FireClan | Camp

Floralight looked up at her brother. "Roger that."

Flintpaw looked up as his name was called and padded over with the deputy, smiling at her.

Ivyfire trotted after her apprentice, glancing around for Stealthwater. 

Timberblaze nodded, rising to his paws and padding over to the leader. He stretched out, parting his jaws in a yawn.

Stormcrest perked his ears up and stood up. "Cloudscorch, Snowfall, Shadowrunner, Agatepaw, Fernpaw, and Ebonypaw, come on," he called, stretching out his legs.

Cloudscorch huffed. The only one without an apprentice, typical. She hid her jealousy under a face of mild annoyance, however, padding to the group.

Finchstar's tail flicked, feeling accomplished.

Floralight dipped her head in greeting to Ivyfire. "Have you seen Stealthwater? He might still be asleep, thinking about it.."

Leopardspots wrote:Nettlepaw slunk up to his mentor, flicking his tail. "Hey," he mewed, trying not to affect any tone.

Thorntail nodded to his apprentice, listening to the patrols. “Sounds like we’re not in anything specific,” he purred.

"Cool, cool," Nettlepaw mewed, "So you have anything planned today?"

He shook his head. "I thought we'd keep it chilled out today, especially after last night." Thorntail tilted his head slightly. "Want to do some battle training?"

"Sounds alright," Nettlepaw mewed, "Just us?" His gaze flickered to Blackpaw for just a moment.

Stealthwater nodded, looking towards his leader as he moved towards Floralight.

Snowfall nodded, immediately looking for his apprentice.

Thorntail nodded. "I want to show you a few more advanced moves, if you're ready for it?"

"Alright," Nettlepaw mewed, "Hope the smells better in the training hollow."

Floralight smiled at Stealthwater kindly. "Alright, let's get going." She looked up to Finchstar. "We'll head down to the BrightClan border."

Flintpaw followed Floralight out of camp, sending a glance around once more before running up to stay in pace with the she-cat.

Finchstar nodded. "If anyone asks, we're fine," he reminded her cautiously.

Hollypaw padded slowly over to Timberblaze. "I...would Finchstar want us two to go as well?" she asked softly.

Thorntail's whiskers twitched. "Sure, Nettlepaw. Lead the way."

Nettlepaw padded gingerly out of camp, ears turned so he could hear if his mentor was still following him.

Timberblaze glanced down at Hollypaw and flattened his ears. "I have to help Finchstar find out about the cracks in the earth like he asked. It might not be safe for you, Hollypaw," he mewed and gently nudged her. "We can hunt or train when I get back. How does that sound?"

"O-oh, okay," Hollypaw's ears drooped. "Uh... what should I do then?" 

Cloudscorch fidgeted in place. "Are we going or not?" she asked her group.

Stormcrest was jolted out of his minor pause, nodding to Cloudscorch and leading his patrol out of camp. 

Timberblaze flattened his ears. He wanted to bring Hollypaw, but didn't want to risk her hurting herself if the territory was unsafe. "See if you can help reinforce the dens. I should be back soon." He pressed his nose to her forehead then trotted over to Finchstar. "Ready to go?"

Littledawn paced by the nursery, tail tip twitching rapidly back and forth. She glanced toward the camp entrance and flattened her ears, settling down by Seedkit and Melodykit again.

Leopardpaw smiled nervously at Littledawn. Her mentor and Havenkit should have been back by now. "They'll be fine, don't worry," her words were firm, but the way that she glanced at the entrance gave her anxiety away.

Martenstrike padded into camp with an annoyed expression, Havenkit hanging from his jaws.

Havenkit had his head hanging lowly, and the relieved gasp from his mother made him shrink closer to Martenstrike. Littledawn was quick to rush over and take her son from Martenstrike. She ushered the ginger tom back toward the nursery, then looked to the warrior. "Thank you so much," she breathed out, ears flat.

"You should keep a closer eye on him," Martenstrike grumbled, "Kit would've been torn apart if I'd gotten there any later."

Finchstar frowned as he watched Martenstrike pad into the camp with the kit, but decided not to question it. He's a good warrior.

"You try watching three kits while a camp full of cats are bustling about," Littledawn quipped back, rolling her eyes. "Thank you, nevertheless." She turned and padded back to her kits, ushering them back into the nursery.

Martenstrike let his gaze linger on the pretty queen for a moment, then shook his head. He turned and padded to Finchstar. "There's a dog trapped in a gully on our territory," he informed the young leader.

Finchstar raised an eyebrow. "And you were out alone because...?"

Martenstrike stared at Finchstar for a palpable moment. "I was retrieving Havenkit? You saw me come into camp, right?" he mewed, exasperated.

"Yes," Finchstar raised an eyebrow. "But you left alone, knowing full well that the territory is dangerous."

"Did you want me to grab bodyguards? Maybe take along a medicine cat for the perilous trek?" Martenstrike hissed.

Tanglepath watched Martenstrike and Finchstar, glaring at Martenstrike with undisguised hostility but not yet willing to intervene.

Finchstar scoffed. "At least tell me what is going on! I am your leader, you ask me first."

Martenstrike huffed and flattened his ears, "Sorry, I'll ask permission next time I save a lost kitten," he growled.

"Good. Now, would you like to lead a few warriors to get rid of the dog?" Finchstar felt his pelt prickling but forced it flat.

Littledawn stiffened while she listened to the bickering, just about ready to step in and give her own two cents when the topic changed. She sent a sympathetic glance toward Martenstrike, then padded back into the nursery.

Gullpaw, who was sitting outside the medicine den, flicked her ears in dis-interest as she listened to the small tiff that went back and forth between the warrior and the leader. She felt her gaze follow Littledawn as the queen ducked into the nursery. I suppose I should go make sure the little ones alright, ya? She asked herself, glancing around to see if her fellow medicine cats had the same idea. When she saw neither of them, she decided to push herself to her paws and trot silently over to the nursery, ducking her head in and mewing softly 
“Littledawn? I’m here to check on Havenkit, make sure he’s ok after his adventure out of camp?”

Littledawn glanced up at the apprentice and sighed, lightly nudging Havenkit forward. "I couldn't see any injuries," she mewed, rasping her tongue over his ear. The tom shrank slightly back toward his mother, peering up at Gullpaw. "I didn't mean to get Martenstrike in trouble," he admitted, shuffling his paws.

Gullpaw crouched down to be more level with the kit, blinking her sky blue eyes as they wandered across his pelt in search of any unseen injuries. She began to speak in her quiet voice that she held only for those she didn’t know well- which was practically everyone. She wasn’t exactly popular. Not that cats disliked her, she was just quiet. Didn’t talk to them much. It didn’t really bother her, she sort of liked it. She had learned that you hear and see more as a shadow then you do in the spotlight.  “I’m sure you didn’t, Havenkit. Mistakes happen.” She smiled softly, tilting her head to scan over his flank quickly as she continued. “Did you see anything special while you where out there?” She asked casually, trying to subtly figure out where exactly he’d gone-other than where Martenstrike had found him- and what he’d encountered. Don’t want him to of crawled through a thorn bush and have a thorn hidden away in his pelt or something. She didn’t exactly want to be woken to a crying kit that rolled over and jabbed a thorn into their side as they slept.

Willowstorm wrote:"Good. Now, would you like to lead a few warriors to get rid of the dog?" Finchstar felt his pelt prickling but forced it flat.

ooc: @Leopardspots lol

ic: Seedkit watched from the side of the den, stiff with jealousy. Of course Havenkit gets to go out of camp, she grumbled to herself.

"Um, I got stuck in a thorn bush and a crow pecked at me. I don't think the crow got me though," Havenkit admitted, shuffling his paws. "Then the dog came! Martenstrike helped me out of the bush and I had to climb a tree."

Leopardpaw perked when she heard her leader ask Martenstrike to get rid of the dog. "Can I come?" she mewed, padding up to the pair with her tail flicking in excitement behind her. "I've never seen a dog before!"

"No." Finchstar glanced at the apprentice. "It will be dangerous, far too dangerous for an apprentice."

"Why don't you pick out some warriors to come with me Finchstar," Martenstrike mewed, "You are leader after all."

Leopardpaw deflated visibly, nodding. "Is there anything else I can help with?" She looked up to her leader, eyes flicking between him and her mentor.

A long, hollow rumbling puts everyone on edge, kit, warrior, elders alike. The ground shakes, almost gently at first, before a booming rumble jolts the earth beneath your paws just as it had at the Gathering last night.


Finchstar opened his mouth to respond but flicked his tail as he recognised the rumbling. "Take cover!" he yowled just before he was almost flung off his paws by the sharp jolting.

Martenstrike let out a yelp of alarm, digging his claws into the ground as it rumbled.

Tanglepath hissed and shrunk, trying to keep balance as the earth shook below him.

Bushberry herded Ivyfire and Darkpetal closer to the camp wall, the three ducking down with their bodies pressd tightly together.

A panicked cry from Littledawn, and she curled around her kits, covering them with her tail. Havenkit, for once, didn't fight and simply hid in his mother's fur. 

Timberblaze's chest tightened and he shrunk to the ground, claws sheathing themselves in the earth.

Leopardpaw swallowed, harsh memories from last night surfacing themselves in her mind. She widened her stance to keep herself from falling, looking up to her mentor in horror.

Flintpaw yelped, gathering his paws together and glancing around camp for his brother.

Tanglepath shut his eyes, waiting for the earth to cease, then relaxed as the tremors slowed and stopped.

Martenstrike brushed protectively against his apprentice as the tremors stopped. He looked to Finchstar, ears flat.

Finchstar scrambled back to his feet, shaking his pelt out. "Is anyone hurt?"

Glowingstream darted around on nervous paws, inspecting the other cats for any injuries. She avoided looking toward or interacting with Tanglepath, her pelt prickling with anxiety.

Littledawn slowly uncurled herself from around her kits and rasped her tongue over each of their heads. Havenkit was trembling, his ginger head pushing against her side. 

Ivyfire shook herself free from Darkpetal and Bushberry, immediately going to Flintpaw's side and looking him over for injuries.

Tanglepath padded to Finchstar's side. "You aren't hurt from your fall?" he asked.

Finchstar shook his head, not entirely processing what the tom said. "I need a few cats to go to the Meadow with me and check on the group there," he mewed firmly.