Clinging to the Shadows [OPEN]

The calico retreated along the thunderpath, head and tail low. The old injuries from being thrown around by that wave still stung, and a few fresher marks made her wince every once in a while as she plodded forward. Night would be upon the forest soon, and she clung to the desperate hope that with it would come one of her clanmates. She had to find them, they couldn't all be gone.

A sudden rush of several monsters ran past on the thunderpath, and Harechaser hissed, leaping into the undergrowth as quickly as she could. The breeze the monsters stirred up was acrid and foul, and muddied her ability to scent anything. She'd been following the border enough to recognize Thunderclan territory... And the monsters had sent her running right into it rather than remain by the filthy thunderpath any longer. The young tortoiseshell shivered, wide mismatched eyes flitting around the thick underbrush of the unfamiliar forest landscape, realizing that she... wasn't quite sure which way she had run. She'd just wanted to get away from the filth.

Well, it wasn't like her day could get any worse, right? "Swiftheart, Nightstalker... If you two are out there..." She muttered, then fell silent. How likely were her siblings to be in the territory of another clan? Harechaser didn't know. But if she couldn't find them, then... She didn't know what she would do.

The member 'kjSage' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Invasion Dice' :

Nightstalker was prowling Thunderclan territory for a bite to eat, and a little bit of alone time. The camp was typically crowded with both Thunderclan and Shadowclan cats alike, and he understood the need for space, he himself needed it a little more than he'd typically would on the regular. He was on Shadowclan and Thunderclans border, hoping to catch a look into the territory, and just hoping for some stragglers. And well- he found one! He didn't recognize them at first, but a feeling of happiness made it into his chest as he recognized them as Harechaser!

"Harechaser! I'm glad you're safe!" He meowed, padding his way over quickly and swiftly to touch his head to hers. "Shadowclan is safe... for the most part. Come, lets get you cleaned up, fed, and treated. We've been hunkering in Thunderclan camp until the day that our home becomes livable again."

"Nightstalker!" Harechaser had been tense at the sound of approaching pawsteps, but upon seeing her older brother she relaxed, relief evident in the lines of her narrow shoulders. "I'm so glad I found you, finally! I'm not sure where I wound up, but it wasn't clan territory, that's for sure." She chirped, affectionately returning the head bump with one of her own.

So Shadowclan was staying with Thunderclan, and their home wasn't livable. She had guessed at least the second part. "I'd been walking along the thunderpath... It looks like a huge mess even from there." Harechaser shivered, "Did Swiftheart wind up with you? Or Roseburn or dad? What about Echomist?" Now that she'd found Nightstalker, she needed to know that the rest of their family was safe.

"Echomist and Swiftheart are with Skyclan, as for dad... he was with us in Thunderclan. He passed away just a few nights ago in his sleep." Nightstalker mewed, turning his gaze away shamefully. "Froststar is also very unwell. He's with Skyclan as well." He didn't want to be looking at his sister when she learned the fate of Mistyfalcon, guilt rising up in his chest. Surely if he was more present, Mistyfalcon would still be alive, maybe he'd have found more strength in himself if he was around more?

"Skyclan, really?" Harechaser might have been a little miffed, "Do we really think our clanmates are safe there? Dad's right that they're nothing but trouble. I wasn't even on their territory, just walking along the thunderpath and one of their stupid warriors attacked me." Harechaser huffed. She was skeptical, to say the least. Her wounds stung, though she didn't think they'd be too bad if she saw a medicine cat. The older ones from being caught up in the violent flooding didn't smell right, however.

But that skeptical annoyance quickly faded as Nightstalker continued, and Harechaser's ears flattened against her skull. "No..." Dad couldn't be dead. Sure he'd been frail when the flood had swept Shadowclan away, but he'd been healthy. Or as healthy as an elder could really be, at least Harechaser had thought so. She'd taken him for short walks outside of camp and he'd been fine.

Her vision stung as she pressed against Nightstalker. "Foxdung-" She choked out. She hadn't even known. She'd been wandering, had taken far too long in getting back to the forest, and now dad was gone. Nightstalker's mention of Froststar being ill hardly fazed her. Froststar wasn't family. He wasn't the only remaining parent she'd had left. Tears wet her cheeks as she stared at the ground, unable to speak.