to act above her, because Annabelle knew she was above any clan cat.

At the call of her name, the medicine cat apprentice was rushing out of the den. Her eyes scanned over the tom's wounds. Sagepaw's first thought was that he wasn't a clan cat. The grey cat smelled strange, and his companion reeked of kittypet. However, Starclan had decreed that medicine cats helped any cat, no matter their origins. With a final nod, she dashed back to the den to get the correct herbs. They would need lots of cobwebs. Poppy seeds for pain. And much more for infection. Her mind raced as she internally ran through the list. It only took a couple moments for the pretty grey and white she-cat to have a bundle prepared.

Once she was back by the strange cat's side, she set to work. Sagepaw held in an exasperated sigh. There was so much blood pouring from the wounds. She pressed in clumps of cobwebs to ease the bleeding. After a good amount, the flow thankfully began to slow. Next, Comfrey root and Chervil were chewed up and spat into the wound. There was always the possibility for infection. Hopefully, this would help. The apprentice added a little bit of horsetail as well to aid in stopping the bleeding. Beetlewing had trained her well. Sitting back on her haunches after working furiously, she looked him over once more. Everything seemed to be right. She nodded to herself again, before speaking aloud, "I need a warrior or two to help me move him into the den. While the bleeding has stopped for now, he will still need some time to recover." As Sagepaw spoke, she realized she didn't even know this cat's name. That bothered her a bit, but that did not matter right now.

"Thank you, Beetlewing or Sagepaw or whichever one you are." Annabelle couldn't manage to say anything else, just look the grey cat, the smaller cat, and Storm, wondering what would happen next. Suddenly fuming anger erupted in her now that Storm's life wasn't in her paws, and it was at the one who had caused this. "After this is all taken care of, Rockthorn is going to pay," Annabelle muttered to no one in particular.

Storm lied still as a cat applied what he recognized as Comfrey and Chervil on his wounds and eased bleeding with cobwebs. "G-goldenrod nd dandelion shuld hulp. Tormentil tuh," he gasped, wincing at the pain coming from his jaw. In the back of his mind he felt embarrassed that he had to be helped by a younger cat when he was good at herbs himself but stayed quiet. He looked up to see a gray she-cat, just like the one Mist described as Ashstar. "Is... is Hollowfung here? I wanna.. I wanna suh my brothuh. Tell him... tell him Pigeonkit came back home fuh me. Came lucking for him, but Rockthorn knuh I will tell you where he is.. Should have nuhver let him even tempurarily live in muh barn." He mumbled at the gray cat. "Up north, on thuh outskirts of here. He's probably stull there." He tried to stand but fell down with a yelp, cursing under his breath.

Hollow.... Hollowfang had a brother? No, his only brother had been Pigeonkit, and he had disappeared a long time ago. The fluffy gray she-cat peered closer at the rogue tom. No.... But it couldn't be.... "Pigeonkit?" The leader meowed in wonder, almost to herself. Was it really him, all this time? Then a small fire of anger wormed its way into her mind. He'd left WindClan to become a rogue? How dare he?! But then she shook it off again. He had just been a kit. As "Storm" asked about his brother, the she-cat winced. Hollowfang had gone missing a few moons back, and no one knew where he had gone. It had been a blow to Gustpuddle, the leader knew. But she didn't have the heart to tell the rogue tom yet. Her ears pricked at the new information he offered. Rockthorn was in the barn? So close to their territory?! A pointy snarl, almost like a smile, crossed her features momentarily. I'm coming for you, Rockthorn. But it could wait a little longer. "Glad to have you back, Pigeonkit," the gray-furred she-cat murmured. She turned to the kittypet. Surprisingly, she'd been temporarily useful. However, it was hard not to look down on the pampered she-cat, so far from a Clan cat's standards. "Ashstar. My name's Ashstar, leader of WindClan. We'll do what we can for him. However, I don't think there's any reason for you to stay here longer. There's no way we can help. We'll let you know when he's recovered. Thank you for bringing him here." She lifted her head up. "Twistedtail, Slatethroat, help him into the medicine den. He's in Sagepaw's paws now." The leader turned around, obviously dismissing the kittypet and walking over to help her warriors with "Storm". Pigeonkit is back.

"So really, you're just gonna make me leave him right after I save his life?" Annabelle snorted, some of her usual pettiness returning to her voice. "But I'll leave, because I know that you are the best chance for him to survive." Annabelle swiftly turned around and headed to the exit of WindClan camp. She looked sadly at Storm for few seconds, then walked out of the strange place, feeling a strange mix a grief and relief. Storm was safe, but not with her. She wished she was the one that could be his hero, but unfortunately she had to leave it to the clan cats. Putting her trust in her enemies was not something Annabelle usually did, but she didn't usually fall in love with him to just be mauled immediately after.