WaterClan | Camp

"I was thinking of staying in the nursery to help other queens take care of their kits," she sighed, "I've never been one for fighting battles."

Toadkit scrambled out of his sister's paws, immediately running off and still giggling.
Brookshine lifted her tail as the kit scrambled past her, purring with amusement.

Turtletail almost jumped out of her fur, her black tail flicking. She looked towards the other queens muttering "What should we do?" She looked towards her belly before looking back at the kits.

Snailnose yelped in alarm and darted towards her kits, struggling to balance herself on the trembling earth. "Laurelkit! Toadkit!" she yowled.

"Momma!" Laurelkit was crouched against the ground and whimpering, her green eyes wide while she shivered in her fear, glancing around for her mother or Toadkit.

Pikepaw shook off his nervousness and shock from the sudden trembling ground. His ears twitched as he heard Laurelkit's mew for help, and bounded over to her. "It's okay, I'll bring you to your mom!" He mewed, trying to sound optimistic for the worried kit. He picked her up gently by the scruff and quickly carried her to Snailnose, his eyes asking the silent question of what they should do. 

Weaselpool sprang up onto his paws, eyes wide and his tail sticking out in surprise.

Mottletuft was jolted out of her meal. She leapt to her paws and bolted for the nursery, the only thing on her mind being the kits. Seeing the other queens in there eased her initial panic, but didn't get rid of the ache in her belly. "What's going on? Should we move the kits?" Her small body looked larger, her fur pricked up in fear.

Rainspots' ears pricked, and he instinctively padded over to his mate to protect her.
Swanpaw looked around. "I think we're safe," she mewed as the ground settled and a strange silence fell across the camp.

Dreampoppy's sightless eyes flickered about, ears twitching while she curled closer to Rainspots. The sound of Swanpaw's voice made her relax somewhat, alongside the quakes stopping. "What was that?"

Laurelkit trembled and hid in her mother's fur, mewing a thank you to Pikepaw while she tried to calm.

Turtlestar led the gathering patrol into camp, sighing in relief to see that everyone was safe.

Brindlestorm followed Turtlestar closely, glad to see everyone in camp was safe.

Spiderleap wandered into camp, following his mother closely. He looked around at the mess, and sighed.

Thundersong dashed up to his mate, looking over her worriedly. "Lilyshadow! Are you okay??" He quickly looked over her, before searching the incoming cats for his apprentice as well.

Sunshadow entered camp, sitting down next to the medicine den and contemplating whether or not he should make a big fuss. "Is anyone hurt?" he called out to the crowd.

Snailnose furtively examined her kits for any injuries.

Lilyshadow ignored Thundersong, immediately looking him over for injuries. She felt worried and relieved when she found out that he had none. She nuzzled his pelt relieved. “I’m fine, mostly worried about you.”

Willowstreak walked up beside her mother, standing beside her. “Hopefully everyone is ok... what was that?”

Gatorpaw walked into camp, looking for his mentor. “Flowerbrook?” He asked, looking around for her.

"That felt like an earthquake," Dappledsun rasped, "I remember feeling one of those when I was an apprentice."

Autumnsky's ears swiveled and she looked to her mother. "I remember dad talking about that when we were apprentices," she meowed.

Flowerbrook perked her ears and darted to Gatorpaw, nuzzling him while releasing a relieved sigh. "Are you alright? No one's hurt?"

Perchcloud rushed to Snailnose, immediately pressing her muzzle to her mate's shoulder. "Thank SoulClan you're okay," she murmured.
Toadkit looked up from where he was hiding between his mother's legs. "P-Perchcloud!"

Snailnose rested her head on Perchcloud's shoulder with an affectionate purr. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it back," she mewed.

"My mom told me stories of the days when the earth used to shake more frequently, and the mountain in FireClan's territory spewed fire." she reminisced.

Gatorpaw sighed in relief upon seeing his mentor. He nuzzled his nose into her pelt, feeling relieved she was ok. “I think so, just shaken.”

Pikepaw stood idly at the camp's edge watching the stream of cats come in from the gathering. He glanced around the camp, wondering where his littermates were. He dug his claws in and out of the soil, wanting to talk about the exciting earth tremor that had just occurred.

Mistkit looked around the nursery. Her fur made her look about twice her actual size. To her it sounded similar to how it sounded before the badger had attacked her and her mother back before she was in the camp.

Autumnsky blinked at the thought of the volcano spewing fire. "That sounds like a less than pleasant time," she mewed, then gently nudged her mother toward's the Elder's Den. "Try and get some rest, mom. I have to tend to the other cats," she added and wandered off to join Sunshadow.

"Perchcloud!" Laurelkit bumped the she-cat's leg, looking up at her from where she hid against Snailnose, eyes wide. "Are you okay?" 

Fogpaw wandered further into camp, dragging his paws as he went to his nest. He plopped down and curled up tightly, tail resting over his nose. 

Flowerbrook sighed, relieved. "I'm glad you're alright. Try and get some sleep. I'm sure we'll figure this all out in the morning," she mewed, nudging him towards the apprentice den.

Driftpaw looked at his parents, then at Swanpaw. "We should probably sleep," he meowed to his sister, his mother nodding in agreement from the side.

Gatorpaw looked towards the rest of his clan. “But I can help! I’m not tired!”

Lilyshadow nudged Thundersong, her eyes kind. “Come, we better get some sleep.” She said, looking towards her apprentice, Driftpaw, wondering if she should tell him, but deciding not to.

Willowstreak gasped when she heard about the Volcanos. “Shouldn’t we check on FireClan? They have so many cats in their camp that some may be hurt...”

Sharktooth shook his head. "We'd have seen it by now. There's no clouds in the sky," he pointed out. "It's best if we sleep, we can assess the damage tomorrow."

Brindlestorm, feeling exhausted, looked to Sharktooth and nodded, silently glad their clan was safe. She then looked to Turtlestar and headed to go to bed.

Turtlestar nodded in agreement. "Sharktooth, make sure to assign some cats to damage assessment. We'll need to make sure none of our hunting grounds have been hit," she mewed.

Sharktooth nodded. "In the morning, when we're not so frazzled," he agreed.

Snailnose nudged Perchcloud then swished her tail over her kits. "Let's head into the nursery, alright?"

Pikepaw finally noticed Gatorpaw talking to his mentor. The brown tabby and spotted tom trotted over to his brother, his tail raised up in a friendly manner. "Hey Gatorpaw! Wasn't that exciting? I've never even heard of the ground shaking like that before," He meowed, sitting down on his haunches, "Anyways, have you seen Reefpaw yet?"

Laurelkit was quick to follow her mother's suggestion, scampering into the nursery and curling up in their nest. She sunk further into the moss, dappled tail curling to cover what it could of her small form.

Dreampoppy padded into the warrior's den, waiting for Rainspots before she curled up to sleep. She was exhausted, and still worried about her kits, despite the shaking having stopped. 

Driftpaw darted into the apprentice's den and curled up in his nest, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the moss. He crossed his paws, tail curling tightly around himself. 

Flowerbrook and Lilythroat both made their way to the warrior's den, the latter of the two only going after becoming certain her apprentice, Pikepaw, was okay.

Mottletuft saw the small form of a terrified Mistkit outside the medicine den. Softening from her panic, the former mother called out. "Hey Mistkit, you should come in. You're safe."

Ooc: Hey Mist, do you want my cat Mottletuft to be an adoptive mom, or a friend to Mistkit? She lost all of her kits a while ago

Mistkit began to calm down. She realized slowly that it wasn't a badger.

Ooc: she can be her adoptive mother

Mottletuft smiled. "It's okay, I won't hurt you," she mewed, her expression soft. That poor kit... She couldn't let her be alone in the cold.

Mistkit went closer to her after she calmed down from the Earthquake

Perchcloud nodded, nudging a still rather dazed Toadkit along after his mother.

Sharktooth dipped his head to Turtlestar. "I'll send out the morning patrol a little later than usual, just in case."

Mottletuft laid in her nest. "Come here, stay warm," she offered the kit. She beckoned to the small form. "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Mistkit laid next to Mottletuft after she had calmed down completely. She slowly got comfortable next to Mottletuft.

Mottletuft welcomed the warmth of Mistkit. She curled her tail around the form, sharing her warmth. Contentment warmed her heart, replacing the hole her lost liter had left. I'll keep her safe, Mottletuft thought to herself, determined to keep Mistkit safe when she felt she failed with her others.

Mistkit started to slowly fall asleep staying close to Mottletuft. She felt warm and felt safer then she normally felt.

Reefpaw heard the camp settle down, and lifted his head slightly in his nest. "What in SoulClan happened?!" he whispered a little loudly.
Swanpaw opened one eye. "An earthquake, fishbrain."

Turtlestar blinked awake and rose from her nest, hearing her legs creak as she stretched.

Sharktooth glanced at the dens and the rousing cats from his spot at the camp entrance. He nodded in silent greeting to Turtlestar, then turned back to watching the sun rising from behind the mountains.

Mottletuft woke to an almost soundless morning. She looked down at Mistkit and relaxed to see the kit safe at her belly. But was everyone else okay?

Swanpaw blinked awake, standing and stretching before padding out into the camp. She looked around, huffing at the lack of awake warriors.

Mistkit woke up a bit and yawned. She looked up at Mottletuft smiling.

Snailnose wrinkled her nose and blinked awake, looking fondly at her kits curled at her belly.

Turtlestar approached Sharktooth. "Anyone in mind for dawn patrol?" she mewed, "If everyone else is too tired I could go."

Brindlestorm had already been awake before dawn, but let Sharktooth handle the morning patrols. She padded over to Turtlestar and gave her and her fellow deputy a nod in greeting, sitting down and curling her tail over her paws.

Turtlestar nodded to Brindlestorm. "We're going to need fishing patrols out once the sun rises," she mewed, "We can't afford to go hungry before leafbare."