the king is dead, long live the king (clan event)

Leopardstar padded through the territory, trying to get back home as soon as possible while still keeping a pace slow enough for the weak cats who had been trapped for moons to keep up. Although he was astonished to find himself standing on top of the Great Rock in one moment and stuck in a dark, wet cave the next, the ShadowClan leader was relieved to see his daughter, his deputy, and two of his warriors. They were weak but still alive. It was good that the mist that had taken them all and guarded the cave entrance had faded away, but Leopardstar would get the scoop on that from his senior warriors as soon as they got back into the familiar clearing. His tail flicked back and forth, and he glanced repeatedly at Magpiewing to make sure his closest friend didn't disappear once more while his back was turned. For now, however, the leader said nothing and mentally scolded himself for his impatience.

As the group trotted painfully on, they finally breached the camp entrance and found themselves back into the safe camp clearing, pleasant scents and sounds greeting them warmly.

Wilowpaw was relaxing at the base of Jaggedrock when the group returned.
Her ears shot up and she looked around as others started forward. "Leopardstar! Magpiewing! You're home!"
She padded towards Olivepaw with a grin, nudging her shoulder. "Ashpaw's gonna be glad to see you," She mewed.

She took a step back, her eyes shining as the returning warriors stood tall. "What happened? Where did Smokefang take you?"

Olivepaw padded silently behind her father through the familiar territory of ShadowClan, her usual lively olive eyes, now a dull green. Her usual sleek spotted pelt was now ragged and hung to her frame loosely. She was starving. She felt like she had not eaten in moons, and she didn't even remember what it felt like to have a full belly. Even the thought of digging into a nice plump toad made her mouth water in anticipation. As they entered into the camp's clearing, a sigh of relief was released from her chest. It was finally over. She was finally home, and she could see her family again. And.. Ashpaw. Oh how she missed the goofy tom while she was gone. A little light returned to her dull gaze at the thought of him, and she searched the gathering of surprised cats for him. The cat who approached her first was not the one she had hoped for. "Hey Willowpaw." She greeted the she-cat wearily, though perking a bit at the mention of Ashpaw. "Where is he? Have you seen him?" She questioned hopefully.

Honeydrop stuck her head out of the medicine den when she heard footsteps tramping into camp, bringing with them familiar and slightly unfamiliar smells. Ever since they got back from the Gathering, she and Roaringblaze had been getting herbs and poultices and healing cats nonstop, and they really needed a break- but she insisted that their Clanmates were more important. She had been trying to put their lack of leader or deputy out of her mind until she got the important business out of the way first, but it had been a consistently nagging worry in the back of her head. A huge weight lifted from her heart as she saw Leopardstar and the other missing cats stumble back into ShadowClan camp where they belonged. "Oh my S-StarClan!" the golden dappled she-cat yelped, equal parts excited, worried, and relieved. She immediately left the poultice to prevent infection that she had been putting together and scrambled out of the medicine den to the group of previously lost cats. Her leader, her deputy, her Clanmates. "W-what happened? I'm g-g-glad you're b-back! I th-thought S-S-Smokefang and the M-Mist had taken y-you! W-what can I d-do?"

OOC: IF YOUR SC CHARACTER IS GENJI NEEDS HEALING TELL ME EITHER IC OR OOC. I'm too lazy to look up everyone who got hurt at the Gathering and their individual stats ;w;

OOC: May you please heal Cedarpaw and (maybe, if we are not making the topic of healing we talked about before) Firepaw? :3.

IC:
The brown is she-cat padded into the camp breathing heavily because of the multiple injuries she had during the battle against Smokefang. Her blue eyes looked happily how the leader and the other missing had finally returned again but soon again she started searching for the golden pelt of the medicine cat, impatiently. Cedarpaw approached her, flicking hear tail anxiously. "Honeydrop! I think that I got scratched up during the gathering... Do you think to have something that could help to feel better?" She said, feeling that she could fell down at any second from now. She didn't know how much time she would keep her body standing and she was also worried about her sister, Curlypaw.

Willowpaw stepped forward. "I need healing too... that Mist..."
She had previously hidden her wounds- The medicine cat needed to heal more important members.


OOC: short and garbage

(occ: gib my confused cinnamon roll some of those herbs too fam)

Ryeheart had never been more conflicted in his life.

As soon as they had gotten back from Fourtrees, the young warrior had flopped down in a secluded corner of the camp, his legs folded beneath his body as he stared away at nothing, his icy eyes swirling with thoughts of recent memories.  The brief logic and clarity he had contained while planning out his entry into the Mist was gone, to be replaced with a foggy mix of confusion, grief, and overwhelming exhaustion.  The tribe queen's blood that had soaked his white front and paws was beginning to dry, making his strange, startled silence look all the more unnerving.  He looked as if he was caught in a perplexing dream, yet his eyes were still very much open.

Did I really do that?  I killed Swoop....I brought down the Mist...I saved the Clans....I killed a kit's mother....But it might've been a mercy to him....she was still his mother, and I took that away from him....did I really need to kill her?  Maybe I could've just knocked her down, or crippled her....or.....  With a long sigh, Ryeheart closed his eyes as a visible shiver ran down his body, and he tucked his sore limbs even farther beneath him.  Does this make me....a murderer?  A killer, like that cat Rockthorn was?  The code says that warriors do not kill....unless it is needed in self defense.  Well, Smokefang was threatening our lives...but was Swoop?  She was just the messenger, the host.  Is it fair to kill the carrier just to get rid of the disease?  Maybe it is when the sickness is a supernatural Mist that takes orders from it...

Despite himself, Ryeheart let out a bit of a self-deprecating laugh, and hissed under his breath; "I thought this would feel more heroic...ha, most likely it would be.  I'm probably just making it too complicated for myself..."  His eyes finally lost their glossy texture, and he glanced around just in time to see Leopardstar, Magpiewing, and the other missing cats arriving back at camp.  A little bit of relief seemed to battle the anxiety that plagued him, and the golden-ginger tabby found the strength to rise to his paws.  I guess someone will need to tell them what happened...should it really be me?  Emerging into the main clearing, he glanced around to see some cats going to Honeydrop for healing, others beginning to greet their returning friends and comrades.

Ryeheart pushed his way through the crowd until he came face-to-face with Leopardstar, the young tom's face unusually serious for his largely energetic demeanor.  He wasn't used to facing higher-ranking cats like this; giving them the information instead of getting it from them, but he was prepared.  With a slight nod towards Honeydrop who was beside him, asking about the leader's health, Ryeheart blinked up at Leopardstar respectfully and began to speak, his voice strangely strained and subdued.  "Leopardstar, welcome back.  It's so good to see that you and the rest of the missing cats returned safely.  After you..."

For a moment Ryeheart lost his voice, his mouth open but not making a sound.  Quickly though, he found himself and launched into the explanation, his voice edged with a resounding tone of guilt.  "After you were taken by the Mist, a cat named Smokefang appeared thanks to Swoop, and she said that she was the leader of the Dark Forest.  She started attacking the Clans with the help of the Mist.  She was so powerful...even the deputies didn't stand a chance, most of them were knocked out with one blow!  The Mist took out all the apprentices, and any cat who tried to attack Smokefang or Swoop were defeated."  Taking a deep breath, Ryeheart's face suddenly seemed very kit-like and young, his eyes round and body hunched to the ground as if he was begging for forgiveness.  His voice came out as a cry despite his efforts, and he only hoped that his leader wouldn't think him a coward for his confused feeling of grief.  "Except me.  I noticed that Smokefang could heal herself by calling on the Mist, but every time she did that it got weaker and weaker.  I managed to find a way to get through a fading spot in the wall that was blocking Swoop, and I...I killed her!"  Shifting his gaze down towards his paws, the young tom's fluffy tail flopped down flat in the dirt.  "Smokefang vanished after that, I think a WindClan cat finished off what was left of the Mist, but...I killed Swoop Leopardstar."  With a shaking sigh, the bloody young warrior sat back onto his haunches, head bowed as he awaited his leader's reaction.  Will he be mad?  Happy?  Amazed?  Furious?  Impressed?  Not sad though, or confused or guilty....he's not weak like I am.  Man, I thought I would feel strong after this, victorious even!  Why does it feel like I just got scolded by StarClan themselves?