Wretched News (WindClan)

OOC: This thread takes place directly after the corresponding one in RiverClan (see here)

The calico apprentice had thought RiverClan's territory was bad in the storm, but WindClan's open moors yawned wide and completely unyielding. Even the flood had not made her feel this soaked, she considered, picking her way across the moor, trying to be careful to avoid the rabbit holes that littered the face of the land. She remembered with a twinge of unease the tale of the moor swallowing the WindClan leader Finchstar and his mate whole, and shuddered as she eyed a nearby hole, expecting it to open wide and perhaps swallow them as well. Her paws pushed on though, and it wasn't long before she and Emberheart stood at the entrance to WindClan's camp. At least they were allies, she thought, hoping that this explanation would be slightly easier. She raised her voice over the rain, calling into the camp. "Hello, I'm Mosspaw, the medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan, along with Emberheart. I must speak with Finchstar as soon as possible."

ooc: timeline wise, this happens after the grayly litter is apprenticed, before vinekit's birth, and before cloverpaw's maiming.

The sky roared and cracked with lightning as rain pelted the moor. Patrols had been sent out, and most of the WindClan warriors' pelts were soaked with the storm. Some of the cats had even opted to eat their prey under the gorse wall rather than having their food turn soggy. Finchstar found himself chatting with a fellow clanmate, leaning into the gorse bush's covering as the rain pattered down not but a tail-length away. It had brought a kind relief to the heat of Greenleaf, and the leader watched with amusement as WindClan's newest apprentices bounded in the water. Not even the storm could deter their hearts, and the tom found his fluttering with the thought.

However the atmosphere changed quickly as two she-cats made their way through the tunnel, trailed by the entrance guard. Finchstar recognized the smaller cat as Mosspaw, medicine cat apprentice of ThunderClan. Aspenpaw had met her and mentioned her presence in one of his stories. And the taller, ginger she-cat could only be Emberheart. One of ThunderClan's senior warriors. Finchstar had noticed her at gatherings, conversing with the other older warriors of the forest. Excusing himself, the leader stepped out into the rain, curious about what this visitation could be. But the tone in Mosspaw's voice soon answered his inquiry. Whatever news the medicine cat had, it was heavy.

"Mosspaw, Emberheart." Finchstar dipped his head to the both of them respectfully, raising his voice over the rain. "Welcome to WindClan, I am honored to have you here." The storm continued to crackle over the sky, and Finchstar was now aware most of the clan were watching the new arrivals. Even the apprentices had stopped their playing. He gazed carefully at the two she-cats, yellow eyes squinted in the downpour. "Come, lets find a dry spot. Or, one that isn't a puddle of water." Leading the way, the leader skirted over wet tussocks and splashes of rainwater, coming to a halt under the gorse wall, with enough space for the three cats to sit and talk. "Now, what brings you here? From the tone of your voice and the look on your faces, may I assume the worst?"

Shaking her head to try to rid her whiskers and fur of the water droplets that kept trying to blur her vision, she was a little pleased that Finchstar came so quickly. She refused to acknowledge that perhaps it wasn't just the rain that was making her vision blurry, and her eyes water, so she stood straight, lifting her head to meet the WindClan leader's gaze. Her shoulders relaxed appreciatively as he mentioned finding a dryer place to sit and talk about the news that she and Emberheart carried. As she followed him to the spot under the gorse wall, she shivered, the rain was starting to cut through her pelt and chill her to her very core - just as Ridgelight's actions had. She'd have to be sure to check with Emberheart and get them both dry so they didn't catch any colds...

The calico medicine cat apprentice hesitated at the leader's questions. She didn't know the tom very well, he had given her a good impression, but this was her first opportunity to speak with him personally. What would be the worst? The loss of a leader? In her mind, this was one of the worst case scenarios - ThunderClan hadn't only lost a warrior, but also four brand new kits, who had been struck down before ever having the chance to grow. That didn't even include the emotional and mental shock and scar that the ThunderClan cats, especially those who had witnessed the aftermath, now carried. Her voice cracked as she spoke, a mix of the rain, exhaustion, and brokenness within her frame. "Yes, Finchstar. I regret that our first meeting should hold such terrible news, but it is news that must be shared, especially with our ally. The warrior Ridgelight has been stripped of her duties as a ThunderClan warrior, and is no longer welcome on our territory. She... She committed a horrible crime, one that is unforgivable, even in my own eyes." Her expression hardened for a moment before she thought of the young apprentices that had been splashing in puddles when they arrived, seemingly oblivious of the storm overhead.

"There was also a fox on the territory. A patrol attempted to dispose of it, but due to extenuating circumstances was unable to land the final blow... It could still be in the area. Please be careful, and keep a close eye on the apprentices and k-... and your kits." Her voice broke again with the last word, and she wrapped her tail around her paws as she looked down at the ground.

Mosspaw's words spilled out like water from the gorge. Finchstar narrowed his eyes as he tried to make sense of all the points. Rain continued to thunder down, and the leader found himself curling his tail in for warmth. The she-cat before him had witnessed something terrible, that much was true. And without any prior thought or reason, the leader reacher forward to place a paw on top of Mosspaw's, giving her a meaningful nod. He knew grief well, having carried it with him for many moons. And even now, that shadow still clung to Finchstar's coat. It wasn't something so easily shaken, and it was obvious when others held it as well. A terrible burden, and yet a stark one. "You've seen horrible things, haven't you, 'paw?"

The concern in Finchstar's voice was evident as he lifted his paw from hers. A single clan could not hold all the good in the forest for itself, and Finchstar would be naïve to think WindClan would be any different. Cats everywhere carried hearts of light. And only the name of their faction is what defined their allegiance. But it did not cut off Finchstar's admiration. Mosspaw had the same, truly wonderful soul as the cats that ran the moors. The light that shined from her was glorious, and it further proved to Finchstar his desire to meet many more cats around the world. So many wonders, and so much love. So what now, could have possibly shattered Mosspaw's? "The fox will be dealt with accordingly, but what of your heart? Grief is not something a battle patrol can fix, 'paw. Even the strongest of warriors cannot root it out. Tell me, what haunts you? And what may I do to help?"

Rain continued to pour as Finchstar closed his eyes for a moment. He grinned slightly for the peace he knew was coming. Times seemed dark as of late, and with this new news, they only grew dimmer. But the leader's optimism would not be shattered. He had made a promise, and he intended to keep it. However he hoped others could share his visions of light as well. He wished to instill hope in their frames, but sometimes it wasn't his gift to give. Whatever solace Mosspaw and ThunderClan needed, it wouldn't come from Finchstar. He was just a mere cat. But time, care, and love. Those things were forever. He prayed they'd grace ThunderClan with their presence once again.

Tears mingled with rain as the she-cat stared down at her paws, when she felt a gentle pressure on one of them and looked up to meet Finchstar's kind gaze. The lump in her throat grew, and though she tried to respond, to tell him that all was well and not to fret over her own well-being, she found that it choked the words before they even began to form. This was all just... a hair too much, and the mask that she had carefully pawed together to face Ridgelight and her clan, to care for those in shock, including Pricklebush, and to face the other clans and their respective leaders cracked. A glimpse of the pain that she had concealed for so long was revealed, and the calico she-cat's shoulders hunched as she tried to fight it back into place before giving up and letting her heart show on her sleeve. It was broken, scarred over the last several moons, and she had made attempts to conceal it and protect it from harm. Every time she thought she had managed to do so, something else came to shatter the carefully constructed wall around it, and more often than not she had opened her heart only to have it scarred again. Finchstar... Was different. His voice and expression, even though he had never spoken with her before, held a concern that matched what he would show to any of his own. It almost reminded her of how Flintfang had looked at her, when she had been injured by the raccoon in his place.

A sob escaped her as she made her choice, not even thinking about what Marshstorm or Leopardstar would think of her revealing everything to the tom that stood before her. "I should have stopped her... I should have kept a closer eye out, or been faster... She was with kits, Finchstar, and she decided... She decided she didn't want to care for them. She kitted in the forest, and abandoned them there. Five helpless, confused, lost kits...." Tears spilled over as she looked into Finchstar's eyes, terrified to look away or even blink. "The fox f-found them. Alone. Abandoned. By the time we got there, it was... It was far too late. There were only two left, but one was already gone. Despite the fight, the fox got away, and I tried so hard to bring back the second.... We were too late... I was too late. She was so concerned about being confined to the nursery, even though there were plenty of queens who would have taken them in, raised them as their own. Instead, she condemned them to a horrible death before they even got a chance to live. They'll never see a sunrise, or the Moonstone's glow. They could have been the next great leader, or wise medicine cat, or noble warrior, but she left them to die.... What kind of cat would do such a thing, Finchstar? Why? What did she have to gain from it? ThunderClan lost a warrior today, but more importantly we lost four kits that would have helped shape our future with their paws. She showed no remorse, even when exposed... How can that be? How can a cat be so cruel, so heartless? I was there, I saw the bush they had been birthed under, and the bloodstains from their merciless slaughter. I stained my paws with the blood of the fox who had taken advantage of Ridgelight's madness. ThunderClan is broken right now, Finchstar, and all of the herbs in the forest aren't able to fix it. I don't know what I'm supposed to do...." The calico's voice cracked at the end, and she felt smaller than she ever had. With her fur plastered to her frame, she looked smaller than usual as well, the weight of Flintfang and Dewpaw's actions had taken their tolls on her, and it was all too apparent when she didn't have the light of day to help hide the darkness that ate at her heart.

Finchstar's heart broke in two as Mosspaw let a sob escape her maw. Letting out a sigh of empathy, Finchstar rested his tail over her shoulders, ears perked to listen. What she described, however, no one could have predicted. A warrior, leaving her kits out to die? In the most gruesome of ways? The leader let his claws curl into the grass as Mosspaw continued, making note to tell his clanmates to keep watch for Ridgelight. No queen who had committed such sins would be allowed in the territory. Yet the thought was fleeting as Finchstar realized the soul beside him had witnessed these very things. A medicine cat, meant to heal and love; now subject to fate's misfortune. "Mosspaw..." Finchstar whispered, sorrowful over the things she had experienced. Rain fell and thundered into puddles, ripples carrying throughout the clearing. Finchstar padded out from beneath the bush for just a moment, allowing his paw to splash into the water. Ripples. Just as Ridgelight had killed her kits, the effects of such thing ran red through the forest. Finchstar remembered his own kits for a moment and stifled a growl of anger, splashing the puddle with a lonely paw. Brookclover had been blessed with kits, and yet their lives were never meant to be. Finchstar would have sacrificed his own breath to allow them to live now. Others were lucky. Some queens birthed healthy kits, one who were born with breath in their lungs and a beat in their heart. And yet Ridgelight cut that beat off, killing innocent souls, stifling what could have been. Closing his eyes for just a moment, Finchstar felt the rain on his head before stepping back to Mosspaw and Emberheart, looking thoughtful.

"What Ridgelight did is unforgiveable, 'paw. You shouldn't have had to witness such things..." His voice trailed off, wondering if his blinding hope could cover this fault, as well. "And although the sky mourns for her kits now, may they have full lives in StarClan... The sun will rise again, just as it always has, and ThunderClan's wounds will heal as moons pass." The leader gave Mosspaw a sad smile, rain dripping from his whiskers as his eyes glazed over. "And when you mourn, take time. Grief does not go away in a day, nor will it ever. But let yourself be loved, 'paw. Don't hide your feelings, I have made that mistake once, and I'd rather tear out my whiskers than do it again. Your soul is wonderful, Mosspaw, as with the rest of ThunderClan. Tell Leopardstar that if he is ever in need of anything, WindClan is here to help. And you, 'paw. If you find yourself lonely, come share a rabbit sometime. I'm aware your status gives you certain... liberties with borders." Finchstar's yellow eyes creased in bittersweet amusement, wondering if Mosspaw would ever take him up on his offer. He wondered if hope could really shield them from the rain. But even when it faltered, he'd stand by the forest's side as life spun its tale.

Her ear lifted slightly as her name was whispered, and she looked down at the ground as Finchstar stepped away, back into the rain. She gazed unseeing at the top of her muddy paws until he returned, rejoining them under the bush. Raising her eyes to stare at him once more as he spoke, she sniffled. A small, hesitant nod, and then she lowered her gaze. "Oh Finchstar.... If only I knew what love was... Everytime I think I do, they end up leaving or betraying me. Perhaps a day will come when I finally understand. Thank you, Finchstar, truly. It means more than you could know." A small smile was sent the tom's way, but her eyes still betrayed the loneliness and sorrow within. "I'll pass that on, and I will certainly keep your offer in mind. WindClan, and the forest, is lucky to have you as a leader. Thank you." She lowered her head to the WindClan leader once more before getting to her feet and looking to Emberheart, feeling fatigue setting into her paws. "We should get going, we still have to inform SkyClan and the rain doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. May the wind guide your paws, Finchstar, and all of your clanmates."