Coyotekit is Hit by a Monster (for Yoshi~)

Grief clung to Coyotekit's heart as she slipped out of the WindClan camp undetected. It was a frigid leaf-bare night, but she couldn't bare to sit on her paws and do nothing. Sleep wouldn't come. When she closed her eyes she could almost feel the warmth of her mother's body and smell her familiar scent. Those memories were so vivid it was cruel, yet they brought her no comfort when Coyotekit remembered that her mother had died from Greencough only a pawful of sunrises ago. Her father had passed as well earlier in the season. The light brown tabby knew it was against the warrior code for kits to be out of camp on their own, but what harm could it do? She would just wander around the territory for a little while until she felt tired enough to sleep, head back to camp, and finally get some rest.

The four-moons-old she-kit scented a change in the air. She had been wandering around a bit aimlessly, refusing to admit to herself she was lost. As she parted her jaws to get a better whiff of it, she recoiled at the acidic taste that filled her mouth and nose. She took a few steps forward until her front paws were standing on an ice cold, hard, sticky surface. What in StarClan's name is that? Coyotekit wondered. A low rumble sounded in the distance growing quite loud. Her startled face looked up at the approaching noise only to see two giant eyes as bright as the sun staring her down, getting larger and larger. The now terrified kit froze and locked her own eyes with it. Heartbeats passed before the tabby came to her sense and turned tail to run.

It was too late. Before she could get away the monster had clipped her hard enough to break bone. The young WindClanner lay on the side of the Thunderpath eyes closed, flank rising and falling in shallow breaths, her little body in shock from the pain.

Gray paws thumped against the snow-covered ground rapidly. Fernfeather had been the only cat who noticed the disappearance of one of WindClan's kits. She knew it must've been little Coyotekit; the poor thing's mother and father both were sent to StarClan after greencough snatched up their life essences. She knew what it was like to lose both parents to such harsh diseases, but at least she had her little sister Squirrelkit. Coyotekit had no one now.

Well, until now. Fernfeather was determined to find the young kit and bring her back home before she was missed.

The newly appointed warrior continued following the missing kit's scent trail, and she found it led towards the Thunderpath that separated WindClan's moor from ShadowClan's pine forest. It was very close to where she had fought that ShadowClan tom -- what was his name, Scorchpaw? -- when he crossed over to catch prey on her side.

The scent of kit was masked by the strong, foul stench of the Thunderpath. And... was that... blood?

"Oh, great StarClan, please no..." Fernfeather pleaded breathlessly to herself. She approached the edge of the rough black stone and stared out across it. Right in the center lay a tiny scrap of light brown tabby fur. She felt her stomach drop with dread, and she threw caution to the wind, rushing out onto the strange stone that was sticky and slushy underpaw.

"Coyotekit!" Fernfeather wailed when she reached the bloodied kit's side. She gently nudged her side with her muzzle, staining her dark gray nose in warm, scarlet blood. She still felt warm. And was she... breathing? "C-Coyotekit... Coyotekit, please wake up! Please!" Sweet StarClan, please let her wake up...

Dark. Pain. Cold. Slowly, she started to regain consciousness. Where am I? Eyes flitted open to see the shape of a grown she-cat looming of her, distress in her voice. Tiny forepaws scrabbled on the hard surface. A back leg kicked, the other lay limp and twisted in an awkward position. "W-what happened?" the frightened kit mewled.

Fernfeather sighed deeply in relief. "Oh, thank StarClan you're alive... Coyotekit, are you okay? Does your leg hurt?" She had noticed the broken, awkwardly stuck-out leg as soon as she had reached the little kit's side.

A wave of confusion washed over the injured kit. Why is she calling me Coyotekit? Does she... does she know me? Who is she? The she-kit took a sharp intake of air. My name.. I can't remember my name! Am I Coyotekit? StarClan... that seemed like a reference that should jog her memory too but couldn't place it. She didn't answer for several heartbeats. "My back leg hurts. I don't think I can move it. It's the one on the left."

"Don't worry, Coyotekit, I'll get you home," Fernfeather promised, drawing her tongue across Coyotekit's forehead once before gripping gently on her scruff and lifting her up.

At that moment, the ground began to rumble and a loud noise thundered closer and closer to the two cats. Fernfeather's eyes widened in fear when she saw a giant red monster heading towards them on the opposite side of the yellow stripes where they were. She tried to carry Coyotekit as quickly as she could back to WindClan's territory, but a sudden loud crash from behind caused her to instinctively look back.

She didn't know exactly what happened, it all went by in such a blur. A large object shot towards her, and the next thing she knew pain erupted in her left eye. She dropped Coyotekit on the ground as she howled in sheer agony, crouching down and covering her face with her paws, which were starting to stain red with her blood. There was something in her eye! There was something in her eye!

The kit gasped in pain as she plummeted to the ground. Fear filled her heart once more at the sound of the other cat's pain-filled cry. Another one of those horrid creatures were after them? Again? Really? "What's wrong?" she called, distressed at the older she-cat's fear-scent and the strong smell of blood.

OOC: Just remembered Ash wanted to be kept in the loop. I sent her the link & invited her to join but noticed she's offline. We'll probably finish up & then do a second topic in WC camp unless you want to wait for Ashstar to find us out here. Not sure how you want to proceed.

Oh, great Silverpelt above, it hurts! Whatever it was that hurt her, it was still lodged in there. "Owowowwwwww!!..."

(OOC: I guess we can wait until Ash comes back online and see if she wants to join this topic or wait for us to make a follow-up back in camp.)

(OOC: Sorry for the double-post, but I think we could finish this topic and then make a new one in camp inviting Ash, since I don't think the Clan leader all by herself would leave camp to look for a kit when another warrior is already out looking.)

OOC: Makes sense to me.

The injured she-kit stood shakily to her paws. Hobbling forward on three good legs, she advanced a few pawsteps from the loud monsters' dangerous pathway. "I...I think I can walk on my own. Let's hurry away from here," she called in a timid mew, turning back to make sure the older cat was following her.

Fernfeather struggled to bear the horrible pain in her eye as she stood back up. She ground her teeth together and limped over to Coyotekit, then picked her up by the scruff and limped back into the moor towards the camp.

(OOC: I guess we can make another topic in the camp now. I can make the topic and link it to you.)

OOC: Sweet! That sounds good to me :)

(OOC: Here you go!)