[ti]Open[/ti]Where Is Silvermist?

[Dragon]

Silvermist had been missing for several hours now. No one knew where she was, Snowstorm had taken over care for her kits who hadn't even opened their eyes yet. Websong was worried for her mother she would never leave her kits for this long. She had requested to take out another patrol. There had already been two others with no success of finding her. But this time Websong wasn't given up until she found her mother. Surely she was in trouble and needed there help. Turning behind her she saw Maplefire padded just behind her. They had both quickly volunteered to help search for her which she greatly appreciated. "I figured we can start our search at the boarders and once we've searched the entire border we slowly make our way in. Keep your eyes, ears, and nose open for any clue of my mother."[/b

---

Maplefire walked behind Websong. He had regretted killing Silvermist the night he killed that Ivyclan cat who had turned out to be Heronstar. But it had been a necessity, she had caught him covered in Heronstar's blood. She knew what he had down or at least had a vague idea and was going to turn him in. Maplefire hadn't had a choice in the matter. When Websong gave her little speech he nodded, "I'll do everything I can to help find Silvermist and bring her back to her kits." He had gone one one of the other patrols as well and had managed to lead them a bit on a wild goose chase. He needed to be in one failed mission before they succeeded in finding her to make sure no one suspected him. "Does anyone remember her saying where she was going when she left? Maybe that could give us a hint on where to search?"

[gingersnapsdacat]

    Gourdnose plowed ahead, keeping pace with his sister and Maplefire. His eyes constantly scanned back and forth, searching for any sign of their missing mother. Going on strolls through the territory while the kits were sleeping was not all that odd for her, but she was never out this late. Most senior warriors didn't stay out alone for this long. With a look of worry, the tomcat glanced up at the sky, which was beginning to take on an orange tint. Soon, the sun would disappear behind the hills, and it would be harder than ever to find her. 
     "I'll do everything I can to help find Silvermist and bring her back to her kits."
    The flat-eared tomcat glanced over at his orange clanmate, offering a thankful nod. Gourdnose had not really gotten along too well with the larger tomcat, ever since the aggressive comments he had made towards Gourdnose's brother, Owlpaw, when he left the clans. But it seemed like Maplefire had learned from his youth, since now he had offered to help Websong and Gourdnose find their mother. 
    Gourdnose sniffed the air, trying to pick up on their mother's trail. A blanket of snow coated the ground underpaw, making smells dull and confusing.

[Fireflake]

Buckleap padded along with the other cats, splitting his attention between the conversation and their surroundings. Truthfully, he was sure that Silvermist just needed some time to herself. Her mate had just been killed, and she'd just had his kits, and things were hectic. Even so, he didn't know her as well these days as he would have liked, and two patrols returning with empty paws was slightly worrying. If her daughter thought something might be wrong, especially with those rogue attacks not long ago, a patrol to figure out more couldn't hurt.

The tom didn't say much, trying to focus on the search. He nodded to Websong's orders, but shook his head at Maplefire's question. Buckleap hadn't heard her say where she was going, and he took the silence that had settled among them to mean that nobody else had either. "I didn't hear anything. The borders are a good bet, though. If she wanted to be alone, away from everyone else, that would be the place for it. I'm guessing you've asked Snowstorm already?"

[Dragon]

It was a relief to have her brother Gourdnose there. He was one of the clans best tracker in her opinion. The other one Bunnydash was still recovering from her injuries in Daisypetals den from when the rogues attacked. "Yea I asked Snowstorm she didn't know either. Apparently mom didn't think to tell anyone where she was going. Which means she hadn't planned to stay out long at least that's what I think at least." All the snow on the ground made it hard for her to scent anything but the sharpness of the cold air and snow.

Upon reaching the Ivyclan border she turned to her brother hoping he would scent something, anything that might give a hint to where their mother was. "Can someone climb a tree and see if they can see here anywhere while the rest of us search down here?"

---

Maplefire pretended to be looking around constantly casting his eyes around and stopping to scent the air from time to time. When Websong said Snowstorm hadn't known he wanted to laugh. Of course the stupid she-cat hadn't told a single soul where she was going. She'd be lucky if anyone found her body. Well he was sure if no one in Mistclan did someone from Ivyclan would eventually. At that thought he wanted to laugh but he held it in being careful not to let his true emotions show. At the mention of someone climbing a tree he almost shouted he would. Of course he learned how to climb trees in the dark forest and even his living mentor touched on it a little. But he needed to be on the ground encase they found her to make sure he got his scent on her quickly. As they grew closer to the place where he had attacked her he stopped and sniffed the air like he had done many times already. "I think I can smell her... but I'm not sure... the scent is very week." He turned to Gourdnose to see if he would be able to catch his mothers scent here.

[gingersnapsdacat]

    Gourdnose quickly sniffed the air, wanting to confirm what Maplefire suggested. It was faint, but to his strong senses, it was like a glowing trail that could lead him to wherever his mother ended up. But, there was a scent of another cat there as well. Maplefire? Gourdnose cast a small glance over at the orange tomcat. If he were here earlier, shouldn't he have found her scent by now? Gourdnose decided that he would have to find the tom later, and ask him about that. But it could wait. Right now, the only important scent was that of their mother.
    "Yes, she passed through here!" Gourdnose mewed, hope evident in his voice. Maybe he really could find his mother!
    "Someone should still climb though," he mewed, nt bothering to look back at the cats he was speaking to. "Maybe you can catch sight of her trail." 
    He plowed ahead, following the power of his ultra-sensitive nose. He had been able to catch her scent through the snow, but he was unsure if he would be able to find it again if he went the wrong way. Time was of the essence here, and he was not going to waste it.
    But as the group followed Silvermist's trail, Gourdnose felt apprehension prickling along his spine. Although it was still unclear of why, the fluffy tomcat could feel that something was not right. Gourdnose could not shake off a feeling of sinking dread, as if someone had placed a large stone right beside his heart. 
    All too soon, and all too late, Gourdnose found the source of his dread. A silver body lay crumpled in the snow. At first, one could remark that she looked peaceful, as her eyes had been closed, and her head gently lain against a snow drift. But upon closer inspection, it would be impossible to ignore the crimson help around her, staining her pristine and frozen resting place. Silvermist was dead. 

[Fireflake]

"Yes, someone should climb," Buckleap had agreed, his whiskers twitching. He glanced over their surroundings. It was near where Silvermist and he had once played tag, where Buckleap had dragged himself through a bramble thicket to slow her down. "Unfortunately, I couldn't climb if a dog was chasing me."
He glanced to Websong, stopping absent-mindedly as he heard the crunching pawsteps around him halt. "So I think that leaves-"

Then he looked back to see why they had stopped. His ears flicked back. "Oh...."
Buckleap was frozen for a moment. His eyes jumped from the silver-striped pelt to the scarlet-stained snow, to the deep wounds in the she-cat. There were claw marks over her eyes, her muzzle, her belly, and across her pelt. He took a step forward and could feel no heat coming from the queen. Well, of course there wasn't. She couldn't have survived those injuries.

Buckleap sighed quietly and crouched in front of the she-cat, partly to inspect the scene, but mostly to shield her kits. He knew they weren't kits anymore, but his mind couldn't help but jump back to that other leaf-bare where Spideroak had left tiny claw marks on Buckleap's neck as he scrambled to get back to his shivering, soaked family. There was a dull ache spreading through Buckleap's chest already, but he worried that it would hit them much harder.

[Dragon]

Websong sighed when none of the boys volunteered to climb the tree. Rolling her eyes she was about to say she would do it. But than Maplefire said he thought he could smell Silvermist. Than Gourdnose caught her scent and plowed ahead of her. But than he froze, did he find her? Picking up her pace she to could smell her mother now but their was the sharp tint of blood in the air as well. A few paw steps later she spotted her mothers silver pelt, but it was still as death which froze her in place to afraid to move closer and find out if her mother was really dead.

---

Maplefire padded along keeping up with Gourdnose when he caught her scent and raced on ahead. Upon spotted the dead she-cat he quickly moved forward with Buckleap to check the she-cat. He looked at his handy work with wide eyed shock. "Who would do something like this?" Maplefire's voice was barely a whisper. He turned to look at Websong and Gourdnose sorrow filling his eyes. "I'm sorry," he really was sorry he hadn't wanted to kill the she-cat but he hadn't had any choice.

---

Hearing Maplefire say he was sorry snapped her out of her shock and she darted towards her mothers body and buried her muzzle into her mothers frozen blood stained fur. "Silvermist, no" she began to cry unable to believe she had lost her mother and in such a horrible way. "Why would Ivyclan kill my mother?" To Websong it was obvious an Ivyclan cat had killed her there was to many clues not to be. One she was on Ivyclan's side of the border. Two she could smell Ivyclan on her and was pretty sure some of the blood was from an Ivyclan cat which meant her mother had tried to fight back. Turning to her brother anger, fear, and sadness were racing through her body. "Gourdnose we need to get mom home so we can sit vigil."

[gingersnapsdacat]

    Gourdnose felt as if he could not move. He could not speak. This did not feel real. He did not protest as Buckleap walked in front of him, shielding his view from his mother's mutilated body. But it was already too late. He saw what he needed to. Some deep emotion began t fester in him. Was it sadness? Fear? Anger? He wasn't sure. Maybe it was all of them. 
    "She was a queen," he whispered, near unintelligibly. Then, lifting his head, he yowled. "She was a QUEEN." 
    Hot tears welled up in his eyes, darkening the fur around them. This was not the scene of someone killing out of self-defense. This was a cold-blooded killing. This was murder. 
    "Who would do something like this?"
    Gourdnose turned to look at his clanmates, his orange eyes clouded with tears. Their forms were warped and confusing, just like the inside of his mind. He quickly turned away, unable to look at them. Beside his sister, the tomcat lay down, touching his nose to his mother's pelt. Despite the blood and carnage, she still looked like a beautiful and gorgeous flower in the mind of her son. 
    "Whoever did this...I will find them. There has to be justice," the tomcat mewed between his heavy sobs. 

[Fireflake]

"No honorable warrior," Buckleap muttered, shaking his head. He stared across the border, flicking his ears in confusion. Maybe she had crossed by accident, and some young warrior had gone overboard? His eyes trailed once more over all of the marks on her. No. Whoever had done this had done it with the intent to kill. A growl rose in his throat, but quickly faltered out.

He didn't know what to say. Eventually, he settled on something that had always seemed just a little foreign to the loner-born tom, but felt appropriate. "Silvermist is in StarClan now. At least we have that."
Buckleap wondered what Gourdnose would consider justice for this, but didn't push the matter. He pressed his shoulder lightly against Gourdnose's and glanced to Websong. "I can help carry her back to camp, if you want?"