A Spotty Commotion

Spotpaw came running into camp ahead of Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle. "Ivystar!" He called, panting. He was still heartbroken and shocked, but Ivystar had to be informed.

OOC: sorry short trash post

The silver warrior slipped out of her den to find out what the cause of the commotion was. Her fur stood on end at the urgency of the apprentice's tone, what could have happened? "Is it ThunderClan? Have they come for another invasion?"

Scorchpaw stuck his head out of the apprentice's den on hearing the call. He quickly made out the form of Spotpaw and realized that he must have been the one who had called out. Unease that he could not suppress crawled up his spine. What had happened? Something within told him that it was nothing good. Please don't let it really be a ThunderClan attack. His vivid green eyes narrowed as he waited for the older apprentice to speak.

Smokewish climbed slowly out of the warriors den with a yawn. What was going on? She perked her ears and walked over to the gathering group of cats. ”Spotpaw? What’s going on?” she mewed, after hearing his voice first. Something wasn’t right. Was it ThunderClan? If it was, did that mean Spotpaw was trying to prove his loyalty? What if it was something worse? A predator loose, maybe? Or a pack of wild dogs? The grey warrior was scared of what was to come, but she didn’t let it show. She stood up taller and watched the situation unfold.

OOC: nope really is a trash post that doesn't make sense oh well

IC: Spotpaw began to calm down, but was still on edge. The fox wouldn't stay away for long. His face calmed from a scared, sad agitation to just simply grief. "Duckpuddle, Wolfpaw, Da- Darkpaw and I were hunting when a fox came and we fought it. The fox ran off, but it won't stay away for long, I know it. The- The fox isn't even the worst part, it- it-" He looked down, tears bubbling and falling. "It killed Darkpaw! She's dead! It threw her against a tree, and now she's gone!" He calmed his voice to be softer and he looked back up at his clanmates. "Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle are carrying her bo- bo- body back to camp."

The leader couldn't say anything at hearing Spotpaw's words, all she could do was looking off to the side with grief tearing down her strength. Another apprentice lost, another life taken by the Stars. It wasn't unusual for predators to get bold in Leafbare, they struggled to feed their young as much as they did, but to think it happened to them. Where was the luck in that? They had ThunderClan to the east, WindClan to the North, and now predators in their own home turf. Had StarClan abandoned them all together?

"The fox, I'll send a warrior after it. It must be the one that Otterleap was telling me about... Are you okay, Spotpaw? What about Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle?" She wanted to run after the beast herself, break it into pieces for what it had done but that would serve no purpose but sate her anger. She would organise a patrol later, first, they mourned Darkpaw and ensured that their wounded were treated. What little herbs they had were needed...

OOC: Should Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle come like now?

RoawImKoatt wrote:

OOC: Should Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle come like now?

sure

Duckpuddle was oddly tired. She had carried prey and other various things back to camp many times, but the fact that she was carrying the dead body of one of her Clanmates seemed to make everything seem heavier and slower. The body seemed to weigh more than it actually was, even though she was being assisted by Wolfpaw. The she-cat still couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was StarClan's way of revenge, but if there was any reason to believe that it was just Darkpaw's time, and that the feud with ThunderClan had nothing to do with this, then Duckpuddle was ready to believe it. The sleek brown she-cat padded into camp with a dullness in her green eyes. She never knew Darkpaw that well, but she knew that many were very close to the dead apprentice. Gently setting the limp body down, Duckpuddle glanced over at Wolfpaw with a sad, sympathetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Ivystar," The warrior began, softly, "I was the only warrior with them on the patrol, and I should've supervised and watched them better. Darkpaw shouldn't be dead..."
She trailed off at the end and slowly stared down at her brown paws.

Spotpaw blinked. "No, Ivystar. The rest of us are just fine. It could've attacked anyone... Except me... I was on top of it, which helped drive it away." He looked over towards Wolfpaw and Duckpuddle and immediately looked away and down, wincing at the sight of Darkpaw.

Smokewish winced as she saw Darkpaw’s body. She fixed her eyes on the ground, forcing the tears back. She was a good, loyal apprentice who had been taken far too soon by StarClan. She would have made a great warrior one day. ”May StarClan light her path.” she whispered in respect, trying not to let the grief shake her voice. She hadn’t known the she-cat well, but she was an old denmate. Any loss of life was always worth grieving about, unless it was a piece of prey or a bloodthirsty predator.

When he and Duckpuddle had layed down Darkpaws body he layed down by her side without looking at any of the cats. Tears where still pouring out of his eyes "Why Darkpaw?.." he wisperd quietly. He slowly looked at Darkpaws body from her head to her tail, her pelt where bloody and scruffy, he slowly started to groom her 'she may be dead but he still loves her and when she got buried she shall look good' he thought as he where grooming her dark grey fur.

Scorchpaw's eyes widened in shock upon hearing Spotpaw's words. For a few moments, he could not think of anything to say, his mind not yet fully registering what he had heard. Then Duckpuddle and Wolfpaw emerged, bearing Darkpaw's body, and reality finally hit him. Darkpaw was dead. When he saw her, a distant memory flashed briefly before his eyes; when he had been a kit many moons ago and had seen Darkpaw for the first time. How different she looked now, her body lying broken and unmoving on the ground. Her blue-gray fur was ragged and stained with blood. He wanted to look away from the ghastly sight, but for some reason his body would not let him. In the end, it seemed that she would never become a warrior like she had told him she would. The fox had claimed her life before that could happen. Scorchpaw clenched his jaws tightly. His heart was a mixture of anger and grief. Anger, towards the fox that had claimed Darkpaw's life, and grief, for Wolfpaw who loved Darkpaw. It was the fluffy tom's first time losing a clanmate since he had become a apprentice.

Why? The silent question echoed in his mind. Why did this have to happen?