TW: Sensitive Content Open Camp are you gonna bark or bite — strange newcomer...?

[BENGT]

trigger warning Mild descriptions of major eye injury and blood.

Miraculously, Meadowpaw had not turned Bengt away the moment he opened his maw. She is truly a saint, for she had given an inch, and he is taking a mile, and yet she had seemed glad to give him her all. But that is the art of survival—the circumstances had not been in his favor, so he had to turn them around somehow.

He thinks that the hope of getting through this is what's keeping him on his feet. That, and the cobwebs that Meadowpaw had applied. They have probably become one with the left side of his face by this point, stained crimson just like large slash that has taken the place of that eye, but they are getting the job done anyway. WindClan this, camp that... Meadowpaw had mentioned something along those lines. For what it's worth, Bengt had paid attention, but newfound adrenaline only gets him so far. He is crashing and burning right now; this place is his sanctuary where he can do so safely.

Bengt all but drags himself through the entrance that his little savior had pointed him towards. He is on all four of his feet, but his movements are languid and slowing down by the second. His head, normally raised proudly, is hung now—it feels heavy, his brain swimming with pain. It's surely rude, but he cannot be bothered to stop for idle chit-chat. He feels the curious eyes burrowing into his frame and he hears the hushed whispers about him. Truly, he's used to this.

He doesn't really care about it all right now. His remaining eye is set on following Meadowpaw into a den, where he is promptly going to pass out in. Perfect.

Takes place after this thread
Coming into camp with @Meadowpaw but no need to wait!
He is going into the medicine cat den and collapsing there, so good luck trying to talk to him LMAO

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Meadowpaw

---

"Meadowpaw!" Hollowmumble jolted to her feet at the sight of the stranger and blood, scrabbling against the dirt to run over to the medicine cat apprentice. She looked her up and down to check for injury, before looking at the stranger hobbling, practically dragging himself in the direction of the medicine den. The stranger was horribly injured and probably in much pain, no wonder Meadowpaw brought him back. It looked bad, even if she could only see the red cobwebs and not the injury itself.

Hollowmumble didn't approach him to help, but stayed steady at Meadowpaw's side, padding along with them. "What happened?" she asked, worry clear on her face. It wasn't the first time they came across injured strangers. This probably wasn't even the hundreth. Back when they were where they belonged, the barn, strangers always stumbled in or were invited to be taken care of, just as she herself was a long, long time ago. She didn't want the 'clan' life and rules to change that.

 

[Peafowlpaw]

The sound of her name rose him to attention in only a moment; once sprawled out in the grass, enjoying a day of rest and lounging, Peafowlpaw now flopped onto his side and stood: shaking his pelt clean of pollen and grass to follow after Hollowmumble. What was initially a younger sibling's desire to greet his kin immediately turned to a glare of distaste. Who was this big cat with his sister? The apprentice grew more protective with each inch taller he became.

It didn't take more than a few cat lengths for his incoming hostility to shift into genuine concern. The stranger was hurt, but by what? He didn't remember any mention of threats around their territory, but Meadowpaw was kind. The cat needed help, and she was there. They'd surely follow suit: it was simply how WindClan did things.
"I can offer a shoulder." He adds on, frowning faintly as he finishes the last stretch of his trek through the grass.

Hold on tight ∅ My compass is curiosity

• "speech" thoughts
  

• 

• peafowlpaw he/him, windclan, nine moons.
  ∅ long haired blue smoke chimera with bright amber yellow eyes
  comically large, fluffy ears and a long tail with black striped markings
  maine coon genetics: large for an apprentice
  ∅ mentored by maremane
  ∅ adopted brother of nutmegpurr & meadowpaw
  ∅ views barncats as family
  ∅ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ∅ penned by idola

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

His absent conversation with another clanmate ended with his voice trailing off, concern knit on his face. "Aye, sorry there, 'm just... Do y'all smell that?" Green eyes narrowed as his face wrinkled in confusion. "That ain't no figment 'f my imagination I smell a damn rouge." His tail lashed, but his blood ran cold as he heard Hollow call out Meadow's name from across camp.

The tortie raced to his feet, muttering an apology to the other as he stormed across the camp, heart in his throat. But, for all of Merry's fear, it seemed unfounded.

A loner was there, that was for sure. He could tell the smell of a non-clan cat from a mile away by then. But where he feared for Meadowpaw being injured, it seemed the stranger instead was. She had brought him here for help. He sighed, but straightened up quickly as a chill ran down his spine.

Remembering the words of the strange tom, eyes flickering about the place, Merry stepped back tentatively. Hollow was there; she was a strong cat, and he would make himself useful, too. Meadow had him stabilised, maybe some food would help, and he could get to the bottom of what had happened.

He trudged away for just a moment, delicately retrieving a small bird of some sort, returning to the den when the cat seemed to be settled with wary paws. Looking around again, as if he would be able to spot the apparition around, he dropped the bird at the strangers paws, eyes flickering between him and Meadow.

"Aye, tell us yer story, that don't happen fer nothin'." He clicked his tongue, trying to think his words through carefully. "If there's somethin' out there that did that to ya, we gotta keep the look out fer it in case it followed ya'."

The last thing Merry wanted was some feral cat to burst into their clan wanting to seek revenge, or worse, even if it was some beast that couldn't be reasoned with. He glanced at Meadowpaw and gave her a small smile. "'nd if ya' need anythin' to be fetched fer ya' to help- Uh, this fella, just give a shout."

He realised he hadn't asked the stranger's name, but already having asked what had happened first, he didn't want to overload him with questions. The same with Meadowpaw, she hadn't seemed to have come back with a warrior, wondering if maybe she had disobeyed one of Dustystar's few rules. Then again, he wouldn't bring it up to her, not yet.

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• 
  Merrystalk
  ✦—Windclan Gale Guard | 29 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[Meadowpaw]

Thankfully, he manages to make it to camp—with no thanks to her. She's useless. A limp shadow at his side, unable to be the crutch he needs. Her eyes never leave him. Every stagger, every falter in his step makes her heart lurch, as if she could hope to catch him. No, more likely to be buried beneath his mass for even trying, but she can't help it.

When the familiar gorse walls of their camp come into view, a sob nearly wrings from her throat. Relief and dread tangle together. "I'm okay!" She mews, hoping to quell her clanmates' worries. She knows what it must look like. Paws stained with blood and a wounded stranger at her side. "I-I found him in the grass. I did what I could, but he's still lost a lot of blood." They won't be happy with her for leaving camp on her own. There may well be consequences for ignoring Dustystar's wishes, but that isn't something she can spare any thought toward now.

Peafowlpaw offers to help, and she's quick to accept on the toms' behalf. "Y-yes, help him to a nest if you can."

Merrystalk's questions are reasonable, but she can't help but shoot him an irritated look. "Can't that wait? He walked the whole way here without much help from me, and as you can see, he's very hurt." Now is not the time for all that. She could read the exhaustion on him. He's pushed far past his limits, and with the blood loss she fears what ramifications that might have on his already stressed body.

She feels a twinge of guilt for being so short with Merrystalk. It probably won't help things with him, but right now her priority is with the hurt stranger. "Please go tell Goldenroar or Dustystar what's happened." Normally, she wouldn't dream of telling her clanmates to do anything, but she can't be in two places at once. Plus, Meadowpaw would really rather Merry not get back to bombarding the injured tom with questions.

She slips into the medicine den ahead, parting the grass so the injured tom and Peafowlpaw can enter first. Her stomach twists, twine knotting together, pulling tighter and tighter. Now it is time to do her part, without Gladebloom to guide her. Meadowpaw doesn't know if she can even help him as it stands, but she will try, she has to, she must.

Once he's eased into a nest, the apprentice sets her sights on the alcoves, struggling to detangle the knot in her stomach. Cobwebs won't be enough. The wound needs to be cleaned and kept from festering. Cleaning the wound first. More cobwebs in case it bleeds again. That's where she starts. Meadowpaw frantically darts from one hollow to the next, gathering supplies.

______________I believe that there is a courage ✿ but its burnin' like ash in the wind_____________

• "speech" - thoughts
  
• ​
• Meadow she/her & windclan
  ✿ Three-legged black and red tortoiseshell with green eyes.
  ✿ A light crisp-sounding voice
  ✿ Loves flowers and always has some woven into her fur
  ✿ Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. All others DM.
  ✿ Fur smells floral and mildly sweet.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Meadowpaw

---

Hollowmumble hesitated outside the medicine den, paws faltering as she stared at the grass ahead, listening to the movement and talking inside. She didn't want to overcrowd the den, with the injured stranger, Peafowlpaw, and Meadowpaw inside, but... it was so recent, losing Meadowpaw's mentor. She was struggling so much with it, and Hollowmumble wanted to help in any way she could, even if that was just standing there to provide support. Glancing around camp, she felt anxiety prickle at her paws, forcing her to take a few steps forward into the den to feel more hidden from all of the eyes watching.

It felt wrong, the way everyone reacted to the stranger entering camp. Defensive eyes, fur prickled and distrustful. It was like they didn't even remember where they came from. A barn cat would never treat outsiders like this. They didn't react that way to Hollow when Merrystalk brought her in, staving, cold and alone. It was wrong. She shook the thought away, and focused on the present.

Meadowpaw was scrambling from one alcove to another, gathering things quickly. Hollowmumble padded past the injured cat, and came up to Meadowpaw's side, pressing her pelt against hers for a moment in an attempt at comfort. "What do you need, Meadowpaw? I can try my best to help you, if you want it." The apprentice looks scattered, anxious and shaky. Hollowmumble hopes her presence and the offer of help will at least calm her down a little. "Slow down. He has time. Think about what we need."

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

Merrystalk nodded with what Meadow said, he wasn't planning to push specifics on how she found him, she was under enough stress as it was, and he just needed the basics to bring to Dusty to keep everyone up to speed.

Though Meadowpaw snapping at him made him pause, he didn't react, but he bit his tongue. He was trying to gauge the situation, if something dangerous was out there, he needed to send an emergency patrol to keep the camp safe from intruders. But he didn't push it. She was under stress, way too much, and Starclan knows there was always one cat someone needed to take that out on.

He let out a breath, nodding quietly, bumping his head against Hollow's shoulder as he turned around. He opened his mouth to speak, but words died on his tongue; he doubted anything he could say - even to his best friend - would be much help. Instead, he just opted to agree with what Meadow asked, Goldy should still be in camp, and he would fill him in first.

His mind already wandered to the moors, where he planned to bring cats with him out there, but suddenly it felt rather unappealing. Instead of a patrol, he would stand scout, keep an eye out for movement out there. Just in case. The tom ducked out of the den without another word, the dove left tucked before the stranger as one offering before being abruptly shooed out.

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• 
  Merrystalk
  ✦—Windclan Gale Guard | 29 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[Dustystar Dustystar]

✪ Align my Heart, my Body, my Mind​

indentDustystar catches a brown pelt leaving the medicine den just as she exits her own. "Merrystalk!" She calls, trotting forward to meet her guard. "Is everything alright? I smell blood." Iron scent filled the air. Far too much to be from the fresh kill pile alone.

indentStill, if a clan member had been grievously injured, everyone gathered at camp was being awfully casual about it. There were puffed coats and wary eyes, but not the panic and horror Dustystar would have expected. Curious, she leans around Merrystalk, peering into the mouth of the medicine den. It's certainly the source of the bloody scent. She can smell it more strongly, here. Through the narrow entrance to the burrow, she can spot a sleek, black coat that must belong to Hollowmumble, an Meadwpaw's soft calico, along with golden fur she can't recognize.

indentAt first, Dustystar thinks it must be Goldrenroar, awaiting treatment in the den. But as she squints her working eye, taking a closer look, she notices dark brown stripes that couldn't belong to her deputy. Her brows furrow. "Merrystalk, who is that?"

- @Merrystalk -​

Dustystar - 27 moons - Windclan Leader

 

[Merrystalk Merrystalk]

—————————————— Dreaming along in a pace you'll understand. ✦

The tom was surprised to see Dustystar the moment he ducked out of the medicine den, gaze dragging up as the leader called out for him.

Peering behind him, back into the den, Meadowpaw busying herself trying to help the stranger, he let out a small huff. "Meadowpaw found 'em out in the moors 'm guessin' poor fella got his eye torn to shreds from all that blood." He clicked his tongue, scrunching his face at just how strong the scent was, even outside, it was no wonder it was enough to alert Dusty.

He had to give a dry laugh at her sudden addition. "Yer guess is as good as mine, he don't smell like no clan cat but Meadowpaw wouldn't even let me ask the fella's name before bein' told to come 'nd fetch ya'." It wasn't like he could blame the kid for being sharp at him, but trying to do his due diligence as a Gale Guard was impossible without any info. He shrugged passively, trying not to make the situation any worse that it seemed.

"'m gonna go scout the moors in case there's somethin' that did that kinda damage, I'll leave the stranger to yer paws." Merry nodded his head to her, curtly yet politely. He wasn't needed here otherwise and would make himself useful elsewhere.

— And it's harder than you think,

Telling dreams from one another. —

• Replying to @Dustystar
• 
  Merrystalk
  ✦—Windclan Gale Guard | 29 Moons
  ✦—He/Him
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A skinny, tortoiseshell cat with bright green eyes and pelt speckled with hay.
  #9D6E46

 

[Peafowlpaw]

With Meadowpaw's instruction, he nods and takes his place beside the stranger: he's smaller for sure, but Peafowlpaw is sturdy enough and never one to complain on the job. "It's all alright. Set your pace, I'll move with you. He nods, in part to himself before they make the last of the journey to the den. It's slow and wobbly and Peafowlpaw has to occasionally straighten them out with some counter pressure, but the apprentice is confident. He might have been born a runner, but slow and steady never failed him before.

The medicine cat den is a new sight for Peafowlpaw. Not that that's a bad thing. He doesn't act before he's told and when it comes time to move the stranger down onto the nest, he does so about as well as he can. Concluding the best way he can do this is to act as a crutch, Peafowlpaw lowers himself under Bengt's closest foreleg: supporting his chest and guiding him forward and down slowly onto the nest before sliding back out to freedom and promptly making his way for the doorway to keep out of the way. Peafowlpaw pauses there, watching Meadowpaw think. He'd only be in the way here, but just leaving her until help arrives feels wrong, so he forces a smile and a calm voice:"You can do it, Meadow, you've learned lots."
He listens to the two talk for a moment in the interim in case he's suddenly rushed to go fetch somebody else while Merrystalk is already occupied doing the same, before finally taking his leave from the tent.

The outside greets him with the haggard Hollowmumble and he can't keep a strong face at the sight. Frantic and desperate, she has the air of a distressed mother and Peafowlpaw, so young her junior, doesn't have the right words immediately. It's doubtful the bloodied side of his pelt supports any reassurances he can think to offer. "He's a big strong cat, he'll be okay. Meadow's smart and honestly, he is too. Seems to speak her language." He peeked out around the camp as he spoke, skimming for onlookers before moving out of the way of the entrance and offering Hollowmumble access to the inside: "I'll stay out here till Merrystalk makes it back. Just shout if you need anything or anyone, 'right?"

He waits dutifully outside the den with attention split between the entryway and the camp. It felt wrong to stare in there, but he said he'd wait, so he did. Merrystalk came and went, and soon Dustystar herself took note of the situation. The apprentice relaxed at the sight of her. "Seemed kinda out of place here at a glance. Think he's just an outsider down on his luck?" Peafowlpaw muses aloud, tilting his head. "It's uh… a lil' busy in there, but last I saw, he's awake."

Hold on tight ∅ My compass is curiosity

• "speech" thoughts
  

• 

• peafowlpaw he/him, windclan, nine moons.
  ∅ long haired blue smoke chimera with bright amber yellow eyes
  comically large, fluffy ears and a long tail with black striped markings
  maine coon genetics: large for an apprentice
  ∅ mentored by maremane
  ∅ adopted brother of nutmegpurr & meadowpaw
  ∅ views barncats as family
  ∅ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted
  ∅ penned by idola

 

[Cricketpaw Cricketpaw]

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

.

A single, curious eye tracked the scene with intensity, ears pricked forward and a frown tugging at her face. Whoever this stranger was… they carried blood with them, fresh and both their own and not their own. That alone should've put her on edge. But Meadowpaw was worried. And if Meadowpaw was worried, then this stranger had to be good folk… right? Cricketpaw squirmed where she stood, paws shuffling beneath her as she debated what to do. Everyone else seemed caught up in chatter, talking about him, about what happened, about his eye. Something about a bad injury. Yikes.

Her whiskers twitched. She really needed to start that club for one-eyed cats. There were more of them every moon! A club for the mysteriously half-blind and fabulous. She could already picture the meetings. But... This wasn't the time.

Clearing her throat softly, she padded forward and poked her head into the medicine den. Her sister was hard at work, as always. Focused. Amazing. " Do you need some water, Meadow? " she mewed, voice quiet but chipper. " I can go get some water-soaked moss if you do! Or-- or is there anything else you might need? " Her eye caught sight of the stranger fully then. Woah. That cat was H U M O N G O U S. Her ears twitched, but she tried her best not to look too starstruck. Meadowpaw was working, after all. This was serious business. Still... she couldn't help but feel amazed. " Geez, what a big fellah... " she muttered under her breath.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

5 MOONS

𖧧

WINDCLANNER

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[Meadowpaw]

The voices of her clanmates were both a balm and an abrasive. Hollowmumble—Peafowlpaw—Cricketpaw—the many voices drifting in from beyond the medicine den. All of it came from a place of love and concern, but it was still one more thing she had to listen to. One more drop in an already overflowing bucket. Still, it wasn't their fault she felt this way. It was her own.

"Just a second, Hollowmumble." Her voice was tight. She couldn't respond right away—not with her head spinning. Or was it the room that was spinning?

She wasn't ready to be without Gladebloom. No amount of training could have prepared her for today. But the stranger's wounds couldn't wait until she was ready. They need to be treated now. There is no one else to take her place. It has to be her, and it has to be now.

Meadowpaw drew in a slow breath, trying to steady herself. Then she turns to Cricketpaw. "Actually, Cricky I have something important I need you to do." A gentle smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, masking the turmoil in her chest. The toms wounds were bad—gruesome and bloody. If she could, Meadowpaw wanted to spare her sister from seeing that. Cricketpaw was still unmarred by what all life had to offer. The fire had charred flesh and peeled skin, and that was more than enough to leave her sleepless for a lifetime. She didn't want that for Cricketpaw.

And… she wasn't sure she could handle her sister's enthusiasm right now. Cricketpaw jumped from one thought to the next when she would need to focus hers. The guilt sat heavily in her chest, but she was already struggling to keep her head on straight. "I'm running low on cobwebs, and once I remove what's there to clean the wound, I worry he'll start bleeding again. Can you take a warrior and go fetch some more?" A gentle redirection—a way to create distance, for both their sakes. Meadowpaw refused to be like her mama. She wouldn't take her feelings out on those she loved.

She moved to guide her sister toward the den's entrance with her tail. "Get lots okay? That'd be a big help." Then, Meadowpaw catches Hollowmumble's gaze. "I need to clean his wound—Could you wet some moss?"

Her pawsteps were steadier now as she crossed the den to gather cobwebs and marigold from the shelf. When she returned to the stranger's side, she sat down beside him. "I know you're tired, but I need you to hang in there a little longer, okay?" If he hadn't lost so much blood, she might've tried to get him to eat something to help his strength. But like this… he'd only throw it up. They didn't have any thyme right now either. The last of it was used on Owlbear for her breathing troubles. "Hollowmumble, are you ready?"

- - -

Talking to @Cricketpaw, @Hollowmumble and @BENGT.

______________I believe that there is a courage ✿ but its burnin' like ash in the wind_____________

• "speech" - thoughts
  
• ​
• Meadow she/her & windclan
  ✿ Three-legged black and red tortoiseshell with green eyes.
  ✿ A light crisp-sounding voice
  ✿ Loves flowers and always has some woven into her fur
  ✿ Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. All others DM.
  ✿ Fur smells floral and mildly sweet.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​

 

[Hollowmumble]

Hollowmumble, -- 39 Moons / Windclan Cat -- Ages on the 14th
Black spotted ghost tabby with bright amber eyes.
She is friendly, yet quiet, and always willing to help.

Tagging @Meadowpaw

---

Hollowmumble watched from Meadowpaw's side as the younger cat took a deep breath. Her ears folded back in concern, but she obediently waited for her to slowly come back to herself. This was a lot, especially for someone only just recently apprenticed to learn healing... Gladebloom's disappearence was stressing the whole clan. There was no telling where the cat disappeared to, whether it was a hidden danger, Gladebloom deciding to leave, or just some accident...

Meadowpaw didn't know a lot. But, they had to make due with what she did know, so she stood ready to take orders and do whatever she could to make things easier for her.

She watched silently from the back of the den as Meadowpaw carefully escorted her sister out, very obviously just getting her out of the way so she didn't have to bare witness to the wound and whatever bloody mess was to come. Cricketpaw didn't need to see this, and Meadowpaw didn't need her distracting her. With her gone, it was finally just the two of them, the silence of the den spinning around them and their injured patient. A moment of peace- just a moment, to get their heads on straight, before Meadowpaw turned to Hollowmumble and asked her to wet some moss.

She nodded her head, immediantly turning to locate some moss as quickly as she could. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"I am." Hollowmumble replied, coming up to sit by her friend's side, at the ready. Looking her in the eyes, she waited for further instruction, ready to do whatever Meadowpaw told her to do. It was her show, and she would follow her lead.

 

[Cricketpaw Cricketpaw]

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head, a sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

.

" Cobwebs!! " Absolutely, she could do that for her sister! A determined gleam lit in Cricketpaw's eye as she nodded solemnly at Meadowpaw, her expression set with purpose. " I will, I will, sis! " she vowed, stepping forward to gently bump her forehead against Meadowpaw's in a quiet moment of support. " Stay strong, okay? The stars won't abandon you, not with this stranger you brought. You're really good at what you do, Meadow. Don't forget that. I believe in you! " she meowed warmly, voice unwavering with faith.

With that, she whirled around and dashed off without another word, urgency in her steps. Cobwebs, cobwebs, her sister needed them, and she would bring back every last thread she could find if it meant making things easier for her. If she had to, she'd cover herself in cobwebs, come back looking like a ghost from the elder tales, but right now? She needed help. A warrior, a patrol, someone to get her out of camp on this Very Important Mission.

Time to find her first poor soul.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

5 MOONS

𖧧

WINDCLANNER

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio