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[flowercloud]

{$title} Mentions of death and grief

"I'm sorry... Wolfstorm... Has to be somewhere.."

The words escaped a hoarse breath, Duskpool strapped over her, another leaning in to help- she didn't really see who was there. She knew Cherrydawn, the echoed cries of Wolfstorm loud in her ears still... The ache in her paws from the limp weight was ignored- her features flat, empty- yet her cheeks were still wet, and her eyes reddened.

Gently, they'd set Duskpool down, the others gone- their bodies unrecovered. The dogs... Who knew if they were gone or not. the large amber molly swallowed down her emotions, pressing a pink nose to Duskpools form again before walking in shame.

"Swallowbreeze..." Her voice quiet, her tail dragging behind her as green eyes lifted as she pressed herself into the den. "Duskpools dead.. has Hawkstar returned from patrol?" She murmurs, her heart breaking and splintering as she finally said the words aloud.

"And... Don't worry. I.. don't need anything," she murmured softly, forcing a gentle smile onto her face. She had taken enough from Swallowbreeze, hoping, wishing for something to work against the pain- but it was her own battle yet again. It was something she knew now that she could work on naturally. Swallowbreeze hopefully understood.

@SWALLOWBREEZE - speaking to swallow in private

@Cherrydawn @Fujimoto @cinderpaw. @FIDGETPAW! @Downypaw - training with Flowercloud

Looking for @Hawkstar

flowercloud - 39 moons - skyclan deputy - mentoring none

 

[Sagesong's icon Sagesong Sagesong]

Oh, now I'm here and i'm hoping
for sun in the afternoon

.

She was in utter disbelief as Flowercloud and the others stumbled into camp with Duskpool in tow. Sagesong stood stock still for a heartbeat longer before rushing forward, some noise, a wail, a cry- she didn't know what- escaping her as what she feared what she was seeing proved true. Duskpool, dead..? No, this was impossible. Surely he had just worked himself to exhaustion and Flowercloud was just...- There was so much blood. Too much. The giant tom had seemed invincible. She hadn't yet thanked him for helping her back to camp when the dog attacked her...

The small warrior's ears flattened to their skull, nudging a massive paw with her nose in a fruitless attempt to rouse him even when she knew it was pointless. "What happened!? Is everyone else ok, or..?" They can't bring themself to finish the thought. What had happened? Why had this happened now of all times? It wasn't right. It wasn't FAIR. She curled against the still form of her friend, hiding her face in his thick fur.

Sagesong had dealt with death before, certainly. But never before had losing someone affected her so deeply as this. Not even when Coffeestar died had it hurt like this. Duskpool did not deserve this. No one did. ...Had he been alone, when it happened? Had he gone down snarling and fighting to his last breath or scared and aware that this was his end?

Neither possibility brings much comfort and another anguished wail escapes her, muffled by cooling fur. Why was life so cruel?

27 moons

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skyclan warrior

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they/she

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bio

The Flood, The Feeling Comes Over

SAGESONG

✿—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
✿— Small, Curly-furred, Mottled Black And Brown Cat With Heterochromia.
#356458

 

[brightnose!'s icon brightnose! brightnose!]

BRIGHTNOSE | SUN GUARD
"ALWAYS CONFUSING THE THOUGHTS IN MY HEAD"

.

Brightnose looks toward the entrance of camp, at first because she smelled the scent of death; her fur raises on end and she stands, tail flicking back and forth to see who is. Not again, she thinks. We've had enough tragedy to last us all a lifetime in just the last few moons - and -
Her thoughts come to a screeching halt as Flowercloud and the rest of the training patrol trudges into the clearing, carrying the limp frame of an all-too recognizable warrior. Duskpool.
No.
Surely, he's not... he's not.... dead... is he...? She watches with shock as Sagesong rushes up to him, trying to get him to wake up, begging to know what happened. And finally, wailing into the fur of the fallen warrior. Brightnose's tail falls limp as she pads closer, staring down at his body with tears lining her eyes. He'd clearly fought tooth and claw, struggling to make it out of whatever had happened alive. But here he is, the life drained from his one amber eye, usually gleaming but now dull and lifeless.
"How could this happen?" she breathes. "What the hell killed him?" Flowercloud is likely going to be inconsolable over such a loss, having already disappeared into the medicine den to speak with Swallowbreeze, so she turns instead to Cherrydawn and Fujimoto. "D... did you see what it was? Is it still in the territory? Are... are there others that were killed...?" She shudders at the thought, though she knows in the back of her mind that it's likely true. Duskpool had left on patrol, hadn't he...? How many warriors had SkyClan just lost? Brightnose blinks the tears from her eyes, taking a long, shaky breath inward to steel herself. She can't panic. Not yet. Maybe there's still someone out there who's alive and waiting for help to come...

---

"SO I CAN'T TRUST MYSELF ANYMORE"

BRIGHTNOSE
SKYCLAN SUN GUARD
21 MOONS
SHE/HER
"SPEECH" | THOUGHTS | ACTION | #61BD6D

 

[Cherrydawn Cherrydawn]

Run through the field, the shadows gone,
Lift up your head and greet the dawn.
Though battles rage, our hearts endure,
Together strong, we'll find the cure.

.

The tears on Cherrydawn's face hadn't stopped slipping down her cheeks. They fell silently, dripping into the earth as if the ground could somehow carry her sorrow away. Not only Duskpool was gone, but Lostmoon, and Wolfstorm too. Three capable warriors... Just gone. Swallowed up by the unknown. Only one of them found. Only one of them they could bring home. Duskpool. Flowercloud's quiet voice and Fujimoto's steadying presence anchored her just enough to keep walking. Every pawstep felt heavy, like her heart was dragging through the mud with her. When her deputy spoke, she tried to listen, tried to believe the gentle reassurance. But nothing could lessen the ache that pulsed through her chest.

Her throat tightened as camp came into view, and she slowed, paws trembling before she forced herself forward. At Sagesong's soft inquiry, she dipped her head slightly, voice fragile and raw. " .. We're fine... " she whispered, though she didn't believe it. Her mismatched eyes shimmered with grief as she blinked hard, trying to steady herself. " We.. We weren't there when it happened. We... " Her voice faltered, catching on the word she didn't want to say.

Finally, she managed to choke out the thing she had seen. " Dogs. " The sound broke her composure, a sob catching in her throat. Her fur bristled as if she could shake the memory away. " L-Lostmoon and W-Wolfstorm.. They.. " Her breath hitched, and she couldn't finish the sentence. " We couldn't find them. " She stood there, trembling, her voice barely a whisper now. [color=]" M-Maybe.. "[/color] she breathed, her tone breaking under the weight of desperate hope. Her mismatched eyes lifted, shimmering with tears that refused to stop.

" Maybe they're still alive. "

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

21 MOONS

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SKYCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

 

[Teaselfeather Teaselfeather]

Let me die, let me drown, lay my bones in the ground
I will still come around when the time for sleep is through
Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale
Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

.

Shock coursed through their body as they saw their mother enter with Fujimoto, Cherrydawn, and their apprentices... And then Duskpool's body. A quiet sound escaped them, more breath than voice, as they hurried forward. Their muzzle brushed gently against Flowercloud's, seeking the grounding warmth of her fur before their eyes, wide and trembling, turned toward the lifeless tom. Dogs. There had been dogs in their territory? Duskpool, Lostmoon, and Wolfstorm, three of them standing against such monsters?

Their mismatched hues flickered to their mother's face, anguish caught in their throat. " Mom.. " they whispered, the words breaking like wind through reeds. " .. I'm here. " They pressed close once more, then turned toward the fallen form. For a heartbeat, the world seemed to still and in that silence, Teaselfeather felt it. They swallowed hard, lowering their head. " You can rest now.. " they whispered so faintly that only the stars might hear.

Another soul crossing the veil. Another echo to join the countless others that lingered at the edges of their sight. Would they ever stop seeing them, these ghosts of SkyClan past, forever walking beside the living?

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

15 MOONS

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SKYCLANNER

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bio

 

[SWALLOWBREEZE]

she worked quietly, fixing acornheart's nest so the tom had something more comfortable. with chrysalisgaze fully healed and given the okay to leave, she felt bad he lost someone to one-sided chat with whenever she was off doing her job.

swallowbreeze's focus is first cut off by the familiar cooper scent, poisoning her nostrils, making her visibly recoil. when flowercloud enters her den, the deputy doesn't wait a second longer to break the news, her voice is distant, and the blood caking her shoulders seems to curl around her throat.

"oh, flowercloud..." she steps closer and gently headbutts the other's shoulder in comfort, "hawkstar should be back by now. go and be with your family, i'll prepare everything." the stars have not been kind to the molly, hopefully, hopefully she understands this time that she isn't dealing with them alone. this is a loss that will be felt for seasons.

 

[Quailstep Quailstep]

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QUAILSTEP

Only a few sunrises ago, Quailstep had thought that Duskpool would outlive StarClan, the resilient cat that he was.

Seeing him in death didn't feel quite real - his intimidating form reduced to limp and lifeless fur. How could such a thing have happened? Only mere sunrises ago, he'd reunited with that warrior from across the border, protecting his lost daughter from a hawk. And now...

Oh stars, Flowercloud, she thought. Why have you needed to suffer so much? Her pawsteps were quiet as she approached the dead warrior, but she kept an eye out for her friend - when the time for comfort was needed, she would be there for her.

"Oh, Duskpool," she murmured, nosing the fallen warrior's cheek. "We won't ever forget you."

Tagging

SPEECH

THOUGHTS