The Broken Coyote and Blinded Fern (OPEN)

Fernfeather limped back into camp, carrying Coyotekit in her mouth, her left eye squinted shut and bleeding profusely. She placed the lost, injured kit in the snow in the center of the camp and collapsed next to her, whimpering and panting in blinding agony. "A-Ashstar... Mottleh-heart... Help us..." she whimpered out.

The injured she-kit mewed weakly as she was lowered to the snowy floor, her brown fur fluffed out in an attempt to warm herself.

OOC: Sorry this took so long :')

IC: Ashstar ran out of her den at the smell of blood, panicking more than a little. She had been extremely antsy lately, with all of the tension around, and she was afraid for her Clan. When she saw one of her youngest warriors, Fernfeather, with a bleeding eye and a bleeding kit, her anxiety only raised. "Mottleheart! Featherpaw! You're needed!" she yowled after a brief moment of panic, her leaderly instincts taking over. She grabbed the young kit by the scruff of its neck- very, very gently- and began to usher it over to the medicine den, gesturing for the nearest warrior to help Fernfeather. Questions could wait for later.

Quailfeather had been taking a relaxing nap under the shelter of the Tallrock, due to the apprentices cleaning up around the warrior's den, but she awoke immediately at the sound of yowling and the scent of blood. Her frosty blue eyes caught sight of her former apprentice seriously injured, and she gasped in horror. Fernfeather had been like a daughter to her, and she was just as terrified and worried as she would have been if Laurelsong had been bleeding in camp. "Oh no! Fernfeather, what happened?!" the light gray speckled warrior shrieked, dashing forwards up to the much younger she-cat. "Come on, lean on me, we'll get you to Mottleheart. He'll know what to do." Supporting the gray she-cat as best she could, the senior warrior began to shakily guide her, as quickly as possible, after Ashstar. "You'll be okay... Don't worry...." But would she?

Mottleheart sighed softly to himself as he sat crouched in the medicine cat den, sorting through what herbs they had. Their number was slowly dwelling thanks to the cold season that was upon them but he was certain he had enough to make due until they could get more. That was when he heard voices and the scent of blood that drifted through the air. His ears swirled backwards as he heard Ashstar calling for him and Featherpaw, getting to his paws as he poked his head out to see who was injured only to be forced back as the leader came in with an injured kit in her jaws. "W-What?" he gasped as he looked over the kit, peering over Ashstar's shoulders at another set of pawsteps to see Quailfeather leading Fernfeather toward the medicine cat den as well.

He cursed silently in his head as he turned toward his herb collection and started to sort through for Goldenrod and Celandie. "Featherpaw," he ordered with a small glance toward his apprentice as he separated the two golden herbs from the rest. "Get some poppy seeds and cobwebs on standby for them - we will do what we can," he suddenly turned his attention to Ashstar and Quailfeather as the two injured cats crowded in the den with the injured warrior and queen. He quickly grabbed a mouthful of Goldenrod, chewing it as he shivered at the the taste before he started to spread it on both Fernfeather's and the unknown kit's wounds. "Fernfeather, what happened?" he asked softly, his eyes trailing over their injuries. Chances are that they would both pull through but looking at Fernfeather's eye...He would do his best for it but he had his doubts of her being able to see out of it again.

Fernfeather's breathing was raspy and filled with pain, her injured eye shut tight. She whimpered as her former mentor, the cat who was most like a mother to her than any other cat in the Clan, helped her to the medicine den. She truly hoped Quailfeather was right, that she would be okay.

She just wanted this... whatever it was out of her eye! But she knew the kit had to be first priority. "I-I found Coyotekit here injured on the Thunderpath. Her leg is broken, and she can't even remember who she is, let alone which Clan she was from. I... Oh, StarClan, Mottleheart, I think she lost her memory!... And now she doesn't have parents, either, she's completely alone!..." Tears welled in her eyes, causing greater agony in her injured eye, and she let out a low moan.

The little kit gaped in stunned silence. Somewhere in her mind she had already worked out the truth of Fernfeather's words but hearing it out loud made it so much more real. She was called Coyotekit. She belonged to these cats. This was home and home felt foreign and terrifying. The pain in her leg brought her head back from the clouds. She looked up to the older cats who were crowded around her, feeling utterly powerless and frightened as she mewed softly, "Can you help me, please?"

Ooc: it's alright, tis the busy season