Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 2, 2021 22:40:49 GMT -5
His fur was already spiked from fear, so it was telling that Jasminefur perked up in further alarm as the leader heard what he had only meant for the warrior near him. he gulped and shut his mouth, listening closely as the leader recounted what exactly his position here was. He thought he saw the medicine cat´s nostrils flare up from behind the leader as Specklestar said he could be escorted out if that was his wished, but he wasn´t sure if he had simply imagined that.
You´ve come here for a reason, right? Jasminefur visibly recoiled at the leader´s blunt and rather blind comment, as it came off to the warrior like he was supposed to have a logical reason for coming in ThunderClan´s direction, as opposed to fleeing for his and the kit´s life from the jaws of dogs. No, I didn´t exactly plan on it, you... Jasminefur realized his agitation was showing on his expression, and he had to cut off his thoughts to try to get a hold of himself.
¨I was running away from dogs,¨ He spoke queitly, trying to reply evenly without too much hostility creeping in; what he couldn´t stop was the quivering of his voice, the lingering fear as he was already recalling the beasts that the leader was going to want to know about. ¨The direction didn´t really...I just wanted to get Fernkit safe Just...anywhere she could be is better than there,¨ He trailed off towards the end, looking down towards his paws as he thought about his rather sad attempt to throw Fernkit to safety. For sure, he would have died if WindClan cats hadn´t shown up right then, and who knows how far Fernkit could have gone and whether she could have found any real hiding spot. Or if...she even would have ran.
Autumneyes stared at Specklestar as his opening question visibly rubbed the WindClan cat the wrong way. At least, she hoped, Jasminefur´s response didn´t come off as too rude, but he had been fleeing for his life, and the question did seem a little....well, unnecessary. Of course, to Specklestar, this was protecting the clan, and who could really know how much he had really been told before he reached the den. She held her tongue for now.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 2, 2021 23:22:11 GMT -5
Brightfrost tensed at Specklestar’s answer to Jasminefur’s quiet question. No- she didn’t want him to be ‘escorted off the territory.’ Where would he even go? His camp was destroyed, and it wasn’t like the other Clans would be all that much more hospitable. The alternative would be going to a Twolegplace or to some far-off territory, and it sounded awful to be away from the warrior life like that.
Specklestar looked at Jasminefur with a more soft expression. To Autumneyes, it seemed like the leader didn’t fully know what he was doing. To a WindClan warrior that didn’t really know him, that was less clear. “I meant- you came to this camp. It wasn’t against your will, was it?”
Brightfrost shook her head. “...he’s not a prisoner.”
Specklestar nodded. “You came here because you needed some kind of help, right?” He paused. “...if Wrenstar has died, then things must be serious in WindClan. And...something must be done about that.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 3, 2021 0:14:39 GMT -5
Jasminefur stared at him in confusion, having to play catch up as Specklestar´s demeanor changed, just a bit into a softer mode. Once he had clarified what he meant, Jasminefur realized his feelings of offense might have been misplaced. More, the WindClan leader took the warrior´s reaction and explained exactly where they had miscommunicated. It took him a few moments just to process the WindClan leader´s patience with him.
He was about to speak when Brightfrost repeated more firmly what had already been said, the leader had said it, Brightfrost had said it, and the medicine cat was treating him like a guest. If there were doubts left in his mind, they were being gradually trounced as the way he was received was far different than he would have expected from ThunderClan.
¨Brightfrost and...the other cat helped me fight off the dog.¨ Maybe he was leaving out the part where he got trampled and almost easily disposed of by the dog. ¨I...¨ He was trying to decide what to say. Would Specklestar be unhappy to hear that Brightfrost had promised him aid? Maybe he should go from another angle. He hoped for help from ThunderClan? Maybe the leader could see that, but how would the rest of the clan react to a WindClan cat begging at their paws for aid after moons and moons of war?
¨I can´t protect Fernkit on my own,¨ He gulped, going with a truth that oscured a bit the specifics of what happened. ¨Getting her to safety was the most important, more than anything else,¨ He murmured with a certainty that was signature of a good warrior, but very unusual for Jasminefur himself. He believed it, and getting Fernkit to safety had been a desperate need of his. If he hadn´t, then his mother...
¨And I...¨ He thought back to fleeing the camp, the picture he saw as he gazed back through the entrance. The incredibly strange situation at the peak of the camp. He couldn´t exactly explain it right now. ¨I saw Wrenstar. She...she´s dead...¨ He felt his own emotion boiling up as he vaguely recounted that the leader was dead; hopefully it would just seem he didn´t want to talk in detail about it. He choked back a sob as he thought about it, and he looked down at his paws to avoid the leader seeing him as he was; weak, uncertain, and undetermined.
¨P-please...We have to go see what´s happening, to chase them out if they´re still there, or to save anyone who we can save...¨ It was a quiet murmur, incredibly desperate, but there was a note there, faint but noticeable to a cat experienced with the reading of other cats. A note of hopelessness was clear in his own voice, even as he begged for them to make their way back to WindClan. He didn´t bother addressing that the medicine cat had ordered him to stay here.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 3, 2021 0:53:08 GMT -5
Specklestar listened quietly and nodded as Jasminefur spoke about the attack. He frowned. “That sounds...quite dire. You understand how dangerous it would be for us to go to a camp that’s infested by dogs.”
Brightfrost thought Specklestar was in an awkward position; he surely didn’t want to admit that ThunderClan was potentially as vulnerable as WindClan. They wanted it to seem like ThunderClan was much stronger than any other Clan and could easily take on anything. But of course, that wasn’t true; she was reminded of Stoneheart’s warning that it could be a suicide mission to send cats to face the dog pack, at least without proper preparation. She really didn’t know how they could deal with the dogs- but surely they could figure it out.
She felt bad as she listened to the fear in Jasminefur's voice. Her instinct was to brush her tail against his back, as one might comfort their Clanmate. But they weren't Clanmates, and she didn't want to scare Jasminefur more.
“Maybe I’ll send a patrol out to the border to keep an eye out for anyone else escaping from the dogs,” said Specklestar. He shifted as he thought about what Jasminefur was telling him.“Is there anything else I should know?”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 4, 2021 12:13:16 GMT -5
It wasn´t easy for the young warrior to hear what the leader was saying--the reality of how dangerous it would be to send a patrol, frankly even a large one, into the camp given how many dogs he was saying had been in the camp. This was a reality he couldn´t look at right now, because he still needed to cling onto the idea that cats in the camp were alive and fighting back against the dogs. What else could he do? Believe WindClan had been exterminated in the time it took to go to the dirtplace and back?
Jasminefur bristled, more in opposition to what was being said than his previous bristling from fear. The situation was awkward, and given time Jasminefur would see that too; but right now it simply sounded like the potential destruction of a clan wasn´t enough reason to risk real danger. Instead, the leader offered a half-measure, just enough to keep his own territory secure.
Jasminefur hadn't ever personally challenged Specklestar in a skirmish; he knew his combat ability wasn't even close to on par, so he stuck to the less experienced cat, more his age--so as much as he wanted to say it, he bit his tongue before calling the leader a coward. Again, accompanied by the knowledge that he wasn´t much better, that he ran from true fights and had just fled his camp--in the back of his mind, he knew the truth about what was waiting in camp. But it wasn´t something that could be accepted. Not right now.
He pushed himself up out of his nest onto his paws, taking a couple steps towards the entrance. The leader had said he´d be escorted out if he wanted, and from what he was hearing it was sounding like no one was going to the WindClan camp to help. ¨J-just escort me to the RiverClan border, I´ll get their help,¨ It was a random idea and, given the danger of the situation was likely to have the same response; but he needed anything to feel like he was doing something.
Mouse-brain... Autumneyes thought as she hissed quietly, her stomach internally churning at the awful predicament Jasminefur was finding himself in. Brightfrost bringing this cat here herself had the medicine cat convinced that he was interwoven with her destiny somehow, but if he went and died in the jaws of canines, who could know what consequences there would be?
She guessed Specklestar wasn't going to have an issue with him leaving, as he had extended the offer; and he was going to send the patrol out either way, for the clan's safety. So she found herself turning to the cat half her age hopeful that Brightfrost could think of something to say. Autumneyes, medicine cat of 30 moons, who walked with StarClan and counseled the leader of ThunderClan, couldn´t say what had to be true, that if there were as many dogs as Jasminefur's earlier silent horror seemed to imply, there were going to be few more survivors than the two in their camp, and it was nearly impossible any of them were living and breathing in the WindClan camp.
How could she say something as horrible as that--the truth?
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 4, 2021 18:04:43 GMT -5
No, he has to stay here! I have to help him; I know it! Brightfrost stood straighter, her eyes intense; she was ready to fight for her destiny. “RiverClan won’t be able to help you any more than we can! Those fish-breathed cats may be good for swimming, but not fighting off dogs.” She flicked her tail and repeated what had now been told to her by more than one cat. “We can’t just wander off into WindClan territory and die pointlessly. No Clan would do that. So we’ve got to be smart about this.”
She paused, thinking for a moment, kneading the ground a bit as she tried to think quickly. “If there are other surviving WindClan cats, surely they’ll smart enough not to stick around with the dogs. They’d be on other Clans’ territories. The Gathering isn’t far off- we can ask around then. And we can warn them about the dogs.”
Specklestar looked to Brightfrost, seeming like he would have much rather just handed their refugee off to RiverClan and let them deal with him. This wasn’t really a situation he was prepared to deal with- though, as a cat who had only become deputy (and eventually leader) after several more capable cats had perished, he wasn’t prepared to deal with much. “...you don’t really have the power to decide any of that.”
“We’re at least keeping Jasminefur here, right? He has to recover from his injuries.” Brightfrost looked to Autumneyes for backup.
“We just said he’s not a prisoner. If he wants to leave, I think we should allow him to leave,” said Specklestar.
Brightfrost frowned and looked to Jasminefur meaningfully. “I said I would help. I meant it.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 4, 2021 18:28:53 GMT -5
If Brightfrost managed to do anything, it was to give the cat a hard pause. The assertion that any of the clans weren't going to send several cats into the jaws of dogs was a sensible one, but he hadn´t wanted to really deal with it--he just wanted to go, return to camp...face the consequences. Save anyone he could.
Brightfrost, bless your heart. You´re barely past your apprenticeship and you're speaking with a tactician's mind. Autumneyes was silently thanking their starry ancestors for the young warrior´s quick thinking, her ability to think so well on her feet. She managed to stop the WindClan warrior from throwing himself to an almost certain death, at least for a moment, to give them a second to appeal to his rationality.
Autumneyes felt a prickle of irritation as the leader reinforced his preferenced that the WindClan cat leave. What good was that going to do them? Her glare at the leader was brief and passing, before her gaze turned to Jasminefur. No preprepared wisdom was occurring to her, so she was going to have to think of something on the fly.
Silence covered the den after Brightfrost repeated her promise. She was showing an unusual willingness to throw herself into the unknown for this warrior. Even if the medicine cat believed this was interwoven with Brightfrost's ultimate destiny, it seemed a little strange. Still, she shut her mouth and let the silence hang, hoping the tom-cat listened--listened, and believed.
Moments and moments passed, and the silence was prickling at her pelt. ¨Jasminefur,¨ She murmured quietly, taking a couple steps closer as she consciously moved in between him and the leader. ¨Brightfrost fights like real danger can never catch her, and that overconfidence has got her into plenty of trouble. But...she has never lied. I know she is a stranger to you, but...we're going to figure something out. She'll figure something out.¨
Her words rang clearly, with a somber note for the horror on the WindClan side of the border, but with sincerity from watching the she-cat grow. Jasminefur caught each facet of the tone of her voice, and it was leaving him paralyzed, uncertain what to do. ¨You just want me to leave them in camp? Stay here, and let them die?¨ He spoke in a whisper, nothing more. It was drained of energy, drained of determination, like the hopelessness was starting to reach him, even if he still clung to how horrible it felt to do nothing. Of course, it was his fault for running. He could have stayed and fought.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 4, 2021 18:51:22 GMT -5
Brightfrost hesitated before speaking this time. She wasn’t really sure how to say what she wanted to say without getting Autumneyes upset with her for not being delicate enough with the enemy warrior. “They’re not in camp. I’m sure that anyone who’s alive has gotten out already. The only thing you’re leaving behind in camp is a pack of dogs.” She thought that even the bodies of those less fortunate than Jasminefur would likely be devoured. It was a disturbing thought to imagine so many cats without a proper burial, but at the same time she was sure that they would find peace in StarClan either way. “And...if you stay here, you watch Fernkit. She’ll definitely be safe with so many cats looking after her.”
Specklestar spoke up a moment later. It was unclear if he was helping Brightfrost to convince Jasminefur to stay or if he was simply pointing out a logistical issue. “We only have so many cats available for patrols. If we send a patrol today to look for survivors, we can’t also spare the cats to take you to RiverClan.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 4, 2021 19:07:03 GMT -5
Jasminefur felt horribly torn as the ThunderClan warrior tried to carefully dance through keeping him from wanting to go back. Brightfrost seemed to hesitate, but that didn't mean there wasn't some potential truth to what she had said. Still, he doubted if staying was the right idea, as claws tore at him to run back to camp no matter what lie in wait.
He refocused in on her as she brought up the only kit he knew was alive; Fernkit was even more important than him, small and needing protection, and probably a lot of close care after experiencing something so horrible. If he were her, he didn't know how he´d push through it.
Then again, he didn´t know how he was going to push through this himself. His mother died in front of him because of his own failure as a warrior, and who knew where his dad or sister were at.
Autumneyes approached him slowly, worried about overwhelming the warrior once again. Once she had drawn closer, she turned about to press against the opposite side where Brightfrost had been close to before he rose up, and she gently pushed him to turn about himself. ¨Sit down,¨ She mewed quietly. ¨The best thing you can do right now is heal, and stay with that kit.¨She tried to assauge him, and given his silence and lack of protest as she started turning him about, it seemed the two she-cats were managing to get some sense into him.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 4, 2021 19:19:36 GMT -5
Brightfrost gently pressed into Jasminefur’s side, trying to encourage him to lay and rest as well. “...I know it’s really hard to do nothing. But...for now, you’ve done all you can.” She couldn’t imagine the frustration of having to stay in a medicine cat’s den when you don’t know the fate of most of your Clanmates. ~ “Then...that’s settled? Good.” Specklestar nodded to Jasminefur. “We’ll speak more on this later. It seems like you may as well get some rest for now. You as well, Brightfrost.”
He went off and quickly arranged a patrol to look for survivors and any signs of the dogs. There was some grumbling about the idea of doing anything to help a WindClan cat, but it seemed like many agreed with the need for a patrol to ensure that their borders were safe. And if there were more WindClan refugees wandering about the territory, they certainly should be located for one reason or another.
He also went to speak with his deputy, a crotchety old tom who was likely due to retire. The idea of WindClan’s leader and possibly WindClan itself being dead had huge implications for them; the future seemed rife with possibilities.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 5, 2021 17:49:08 GMT -5
It didn't feel at all 'settled.' Jasminefur was being tortured, even as the WindClan warrior beside him reassured him that he had done what he could have. Now that it seemed he wasn't coming back with help, a sad piece of him wished he had stayed, fought against the dogs. But he knew it was useless; then, whatever he did would have been useless. And now, anything he could do, he was being told was useless. He just felt...useless.
His wounds weren't even grave, but the medicine cat seemed to think they could get bad if he moved a lot, and with the claim that any alive cat likely had already fled the camp...well, he slowly stepped back and plopped down onto his nest, looking down at his paws without saying anything in response to the leader or to Brightfrost.
There was an audible sigh of relief from the medicine cat after Jasminefur began reversing course, and she turned to look at her herbs for a few moments without really focusing on them at all. She had to hope that the patros could find at least a few more cats. The lake without a clan would be a big problem, and she had a feeling she was going to need to go to consult with StarClan soon.
¨Fernkit still needs you, I think. I'm going to fetch her from Quickbird. I'll be right back,¨ She murmured quietly as she turned around and stepped out of the den, checking to see if there were any cats lying in wait to ambush the WindClan cat in her den.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 5, 2021 18:35:37 GMT -5
Goldenspots, an aptly-named black cat with golden spots and a torn ear, was sitting across the clearing, near the leader’s den. He was watching the medicine cat den like a hawk. His eyes narrowed as he tried to get a glimpse of the WindClan warrior. Thankfully, most other warriors were out on patrol.
Quickbird was trying to keep Fernkit distracted so that she didn’t worry too much about what was going on in the medicine cat den. He had introduced her to Fogfoot, his mate, who seemed rather gentle. Both seemed to have already decided to look after Fernkit as best they could; there was no way they were going to let a kit have to fend for itself. Goldenspots had briefly tried to get a look at the WindClan kit, but Fogfoot sent him off. ~ Brightfrost was thinking similarly to Autumneyes; she wanted to consult with StarClan. Maybe she could sneak out to the Moonpool- but that would be difficult when she was expected to be guarding Jasminefur. She was sure that one of the cats who was unhappy with her bringing the WindClan cat into camp would be too happy to tattle on her if she shirked her duties. She often glanced to Jasminefur as she thought about her next steps; she still wasn’t really sure how to talk to him. She wasn’t used to interacting with WindClan warriors off of the battlefield.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 7, 2021 15:44:01 GMT -5
(Sorry again for the big delay, ive been very stressed doing nothing productive lmao)
It wasn´t hard to believe that the kit was hard to distract; the feather Quickbird had originally mentioned was of no interest to the obviously traumatized kit, who at this point couldn't even cry more as she had expended all of her tears. Her attention seemed to focus in a little bit more as Quickbird introduced her to his mate. Fogfoot's gentleness, like Quickbird's, was a much needed reprieve for her, even as she flashed back constantly to the WindClan camp, letting out quiet whimpers randomly as the big, old cats spoke to her, unrelated to what they were saying.
They endeared themselves more to her when a new cat scared her out of her pelt by trying to push into the den--then, Fogfoot got in the way and kept the ambush from freaking out Fernkit too much more, but she hid behind Quickfoot in a clear sign that in a place full of strangers, the tom-cat's gentleness had managed to break through her panic just a bit.
After Goldenspots was thrown back out, and she calmed back down, she didn't rush to un-hide from the warrior, watching the entrance with a new alertness. But eventually, she stepped back out and seemed to calm down...marginally.
She wasn't exploring a lot, but her attention slowly drifted to some (little?) kits in the den close to the two warriors, who must have been their parents. She didn't say anything, but her gaze seemed to focus on them for a bit and unfocused from the memories in her head.
Jasminefur certainly wasn't making it easier to talk to him as he unknowingly closed himself into a vacuous stare at nothing in particular. He was running plans in his head, what he could do on his own, running into problems, trying to get around them, and discarding the idea when he realized he couldn't alone. His fur still fluffed up and clearly not focused on the moment, Jasminefur wasn't in a place to engage himself with the other warrior.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 7, 2021 20:08:46 GMT -5
((No worries~))
Quickbird gently moved his tail around the small kit. He followed her gaze to the nursery nest where his kits were resting. They were around a moon or two younger than Fernkit. They looked small and vulnerable, but peaceful and warm. “Those are my kits,” he said, a clear note of pride in his voice. “I’m sure they’d love to meet you, but they’re sleeping right now.”
One of the kits opened his eyes and peered out at Fernkit, as if to argue with this. Quickbird wondered how long he had been awake. He nuzzled the tom gently. “This is Thornkit.” It could be guessed that he was named for his adorably-spiked fur.
“...hi,” Thornkit mumbled, his eyes filled with curiosity. ~ Brightfrost allowed the silence to linger for some time, keeping Jasminefur to his thoughts. Eventually, she did speak up. “If there’s anything I can help you with...you can ask.” She paused. She had meant in terms of planning his next moves to save WindClan, but she realized he had a lot of other needs. “Are you hungry? I think the hunting patrol just came back.” If she was going to feed Jasminefur, it was best to do it now when there were less cats to criticize her for taking from the prey pile to feed a WindClan cat.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 7, 2021 23:13:03 GMT -5
It made Fernkit jump a little bit when Quickbird addressed where her attention had slipped, like she was doing something by even looking at the kits; but on the contrary she was surprised as one of them popped his head up, and she retreated a step, almost bumping into Quickbird´s leg in the process.
She flinched as Quickbird mentioned the name of his kit, and her mind flashed back to her own nursery, the screaming mewls of her siblings as she was carried away. ¨That sounds like Tornkit,¨ She mewed quietly. She didn't give any explicit signal who it was, but there was trepidation in her voice, and there couldn't be many kits that such a young cat knew.
She looked up with uncertainty at Quickbird when Thornkit addressed her directly, not sure she was allowed to speak with him. She waited about a millisecond before hearing no dissent and looked back at Thornkit. ¨...hi.¨ She meowed quietly in reply, beginning to wonder how the kit was going to react when he realized she was from WindClan, if he couldn't tell her scent already.
There wasn't much time for the kit to wonder as Autumneyes appeared at the entrance to the medicine cat's den. ¨Can I come in?¨ She quietly asked, gazing over at the two warriors´ litter, and Rockleap curled, asleep, around her two kits. ¨I was just-¨ she cut herself off as she saw Fernkit turn away from Thornkit to look at the medicine cat, and Autumneyes realized she had interrupted the two kits just as they were meeting each other.
She cursed herself for interrupting what could be a good distraction for the kit, something to get her away from what had just happened to her. And here she had walked in, potentially ruining it. Growing visibly uncomfortable as she pondered her mistake, she stepped back and opened her mouth to speak, but it took a couple moments to foment actual sound. ¨u-uh...s-sorry, I was just making sure Fernkit was okay,¨ She lied, starting to turn around to leave in a hurry to flee from how awkward she was feeling. ¨Just come see me if she needs anything,¨ she hastily added before tiptoeing away.
Jasminefur flinched again when the warrior started speaking to her, and it took him a moment to recover and turn to look at Brightfrost. He listened with a half-blank, half-tormented expression as she promised her help with whatever he needed right now, though what he needed, he had no idea anymore.
When she specified a little more that she could get him something to eat, he almost immediately shook his head. He hadn't eaten anything that day before going out to hunt, but his stomach wasn't the empty part of him. Food didn't seem appetizing at all.
¨Is the patrol going out?¨ Was all he asked.
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