Mercuryrose
Shadowclan Deputy
Letting out a sigh through her nostrils, the large Maine Coon made her way towards the center of the Thunderclan clearing. Mercuryrose’s dark green gaze traveled around the clearing, feeling slightly tense. It had been a couple of days since Shadowclan had taken shelter within Thunderclan. There still wasn’t any sign of Juncostar and a couple of others that seemed to have gotten lost within the avalanche. Although the deputy had stepped up and had made sure that her clan was still being provided, making sure that hunting patrols were running smoothly and keeping a calm attitude when a couple of her clan mates were feeling uneasy. A soft expression appeared on her face momentarily as she saw Ravenpaw spending time with Peachblossom, Snarlingbadger and his siblings. It was nice to see her son spending time with his other parents, for Mintstrike to meet her other biological children and for her huge family to spend time together.
Mercuryrose turned to look towards a group of cats that she selected for this patrol. Ravenwatcher and Hollowflame were in charge of Shadowclan until she returned, she knew the two toms were responsible and trustworthy enough if something had gone wrong within the patrol. “This mission is simple'' Mercuryrose said quietly, her eyes narrowed as she watched Dahliapetal not paying attention and looking at the small rock in front of her. Her sister was something else. “We’re going to camp to see how damaged it is, not everyone made it safely out of camp so we will be searching for survivors as well” Mercuryrose said bluntly, not wanting to sugar coat the situation to her patrol. Turning to look at Waspsight, she nodded towards the medicine cat as he was on standby for emergencies “You find anyone that needs medical attention, call for Waspsight and you help him if he needs assistance” the deputy said, before turning to look at the others
“Does anyone have any questions?” Mercuryrose asked with narrowed eyes, her tail flicking impatiently before noticing that everyone was ready. It wasn’t until she flicked her tail for the patrol to follow. Keeping to a decent pace so Waspsight could follow, she waited until the small calico tom made it to her side. It was silent for a few moments before the large molly let out a sigh “How’s Hareflight doing? I saw she was Conscious last night” Mercuryrose noted, remembering the medicine cat’s heart condition. It seemed like she was resting well with her loved ones, good. It wasn’t until Mercuryrose noticed that they had stepped out of Thunderclan’s borders and were back into the pine forests of Shadowclan. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at the other felines behind her “Everyone ready?” She questioned, watching the cats before nodding and padding towards the direction of the Shadowclan Camp. It was safe to say that they could walk directly into camp as there wasn’t any signs of another avalanche, but the deputy was also on high alert for anything else lurking around. c654ff
W A S P S I G H T
The medicine cat was just in time to come upon Dahliapetal and Willowpaw breaking open a hole through the snow to reach Ratshadow and Ashwhisper. Fortunately, the two of them had managed to dig them out before they got the worst of the cold, but unfortunately for Ratshadow, it appeared that he had also broken a paw. Waspsight winced. Broken bones and sheer, unforgiving cold was not a good combination- at least Pantherpaw had moons of youth on his side and had yet to experience the strain of warrior duties. He feared the warrior’s paw might never be the same again, but at least he would be able to save the limb.
He had to keep a calm face for his patients despite the scenario in front of them. Inhaling through his nose, Waspsight began to instruct them. “Ashwhisper, Dahliapetal, come here.” He waited for the larger warrior to aid the cold-bitten feline to Ratshadow’s side. “Ratshadow and Ashwhisper need to be warmed up. Dahliapetal, Willowpaw, they’ll need your body heat. Stay close to them.” The healer gave them the same instructions he had given Mercuryrose when he tended to Pantherpaw.
The calico tom had just enough herbs leftover from the apprentice’s treatment to securely care for Ratshadow’s broken limb. He had just finished up the warrior’s treatment when the deputy came back to them with Pantherpaw on her back, telling them that they needed to leave. Waspsight’s jaw gritted. He didn’t like the idea of having to move them so soon, but he knew that they were also at risk of another snowslide and they couldn’t risk staying longer than they already had.
Despite her strength and size, he doubted that Dahliapetal would be able to carry Ratshadow like her sister could carry Pantherpaw. “Okay, you’ll need to support him while he walks. Take most of his weight if you can, keep him off that paw and if he starts to slow down, we’ll have to stop and warm him up.” He cast a glance at Mercuryrose and then they were off.
Mercuryrose
+
Dahliapetal
Mercuryrose’s dark green eyes were looking down at Pantherpaw with a frown on her face, the large Maine Coon curled against the black apprentice. The deputy felt him shivering but she listened to Waspsight’s instructions, wrapping her feathery tail on the young apprentice’s pelt to keep him warm. “I’ve got him, I’ll call if anything” the female molly spoke quietly, her gaze not leaving Pantherpaw when hearing the Shadowclan medicine cat turning around quickly bounding towards the direction of Willowpaw and Dahliapetal. Leaning down to lick the tom’s ears, she moved her paw against his side in order to warm him up. Mercuryrose didn’t knew the amount of felines they had lost throughout the avalanche, she didn’t want Pantherpaw to become another one lost in this horrible accident.
“Stand back!” Dahlia called towards Ratshadow who was stuck in the den with the pieces of snow covering the den. The silver and white molly had to be quick in her thinking, time was running out for the Shadowclan warriors stuck in the den.. They could die from hypothermia. Turning to see Willowpaw, the smaller Maine Coon nodded “I need you to dig with me when Igo through the weak spot, annnnd now” Dahliapetal commanded, before moving towards the hole that the injured tom was talking through before sticking her paw through it and her curved claws came out before starting to slowly pull it and causing some pieces to start breaking apart. Sticking out her tongue slightly, Dahlia was digging through the hole and suddenly saw Willowpaw next to her and helping her out.
“Come on, keep going” Dahlia said, and let out a soft surprised noise when finally one of the bigger chunks broke apart and the small molly managed to slip through the crack and finally made it to Ratshadow. The poor tom was in a horrible condition, she could see the tom shivering. “Waspsight!” The molly called, turning to see Willowpaw scrambling after her and moments later the calico tom came into the warriors den. Noticing how calm Waspsight was, it told Dahlia that she knew everything was going to be ok. Sitting beside the cold tom, Dahliapetal wrapped her tail around the tom and leaned against him so the two could share some body warmth.
“Guys” A voice said, which caused everyone to turn around as Waspsight and Willowpaw were checking on the others. Mercuryrose was standing in front of the warriors den with Pantherpaw on her back, the tom had passed out from exhaustion. Her dark green gaze looked at the injured felines within the warriors’ den and looked towards Waspsight and nodded. They needed to get everyone out of there now. The deputy wasn’t pleased about the fact that they couldn’t use the medicine cat den for their resources and everyone would have to work quickly and effectly to make sure that everyone got home safely. “We need to go” the large Maine Coon said, before stepping aside and letting Waspsight slowly start leading Ratshadow and the other felines out of the den. Dahlia moved until going towards Ratshadow’s side and letting him lean on her as it was going to be a travel.
Mercuryrose looked towards the warriors den, noticing Willowpaw stepping out of the den and waking past her. “Willowpaw,” the black and rose-gold molly said sharply, her dark eyes narrowed. Watching the small molly stopped suddenly, her eyes widened as she did something wrong. It wasn’t until the Shadowclan deputy nodded her head and carefully turned around “Good work today Willowpaw, I’m proud of you with your quick thinking” She said, before slowly padding off with Pantherpaw on her back. It was a rare moment for the deputy to make a compliment.. But Mercuryrose meant it, she also knew it meant a lot as Willowpaw was the only apprentice to make this journey. Letting out a soft sigh, the deputy followed behind everyone as they went ahead to make the journey back to Thunderclan.
W A S P S I G H T
Waspsight waited, his heart pounding, as he and Mercuryrose dug out the snow that held the young tom down and trapped him in the medicine den. When she ordered him to pause, the medicine cat gritted his teeth and fought against his own instinct to continue lashing at the snow anyway. However, with her help, they were able to locate Pantherpaw’s exact location and as soon as they had, they were twice as aggressive with digging out the snow. Soon enough, they found him.
“Be careful with him,” Waspsight stated as the deputy removed him from his snow prison, “It’s clear that his paw is broken, but with hypothermia and frostbite, his entire body is at risk of damage.” Quickly understanding the situation, Mercuryrose went to work in warming the little tom up. He nodded. “Don’t rush- careful not to rub the skin under his pelt or you could worsen what was done by the cold. Once you dry his fur, use your own body heat to warm him up. Use your height to your advantage and keep him away from the wind’s draft.” That would have to do for immediate first aid. Once they were back with the rest of the Clan, Pantherpaw would have to be kept under close watch in a sheltered den and a warm nest.
With his experience from being trapped under snow himself and the situation that cost Applepaw his life, Waspsight had come well prepared with the bundle of herbs he had brought with him on their expedition to ShadowClan camp. He brought poppy seeds for the shock, knowing that Pantherpaw would need them. He couldn’t do his job if the apprentice was too stressed to stay in place. He placed the seeds on a leaf wrap and nudged them in his direction. “Swallow these,” he ordered softly, watching the young tom until he had confirmed himself that he had lapped them up and swallowed them. He waited a brief moment for the seeds to sink in and then the calico tom started poking his nose around the apprentice’s body, searching for any other wounds, fractures, or sores. Thankfully, it seemed as though they had found him fast enough that their main concern needed to stay on his broken paw.
Satisfied with his findings, the healer’s eyes scanned the clearing. Lucky for him, there was debris everywhere and he didn’t have to search long before he found what he needed to make a splint. Waspsight was back in no time with thick twigs and vines between his jaws. “Hold him in place,” He told Mercuryrose quietly, “but be mindful not to be rough. We won’t know the exact damage frostbite might have done to him until we get him back.” He waited for the deputy to do as he had asked of her before he returned to work. He gave a silent inner apology to the apprentice for the pain he was about to inflict, but he understood that it was necessary to reset the bones. Firmly, and as quickly as could be managed with efficiency, the calico tom took hold of Pantherpaw’s broken paw and fastened it between his splits. They were lined with cobwebs and soft moss to make it as comfortable as they possibly could be and to soak up and stop any remaining bleeding. In addition, he had already prepared a poultice of broom and horsetail he had placed inside of the moss to help fight infection from the break. Waspsight fastened the split with the vines he had acquired and leaned back.
“There, the worst of it is over.” He assured, “now get some rest.” Fixing his eyes on Mercuryrose, the healer added quietly, “Don’t let him fall asleep, though. I’ll be back after I check in on Dahliapetal and Willowpaw. They might need my help, too.” After speaking with the deputy, Waspsight got back to his paws and headed in the direction of the pair he had mentioned.
Willowpaw
Shadowclan Apprentice
As she followed behind the warriors on the way to the ruined remains of the Shadowclan camp, Willowpaw held her head high, her tail streaking out behind her, tail-tip twitching anxiously. Deep down she knew she would have to see some of her clanmates bodies among the snow, but it would be worth it to be able to free any survivors. Glancing around at the cats that led her toward the camp, the apprentice was hit by a sudden wave of self-consciousness. She felt so small beside Dahliapetal and Mercuryrose especially, the two she-cats towered over the apprentice in height, and she couldn't help but wonder if they had really wanted her to come at all.
How much help could a young apprentice be?
But then the voices of clanmates in trouble made her jolt into action alongside Dahliapetal. As she raced after the she-cat, she spotted the gap in the snow that had hidden the warriors den. The apprentice huffed- she didn't need to be told to dig!
Paws began digging at the entrance of the den, moving quickly and breaking off snow- sending it flying backwards. It was slow progress, however, as the snow was hard to get hold of and push.
"I could go in there and dig from the other side? I'm small enough, I think..." She mewed, panting with the effort of shifting snow.
Mercuryrose + Dahliapetal
Shadowclan Gals
She surely wouldn’t forget Waspsight’s words, Fernwind was at peace and that’s what mattered. The tall Maine Coon glanced towards the medicine cat den and quickly made her way towards the bundle of snow, the deputy remaining calm as she heard Waspsight frantically telling her to dig and saw the smaller tom begin digging. Mercuryrose’s paws began digging through the snow, her ears perked up as Pantherpaw’s muffled voice called through the barrier “Waspsight?!” The black tom sheriked, his orange eyes widening in panic as he couldn’t move due to the amount of snow pinning him down. The older apprentice was nervous, would he make it out alive? The tom couldn’t really move, he was in pain and buried within the snow. Mercuryrose was trying to pinpoint the location of Pantherpaw through his cries.
“Wait.” Mercuryrose said, as she stopped for a moment. It wasn’t until it was silent for a moment until hearing Pantherpaw’s whimpers through the side that the deputy moved towards the barrier and listened carefully. It wasn’t until she heard the muffled cries of Pantherpaw when making it towards one of the sides and began digging once more. The sooner that they got to Pantherpaw, the faster that he could get treated. Who even knew if the black tom had hypothermia from being out there for so long, she was trying to pinpoint where he was so that he could get out of the snow ASAP. It wasn’t until a couple of moments later, Mercuryrose had scooped out a piece of snow and matted, wet black fur was in front of her. “I found him!” Mercuryrose called, starting to dig carefully around him.
Feeling Waspsight moving next to her, Mercuryrose had managed to scoop out the snow around him until the figure of Pantherpaw was in view. The deputy’s facial expression fell slightly at the condition that the older apprentice, Pantherpaw had laid there with his chest rising and falling faintly. His paw was twisted along with his eyes closed, he wasn’t in good condition. Helping Waspsight carefully moving Pantherpaw until he was out of the snow, they placed him carefully on the ground. Mercuryrose soon moved towards him and laid down next to him, quickly warming him up as she was quickly licking him. Looking up, her dark green gaze met Waspsight’s bi-colored eyes “What do you need me to do?” The black and rose-gold deputy asked, her voice was dangerously calm. Mercuryrose was in action mode, she couldn’t let her emotions come out now.
“Hello?” Dahliapetal called out, her dark green eyes were narrowed slightly as she wandered aimlessly around. The silver and white warrior had assumed that perhaps everyone made it out of the camp or either passed away, but she surely wasn’t expecting someone to call out her name. “Oh stars.” The smaller Maine Coon said, letting out a sigh and looking towards Willowpaw “Come with me kid.” Dahliapetal said, bounding towards the warriors den. It wasn’t until she spotted a small hole within the snow barrier and got curious, and leaned forward to peak into the hole. It wasn’t until Ratshadow’s face suddenly popped into view which caused the molly to jump back and begin swiping at the hole. Crazy tom, why did he scare her like that?!
“Oh good heavens! Don't be rude!” Dahlia said, letting out a snort and sat down for a moment. Looking at the snow barrier, Dahlia let out a small sigh and shook her head “You certainly got yourself into deep trouble huh Mouse?” She said, not caring about calling Ratshadow.. Mouse. Quickly getting up, Dahlia moved closer to the barrier and watched it for a moment. How could little o her and little o Willowpaw get through this snow barrier. “Hmm.” Dahliapetal thought for a moment, she nudged her shoulder against the barrier and it didn’t move so letting out a sigh… Dahliapetal began digging “Come on Kid, we gotta save these goofs.” She called, and began digging through the barrier.
Of course they had to be stuck with the crazy sister.
W A S P S I G H T
He never got to hear Mercuryrose’s response to Hareflight’s stable condition, for Dahliapetal interrupted their conversation, promptly cutting her sister off and somehow managing to demean them in the same sentence. He didn’t reply, he figured the deputy’s icy glare did the talking enough, though her sister didn’t seem to care about that- if anything, he thought that maybe she liked ruffling her sister’s pelt. Stars, what was it about the women in his bloodline? Wisteriastar, Sorrelember, Mercuryrose, Dahliapetal, they all seemed rather hot-headed and ready to rumble. They certainly were intimidating… At least Cherryblossom was sweet and temperate in comparison, though she had her moments sometimes, too.
Soon enough, they reached ShadowClan camp and before precautions could be said, Dahliapetal was moving ahead of them and making her way into the clearing. He opened his jaws to warn her to be careful of unstable debris, but then he shut his mouth. That would only be stating the obvious and he didn’t fancy an ear lashing from the silver-and-white feline. Instead, he followed after her, though his pace was much slower as his eyes scanned the broken camp.
As expected, things only he could see were shortly exposed before his bi-colored sight. A quiet sigh escaped him. The ghosts of four cats lingered in ShadowClan camp. Four lives lost. Out of respect, the medicine cat dipped his head, a gesture perhaps not many understood why at first glance. His eyes slowly drifted to where Mercuryrose lingered, her head bowed to the body of a warrior trapped under snow. Beside her, Fernwind’s ghost stood. He seemed to be at peace with her gesture of grief at his loss. Quietly, he approached her.
“He didn’t suffer,” He told her quietly, trying to ease her despair, if at least a little bit, “The avalanche caught him by surprise, he never knew what hit him. He’s not in pain.” He paused for a heartbeat, giving the warrior a moment to collect herself before he opened his jaws to speak once more. But before he could say anything else, a cry for help came hollering from nearby. Waspsight’s head shot up like a hound’s, his eyes searching frantically for the source of the voice. Before he could find the cat it belonged to, he saw the spirits he had noticed earlier splitting up- two towards the warrior’s den and one towards the medicine cat den.
Instantly, he understood. As he bounded towards the medicine cat’s den, Waspsight threw a glance over his shoulder at the warrior’s den. It appeared as though Dahliapetal was already there- she would help those trapped there. His focus would have to be elsewhere. When he neared the den, the spirit that waited for him motioned towards the pile of snow blocking the entrance to the walls. “Dig, hurry!” He instructed Mercuryrose, not waiting for the realization to hit them before he started burying his paws into the mounds of snow below.
~~Ratshadow~~
Ratshadow's leg burned with the pain of fire and ice, chilled to its very bone as he lie curled up in his nest, Ashwhisper hunkered down in the nest right beside him. The Young Shadowclan warrior hadn't any idea how long it had been since the avalanche, time melted away from him as pain rippled over him in merciless and harsh tumultuous waves. All he recalled rushed through the remnants of what he could remember, the chilling sound of shifting swift snow. The all crushing feeling of it colliding against him, the shrill shriek that escaped him and several others as they were swallowed up by the white jaws that were the deaths of many of them, yet somehow Ratshadow was spared. He didn’t know how he managed to escape, all he knew was at the end of it all, he managed to painstakingly scramble his way up and out of the snow, and upon breaking the surface, he realized time had moved on without him.
He knew then that he must have been unconscious, and whatever survivors must have made their way somewhere else. That or, dread like a rock sunk to the pits of his stomach, no one had survived. He almost believed it, that was until he saw pawprints trailing away from camp, dozens of them. Some of the clan must have made it, and must have gone seeking shelter, from the looks of it, the weather had taken a turn for the worst.
Ratshadow had attempted to trek through the snow after the pawprints, but he found left hind leg was twisted and throbbed fiercely at his movements. As a tom with a condition where his fur was very thin and wiry, and some of his skin was exposed to the sting of the cold around him, he didn’t get very far before he collapsed in a shivering pathetic pile.
With nowhere else to go, Ratshadow sluggishly clawed and crawled his way to the Warrior’s den and began the arduous task of digging into the entrance, until finally the snow parted and left behind a hole that was just big enough to haul himself through.
Ratshadow, on three shaking legs, hobbled over to his nest and allowed himself to fall into it. The tom curled up into his large next, and shoved himself underneath the extra feathers, moss, grass, and leaves, which he needed to keep him warm at night during leaf-bare, otherwise he’d freeze his tail of most likely that or he’d perish, whichever one came first. As soon as he pushed himself into his nest, it wasn’t long until he realized he wasn’t alone. A soft voice, which he would have missed, if not for the heavy silence, called out to him. He lifted his head, and, in the darkness, he spotted her- Ashwhisper. The daughter of Snappingfox – staring at him from the very back of the den.
Relief flooded his heart, knowing he wasn’t alone.
The two of them had begun to speak to pass the time, and soon Ashwhisper had made her way over and settled into the nest next to him, lying her fluffy tail over him to help him keep warm. The poor fluffy gray she-cat had injured herself feeling towards the Warriors den, the only way she was able to run. She didn’t know how injured she was, she only knew was the pain in her lower back. She could still walk, but it was excruciating.
They were talking with one another, until suddenly several other voices sounded far off, and Ratshadow’s ears perked up, he recognized those voices. Mercuryrose the Shadowclan Deputy, Waspsight, their medicine cat and a fellow warrior Dahliapetal. It seemed that there was someone else with them too, but he couldn’t make out who it was. It didn’t matter, their clan had returned for them.
“Ashwhisper, listen, it’s our clanmates.” Ratshadow gathered the rest of his strength and got to his three paws, “You stay here, I’ll get their attention.” Slowly he made his way to the small entrance he carved out, clearing his throat, he let out a call for attention.
“Hello! Mercuryrose, Waspsight, Dahliapetal, everyone else- we're here! Ratshadow and Ashwhisper, we’re both buried in the Warriors den. We’re both injured and the den's entrance has been all but covered, we can’t get back out through the small hole I dug through to get in to get out of the cold.”
Mercuryrose
+
Dahliapetal
Shadowclan Gals.
Dahliapetal’s green gaze looked ahead and watched Waspsight and Mercuryrose with an unimpressed look and narrowed her eyes. How long would it be until they arrive at Camp? The silver and white molly was tempted to ditch the patrol and make her way to the Windclan border to see if Timberhawk was around. Grizzly wouldn’t be visiting for another day or two from the mountains. Golly, she missed her two men. They better miss her too, otherwise she would go to their respective homes and smack them in the back of the head and demand an apology.. Before moving to cuddle them.. Crazy toms, Dahlia couldn’t get enough of how in love they were with her. “Come on Mercy, stop chattering with the nice medicine cat.. We have work to do.” The smaller Maine Coon called towards her older sister, smirking when seeing the Shadowclan deputy looking back at her with a glare. Dahlia loved messing with her sister, it was her favorite part of the day because she could easily get away with it.
Hearing Mercuryrose cursing slightly under her breath, Dahlia grinned in satisfaction. Turning to look at Willowpaw, she arched an eyebrow at the young apprentice. “What’s your story kid, why did you choose to come?” The silver and white molly questioned. It was brave of Willowpaw since she was the only apprentice that offered to go on this mission, but also possibly reckless. It wasn’t until she was going to question the apprentice something else until Mercuryrose and Waspsight stopped at the entrance of the camp. Moving towards Mercuryrose and Waspsight, she peered over at the damage at the avalanche caused “Golly, this Avalanche wasn’t playing.” She said with a matter-of-fact tone towards the two. Without hesitation, she began padding into the camp. “Dahlia w-” Mercuryrose said, but her younger sister ignored her as the small Shadowclan warrior would start investigating the camp on her own. Mercuryrose knew that Dahlia would call for her if she spotted something.
“Moving on.” Mercuryrose muttered, turning towards Waspsight and Willowpaw “It appears Dahlia went towards the warriors’ den, we’ll see if she finds anyone.. We’ll check the other dens too.” The black and rose-gold deputy said before splitting away from the two. The deputy trusted Waspsight, he didn’t need to be looked after. Willowpaw was also very reliable from what her mentor said during training sessions, she was also a good sparring partner against Mercuryrose’s own apprentice Plumpaw. It was a habit of Mercuryrose to keep tabs on her clanmates, to see who she could find more reliable during hard times. Padding around the camp, the snow crunched underneath her paws as Mercuryrose was scanning the camp. It wasn’t until her facial expression had fallen slightly at the sight of a long fluffy tail buried in a huge amount of snow.
Letting out a small breath, the tall molly made her way towards the pile of snow. Her gaze never left the tail for a moment. Knowing there was a cat underneath there, but it was too late. Closing her eyes, Mercuryrose bowed her head slightly “I’m so sorry.” Mercuryrose whispered softly, opening her eyes to stare at her paws. The Shadowclan deputy knew there were several cats missing, including Juncostar and his son Aspenkit.. She was hoping that the family of two made it out of the camp alive, Mercuryrose was hoping that they could at least give a couple of cats answers today about their loved ones that had gone missing. It wasn’t until her ears perked up at the sound of a muffled voice.
‘Help.. Help me!’
Mercuryrose’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice. It was hoarse, almost weak from calling for help for a long amount of time. “Shit.” Mercuryrose said, moving around camp. “Waspsight?!” The molly called, trying to gain the attention of the medicine cat. It wasn’t until she spotted the smaller calico tom bounding around camp, listening for the voice. Willowpaw wasn’t far behind. Mercuryrose was listening carefully, but it was hard to detect where the voice was coming from. What she didn’t know, Pantherpaw was currently trapped in the medicine cat den with a broken front paw. He had managed to run into the den while the snow and rocks were coming down, but got smashed into the walls of the medicine cat den. The black tom was currently buried in the snow. Dahlia - ff95ef
W A S P S I G H T
Although the avalanche had passed, the ShadowClanners were not yet out of harm's way. A good portion of ShadowClan had been staying with ThunderClan while they regained their footing, but there were still many of theirs that were missing and the concern for their safety was palpable among them. At least they were in good paws. Gravelstar had been gracious in temporarily housing the ShadowClan cats and Peachblossom and Figpaw were incredible in tending to Hareflight’s condition. It seemed in the case of the ThunderClan healers, Waspsight didn’t need to impose anything on them, for the creamy molly nearly shoved him aside on first glance at his mentor. At the very least, he was glad that she would be more than properly cared for in his absence.
Knowing that his mentor was in good care, Waspsight could focus on his current task: the patrol back to ShadowClan camp. Not only would they be assessing damage, if it was safe to return and what the repairs would take, but they were also looking for casualties. He briefly took a moment to brace himself for the potential of those they could lose. There were many missing, how many of them were simply lost, or worse, he did not know. Among those missing were Juncostar, and his son Aspenkit. He worried for them, but Juncostar was a capable warrior and he knew that he would never let anything happen to his son.
And then they were off, their pace moderate but determined. He and Mercuryrose walked side-by-side for a moment or two in silence before she spoke, questioning him about Hareflight’s condition. He glanced at her, speaking around the bundle of emergency first aid he brought with him, “She’s recovering,” he announced, voice slightly muffled by carrier leaves, “she’s exhausted, but we believe that she’s out of danger.” Some may have thought of Mercuryrose as harsh and stand-offish, but she did truly care for her Clan and her clanmates. They were lucky to have her.
As they neared ShadowClan camp, the medicine cat glanced back at the rest of the patrol, a few warriors and an apprentice by the name of Willowpaw, who had also suffered an unfortunate experience because of the avalanche. He hoped they would all be ready for what they could find.
Willowpaw
Shadowclan Apprentice
Willowpaw had been one of the stragglers who hadn't originally been found by a patrol, having scattered as soon as the avalanche started, she had later been found by her father Snakedusk, wandering Shadowclan territory and had been brought back to Thunderclan. At that moment, she had been sitting beside Mapledawn, the Shadowclan queen whose kits were overdue by at least a week. She stood as the clan was addressed, padding over to stand by Mercuryrose.
Going on this patrol would give her a very sobering view of what had happened to the camp. Rebuilding would be unavoidable. However, the young apprentice wanted to feel useful. The clan would need her more than ever, and the least she could do was choose to help, without her parents prompting her. Standing with her head held high, she moved toward the entrance of Thunderclan's camp, awaiting the rest of the patrol joining.