TW: Sensitive Content PAFP Territory SkC With All My Tiny Might - Injured

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This thread takes place outside the clan's camp in its territory.

Smoke

i'll burn it all down to ash
5
1
Freshkill
40
SMOKE
APPRENTICE OF SKYCLAN


x
x

(TW; blood and leg injury)


Leaves scatter as a young tabby races across the Skyclan border. The adrenaline in his veins dulls the scent of the territory markers meant to ward him away and the sound of the prey he sends fleeing into the undergrowth. His bright orange eyes are wide and panicked, and each breath comes hard and heavy.

The leaves don't even have time to settle back to the ground before the dog thundering after him sends them flying even higher.

Even for his age the cat is tiny, but before the hound on his heels he is a mouse. He can't help but desperately wonder why it thinks such a small meal is worth chasing all this way. Size is the only advantage he can think to leverage, and it is the reason he made a break for the trees the moment he saw them.

His petite body darts under tall roots and scrambles through massive bushes in the hopes of losing his pursuer. The dog will not be so easily deterred; it jumps over the roots and breaks right through the bushes. It is slowed down, which keeps him alive, but it does not give up the chase. It is smart enough to know when it's prey is getting tired.

Smoke can still hear the crashing footfalls behind him. His eyes dart across the horizon, searching for something, anything that he can use.

The dog's breath is on his heels when he spots it; a small hole in the ground through a small gap in the tree roots. There is no time to worry if the gap is small enough to keep the dog out or if the den is still inhabited, if he doesn't do something he will be dead in moments. He turns toward it.

"Please please please..." Each word is breathy and haggard, barely louder than a breath. Smoke does not know who he is pleading with (himself? the dog? the sky above?), but desperation pulls the words from him regardless. Just a little further...

There! He throws himself head first through the gap. The jump is good, but the landing isn't. His face goes hard into the dirt and his leg gets caught in the roots, leaving it dangling out of the den. The dog's jaws clamp down upon it. Smoke releases a strangled cry into the dirt as he writhes, ripping his leg out of his attacker's mouth before it can secure its hold. That hurts even worse, and he screams even louder as he presses himself into the back of the den. It is even smaller than it looked from the outside.

Above him, the dog presses its muzzle through the roots as far as it will go, its paws scrabbling against the dirt outside. It's jaws snap against the air in front of Smoke's face.

Smoke, his white fur speckled with dirt and blood, stares in horror at the yellow teeth in front of him. He is certain he will die. It is only a matter of time until the dog will push a little further through the opening and find some purchase on him and drag him out into the open. Any moment could be his last. He is just waiting for it.


//wait for @flowercloud and @Cloudbearer

SMOKE

— 6 MOONS
— HE/HIM
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK

— Tiny silver tabby with high white and bright orange eyes.
#cf5c2f

 

Flowercloud had many experiences with dogs. Even back at their old home, she was haunted- watching a dog fight her brother, being small, unable to do anything. She felt like she should have been able to do something, she wasnt just some apprentice- she was a skyclan apprentice! But... Lime a deer in headlights, she froze, before running. Praying, praying her brother would come home.

When she chased the dog from attacking stonepaw- from killing the young mollies brother... She wondered if others was concerned she would not return. She worried about her children, about Hawkstar... She worried herself that everything drove her to come crawling back. Her leg was mangled, and still held a limp from Swallowbreezes practice that was not yet perfected. But she did not blame the molly. She made the decision- and she returned home.

She hoped when she saw the three dogs, she would be able to face them with the same ferocity her brother held. But instead, she was too late. And she hoped, as she ran to the ravine, as she followed where the river would lead... She hoped he would be fine.

Her brother always came back home. To comfort Cloudbearer, to tell him he would not return home was the hardest thing the molly could have admitted. To tell his daughter she never knew about.... To tell the world the man who had always returned, who had never failed to come would not return was the hardest thing Flowercloud ever had to do. She walked alongside the other warrior now, pawsteps gentle against the thin layer of crunchy leaves. "You know what, cloudbearer. I don't think only me and Hawkstar are proud of you. I think starclan is too. Did... You feel like your steps led you back to us easily? Like you were being guided?" Flowercloud asked, curious.

She listened to his response, purring, when that familiar scent made her fur stand on end. Just as the beginning of the last moon, yet again a mangy mutt had decided to traverse into their land. It dug, it's muzzle shoving into a hole, it's paws pulling at it. It's barks loud, reverberating. The deputy pulled forward. "Cloudbearer, keep from its jaws, pull it to the border!" She directed, slamming her large frame into its side and claws digging into its pelt. The scent of blood hit her nose and she noticed the splatters of it hinting against the fallen leaves.

Cat...

She had no time to react to it. She didn't have time to look not now, not when she stood off against the dog. She had its attention, and she'd use it. Her paws thudded against the ground. She heard it's barks, she felt it's breath- and when she felt she was far enough away from whoever it was desperate for, she'd turn. Her paws hit against the tree, pivoting to land on its face. Ivory talons dug into the soft flesh of an ear, an eye- she she pressed her bulky weight to bounce off the dogs head.

"In the trees! Lose it, there's a cat back there!" She yowled to her companion.


flowercloud - 36 moons - skyclan deputy - mentoring none
 
CLOUDBEARER
HE/HIM
33 MOONS
SKYCLAN WARRIOR
SPEECH |
THOUGHTS
| LUCIDITY

PENNED BY PLOT

Cloudbearer was grateful to take some time to patrol with Flowercloud, now that he was permitted outside of camp. He was still told to take it easy, so hopefully a simple territory patrol with Flowercloud would suit his care instructions. He couldn't help but feel for her - forced to keep her head high despite everything that had happened as of late- such was the life of a deputy, he supposed.

He smiled softly at her comment. It was nice, for Hawkstar and Flowercloud to be proud of him. Odd, too - despite his relation to the Clan's former leader, he'd never felt like anyone particularly special. His brother had been the sun guard, after all. And then her mention of their ancestors, and he chuckled awkwardly.

"About that, actually, I did -" He was about to explain his meeting with his father in the hunting grounds of the dead, to perhaps even discuss the gift he'd been granted, when the scent of blood stopped them both.

"Got it!" he affirmed, swiping at the dog as he lept past it. "C'mon you mangy mongrel, I'm a far easier target!" His smaller frame meant he couldn't quite ram into a dog like Flowercloud, but that was to his advantage. He was still pretty thin from the journey, and while he wouldn't be an appetizing piece of prey, he was certainly a much easier one. As he ran, he flicked his head back to ensure it was still chasing him. Flowercloud double-backed, and Cloudbearer yowled at the dog, leading it on a chase into the trees. He slowed his pace just a bit, drawing it closer and closer, before putting on a burst of speed and jumping from trunk to trunk in order to jump up into the branches. The dog howled in confusion, the trail of the cats lost and muddled, and Cloudbearer watched and waited as it sullenly stalked off. They'd need a larger patrol to take care of that, but for now he needed to check on Flowercloud and the other cat.

His breathing was labored as he made his way back to her, making sure to take a longer, winding path in case the dog had changed its mind, and when he returned, he choked out a laugh.

"Haven't run like that in a long while, Flowercloud! But its gone... for now. You find the other cat it was after?"
OOC:
 
SMOKE
APPRENTICE OF SKYCLAN


x
x

Each bark is deafening as they echo through the den. The mutt shakes his entire world in its desperate fury to get to him. It strains and strains to push through the roots, then it jolts suddenly.

It's jaws snap shut, and it growls with low fury, then pulls its head out of the den.

In an instant Smoke is left alone with only the sound of his own unsteady breathing for company. Flashes of fur and the dull sound of voices are all he notices of the commotion outside, and he does dare move to figure out what's going on. He knows that any moment the dog could turn back to him and snatch him out of his hiding place.

But it doesn't. It's fur vanishes from view and does not reappear, and the sound of its barking trails off into the distance. Leaving him to blink the dirt from his eyes in incredulous relief.

"Heh. Eh heh." The laughter starts slow and weak, but quickly grows into a delirious fervor. "Eh heh heh he. Stupid dog." Smoke is thirsty and tired and his leg feels hot but he is so happy to be alive.

Without death bearing imminently down on him, he notices the strange, acrid scent in the air and realizes he doesn't know where he is. His smile fades. Focus. Not safe yet. He thinks, trying to push away the haze of pain and exhaustion clouding his mind. Someone has marked this territory, and he isn't sure if he wants to meet them. Sneak out of here while that dog and whoever is out there kill each other. Go. NOW. He shifts his weight only to let out a loud, sharp hiss of pain. His hindleg throbs in protest, forcing him to sink back into the dirt.

Smoke's vision swam as his pain redoubled. So much for that bright idea.

SMOKE

— 6 MOONS
— HE/HIM
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK

— Tiny silver tabby with high white and bright orange eyes.
#cf5c2f

 
FLOWERCLOUD


X
DEPUTY OF SKYCLAN


x
x


Flowerclouds breaths were heavy as she doubled back, but Cloudbearer seemed to have the hang of it. She felt terrible, and she would definitely make sure she'd let Cloudbearer tell her the story... Later. Right now, they had other duties, and she was glad to know Cloudbearer did not hesitate or miss a beat. He worked beside her as if he had never left the clan in the first place. As she pulled over the dog to scratch it's eye, he quickly bounded up to steal its attention.

The dog managed to get distracted by the smaller cat, and the amber point flew back through the foliage. Her paws slid to a halt as she came to the original scene, jaw hanging open to scent the air, and ears tucked backwards. Slowly, she approached the hole, but gently, she'd announce her presence. "Hello?" She called gently, a tail length away from the hole as not to startle the cat that was still inside. "It's okay... You can come out. My names Flowercloud, i- I at least want to know you're okay," she murmurs gently, her voice honey sweet, her eyes gentle as she peered over. "I know someone that can help, she's a healer-"

Though she stopped as Cloudbearers voice came. "Yeah! I think so..." she murmurs, but unfortunately, she could not know. Not yet. She wouldn't know if the cat was even alive, and was it so bad that she was scared to look? The large deputy took a pawsteps forward, and another, before blotting the light out into the dug out hole as she peered in.

Love me to my bones...
Flowercloud

— 40 moons
— she/ her
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK

— a gentle giant, flowercloud stands at 14" at the shoulder and weighs 20 ibs. Her voice is honey soft, and green eyes are usually gentle and empathetic. She has amber coloured on her face and legs where points would be, with darker caramel coloured stripes. the rest of her fur is a bright white, and just like her namesake, is said to be as soft and thick as touching a cloud. She has a scar above her left eye, extending through her eyebrow. she has a deep scar on her chest, and her back leg is missing quite a bit of fur from dog injury. She has a slice just behind her shoulders and across her back. She has the power of Empathy, granted by her son Rosebelly.
#9365B8

 
CLOUDBEARER
HE/HIM
33 MOONS
SKYCLAN WARRIOR
SPEECH |
THOUGHTS
| LUCIDITY

PENNED BY PLOT

Cloudbearer nodded to the deputy, letting her take point on the interaction. Judging by the smell of the other cat, they were young, and Flowercloud had experience in dealing with young, scared cats.... especially those terrorized by dogs.

He watched from a tail-length away, flicking his ears thoughtfully.

"And I'm Cloudbearer," he added to her introduction. Would probably be better to alert them to his presence before they got out of their hiding place. "I chased the dog off - it shouldn't be back."
OOC:
 
SMOKE
APPRENTICE OF SKYCLAN


x
x

A voice calls to him from outside the den and Smoke grimaces. They know exactly where he is. He does not want to come out, but he has no choice. The den only has one exit. If they want to wait him out it would not be long before thirst or hunger drove him into their paws. Better he face them now, while adrenaline is still keeping him strong.

Carefully, Smoke rises. He grits his teeth and takes an unsteady step. Then another. Then another. His leg is still fighting him, but he does not cry out and he does not even wince. No matter what, he tells himself, he can't show weakness in front of these strangers. Emerging into the sunlight, he tries to keep his head high and puff up his chest. It does not hide how tiny he is or how heavy he's breathing or how his legs tremble with the effort of standing.

Smoke has to crane his neck to meet the eyes of the cat standing outside the den. She is closer in size to the dog than him. Unease bubbles up within him. The feeling only grows as a second cat appears behind her, claiming to have run off the dog. There are only two of them. He reassures himself, as though two full grown cats aren't more than enough to deal with him. At least they don't seem hostile yet.

He still might be able to find a chance to slip away.

They introduce themselves as Flowercloud and Cloudbearer and immediately he feels a little less intimidated by them. Why would a cat name themselves after pretty flowers or fluffy clouds? "Those are terrible names." Smoke declares, but he's too tired to put the venom into it that he wants to. Even to his own ears the insult sounds weak and halfhearted.

They probably want him to tell them his name too. For a moment he considers lying, but despite his best efforts he can't come up with a reason to. So he reluctantly admits, "...My name is Smoke." They keep talking until his ear catches on one word. "A healer?" Smoke makes no effort to keep his skepticism out of his voice. It is way too good to be true. He's sure they have to be lying, but why?

SMOKE

— 6 MOONS
— HE/HIM
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK

— Tiny silver tabby with high white and bright orange eyes.
#cf5c2f

 
  • Haha
Reactions: Cloudbearer

FLOWERCLOUD

DEPUTY OF SKYCLAN


The child that pulled free from the hole had Flowerclouds heart pounding in her chest. Green eyes would turn more gentle if possible, softer. The blood scent came from his leg, reminding her of her own mangled leg... So young to deal with such a grave injury. One thing she had though, was faith. The toms body was small, his skin under thick coat was framed against his ribs, and Flowercloud gulped.

Shed dealt with a lot of blood, but that is why Swallowbreeze dealt with injuries. She took a careful measured breath, and smiled calmly as she slowly lowered herself to the ground to try not to intimidate the smaller and younger cat. He had to be roughly fresh apprentice age, but she wasn't sure with how some cats grew. "We do have a weird naming scheme," she chuckled softly. "It's wonderful to meet you, Smoke." She tried to purr, gentle.

"Hey, Cloudbearer, do you remember the small bird you caught a few paces back? Can you retrieve that?" She asked, her eyes pleading with him to understand. The child needed his energy to get back to camp. "We have a healer- a medicine cat, she's very experienced in injuries... And she can help your leg. Please don't put too much pressure on it, okay? I want you to eat something, and I'll take you to camp where you can get something to drink, okay? If you'd like, I can carry you. But more strain on your leg can cause, well..." She pressed her own leg out, the missing fur, the strips of scarring still visible despite how thick her pelt was. Deep, torn, and mangled. "I still limp from it. But I did too much on it," she admitted sheepishly.

Love me to my bones...



Flowercloud
— 40 moons — she/her
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
— a gentle giant, flowercloud stands at 14" at the shoulder and weighs 20 ibs. Her voice is honey soft, and green eyes are usually gentle and empathetic. She has amber coloured on her face and legs where points would be, with darker caramel coloured stripes. the rest of her fur is a bright white, and just like her namesake, is said to be as soft and thick as touching a cloud. She has a scar above her left eye, extending through her eyebrow. she has a deep scar on her chest, and her back leg is missing quite a bit of fur from dog injury. She has a slice just behind her shoulders and across her back. She has the power of Empathy, granted by her son Rosebelly.
#9365B8
 
SMOKE
APPRENTICE OF SKYCLAN


x
x

Flowercloud's comment that they have a weird naming scheme only deepens his confusion. Do they have a whole weird family named after flowers and clouds and sunshine?

Smoke perks back up at the mention of free food. For a moment he forgets to puff up his chest and look tough. It is hard hunting for himself so he has not had a good meal in a long time. Stolen scraps of food, like the one he had tried to nab from that dog, were the only reason he is still alive. Then he hesitates, narrowing his eyes. He has never met anyone willing to give away their food so eagerly.

Flowercloud's eyes are soft; brimming with compassion and concern. It is like staring into the sun. Smoke glances back at the den as he weighs his options. If they are lying, he still does not understand why. They could be trying to lure him to their camp, but there's no reason they would need to. He is already exhausted, cornered, and outnumbered. There's a simpler explanation. There is no trick; she's just an old, soft-hearted molly who cannot not stand to leave an injured child behind. That's what she sees him as and he hates it. He hates how she lowers herself to his height, he hates how she speaks to him so gently, and he hates that she patronizes him like he's still a kit.

Smoke is six moons old and he can take care of himself.

But, he is still not shaken off the terror of jaws snapping shut a hair from his face. If a stranger's pity has to be the reason he survives another day, then he could live with it. For now. "...Fine," he relents, tempering his fears. He cringes as Flowercloud suggest carrying him, even as she shows him her own scars. The thought of being carried is humiliating, but there is not chance he would make it to their camp without collapsing. Just standing was starting to be exhausting. And that might be worse. "You can carry me back to your camp." Smoke reluctantly decides.

SMOKE

— 6 MOONS
— HE/HIM
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK

— Tiny silver tabby with high white and bright orange eyes.
#cf5c2f

 
CLOUDBEARER
HE/HIM
33 MOONS
SKYCLAN WARRIOR
SPEECH |
THOUGHTS
| LUCIDITY

PENNED BY PLOT

Cloudbearer tilted his head for a moment, a little confused. Was he supposed to have caught prey on the way back from luring the dog away?

Oh. Duh. The one they caught earlier. Before the dog and all that.


"Of course, Flowercloud," he mewed. "I'll go fetch it and come back to join you both."

Cloudbearer trotted back to where they'd buried the sparrow, returning to the pair to see the other cat coming out from the ground.
Terribly young to be so hurt...


"Here we are," he mewed around the bird. "If you want to regain a little strength before we head back." His gaze was soft as he looked at the young cat.
OOC: