[ti]Open[/ti]Broken Wings

[Miss Tactical]

FEATHERCLAW

The weather was getting warmer, but the sudden onset of warmer weather caused a ruff in the systems. Rain splattered the ground and thunder cracked. It was a sudden appearance and not much warning. The sky had started to go dark, the birds stopped chirping, that in itself was a warning bad weather was to come. A light breeze tickled the leaves on the trees, wind growing stronger and stronger and the rustling became howling. However at this time, patrols had been out. Cats rushed back to camp, but a calico's patrol had been much too far away to get back to camp in a hurry and would certainly take some time. On it, was Stormpaw and her mother. With all of the excitement at last nights gathering, border patrols were instantly issued. Surely it was an idle threat, but it was better safe than sorry.


They had been sorry. The two got caught in a horrible storm, the older she-cat growled in frustration. "Just our luck huh Stormpaw." She mewed to her daughter. The rain pelted her fur, soaking it nearly instantly. She nudged Stormpaw to one of the trees, eyes sparkling brightly. "I think we should wait it out here, if we try to head to camp we will look like drowned rats." She gave her paw a swift lick, swiping it over her ear. The rain would get heavier before it got lighter, but luckily these spur of the moment storms never lasted very long, they were quick to form and quick to leave so hopefully that would be the case today. Featherclaw swiveled an ear as she heard crying towards the tracks. She narrowed her eyes trying to see, but couldn't make anything out. "is...is that a kit?"

She didn't wait for her daughter to answer her before she stepped out of their little hideaway trotting towards the tracks. she could feel the ground vibrating under her paws, that was not good! She moved faster, the wailing getting louder. However she still couldn't find the source of it She closed her eyes for just a moment A warrior who pledges the code must not let a kit be harmed no matter what the clan, and must not turn them away... She sighed recalling her first lesson as a MothClan warrior, the warrior code. She promised to uphold it at the cost of her life, and she would feel guilty leaving a kit here. "Where are you little kit..." She called out leaping onto the metal tracks.

"Over here.....help...help please." A squeaky voice mewed.

Featherclaw lunged further onto the tracks a loud YOWL coming from the monster heading in the direction however as she got closer the the 'crying kit' she was surprised to find a full grown cat with a dark grin spread across her muzzle. Eyes wide open Featherclaw had been baited by Aster one of the rogues. She felt fangs dig into her scruff, snarling Featherclaw tried to reach behind her but she couldn't reach the smaller she-cat. Featherclaw lifted her head to see a bright flash of lights, a loud rumbling shook the metal tracks as a monster zoomed by there was a loud yowl and soon silence.....


ASTER

Aster smirked ever so slightly. "You fools believe so firmly in the code you die for it." She looked at Featherclaws damaged body before dragging it off the tracks, her own fur soaked to the ground. She didn't mind, what she had come to do had been successful. Very carefully she hummed a small tune as she placed purple flowers around her, creating a lovely sight. This was her signature mark, placing the beautiful yet poisonous flowers around those she had successfully killed. and I hardly lifted a claw...just held her down for a few minutes. There was a bright flash of lightening and Aster turned to lock eyes with Stormpaw, who stood frozen in shock not able to move. The gray she-cat flicked a tail before disappearing into the forest, clearly satisfied with the job she had just completed.



STORMPAW

The dilute she-cat watched her mother go. be careful.... she watched with studious eyes watching her every move. The warrior code stated to help a kit in need and that was something that Stormpaw would do as well, she was about to follow when she felt a vibration under her paws. "HURRY MOM THE MONSTER IS COMING!" She called. The wind probably hid her voice as her mother didn't even turn around or acknowledge her warning. Stormpaw paced back and forth tail dragging through mud puddles that had formed in the roots of trees, she could hear the monster yelling, it's call blaring louder than thunder. What was she doing?!?

She narrowed her eyes to peer through the pelting rain when she spotted the body of a gray cat in the distance and her mother clearly struggling however she was frozen in fear. In the distance she could see the large snake monster, her mother still writhing under the weight of her attacker. She took in a nervous gulp she's a fighter she's a fighter she will make it..... She watched the gray she-cat leap and soon the monster zoomed by, her mother in it's way. She let out a large shriek, and sobbed softly, this cat had just killed her mother!!!

She locked eyes with the gray rogue and watched her take off. Why hadn't these rogues been exterminated yet? She didn't know what to do, she stood there in the rain, soaked to the bone staring. Suddenly something sparked and Stormpaw ran, running as fast as her large paws would take her. This wasn't fair!! Her mom didn't deserve that! She just wanted to be a good warrior just like everyone else why her?!? After what seemed like an eternity Stormpaw finally crashed into camp sobbing loudly.

"MOM......FEATHERCLAW....She...." She huffed in between breaths panting. She couldn't even gather her words. "THE THUNDER TRACKS....DAD....MOTHSTAR SOMEONE...." Stormpaw finally fell, her fur caked with mud, and slightly scratched from running through the forest. There was a loud crash of thunder followed by lightning. Did StarClan know this was going to happen? Were they angry? Stormpaw looked to the sky, she was grateful for the rain, that none of the other apprentices would see her weak like this. The sky darkened and her eyes were swollen.... "She's been murdered..." She finally whimpered for anyone around to hear her.

[chickenbatnana]

Aspenpaw had been hunting almost all day now. He only caught a squirrel and a mouse, no wonder with this awful weather. All the prey would be hiding in their burrows! Stupid Pouncefox, always sending him away to do the hard tasks. He wasn't even allowed to go to the gathering the other days, and that on the day rogues invaded! He would've clawed their ears off if he was there... If only he was a warrior, being an apprentice was no fun. When he first entered his new den he felt so small! He just wanted to finish his training quickly. Walking through the rain, the apprentice's thought drifter off too warrior life. Doing as he pleased, free of Pouncefox, free of elder ticks... Was he allowed to return now? Probably. He caught two things in a miserable storm, so his mentor at least had to appreciate that.

With two pieces of fresh-kill in his mouth, Aspenpaw entered the camp. But something was wrong, Stormpaw was just laying there. His immediate response was to fluff up his soaking wet fur and throw an insult at her about how she was the one doing nothing, but he didn't. Stormpaw was crying. He had no idea that was something she was capable of! Someone had died...

''D- uh.. Stormpaw! What happened? A-are you okay...?'' He stammered, really having a bad time showing compassion towards her. ''Who, err, got murdered?'' Oh, StarClan he was bad at this, but there had to be something he could do to help, right? Aspenpaw kneaded his paws nervously on the muddy ground.

[Miss Tactical]

Who, err, got murdered?'' Stormpaw whipped her head around to look at Aspenpaw. At first her eyes were cold as ice staring the tom down. The one cat she disliked the most to offer his condolesences and he didn't even know who died? She curled her lip slightly in annoyance, but then suddenly she let her fur lay flat, and her eyes filled with sadness. The dilute she-cat let out a heavy sigh while scanning the clearing for Brackenfall or her father. "My mom....I mean...Featherclaw." She mewed. She had always been told by her mom to be strong, she wasn't mom mother or mommy, she was Featherclaw. At this point though, Stormpaw was vulnerable and that reflected in her eyes. She didn't know what to do.

She looked at those who had gathered, the rain starting to slow down to just a light trickle. There would be a new star in Starclan tonight, and Stormpaw would hold vigil all night long for her. That is what cats did when one of there own passed away..they held vigil. Her sadness however was quickly replaced with rage. It was those pesky rogues, the same ones from the gathering. She let out a low growl. "The rogues...it was the mangey rogues...and I hope each and everyone of them get sent to the dark forest!" Was that too harsh to wish? That they spent there eternal slumber in a forest filled with misery and evil? Perhaps it was, but at this point in time she didn't care.

[sabs]

BRACKENFALL >>

    The deputy had just returned from a hunting patrol when her heard wailing coming from inside the camp. He dropped the fat pigeon that was in his mouth and raced over to where Stormpaw and his son, Aspenpaw were. He stood calmly over the grey apprentice, touching her shoulder with the tip of his tail. He'd never seen her quite like this, she was usually spirited and confident, trotting around camp boasting about her adventures. But today, something was wrong, very wrong. "What'd going on here?" Brackenfall questioned, looking towards his ginger son. He wasn't sure if Stormpaw was capable of coherently responding to the question, so he let it linger in the air for a moment. He remembered that she and her mother, Featherclaw, had gone off earlier, but the older she-cat didn't seem to be around. Worry clawed at his stomach as he imagined the inevitable, and he slowly began to piece things together. 

[foggy]

♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚♚

It got everywhere: on her pelt, the floor, the elder's nest, it was disgusting. Hailpaw was just finishing dabbing a particularly resilient tick, feeling an inappropriately high amount of triumph when it finally fell to floor. She had thought that elder duties would be the most horrifying part of her day, (Palestorm may look like a fluffy sweetheart but Hailpaw had some real suspicions that Mothstar got his grouchiness from his mother) but apparently the day wasn't done for her.

She was just cleaning up inside the elder's den when she heard someone outside, sobbing. It wasn't too unusual for an apprentice to be over-emotional about something, so at first, Hailpaw didn't think anything of it, assuming the apprentice's friends, whoever they were, would come over and comfort her. Hailpaw had originally thought that she could recognize her sister's voice anywhere, but when she finally headed outside, looking around the camp on instinct, her eyes instantly fell upon the heaving body with the familiar subdued colours of her Stormpaw. For a moment, she froze, confused, not yet realising what was actually being said. What she did notice was that her sister was upset and was being surrounded by the likes of Aspenpaw.

Dropping the mouse-bile soaked moss balls on the ground, the tabby stalked over towards the group, fur bristling ever so slightly, a reaction to her confusion and concern. Hailpaw had no qualms with blatantly ignoring Brakenfall and his spawn, especially in such a strange situation. Her main priority was her sister, not feeding a deputy's ego by bowing. "Something happened to Mom? Where is she?" Hailpaw knew that calling Featherclaw by her familial title would irritate her, but Hailpaw wanted everyone to know that she was related to such an accomplished warrior, so she did anyway. Her tail was swishing anxiously behind her, not in a big way, but enough for someone to see that Hailpaw wasn't as sure as she usually was. She had a bad feeling about what was happening.