Lost Sparks [Open]

There was a heaviness to Flintstar's steps as he padded into the camp, giving a long look behind him to make sure that Loudpaw and Frostpaw had remained by his side. The whole situation... He gave his head a shake, stepping to the middle of the clearing to gently remove the body that had been sprawled against his back before he stepped away to take in the still form of Foxspark. The whole situation had started out... Rookfire had needed to step out to grab some herbs - it should have been a quick trip so Foxspark had gone out with him but when they hadn't returned... The leader had chosen to take his apprentice out to go searching for the missing medicine cat and warrior - only for Frostpaw to request to join once she realized what they were looking for. While there had been no trace of Rookfire to be found, Foxspark had... It was clear it was the work of the rogues - seems Foxspark had managed to win the fight but never managed to make it back to camp to get help. It still raised the question what had happened to Rookfire but... "...ShadowClan!" he called out, glancing around at his Clanmates. "May you please gather?"

Frostpaw had fallen into step next to Flintstar, returning to camp with his usual icy exterior. This time, however, it was warranted. He had been in camp as Flintstar and Loudpaw had been about to head out, having overheard Flintstar say something about searching for Rookfire and Foxspark. He knew that Foxspark was his mentor's mate, and he had nothing better to do, so he may as well attempt to find him. They had searched for a little while before finding his body. Rookfire was nowhere to be found.

When Flintstar began removing the body, Frostpaw gently got under it, enough to give the body a soft landing. He would not disrespect the bodies of the fallen, especially one that was Shadowclan. Once the body had been placed, his gaze searched for Shira. She'd know the news when she saw the body, but he hoped that she wouldn't be... too affected. It was unkind of him to think such selfish thoughts though, and so he sat a little ways away from the body, eyes watchful of who would gather.

The sound of Flintstar's voice roused Webshadow from his fitful dozing, and he slowly lifted his head, looking towards the Jaggedrock. But.. Flintstar wasn't up there. Turning his head, he spotted the leader trailing into camp with two apprentices and– and–

And with a body. His father's body.

On slow, shaky legs, he rose, padding over one step at a time. Was that really Foxspark? No, it couldn't be, but– but who else could it be? Webshadow ended up just in front of his father, paws only a whisker away from his muzzle. "What– what– Flintstar?" He tried, not lifting his eyes. "Wha– but... but dad? What? Wh– why?"

Loudpaw entered camp behind Flintstar and Frostpaw, missing that energy he usually had, no bounce in his step. He watched as they set the dead cat in the clearing, thinking about how this would affect the clan. He didn't know Foxspark that much, but it still made him want to cry. He didn't though, instead he went to look for his sister Basilpaw, he knew she'd be upset at her mentor's disappearance. He just felt...numb, a bit. He had barely said anything on the way back from finding the body.

At the sound of Flintstar's cracking call, Cheetahdawn padded lamely out of the warrior's den.

And as it would appear, another of the Clan's cats had died. This time, it was Foxspark, she saw as the two apprentices and leader levered the cat to the ground. He looked.... pretty bad. Probably the work of the rogues just outside of camp. Huffing, Cheetahdawn came to sit an observant distance away from the carcass. She hadn't known Foxspark all that well, but it was still an unfortunate sight to see. "May StarClan light your path, Foxspark," she muttered dully. "May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter where you sleep."

Meanwhile, Webshadow looked absolutely heart-wrenched. Cheetahdawn sniffed, getting up to plod toward the warrior. She'd appreciated his help when she'd lost her eye, it only made sense that she tried to comfort him now. Her tail-tip rested on his shoulder as she side-eyed him sympathetically. "I'm sorry.... Losing a parent is heartbreaking." Fuzzy images of Moonshine, what she remembered of her mother from her first few moons of life, flashed through her mind. "Foxspark's death won't be in vain. He was a great warrior, I'm sure, and an ever greater father."

OOC: Shira refers to Foxspark as just Spark because that was the name that she knew him by for so long.

Shira was resting in the warrior's den.  She hadn't seen Foxspark in a while, but she wasn't too worried.  She knew that he was most likely on a patrol and she was never one to not give her mate space.  Honestly, she probably gave him too much space, but that had never occurred to her.  Soon, her eyes felt heavy.  She didn't get great sleep ever, so she would take any when it came.  The lids of her eyes went down till her eyes were fully closed and she drifted off into a world of darkness and dreams.

Her eyes quickly fluttered open when she heard Flintstar call the clan to gather.  He didn't say to gather at Jaggedrock, which made Shira wonder what was going on, because it couldn't be a warriors ceremony.  She walked out of the den and towards where Flintstar was, stopping in her tracks by what she saw.

Shira's claws pierced the ground below her.  No.  No, no, no, no, no.  She thought, walking towards the limp body.  Shira saw that Webshadow was at the front of him, so she went to the side without much thought.  Her mouth was trembling and her legs felt like she couldn't stand.  No, Spark... not you.  She put her head down and nudged his side, saying, "S-Spark."  She let her face rest against part of his fur.  The fact that he was colder than normal made her shiver.  Water started to run down her face, which rarely happened for the she-cat.

Eventually, she lifted her head.  She turned her head to look at the eyes of her mate.  She almost hoped that somehow she could see a little life left on in him.  She wanted the hope that the medicine cat could help him.  She wanted to look in his eyes and see that warmth that he had that she loved so much.  But all she saw was a cold, unblinking, soulless stare.  She was shaking.  "Why did it need to be you?"

She rested her tail on Webshadow's back briefly.  She knew that this was hard for him as well, but she didn't think about that long.  She then found something suspicious.  The wounds and marks he had looked similar to marks a cat would make.  "Who did this?"  She whispered, then realized no one could hear her.  "Flintstar, who did this?  Who killed my mate?  Was it one of those rogues?  What did they look like?  I'll go kill every single one of them if I have to!"  Even though she called to the leader, she didn't leave her dead mate's side.  Water from Shira's eyes still dripped and even though her words were filled with anger, all of it only came from a place of pain.

Flintstar watched quietly as his Clan gathered, a few cats stepping forward to whisper words to Foxspark before finally Shira stepped out of the warrior's den and rushed to her mate's side. He said nothing until she demanded answers, giving a sad shake of his head. "I can't say for sure what happened - Foxspark had gone out to guard Rookfire while he collected herbs - it was suppose to be a quick trip. When they did not return when expected, I went out with Loudpaw and Frostpaw to find them. We..." He took in a deep sigh. "We only found Foxspark. It was rogues to be sure, but he either won the battle or managed to escape - he simply...Did not make it help on time but it was clear where we found him was not where the battle had transpired. But I swear to you, Shira, we will work harder on determining where Vea and her rogues are hiding and make them pay for every bit of blood they are determined to spill."

Shira was physically shaking, even though she greatly tried to hide it.  She was filled with sadness.  Anger in her also grew, at both the rogues and herself.  She listened to what the leader said, but it wasn't enough for her.  She needed to do something herself.  Spark wasn't even born a Shadowclanner.  Both of them were rogues themselves for a lot of there lives.  When would the nightmare end?  When would the rogues stop hurting them?  Throughout all of her life, the rogues never stopped hurting her and Spark.  She just wanted to live without that pain for once.

She didn't say anything back to Flintstar, instead she just turned back to her mate.  She twined her tail with Spark.  She couldn't feel the warmth.  She couldn't feel his spirit.  "It can't be you," she mumbled.

"This has to just be a nightmare."  She was trying to convince herself that it wasn't real.  She couldn't imagine a life without Spark.  She had never thought to imagine it.  She wiped away her tears with her tail and turned to see those who had gathered around, but didn't say a word.  She rushed out of camp, trying to act like she was going to revenge, but honestly she was going to try to find a place where she could cry alone.

Flintstar blinked as Shira suddenly rushed past him, opening his mouth to call after her before he paused with a frown. "...Somebody go after her," he meowed, glancing back at his Clanmates. He wanted to be angry - her mate had just died yet she was practically throwing herself to them? But...He also couldn't imagine how he would react if he was to lose Freckleface. "The rogues who did this can still be out there and I am not losing another Clanmate today," he meowed as his tail lashed, before he gave a shake of his head. "Give her space thought if she chooses to only mourn. Just makes sure she remains safe. Meanwhile, we will prepare the body for burial."

Cheetahdawn's approach made Webshadow stiffen, but the tom welcomed her presence with a nod. "Thank you," he murmured, flicking his tail against her flank. He didn't know what else to say, and the hot tears pricking at his eyes and the tightness in his throat gave him plenty of excuse not to speak. He just nodded again, eyes fixed on Foxspark's body.

Then his mother approached, anger lacing her mew, and Webshadow finally looked up. She looked heartbroken and furious, and his chest tightened at the thought that she had to see Foxspark like this. Before he could move closer, put his head on her chin and be there in the best way he could, she had taken off. Disappeared into the territory, and Flintstar was talking, and he was getting to his paws and–

"I'll go. I'll– I'll go." Webshadow had already picked up quite the trot, nearly tripping over himself just to stop and make the announcement. He paused, giving Flintstar a withered look, before hurrying off to follow after Shira.

A commotion in the clearing made Basilpaw look up from her current task; before Rookfire had set out with Foxspark to collect herbs, he had asked her to sort through their current stock and pick out any that looked too dried up or rotting.  However, as cries of sadness began to reach the apprentice's ears, the plants were abandoned and the flurry tortoiseshell raced out of the medicine den to see what was happening, amber eyes wide and concerned.  Is someone hurt?  Oh StarClan, I've only been a medicine cat for a couple of days now, I don't think I could treat someone without Rookfire!  Very quickly though, Basilpaw realized that it was much worse than a hurt paw or thorn poke...much worse.

The she-cat's breath caught in her throat at the sight of Foxspark, covered in blood and clearly dead.  Oh no...oh, his poor family, what happened to him?  Taking a few hesitant steps forward, Basilpaw caught sight of Shira and Webshadow, clearly distraught.  Her heart ached for them, she couldn't imagine what it would feel like to lose someone beloved to you.  After a moment though, she realized something.  Wait, if Foxspark is dead, and Rookfire was with him...  Flintstar's booming voice quickly confirmed her suspicions...and she felt as if a thousand rocks had crashed down onto her body.  "Rookfire...m-missing?"  Her paws were shaking badly, forcing her to take a quick steadying step.  No, no he couldn't be!  He promised to train her, to be by her side...they were going to work together as medicine cats!  Now though, he was gone...and she hardly knew how to treat a scratch.

Through her stunned gaze, she noticed Loudpaw approach her, and she quickly pressed herself against him in an attempt to stabilize herself, but it was unsuccessful.  Closing her eyes, she leaned her head on his shoulder and took in a deep, stuttering breath; "Oh Loudy...what am I going to do now?"  She watched in a daze as Shira raced out of camp, Webshadow in her wake.  She recalled Rookfire mentioning that chamomile - an herb he gave her to treat her heart - could also ease sadness.  Perhaps if she saw them later she could offer them some.  For now though, she detached herself from her brother and padded forward through the crowd, gazing down at Foxspark's broken body.  She had never seen a dead cat before, only prey...but she was sad to say that they looked remarkably similar.  A low growl rumbled in the she-cat's throat; these rogues are hunting ShadowClan like mice, are they heartless?  Who could possibly find it within themselves to take the life of another?  Despicable.  Bending her head, Basilpaw pressed her nose to Foxspark's cheek and whispered; "I'm so sorry...I hope you find peace in StarClan."  She hadn't known the warrior very well, but if she was to be medicine cat, it was now her job to show kindness to all her clanmates, not just her family and friends.

As her thoughts wandered back to her position though, the young tortoiseshell approached Flintstar, deep anxiety and worry apparent on her face.  "Flintstar, if Rookfire has gone missing, then who will I learn from?  He only trained me for a couple days..."  She recalled the StarClan medicine cat's words during her ceremony, that she would never be alone and that the stars would guide her.  Would StarClan train her?  Somehow, despite all their power, that didn't seem possible.  Her breath was coming quick and panicked now as she tried to find a solution, a single desperate question taking over her mind.

How am I supposed to be a medicine cat without a mentor?

Flintstar watched as Webshadow raced from the camp after his mother, a huff escaping the leader before he turned at another voice and found himself looking down at Basilpaw. ...Ah, right. At least ShadowClan was not without a medicine cat again but she her train had barely started. There was nobody fit in the camp to train her - perhaps he could ask the other Clans at the next Gathering but... Rookfire...What had happened to the tom? It seemed like only a few moons ago he had received his name and - Flintstar suddenly paused at that, ears perking as he scoured the camp for a familiar pelt. "...Batglow. He was raised by my sister, Mothglow before her passing - she taught him some of the basics. I will speak with him and assign him to help you and perhaps continuing your teaching as much as he is able until we speak to the other medicine cats - as dangerous as traveling through our territory is, perhaps they can think of a way to help you continue your training."

The sight that Stagleap's eyes found when he padded into the clearing was one that he wished that he would never have to see. "Spark?" The tom's mouth dropped open as he stared at the body that laid in the middle of the clearing. It was unmistakably Spark's. "W-what?" All he could do is stare wide-eyed at his friends body, frozen in place. Even if a cat passed by his vision, or blocked his sight from Spark, he didn't have the will to step forward. His life-long friend, a cat he had known as long as he could remember, was gone forever. He could feel tears welling up, threatening to spill from his eyes. "Why did it have to be him?" He muttered, barely audible. Anything other cats said blurred together, the fact that the medicine cat was missing wasn't even a problem to him- at least not at the moment. Finally moving from the spot he stood at, he retreated back into the warrior's den without saying another word.

Mistyfalcon lifted his head as Flintstar and the two apprentices padded into camp, and Mistyfalcon wearily got to his paws, feeling his heart sink at the sight of the body that Flintstar carried. Foxspark... Yet another clanmate lost to these stars-forsaken rogues. He hadn't known the ex-Asylum tom well, or at all really, but he'd been a clanmate. He'd fought with them at fourtrees against the Asylum. He hadn't deserved an end like this.

He padded over to Loudpaw's side, tail resting against his son's shoulder. Finding the dead was never pleasant, and there was little Mistyfalcon could say that would lessen that shock.

And Rookfire was missing... Taken by twolegs. Mistyfalcon closed his eyes, silently cursing whatever twisted game Starclan seemed to be playing. Rookfire had been a competent medicine cat, and now he was gone. And Basilpaw had just lost her mentor, despite only having been a medicine cat for a few days. It was more than Cinderpaw had gotten with Mothglow, he supposed, but it still left the clan in a precarious spot.

Basilpaw's quiet words as she pressed into Loudpaw's side reached his ears, and Mistyfalcon glanced at her, then at Flintstar. Cinderpaw... Mothglow had died before even being able to name Cinderpaw as an official medicine cat apprentice. Actually, Cinderpaw had outright refused until Mothglow's body had been laying in their camp. Cinderpaw had still trained however, the medicine cats were above some of the rules that separated the clans from each other. "Didn't... Thunderclan's medicine cat help train Cinderpaw?" His words were directed toward Flintstar. Maybe the Thunderclan medicine cats would help them as they had in the past. The last thing Basilpaw needed was the stress of the entire clan on her shoulders without someone to guide her, and while Mistyfalcon knew the bare basics and Batglow knew a bit more, the two of them were no replacement for a true medicine cat that had trained for moons in the ways of healing.

Loudpaw found his sister, and she looked terrified at Flintstar's news about Rookfire. He curled his tail around her's as she leaned against him, but stumbling for a second. She tried again, this time on her head on his shoulder. Mistyfalcon joined his kits, resting his tail on Loudpaw's other shoulder. He flicked his ears when Basilpaw asked him what she was going to do. He wanted to answer her so bad. If only he knew.

Loudpaw watched as cats gathered around Foxspark. He focused on one she-cat in particular, one crouched down by the corpse, looking absolutely devastated. Perhaps she's his mate or sister, he realized. Loudpaw spectated as the she-cat spoke with Flintstar, but the apprentice wasn't really listening. He was transfixed on her face, the pain and anger in her eyes. He felt it too. During the conversation with his mentor the she-cat rushed off out of the camp. He heard Flintstar say something, then another cat went after her.

Loudpaw felt his sister leave his side, and watched as she padded towards Flintstar. He wasn't sure why exactly, but suddenly he planted his face in his father's fur, starting to cry quietly. The desperateness on that she-cat's face, in his sister's voice, he wanted that to never happen again. He knew one way to do that is to take extra care of himself and his family. He silently made a promise to himself, to be cautious as he could. He couldn't die.