Strange Sight [Closed]

Ravenpaw walked ahead of the small patrol, yellow eyes glancing over the territory as he made sure that everything was safe in the area and there wasn't any signs of danger. Of course there wasn't much he would be able to do on his own yet, which is why he had Swanpaw, and Owlcall with him. The black tom turned to look over his shoulder, calling back to his siblings. "Anything interesting back there?" He said with a slight teasing smile.

The large brown tom couldn't help but let out a hefty sigh as his younger brother's shenanigans. Despite everything going on, and what has happened over the past couple moons, he had to give it to Ravenpaw for continuing to be upbeat.  At least on the outside. He really didn't know what was going on inside the black tom's head. "Just make sure you are paying attention to in front of you." Owlcall responded.

Ravenpaw rolled his eyes, before looking back in front of him, only to pause at the sight in the distance. Yellow eyes squinted, trying to make out the form that was hung up on the strange two leg structure that jutted out into the water. He didn't move further. "What is that?" He asked, showing some caution for once.

Swanpaw was happy to be patrolling with her siblings, and being out of camp meant that this was a chance to explore the unfamiliar territory that Riverclan had found themselves in. Ravenpaw was padding in front of them, though to Swanpaw he seemed more interested in shiny rocks than truly exploring... She shrugged at his question, "Nothing you'd be interested in." She shot back, though she was only teasing.

Owlcall spoke up, being his typical bossy self. "Of course we will!" She mewed, trotting ahead a bit to catch up with Ravenpaw. There was a strange thing jutting out into the lake, and from Swanpaw's brief, ill-fated trip to the twoleg farm on Riverclan territory back home, she thought it might also be made by the strange creatures. "I'm not sure," She mewed, coming to a stop beside her brother, "Wait-" She noticed the odd shape that seemed caught up in the structure, blue eyes narrowing as she tried to make out what exactly it was. The fur was stained dark, waterlogged and matted. She stood too far back to tell, but part of Swanpaw was uncertain she should move forward to look, either. It had been there for some time she thought, judging by the state of it, but how?

Ravenpaw glanced over to his sibling and then back to what had caused the two of them to stop. He wanted to move forward and to investigate but he didn't think it was a good idea now that it had Swanpaw frozen as well. He looked back to Owlcall waiting for instructions from his older brother, unsure how to proceed from here.

Owlcall padded closer to the duo, curious as to what had both of his siblings giving pause. The second Ravenpaw turned back to him he knew it was a little more serious than just something simple. Carefully the brown tom weaved his way between the two, getting closer to what ever it was that they were curious about.

Step after step, the shape became more clear, details that didn't exist at the distance were revealed.. Fur.. wet, and waterlogged, but not to the point where the body would have sunk to the bottom of the water. "Stars.." The tom cursed, coming to fully realize what exactly he was looking at. It was a cat. Blue eyes carefully looked over the obviously drowned cat, carefully the tom reached forward and snagged the scruff of the cat, pulling with all of his might his sick body could manage, slowly pulling the waterlogged cat to the shore.

Ravenpaw watched carefully as his brother pulled whatever it was to the shore, slowly creeping closer as the large tom pulled the creature to the shore, then realization washed over the black tom and his blood ran cold. It was their clanmate.. It was Hawkshriek.

Swanpaw stood frozen as Owlcall approached the drowned thing. Thing. It couldn't be a cat. The pelt wasn't one that was familiar to her if it wasn't a cat. Then Owlcall was dragging the carcass out of the water, toward them.

The limp body of a cat, with the familiar pelt of a clanmate she had never known all that well. "That's... That's Hawkshriek." The apprentice stumbled back a pace, fur lifting as her eyes locked on it, transfixed. This was different, she told herself, but the too-still body reminded her of another. Another cat she couldn't save, and this time it seemed nobody had been around at all to even know what had happened.

They had to bring him back to camp, their clanmates needed to know. The idea of doing so made Swanpaw feel just a little queasy.

Ravenpaw shook his head, trying to get the sight out of his mind. To maybe see this wasn't real, but no matter what he did the sight wouldn't go away.. Hawkshriek was dead, and his body was right in front of them. How did this come to be? How did he end up all the way down here? The was so many questions that plagued the tom's mind, but none that could be voiced. At least at the present moment.

Owlcall started mutely down at the body, blue eyes scanning everything he could looking for a sign or something of what had happened. As the brown tom looked closer he could see pink swells. Spots of skin bloated by the water but it was clear there had been a fight. Claw marks all along the tom's body, but what caught his attention the most was the claw marks on the tom's head. It was clear this was forced.. Not an accident.

The large brown tom heaved out a sigh.. They couldn't just leave him here. Carefully the warrior stood, grabbing the wet tom by his scruff, and hauling him up on his back. His body protested slightly from the sickness but he wasn't going to let his younger siblings deal with this. "Swanpaw, run ahead, make sure the path is clear, but don't leave my sight for too long." He ordered his sister, know that he knew for certain there was a murderer on the loose, he didn't want any of his siblings wandering off on their own.

"Ravenpaw, stay beside me and help me keep Hawkshriek on my back." He stated firmly to his brother, before he began the trip back to their makeshift camp, one slow past step at a time.

Ravenpaw sat frozen, eyes taking in the figure. Only to snap out of it the second he saw his brother move to pick up the body. Despite everything, it was amazing to see his brother was still a pillar of strength but deep down he knew something else was bothering the tom.. What did Owlcall see that he didn't? The tension in the air was obvious now.. was there danger lurking? Quietly the black tom stepped up to his brother's side, prepared to help, while he made sure to keep Swan in his vision as well.

Fixed as her gaze was on Hawkshriek, Swanpaw too noticed the claw marks, and at once she felt her shock bleed over into anger, lips curling. Claw marks like that, the way his body had been hung up on the twoleg structure... This was no accident, Swanpaw was almost sure of it.

Swanpaw nodded shakily at Owlcall's words. Run ahead, that would keep her gaze off of... Swanpaw shook her head.

The apprentice did as she was told, wide blue eyes sweeping the area as she headed back toward Riverclan's camp, moving as fast as she dared while glancing back toward Owlcall to make sure they were following.