Thundering Winds [Swept Away Topic]

As the cats of all clans are trying to figure out how to survive in the rough landscape of the Western Shore, a sensation of wind has begun to build. A low rumbling crashed through the sky, ominous as thunder as the breeze slowly begins to pick up into a gale.

Within hours, the very cliffs that had been protecting them were now betraying them.


Funnelled by the cliffs, a massive windstorm is immenent. Warriors of all ages and clans will need to find shelter and food while the storm rages, threatening to topple cats over and creating large cresting waves on the lakeshore.

A leaf blew by. Not that that was a particularly unusual thing to see; Lynxtail had seen leaves fly past on many windy mornings back in Thunderclan territory. In fact, at first it brought the young warrior a bit of comfort. It was good to know that even this far away, there was a little piece of home with him.
The only odd thing was the direction it was blowing: Inland. As far as Lynxtail knew, there were no trees bordering the water. He pondered this lazily for a moment, pushing himself into a standing position so he could watch the leaf flutter by. It was closely pursued by a dozen more, all from the same direction. Did they come all the way from the other side of the water? How was that possible? The short-tailed tom blinked and turned his gaze towards the water itself, where several large waves were forming. "What?"
A distant rumble cut him off, ushering the leaves along their route. "Father, any idea what's going on?" The brown tom mewed. Living in the forest meant that he rarely experienced wind like the Windclanners did; although he was certain this was nothing to balk at, he couldn't help feeling a prickle of anxiety.

Yet another peal of thunder resounded overhead.

With a twitch of his tufted ears, Scorchclaw glowered up at the sky. Just hours before, barely a swathe of cloud had be seen drifting against the azure blue. How quickly the weather had changed. Now a dreary blanket of gray blotted out the strength of the sun's rays. The time was midday, perhaps early evening. Yet the lake's west shore was gradually being swallowed up by the shadows of a much later time of day. One did not have to have eyes to know; a storm was imminent, and not just any plain storm. Even with his eyes closed, the large tabby could feel the wind picking up, feel the danger prickling against his skin. The forces of nature ran their intangible claws through his pelt and tugged violently at his whiskers. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. But the lack of personal experience held nothing against instinct. He had learned that lesson from flood. Twigs, leaves—these small little pieces natural debris whirled through the air, riding on invisible currents.

"Wasppaw, Magpiepaw!" Scorchclaw ordered, "Gather the kits. Have Meadowpaw round our clanmates up." His tone was completely authoritative, holding no room for argument. It would be best to take cover as soon as possible. Anxiety ran up and down his spin, tendrils of dread born of instinct. They needed to leave—now. The shore was too vast, too open. But they could not escape on their own. Casting a serious glance at Thornbriar, Scorchclaw made his thoughts known. "To stay in this place for much longer would be foolish. RiverClan shall take our leave. Will ShadowClan come with us?" His tone, while cold, was tinged with a respect reserved only for RiverClan's ally. Ironically, the one who had taught him such prudence had been Jaystar.

Dapplekit, Otterkit, and Rowankit needed a queen, and Thornbriar was that queen. Now, more than ever, RiverClan required ShadowClan's aid. For all Scorchclaw cared, ThunderClan, WindClan and SkyClan could perish.

Dapplekit was laying near Thornbriar when a leaf blew by her whispers, and with a playful mrow she jumped up to chase it. It was quickly blown out of her grasp, much faster than any other leaf had blown by before. Confused by the speed at which the leaf flew by, she looked the way it came just in time for another one to smack her in the face, the wind pressing it to her. Her face underneath burned with embarrassment as she pulled it off with a paw, flattening it to the ground and letting out her most ferocious hiss, which wasn't all that ferocious considering her age. She then let it go, watching as it blew away before Scorchclaw spoke. She straightened as he approached, hoping that he hadn't seen the leaf's brutal attack on her. Walking over to greet him, she stopped next to his paws as he spoke to Thornbriar. "Where are we going to go, dad?" She looked towards Magpiepaw and Wasppaw as they drew nearer, her fur fluffing up nervously as she understood the serious tone of Scorchclaw's words. "What's going on?"

The queen grimaced bitterly at the biting winds. The skies had been relatively calm for the last few days, but of course they hadn't stayed that way. She watched the weather begin to turn, tail twitching as she tried to consider Shadowclan's options.

They needed shelter, that much was clear. Looking down at the three little furballs gathered near her belly, Thornbriar sighed softly. They needed shelter. A steady surge of protectiveness welled within her for the kits.

Who would have known?

Honestly, if someone had told her that as a warrior, she'd mate with a loner, lose the kits that resulted, and then spend her days nursing another queen's- no, another clan's kits, she'd have clawed their face off without a second thought. Who could have guessed that she'd end up in this situation?

She watched one of the kits- Dapplekit, if she remembered correctly... not a name she'd have chosen, but also not her decision she supposed- begin to play with a leaf... Only to quickly lose her leaf to the savage winds and be immediately assaulted by another, bigger leaf. It was almost comical, the look on her face when she slammed it down with as much force as her tiny body could muster. Thornbriar's amusement quickly faded, however, as she caught sight of the approaching tom.

"Scorchclaw." She nodded to him in greeting.

She watched Dapplekit approach Scorchclaw as he spoke, his tone blunt and his words to the point, as she'd come to expect from the tom. He wanted to leave.

She agreed.

Rising to heavy paws, she turned her gaze back to the sky, then to the kits for a long moment before responding.

"Shadowclan will join Riverclan. However, where exactly do you propose we go?" She looked to him again, voice rough but respectful. She honestly liked how the Riverclanner handled himself, which made allying with the fish people a lot easier.

Flicking her tail in the direction of the rocky cliffs, she continued to speak. "They look like they may provide shelter, but they could also be just as dangerous as the shoreline, if not more so... and travelling up shore could lead us to an even more difficult area."

She hadn't meant to sound sharp, but she was fairly certain the deputy would understand what she was trying to say. After all, he seemed fairly straightforward.

---

Wasppaw's ears pricked at her mentor's call, getting to her paws and trotting over to him quickly. In the time since they'd first arrived in this strange, unknown area, she'd mourned the loss of her sister and the absence of her mother and father, feeling their disappearances deep in her chest. She hadn't ever really been without them after all, and the thought that she'd never see either of them ever again was... crushing

She'd never felt so heavy before, so... sad.

So lonely.

Thankfully, she wasn't completely alone. Her mentor had stayed nearby at all times, and just seeing him around brought her a sense of comfort and relief. Kinda like how she felt around Swanpetal or Softnose.

Scooping up tiny Dapplekit, she purred at the little furball "Heeey, don't worry, Scorchclaw and Thornbriar are gonna make sure everything's okay. I promise!"

While Mothpaw was still thinking about her father and her sister, it was much easier to focus on what needed doing while she was surrounded by other Clan cats. The winds were strong, and if not for the lack of shelter she could easily have passed long periods of time watching the leaves as they blew past them. As it was, though, she heard Thornbriar and Scorchclaw agree to leave this place, but she wasn't really paying attention. Instead, she focused on her fellow apprentice, RiverClan's Wasppaw, who was carrying one of the kits. Mothpaw bounded over to her. "Everything is going to be okay," she said to the kits as she lifted up the small ginger kit - Rowankit. And, in saying it so confidently, she almost believed it herself.

RiverClan will be leaving this place? That’s what Scorchclaw must have said. Flurryshine rose up slowly from where she lay next to the rancid, fly-ridden corpses of her mentor and his mate. Her once gorgeous white pelt was gray with mud, sand, and dirt, but she didn’t care. She would do whatever it took to bring Dewshine and Gingerstripe back to RiverClan territory so they can be buried there.

With a few grunts and huffs, the RiverClan molly managed to lift Dewshine up onto her back. Her legs trembled, threatening to give out from underneath her, but she refused to be deterred from what just might possibly be her final mission in life. Turning, she gripped Gingerstripe’s scruff in her teeth, trying to ignore the sickening scent clogging up her nose, and slowly but surely dragged both deceased cats over to where Scorchclaw stood with Thornbriar of ShadowClan.

Panting heavily once she finally reached them, she let go of Gingerstripe and looked up exhaustedly at her deputy. ”I ... I’m ... ready to ... go....”

The dilute calico woke up surprised by the strong winds and the cries of the panic of some of her clanmates. Instinctively, she curled her thin tail around her two kits. The small she-cat stood up at the call of her deputy and she turned her head to the small, golden-furred kitten and her foster sister, Mistlekit. "Finchkit, Mistlekit... we must go now." She mewed concerned and a bit scared by the storm coming to them. The senior warrior, however, was not scared of her life but the life of the kits and weaker ones of her clan, including her own daughters.

Grabbing the yellow-furred kit with her jaws and encouraging the gray and white she-kit by nudging her with her head, she carried the two kittens to Scorchclaw, who was gathering very Riverclan cat near. Just like him, she didn't have much interest in the other clans but Shadowclan because they were their ally even in this darkest time. The warrior placed the kit between her front paws, making sure her biological daughter had followed as well. Then, Hailsong looked into the brown-tabby tom's eyes. "I will follow you and help you everywhere you go because that's what my father would have wanted me to do. However... where do you plan to lead us?" She asked, deeply worried about the safety of those Riverclan cats who were able to survive this long. Her eyes looked down at the small silhouettes between her paws, thinking about her mate, her son, Cinderpaw and her father.... all of them, missing. She couldn't lose them too. It would be just too much.

Mistlekit grumbled angrily as her mother nudged her to her feet, rudely waking her from her nap. The young gray and white kit opened her bright blue eyes, looking up at Hailsong, sleep still lingering in them. "Where are we going, mama?" The tiny kit mewed, flicking her small, thin tail. Her mother seemed too distracted to answer, which was normal. She had a lot to worry about recently; even though her kitten mind would never understand, Mistlekit knew the dilute calico had plenty to worry about. After all, she had to look her and her sister, Finchkit. She clambered up to her paws and quickly scurried after her mother, not wanting to cause trouble by being stubborn and going back to sleep. Mother knew best, anyways. As she placed down the golden-furred kit she had been carrying, Mistlekit scrambled to her sister's side and remained beside her. She felt as if it was her duty to comfort her in case she was startled by the sudden awakening. Judging by the concern in her mother's face and tone, something must have been wrong. Fear gripped the tiny kitten's heart. However, she didn't have much time to think about the severity of the situation; the winds suddenly picked up and she toppled over, barreling into her poor sister.

Leopardstar lay stretched-out on the pebble bank beside his son Lynxtail, hazel eyes closed as the tom took in a very rare moment of peace; for the last week his life had been nothing but constant stress and duty, sending out patrols and ordering cats to find nesting supplies and herbs, as well as dealing with the other clans.  The breeze whipped against his ears as the leader sighed, too wrapped up in his doze to worry about why his adopted son had stood up.  Once the bob-tailed tom spoke up though, voice etched with worry, Leopardstar opened his eyes and stood up, glancing around skeptically at the swirling landscape.  The sound of waves lashing against the shore, usually a calming sensation, now increased his heartbeat tenfold.  "...I think a storm is rolling in.  We should move farther inland, just in case the water rises."  As more voices reached his ears though, it seemed RiverClan and ShadowClan had the same idea to move; but not with the rest of the group.   Oh for StarClan's sake...  "And what makes you think, Scorchclaw, that we should split up at a time like this?!"  Approaching the RiverClan deputy, who was conversing with Thornbriar and several other of his panicked clanmates, the golden spotted tabby tom fixed him with an intense glare.  "That would be foolish.  ThunderClan and any WindClan cats will go with you."  For a moment, his eyes squinted against the wind, Leopardstar looked for Mintwhisker, SkyClan's representative.  He would only hope she would agree to come with them as well; though SkyClan weren't ThunderClan's ally, he cared about their well-being all the same.  "Where do you suppose we go, then?  There might be shelter in the cliffs, we haven't properly searched them yet.  Or..."  He contemplated for a moment, before finishing; "...perhaps we could try to reach the other shore?  From what we can see, it seems much less treacherous."

---

The vicious winds buffeted against Magpiepaw's short pelt, making the little tom shiver; oh great, a storm?  Now?!  Haven't we been through enough lately!"  Despite his angry thoughts, anxiety overtook him as Scorchclaw ordered him, once again, to watch over the three orphaned kits.  He loved playing with them and talking to them, but to keep hold of them in such a chaotic situation?  For a moment his paws were rooted to the ground, as he bit back a scared cry.  I...I want to go home!  I don't want to do this anymore...I can't do this without Mama!  Without Egretpaw and Raggedpaw...Cranepaw and Ospreykit...where are you?  Where am I?  In the midst of everything though, he knew he had to keep going.  His resolve was waning, but the bi-colored tom managed to grab Otterkit, and watched fretfully as a ShadowClan apprentice took Rowankit.  "E-E-Everything will b-be fine..."  His muffled words of comfort seemed more for his sake than the kit's, but nevertheless, once the ginger tom-kit had been safely subdued by the gray tabby apprentice, Magpiepaw stood up and trembled next to Wasppaw, waiting for what to do next.

Meadowpaw ran up to her sister, helping support Dewshine on her back. "F-Fluryshine?" She asked, her voice trembling. "D-d-do you know w-where we're going?" There were other questions she wanted to ask, but she new that her sister was in no shape g, so confident... It hurt to see how much this flood had changed her. As she heard Scorchclaw tell her to gather her clanmates, she reluctantly left Fluryshine's side to search through their makeshift camp.

Mintwhisker's ears twitched. Scorchclaw... "it would be foolish to all go different directions, Scorchclaw." She mewed, her voice cold. Was he really thinking about clans at a time like this? There might not even be clans left. "It's in everyone's best interest to stay together, especially since our numbers are so low." She disliked the stoic tom, although she was sure that he thought he was making the right choice. Shouting over the wind, she turned her murky gaze towards Leopardstar, giving him a small nod. "That being said, Skyclan will go where Thunderclan goes." She called. Leopardstar was the most senior leader here, and she trusted his judgment above the other cats here. For now, she'd put her clanmates' safety in his paws.

Before Thornbriar responded, another familiar voice caught Scorchclaw's attention. Dapplekit was standing by his paws, her small gray form beginning to lightly bristle. Dad—the term of endearment pricked at him. Even after some time had passed, he still could not get used to being addressed in such a manner. Was it even right? For a moment, Gingerstripe's visage flashed through his mind's eye. If the warrior had not perished in the flood, he would have been the one Dapplekit and her siblings looked to. Dewshine and Gingerstripe—they were Dapplekit's parents. Not him—he was really nothing more than an impostor. What should have been, however, was not what had happened. It was a little too late to think about the past now. Swallowing his discomfort, Scorchclaw bent down and touched his nose to her head. "A storm is coming, Dapplekit." He meowed softly, "But it will be all right. Stay with Wasppaw and Magpiepaw, and obey their instructions. They will keep you and your siblings safe."

Straightening up, the large tabby once more met Thornbriar's gaze. With ShadowClan's deputy still unconscious, Scorchclaw could see why the marsh-dwellers had chosen the warrior before him to lead them. Without unnecessary flourish, she cut straight to the point. Dealings with such cats were never more trouble than they were worth. It relieved him to have her in charge of their allies. ShadowClan would join RiverClan, just as he had hoped. "RiverClan thanks you once again, Thornbriar." He offered a brief nod of gratitude. The question that she presented was a valid one, one that he had already considered. "I believe—" He began, only to be cut off by another arrival.

”I ... I’m ... ready to ... go....”

Scorchclaw stared at Flurryshine, pale-green eyes wide. The words he had just been about to say lost themselves. The once proud, beautiful she-cat had been wasting away ever since her arrival on this shore. No, perhaps even before then. Grief had changed her so utterly that she was almost unrecognizable. Her fur was matted and tangled, its original white now a filthy grey. Crouching in front of him, she seemed almost about to be crushed beneath the weight of the two corpses she bore. Flies buzzed energetically to and fro in the air. Is this a joke? His throat clenched. Even in this situation, was she going to insist on taking those... those things with them? How long are you going to cling on to them, Flurryshine?! The desperate cry ringing within his mind was one that he did not give voice to. He understood now. She was never going to part with these bodies; she was completely serious about taking them back to RiverClan. He never should have given in to her. Out of respect for her grief, because he had chosen to be sympathetic, he had been the one to let things drag on. This situation was his fault. The scent of death was revolting, seeming to permeate the very air he breathed. "Flurryshine." He forced the name out through gritted teeth. "Once we claim shelter from this storm, you and I are going to have to talk. But for now, you are in no state to carry those two on your own. Please put Gingerstripe down. I... will assist you." He was putting his paw down. Deep within his heart, he still feared the reaction Flurryshine would give when he demanded she bury the bodies. The warrior was obviously emotionally unstable, and he had no idea how to handle a cat going through such grief. The thing was, he no longer cared enough to mind the fear.

Scorchclaw was tired, really tired.

At the very least, he would give Dewshine and Gingerstripe a proper burial once the storm blew over. They deserved that much, as his clanmates.

Among the gathered RiverClan cats was Hailsong, Jaystar's biological daughter. Herding her two young kits along, she came to a stop by Scorchclaw's side. The fluffy deputy met her firm gaze with his own. What did she want? Then he heard her words. For a second, he simply stood in silence, pondering them over. Jaystar. Jaystar again. If he was going to guide RiverClan in this situation, he would have to be stronger and wiser than the silver tabby leader. Was such a feat even possible, when he had spent so long simply trying to catch up to Jaystar's silhouette? As he gazed at the RiverClan cats around him, he realized once more that he truly did not know the answer. They were just as lost as he was, perhaps even more. In the face of an uncertain future, they were looking to him for guidance. He could not fail them. No matter what. "Our priority—" He began once more.

Yet again, Scorchclaw was cut off within two words of a sentence. This time, Leopardstar was the one who interrupted. The moment he heard the sharp tone of the ThunderClan leader, the large tabby instinctively drew his ears back. A low, irritated growl rumbled in his chest. Whirling around to face Leopardstar, he met the glare of the other with one of his own. "If you desire to come with us," He hissed, "then do as you wish. But know that there is no good to numbers without unity." What was the point in pretending to get along? They were five different clans. One could speak of working together, but they could not erase the borders that lived in the hearts of cats. Instead of struggling to cooperate as one large group, it was more efficient to divide themselves according to the alliances that already existed. Could Leopardstar not see that? He grit his teeth, trying to control his temper. His short fuse would do him no good here. Mintwhisker's words were further fuel to the flames. Turning his fiery gaze towards the medicine cat, he snarled. "Say what you will, Mintwhisker, as long as your words prove to be true in the end." Best interests? What did they know about best interests?

At any rate, a larger group would slow RiverClan down. Scorchclaw could practically feel the storm drawing closer, yet they were still standing around in an attempt to discuss things. He lashed his dark-tipped tail. "Right now, getting to shelter as quickly as possible is the priority." He was capable of taking things in stride. If ThunderClan, SkyClan, and WindClan were coming along, so be it. There was no time for arguing, anyway. He just had to keep the additional burden off of RiverClan. "Whatever the situation at the other shore, it is too far away to reach in time. And anywhere by the river is too dangerous. For all we know, the water could rise again. I want to head inland, towards the cliffs. In this vast territory, they look to provide the most shelter. I believe you all know by now, that this does not seem to be any normal storm. Never have I experienced winds this ferocious, even when crossing WindClan's territory on the way to the Moonstone. Danger fills the air. There is risk," Here he looked to Thornbriar, "but no sure choice exists for us. The longer we hesitate, the worse of a situation we put ourselves in."

Dapplekit blinked up at Scorchclaw, admiration glowing in her eyes as she nodded. "Okay, I'll listen!" As Wasppaw came up and scooped her up, she purred, licking the fur around Wasppaw's neck as she positioned herself on the apprentice's back. She waved her tail at Thornbriar as she spoke in turn to the deputy, and smiled at Magpiepaw when he moved to stand next to Wasppaw with Otterkit. Another apprentice was there too, one she didn't recognize, with Rowankit. Working up her courage, she mewed quietly. "Hello.. I'm Dapplekit. Who are you?" Just then, a horrific smell hit her nose and her face wrinkled in disgust. She turned to see Flurryshine carrying the two bodies and shook her head, trying to rid her nostrils of the stench. Her ears flattened back, she whispered to no one in particular. "Why do they smell so bad?... When is momma going to wake up?...

She then sat in wide-eyed silence as numerous other cats gathered around, and listened as Scorchclaw made his decision as far as where they should go. Her admiration for the tom grew as she watched him speak, and she silently vowed to be as confident and brave as he was when she became a warrior.

"Thornbriar! Are we leaving?" rasped the large tom loudly as he slowly made his way over to his clan-mate. Crowfur hadn't felt this bad ever in his life. It was probably himself aging right before his own eyes. That's what he liked to think at least. He didn't want to accept the fact that he was ill. He was a strong tom. No illness could weigh him down. He was going to protect his family and friends whether his body liked it or not!

Once the tom got closer to her, he asked, "Where are we heading? Are we all sticking together?" He was curious if any clan was going to split. He let out a tiny cough as he awaited a reply from her.
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Birdflight nodded as her father spoke. She was still bothered by how much Riverclan didn't want to even be near any Thunderclanners, Windclanners, or Skyclanners. Now was not the time for rivalry. They needed to stick together! They'd have a much better chance of survival if they traveled as a group.