PAFP Backwritten Camp RC I know the rain like the clouds know the sky || Return

[Thunderpaw Thunderpaw]

{$title} Happens the night of October 4th. After being AWOL for days on end, after talking with a new friend, Thunderpaw returns to camp following the disappearance of Rainpaw.

———————————————— Everything she's ever known is gone, gone, gone. ✦

The apprentice had finally wandered back across that great expanse, parting her newfound companion with a quiet ache. Both their searches had ended up fruitless, not a glimmer of either cat they sought for. But, Thunderpaw promised to return, check in on the other molly, for in the wake of such loss, finding company she could find a genuine comfort in was... Different. Refreshing almost.

So, it was as she padded back towards her home, the day falling to night, moorland turning to forest turning to wetlands. Hesitating at the river border, Thunderpaw found herself in doubt. She knew they would be upset, or at least horrendously worried. Her stomach turned to knots as she watched the water rush past, cool and ceaseless. Flecks of the depths reaching out and spattering her pelt, rustling uncomfortably as she realised just how cold the night was growing. Leafbare had sunk its fangs into the very earth, and these nights would only get colder...

She swallowed hard; she couldn't mull over her own thoughts too long, only driving herself to another breakdown. Instead, repeating her mentor's kind words in her mind, molly crossed the stepping stones into Riverclan territory. Oh, how she could only dread Russetfall's reaction... She wasn't sure the molly would be mad at her, but she knew damn well it wouldn't be a celebration she would return to. Nonetheless, however Galepaw would react.

Thunderpaw faultered, somehow he made it the hardest to come home. She could face reprimanding from her mentor, coddling from Wavesong, or even the pity from the others. But the cruelty of her brother? Somedays, it made her wish she was the one to have vanished; it felt easier than to face his snide remarks covered by his weird round-about way of talking. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her Mama's paws, safe and sound, but she didn't have that anymore. She didn't have her sister, who loved her or a brother who would even tolerate her.

What did she have left?...

It was another thought she shoved to the side. She would still make something, anything, that meant she wasn't aimlessly coasting her own existence, a ghost amongst the living, caught in a body that should have been returned to the Sunset Meadows with her mother.

That was why she still, albeit wordlessly, walked into camp - even in the face of the rising moon, even after three nights from her home - she still returned. Her head not held high, there was no triumph in her coming back; if anything, the weight of that morning was still heavy on her shoulders. But if it was something she was to deal with, Thunderpaw would always choose the family who had chosen her, despite everything, to seek refuge with. Riverclan would always be her home, as long as they were still willing to have her.

—————— Everyone she's ever loved

is gone, gone, gone. ——————

• Tagging @PIKESTAR @Russetfall @Jinglemoon @Wavesong Please let one of these four reply first!!!
• 
  Thunderpaw
  ✦—Riverclan apprentice | 11 moons
  ✦—She/Her
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A stocky cinnamon sealpoint molly with long curled ears and cold blue eyes.
  #C08969

 

[Wavesong]

And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around

.

Wavesong had been sick out of her mind when she heard Thunderpaw had disappeared too. Maybe it had been to find her sister, or maybe the grief had simply been too much and Wavesong understood that. She understood the need to find family, to cling to it when it felt like everything else was falling apart. Especially when it was all you had left. Rainpaw had been found nowhere, and she had often seen the looks Littlebrook gave her, had heard her whispers: The name Rain is cursed. She understood that too, Littlebrook's own son, Rain, had died. But Rainpaw wasn't dead. She couldn't be. She just-- Fishbrains, this was absolutely awful!

So when she saw that familiar pelt ahead, at first she thought it was a trick of the light, some cruel mirage conjured by exhaustion. But it didn't fade. It didn't vanish. And before she even realized it, she was crying out in relief, rushing forward to meet her. " Thunderpaw! " she gasped, voice trembling as she pressed close, rasping her tongue over the young one's ear. She pulled back with a frantic frown, eyes scanning for wounds, bruises, anything, but all she found was a weary, hurting heart.

All the pain Thunderpaw carried was inside.

" We were so worried for ye, ye lil' rascal… " she murmured, pulling her close again, wrapping her in a mother's embrace that smelled of river and home. No Rainpaw. Only Thunderpaw. But Stars above, she was here. " We won't stop lookin'... " she whispered, pressing her forehead to Thunderpaw's, eyes glassy with promise. " We'll find'r, somehow... " she meowed, voice thick with promise. She wouldn't rest. She would search high and low as she had done for Rosepaw's friend too...

" Are ye okay, guppy…? Are ye hungry? " she whispered finally, her voice full with love.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

37 MOONS

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RIVERCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

 

[Thunderpaw Thunderpaw]

———————————————— Everything she's ever known is gone, gone, gone. ✦

Even as shame burned her ears, just seeing Wavesong made the apprentice relax as tears threatened again to sting her eyes. She didn't even get the chance to breathe to speak before Wavesong tucked her beneath her chin and wrapped a protective tail around her.

For a moment, she found herself choked up all over again. They hadn't stopped looking for her or for Rain; there was still some semblance of hope. For the first time, in a very, very long time, Thunderpaw let her shoulders fall, and she buried her face into Wavesong's fur, Riverclan scent filling her every breath as she refused to cry more. She knew she was safe, too, but she just wanted the comfort of her home, of the cats who had become her family in the wake of everything.

"I'm sorry if I scared e'eryone, Wavesong." She muttered, quietly, shame still burning in her chest. But, Wavesong clearly didn't care about that, instead pulling back and checking her over. The molly gave an exhausted chuckle; the queen would always fret about any one of them if they were her own kits. "I'm okay, I hunted for myself and I wasn't out in the middle've nowhere." She hesitated for a moment before a weak smile fell on her maw. "Made a friend too, someone she cares 'bout went missin', she's the one who made me realise I should come home..."

Thunderpaw was the one to pull away fully; it was hard to hide the shame that melded onto her maw. "I-I just didn't know what to do, after losing Mama, I swore I was gonna protect Rain and Gale and... I just didn't know what to do with myself if rain never comes home." A lump caught in her throat, for just a moment, before she swallowed hard. "But Rain's smart 'nd like ya' said, we can keep lookin'."

She shuffled awkwardly, letting out a little sigh. "I-I guess I am in trouble cause I ran off..." Her ears drooped, wincing visibly at the ache that had annoyed her these last few days. The calico told her to talk to Jingle about it, but... Oh, Starclan, it would be so hard to.

—————— Everyone she's ever loved

is gone, gone, gone. ——————

• 
  Thunderpaw
  ✦—Riverclan apprentice | 11 moons
  ✦—She/Her
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A stocky cinnamon sealpoint molly with long curled ears and cold blue eyes.
  #C08969

 

[Russetfall]

FALLING FOR THE PROMISE OF THE

EMPTINESS MACHINE

.

"Oh, you absolutely are in trouble."

Russetfall stalks forward, green eyes sharp as they trace her apprentice's frame. None the worse for wear. Hardly a hair displaced on her head. Good. A relieved smile twitches at the corners of her maw but she holds her frown. There would be time for smiles another time, for now Thunderpaw would have to face the consequences. "You should have told someone where you were going."

Nevermind the fact that she likely would have been stopped.

"No one had any idea what had happened to you, we didn't know if you'd been attacked by a predator or some other clan or possibly kidnapped by twolegs." Her tail lashes once behind her. "You will not leave camp unless I or another warrior is with you, do you understand?"

She had half a mind to add hunting for the nursery to Thunderpaw's punishment, but found that the anger died in the face of Wavesong comforting the apprentice. Instead Russetfall sighs, steps forward to touch her nose to Thunderpaw's shoulder.

"Welcome back home, Thunderpaw."

22 moons

◆

Life Guard of Riverclan

◆

she/her

◆

tags

it's been decided how we lose

RUSSETFALL

— Life Guard of Riverclan
— She/Her
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
— A Green-eyed Chocolate Mackerel Tabby With Low White
#8a2c55

 

[Jinglemoon]

x

x

x

JINGLEMOON

RIVERCLAN

MEDICINE CAT

HE/THEY

28 MOONS

DINGO

Ever since Rainpaw's disappearance and how Thunderpaw went missing too directly afterwards likely in search for her littermate, Jinglemoon couldn't help but to feel responsible. He had torn the little family apart from the moment he'd taken on Rainpaw as an apprentice, they had already lost their mother. Now only Galepaw remained in camp. He found himself stumped as to why the younger cat bothered with him at all, he hadn't been able to save their mother and now both Rainpaw and Thunderpaw were gone and it was all his fault. Maybe it would be better if from now on he kept Galepaw a tail length away from him at all times, for the apprentices' own safety.

He'd just glanced over to the empty nest that used to be occupied by Rainpaw with glassy eyes glazed over with grief, when his ears perked up at Wavesong's gasp out in camp. He'd numbly rise from his nest and pad over to the entrance of the medicine den, watching as Wavesong wrapped herself around the cinnamon pelt of Thunderpaw. The sense of relief at seeing the apprentice safely back in camp was strong enough that he took a few steps forwards, briefly considered joining in on the reunion hug Wavesong had started, just happy that Thunderpaw was safe and home... But then he remembered why she had likely left in the first place and figured it wasn't a reunion he'd be welcomed to. The blue tabby would retract his steps, slinking back to the entrance of the medicine den.

He would still let out a breath of relief though, she could dislike him but he still cared about her well-being regardless. Wavesong hadn't called for him to come check Thunderpaw over so he figured that she was unharmed despite her disappearance, so his help likely wouldn't be needed. Blue eyes watched as Russetfall approached now. He thought to go and wake Pikestar but he was certain the other tom would wake and see the good news soon enough on his own accord. Galepaw too, he hoped would be relieved to see one of his littermates returned home safely.

"I'm glad to see you home safe, Thunderpaw" He'd say softly with a dip of his head before he retreated back into the medicine den to give space for the cats Thunderpaw had likely missed most while she was gone. Right now she needed her loved ones and the clanmates she was most closest to, if she ended up needing any medical help he knew Russetfall and Wavesong would make sure she stopped by and got it but right now all she needed was a comfort he couldn't help heal.

When danger greets you with a smile

A long furred blue tabby tom with low white, long pointed ears with curved tips and dazzling blue eyes. Usually walks with a jingle in his step. Good listener and always thoughtful.

Sibling to ASTRO, Uncle to TWINKLEPAW, ECLIPSEPAW and COMETPAW
Mentoring No one
"speech" // 'thoughts' // #3b90ff