Our Bellies Grow Hungry; Our Numbers Grow Small [OPEN]

Sprucebark had been taking the missing of his leader very hard. He already was in a bad state from finding his sister dead by the river and now Perchstar was gone too. She was the leadership of the clan and now just like that she was gone...

Poppyshine had ordered him to rest and he had tried for awhile but the fact that the clan was not doing so great right now was not lost on him... The kits were barely getting enough food and with the higher kits numbers and the now dwindiling warriors it was all they could do to keep the fresh kill pile a pile and not an empty spot.

He wanted to keep his promise to poppyshine that he would be resting and not trying to go on patrols. It pained him to have to be sidelined for this but he knew maybe she had a point. He had an amazing work attitude and wanted to be helping now more than ever... the grieving of his personal losses would have to be buried for now.

Seeing the deputy nearby...err was she still deputy now? HE closed his eyes wincing almost... NOO Perchstar would come back, right? When he had been taken the twolegs had poked him with all sorts of needles then cut him up and poked him with more needles. He shuddered hoping that Perchstar was alive and would come back. A bit of frustration at their helplessness stirred in him.

"mom? we need to try and find perchstar" he mewed quietly as he settled down beside her.

"when I was captured, all I wanted was to be free once again and get back home.
We cant leave her out there" he vented his frustration evident as much as he tried to remain reasonable. As such a close follower to the code and to the rules: having no leader was unsettling to him. Perchstar's return should be the clans number one priority,

"why havent we sent out search parties? he suggested.

"I would volunteer, just give me the permission and I will search nonstop to get her back

his voice was cracking a bit as he knew deep down that no warriors could really be spared for this... It pained him to know that Perchstar was out there all alone though. The idea of not at least trying to save her though was heartbreaking... but he knew Perchstar well enough that she would have wanted them to take care of the kits and elders food problems before expending what little warriors were left in an attempt to find her.

He looked down at his paws. "I'm well enough to help I can do this" he murmured quietly. He doubted she could say yes.. she probably felt the same way he did but they both also probably knew the odds of finding perchstar were slim to none and whatever warriors went out looking would then be exhausted by the time they got back compounding their already bad problems of barely keeping patrols running.

Sprucebarks eyes narrowed at his brothers tone. "I didnt say I was the ONLY volunteer ROWANNN!! he hissed back equally frustrated with his brother as Rowansong was with him apparently.

It had been so nice to finally understand Rowansong for a brief moment prior to all this when they both relied on each other during the loss of their kin. But it wasn't to last apparently since Rowan was incestent on antagonizing him.

"And I don't hear YOU offering any better plans!" he said defensively flicking his tail in turn with that of his littermate.

"All you ever do is criticize what I am trying to do, complain complain complain! Never anything to offer but to shoot holes in my ideas"

he took a half step towards Rowan severely annoyed now.

"I'm SICK of it ROWAN!" he hissed on the edge of fully snapping.

Sprucebark blinked as mom soon was getting involved.

"but he was the one taking my words out of context. He was trying to make it seem like I meant I was the sole volunteer when that clearly is not what I was saying" Sprucebark tried to explain frustrated. ... and what was that Rowansong had even started to say at the end there?? "and you though..." what was that?? some vague taunt or something? Well if Rowansong had wanted to get under his skin he had done so, in fact he had done so much more than that.

However, he gave a nod understanding Poppyshines request. He didn't like this order, he didn't like any of this at all. But orders were orders and the rules and orders is what he lived by even when he didn't like it.

Having Perchstar gone was such a key component in Spruce's life that he was not doing well with it one bit. It was destroying him and the additional pressure of not having enough food to feed the elders or kits was a mountain of pressure on top of that. The additional critizisim from his brother too now of accusing him of such things he didnt even understand was just adding on some more.


"Yes Deputy" he finally meowed. It wasn't a yes mom or even a yes Poppyshine. This was an act of obedience only because she was now in charge and for no other reason.