[ti]Open[/ti]All Washed Up

[KingHarry]

Twoface has always been a nervous cat. He worried about pretty much everything in his life - what others thought of him, how well he was doing at being a warrior, when are where the next battle he would fight in would occur. One thing he found calming, though, was to sit at the edge of camp and to watch the water fall right in front of his face - droplets flying from it occasionally hitting his whiskers, and the sound of the rushing water drowning any worried thoughts away.

Well, that was until a body suddenly fall over the waterfall, anyway. Twoface literally jumped to his feet - his hackles rising and a quick, shortlived hiss leaving his mouth in his surprise. Was that- That had been a cat's body! Worried about the possibility that one of his beloved clanmates may have jumped off the top of the waterfall again, just as poor Robinpaw had done a few moons ago, the young tom rushed out of camp to get a better luck.

Just a stones throw from their home, the body had washed ashore. Thankfully, Twoface could now see that it wasn't a MistClan cat - nor was it any cat that he recognised from any of the other clans. No, this cat looked... Well, odd. The tom nudged the body with his paw once, just to make sure that it was really dead, before he rushed back into the camp behind the waterfall.

"Somebody's dead out there!" Twoface shouted to the clan as he burst back into the camp. "I don't know who, but there's a body!"

[silverfang218]

Recently, Silverfang has been keeping her ears open for any shouts for her aid in camp. It happens too often for the medicine cat’s liking, and she’s been sticking close to camp just in case Nectarkit needs her. That being said, her ears perk right up as shouts about a dead body reach her. Quickly turning from where she had been looking over her stores of herbs, she exits the medicine den. Twoface is the one she sees shouting, but he doesn’t know who it is? Must be from one of the other clans then… how in the world did a dead clan cat who wasn’t MistClan end up in MistClan territory? Chased by the rogues perhaps?

“Calm down, Twoface. What do you mean, ‘out there’? Show me where, please.” Silverfang’s voice is firm as she tries to take control of the situation. She immediately heads towards the exit of camp, assuming that if the body was actually in the camp, there would be a *lot* larger fuss. She moves swiftly, as fast as her lame leg can carry her; after only a couple steps outside of camp, Silver realizes she doesn’t need Twoface to show her where this body is. It’s… right there, right at the entrance of MistClan’s camp. She pauses only a moment, before carefully making her way to the body. It’s… definitely not any MistClan cat, nor does it look like most cats from the other clans. Though… she has seen at least couple cats who looked like this in MothClan and IvyClan, so it’s still possible that this cat is one of them. Even so, how in the world did they get here?

Leaning down, she sniffs at the body as she tries to work this out. No scent that she can find other than decay and water. It’s been in the water a long time perhaps? That’s why there’s no scent, at least that’s the working theory. But how? Where did this cat come from?

[Miss Tactical]

Rushfeather swallowed the last bites of his meal as he heard a familiar call from one of his clan mates about a dead body. The tom quickly rose to his paws, with all the rogue activity you just never knew. All the calling out had drawn a crowd to the waters edge. The older gray and white angora tom shouldered his way through to see the body against the stones. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously it had been floating for awhile. He gave the cream and brown fur a quick sniff before giving a snort. Smelled like wet cat which was NEVER pleasant. He gave the sodden pelt a quick nudge making sure the cat was indeed dead, sure enough the body was cold, no heat no breathing nothing. such a horrible way to go...." He thought to himself.


"It could be MothClan or IvyClan...a new warrior or apprentice but I've never seen a cat QUITE like this one." He mewed thinking outloud. He circled around the body, giving it a nice gentle nudge once more, his paws now wet. "She's been floating for awhile...how long do you think....if she was a clan cat we would have seen her sooner. Maybe she's one of the rogues or loners." He suggested. MistClan had been blessed and really didn't have a problem with the rogue group. Granted this she-cats pelt lacked scars...the poor girl probably had a family and friends. It was a shame that they probably would never get the closure of what happened to her.

[silverfang218]

“I’m sure I’ve seen strange cats that look like this in both IvyClan and MothClan, but they are few and far between. It could have been a rogue I suppose, but my question is how did it get here? You are right, it’s been in the water for a long time. I couldn’t tell you how long, but long enough that I’d say that someone would have seen it and fished it out of the river long before now if it came from the other clans or even the rogues.” Silverfang murmurs,”That and it would surprise me if very many of the rogues have no scars, kits excluded. She’s young, but old enough that I’d of thought that she’d know to stay away from the water if she couldn’t swim. The rivers through clan territory are mostly slow enough to swim in for skilled cats but also rather easy to not fall into I’d say, wouldn’t you agree?” The medicine cat is clearly puzzled by this occurrence.

“We can send patrols to ask the other clans, just to be sure she didn’t come from either of them.” While Silverfang doesn’t believe this is a clan cat, she wants them to be sure. Glancing at first Rushfeather, then at the cats starting to gather around them, she speaks. While her words sound like she’s asking someone a favor, her tone implies that someone better go do as she says. “Could someone please go get Bearstar? Sabletail too, if he’s in camp. I think this is something that our leader needs to see.”

[LupTacco]

Bearstar finished grooming, flattening the fur of her tailtip with her tongue. It was a slow morning; the forest was quiet and still when she had viewed it from atop the stone. The only sign of activity had been the warrior Twoface striding by her to sit outside for a bit- some sort of reflection perhaps. A good practice, in her opinion- she wished more cats would take a few moments of quiet for themselves in the day. Her ears flicked as whispers of trouble reached her; since becoming a leader she had gained an exceptional ear for signs of strife in camp, and as she peered out of her den, Silverfang was rushing out of camp with Twoface.

She squinted at the waterfall, scenting the air with her jaw open, but couldn't smell nor hear anything amiss. What could it be? Curious but confident for being on her own turf, the leader strode out, letting the water cascade over her shoulder as she brushed by. "Silverfang? What's-" she began, but cut herself off, her eyes flicking past the pale cat and to the body in the river. "Not another..." she breathed, skirting around the medicine cat and the two warriors to get a better look, feeling a wave of relief to see that it wasn't any of her own. Closer examination revealed that the poor drowned thing wasn't likely of any of the other clans either, but they weren't of the typical kittypet or loner look either. Their limbs were small and slender, almost all bone, and their body was so slim she'd have sworn it was underfed, yet the ribs weren't visible. Few cats in the forest looked at all similar to this one.

"Both of you, listen here- Twoface, I want you to find Sabletail. If he's not in camp, he's on patrol, so just follow the scents, and Rushfeather- I want you to form a small patrol of your own and seek out MothClan and IvyClan patrols. Ask them if they're missing or have seen anyone that resembles this body," a tone of authority leveled her voice, but uncertainty lingered in her mind. Drawing close to the former warrior, her voice lowered to a whisper. "Do you have any ideas? Has StarClan said anything, given any sign?" the leader's eyes were wide, hopeful that Silverfang would have some sort of answer to provide. There was always a chance it was just some unfortunate pet or outsider, but... something told her it was more than that. Unease pricked at her spine. Perhaps we have rested on our laurels too long and too soon.

[silverfang218]

Silverfang’s head lifts a bit as Bearstar says her name. “She didn’t jump off the waterfall. She’s been dead a while I imagine. Scent is gone, color partially washed out I think.” Silverfang replies, her gaze and attention quickly returning to the body in front of her. As Bearstar orders the formation of a patrol to alert IvyClan and MothClan, Silver gestures with her tail. Sootheart had come to investigate this incident as well and is standing nearby. He takes a step forward as Silverfang speaks to him. “You heard what I said, Sootheart?” He nods, though the medicine cat doesn’t look at him, keeping her gaze focused on the body. “Good. Go with Rushfeather.” Another nod and Soot swiftly turns to follow after the older warrior.

As Bearstar moves closer to whisper to her medicine cat, Silverfang simply shakes her head. “Nothing yet, but if this is something bigger than an isolated incident then they’ll send someone a message soon. I’ll ask the other medicine cats if they’ve seen anything. If I get any signs, then trust me I’ll be coming straight to you.” Silver tilts her head slightly. “I assume by you asking me, then they haven’t spoken to you either?”

[KingHarry]

Visibly shaking, Twoface nodded at Bearstar's instruction. Go find Sabletail. Okay, that was easy enough. He could do that. Go find Sabletail and tell him that a body had- Oh StarClan, this was really shaking his nerves.

The young warrior rushed off, darting back into camp, almost tripping up over his own feet in his hurry to do so. "Sabletail!" He shouted as he ran. "Sabletail, where- Has anyone seen him?"

Twoface was still shaking as he slid to a halt in the middle of camp. His head frantically turned from side to side, trying to spot the deputy that he had been sent to find. The poor warrior just couldn't shake off the worry that he was feeling about this whole situation. There was a dead cat! Right outside their camp! Yes, it was a relief that it wasn't one of their own, but what if it was a MothClan cat? Maybe Mothstar would declare war on them, incorrectly thinking that they'd killed one of his warrior! Or what if it was an IvyClan cat? Owlstar was just as scary as Mothstar was. Maybe it was even one of those nasty rogues? Trying to sneak up on their camp, but slipping instead? Oh... How was he ever supposed to calm down about this?

"Sabletail!" Twoface called again. "Bearstar wants you!"

mewmehh

[mewmehh]

The quivering wail of Twoface's voice pulled the ruddy tabby's attention as Sabletail made him way to the center of camp from the Dirt Place. His ears were perked and creamy tail fluffed up in response to the distress he heard in the young warrior's voice as he hurried over to center. "Twoface, what's happened," he barked with his face pulled into a serious expression, his mouth sporting a deep frown.

As he awaited the frazzled warrior's reply, the deputy swivelled his head around and took note of who was within earshot. Luckily, most of his clanmates were either out hunting or sleeping before their schedule patrols. All that remained were a few kitten wrestling a little ways away from the warriors, oblivious to whatever turmoil was brewing. Amber eyes snapped back to the younger tom and Sabletail grimaced. What in the name of Starclan could have done this to Twoface? And what of Bearstar? Where is she?!

KingHarry