There is More we're Intended For (c)

Subject: There is More we're Intended For (c) Fri 26 Jan 2024 - 13:13

Daisyfang picked her way wearily through the deepening snow. WindClan had stopped to rest, all around her chilled cats had begun to curl up together, trying to find some warmth amidst the bitter cold. The bi-colored molly left rust-colored prints on the crisp white ground, her paws were coated in blood, and sticky bits of cobweb clumped patches of her fur together. She glanced back, just briefly, her small round ears flicked back in quiet grief. Two pale golden pelts were curled up together in the snow, but only one flank rose and fell. She turned her amber gaze away, instead looking out over WindClan’s collection of warriors and apprentices. Tigerstar had his wounds seen to, and nothing could be done for Oatpaw other than making sure his cut pad was clean. She would have to keep the poor apprentice away from the rest of the clan, the sickness had just barely been contained, and now it was rearing its ugly head again. She had done all she could, it was up to StarClan now, and so far, they had already welcomed one warrior into their eternal ranks. Hopefully Goldengale would be the only one before the journey was through. Maybe it was bad luck to pray for such things.

Exhausted, Daisyfang saw Lavendercloud’s stocky form finding a comfortable place to bed down. She flopped gracelessly down next to the queen, letting her head thump back against her mother’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, welcoming the reprise of the darkness and the pale queen’s warm fur. The medicine cat let the silence stretch, but the events of the last few days were gnawing at her. Sootstorm’s fragile hope when he looked at Fennelbreeze. Oatpaw’s awful rasping cough. Tigerstar’s stubborn self-sacrificing tendencies made her job that much more difficult. And Goldengale’s last bubbling, pain-soaked moments, her cooling fur sticky with old blood beneath her paws. Cobwebs could only stop the bleeding, they couldn't stave off the weasel-grip of infection and fever. Suddenly, horribly, she wanted to cry. To bury her face in Lavendercloud’s fur and bawl like a kitten. StarClan had warned them, and she failed to see it clearly. Daisyfang didn’t cry. She was strong and stubborn, and so, so scared. But she wouldn’t waste tears, not here at least, and not now.

“I couldn’t grab any herbs.” She whispered, like admitting that was shameful. “There wasn’t anything for the infection. I had so much horsetail, and there was even some Burdock Root left. She would’ve made it if I had brought anything with me.” Daisyfang opened her eyes, bright amber set like gemstones in the pale white and gray of her face. Her eyes were exhausted. Her small ears trembled, just slightly, and she felt so young pressed up against her mother, the mangled horror of Goldengale's missing leg and torn face flashed against the back of her eyelids unbidden.

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There is More we're Intended For (c) Copper11

Daisyfang-------Cricketpaw-------Tallshadow

WindClan Medicine Cat------SkyClan Apprentice-------WindClan Warrior

Rank up:

Number of posts : 3185 Gender : Unspecified

Lavendercloud had never felt this level of being cold before, she was grateful for her thickish pelt and coat and all but the clan needed to get to some sort of more covered land and soon too.
During the stop of the travel she tried her best to actually rest knowing her daughter had told her to since the sickness and all instead of pacing nervously back and forth like she was tempted to do. Not long after Daisyfang was walking toward her. Lavendercloud had a far distant gaze in her eyes as she blinked slowly looking to her daughter leaving little red snowprints behind her.

Lavendercloud felt a twist in her stomach unsure if the blood was her daughters or someone else's that she had tried to save and she wasn't sure which reality she feared more. Moments later and her daughter was pressed up against her in a soft snuggle. She blinked glancing down at her kit. She purred softly gently grooming her daughters ears as she listened to her kits grief and troubles.

Her heart thudded as Daisyfang spoke, her daughter seemed to be blaming herself for what had happened. Goldengale... Tigerstar, for everything? At first, she had no idea what to say, how could she comfort her kit without letting her continue to believe this was her fault. She had been so proud of Daisyfang the day of her medicine cat ceremony and continued to be proud of her to this day, but she never thought about this aspect of her daughters work until now... the first losing of a patient, the guilt that might bring on someone even though it was not their fault in the slightest.

She let out a long sigh her breath a visible cloud in the cold air before where they huddled for warmth and some level of familiarity of comfort in family. She wasn't sure if she let them stay in a long silence to just let it be a moment or if it was because she still felt lost in terms of words to say to all this. She wanted to do so well for her family and her kits... but life had not been easy for anyone lately. In her dreams of starting a family it had not inculded losing a kit at a young age and didn't include how to support a kit who was hurting in this way emotionally. Nevertheless she would do her best:

"Oh my kit" she whispered quietly continuing to groom down Daisyfang's fur wherever it was messy or sticking out.

"This is not your fault, no one had time to get herbs. Stars... we barely made it out alive child" she nuzzled into her gently wrapping her into a little hug with her tail.

"You saved all of us, if it was not for you the sickness would have..." her voice trailed off thinking about how sick she herself had been not long before this all. Daisyfang had no doubt saved her life and many lives of their clan as well.

"I want you to know how proud of you I am... how I always will be. But do not blame yourself for the fallen."

The pale cream coloured queen sat up a bit straighter looking into her daughters eyes "This is where it is hard, you have to keep your head up my kit, I have seen too many blame themselves for things beyond anyone's control, it will only eat away at you. Grieve, but learn to move on as well... the stars call our kin home and there is sometimes nothing anyone can do to stop that. As hard as that is, I know it is not beyond you, your spirit is strong Daisyfang keep that fire alive"
It might be the only warmth we have left soon she thought quietly to herself but dared not say that thought aloud.

She smiled gently and gave her daughter a small nod "and never forget whose kit you are" she purred gently pawing her daughters shoulder playfully trying to lighten her spirits in any way she knew how.

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Subject: Re: There is More we're Intended For (c) Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 12:35

She pressed closer to Lavendercloud’s thick pelt. Her familiar, smothering scent dulled the stale tang of blood still caught up in her nose. The queen’s grooming grounded her, and slowly the vibrant horror of Goldengale’s mangled body gave way to better memories. She closed her eyes again, trying to remember to thank the stars for how lucky they were to even make it this far. The close stinking breath of the wolves, the ominous warning StarClan had showed her that night of the half-moon. Despite Goldengale, despite the bitter cold, StarClan wanted them home, they still walked the eternal path laid out for them in silvered light. A life snuffed out seemed a steep price to pay for straying from that path, but the stars had their designs, and she was in no position to rewrite them. Lavendercloud was right. Her mother was usually right, after all. Daystar had told her something similar, her clanmates would all return to hunt in SilverPelt eventually, and she could do nothing but ease them into it when the stars pressed near and close.

She met the queen’s eyes, identical shades of amber burning with that same fierce fire. She reached up and pressed her forehead against Lavendercloud’s. “I know, I’ll always be yours.” Daisyfang was not one for giving up. Her clan needed her. Her kin needed her. This trial would not be the last. She pulled away and offered her mother a weary grin. “We’re not broken, just growing, right?” And the swirling of the snow almost resembled those dandelion seeds from so long ago, on a different journey with a different tragedy. Some things needed to be scattered to take root where they were supposed to be. StarClan may scatter them, toss her clan and her kin to the four winds of fate, but the stars knew where to plant them. WindClan was as stubborn as those bright yellow flowers, and even in the deep freeze of leafbare, with the snow stained bright with their blood, they would survive.

The medicine cat laid her chin over her mother’s shoulder, feeling the rapid hot sting of her grief and guilt settle into something less frantic, less consuming. Lavendercloud knew she was strong. StarClan knew she was strong. WindClan would survive. She needed to keep fighting, to make sure they survived.

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Daisyfang-------Cricketpaw-------Tallshadow

WindClan Medicine Cat------SkyClan Apprentice-------WindClan Warrior

Rank up:

Number of posts : 3185 Gender : Unspecified

Lavendercloud's ears flicked and she stared ahead as her kit mentioned their talk from long ago of the dandelions blowing in the breeze. She thought about how fast her kit had grown up and how blessed she was to be able to have witnessed what an amazing young she-cat her daughter had now become.

The queen let out a slow breath the cold air wisping it away in a fog. She nodded and hugged Daisyfang close nodding. "Never broken, just growing" she repeated quite liking this.

"You have done so well for our clan." she whispered in her daughters ear as she gently wrapped her up with her tail and paws as if to hide her from the snow falling around them.

For the briefest of moments, lavendercloud was a bit panicked, she didn't know if any of this would help Daisyfang or not. She had not exactly been given a guide of how to manage something like this.

However, the moment past just as quick as it had come as she could hear her kits change in tone. The guilt was slowly fading from what she could tell and she knew this is what her kit needed acting mostly on what she felt was correct rather than overthinking it from here.

"You were so young when we had to leave our home... but I promise you it is beautiful. Flowers all over and I am certain you will have an easier time finding herbs back home too once we get back" she nodded scooting her kit up a little to get her back on her paws.

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