to go where i cannot follow [closed]

ooc) official conjunction topic made for the very counterfeit of death sign-ups; timeline-wise, takes place post cloverheart's return from the herb hunting adventure.

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Wan greyness, gently fractured by the occasional shifting reach of a stray glimpse of light roiling behind drifting clouds, streamed by in a perpetual smear of jagged bleakness; the gradually strengthening brew of the collecting dawn rending the winter-bleak riverside down to a near indistinguishable rush of landscape, navigable only by the the innate memorization incurred in practiced reflex. A flock of winterbirds, bedded down within the liminal shelter of wilted reeds for the chilly duration of the passing evening, were sent violently lurching into the waning darkness as Jaystar's mismatched patrol filed along, paws set upon the well-iced and well-mudded path taken by countless before them as they trekked down to the riverside.

Though the agreement with Cloverheart to endure another search for clues about his mother's sudden death had been reached several sunrises ago, they had been left to idly bide their time as she was called out for some flower or another- the details of the journey brief and lost to the clashing need of what all had to be achieved as quickly as possible.

Cool wind curled its way across the gaunt lines of his face as though an unsightly kiss, setting his entire frazzled nervous system aflame with the usual pain associated with that of a winter wind. Could his mother not choose a more forgiving season to drown? Leafbare was harsh to an unknowable degree this passage of the sun, and the fear that they were dragging several able-paws meant for genuinely beneficial work out for another futile hunt was gnawing tightly against Jaystar's bones. Somewhere, within the shaded reaches of his scattered brain, he couldn't help but recall the last time he had set out for the river under similar conditions- albeit, similar yet much more joyful conditions.

"We're here, where Ivystar was originally found by our last recovery efforts," Jaystar eventually exhaled upon a simmering mouthful of white breath, both teeth and voice tight with a controlled measure dissimilar to his normal character, "Spread out. Inspect every anything and everything that might catch your gaze, and call Perchfall, Cloverheart, or myself over to inspect should you find.. anything." The gentle chattering of the river rolled by, partially muffled by the stillness of snow and ice, the sheltered waterside practically undisturbed due to the conditions as of late. For the unknowing, it hardly seemed as though this was where a terrible tragedy had managed to occur.

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how the clue hunting will work for the search party members:

• every search-party member will roll the 'effects dice' in the posts where their characters are actively searching for clues.
  ............
  ............... → unsuccessful rolls where clue is NOT found: 1/3/5
  ............... → successful rolls where clue IS found: 2/4/6
  ............
  
• should a search-party member fail an effects dice roll that enables them to uncover a clue, they'll simply turn up nothing in said post and wait until the next round of posts to try again.
  
• if a search-party member does successfully roll for a clue discovery, they'll be able to select from a list of clues for that post. it will be user's choice on the clues they decide to uncover and it's perfectly acceptable for there to be repeat/overlap.
  ............... → when your search-party member uncovers a clue, they can call to jaystar, perchfall, or cloverheart to verify their findings.
  ............
  ............... → possible clues to uncover:
  .....................* old pawprints in the sand of the riverbank.
  .....................* trampled undergrowth/grass.
  .....................* overturned riverside debris- driftwood/stones/etc being overturned to indicate a struggle.
  .....................* a small amount of ivystar's fur.
  .....................* old blood.
  ............
  
• the penultimate clue will be the tuft of fur Dawnhawk/Klaus left behind to claim the killing. this clue will be assigned to a random search-party user once we've covered a sufficient amount of ground in the topic! bearspirit will then be used to identify the fur, since he's our local bloodhound.
  

Upon Jaystar's command, Bearspirit went to work looking for clues immediately. He used his eyes and nose mostly, but even his ears. If the rhythmic bubbling of the river even so much as sounded different, he'd tune into it. There was a hole in his heart... A hole that could never be filled. He lost not one, but two mothers. He couldn't kill the dogs that took his first family from him, but maybe he could find some clue as to why Ivystar died the way that she had.

Sweeping his head, eyes and nose like a radar, Bearspirit's senses were keen to pick up on anything out of the ordinary. Snow settled on his back, blending together with the white fur already present there. Even if the snow melted, the water would roll right off of his back like duck feathers. Of all of the clans, Riverclan was probably best suited to handle such cold and harsh conditions.

-- Dice Roll --

Bearspirit noted something... the log and the stones had ice and frost where it should not be... on the top. How? Wouldn't the moisture create icicles from the log pointing... down? It was clear that the log and the stones has been disturbed in some way. He studied it very carefully to be sure... but once he was sure that this was not natural, his gaze turned to Jaystar. "Jaystar... the formation of ice both above and below this log is... it isn't natural. The stones have a thin layer of ice too but on the very top. A struggle maybe?"

The member 'Tara' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 6

It was strange. Unlike most other cats here, Perchfall hadn't known the former leader Ivystar for very long. She had just been a nebulous leader figure. Even as far back as she could remember, Dewlight interacted far more with the Clan, leading many patrols and sometimes leading the Clan to Gatherings. So it was with a strange detachedness that the deputy watched the patrol's proceedings, for once feeling inwardly as she did outwardly. Light blue eyes scanned their surroundings. It was snowy... cold... looked like everywhere else in RiverClan. Unfortunately, as much as she wished to assist, she knew that she wouldn't be of help. She didn't know where to look. So she just sat, contemplating the scenery, until anyone would call her over for some reason.

Though the tone of the patrol was somber and the occasion was rather dark, Otterpaw found himself excited that he had been chosen to help with such an important task. It made him feel important, like he had actually done something worthy of note that had caused Jaystar, Perchfall, and Cloverheart to select him. If Cloverheart had any paw in it, perhaps that was a sign that his pursuit was actually leading him somewhere. At Jaystar’s command, Otterpaw nodded confidently and took to the riverbank, inspecting stones, old sticks, and anything that might’ve caught his attention. Keeping his maw parted to pick up on any potential smells and his chartreuse eyes open wide, he searched the riverbank high and low until he spotted something peeking out near a small section of seemingly disturbed rocks. Upon further inspection, he found that it was almost… Flaky? It appeared an odd shade of crimson-brown, and then, when the tom got close enough to pick up on a scent, the metallic smell gave way to a revelation. This was old blood, likely that of Ivystar’s or the cat dumb enough to pursue her and cause her death. ”Hey, Cloverheart! I’ve found something!” He called out, giving the molly a moment to make her way over. ”If you look closely, you can see that these rocks along the bank have been disturbed. Just over here, in the middle of it all, are old, dried up patches of blood. This… This would mean there was a fight. Given the proximity of this to where Ivystar’s body was found, I’d say it’s related. D’ya agree?” A glint of hope shined in the tom’s eyes as he awaited rhe she-cat’s answer, looking her in the eyes as she took in the scene and what he’d observed about it.

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Upon their arrival to the bank, Cloverheart had settled herself further in-land, lingering between Jaystar and Perchfall to watch the rest of the patrol worl in silence. She'd had every intention of helping them look for signs of trouble, but looking around the area and trying to think too hard made her head throb. It's better. To wait.

Hazy green eyes were focused vacantly some distant spot, staring into middle ground– then the sound of her name rose through the haze, and her ears swiveled towards the voice. Registering it was Otterpaw that had called for her, Cloverheart rose to her paws to join his side, dipping her head to examine the scene as she listened to him talk. For a long moment, she was quiet, looking between the loose shale, the apprentice, and the ice-topped river bubbling beside them. Eventually, she nodded. "Good find, Otterpaw," she started slowly, head still bobbing rhythmically. "I don't remember seeing blood here before. We must have missed it. Yes, I'd say you're right." Distantly, she wondered if they had found clearer signs of a fight and the finer details of the search had just escaped her.

Doesn't matter. We're here now. Shaking her head out to stop herself from growing dizzy, Cloverheart gave the tom one brisk nod before taking a few steps back. "Do you think you could find more? I wonder if there's a trail... or what's left of one, at least. Either way, very good start, Otterpaw. Keep looking, but this is definitely an important find."

Mallowpaw had asked as many questions as possible before coming to the river with the rest of the search party. She had been eager to help out her Clan in some way, despite Ivystar having passed since before her birth. She watched as other members of the search party had found their clues, and went to search for her own in some way. She trodded light as possible, lest she potentially disturb something important. Allowing her maw to part and inhale the scents of the forest, all she could detect was... nothing. It was simply the river - and she seemed to turn up empty-pawed. It slightly frustrated her, but that frustration was going to be internalized. "Nothing over here," She mewed, slightly dejected.

The member 'Kitty' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 3

Ashflight followed near the back of the patrol, not out of lack of enthusiasm but rather an inability to trust his own emotions in this paramount moment.  He had been left out of the initial searches for Ivystar's body due to returning to the clan so soon before she died, so he had never actually seen the place where she had been found.  He knew that it was just any other piece of land, but he worried that even thinking of the memories and stories that place held would put him over the edge.  He knew though, he had vowed to discover the truth behind his beloved mother's death.  He had promised her to her face, and there was no way he would back out now.  Taking a deep breath, the gray-furred tom picked up his pace to walk beside Perchfall in silence, keeping an eye on Otterpaw as well.  At least he had friends by his side, and his brother too.  He and Jaystar hadn't been close ever in their lives, but this one memory of a soul united them as family, and he took comfort in that.

As the group came to a stop, Ashflight listened and nodded, looking out at their surroundings.  Just as he suspected, it looked just like any other section of the river, but somehow the breeze seemed to prickle his skin more than usual, in a way that set him on edge.  Green eyes narrowing, for just a moment his sharp claws dug into the snowy ground and he gritted his teeth.  It wasn't fair, having to lose another parent...none of this was fair.  Slowly, he sheathed his claws and sighed, looking over at where Perchfall waited nearby.  Forcing as much of a smile as he could, he gently brushed shoulders with her as he passed by, wanting to stabilize himself.  He could do this...he wasn't alone.

He chose a bank of pebbles to start looking, sifting through the snow and river-washed debris to what could be lying underneath. For a moment a spot of crimson caught his attention, and Ashflight quickly pushed away the rock that was hiding it, but it turned out to only be a drenched old maple leaf. Sniffing, the tom looked up and saw where the others had gotten to. They all seemed to be in a similar area, and Bearspirit and Otterpaw had already seemed to find something interesting. Abandoning the bank, he trotted over to join them.

The member 'RainyHeart' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 3

The dreary, overcast morning sky was laden with a tension deeper than that of the cloying humidity; somber and unwelcome, a stillness curling upon the air as though the entire proceedings were little other than a shambling funeral.

Perhaps it was a funeral, the absence recollection of thought drifted between idling synapses left to flutter through intrinsic rhythms, a secondary offering at ablution, a liminal discovery of truth that had yet to go seen. The prickling undercurrent of dampness slunk beneath the bones and curled low in the tensed-gut, the frigid winery of a chill bearing down upon his protruding spine significantly easier to carry than the invisible weight of conflict that coiled hotly within Jaystar's pointed chest. There was a division in self, a fraction of interests unraveling with each and every new revelation; the version of himself that clung to the artificial bearing of title and held to little other than such, and the small and weak version of himself that still did care for his mother beyond what she used to be.

It took everything within Jaystar to acknowledge what Bearspirit brought to his attention, to offer quiet reassurance to the dissuaded outline of Mallowpaw.

Sharp shoulders remaining drawn forward in a physical display of discomfort and building chill within the hollows of his sunken bones, the mention of blood buzzed within his consciousness with the vigor of a late summer fly; the latest confirmation in their decision to return in pursuit of anything. "Judging by what we've already managed to pull up in such a short amount of time, there is likely more to be found," Jaystar eventually mewed, watching as the patrol continued in their careful venturing, "search for blood, for fur, all that might continue to show signs of a struggle. Anything that might show us how Ivystar could've ended up in the river."

It seemed that some of the patrol members were successful. Her ears perked up as Bearspirit and Otterpaw conveyed their findings to Jaystar and Cloverheart. Still, it was a little bit difficult for her to focus logically on the issue at paw. This should be her strong suit... Normally, she was good at using her mind to help come up with answers to problems. But lately, her emotions had been holding the reins and not letting go. So it was this morning, as Perchfall's wandering eyes were drawn again to Ashflight. He looked dejected. He was keeping himself put together, of course-- but there was something about the grim set to his jaw and the slightly dimmed light in his green eyes that worried her. Obviously he didn't want her to worry, judging by the attempt at a smile he kept trying to offer her, but his instinctive desire to seek comfort by being physically close to her told a different story. It was concerning, and she felt her ears pull back slightly as he began darting around the river.

She wouldn't be much help to the investigation; she couldn't focus anyway. While she heard Jaystar commenting on the patrol members who had found something, the words didn't quite stay in her brain. It made sense that Ashflight was sad... Ivystar had been his mother, after all. It was a testament to the leader's peculiarity that none of his emotions showed so outwardly. Though, of course, she was no different. A pair of oddballs, the RiverClan leadership. But she had been getting worse at keeping her expression regulated and neutral. Her ears were still a little further back than she would like as she slowly approached her friend, glancing around cursorily at the pebbles that had already been turned over. Too uncomfortable still to initiate physical contact, though she felt that he would likely benefit from a tail across his shoulders, Perchfall lingered by him. Nothing she could say would help. So instead, she offered silent support, communicating nonverbally through her presence that she wished to be of use if she could. Though, as usual, she didn't know how.

Bearspirit narrowed his eyes at the collective evidence they found. A struggle... he didn't want to think that but the evidence was right in front of him. Maybe Ivystar hadn't drowned. Maybe she was murdered. With renewed and partly enraged conviction at the very idea that someone would have killed what may as well have been his adoptive mom, he set his eyes and nose to work once more.

--Dice roll--

His anger was more distracting than it was helpful. With a frustrated growl, Bearspirit looked to the others to see if they found anything else.

The member 'Tara' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 5