Last Resort

[Miss Tactical]

Dawn quickly approached, a lot faster then the black tom had thought. In the distance the first rays of sunlight were just beginning to touch the trees and the sky still had stars sparkling brightly, behind him multiple warriors sat, patiently awaiting his instruction. ”Well, Let’s not wait any longer this group is fine. Thank you for volunteering.” The black tom dipped his head before getting up on his paws, it was a long walk and he didn’t want to waste any time. IN fact he wanted to be back before moon high, it would certainly be a long day.


The black tom took leader, listening to the cats chattering to themselves despite what had happened some were in higher spirits, those who had minor injuries had healed, but some were still recovering and he wouldn’t be able to bring them back until they had secured their camp it was far too dangerous especially those with disfiguring wounds. With a flick of his tail, he made a sharp right avoiding fallen trees. ”WE can rest here for a few minutes I know our route wasn’t exactly direct….” His eyes followed Stormwatcher as she went to hunt, they still had a bit to go but they would be there soon.

As the sun hit the tree tops the black tom got to his paws once more. [b”Time to head out.”[/b] Certainly they would be there soon, the smell of smoke and ash made it hard for him to get a sense of direction everything looked so different, and Stormwatcher only finding one small mouse was also a bad sign….with leaf bare not to far away, there was no way herbs and prey would return in time…that was something the black tom contemplated would they even be able to survive out here.?



It didn’t take long for Eveningstar to find their camp, and his ears flattened against his head as what he saw made him let out a soft cry. The dens…gone….no herbs, no shelter, no tall grass…. No brambles it was just an empty shell. He cleared his throat not quite sure what to say to the group behind him. ”I’m sure….we can fix this….” His tone wasn’t exactly confident even he knew this was unfixable but there entire territory had gone up in flames where could they really build. Tail dragging across the ground as he went to where his den once was a space he had shared with bellfeather on more than one occasion…

”Who am I kidding this is unfixable….” He finally mewed after a few moments of silence. The normally strict and stern tom was normally more rash but today his softer side as a leader shown. ”I think we may need to look for a new place to call home until the grass can grow back….there is just nothing to work with here. He looked off into the distance the carrion place would be horrible….but there would be food. Being too close to the rail roads would be dangerous for kits….off in the distance the black toms eyes fell on the lights maybe just outside the two leg place he could see green off in the distance….it would be better than nothing right?

[Ringtail]

The chatter between both Mountainstrike and Honeydrop soon died down as the two she-cats looked upon the black tomcat before them. Despite the worries and the excitement between the two she-cats, both knew that the group were soon off to begin their quest in search of a new home. Mothclan's home was completely gone from the flames, merely ash and blackened earth underneath the cats. It was the orange tabby Honeydrop to speak up first.
"Eveningstar, despite this place not being fixable. Where would we even go? Where would we travel too?" These were good questions, to help possibly the leader decide on where to go.
"However, we may be able to rebuild our dens, we'll need extra paws for help, and we'll have to travel farther for den materials. And for herbs, maybe we could ask the other clans if they could spare a few leaves here and there until we can find a different area to find them." Her words were only suggestions to Eveningstar, hopefully he would consider them.
Mountainstrike soon piped up. "If we can gather everyone from our clan..Kits, Elders, too. Even if they can't carry a lot, the smallest of items can go a bit further."
Clearly the two she cats had been throwing ideas between themselves and perhaps even the both of them could convince Eveningstar on their ideas both had pitched together. The brown/white she-cat went silent, licking away some ash from her forepaw. The orange tabby kicked away a leaf that was so burned that it merely crumbled after being touched.

[Fireflake]

Mantisclaw's ears pricked. She kept her head down to the best of her ability. Eveningstar had requested senior warriors, but the pickings were still slim with so many aching bones and hearts, and recently empty stomachs. She was another able body, and it seemed that this time, her father either accepted that or was too focused on his mission to notice. She kneaded her paws excitedly, frustrated to find stone beneath them.

Time to go home. Mantisclaw knew it wasn't going to be the same, but she hated to imagine the place charred and ash-scented. She had to see what it was really like. As the young she-cat traipsed through the wreckage of her clan's territory, she kept a steady pace. It would be worth it. The difficult moons before and the difficult moons ahead would all be okay when she finally made it home.

Except they weren't. Her eyes widened into golden suns that shone horror. Her beating pulse in her ears was punctuated by her father's soft cry.
"No. No, no, no. We're- this- are we at the wrong spot?"
She knew they weren't. It was the same place, the same earth, and the same vaguely squirrel-shaped stone jutting out of the ground. But nothing else. She jolted her long legs back into action and wriggled quickly under the nearby remains of her favorite tree. "We could... make a den here..." she murmured.

Eveningstar's words shattered her heart. If her proud leader, and father, would admit that camp was unfixable, then it must be true. Mantisclaw twisted her expression into a scowl purely so that her real emotions wouldn't show so strongly. Honeydrop and Mountainstrike's words filled her slowly-flattening ears. Clearly the next few moons would be painful if the clan had to rebuild everything. There was no way every single feature she knew and loved had been wiped out in a day. She refused to give up hope so easily.

Mantisclaw squeezed herself out of the space under the dead tree and hurried over to the bushes, which had made up the walls of some of the dens before the fire had devoured them all. She nosed around some burnt foliage where the ash was so thick it shifted like snow at her touch. A loud yowl rang out and she jumped back with bristling fur. A few long moments passed before she made another sound. "The apprentice den's area will need to be cleared out if we're staying here," she meowed shakily, gulping air to calm her shallow breaths. "And we can tell Bloompaw and his siblings that Leafeyes and Softpaw are with StarClan."

The warrior tried to catch her father's gaze with her own, no longer bothering to mask the jumble of sadness that filled her.

[pants]

Gone. It was all gone. Nothing remained except for the trail of unholy destruction that left behind an ash laden landscape with only endless black dust.

Gustwhisker stared at his home. Or, at least, what was left of it. His yellow eyes blink, and he tried to remain calm, but he could feel his body tremble. Just like that. Everything was gone. Nothing was spared. Not even some of his own clanmates... The mink tabby watched his leader visually become conflicted and distressed. And that struck Gustwhisker hard. He looked up to Eveningstar, as the older tom always seemed so strong and sure of himself. To watch his leader begin to fall apart was hard, even for the rebellious tom who wasn't keen of authority.

Gustwhisker lifted a paw, examining his now black foot. What did they do to deserve this? Was StarClan angry. The tom looked to the sky. Is this what you think of us? His brow furrowed, his heart sinking. How odd it was that MistClan and IvyClan, the two original clans, were spared of tragedy. Was StarClan trying to send a message? Shaking his head, Gustwhisker padded forward, a few foxlengths behind his leader.

"Eveningstar, what do we do?" He bleakly asked, a tinge of anger in his voice. The mink warrior was obviously conflicted himself. They couldn't go back to MistClan. Prey was scarce and it was obvious Sablestar was going to kick them out anyway. Hopefully an idea would surface soon before StarClan started picking off his other clanmates one by one via starvation and illness...

[Miss Tactical]

Eveningstar looked at the patrol of cats behind him, and listened to each of the cats speak. He was a strong leader, but even he knew when they were defeated. Very carefully he lifted his paw and watched the ashes slowly fall and hit the ground. Even underneath it all there was no sign of life. With leaf bare around the corner he feared the worst for his clan, but he would never admit such things. His ears flicked when he heard Mantisclaw mention leafeyes and Softpaw…so they never made it out. He closed his eyes with a lump in his throat praying to StarClan that whatever had happened, happened quickly.

”Yes I’m sure Redwing and Darkstorm would like closure as well. Leafeyes was their sister. Leafeyes runs with Lionstorm now.” He looked up to the sky before nodding and looking around. There really wasn’t much left to salvage no prey would run here…and there was none in MistClan either. They needed a place with shelter for the queens and apprentices and elders, they also needed food and water otherwise there would be nothing.

”I think we have two options…a patrol lead by Batstrike can go to the two leg nests or near by to see what vegetation and herbs are left there. If there might be shelter like fox or badger sets if we need to wander farther into an abandoned two leg nest as much as it makes me cringe we will do what we need to do. I do not see anything growing back here until New leaf…even then it will take many seasons.” He mewed. He looked north for just a moment, he knew past MistClan was RootClan’s territory but what was beyond that?

”A second patrol will go above MistClan’s waterfall. I will lead this one. We will go look to see what unclaimed lands are on the other side of RootClan’s territory. They were chased out by rats so hopefully those rats are gone now and we can find something. There may be territory on the other side IvyClan as well….a third patrol can go there when the other two have returned…. But there is just nothing here for us anymore not right now at least.” He mewed firmly.

[Storm]

Batstrike
MothClan | Deputy | Tom | 40 Moons | Heterosexual

The deputy had hardly noticed how far they'd traveled over their decimated territory, his mind was fogged with other things the whole journey.  He had taken care to have open ears for all his clans despairs and worries and now they weighed him down on top of his own concerns.  It had been draining and the tom was tired of sharing the cramped quarters with two other clans while following their host clans rules.  While he was overjoyed for her family, Cherryhawk's kits had also arrived to be greeted by this terrible trial of MothClan's strength.  He didn't need to look around to know their land would no longer be a kind place for them to grow and play.  Selfishly he wished he had more time to bond with the kits of the his dear apprentice he'd grown so protective of.  

Batstrike's yellow gaze had blankly held on his white paws.  He was only vaguely aware of the burnt scent in the air, the rubble that he stepped over.  As the group slowed to a dazed stop he had to force himself out of the shell he was trapped in.  His maw parted open as he watched Eveningstar falter, had the black tom ever crumbled like that before?  Batstrike inhaled as deeply as his damaged lungs could bare as the same resolve he felt burning in his heart the night he took charge of ceremonies flickered to life.  Eveningstar needed him and his clan had much to overcome, he wouldn't fall short of their expectations.  The yowl startled the tom, but the way it faded in the openness was what made his pelt bristle.  His expression softened as he listened to Mantisclaw, bowing his head for their clanmates who had moved on to watch over them.  

As Eveningstar seemed to re-find himself the black and white tom stood taller and refocused.  His whiskers twitched, accepting the new task he was given.  "We'll salvage anything we can for herbs.  I'm sure the outsiders have caught scent or sight of this area though, they'll be on the look out to take advantage of our state if we get to close."  The leader had clearly already taken this into consideration as he explained the other patrols plan.  

With that set the tom turned to Honeydrop and Mountainstrike, "MistClan can't support us any longer so you're right we'll need to gather enough to at least keep our kits and elder comfortable before they return here.  When we get back you two will help me and any other able warrior and apprentice to gather moss and material to set up a temporary camp here until our scouting patrols return."

[Broadwaykat]

The home that he had shared with so many, for as far back as he could remember - gone in a blink. It was hard for Slightshrew to imagine that it was all gone; that the fried, blackened clumps of foliage had once consisted of their homelands. It brought a lump to his throat, which he quickly and not so discreetly turned into a bit of a coughing fit - perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to insist that he could leave the Medicine Cat's Den so soon.

"Perhaps we could work on a sort of...break." He mused aloud. "A shallow place, or a dirt mound - something that could stop something like this - any of this - happening again."

[Ringtail]

Both she-cats only tipped their heads to Batstrike. Their idea was accepted and that was all that matter. It would take some time to build and gather new materials for the scorched home but it was doable. Mountainstrike looked to Honeydrop, who only nudged a chunk of ash off the younger cat's face. "Thank you, Batstrike, we will do our best." Honeydrop mewed. The orange tabby looked to her fellow clan mates that had joined in the patrol back to their original home. They had to their upmost best, or they would never survive the coming leaf-bare. Honeydrop seem to lose herself in this ashy world, going quiet for a moment. She silently wished those who had joined to Starclan were watching over them, and that they would hopefully share a sign with others of Starclan to show them a sign to help them. Help us Starclan, we need you. 

Mountainstrike took a step forward, the curly furred she-cat clearing her throat of some the ash that had gotten in her mouth and throat. "Everyone, we have to be strong, like Mothstar was. He started this clan because he thought we were strong enough to be our own separate clan. I can only speak from what I've been told, but I hope Mothstar is cheering us on, even helping Eveningstar find our way. FOR MOTHCLAN! WE WILL SURVIVE!" The brown/white she-cat proudly announced, taking a few paw steps closer to Batstrike with a twinkle of determination in her glade-colored eyes. 



"FOR MOTHCLAN!", yowled the Mountainstrike, "WE WILL SURVIVE!"

Honeydrop soon dropped her staring to lightly join in with Mountainstrike. "For Mothclan!" Her attention went to the coughing fit of Slightshrew. "You alright there, Slightshrew? But I must agree, we need some sort of shelter that will protect us from anymore disasters." 

[Broadwaykat]

Clearing a bit of phlegm that had been caught in the back of his throat, Slightshrew turned to Honeydrop and gave her a weak smile. "No worries for this old tom now, Honeydrop - never was all that good before the fire and it seems like the smoke wants to stay in circulation around here in the air, doesn't it." He shook his head and discreetly swallowed another little fit.

"I don't think my own mother'd be able to scent me out - I feel like the ash's settled into my fur after that. Moons to get clean. But we will - as you and Mountainstrike said -"

He looked up somewhat sadly at the destroyed former home, and sighed, echoing their missive in a slightly more melancholy tone.

"For Mothclan."

[Fireflake]

Mantisclaw's tail-tip twitched slowly. Usually she'd be the one giving the hopeful speeches, but as she overcame the shock, the she-cat realized she was in no mood to be throwing around bright proclamations about the future. She did agree, though unable to muster a yowl, "We will survive."
Turning to join Honeydrop and Slightshrew's conversation, the tabby was unhappy to hear her voice come out harsher than she wanted. "But if we're going to do that, we need some sort of shelter that will protect us from the elements first."

Her gaze drifted out to 'camp'. That patch of soot there used to be the nursery, where she'd first met all of her siblings. It was where she'd bet Tinyfox she would be apprenticed before him, which was the only bet she'd won that day, up there on the High Rock. It had felt like a victory anyway, like over there where she'd figured out how to make a snowball, even if it did land only a tail-length from where she'd thrown it. The middle of camp had one of her earliest memories, fuzzy and blurred from the claws of time, of the warriors carrying Mothstar back from the battle he'd fallen in.

Mantisclaw pushed a forceful breath out through her nose. They'd already been in a fire, had to stay in MistClan for moons, and come home to nothing but bodies and ruin. Now they were talking about fortifying their new camp for next time? "If StarClan have hearts, they'll at least warn us if we're meant to face any more disasters before we've had a chance to get on our paws from this one."