200 comments

    • Oakmoth-
      Oakmoth walked in front of Timberheart and Dayspring as they carried Scorchpaw into camp. Xe quickly ran over to the medicine den,poking xer head out a few second later. “Bring him over here,please. And one of us needs to check on Amberdusk and Fluffkit,we left them alone.” xe mumbled the last part,realizing that xer clanmates were on their own for a while.

      Reply

      • Dayspring-
        “You did?” Dayspring repeated, helping Timberheart slide Scorchpaw down onto the ground, giving her mate a sharp look. “Don’t worry about it, Oakmoth, she added to xem, “Amberdusk can take care of themself. But Timberheart, could you go check on them, just in case?”

        Timberheart-
        Timberheart’s pelt prickled with guilt and frustration as she realized that she had indeed left her kits alone, and made Amberdusk watch Fluffkit, even though the younger cat was a warrior and she wasn’t. “Yeah, of course,” Timberheart mewed, rising to her paw.
        Sorry, she mouthed to Dayspring, blinking at her mate before slipping out of the medicine cat den.

        Reply

        • Oakmoth-
          Oakmoth nodded to Timberheart as she walked out of the den,already pulling herbs out. Xe grabbed more cobwebs and some chervil leaves. Xe checked for bleeding,sighing in relief when xe found none. “I’m going to unwrap the cuts so I can put chervil on them.” xe told Dayspring,carefully peeling of the bandages. There was no sour smell like xe had feared,and the blood had started to clot. “Here,you can help me.” xe didn’t wait for Dayspring’s reply before starting to chew up the leaves,trying to get as much of the juice out of them so it would absorb into Scorchpaw’s skin.

          Reply

          • Dayspring-
            Dayspring mirrored Oakmoth, chewing up a mouthful of chervil. Gently, she brushed a paw next to Scorchpaw’s muzzle, checking to make sure his breathing was steady.

            Reply

            • Scorchpaw-

              The void of darkness around Scorchpaw lifted a little as chervil juice dripped into his cuts, making him wince. he opened his eyes to find Dayspring and Oakmouth treating his wounds, and beyond them, the walls of a den…
              “Am I… In the Medicine den..?” He asked, looking up at his mentor hesitantly.

              Reply

              • Dayspring-
                He’s awake! Dayspring realized with a jolt of relief. “Yes, you’re in the Medicine den,” she replied, “How’re you feeling?”
                “Do you think it’s safe to give him poppy seeds for the pain?” she asked Oakmoth, glancing at the apprentice’s wounds.
                Now that the bleeding was under control and Scorchpaw was awake, it seemed likely that he would make a full recovery, but Dayspring couldn’t help but wonder if his injuries were her fault. I should have acted on my suspicions about that cat. Or maybe if I were a better teacher, he would have been more able to fight back.

                Reply

                • Scorchpaw-

                  Scorchpaw’s eyes widened in irrational panic as Dayspring confirmed his suspicions. “It still hurts, but- can you… Take me outside? I-I want to see the stars.” He lied, desperate to get out of the medicine den.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth smiled,xer spirits lifting. Scorchpaw had woken up,hopefully he would start feeling better. “Yes,I think he’s stable enough.” xe told Dayspring,checking the apprentice’s pulse again. Xe thought for a moment before answering Scorchpaw. “Well,I suppose it would be good for you to get fresh air-I know it can be a bit stuffy in here.” xe looked outside of the den,searching for good spots to let him rest. “You can lay outside,but I still want you close.”

                • (his first appearance- he is h e r e)
                  (I’ve written down exactly what my dad told me to because he didn’t wanna type it out himself)
                  Mr. Tibbles-
                  “Well, hello, what’s going on in here, then?” The tom padded nonchalantly into the camp, blinking around the clearing with a pleasant expression. “Everything’s peachy-keen, I hope?” He sat back on his haunches and curled his tail around his paws.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth jumped a bit as xe heard an unfamiliar voice in camp. Xe walked out of the medicine cat den,and were surprised to recognize the cat. “Mr…Tibbles,right?” xe remembered meeting the tom when xe was just an apprentice,and didn’t think xe would ever see him again.

                • (Oh no, soon he will get bored and consume the multiverse; quick Scorchpaw, appease him before it’s too late!)

                  Scorchpaw-

                  Scorchpaw crawled out of the medicine den, his side throbbing from the cuts the Dark Forest cat had given him. He was about to make a nest for himself when a cat he had never seen before walked into camp, his cheery demeanor contrasting the events of the day. Scorchpaw eyed the strange tom, the last time an unknown cat had suddenly appeared still fresh in his mind.
                  But this cat seemed more friendly, even if nothing they said made any sense. Scorchpaw hesitated, then decided that there was no harm in asking a question. “What’s a… Peachy… Keen?” He wondered, completely bewildered.

                • Mr. Tibbles-
                  “Oakpaw, my dear! Lovely to see you again.” He gave xem a smile. “Pesky ghost cats got you again? What nuisances, they are. I’m sorry it had to be Lilyfang that nabbed ya. She’s ruthless.” He nodded wisely, then turned to Scorchpaw with a grin. “Hello, Scorchkit! Peachy-keen- it means dandy, smooth sailing, wondrously fine,” he meowed, flicking his tail. “How’re those scratches on your side? Burn like fire, don’t they? Don’t worry. It isn’t your time just yet. I recommend burdock root. Cuts from those nasty zombies are just as bad as rat bites.” He fiddled distractedly with a small fish-shaped toy that lay at his paws.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth tilted xer head,confused by Mr. Tibbles in general. The tom was interesting,to say the least.

                  “It’s Oakmoth now,and I suppose it’s good to see you too. StarClan knows we need more benevolent visitors.” xe paused for a moment,figuring out what to say next. “…How do you know that Dark Forest cat? Lilyfang,you said her name was. She tricked us,and we weren’t prepared for an attack anyways.”

                • Scorchpaw-

                  Still confused by the terminology that- Mr. Tibbles, Oakmoth had said- was using, Scorchpaw just shrugged. “Well, I guess they do kind of burn… Wait- did you call me Scorchkit?” His eyes widened at the implications that name had. Did this cat know me when I was still a kit? And he called Oakmoth Oakpaw… How old is he?

                • Mr. Tibbles-
                  “Oakmoth! What an excellent name. Love it. And, well, I know lots of things. I know… Hm, well, I suppose I’ve forgotten!” He chuckled, quickly moving on to address Scorchkit. “Yes, yes, that’s your name, isn’t it? Scorchkit. Just a little one, you are. Knew your mother as a kit, too- spunky little thing. Where’d she get off to?”
                  He gazed around for a moment, then suddenly got to his paws. He picked up the toy fish in his jaws and padded over to the gray tom, sniffing at his wounds. “Yep yep, definitely burdock root. Dried oak leaves, too, to stop the infection from setting in,” he mused, setting the fish at his paws. He glanced at Oakmoth with a smile. “You knew that already. Forgive my intrusion.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth nodded,even more confused. If Mr. Tibbles knew Scorchpaw’s mother when she was a kit,how old was he? “Um,yes,thank you for the information. I hadn’t thought of burdock.” xe walked back into the den and grabbed oak leaves,the small amout of burdock that was left,and poppy seeds. “Scorchkit is Scorchpaw now,he’s an apprentice.” xe told Mr. Tibbles before starting to chew up the root.

                  “Would you like some poppy seeds for the pain?” Oakmoth asked Scorchpaw,flicking xer tail to get his attention.

                • (MR. TIBBLES HAS NO AGE
                  MR TIBBLES IS TIMELESS)

                • Scorchpaw-

                  Scorchpaw blinked, snapping out of the trance Mr. Tibbles’s presence had put him in. “Sure, I guess.” He mumbled to Oakmoth, still watching the strange cat with wary eyes.

                • (Nooooo I’m late to mr. tibbles :0 )

                  Dayspring-
                  Dayspring was so shocked by the sudden appearance of Mr. Tibbles that she forgot that she knew how to talk.
                  He doesn’t seem all that old, but he knows everyone? And he knows medicine? And Lilyfang? And this mysterious peach sailing thing?
                  Is he like…..an ambassador from Starclan?
                  “Burdock would definitly be good,” she mumbled.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth nodded and rolled a few seeds to Scorchpaw. “These will make you tired,but some sleep would be good for you.”

                • (Mr. Tibbles will live on for time immemorial-)
                  Mr. Tibbles-
                  “You cats and your silly name things,” he chuckled, smiling at Scorchpaw. “I forget. Though I must admit, changing a name can be quite fun at times.” He fiddled silently with the fish for a moment, then looked up at Dayspring with a smile. “Daykit! Don’t tell me your name’s changed, too? Though I suspect it has- you’re much bigger than a kit.” He flicked his tail. “How’s your mate? And those three kits of yours- ah, wait, just two here. You wouldn’t know number three. Anyway. How are Fluff and Amber?” He blinked.
                  A small pink nose peered out from the thick fur on his shoulder, then disappeared quickly.

                • Dayspring-
                  “W-what?” Dayspring yelped, eyes going wide. “Uh…it’s Dayspring now. And um, they’re fine!”
                  Number three?? Dayspring wondered, glancing towards the nursery, …..is Timberheart not telling me something? Also, now that she thought about it, how did he know about Fluffkit and Amberdusk? She didn’t remember meeting Mr. Tibbles before, although he seemed vaguely familiar so maybe she had, but how did he know about her kits?
                  “Did you know you have something on your shoulder?” Dayspring stammered instead.

                • Scorchpaw-

                  Glancing at Mr. Tibbles one last time, Scorchpaw bent down and lapped up the poppy seeds. Feeling drowsy, he curled himself into a ball outside the medicine den, content on sleeping in the open.

                • Mr. Tibbles-
                  “Sorry to panic you, dear. Was it something I said?” He tilted his head curiously. “I’m glad they’re all doing good. Dayspring’s a lovely name, by the by- reminds me of someone I knew.” His eyes grew cloudy and distant for a moment, then suddenly snapped back into focus. He looked down at his shoulder and let out a soft laugh, shaking his head.
                  “Yes, yes, of course- she probably wanted a breath of air or something. Or, you remind her of someone, as well. Ordinarily, she stays put until I get myself into- as she says- some ‘kooky quarrel.’ I’m not one for confrontation. Anyway, Linda, you may as well poke out and say hello for a moment, dear.” A small white mouse with warm brown eyes appeared from the thick ruff of fur around his shoulders, nose twitching nervously as she scrambled to sit atop Mr. Tibbles’ head.
                  “Hello,” she said softly. Of course, she knew that the others couldn’t understand her, but that was no excuse to disregard being polite. Mr. Tibbles went cross-eyed, trying to look up at her.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth was shocked by the appearance of a small mouse that now sat on Mr. Tibbles. Xe were also amused by the tom trying to look at her. “Um,why does a mouse live in your fur? Clan cats consider them prey.”

                • Dayspring-
                  “No, it’s fine,” Dayspring replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Amberdusk and Fluffkit had been rogues once, maybe Mr. Tibbles had met them then.
                  Dayspring stared at the mouse, her mouth practically watering at the scent of prey. It took every bit of her strength not to try and catch it, but she suspected if Mr. Tibbles let her ride on his shoulder and gave her a name, he probably didn’t want her to be eaten.
                  Does he actually think she can talk? Dayspring wondered, blinking at the mouse. “Hello, Linda,” she mewed, whiskers twitching with amusement. “By the way, what’s a Linda?” she added quizzically. It wasn’t a name she had ever heard before, but then again, neither was Mr. Tibbles.

                • (i can’t stress enough how much reading the name Mr. Tibbles brightens my day
                  it just does)

                • (I told my dad how much you love Mr. Tibbles, Vip, and that you’re a mod here and he got super excited :3 I’m glad that Mr. Tibbles brightens your day aaa)

                  Mr. Tibbles-
                  “Prey! Well, I for one am strongly against having mice for a meal. Terrible, terrible. You do what you like, but don’t you touch my Linda,” he hissed, narrowing his eyes. The mouse placed one paw on his ear.
                  “Hush! don’t make it into a big deal. We’ve been over this before,” she scolded. He laid his ears back and blinked apologetically.
                  “Sorry. I tend to get a bit defensive of her.” He gave Oakmoth an apologetic smile, then jerked his attention to Dayspring. “A Linda? Why- I’m not sure what you mean. Linda’s a Linda, right, Linda?” He looked up again, still cross-eyed, and Linda let out a soft laugh.
                  “Right you are. I’ll never understand why I’m a Linda, but then again, I don’t understand half the things running through your goofy brain.” She chuckled and tousled the fur near his ears with one tiny paw.

                • (THE CREATOR OF MR TIBBLES OH MY GOSHHH :000)

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth nodded slightly,trying to ignore the scent of mouse hitting his nose. “Well,I suppose everyone has different beliefs. And I’ll make sure no one tries to eat Linda,though it may take some adjusting.”

                • Dayspring-
                  “I mean, I’m Dayspring, but days are a measurement of time and spring is an action,” Dayspring said, trying to explain where she had been going with her question. “I was just wondering if a linda was a type of plant or something as well as a name, but I guess not.”
                  She nodded at Oakmoth’s words, although her stomach grumbled in protest. It’s not very hospitable to eat people’s friends, she scolded it, blinking at Linda. Besides, she’s kind of cute. 

                • Oakmoth-
                  “I think Linda is like that kittypet’s name. Kevin,if I remember correctly. But…it is a bit strange compared to us.” Oakmoth said,hoping xe didn’t sound judgemental.

                • Lynxshard-
                  “ThunderClan is requesting your assistance-!” Lynxshard yowled, barreling into the camp entrance. and almost crashing into a tom (Mr. Tibbles) that certainly didn’t smell like any of the Clans. “Ack, sorry!” she yelped, jumping back. Wow, great job, me… what happened to caution? Her eyes darted around the clearing, wondering how the ShadowClan cats would react. Roseshade’s here too… she’ll know what to say…

                • Roseshade-
                  Roseshade finally caught up with Lynxshard. She tried to compose herself,figuring out what to say. “I apologize for our entrance,but we’re in need of ShadowClan’s help. We’ve gotten word that BoneClan is attacking RiverClan,and Lizardstar has sent up in hope that your cats could assist us.”

                  Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth was stunned. First an unknown cat came barreling into camp,and now they were requesting help in battle? Xe vaguely recognized the red she-cat as Roseshade,someone xe had interacted with a couple times at gatherings. “We-we must do something.” Xe said,looking at xer clanmates. “I’m not a very good fighter,but I can help take care of injured cats.”

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring narrowed her eyes, studying the newcomer warily. She did smell faintly of Thunderclan territory, but she wasn’t any clan cat Dayspring knew.
                  “If this is a trick, you should be more original,” Dayspring replied, bracing to attack if the stranger made a wrong move. “We’ve already had a Dark Forest ghost come by here claiming they needed help and then injure an apprentice. I’m afraid your going to need a little more proof than just your word.”
                  On closer inspection, the cat did seem familiar, like maybe she’d seen her at a gathering at one point in time, but Dayspring was fairly certain she wasn’t a current member of Thunderclan.
                  Which only serves to makes her more suspicious, Dayspring thought grimly.

                • Lynxshard-
                  “It’s not a trick,” Lynxshard responded, before the rest of Dayspring’s sentence sank in. “Wait. You did?” she asked, squinting at her. No, she’s not lying, she realized, spotting Scorchpaw in the corner, one of their apprentices are actually injured. It wouldn’t be Windmist, probably, since he’s out for chaos, not battle. Not Dashfoot either, since he wouldn’t hurt apprentices, he would drop five hundred sarcastic jokes before leaving. Honeyblaze would pull together an entire BoneClan attack force, not try to trick someone to… wait.
                  “Lilyfang?” she burst out. “Lilyfang’s been here?”

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring relaxed at the sight of Roseshade, relieved that this wasn’t another ambush but alarmed at her news.
                  “Yes, she stopped by earlier,” she said, shaking her head at the memory. “Sorry about the unfriendly greeting, I had to be sure.”
                  She turned to Oakmoth, nodding. “I definitly think we should help, we can’t let Boneclan win anymore. I’m going to let Timberheart know what’s going on,” added, dashing over to the nursery and returning with her mate and Fluffkit.

                  Timberheart-
                  “Has anyone seen Tigerstar?” Timberheart called, trotting over to the gathered cats. Her pelt was prickling with anxiousness, but not because of the fight itself. Amberdusk had been right, she was a queen, not a warrior. As much as she wanted to fight, she had to look after Fluffkit. Meaning that Dayspring would be going by herself.

                  Fluffkit-
                  “Can I come with?” Fluffkit asked, his eyes wide with concern as he glanced around at the adults. “I can be helpful, I promise!”

                • (Announcing it here: Skipflight and Roseshade are the chosen prophecy cats!)
                  Mr. Tibbles-
                  “I suppose that makes se- Oh, dear!” He broke off as a strange she-cat came barrelling towards him, his pelt bristling in alarm. Linda dove for the thick ruff of fur around his shoulders as he toppled over.
                  “Oh, yes- I forgot to mention that, didn’t I?” He got to his paws, blinking. “RiverClan’s in quite a tussle. Unfortunately, I can’t be of any help, but I can tell you that one of you won’t be returning from this battle. Maybe not one of you here, but there’s trouble afoot,” he mewed distantly, staring up into the rain.

                  “Two lights shine in the darkness. Two paws hold the power to mend that which was shattered so long ago.”

                  His eyes focused sharply, and he snapped his attention to Dayspring. “There is a third. Remember what I said- bring him to the light.” Then he flicked his gaze to Roseshade. “Don’t perish,” he mewed simply. Linda poked her nose out of his fur, chattering angrily. He glanced down, blinked, and the oblivious smile returned to his face once more.
                  “Well! This is, unfortunately, where I bid you all adieu. Good luck, friends!” With that, he briskly trotted out of camp, nodding to Amberdusk and Leopardpounce as they padded into the camp.

                • (“there is trouble afoot” – MR TIBBLES 2021)

                • (Oh cool!)

                  Lynxshard-
                  …One of you won’t be returning from the battle… there’s trouble afoot. Lynxshard’s blood ran cold as she stared after Mr. Tibbles’ retreating form. “Do you… know him?” she asked finally.

                • Timberheart-
                  “What in the name of Starclan….” Timberheart muttered, gazing after the strange cat. “Who was that?”
                  She stepped closer to Dayspring, curling her tail around her mate’s. She knew the dangers of battle, reveled in them even, but it was foreboding to here a stranger forecasting the death of one of her allies.
                  If only she could go with them, to make sure that cat wasn’t Amberdusk or Dayspring, but somebody had to stay behind with Fluffkit.
                  “Was that a prophecy?” she asked eventually, glancing between Dayspring and Oakmoth.

                  Dayspring-
                  “What do you mean, a third?” Dayspring called after Mr. Tibbles, knowing that her efforts were probably in vain. He truly did seem like he was from Starclan, and since when did they offer clarifications?
                  A third child, presumably. A child who was a he, and seemed to be involved with the prophecy. Was he a cat she didn’t know of, or someone yet to be born?
                  As a medicine cat apprentice, Dayspring had always dreamed of being involved in a prophecy, but now that she seemed to be adjacent to one, she was afraid.
                  “I think it was,” she replied to Timberheart, nodding. She forced a nervous smile, and added, “But at least it sounded like it was foretelling something good.”

                  Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk glanced between their adoptive mothers, baffled. They didn’t know who the cat had been, and they didn’t understand the talk of prophecies. The approaching battle seemed more important than anything the stranger had said.
                  Amber turned to Fluff, crouching down so that they could look him in the eyes. “Fluff, you’re going to have to stay here and guard the camp, okay?” they said, trying out Leopardpounce’s tactic from earlier. “We need some cats to make sure the camp is safe.”

                  Fluffkit-
                  Fluffkit watched his sibling suspiciously, but eventually nodded. “Okay,” he agreed, smiling cheerfully. Amber was silly to think they could trick him, but someone did need to guard the camp.

                • Lynxshard-
                  With prophecies, you never know, Lynxshard thought with a sigh. StarClan, if this is from StarClan, is always so vague. “What did he mean, a third?” she asked Dayspring. “You seemed to have an idea of what he meant.” Her paws twitched nervously, the strange tom’s words echoing in her head over and over again- was someone going to die? Who?

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He stopped, staring in bewilderment at the strange tom as he padded away. Furrowing his brow, he padded forward to sit next to Amberdusk.
                  “Who…?” He blinked, confused, then turned his attention to the other two unfamiliar cats. “Who are you? Who was he? What’s going on?” He turned to Dayspring with an utterly baffled expression written across his face. He had been exhausted since even before Scorchpaw’s run-in with that Dark Forest cat, and now there was talk of a battle? He didn’t know if he could stay on his feet for much longer, let alone fight for- presumably- his life.
                  “I, uh- I could stay behind and guard the camp, as well,” he mewed. “With Fluffkit and Timberheart- I mean, if you are staying, Timberheart.”

                • Roseshade-
                  Roseshade stared at the tom as he walked out of camp. Don’t perish. The words scared her,even though they weren’t at all threatening. And the prophecy he spoke,could she be a part of it? The she-cat shook her head before she started to speak. “I’m very sorry you had a run in with a Dark Forest can,but I can promise we’re not tricking you. A RiverClan cat came to us requesting help. A patrol is going to BoneClan,as they are holding Minnowstar captive and-oh! This is Lynxshard,she is no threat to ShadowClan,she is on our side.”

                  “Now,about the prophecy. I-i think I may be involved.” she whispered the last sentence,waiting for cats to argue against her. When no one did,she continued. “When Dark Forest cats first started to attack the clans,they would stay invisible,but I could still see them. I didn’t tell anyone,I didn’t think they would believe me. To be honest,I don’t even know if my power relates to the prophecy,I just know it could be useful.”

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring nodded, glancing over at Amberdusk and Fluffkit. “Mr. Tibbles seems to think that Timberheart and I have a third kit that I don’t know about,” she said, shooting Timberheart an uncomfortable look. This was really a conversation that she’d rather have in private, if perhaps Timberheart had a kit with someone else. “And now apparently that mystery kit’s part of a prophecy.”
                  She cast her family members a questioning look, before adding, “Who knows, maybe none of us know him yet, but I’m certain that I have no biological children.”

                  Timberheart-
                  “Neither do I,” Timberheart said, shaking her head. Honestly Dayspring, would I keep that from you? she thought, but kept it to herself. “What about you, Amberdusk? Did you have other siblings?” she asked, awkwardly realizing that she had no idea.

                  Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk swallowed hard at the mention of siblings, and glanced guiltily sideways at Fluffkit. They were pretty sure he had been too little to clearly remember any of his siblings, and the memories had been too painful for them to bring up.
                  “None that would be in the forest,” they mumbled, relieved to see that Fluff didn’t really seem to be paying attention. “Shouldn’t we be focusing on the battle first? The prophecy’s not going anywhere.”

                • Lynxshard-
                  “Really?” Lynxshard asked, blinking at Roseshade. Now that she thought of it, she hadn’t actually ever been in the ThunderClan camp while Roseshade was there, not until today. “That would be useful, and since pretty much no one else has that power, you might be a part of the prophecy…” What does it mean? If there are two, and Roseshade is one of them, who’s the other? Dayspring’s mystery kit?
                  She turned to Amberdusk. The phrase “none that would be in the forest” reeks of loopholes. That means that you do have siblings other than your adorably brave and naïve little fluffball here, don’t you… she thought, examining her.
                  No, wait, I’m probably just overthinking things. Amberdusk could be saying that they’re dead, wouldn’t she? But… her wording…
                  Remember the last time your brain failed you, Lynxshard? It got you killed and rejected from StarClan. So don’t trust yourself. Never again.
                  “That’s true,” she agreed. “The prophecy can wait. So, um, do you want to leave right now?”

                • Roseshade-
                  Roseshade nodded weakly. Finally telling someone about her power felt nice,but uneasiness still wormed it’s way through her belly. “It will come in handy if Dark Forest cats are fighting against RiverClan as well as BoneClan-which they probably are.” The she-cat said grimly.

                  Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth glanced at Amberdusk before quickly looking away. It sounded like they had siblings other than Fluffkit,which wasn’t exactly a surprise,but still. They had never mentioned their family before Timberheart and Dayspring. “Um,I know the prophecy was very surprising-even I hadn’t gotten word of it-but we need to aid RiverClan as soon as possible. Who is able to help?”

                • Flickerpaw-
                  He padded into the camp, white patches of his pelt glimmering softly and a slight smile slipped out at the sight of all of the warriors. They had grown up here but hadn’t made it through the Shattering and it was nice to see their old home. “Make sure to move with haste,” he said, speaking at last. Their normally bubbly voice, serious.

                • Lynxshard-
                  Is that… Flickerpaw? Lynxshard’s eyes widened. She’d heard that the ShadowClan apprentice had died in the Shattering, but hadn’t expected him here, as a ghost. Shouldn’t he be in StarClan, delivering their… cryptic prophecies, or whatever? “Hi, Flickerpaw…” she mumbled.

                • Flickerpaw-
                  He gave a quick nod to Lynxshard and noted her surprise. These Dark Forest cats probably don’t know that Star Clan is here too.

                • (I think only Roseshade, Skipflight and other ghosts can see them btw)

                • Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of their clanmates, their pelt prickling with discomfort. They obviously weren’t buying their answer, but Amber really didn’t want to explain about their siblings with Fluff around.
                  “I’m able to help,” they volunteered, wanting a change of subject, “Assuming Timberheart can watch Fluffkit.”

                  Timberheart-
                  “I can watch Fluffkit,” Timberheart replied curtly, her shoulder hunching slightly at her kit’s tone. “You all take care, okay?”

                • Lynxshard-
                  “Okay, then… do we leave now?” Lynxshard asked. “I can go tell ThunderClan that ShadowClan is coming, or scout, or something. It’ll be more useful that me sitting around here, having panic attacks and getting under everyone’s paws.”

                • (My other comment is stuck in moderation,but it pretty much just had Roseshade talking to Flickerpaw and disliking her power)

                  Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth took a deep breath,trying to compose xemself. Xe gave a quick nod to Amberdusk to acknowledge them and then looked around at the rest of xer clanmates. “Dayspring? Leopardpounce? Are you two able to fight? If necessary,I can join the battle patrol. Though I’d need someone helping me in the medicine den afterwards.”

                • Roseshade-
                  Roseshade stared as a shimmering apprentice walked into the clearing. She didn’t recognized them immediately,but after a second it clicked. “…Flickerpaw? I remember hearing a story about you at a gathering.” The she-cat said softly,realizing that she was seeing another dead cat. An apprentice,at that. He never got to experience being a warrior, never got to live a full life.

                  Roseshade thought was far too empathetic for a power like she had. Seeing cats in pain was hard enough without being able to see their spirits as well. Why couldn’t I have been born normal?

                • Flickerpaw-
                  He fought back a flinch at the pity in her gaze and then at the discomfort. She didn’t want this power, they realized looking at her. He gave a nod in both answer to her question and as a greeting. This was the prophesied cat and she didn’t want to be. “Whatever you do, we need to move. More StarClan cats are coming but we might not be enough to save you during this coming storm.”

                • Roseshade-
                  Roseshade felt herself shaking as she listened to the apprentice. It seemed to always happen when she talked to a dead cat,like the she-cat swam through icy water. She shook her head,trying to keep tears at bay.

                  “E-everyone? Please listen. I know this is going to sound strange,but there is a StarClan cat here. Flickerpaw has given a warning,he-he tells us we need to work quickly. That more cats are coming to help,but it may not be enough.”

                • Flickerpaw-
                  He smiled slightly. She may not want this ability but she is the right cat to have it.

                • Lynxshard-
                  So, StarClan is going to come help us? Lynxshard thought, a bit skeptically. I just thought they just sat in the sky, staring down on us, doing nothing but sending the most confusing of messages. If Loststar can figure out how to let spirits interact with the living, as in interacting with EVERYBODY, why can’t StarClan, the all-powerful?
                  “So what’s the plan?” she asked, a little impatiently. We can’t just sit around here all day. ThunderClan could have left already- the battle could’ve started already…
                  Lots of impatience and indignance from a cat who spent several moons doing nothing but watching cats from trees and dropping birds, great job me!
                  Is Roseshade all right? She looks like someone dunked her into the lake…

                • Roseshade-
                  “I-I’m not sure.” she murmured,trying to calm down.

                  Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth let out a huff of frustration,glancing at Roseshade then back at xer clanmates. “We need to work quickly,RiverClan is in danger! Amberdusk, Dayspring,Leopardpounce,and Robinhop-you’ll be on the battle patrol. You all need to leave soon,we’ve been standing here talking for too long. I’ll be here to heal both ShadowClan and RiverClan afterwards.”

                • Lynxshard-
                  “Okay,” Lynxshard said, her paws twitching, “are we leaving now? If you need time to get ready, I’ll go tell ThunderClan that you’re coming, unless you have something else for me to do.”

                • Flickerpaw-
                  His tail twitched impatiently. Two Clans are fighting for their lives and they are sitting around discussing when to leave?

                • Oakmoth-
                  “You need to leave as soon a possible,and go with the rest of the group.” Xe said,nodding to xer clanmates. “Roseshade too. I’ll prepare on my own-thank you for the offer,though.” Oakmoth took a deep breath. Xe knew xe would be treating awful wounds after the battle,and had to steel xemself. “May StarClan light your paths,I pray you’ll have enough strength to get through this.”

                • (Wait, is Shadowclan going to Boneclan with Thunderclan or the battle at Riverclan?)

                  Amberdusk-
                  “Let’s go then,” Amberdusk said, taking a deep breath. They’d been in plenty of scuffles as a rogue, but never a real battle. Hopefully, they’d be back with Fluff again soon.
                  “Keep the camp safe, okay bud?” they mewed, giving Fluff a quick lick. Amber glanced awkwardly over at Timberheart, and gave her a little nod. “And keep Timberheart safe as well.”

                  Dayspring-
                  “See you soon!” she meowed to the cats who were staying, blinking at her mate. “I can help you treat wounds once it’s over, Starclan willing,” she added to Oakmoth, “I suspect there will be plenty to go around.”

                  Timberheart-
                  “Good luck! Put in a few scratches for me!” Timberheart replied, pulling Fluffkit closer to her with her tail. Some part of her was desperate to go with the patrol, but keeping her son safe was important as well, even if it hurt to not be around to protect the rest of her family.

                • Lynxshard-
                  “Okay, then, let’s go,” Lynxshard mewed. “I’ll tell Lizardstar that you’re coming.” Turning, she vanished into the shadows.

                • Flickerpaw-
                  He began to pace, the waves of different emotions about the battle were radiating off of the different cats and fueling his own.

                • Shimmerfrog quickly followed after the patrol, falling into step with some of her clanmates. She chattered to them, trying to fend off the nerves she felt for the battle. This would all be fine – they were simply defending their clan and the warrior code.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth watched the group walk out of camp,the tip of xer tail twitching anxiously. Xe turned to Timberheart. “I need to start preparing herbs and treatments,call if something happens or I’m needed.”

                • Shimmerfrog neared the Boneclan border, taking a deep breath. She stepped over it with the rest of her clan as Thunderclan gathered around them.

                  The deputy greeted a familiar warrior, waiting for command from their respective leaders. She wouldn’t charge into Boneclan camp until the order had been given.

                • Timberheart-
                  “I can help!” Timberheart offered, blinking at the nervous medicine cat. “I still remember a few things from my training, plus I could use something to keep my mind off the battle.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth nodded. “Bring Fluffkit with you.” xe commanded. There was a brief pause before xe added: “I-I just don’t want him alone. BoneClan and their allies could ambush us and he would be an easy target.” 

                  Turning around,xe flicked xer tail to the two cats. “Um,Timberheart,you can help organize. When treating cats,I like to have what I need on hand,it’s more efficient than continuously getting up.”

                  “Let’s see: Catchweed to hold wounds closed.” xe started,hooking the few burrs with xer claw. “Wish I had time to gather more…” xe muttered. Shaking xer head,xe continued speaking.

                  “I gave the last poppy seed to Scorchpaw,so Celandine will have to do. There’s some bramble twigs,if chewed it can be given to help a cat sleep.” Oakmoth felt xemselves calming down slightly,doing things like listing herbs always helped them when worried.

                  “Two rosemary stalks,the blooms can help if a cat’s eyes are hurt. Cobwebs,of course. Broom malice poultice for open wounds. Goldenrod for healing cuts. Chervil for infections. Comfrey to heal broken bones. And the roots to clean scratches. Marigold petals to prevent infection. Ragwort for strength.”

                  “There are some ferns to cover wounds. Oh,we have a lot of stinging nettles to lower swelling. And shock Root if someone has been knocked out.”

                • Fireflypaw
                  Fireflypaw paused, looking around at the battle preparations. She felt slightly awkward, as if she was part of something that she was to young, to inexperienced, to be. But whatever battle they were preparing for was surely more important than her sneaking out of camp. She made a decision. She walked over to Oakmoth. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Fireflypaw asked.

                • Hope

                  Uh oh… That explains why I’ve been smelling ShadowClan wherever I go… That means they might have smelled me too… I guess I better introduce myself… Hope stepped out of her hiding spot. “Um… hello… I’m Hope… I’m not part of BoneClan…”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth jumped at an unfamiliar cats voice in camp. He looked up and saw what smelled like a loner sitting outside of the medicine den. StarClan,how did I not notice her? “Who-what-Timberheart! Can you deal with this cat? I don’t think she’s a threat,but it’s a bad time to have visitors.”

                • Hope

                  “I’m not a threat.” Hope said quietly. “I want to be useful…” Useful… Like I always wanted to be… “I’m sorry for wandering here and I heard what you said. Can I help?”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth nodded warily,shifting xer paws. “Well,we need all the help we can get.” xe sighed. “Do you know anything about herbs? Or maybe building? Extra defense outside of camp would be nice…”

                • Hope
                  
                  “I know about cobwebs, marigold, juniper berries, catmint, lungwart, catchweed, poppy seeds, golden rod… I think that’s all…” Hope said. Oh, I’m so useless. Maybe mom was right about me. Useless.

                • Oakmoth-
                  “What about building? If not,you could be a lookout and alert us if you see anyone.” Oakmoth knew there were several other jobs,but one cat couldn’t fill all the positions. And xe didn’t fully trust the loner,even though she seemed harmless.

                • Hope

                  “I’ll be on the lookout. Oh, and I see you.” Hope said. I guess I’ll just… watch out for anybody…

                • Hope

                  Hope walked out of the Medicine Den. “Should I collect herbs?” Hope asked hopefully.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth smiled weakly,”Thank you. It may seem a bit pointless,but we need to know if our clanmates have returned,or if BoneClan cats are attacking.”

                • Hope

                  Hope glanced at Oakmoth. “Thank you. My mother would have killed me with her own claws if she saw me. Your’e much nicer.” Hope said quietly

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth glanced at Fireflypaw,thinking. “Ah,can you watch Fluffkit and keep him out of trouble? I don’t want him in here while I’m treating cats-it would be a hassle and probably give him nightmares-but it’s too dangerous to leave him on his own.”

                • Fireflypaw-
                  “Sure!” Fireflypaw mewed, escorting Fluff kit toward the edge of the clearing. “I’ll make sure he stays out of everyone’s way.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth briefly looked away from Hope,”Thank you.” he said to the apprentice.

                • (Ack,I’m getting my own characters pronouns mixed up 😛. I meant to put xe,not he.)

                • (I do that sometimes 😛 mostly whenever I switch who I’m writing about, like if I go from Dash to Cloudsight I’ll forget to go from xe/xem to they/them)

                  Fluffkit-
                  “I could help!” Fluffkit exclaimed in protest, flailing as he tried to squirm past Fireflypaw. “I can move leaves just as well as anyone else!”

                  Timberheart-
                  “Fluffkit,listen to Fireflypaw,” Timberheart said, feeling a little guilty that she hadn’t thought to make sure that her kit was occupied before she had offered to help.
                  She shot a suspicious look in the direction of Hope. They seemed fairly harmless, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be a new Boneclan recruit in hiding.
                  She turned back to the herbs, and set to work organizing the storage.

                • Oakmoth-
                  “There will be some bad injuries when our clanmates return,Fluff. You don’t need to see things like that.” Xe said,nudging the kitten towards Fireflypaw. Xe could think of plenty of other reasons xe didn’t want Fluffkit in the den,but it would take to long to list them all.

                • Fluffkit-
                  Fluffkit frowned up at the medicine cat, then nodded. “Okay,” he muttered, trotting back over to Fireflypaw. “I’ve seen injuries before, y’know,” he added under his breath, then paused.
                  Had he? He seemed to recall an incident with a whole lot of blood, but the details escaped him.

                • Fireflypaw
                  “So Fluffkit, do you want me to show you a hunting move? Or um, do you want to do something else?” Fireflypaw mewed. She tried to think, what would a kit want to do? Does he want to play a game? Or should we be helping out somewhere else? Fireflypaw shook her head with a frustrated growl. She had just been a kit! What had she liked to do when she was a kit? Why was this so HARD? It’s fine, stop over thinking things, Fireflypaw told herself.

                • Fluffkit-
                  Fluffkit tilted his head up at Fireflypaw, blinking at her. What he really wanted to do was be helpful, but maybe the best way to do that was to keep her company. “That would be cool!” he chirped.

                • “Okay.” Fireflypaw mewed. “When stalking a mouse, it is important to stay light on you paws,” she explained, treading lightly along the ground. “Even when you pounce, keep your weight evenly distributed on all four feet.” Fireflypaw leaped, trapping a dead leaf under her paws. “Do you, uh, want to try?” She asked. She didn’t think this move would be too hard, as it was one of the first any apprentice learned. But what if it was? Or what if Fluffkit didn’t want to try it? Stop it, she told herself. You offered. Now just wait for his answer.

      • Hope

        Making sure nobody saw her, she dropped her bundle of herbs into the Medicine Den. You have to back to the patrol, Hope. She thought.

        Reply

        • Oakmoth-
          Glad that Fluffkit had finally agreed to go with Firelfypaw,xe turned back to xer herbs store,a bit confused when xe saw a clump of plants xe didn’t recognize. Sniffing them,xe picked out poppy flowers,catmint,and coltsfoot.

          Must have been at the back of my stock. xe thought,shaking off the questions xe still had about them. All herbs are valuable. “Looks like we do have some poppy seeds,I just missed them.” xe told no one in particular,carefully placing the painkillers next to the celandine. Catmint went in it’s own section,since it would’t be very useful when it came to wounds,and the coltsfoot was placed farther back from the other plants,but not out of reach. It was used for shortness of breath and cracked pads,so it may come in handy.

          Reply

          • (Hey, Poppypaw? I think in the Pine Forest I collected some cobwebs. So, can you put in cobwebs? You don’t have to though.)

            Reply

            • (Oops,I’ll add cobwebs!)

              Oakmoth-
              Oakmoth decided to put that catmint back in storage and found a wad of cobwebs stuck to them. Xe peeled them off and placed them next to the catchweed,grateful for more,though still a bit confused.

              Reply

    • -Darkcloud-
      I return from hunting, dropping a mouse and a vole into the fresh-kill pile. Without saying a word, I walk over to the warriors den.

      Reply

    • Lilyfang-
      Lilyfang trotted through the pines,sticking to the shadows. She was smiling,prepared in case she ran into anyone,but it seemed no ShadowClan cats had been out in the woods for a while. All scents of them were stale,although she did smell traces of BoneClan. Her clan was prevailing,and the others would fall soon. She spotted a vole eating grass,and quickly pounced on it. The she-cat clawed the prey until she was sure no clan cat would dare try to eat it. She sat the vole in a patch of sunlight,hoping the warmth would make it rot faster.

      Soon,Lilyfang arrived at the camp entrance. Along the way,a plan formed in her mind. The she-cat was going to convince them that there were Dark Forest warriors coming,and that she came to warn them. Forcing her fur to spike up and taking a deep breath,she tried to make her voice sound as terrified as possible,then shrieked. “HELP!”

      Reply

      • Leopardpounce-
        Leopardpounce lay in the clearing, his eyes half-closed with exhaustion. He had spent half the day fortifying the nursery after some of the queens had begged him to, paranoid that their kits would be snatched away by the Dark Forest. He sighed.
        Suddenly, he leaped to his paws, the shrill cry of a distressed she-cat breaking into his thoughts. He shot out of camp, skidding clumsily to a halt as he nearly slammed muzzle-first into an unfamiliar calico she-cat.
        “What’s going on?! Is it the kits? Who are you?!?” He gasped, his eyes wide with panic.

        Reply

        • Lilyfang-
          Lilyfang eyes were wide with feigned terror. “Dark-Dark Forest cats! They’re coming!” she cried.

          Reply

          • Scorchpaw-

            The Dark Forest is attacking!? Scorchpaw cast a panicked glance around the ShadowClan camp, expecting the ghostly intruders to emerge suddenly from the walls. When none did, he worked up the courage to rush out of the camp entrance, accidentally running into Leopardpounce on the other end. Full of fear, he scanned the forest for movement, his pelt bristling tensely. He was so focused on his search for danger, in fact, that he looked straight through Lilyfang without even noticing her. When he finally returned his gaze to the spot where the calico she-cat was, he nearly jumped out of his fur at the realization that an unfamiliar cat was standing just a tail-length away from him. “Woah! W-who are you?” He stammered, unsheathing his claws instinctively.

            Reply

            • Timberheart-
              “Stay here,” Timeberheart hissed to Fluffkit, nodding at Amberdusk to keep an eye on their younger brother. Pelt bristling, she followed the sound of the voice, skidding to a stop beside her clanmates. Dayspring was already outside, on her way back from an unsuccessful hunt. “Let them come,” she grunted, unsheathing her claws. Finally, something she would be able to actually fight. It was nerve wracking, hearing rumors and finding rotting prey, and not knowing what she was up against.

              Dayspring-
              “Timberheart, what happened to staying in the nursery? Someone has to watch Fluffkit,” Dayspring whispered to her mate, glancing nervously around the forest for any Dark Forest cats. Then, she paused, staring quizzically at the cat that had called them, pelt prickling with unease. “How do you know this?” she asked gently, trying to calm the frightened cat, while her eyes raked her pelt, trying to figure out if she knew her from anywhere.

              Reply

              • Lilyfang-
                Lilyfang stared at the she-cat who asked her the question. Her fur slowly laid flat as she slid her claws out. “Becuase they’re already here.” she said softly,a smile creeping across her face. Lunging at the dark apprentice she decided on,the she-cat pushed her weight against him,trying to knock him over. Her claws raked his flesh, blood gushing. Quick as lightning,she whipped around and blindly ran from the camp,hopefully losing any cats that followed her.

                Reply

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring darted forwards, by the apprentice’s side in an instance. “How badly are you hurt?” she asked, then glanced at the cats around her. “Someone get me some cobwebs!” She knew she wasn’t technically a medicine cat anymore, but she knew plenty.
                  She peered after the retreating cat, furious but not at all surprised.

                  Timberheart-
                  “Come back, you foxheart!” Timberheart yowled, pausing only for a moment to make sure that Dayspring was checking on the apprentice. She dashed after the Dark Forest cat, but she quickly slipped from Timberheart’s vision, disappearing into the pines. “Mousedung,” she grumbled, turning to go back to her clanmates.

                • Scorchpaw-

                  Scorchpaw flinched as the ghostly she-cat rammed into his side, knocking him to the ground and leaving two deep scratches in his flank. He lay still for a moment, numb with shock, then his expression gradually contorted in to a pained grimace. It felt like the Dark Forrest cat had started a fire in his side, her claws leaving flames to lick at his flesh while she left him behind to burn.
                  Scorchpaw was aware of Dayspring crouching over him, Asking how badly he was hurt, but he was too panicked to say anything. All he could manage was a scared whimper. I couldn’t even run away when she attacked me. I couldn’t even cry for help! Maybe… Maybe I’ll never be anything more than a weak apprentice… He thought dejectedly.

                • Oakmoth-
                  The medicine cat rushed to Scorhcpaw’s side,xer eyes dark. “Is he unresponsive?” Xe asked,placing a paw on his chest. The apprentice’s heartbeat was strong,but his breathing was shallow. And the scratches looked deep. There had been so many deaths lately, and Oakmoth didn’t want to lose another cat.

                • Dayspring-
                  “I think he’s still conscious, just in a bit of shock,” Dayspring replied, stepping back so that the xe could have more space. “I’ll go grab some cobwebs and-” she began, then froze mid-sentence, remembering not for the first time that day that she wasn’t a medicine cat anymore. “Is there anything I can do to help?” she rephrased, licking at her pelt in embarrassment.

                  (Also, Aquashade, does Scorchpaw have a mentor?)

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth gave Dayspring a look of sympathy. “Can you get some cobwebs and dock leaves? I don’t want to give him poppy seeds yet.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  “Scorchpaw’s okay for now,but he’ll need some time to heal. You need to rest,I can tell your exhausted.”

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring dashed back into camp, and into the medicine cat den. For a moment, she breathed in the familiar scent of herbs, then began searching for the dock leaves and cobwebs. She knew what they looked like, but the organization of the herbs had changed since she’d last been inside.
                  “Here we are,” she murmured, pulling out a small stack of dock leaves and a wad of cobwebs. Then, she returned to her clanmates, and set the supplies down beside Oakmoth.

                • Leopardpounce-
                  “I’m fine,” he mewed quickly, blinking. “I can help watch Fluffkit, maybe? Or… or… or fortify camp? I can work some more, I promise,” he mewed earnestly. He sat back on his haunches, quickly hiding his paws beneath his tail. They were already nicked and scratched from his earlier task of building up an extra layer of brambles on the nursery, and he certainly didn’t need another thing for the medicine cat to worry at him for. Everyone was starving, wounded, or tired, and he was no different- if his Clanmates could push through their ailments, so could he.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth sighed,looking at Leopardpounce. “If you won’t rest,than you can help make nests. The elders need fresh bedding,and if I get in a new patient they’ll need one to sleep in.” Xe dipped xer head to the tom respectfully before continuing,”I know it may seem like an apprentice’s job,but you’re very valuable to ShadowClan. Thank you for all you’ve been doing to keep us safe.”

                • (Not currently, but that can change if someone wants 😉 if you’re asking if you can be then sure!)

                  Scorchpaw-

                  Still frozen in fear, Scorchpaw was barely aware of the paw on his chest. Is that… Oakmouth? He guessed, squinting hard at the cat above him. After a few moments, the medicine cat came into focus; Xe was saying something about being unresponsive, and upon noticing the dark look in xer eyes, Scorchpaw realized for the first time just how shallow his breathing was.
                  Oh no, is it really that bad? They look like they’re expecting me to die! A fresh wave of panic hit him, and an uneasy feeling wormed its way into his stomach. Slowly, the feeling grew, became almost tangible, and began working it’s way to his head; culminating in a painful cough that shook his frail body with great force. When the feeling left him, flecks of blood dotted the dirt near his muzzle, as if they had come from his mouth. Scorchpaw blinked, his mind numb with shock. Did I just… Cough… Blood..? M-maybe that’s normal? Yeah… Maybe it’ll all go away with some rest…
                  In the back of his mind, he was aware of his vision beginning to fade, and his consciousness ebbing away from him. The burning pain in his flank subsided into a dull roar of discomfort, and within a few moments, the young apprentice had surrendered to an uneasy sleep.

                  (I am slow motion. It took me a solid 24 hours to finish this comment in-between school 😛 )

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth panicked as Scorchpaw coughed,small flecks of blood coming from his throat. Xe noticed Dayspring’s return and took the herbs from her. “Thank you,Dayspring.” Xe started wrapping cobwebs around the cuts and hissed as the apprentice fell asleep.

                  “Mouse-dung. I don’t want him slipping into a coma.” Xe quickly finished,and then touched xer nose to Scorchpaw’s side. “The scratches don’t smell infected,but there’s still the risk.”

                • (Alrighty, and yes, I was going to ask if Dayspring could be his mentor 😛 )

                  Dayspring-
                  “You’re welcome,” she replied cheerfully, her eyes widening in alarm as the apprentice’s eyes closed. “How’s his pulse?” Dayspring asked. She glanced anxiously at the blood Scorchpaw had coughed up. If he had internal damage, he could be in serious trouble. “Do you think maybe some traveling herbs might help him keep his strength up?” she thought out loud, trying to remember if she had ever encountered a similar situation during her time as a medicine cat apprentice.

                  Timberheart-
                  Timberheart hovered nearby, watching her mate quietly. Officially, Dayspring was a warrior, but Timberheart knew her true calling was to medicine.
                  I wonder if she ever regrets her choice, Timberheart thought, then bristled as she thought she caught wind of Amberdusk’s voice from inside the camp. “Anyone else hear that?” she asked, unsheathing her claws.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth pressed his paw to Scorchpaw’s chest again,feeling his heartbeat. “It’s strong,but I’m worried that she-cat hit one of his main blood vessels. I don’t think he has any organ damage,though.” Xe thought for a moment about giving the apprentice traveling herbs,then nodded. “I think that would be good for him.”

                  Xe pricked xer ears after Timberheart spoke,listening for any cats talking. “I didn’t hear anything,but I was focusing on Scorchpaw.”

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He nodded, getting to his paws.
                  “Sure! I probably have some leftover bracken- I’ll go start on a new nest for the medicine den first,” he mewed. “I don’t mind doing an apprentice’s job at all. I just want everyone to be safe.” He cast another concerned look at Scorchpaw, touching his nose to the apprentice’s side briefly before whisking away into camp.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth smiled as Leopardpounce walked away. Xe were proud of how stubborn ShadowClan was,and xer stress lifted slightly. At least one good thing would come out of the whole ordeal: new nests.

                • Dayspring-
                  “Mphh!” Dayspring mewed through a mouthful of traveling herbs, before depositing the bundle onto the ground. “I got them!” she repeated, licking her lips to get rid of the bitter taste of herbs.

                  Timberheart-
                  “Anything I can do to help?” Timberheart asked. She had been a medicine cat apprentice for a bit at one point in time, but she remember exactly none of it except that she had gotten to know Dayspring that way. She shot a frustrated look out into the forest, and growled, “I wish I could have caught that foxheart.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  “Thank you.” xe mumbled distractedly,focusing on the apprentice. “Timberheart,you can help me carry Scorchpaw back to camp. I’ll be able to care for him better in the medicine den.”

                • Timheart-
                  “Alright,” Timberheart agreed, stooping down beside the apprentice. She paused, about to grab Scoruchpaw’s scruff, then glanced nervously up at Oakmouth. “What would be the best way to go about this? I don’t want to hurt him more,” she asked xem.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth thought for a second,considering how to get the apprentice back to camp. Xe knew Dayspring wasn’t a medicine cat anymore,but xe wanted to ask what she would do. “I suppose that’s the only way,just try to be gentle.”

                • Dayspring-
                  Dayspring glanced nervously at the apprentice’s wounds, then over at her mate. “What if we put him on Timberheart’s back, and the two of us could hold him steady while she walks?” she suggested, “That way, he’ll swing around less. That is, if Timberheart can handle that,” Dayspring added.

                  Timberheart-
                  Timberheart snorted, whiskers twitching. “If I can’t handle carrying an apprentice with help, then I should retire to the elders den. Besides, he doesn’t look like he weighs much.”

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth dug xer claws into the ground,embarrassed that xe hadn’t thought of that. “That would be better,” xe murmured. “Thank you again,Dayspring. You’re very helpful.”

                • Dayspring-
                  “No problem, glad to be of assistance!” Dayspring replied, dipping her head respectfully. Although she was feeling good about being useful, she felt a stab of guilt as she wondered if she was being a little involved. She didn’t want Oakmoth thinking she was trying to steal xyr job.
                  Gingerly, she took the apprentice’s scruff, and started to ease him over Timberheart’s shoulders.

                • Oakmoth-
                  Oakmoth helped Dayspring place Scorchpaw on Timberheart. After he was safely on,xe listened to his heartbeat for longer than needed,worried that he would stop breathing. Stop living. Xe were close the breaking,and a young cat dying would push xem over the edge.

            • Lilyfang-
              “I-I’m Lilyfang. You n-need to be ready!” she glanced around at the cats that were gathering. There were too many for her to just pounce. She would have to pick out who was the weakest. The apprentice in front of her was scrawny,maybe she could attack him?

              Reply

    • Amberdusk-
      “Uh, sure, if you want,” Amberdusk replied over their shoulder to Leopardpounce, trotting out of camp. They hunted better alone, but they figured company couldn’t hurt, especially with Dark Forest cats crawling around everywhere. As long as company wasn’t Timberheart, that is, because the whole point of the hunt was to get a break from Timberheart.
      “Thanks for what you said to Fluff earlier, by the way,” Amberdusk added awkwardly, sniffing the air for prey. “He can be trouble sometimes.”

      Reply

      • Leopardpounce-
        “Thanks,” he mewed, catching up to them. It would be good to get out of camp for a bit. Besides, he wanted to get to know Amberdusk a bit more- since they and their brother had joined ShadowClan, he hadn’t spent much time with either of them. He kept his ears pricked, listening for the rustle of prey in the undergrowth.
        “Of course, it’s no problem. I’m sure we were all trouble at his age,” he added with a chuckle. “I know I was. I got into the medicine cat’s herb store more than a few times.”

        Reply

        • Amberdusk-
          Amberdusk smiled slightly, somewhat amused at the differences in what they considered trouble. Fluffkit being troublesome generally meant he had gotten himself caught while trying to steal food, or was about to make friends with a badger. That was one thing Amber wouldn’t be missing about life outside Shadowclan.
          “For sure,” Amberdusk replied, nodding their agreement. “I used to unite my littermates against our common enemy: adults. We’d hold Dad hostage and try to convince Mom to let us stay up later in exchange for his freedom.”
          Amber cleared their throat, instantly embarrassed by the wistfulness in their voice. They hadn’t meant to bring up their old family, and yet somehow the words had escaped without permission.

          Reply

          • Leopardpounce-
            He let out a mrrow of amusement. “Of course, every kit’s number-one foe. Grown-ups always ruined all the fun.” He gave them a sympathetic look as they fell silent, briefly touching his tail to their flank. He knew what it felt like to miss family all too well- he missed his mother every day.
            “My mom used to take us on adventures out of camp in secret when I was young. She’d give my brother and I a badger ride through the forest, and then we’d sit by the lake and she would tell us stories about the ancient Clans.” He looked down. A pang of grief hit him as he remembered those days- everything had been so simple, so nice, so… so restful.
            “What were your littermates’ names? My brother was Lionpaw- he and I were both named after two of the Clans in my mom’s stories. LeopardClan and LionClan.”

            Reply

            • Roseshade-
              Roseshade ran along with Lynxshard,her breath coming in short spurts. She was terrified, terrified of what to come. She saw two cats in front of them and slowed to a stop.

              “Help! I-we-RiverClan…” Roseshade paused,trying to coming up with the right words. “BoneClan is attacking RiverClan,we need help.”

              Reply

            • Amberdusk-
              Amberdusk blinked at Leopardpounce, grateful for his sympathy. They hadn’t really thought about their clanmates having dead kin before, which was silly, but it was comforting to know that they weren’t alone.
              “I had a brother a brother as well, Skippy. I think he was named after peanut butter?” Amber said, tilting their head as they tried to remember. They missed him, but at least with him they could imagine him growing fat and lazy in some twoleg den.
              “And then their were the little ones,” they added, studying the forest floor. I got them killed. I couldn’t save them. The words were tempting to say, but Amber couldn’t force them out, not yet. “Fluff, Spike, Sleek, and Curly,” Amberdusk added, whiskers twitching. “Mom and Dad kinda ran of creativity there.”

              Reply

              • Roseshade-
                Not waiting for the cats’ responses,Roseshade forced her aching limbs to keep running,seeing that Lynxshard was already in camp.

                Reply

                • Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk stared after Roseshade, their eyes going wide with alarm. “We better get going back to camp,” they reluctantly said to Leapardpounce. Hesitantly, they added, “Thank you, by the way. Could we talk again later?”

                • Hope

                  Oh wait, they already went back to camp… Hope thought. She went back to walking in circles again.

                • Hope

                  Oh wow… I’m back to where I started… Hope thought. Her sent was faint, but she could still smell it.

                • Hope

                  One cobweb, two cobwebs… Hope thought as she gathered herbs while she watched to make sure nobody was coming. Maybe I should get some moss… Hope collected horsetail, marigold, cobwebs, and moss. I guess I should drop by the medicine den for a second… No. My job is here. But I could drop in a herb or two, right? Fine, Hope. Quickly, though.

    • Fireflypaw
      Fireflypaw woke up, yawned and stretched. She supposed she should see if her mentor had anything for her to do, but she was sure it would be something boring like cleaning the elders den, and all Fireflypaw really wanted to do was run through the forest, feeling the dew soaked ferns brush her sides. She crept quietly around the edges of the clearing, trying to avoid other cats. Yes, almost to the entrance! She thought.

      Reply

    • Blackpaw walked into the apprentice den, layed down and rested her head on her paws. She sighed, no one seemed to need her, she looked away from the entrance of the den, trying to block out the sounds of camp. She stared at the wall, thinking, no one knew where she came from, and she was fine with it. Until know, she knew not all her clanmates accepted her, and their stares were starting to get to her. She shook herself, trying to get rid of the thoughts that she didn’t belong, she flexed her claws, tearing the moss that made her bed

      Reply

    • Amberdusk-
      Amberdusk relaxed as Timberheart left the nursery, and curled up around their younger brother. They weren’t sure what the commotion was, but it was nice to have some time alone with Fluffkit. “Listen to her, ordering me around as if I’m still an apprentice,” they murmered into his soft kitten fuzz, “But don’t worry Fluff, I’m sure whatever it is, she’ll take care of it,” Amberdusk added.

      Fluffkit-
      “Amberrrrrr you’re squishing me!” Fluffkit giggled, twisting away from his sibling. He paused, glancing in the direction of the camp entrance. “Timberheart’s only bossy because she wants to protect us,” he explained, although he was pretty sure Amberdusk was aware. “You can be pretty bossy sometimes to, you know.” His paws itched to find out what was going on, but he knew Amber would never let him. Plus, he didn’t want to upset Timberheart and Dayspring.

      Reply

      • Dashfoot-
        Dashfoot wandered into Shadowclan camp, eyeing the mess outside briefly before xe slipped inside. Providentially, xe wasn’t the first Dark Forest cat to stop by today, but xe wasn’t in the mood for a fight.
        Bored, xe made xyr way towards the nursery, and peered inside. Xe always had been amused by kits. Maybe one of them wanted an imaginary friend or something. Dashfoot scooped up a pebble, and tossed it inside, the small stone bouncing off the fluffy kit’s head.

        Fluffkit-
        “Hey!” he yelped, spinning around. Fluffkit narrowed his eyes at the strange cat, tipping his head in confusion. He definitly didn’t know all the cats in the forest, and maybe not even his whole clan, but he didn’t recognize xem at all. “What’s your name?” he asked.

        Amberdusk-
        Amberdusk eyed Dashfoot suspiciously, pelt prickling. They stepped in front of Fluffkit, blocking him from xyr view. “What do you want?” they challenged, letting their voice rise so that some of the other cats outside might hear.”

        Reply

        • Leopardpounce-
          As the golden tom padded into camp, Amberdusk’s voice caught his attention. Curious, he padded closer to the nursery.
          “Amberdusk? Fluffkit? Hey, who are you?” He mewed, confused. He didn’t recognize the strange cat that stood at the nursery’s entrance, and judging by their tone, neither did Amberdusk. “What are you doing in ShadowClan camp?” He hissed, unsheathing his claws and bristling the fur along his spine.

          Reply

          • Dashfoot-
            Dashfoot glanced between Amberdusk and Leopardpounce, xyr pelt prickling with irritation. “Keep your fur on,” xe told the warrior, annoyed. Thanks to xyr bloodthirsty acquaintances, the clan cats seemed jumpier than rabbits. “I’m not doing much of anything at the moment. Don’t you clan cats ever relax?”

            Fluffkit-
            “That cat threw a big rock at me,” Fluffkit informed Leopardpounce, gesturing towards the pebble, which arguably wasn’t very big at all. He paused, glancing at Amberdusk and Leopardpounce’s unsheathed claws uncertainly. Fluffkit was grateful that Shadowclan had taken them in, but he didn’t really get why the clans were so violent. “Are you going to claw xem?” he asked nervously.

            Reply

            • Leopardpounce-
              “It’s a bit hard to relax when strangers are harassing our kits,” he snapped, taking a step closer to xem. He glanced between Fluffkit and the pebble, then glared back up at Dashfoot. “I’ll only claw xem if xe doesn’t come up with a flawless explanation for why xe decided it was a good day to wander into ShadowClan camp.”

              Reply

              • Dashfoot-
                Dashfoot gave the kit a scowl, shaking xyr head. If a pebble’s a big rock, then I must be a badger, xe thought, rolling xyr eyes. “Harassing is a little strong, don’t you think? I tossed a pebble at him to get his attention.” Xe yawned, then began to groom xyr tabby pelt.
                “It’s as good of a day as any,” Dashfoot continued, watching out of the corner of xyr eye to see if Leopardpounce would attack, “Honestly, being dead’s pretty boring if you’re not interest in murder and other alarming sounding hobbies. I thought maybe I’d take up being a benevolent poltergeist.”

                Reply

                • Leopardpounce-
                  Slightly confused, Leopardpounce tilted his head. Not interested in murder? Benevolent poltergeist? He hesitantly retracted his claws.
                  “But… I thought all of you Dark Forest cats were with BoneClan?” He watched xem groom xyrself (xemself?) suspiciously. “And… And besides, throwing anything at a kit, no matter the intention, is a good way to get yourself in a great deal of mess,” he hissed, trying to sound authoritative. He curled his lip in a snarl, showing his teeth as his tail lashed slowly back and forth behind him.

                • Windmist-
                  He appeared from the shadows and padded silently into the nursery, biting back a purr of amusement at the situation his fellow ghost had gotten xemself into.

                • Dashfoot-
                  Dashfoot paused in xyr bath, xyr whiskers twitching with amusement. “I suppose you’ve got a point, it’s right there in the warrior code. A warrior does not kill, unless the cat is outside the warrior code or throws pebbles at kits.”
                  Xe studied the Shadowclan cats for a moment, hesitating indecisively. “Siding with Boneclan’s what got me killed in the first place,” Dashfoot said, tail lashing as the familiar resentment flared up again, “I wouldn’t really say I’m ‘with’ them.”
                  Xe caught sight of Windmist, and greeted him with a blink, before rising to xyr feet. “I can see I’ve outstayed my welcome though, so I think I’ll be going.”

                  Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk’s fur prickled with distrust, and although they noticed that Leopardpounce had retracted his claws, they were going to keep their out until the Dark Forest cat was far, far, far away from their little brother. “You were never welcome in the first place,” they snarled.

                  Fluffkit-
                  Relieved that Leopardpounce seemed less likely to attack the stranger, Fluffkit fluffed up his fur, trying to seem as big as possible. “You better not side with Boneclan, because then we’d have to crush you!” he squeaked. He picked up the pebble, and threw it at Dashfoot, missing by a fox-length.

                • Windmist–
                  He sent the kit a glare, “Challenge cats your own size in the future,” He warned, turning to follow xem out.

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He hated to admit it, but it was difficult not to laugh at Dashfoot’s sarcasm. Xe didn’t seem all that bad, but still- he wasn’t going to take any chances trusting an unannounced visitor in the nursery.
                  His eyes went wide as he noticed the other ghostly figure, his mouth dropping open slightly.
                  “How many of you are there?” He muttered, shaking his head. He padded over to Fluffkit and Amberdusk, putting himself between Windmist and Fluffkit.
                  “Visit the camp of your own Clan in the future, you harebrain, he snapped, glaring at the tom.

                • Fluffkit-
                  “I’m not that small, am I?” Fluffkit asked Amberdusk, eyes going wide with concern. He had always assumed he was pretty normal sized, but there weren’t many kits around to compare himself to. What if he never got big enough, and Shadowclan decided to revoke their hospitality?

                  Amberdusk-
                  “You’re a kit, of course you’re small,” they muttered, stooping to groom a particular spiky bit of fluff on Fluffkit’s head. “But you’ll get bigger.”

                • Windmist-
                  He just smiled. “No need to be rude, who’s to say I’m as benevolent as he is? Or how many other ghostly acquaintances I have.”

                • Leopardpounce-
                  “Is that a threat?” He unsheathed his claws slightly, narrowing his eyes with a hiss. “I don’t care how many dead cats you have on your side. I’ve got all of ShadowClan on my side, and we’ll fight back against your little ghost army until we all die. You should take a bit of inspiration from your friend over there- xe seems to have quite a bit more sense than you.” His tail lashed angrily, but he sheathed his claws again- the last thing he wanted was to be attacked, especially right in front of Fluffkit.

                • Windmist-
                  “Not a threat, a promise.” He murmured, slipping back into the shadows.

                • Amberdusk-
                  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Amberdusk demanded, their pelt bristling at the tom’s words. They lashed their tail in frustration as the Dark Forest cat disappeared, then glanced over at Leopardpounce. “I didn’t like the sound of that,” they said, eyeing the spot the Dark Forest cats had vanished into wearily, in case they tried to slip back in.
                  “Fluff, if you see either of those cats again, yowl as loud as you can, okay? One of us will come protect you,” Amberdusk added to their brother. “Where in Starclan’s name is Timberheart?” they wondered outloud, pelt prickling with anger. One minute she’s insisting she wants to be our mom, the next she’s running off into battle again even though she’s supposed to be a queen.
                  Amber didn’t always like Timberheart, but she had to admit the she-cat was a better fighter than them. It would be comforting to know they could trust her to watch Fluffkit.

                  Fluffkit-
                  “I don’t need protection!” he protested, shooting a nervous glance up at Leopardpounce. “I’m almost an apprentice, which means I’m not that far from being a warrior! I can take care of myself!”
                  Really, 3 moons wasn’t that close to 6 moons, and Fluffkit liked having his family around, but he didn’t want any cat thinking he wasn’t contributing to the clan.

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He hissed after Windmist, glaring at the spot he had disappeared into before turning back to look at the camp entrance.
                  “I’m sure she’ll be in in just a moment. They’re all probably still taking care of Scorchpaw.” He looked down at Fluffkit with a smile, nudging him gently with a paw. “You’ve certainly got the spirit of a warrior, Fluffkit. Soon, we’ll be looking to you to protect us, I’m sure,” he purred. “You gotta take care of Amberdusk, ok? They need you.” He smiled and looked between the siblings- Amberdusk had already proven themself to be a great warrior, and Fluffkit definitely had the ambition to become one. He was happy to have the two of them in ShadowClan- they contributed a great deal.

                • Flufflkit-
                  Fluffkit’s pelt grew warm with pride at Leopardpounce’s praise.”Don’t worry, I will!” he told Leopardpounce, dropping down into a crouch. With a squeaky battle cry, Fluffkit launched himself at the pebble Dashfoot had thrown at him earlier, batting at it with his paws. “I’ll protect you all from the spooky ghosts!”
                  Fluffkit beamed up at Amberdusk, then added, “And I’ll yowl super loud if I see them again, but only because I don’t want them sneaking up on you or anyone!” Taking care of Amber would be easy, especially if they thought they were the one protecting of him.

                  Amberdusk-
                  “That’s good to hear, Fluff” Amberdusk replied, watching their brother attack the pebble. They shot Leopardpounce a grateful look, making a mental note to keep this strategy in mind the next time Fluffkit insisted he could take care of himself.
                  “Wait,” Amberdusk said, pelt prickling as their mind finally caught onto something Leopardpounce had said. “What happened to Scorchpaw? Is everyone okay?”

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He let out a quiet mrrow of amusement at Fluffkit’s enthusiasm. “Excellent. You’ll be Fluffstar in no time at all, the rate you’re going,” he purred warmly, gently ruffling the kit’s fur with one paw. He dipped his head to Amberdusk.
                  “Oh- Scorchpaw… He was attacked. By the Dark Forest cat that was out there. He… The last I saw of him, he was in pretty bad shape. He seems like he’s in shock. Oakmoth sent me into camp to-” his eyes widened. “Fox-dung! I was supposed to make nests for the medicine den!” He groaned, shaking his head. “I should have just chased those ghosts away at first sight. Argh, I’m not gonna have time to-” he broke off with a sigh, hanging his head.
                  Stupid furball! See where hesitating gets you?! He chided himself, flicking an ear irritably. He cast a glance at Fluffkit, calming himself. The best that would have happened would have been that he terrified the kit if he had attacked the Dark Forest cats, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

                • Tiberfur-
                  “Oh, hello Leopardpounce,” Timberfur mewed as she reached the nursery. She was relieved to see that both of her adopted children looked unharmed. “I came from the medicine den, I think Scorchpaw’s stable. Did I miss any fun here?”

                  Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk turned to Timberfur, pelt bristling. “Just a little, two Dark Forest cats showed up. It would have been nice if you could have stuck around.”

                • Leopardpounce-
                  “Hi, Timberheart.” He dipped his head in greeting to the she-cat, nervously shifting his paws. The tension between Amberdusk and their adopted mother made him uneasy. Instead, he sliced a bit of moss from the nearby nest and batted it towards Fluffkit.
                  “You also missed this little warrior tellin’ them who’s boss,” he added with a purr, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. “He sent a rock right at one of them. Xe took off running after that- scared xem right out of xer fur.” He smiled. “I’m glad Scorchpaw’s alright. I hope nobody went after that she-cat who messed him up? I don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

                • Fluffkit-
                  “That’s right!” Fluffkit agreed, rolling cross the nursery floor to bat at the moss. “I took care of xem, don’t you worry Timberheart!” He glanced up at his sibling, frowning. There Amber was, getting mad at their mom again. Fluffkit wished adults would spend less time arguing and more time on fun things, like attacking moss balls.

                  Timberheart-
                  “That’s great, Fluffkit,” she mewed, reaching over to bat playfully at the bit of moss, trying to wiggle it away from her son. “You’ve practically got a battle under your wing already! I do wish I could have seen that,” she added, blinking awkwardly at Amberdusk. “I tried to go after her,” Timberheart added, her voice turning wistful at the idea of a fight, “But I couldn’t catch her.”

                  Amberdusk-
                  Amberdusk scowled at Timberheart’s partial apology, their tail lashing with irritation. “Can you look after Fluffkit for a bit?” they asked the queen quietly, “I think I’m going to go hunting. But this time could you leave the fighting to the warriors, please?”
                  It came out a little snarkier than Amber had meant, but hopefully they got the message across.
                  If you want to be Fluff’s mom, you have to keep him safe, they thought, slipping from the nursery.

                • Leopardpounce-
                  He nodded, blinking sympathetically at the note of wistfulness in the queen’s mew. She seemed to want to return to her warrior duties as soon as possible, and he couldn’t blame her- it felt as though the mundane daily tasks were all that kept him afloat these days. He watched as Amberdusk padded away, conflicted- he wanted to stay here with Fluffkit and Timberheart, but he also wanted to comfort them.
                  And, his mind reminded him to his displeasure, those nests still need building. He frowned, then decisively got to his paws.
                  “I think I might join them. I’ll try and catch a nice downy pigeon, so that you can have the feathers to play with, okay, Fluffstar?” He gave him a wink and a smile, then looked up at Timberheart. “If you get a chance, do you think you could tell Oakmoth that xe can use my nest for Scorchpaw? I never got a chance to make up any new ones, but mine’s clean and comfortable.” Dipping his head, he ducked out of the nursery after Amberdusk.
                  “Hey! Can I join you?”
                  (move to the forest tab?)

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