TW: Death Open PAFP wild women don't get the blues ──✩°｡⋆⸜ infection

[juniperstar juniperstar]

juniper

it's an act of devotion, to be present and aware of who all filters in and out of the camp. that every face ought to be familiar at the least; no wayward soul that found their paws working their borders would be overlooked or forgotten. she could remember the softly tuned discussion of someone who held wisdom outside of their borders, the reassurance that the burden of care didn't rest squarely on two sets of shoulders.

the feeling of something burning just under the surface of her skin has become a constantly, loathsome friend... one that demanded attention, one that she'd ignored hoping it to be a temporary nuisance.

"Sorry... to bother you," comes a soft hiss that hesitates to even be heard. an intrusion on the harmless, daily goings on in favor of her own selfish need. "You... You know something... about herbs right?" it's a dragged out question, one that is interrupted by the need to draw in careful breaths to push through the searing feeling of standing... of existing... Stilldream could afford to have some of her time wasted with this silly line of questioning... Juniperstar refused to shove her problems onto Serpentberry and Rowanpaw while they both hovered anxiously around one another... when they were still finding their footing in their roles.

they didn't need her problems to bear down on them.

she beckons Stilldream to pull out of the sunlight, so bright is nauseates her... makes the world spin with sharp rays and gleaming spots. her breath hitches in her chest the moment she shifts forward, putting weight onto a leg that had been tactfully withdrawn from sight more days than not. it is distended... a tiny scratch left to fester...

just the prick of a thorn...

"I had hoped... it would just... go away on its own," she confesses, keeling forward as if her balance has been swept from her in that moment. she barely manages to catch herself, gritting her teeth into something like frustration... or maybe it is dismay that her own body slips out of control.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• this is closed for now! i'll tell ya'll when it's open hehe. @S t i l l d r e a m

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[S t i l l d r e a m]

tw - gross descriptions

There was little resemblance between the colony she came from and the one that now called itself a clan. Stilldream knew nothing of StarClan, nor did she care for ancient glories or dusty oaths. But she was wise enough to keep that to herself. Stilldream played along—smiled and bowed, and did what was asked of her. Even though she loathed their softness and compared their every inadequacy to the home she left behind.

It was always easier to catch flies with honey. If they wanted to make a new life for themselves then pride would have to be the first thing they sacrificed.

So, when Juniperstar summoned her out of the blue, Stilldream didn't question it. She rose quietly and made her way to meet the leader. "You are never a bother," She said with sweetness in her smile.

Stilldream should be delighted for Juniperstar to ask her that question, and she is partly, but she's quick to note something is off. Her eyes flutter about the leader—lethargy—labored breathing. The cause of it is made clear when she sees the wound. The pleasant look on her face strains slightly. It is… not a pretty sight. Angry, swollen flesh puffed up, flushed with heat, and leaking pus the color of spoiled milk.

When the leader sways, she lurches forward, only to draw back once more when Juniperstar rights themselves. "Even the most inconspicuous wounds can learn to fester, my dear." The heat radiating from her pelt was alarming. Stilldream didn't need to be told this wound had gone untended—what she saw made that clear enough.

It seems their leader is not only soft but foolish as well. In a way, their naivety reminds Stilldream of her brother. His stubbornness—the lack of care for himself. Without her, he surely would have died many times over.

"I have knowledge of that sort, yes. But your medicine-cat is capable too." Stilldream asks distractedly, gaze darting up from the wound. It's been some time since she's had to utilize her knowledge as a mender, but even so, she's quick to jump into that role again. Eager as she is, she still has concerns. There's even a chance that slapping poultices on the festering thing may well be futile. Besides, the herbs needed to even attempt treatment were easily available to Serpantberry. "To have waited this long... Do you not trust her to handle such things?" The ivory creature studies the leader once more, brows furrowed with gentle concern.
​

OOC NOTES . ⏾ . CHARACTER INFO

• OOC: — Oh boy this can't possibly go wrong.​

• 𖥸 LH albino w/ bluish red eyes and abnormal ears.
  𖥸 A calm and ethereal sounding voice.
  𖥸 Likes long walks in the woods, kissing in graveyards, and collecting fungi at sundown.
  𖥸 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𖥸 Smells strongly of herbs and detritus.

 

[juniperstar juniperstar]

juniper

even for all the sweetness of her words, there is a terseness to the truth she shares that makes Juniperstar prickle with unease... or perhaps it is just embarrassment, to be caught in such a state. to know it was preventable and had been allowed to run rampant for far too long. her lips fall only slightly towards a frown, disheartened to know that the scrap of kitten teeth or the scabbing of a clumsy fall may have equal deadliness. . . was living life really so dangerous? that even the tiniest mistakes and a bit of bad luck could be fatal?

"Right..." she swallows back her own frustrations with herself in favor of confirming her understanding, "I guess I've... learned something then." to take everything with due caution... to use the goodness of what makes clan life special; the community. its need to treat one another of their wounds to ensure a more mutual survival.

the line of questioning that follows is unwelcome, though it isn't surprising. her eyes glance back behind her, as if the mention of her will cause Serpentberry to appear, fuming and decorated in leaf-litter. "No- no it's not... it's not about trust." Stilldream is still far younger than herself; was she so out of her depth that even the younger adults couldn't comprehend her aversion to being a burden? or was it a self-imposed punishment not to inflict her woes onto others knowing her being here had been a path paved in Thornstar's blood?

"I trust her plenty... too much, perhaps... I don't want her... wasting more time on me than it's worth," the spotted cat admits on a sighed breath. it is a labor of survival to even do that much... to converse, to ask for help, to pretend that she has not willfully drawn the curtain between herself and one of her closest friends in favor of preserving Serpentberry's fragile heart.

"Can you help... then?" Or did I wait too long...?

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[S t i l l d r e a m]

Goodness, for a she-cat double her age to be still so very naive... "I think you underestimate your worth, Juniperstar…" She sighs, "But as you wish." After all, this wasn't her decision to make. She could report it to Serpentberry—but doing so would betray the trust that's placed in her.

Who in their right mind would waste such an opportunity?

Stilldream wasn't one to question her superiors—at least not openly. The well-being of the colony as a whole was paramount. Infighting was not allowed whatsoever. Those in positions of power were not insurmountable, but they were respected enough that their will was not challenged... At least not until recently. Obedience hadn't saved her brother when it came time for cuts...

She understood the risk. If something went wrong, if Juniperstar worsened under her care, there would be consequences. ThunderClan was soft, but she knew that at least they might force Stilldream and her brother to leave. Their position here was fragile, and few would sympathize with two outsiders who they considered partially liable for their leader's death. Hawker will forgive me if this goes wrong. I doubt he's that attached already.

"Of course, you can rely on me." She said gently, offering a wilted smile. "I will give my best." Juniperstar was in a critical condition. She might not even survive long enough for the herbs to matter, but she was willing to try.

"I'll need to gather a few things. The pale she-cat added quickly, already turning to leave. There is a list of things she'll need to even begin. That fever will need to come down, surely, and the wound will need to be thoroughly cleaned and drained. Something hardly to fight the infection—plenty of it or at least enough to stabilize Juniperstar's condition until there's a chance to gather more. "Rest and please try not to strain yourself while I'm gone." Stilldream does not wait for a response, gracefully sweeping across camp with a specific place in mind to check first.

​

OOC NOTES . ⏾ . CHARACTER INFO

• OOC: — Wasn't sure what you had in mind, but if you don't want to write Juniperstar mulling in silence while Stilldream is away, I'm happy to post again with her returning with the herbs/attempting to treat Juniperstar. Up to you though!​

• 𖥸 LH albino w/ bluish red eyes and abnormal ears.
  𖥸 A calm and ethereal sounding voice.
  𖥸 Likes long walks in the woods, kissing in graveyards, and collecting fungi at sundown.
  𖥸 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𖥸 Smells strongly of herbs and detritus.

 

[juniperstar juniperstar]

juniper

her whiskers twitch at the statement, uncertain how she's meant to accept that answer. that her own value is in flux and not measured with the perception of her clan in mind. they probably do weigh her more favorably but... she's just one cat. how can they hoist up her worth higher? anyone could fill her paws, step in as leader and find a path to guide ThunderClan down. that wasn't special.

"I appreciate the advice... I will take it into consideration next time." should there be a next time. should she be given the chance to allow others the opportunity to fuss about her.

but Stilldream departs, dutiful and willing to at least accept her explanation as all the reasoning needed to handle this privately. quietly. she hunkers herself down, not in any rebellious mood to wander off. even that act takes great energy, the careful folding of limbs, tilts slightly onto her side to lounge in what comfort can be dug up from the scraps of her health.

everything aches... it's overwhelmingly warm... and the light is blinding. there is nothing to do but wait, listen to the beat of her own heart fluttering uncertainly in her chest, feel the discomfort that coils itself in every fiber of her body. and hope... hope that her lack of attention for herself had not been her undoing.

she could imagine being pestered about it, had she given anyone the space to notice, to interject or comment on it. to push her towards more thoughtful care of what was just a thorn's prick left to run errant. her chin rests against the ground, drawing in a heavy breath and content to just close her eyes against the sun's searing rays.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• all good! sorry im being slow. after still gets back we can do the fun part :)

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[S t i l l d r e a m]

Her steps were light and expression placid as sunlight glared off her white coat. She didn't rush—rushing drew attention—her pace was that of a busy warrior. Stilldream made her way up the cliffside toward the medicine den.

Ordinarily, she respected the medicine-cat's boundaries. Though she was not used to such spaces being secret. The colony operated much differently. Menders did not treat their dens the same, all was shared amongst them. The concept of having a space to oneself as a mender was unheard of.

The den loomed ahead, carved carefully into the cliff face, its entrance shadowed. Familiar scents wafted out—the bitter bite of all manner of herbs, an earthy blend of dried and fresh.
Stilldream paused just outside, ears flicking forward. No voices or busied paws. She pushed her nose in, ready with a plan if Serpentberry or her fumbling apprentice appeared—but the space was empty. No need for that today.

Five minutes. That was all she had, give or take, before the risk of being discovered became too great.

You'll forgive me… won't you, lovely Serpantberry? She moves across the threshold, hushed steps gliding across the ground. This is hardly the worst trespass committed to save a life.

Her nose twitched as she scanned the stores—quickly—methotically—with eyes that knew what they were looking for. A steady paw reached into little pockets, gathering what was needed. Feverfew to reduce the fire beneath Juniperstar's pelt, wood sorrel to draw out the pus, burdock root to tackle the infection that took hold. Her paws hesitated only once, hovering over a small cluster of poppy seeds. Juniperstar would need something to ease her agony, but not these. No, definitely not when she was in such a weakened state already.

Many plants and fungi she was fond of using were missing from the shelves—neglected by the clan, it seemed. Mildly disappointing, but she would make do.

She worked fast, tucking small bundles into the thick fur of her chest and slipping others beneath her tongue. Her paws moved with certainty. Nothing she didn't absolutely need, no indulgences, or anything that would be wasted.

When she emerged, moments later, her posture was fluid, expression composed. The sharp Serpentberry would know that herbs had been taken. Such a diligent creature would not ignore items missing from her stores. There would be punishment, but Stilldream was not afraid. She would accept the consequences. Whatever they were, it was a risk worth what could be gained.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆​

The warrior returned to Juniperstar's side without flourish. "I've returned." Stilldream crouched beside her, gently touching the tabby's shoulder.
​

OOC NOTES . ⏾ . CHARACTER INFO

• OOC: — Let the fun begin.​

• 𖥸 LH albino w/ bluish red eyes and abnormal ears.
  𖥸 A calm and ethereal sounding voice.
  𖥸 Likes long walks in the woods, kissing in graveyards, and collecting fungi at sundown.
  𖥸 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𖥸 Smells strongly of herbs and detritus.

 

[juniperstar juniperstar]

juniper

there's peace to be found in the soft ambiance of clan life in the distance. it feels like it grows further away, then snaps into full, blaring clarity only to fade into obscurity again. a blurring between the sounds of life and creeping silence of death. she draws in a soft breath, one that flutters around nervously like it isn't sure where to take up space... before ultimately fleeing on a wheezed sigh. if that could just be focused on. that feeling of the rise and fall of her own chest.

Stilldream's return is unceremonious... despite what salvation it may hold it is humble. a wreath of herbs hidden under the sappy scent of ThunderClan's territory that calls her mission a success. "Good," goes shared in a hushed whisper, uncertain how much time had even passed between the retreat and return.

a paw stretches out lazily in front of her, a beckoning to be given what has been retrieved, even as her heart hammers feverishly in her chest. "Quickly... please." even the stars seem to dance behind her eye lids in protest of what little action she affords.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan nine lives remain

  ignore me

 

[S t i l l d r e a m]

Stilldream set the herbs down with care and got to work. She was spreading them like cards between her forepaws, a smile twitching at the corner of her maw. To her, there was no greater sense of fulfillment than this.

She tore the feverfew into small, bitter pieces, mixed it with another herb, and gently nudged them toward Juniperstar's mouth. "Eat. It will help with the fever and pain. Chew slowly, don't choke." Her tone was firm—she had no official title, but when it came to this, she did not ask.

Next, she turned to the leg. The wound had swollen, the skin distended and hot to the touch, pulsing with infection. Stilldream sighed quietly under her breath.

Her claws worked delicately, prodding the inflamed flesh to drain the infection. She chewed the bitter wood sorrel and pressed it against the swelling, the cool pulp soaking into the heat. The sour, sharp scent filled the air, mingling with the rotting tang of infection.

The work wasn't nearly done, but a shuffle from cause her head to turn ever so slightly...
​

OOC NOTES . ⏾ . CHARACTER INFO

• OOC: — BEAT HER ASSSSS.​

• 𖥸 LH albino w/ bluish red eyes and abnormal ears.
  𖥸 A calm and ethereal sounding voice.
  𖥸 Likes long walks in the woods, kissing in graveyards, and collecting fungi at sundown.
  𖥸 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𖥸 Smells strongly of herbs and detritus.

 

[OWLBARK]

"What's going on here?" was the only thing he could bark out before he truly could understand the sight he had walked upon. Their new resident Stilldream crouched over Juniperstar doing StarClan knew what to her. His teeth bared, hackles raised, and claws out, the storm guard shoved his way between if Stilldream allowed. He looked at Juniperstar, breathing labored and smattered with poultices from the mouth of this stranger, and held his mouth agape in confusion.

Owlbark had searched out his leader to report on his border patrol. He had a tentative relationship with her currently. He couldn't say to her what he truly wanted: that Brightpetal was not fit to be deputy and that ShadowClan be held accountable and held at a foxlength. He would not tell her this, though. Instead he tiptoed around her not wanting her to shatter with the weight of his suggestions. When he found her den empty, and the scent of sick rich in her bedding, he had a sinking feeling in his gut.

No luck in Serpentberry's den and no one seemed able to know where she was until an apprentice nervously gestured to the edge of their camp. That's where he had stumbled upon the scene of Stilldream, odd in her manners and appearance, hunched over Juniperstar. "Someone get Serpentberry!" He shouted to anybody in camp.

i turned 'round and there you go *ੈ✩‧₊˚

• ooc: this is pre-promotion womp womp
  @serpentberry
  
• 

  ☾ OWLBARK
  ☾ THUNDERCLAN DEPUTY (was storm guard in this thread)
  ☾ 51 moons, ages every 1st of the month
  ☾ open to peaceful interactions
  ☾ "SPEECH"
  ☾ penned by muddly

• toyhouse
  playlist
  pinterest

 

[Copperstorm]

You walk along the edge of danger
AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU

.

The last thing Copperstorm had expected was to find their leader collapsed, sprawled on the ground with that newcomer crouched over her, with strange smelling poultices scenting in the air. He didn't recognize the herbs. But he knew Stilldream wasn't a medicine cat. And all the stars above, when Owlbark turned, voice sharp and demanding, Copperstorm didn't hesitate. He spun on his heels and ran. Paws thundered against the forest floor, his breath coming fast, slicing through the growing panic in his chest. There was only one cat who came to mind, one cat who despite everything might actually know what to do.

" Serpentberry! " he bellowed, golden eyes scanning feverishly until they locked on her form. " Juniperstar needs your immediate assistance! She's sick! " His ears pinned back, tension radiating from him. His voice trembled slightly, not from fear for himself, but fear for her. He also knew that things between him and Serpentberry were... frayed. Fractured by conflict, by distrust. But he also knew this: Serpentberry understood medicine. Better than most. Maybe better than any cat left standing.

And if she could help...

She would.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

33 MOONS

𖧧

THUNDERCLAN

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

 

[hazelheart hazelheart]

(🜲) there is an intense fear in copperstorm's yowl as he summons serpentberry, and hazelheart's golden eyes go wide as she snaps her attention to the scene. stilldream crouches over the prone body of her dearest friend, smoothing herbs across her. hackles raising, the woman charges over hot on owlbark's heels. as the warrior shoves the pale newcomer off of their leader, the brown tabby will steady the albino, eyes sharp as she gazes at her. "what were you doing to her?" she asks lowly, not a threat, but a forced question all the same.

hazelheart's sister in law is barely breathing, her leg a festering sight. swallowing the chastising words she might've shared with her friend had the woman been more than half conscious, hazelheart crouches by her side. serpentberry would be there soon, to smooth over the wound, to make it clean thy again. "why did she come to you?" the storm guard asks of stilldream. the young molly hardly seems ill intentioned, but there is a reason thunderclan has a medicine cat. "you stupid, selfless idiot," she murmurs to juniperstar's ear, and then "what have you put on her?" to the albino girl.

I NEED MY GOLDEN CROWN OF SORROW 🜲 MY BLOODY SWORD TO SWING

• // " #b8a300"
• 
• HAZEL 🜲 SHE / HER, WARRIOR OF THUNDERCLAN. 54 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a stocky, medium-haired brown tabby with hazel eyes. this is a large cat with a rippling musculature. hazel's frame is wide and tall, shoulders broad, muzzle and eyes heavy in her skull. chestnut and chocolate fur swirl across her pelt, sliced through with tabby stripes of shadow. her eyes invoke images of a sweet summer's day, honey and brown mingling into a soft amber gold

​

​

 

[juniperstar juniperstar]

juniper

even though months have passed since the mantle of leadership had been draped over her shoulders, Juniperstar still can't help but take some relief in being the one just listening for once. the demand to chew... to swallow... to find health in that simple act. they are lapped up with a overwhelming sense of calm, so certain that it would be exactly what was necessary to fix everything. it would be expedient... peaceful... without need for ceremony. she could get back up, go about her day... take her apprentice out and not wince at every jostling movement. it is a freedom so close to being grasped again;

did Asterkit feel trapped by his own body? by the circumstances of his own poor health? sickly, constantly, even if never so feverish and unsteady as his mother.

the stinging warmth is bitten with frost, a much needed chill that settles the pained bristling of the fur along her spine. her head rests on the ground, waiting like a child who is stuck between the loving licks of a mother's grooming before they can go out to play. as other sets of paws near, they should grow louder... but it is fainter... and quieter... and softer. that even the panic-stricken voices that rise into shrill volumes don't ever quite sound like more than a distant hum.

there is a loving lecture imparted into the soft furs of her ears and it's the last bit of clarity she can summon up the will to purr at.

selfless...

even if foolish.

she could live with that.

or... as the maladroit rise and fall of her chest stills... she could die with that.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• juniperstar leader of thunderclan eight lives remain

  ignore me

 

[S t i l l d r e a m]

Stilldream's breath hitched the moment Juniperstar's glory hound sounded the alert. Her ears pinned as he stormed toward her. She didn't resist when he shoved in between them. What would be the point? That glare in his eyes said enough.

So she stepped back, shoulders stiff with swallowed frustration. She said nothing at first, only watched as the chaos unfolded like an overturned nest of baby birds cheeping for their mother—scrambling paws, raised voices, panic tightening the air like a snare.

"What—I-I was only doing what she asked me to do!" Stilldream stammered, lavender eyes wide. Her frame drew inward, shrinking beneath the weight of their stares. She looked every bit the startled doe, trembling in place. Well… this was not how she hoped things would go.

Her eyes flitted briefly to Juniperstar, to the stilling of her chest. The rasping breaths had gone quiet. "She didn't want anyone to know." The dread is sinking, rattling in her chest like a fluttering bird. "I—I thought I could help…"

Well then, this was not how she had hoped this would go. All she could do now was try to appear small and foolish, lest they start gathering wood for a pyre.

Her tail curled tightly around her paws as she looked down. A risk—a gamble—and she had lost. At least if they burned her now, she'd got to play mender one last time. "The herbs were harmless… just to clean the wound, keep the fever down. Feverfew—burdock—wood sorrel..." Stilldream lists the assortment in a small voice.

Goodness, there was no greater amassing of fools than in this clan. The herbs used were harmless. Anyone with eyes and a trivial amount of herb knowledge could know that. A mixture of things to clean and purify the wound, nothing more.

Would they even believe her if she told them Juniperstar practically chose her death? Although an oopsie, sorry your leader was an idiot would probably just make them angrier, wouldn't it?
​

OOC NOTES . ⏾ . CHARACTER INFO

• OOC: — Oopsie?​

• 𖥸 LH albino w/ bluish red eyes and abnormal ears.
  𖥸 A calm and ethereal sounding voice.
  𖥸 Likes long walks in the woods, kissing in graveyards, and collecting fungi at sundown.
  𖥸 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𖥸 Smells strongly of herbs and detritus.

 

[Magnoliapeak]

She's barely made it a foxlength into her patrol before the commotion has her turning back around. The cries for Serpentberry coming from Owlbark and Copperstorm snap Magnoliapeak straight through the camp's entrance and towards their origin. She stops beside her mother and tries to take account of what is happening. Juniperstar lies unnervingly still before them, and Stilldream lingers nearby with a guilty expression. "She asked you for this?!" Magnoliapeak questions through her shock-horror. Surely Juniperstar didn't really go behind Serpentberry and Rowanpaw's backs to ask a newcomer for help with something so serious. She and Serpentberry certainly were not friends, but it was not because the medicine cat was some sort of lazy or skill-less idiot.

Through her anger, she notices that Juniperstar's chest has stopped rising and falling. "Is she...?" the question dies on Magnoliapeak's tongue, dashed against the cold stone of the memory of watching her father die after the great battle. There had been a lot more carnage then; the air had been laden with blood and grief. Here, the air is thick with an herbal smell that has an oh-so slight sour undertone of infection. Juniperstar lays in a way so similar to Bracken that Magnoliapeak almost cannot bear to look at her. The warrior turns to look at Hazelheart, feeling almost like a child. "Is she dead?" Magnoliapeak feels sick when the question finally comes, losing her composure.

SPILL IT OPEN ❀ LET IT RUSH TO MY HEAD

• "speech"
  

• 

• MAGNOLIAPEAK she/her, thunderclan, twenty-three moons.
  ❀ shorthaired dilute tortoiseshell with amber eyes.
  ❀ mentored by her parents (informal), mentoring rampaw
  ❀ sister of hyacinthrain and honeysucklecry; daughter of hazelheart x bracken (rip)
  ❀ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / underline and tag when attacking pls!
  ❀ penned by carat / ccaarraatt on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[serpentberry serpentberry]

"... Willing patients aren't the most clever, as you know. It will be your job to keep a level head, even when chaos presides around you..."

An interrupted lesson. Yet another with no berry nor root to accompany, but rather a test of wits and morals. Serpentberry beseeches her daughter to learn control, not compliance - to earn and maintain an internal calm so that no molly nor tom could take advantage of her. But shouting obscures her continued thoughts. Copperstorm nearly screams for her name, and Serpentberry's expression minutely changes from a leisurely smile to just the same, but with her eyebrows pitched together. She almost dismisses the tom, but he's quick to garner her true attention. "Juniperstar... she's sick!" Sick. Sick like her son, plagued by an endless illness that never abates nor progresses? Sick like her, toying and playing with her Clanmates even when they beg for reprieve? Or... sick, in a way that makes even Copperstorm wail?

"On my tail and not and inch further, girl," she barks to her daughter, feeling that terrible climb of her heart reaching her throat. She follows Copperstorm dutifully, nearly pushing to outpace him upon return. The air in camp remains no different than that of the territory and yet - entirely so. Something's left the atmosphere unsettled, more than the news that their dear leader is sick. Something is gone.

The bickering is an afterthought, Owlbark and Magnoliapeak biting towards Stilldream whilst Juniperstar remains stationary between them all. Not just stationary, but... still, ironically enough. Her eyes don't shift with that bleeding anxiety, her lips do not twitch into an awkward smile. Her chest doesn't rise, and by StarClan, Serpentberry is almost sure she cannot hear the other's heart beat. Her pawsteps are soundless as she draws nearer, the scent of wood sorrel and feverfew mixing with the nearly nauseating sick stench. The wound is smothered, as if it needed to breathe in the first place. Her world wobbles - her world stills.

A quiet paw nudges fur off of Juniperstar's face. Venom green eyes glare down at her form, yet with the molly dead, there is no one to blame. She cannot blame herself, no - her inattentiveness cannot be the root of all evil. The herbs are not wrong moreso are they late, but is that, again, not the fault of the deceased, or the feline deigned to handle anything and everything injury related? No, they are blameless. It is the thief, the cat with sticky paws and no sense that must be to blame.

"I," she starts, swallowing her heart, letting it sink to the pits of her chest and chill. Serpentberry, ever the one for flare, ticks her gaze to the side first, then tilts her head, glaring down her nose at Stilldream, "am going to string you up by your fore-ears, nail you down by your hind-ears, and rip every nubby toe off of your dainty paws while you are well and awake, you impudent thief!"

And all at once, she breaks, launching herself, claws and all, towards Stilldream.

 

[Ashmoon Ashmoon]

C'mon and leave your mark - Vandalize my heart!

indentAshmoon watches, idly, as Stilldream picks a few herbs from the medicine den. 'Does she... have permission to use those?' With piqued interest, Ashmoon watches the pure white molly as she approaches Juniperstar with the pilfered herbs. 'Ah. If Juniperstar knows, than I suppose she does.' With the mystery solved, Ashmoon returns to the task at hand - removing burrs from his shaggy fur.

indentAs he's pulling a particularly stubborn knot from his tail, Ashmoon hears commotion. Accusatory barking, and calls for Serpentberry. Ashmoon sets his jaw and stays put. Jumping in now would only cause more problems.

indentIt's not until Serpentberry throws herself upon Stilldream that Ashmoon enters the fray. He shoves a shoulder at the rampaging medicine cat, knocking her off of Stilldream, before standing above Stilldream to defend her from further assailants. "The leader is dead, and all you can do is worry about stolen herbs?" Ashmoon, usually quiet, roars. His long tail, still covered in burrs, thrashes behind him. "Or are you only at eachother's throats now because Juniperstar isn't here to scold you?" This petty infighting makes him sick. Serpent, of all cats, should know better than to turn on eachother at the slightest hint of disruption.

indentHe takes a deep breath - although it comes out more as an upset huff. These cats test his patience, but he needs to at least try and keep a level head. He maybe the only person doing so.

indent"Juniperstar will be back. We'll listen to her side of the story when she is."

Ashmoon | 30 moons | Warrior of Thunderclanysdfgjuoiuyufgduuhgjyfg