Recuperation [Sitewide]

It was a relief to be among her clan again. The heathery scent was weaker than she remembered, but it was a comforting blanket nonetheless, to be surrounded by familiar pelts and sets of eyes she half-recognized. After the confusing cat-tangle of Fourtrees, it seemed relatively easy to ignore the unsettling scent of Shadowclan. The dark-furred apprentice had left Fuzzpaw to enjoy his vole, not bothering to hide the lash of her tail. He was absolutely useless in his single-minded dedication to food. She spotted Russetpaw with Sleepypaw and decided not to interrupt. Everyone needed time to let what just happened sink in.

Her ear twitched as she heard Fennelkit squeak out a question. She was still getting used to being an apprentice, and the misplaced feeling that lingered in her chest made her ribs ache with homesickness. The kits must be so confused, ferried away from a home they wouldn't have seen much of and dragged to wherever had a semblance of shaky safety. Something in her softened, and any lingering anger over the chaos at Fourtrees or the Fuzzpaw incident faded. It was hard for all of them, warrior to kit, to cope with the constant paranoia that nowhere was safe. At least Highstones eased her frayed nerves with the sky stretching wide above them.

She tucked her paws under her chest and fluffed up her pelt against the wind. Shadepaw flicked her feathery tail over Fennelkit’s back comfortingly. “The two-legs invaded Fourtrees, looks like we’re hunkering down here for a while.” She mewed, and noticed Tigerkit looking just as confused a bit away. She invited him over with a twitch of her tail if he wanted. "Everyone is just a little shaken up right now."

It felt like Smallbean had held his breath the entire journey to Highstones. His lungs stung and his throat was dry, his body was begging for rest, water, energy that he didn't have. It had been so many moons since he'd last walked this journey, yet he still knew the path and direction by heart. Then, he had the assistance of travelling herbs, something that the clans currently didn't have the luxury of considering their rushed exit.

"They're.. What?" There was too much going on  for Smallbean to process Batsong's words, his mind was running far faster than any cat could. Whisperear was taken? He wanted to do something, anything to help, but he didn't know what to do. There was nothing that he could do. The twolegs had taken Whisperear, thrown them into the belly of a monster and vanished. The Twolegs, could have taken dozens of other Windclanners with them. There was no telling what could be happening to them right now, when they're coming back - if they'll be coming back at all. Smallbean knew first-hand the struggles of escaping twolegs, the hardships of the journey home. It was something he wouldn't wish on any cat.

"I'm... I'm sorry, I wasn't able to tell." Smallbean forced himself to focus, to leave the space of his head, as comforting as it was. Even if he had by chance seen some cat get captured, it would have been immediately forgotten. The entire event at Fourtrees was nothing but a blur of terror, all he could recall was running.

Batsong turned away, rushing to the side of Russetpaw, leaving Smallbean standing by Brackenwing's side. There was nobody for Smallbean to turn to like that, none besides Brackenwing, although they were never really any more than aquatinces, a mild bond between apprentice and mentor. There was nobody for him to worry about besides himself, and although he hated to worry, it made him feel lonely. He passed an awkward look over to the injured warrior before looking the other way, deciding against whatever vague idea he had to say something.

The call of Shrikestar summoned him, with a mindless gaze he stumbled toward his direction. "Whisperear is gone." He muttered once he'd grown closer, unable to tell if his voice was loud enough to reach the leader's ears. At this point he wanted nothing more than to run back home and rest in his nest, to go to sleep and wake up in a world where something like this had never happened. Going back to camp at all wasn't even an option though.

---

Beetlekit's wide eyes scanned their surroundings. Everything and everyone was unfamiliar to them, nearly everything that crossed their line of site was new or unrecognzable, whether it be the landscape or the cats from other clans. The only thing they were able to recognize was Lousekit, who they refused to let leave their side. Even though there were less cats here, Beetlekit could still hear yelling and crying coming from different directions. It was almost like they hadn't even left the place they'd just come from.

Many words rang through the air, too many to pick out from one another - not that most of the words mattered anyways. One word they did recognize referred to them: Shadowclan, spoken by the deputy; they hadn't bothered to learn her name. They listened to her as she called out, only then realizing that much of the clan was missing. Beetlekit turned to Harechaser. "Do you know where mama is?" They asked, with a hint of suspiciousness. Harechaser had said that they would find where their mother was, she'd better hold up her end of the deal.

While remaining somewhere between Lousekit and Harechaser, still watching the warrior, Beetlekit lowered themself to the rocky floor, didpleased by the roughness of the stone but relieved to rest their legs. The journey was long and difficult, and even though Harechaser had carried them for half of the time, Beetlekit's legs still ached. They'd never had to run so far before, and hoped that they never had to again. "Hey, Louse. Do you know where we are?" They whispered, leaning over to their twin's ear.

She was bringing up the back of the pack as she finally got there from fourtrees.  Exhausted the warrior went to the gathered windclan family she had left.

She looked around for her mother worried about her and unsure if she was okay.

"Coyotegrin? she called for her.  She spotted a little ways away Sleepypaw, her half sister.  She looked pretty upset understandably so.

Daisybreeze felt bad, she felt she hadnt been a great sister for Sleepy or around enough.  Her life was kinda a mess recently and she hadnt been there much at all for her younger sister.

She was trying to correct alot of mistakes from her past but that also isolated her from alot of her clan.  But today she was gonna try and turn that around and actually be there for her family or what family she had left at this point.

She slowly went closer to where Sleepy was.  It looked like her friend was comforting her... Daisybreeze didnt wanna interupt so she just gave a little wave to her younger sister from a distance.  She hoped that Sleepy knew that she was trying to get better, trying to work on things best she could.  It was just tough right now for her.  "sleepy? ... do you know where mom is?" she asked quietly not to interupt Russetpaw and Sleepy any more than she had to... but she had to know if sleepy had seen Coyotegrin and if she was okay or had been taken.

Daisybreeze hoped so much that their mom was okay but wasnt sure of anything right now




The med cat was very glad to see that Russetpaw was alright.  She stepped back allowing the apprentice room to talk with her friend while she went back over to Smallbean and Shrikestar to see if she was needed for planning or if any others had come up hurt and needed help at all.

She caught momentarly what she thought was a sad look in Smallbeans eye... but who could blame him, this was a hard time right now and it felt very dark and dreary.

"hey... itll be alright. she whispered quietly to him doing her best to reassure him... but it didnt feel alright... Whisperear someone she cared so deeply about was gone and there was nothing she could to to change that.  She was so worried for them and felt sick to her stomach that she had stood there unable to prevent what had happened.

They were gone just like that without her even having a chance to say goodbye, it was the crulest thing what the twolegs did.  Still, she forced herself to focus now, the rest of the clan neeeded her sharp and ready.  She pushed the aweful feelings she had about losing what was essentually her adopted kit deep down where she would deal with them later.  She had a job still to do and her greiving process would have to wait, the clan came before her self feelings and right now the clan was in pretty bad shape.



Swiftheart went quickly to Dusks side... Cinderkit... gone?? her ears rang on the words.  She felt like she just been hit by a monster with that news.  She looked to her mate teary eyed and burried her nose in his soft pelt.  This couldnt be happening to them.  They just finished dealing with disaster after disaster.  What more did starclan want to take from her.  Now her brother and her kit were gone too?  She had never felt this low in her life.  She usually could somehow find some silver lining in almost any bad situaition... some hope to cling onto or some way to make something from a bad situation.  But she couldnt find anything, not this time.  She felt heavier like the world was crashing down on her back. She felt dizzy, she sat next to Duskflight leaning gently on him just so glad that he was safe and that they had not taken him too.   The full gravity of everything was now setting in after all the fear and adreneline was wearing off 

"They are gonna be okay.  I know they will be... they have to be"

she stared off into the distance at nothingness with eyes tearing over.

"right? they are gonna come back home right?"

she wasnt sure why she was doing this to herself, just building up a false hope that would never come to pass.

"dusk?"

Flutterpetal wasn't sure how he'd gotten to Highstones. He didn't remember a step of the journey. All he knew was that moments ago, he'd been at Fourtrees. He'd heard the loud, unintelligible calls of Twolegs as they stomped around the clearing. He'd heard the desperate calls and screams of those who had been taken. He'd seen Whisperear... Whisper.... He shivered against the cold. Something inside of him felt empty. Hollow. He didn't like it. Now, somehow, he'd made it to Highstones. He saw a few cats he knew. Brackenwing, Shrikestar, Daisybreeze. They were huddled, talking. No words made it into Flutterpetal's ears. Where was Adder? He'd just been with his brother moments ago. He could've been right next to him, for all he knew. Nothing made sense anymore. Tired, confused, afraid, the small black tom could do nothing but lay down on the ground and curl up into a ball. He screwed his eyes shut tight. Maybe everything would go back to normal if he went to sleep and woke up. Maybe if he couldn't see the world, it would stop existing. Maybe... maybe he would stop existing.