Mercuryrose
Shadowclan Deputy
“Fuck.” Was all Mercuryrose would say, cursing under her breath when looking outside at the weather from the warriors’ den. The black and rose-gold molly’s feathery tail was lashing back and forth in frustration as Shadowclan ran out of time, the storm was here. Despite Waspsight and Hareflight’s warnings after Opalpaw’s vision from the Moonpool, she knew the clan wasn’t ready no matter how much they prepared. Looking back, her dark green-pink gaze narrowed when looking at the warriors that were looking at the entrance of the den with unease. This wasn’t something to easily adapt to, the chilling temperatures and the amount of snow that was starting to fall. Taking a deep breath, the Shadowclan deputy braced for the winter weather as she quickly moved out of the warriors and into the den. Mercuryrose’s fur was fluffed up, the tall Maine Coon already looking twice as big than she normally was.. Letting out a mere sigh when seeing cats from each rank settling in front of their dens, watching her carefully as no one made the first move to leave. The large Maine Coon moved until she was in the middle of the clearing, making sure that everyone could see and hear her.
“I want everyone to listen carefully to what I’m about to say, I don’t want anyone questioning me.” Mercuryrose said clearly, her tone sharp and eyes narrowed. Now wasn’t the time for an idiot to question her, lives were now at stake. “Everyone must stay within camp for the time being until Juncostar, Hareflight, Waspsight and I figure out what’s going to happen.. If you must leave for something, you must tell me or Juncostar.” Mercuryrose said firmly, her voice showing no hesitation. The black and rose-gold molly remembered Waspsight’s words when she became deputy.. Something evil was inside Juncostar. The molly wasn’t phased by the Imposter Juncostar, look who her father was. Looking towards all the dens, Mercuryrose nodded towards each one “We’re a clan, stick together.. We are to look after each other, even in the most troubling times.. I don’t want any of you to forget that.” The Maine Coon said, turning to see her son Ravenpaw at the entrance and giving him a small smile. Thanks to that little black and white kit that she gave birth to along with Mintstrike, Peachblossom, Snarlingbader and the little family they had.. They all taught her to attempt to become a better feline.
“Does anyone have any questions, comments or concerns.. Speak now, or forever hold your peace.” Mercuryrose calmly said, her eyes scanning the area as she was looking around to each den. The next step was to speak with Waspsight and see if any spirits around that would possibly tell him when this weather would be over.. Or any news on the Juncostar situation. Despite the fact that both felines were opposites, Mercuryrose wanted to check in on Waspsight and see if he was alright. Opening her mouth to say something else, her ears perked at the sounds of cracking within the air. Letting out a mere sigh, the tall deputy turned to look towards the mountains that seemed to be the cause of the sounds.
“Great, just great.” Mercuryrose muttered to herself, letting out a small huff. What else could go wrong?
Mercuryrose
Shadowclan Deputy
“Move it!” Mercuryrose said before the Maine Coon’s ears perked up at the familiar voice of Waspsight calling out for her. The large black and rose-gold molly soon bounded towards the source, shouldering her way past any cats that were running towards the entrance of the den, her dark green-pink eyes focused on the medicine cat den. Upon entering the entrance of Waspsight and Hareflight’s den, the deputy had remained having a neutral facial expression, but she was in shock at the scene in front of her. Was Hareflight deceased? What happened? Making her way towards the collapsed medicine cat, she allowed Waspsight to roll his mentor until she was resting on Mercuryrose’s back and let out a snort at the sight of Scorpianthrost entering the medicine cat den . What was the point of ordering cats to retreat when no one listened to her orders?! Mercuryrose had to refrain from rolling her eyes “Come on Love birds, move!” The Maine Coon snapped as all three cats began running out of the den and into the clearing.
Only to bump into Crashingtide
“For fucks sake” Mercuryrose muttered under her breath, as she couldn’t help but be thankful that Mintstrike had enough common sense and listened to her. She saw the look of hesitation on Crashingtide when he saw Hareflight on the large deputy’s back and suddenly nudged him “She’s breathing, we need to get her to safety” Mercuryrose said and she turned back to see the avalanche coming straight towards them. All five felines had made a break for it, running quickly towards the front entrance. Hearing a loud crash behind them, Mercuryrose’s eyes slightly widened at the sight of the Shadowclan camp being completely buried in the snow. The deputy couldn’t do much but keep on retreating, knowing that she couldn’t do anything as the storm took over her home. Murkywolf and Cloudedmoon had been waiting for them, the brown and dark gray tom moved towards his best friend “Everyone is a couple of feet away” The former rogue said which caused Mercuryrose to nod, she was glad that Murkywolf and Cloudedmoon were about to get the remainder cats out while Grimrose and Ravenwatcher were with Juncostar.
Letting out a small sigh as she allowed Cloudedmoon and Murkywolf to led the way, Mercuryrose bit the inside of her cheek as some cats came into view. Listening to Waspsight’s orders, she leaned down to let Waspsight and Crashingtide take Hareflight off her back and towards the ground. Looking towards Waspsight, she could tell emotions were high as he was rushing to treat her. Narrowing her eyes at Crashingtide hovering over Hareflight with his teeth bared and snarling at his clan mates like some kind of feral creature. Flicking her tail towards Dahliapetal who had Galekit safely between her paws, her younger sister tilted her head slightly “Keep an eye out and give
me updates.” Mercuryrose said quietly to which the silver and white molly nodded. The deputy saw that Ravenpaw and Mintstrike weren’t with this group, feeling anxious but she had to keep hope that they made it out with Grimrose and Ravenwatcher’s group. It wasn’t until a familiar voice caused her to turn instantly to it’s direction
“You made a good call out there”
Mercuryrose let out a soft sigh, her eyes slightly narrowed and nodded “Thank you Mellowfrost, I’m just.. Worried” The black and rose-gold molly muttered, the cream and brown tom moving towards her side.. The former deputy looked towards the crowd that was nearly and Waspsight who was attending to Hareflight “You prevented a lot of lives being lost” Mellowfrost said, following after Mercuryrose. Things had changed since Mellowfrost’s accident, mainly Mellowfrost suffering from the trauma of drowning, to passing away, to nearly staying in Starclan for good. It was a rough recovery for the brown and cream tom, but Mellowfrost had an incredible support system to help him through it. The large gash on the back of his head had opened while fleeing, but he would wait until Hareflight was tended to first. Mercuryrose scanned the crowd for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek before shaking her head “We still lost lives” The black and rose-gold molly muttered quietly which caused Mellowfrost to go silent.
Even Mellowfrost knew some cats got buried completely in the avalanche.
Mercuryrose’s eyes narrowed for a moment when Scorpianthroat came towards her and stated something quite obvious. Shadowclan needed to regather and figure out the next steps. “Thank you Scorpianthroat” She said, nodding towards him before scanning the area and spotted Widowsting. Mercuryrose had to refrain a snort, she wasn’t sure who was much worse than herself or Widowsting. “Widowsting! I need you” Mercuryrose called, and watched as the smaller molly soon made her way towards her. She hated cockiness and attitude, that’s what Widowsting was. Watching as Hareflight was being rolled onto Crashingtide’s back, she looked towards the others “We will be traveling to the tunnels where Grimrose and Ravenwatcher are with the others, do not wander off.. We don’t have enough warriors to spare at the moment, so stay on track and keep an eye out on the kits and elders” Mercuryrose said, before watching Mellowfrost join her otherwise. It was good that one of her best friends was the former deputy, as the cream and brown tom’s advice was helpful.
“Jasmineflame and Roachwing are okay?” Mercuryrose questioned, to which Mellowfrost was silent for a moment. He loves his mates, adored them to the end. The cream and brown tom knew they must be safe with the others “I know they are” He simply said before Mercuryrose looked towards Widowsting. Beckoning her head towards the direction of the tunnels “Let’s get going” She simply said. The deputy wasn’t quite sure why she chose to have Widowsting nearby, but the small molly would be good at keeping everyone in order while Mercuryrose was trying to overcome the feeling of fright as she prayed that her family was okay. The black and rose-gold molly needed someone to make sure that she was level-minded, as she was responsible for an entire group to make it safely. Looking back towards Hareflight and friends, Mercuryrose called out “How is she doing?” She questioned, wanting to smack Dahlia in the back of the head for not telling her.. But her little sister had her paws full with young Galekit, so she’ll let it pass for now.
One thing was for certain, she wanted to reunite with Mintstrike, Ravenpaw and Jasmineflame.
Ravenwatcher |The Shadowed Knight of Shadowclan|
The tall warrior frowns as he feels the unease of his clanmates roll off of them in waves, the continuous snowfall had everyone, including himself on edge. Shadowclan had not been the same since the last avalanche that sadly took away an innocent life. Applepaw had left them too soon—just the thought of the young carefree apprentice caused pain in his chest. Sighing softly as he turns his periwinkle lavender gaze to Grimrose, flashing her a small reassuring smile, though he knew it would not help settle the nerves. The two having grown close and formed a surprising friendship from their common grounds of once being rogues. Raven understood the feeling of being hesitant to show one’s true self when having to hide behind a façade for so long. It had not surprised him when Mercuryrose had assigned him to help Grimrose and Murkywolf to adjust to their new lives—not that he believed they needed his guidance.
Just when Ravenwatcher parts his lips, ready to say something, he feels the ground beneath his paws begin to quiver. It was faint at first, he honestly would have overlooked the feeling if it weren’t for it intensifying. Paper thin ears twitching as a bone-chilling crackle echos throughout. Quickly turning around, his silky obsidian fur rising with unease. Silence lingers between the clanmates, everyone stiffly eyeing the deadly avalanche coming their way. Raven was one of the first to break from the deadly trance, his rogue instincts flaring to life. Clenching his jaw as he nudges Grimrose, snapping her out of her thoughts before he turns his attention to others around him. Mercuryrose’s stern voice filters within the clearing, commanding an emergent evacuation. Her words brought many to life as several warriors and apprentices sprung into action on helping queens, kits, and elders. Catching a quick glimpse of his children; Mole, Robin, BlackBerry, and Peregrine run about helping others get to safety. A small weight had been lifted off his shoulders knowing that his kits were safe, even though he knew they were capable warriors, he could not help but worry.
Muscles tensing as the White Sea of snow looms closer, debris intertwined with the snow. A shiver runs down his spine as his instincts alert him to turn around. Eyes widening as large clumps of snow and stone heading in Grimrose’s direction. The molly too focused on helping a queen to notice. Cursing under his breath as he lunges at the unexpected she-cat. Grasping hold of her scruff and pulling her backwards from harms way. Releasing his hold on her, periwinkle lavender eyes flicker over her hurriedly to check for any injuries. Sighing in relief, “Be more careful” Raven mutters before gesturing her to take lead. They needed to get everyone out of here and to the tunnels—outskirts of Shadowclan.
Scorpionthroat |Blunt Sword of Shadowclan|
Chaos. That is the best he could explain what was going on around him. He could not believe their luck when it came to avalanches! Just a moon or so prior Waspsight and Applepaw had experienced a small yet deadly snowfall. He should have known that with having experienced one another would be more likely to follow. Unsheathing his claws, digging into the cold earth to stabilize himself as the ground shakes with on coming doom. Knowing that they didn’t have much time to evacuate, they needed to work fast. Mildly glaring at those shoving into him as he rushes to the elders den, even though his first impulse was to find Waspsight and help him, he had to mentally tell himself that getting the elders out first was priority. Biting his lower lip harshly due to his usual steel nerves unraveling, he knew how the last avalanche affected Waspsight. Honey crimson eyes narrowing in concentration as he lightly nudges Redfang to his unsteady paws. “Come on old timer, let’s get going” Scorpionthroat mutters with a slight smirk at the exasperated look he received.
Nodding his head in the general direction, vaguely remembering Mercuryrose commanding everyone to get for the tunnels. Spotting Dustyfrog not far ahead assisting his mate, Tawnypainter to safety within the crowd. Once making out of camp, Scorp told Redfang to keep going, to follow the others. He needed to go back..to make sure no one gets left behind. His fears came true when he overheard Crashingtide and Saplingskies, their worried tones is what caught his attention. No one had seen Hareflight or Waspsight since the evacuation? Clenching his jaw, huffing in frustration refraining from ruffling his silver mane due to stress. Making up his mind as the large feline rushes back to camp. He had to make sure Waspsight was alright!
Ears pinning back against his skull at the loud crackling of trees falling from the force of the wave of snow barreling its way to their home. The ground shaking beneath his paws, as if the earth itself wanted Scorpionthroat to turn back. He couldn’t. Not again. Feeling the frozen snow clinging to his thick pelt, brought back painful memories, ones he wished he could forget. Closing his honey crimson eyes as the memory flashes through his raging mind. Seeing his young 2 moon self playing in the snow with his mother not far behind. To accidentally padding onto a frozen lake after chasing a mouse. He could vividly remember feeling and hearing the ice beneath his little paws crackling under his weight. Feeling the spike of fear and calling out to his terrified mom. Hearing his mother’s soothing coos as she keeps him calm as she delicately treads onto the ice to get closer to a little Scorpious. The ice crackling louder, his little heart thumping like a drum, muscles aching from remaining still. He had no idea what was happening, not at the time, he had hoped that his mother would save him and they would go home. Yet…that’s not how it ended. The memory ends with a little kit laying by the edge of the lake staring horrified at the large gaping hole where he once stood, the dark waters lapping innocently at the broken ice. His mother no where to be found as she had taken his place.
Opening his eyes, blinking away the pain, now was not the time to dwell on the past, not when others needed his help. Avoiding crumbling stones as best as he could as he makes it to the center of camp, the avalanche not far behind. Hissing as a sharp stone clips the left side of his face, having not dodged quick enough, ignoring the sting as well as the blood dripping down his face. Tensing up at hearing the panicked yell of Waspsight, letting out a sharp breath before racing toward the medicine den. Arriving at the same time as Mercuryrose, letting the deputy take charge as she grasps hold of a barely conscious Hareflight. Scorpionthroat had no time to calm the distressed form of Waspsight, instead he hurriedly tugs the smaller tom out of the den. “Move now! Worry later!” He commands, knowing that the medicine cat apprentice was worrying over his mentor. Taking the rear, needing to make sure everyone before him makes it out of camp safely. He barely registered Crashingtide meeting them halfway or Wasp shouting for everyone to go, his sole focus was seeing to it that Mercuryrose, Hareflight, Crashingtide, and Waspsight made it out of there.
Huffing a cloud of air from his lungs as he barrels out of camp, just in time as the avalanche had finally reached its destructive target. Hitting roughly into a pine tree at the forceful impact, glancing over his shoulder to see the large pile of snow falling off the rocky ledge to down below. They needed to get as far away as possible, thankfully the tunnels would be the perfect place to get away from the aftermath of the avalanche and Snowstorm. Shaking his throbbing head as he rushes after Wasp and the others, hoping that everyone was able to safely escape but had a feeling it was false hope. Chest heaving as he finally meets up with majority of his clan mates, a large circle forming by curious on-lookers. Frowning as he shoves his way through, not bothering to apologize before hearing the relieved voice of Waspsight soothing Hareflight. Biting his lower lip as the tall silver tabby decides to keep his distance from Waspsight for now, the calico tom needed to focus solely on Hareflight.
Quickly glancing around, checking to see how those around him were doing. Ears flicking back at the whimpers and sobs of many, knowing that their home laid under heaps of snow and rumble. Moving towards Mercuryrose, his gaze unwavering as he speaks, “We need to keep moving. I saw Ravenwatcher and Grimrose leading a large group to the tunnels. We need to regroup there” Scorpionthroat states matter of factly. Now was not the time to sit and rest, they needed to find shelter before figuring out their next step.
Crashingtide
It happened before Crash really knew what exactly was happening. Mercuryrose ran past him, then Waspsight roughly pushed past him, shouting for him to go. "Buh- Wait! Where's H-" The words stuck in his throat once he realized that Hareflight had already passed him. She was laying limp across the deputy's back. The ground beneath him swayed, but he somehow managed to stay on his paws, despite his legs feeling like water. He followed after the healers and deputy, trying to ask what happened, but adrenaline and the roaring of the falling snow and ice seemed to make his questions fall upon deaf ears.
When Mercuryrose finally put the medicine cat down, Crash felt dizzy all over again. The calico she-cat's face was full of pain, and she was clearly weak and struggling to breathe. He didn't know what was happening to her, but fear for her life caused stinging tears to well up in his eyes. Cats tried to gather around to see what was going on. It was reasonable reaction from concerned clanmates, but for a moment, Crashingtide reverted back to his rogue instincts, bristling and growling as he formed a barrier between the crowd and Hareflight. She was vulnerable and in pain, and nobody would touch her. Not while he was around. "Back off, can't you see there's an emergency?! Give 'em some space!" He hissed, tail lashing. Cats obeyed, caught off guard by Crash's abnormal aggression and defensiveness. The only cat that he allowed past was Saplingskies, and the small tom didn't hesitate to get to his former apprentice's side. Crash had heard rumors that something similar had happened to the former healer many moons ago, only his episode had been worse. If Saplingskies had been worse, but he was still here, that meant Hareflight would be okay... right?
It felt like ages before he finally heard Waspsight talking softly to Hareflight, assuring her that she was okay. Crashingtide took a deep, shaky breath as his body relaxed, and without thinking twice, he turned, stumbled over to the medicine cats, and collapsed next to the she-cat, curling his body around her to protect her from the cold. Normally he would never get so close to someone without being invited, but he needed to prove to himself that she was actually okay. Emotions flooded over him, and the only words he could manage were "I'm so glad you're alright."
The things he was feeling frightened him a bit, if he were being honest with himself. He'd felt fear for the safety and well-being of friends before, but this was... different. Something deep within him felt like it would be irreparably damaged if anything happened to Hareflight. They hadn't known each other for very long, but he already couldn't bear the thought of never being able to see or talk to her again. What was happening to him?
W A S P S I G H T
The calico healer stood by while Mercuryrose shouted orders around camp, herding warriors, apprentices, queens and elders alike into action. They were lucky to have her. The loss of Mellowfrost still stung, but he felt fortunate to have someone as reliable and cool-headed as her to keep ShadowClan together. Trusting that she and Juncostar would be able to handle the evacuation, he immediately headed back to the medicine den to assist his mentor. In the back of his head, he thought of Fennelsting and Rowanshade, Peregrinebite and Scorpionthroat, but he knew they were all capable warriors. Even if he hadn't seen them yet, he knew they would be okay. Knowing them, they were probably helping with evacuations, too.
As he neared the entrance, he noticed Gladekit lingering nearby. "Dahliapetal, help Gladekit!" he called to the warrior, as she was the closest and most available for stragglers. He knew the strong-headed feline didn't like taking orders from anyone, but now wasn't the time for formalities. He waited just a split second for the warrior to nod and spring into action before he returned on his path to find Hareflight.
The minute he stepped foot into the medicine cat den, time froze.
Hareflight had collapsed, her petite body fallen over on itself as it failed to support her. "Hareflight!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side without a thought in mind about the impending avalanche, "What happened!?" Waspsight pleaded for an answer, but all that came out of his mentor's mouth were apologies and regrets. "No, no, no, no, no," He muttered to himself. He didn't know yet what the issue was but he knew it was serious and he wouldn't allow her to suffer alone, or without help. He would save her. She wouldn't die here, not under a pile of snow, like Applepaw had. Waspsight would die a thousand deaths before he allowed her to suffer the way he had.
"Mercuryrose!" He called in desperation for the deputy, his voice breaking under the sheer volume of how loud he screamed for help. The large maine coon wasted no time in crossing the distance from those she had saved already and getting to them. "Get Hareflight to safety, hurry!" He hissed, with no time to explain the severity of her condition. The pain on her face and the faintness of her breathing should be evidence enough.
As they turned tail and ran, they ran into Crashingtide along the way, who had surely come back to look for them. "Go, go, go, go!" He shouted, shoving the tom's shoulder to turn him around to the direction of the camp entrance. Waspsight, who was normally so calm and level-headed despite some of the most stressful situations, had lost his composure. As the cats fled the falling snow piles and headed to safety in the tunnels, all he could think about was Hareflight. They needed to hurry, oh, StarClan, they didn't have time to wait. He was sure that Mercuryrose wanted to stop and check for more cats, but he wouldn't let her stop before she was able to put his mentor down safely and slowly down onto the ground. And as soon as she had, he was pushing her aside and out of his way so that he could treat Hareflight properly.
"Back up!" He snapped, turning on lingering cats. Someone nearby had made a makeshift barrier with their body, hushing those who scowled at him for his behavior. Now that he had room, Waspsight immediately returned to Hareflight. He leaned down, hovering an ear over her mouth. She was still breathing, thank stars, but it was shallow and hoarse. The strain on her chest must be immense. And suddenly, it clicked- what had happened and what he needed to do. He placed his paws firmly on her chest and pressed down, motion and repeat for what seemed like countless times over again until a heave of air came from the molly.
The minute a cough exploded from her lungs, he stopped his compressions and leaned over to her, muzzle to muzzle, and expelled a breath of his own to aide her lungs in working on their own again. Then, he paused. He waited, his heart thrashing wildly in his chest with anxiety. And then... Peace. His mentor was breathing, her episode had passed. A breath of relief escaped Waspsight and he crouched down next to her, gently propping her head up with his body. "You're going to be okay," he assured her, "rest now."
s t o r m h o w l in shadowclan's camp
He'd watched the clouds roll in before anyone else, and although he had expected a snowstorm, the sheer amount of frozen flakes they'd acquired had surprised him. Of course, he would use the freezing weather as an excuse to stay beside the nursery, patching any holes with brambles as he saw fit whilst Creekkit and Flintkit stuck their paws out, trying to derail his work.
Of course, the tom didn't mind at all. After all, his kits would be apprentices soon and the comfort of the nursery would become a distant memory. He didn't mind giving them more time to act like children. The former RiverClan deputy paused his work as tension began to ramp up around him, the sound of rumbling filling his ears like a swarm of bees. Immediately fear struck his heart, watching ShadowClan cats flicker back and forth as they did their best to listen to Mercuryrose's orders. "Wildflower!" he yowled, and luckily his mate appeared soon after, a mewling Lilykit in her jaws and Creekkit clinging onto her spine for dear life. Scooping up the confused Flintkit beneath him, he helped his mate carry their precious cargo toward the entrance, but paused when he realized their greyscale-toned family was missing their only source of vibrancy; Gladekit.
g l a d e k i t in the medicine den
I mean, was anyone really shocked when the slender, short body of Gladekit scooted out from the crevice at the back of the den? He was covered in dust, but luckily his interest was more in the spiders that had made their home in Hareflight's den, not the precious herbs they stored. He was a bit odd for his age, though trustworthy enough to be around herbs as a kitten and not need constant supervision. Waspsight and Hareflight both seemed tense when he appeared, pale green gaze shifting between the two as their body language grew more frantic.
Not wanting to be caught beneath their paws, the cool-brown tom kitten inched his way toward the entrance, though he caught the surprised gleam in Waspsight's eye as he noticed Gladekit's escape plan. "Hello Waspsight, I smooshed a beetle that was making noise in your nest," he chirped happily, oblivious to the panic that was beginning to ensue outside. Of course, Stormhowl's odd son hadn't shared he had in fact squashed the beetle in Waspsight's nest, but in his mind that information didn't need to be relayed. As Waspsight turned back to Hareflight, Gladekit took the opportunity to search for his siblings, wondering if they were still harassing their father, only the moment he stepped into the clearing did he see the snow. Not falling from the sky, but hurling toward them at an alarmingly quick rate. He glanced back, uneasiness churning in his belly as he watched the scene begin to unfold.
|| 𝕋𝕠𝕒𝕕𝕡𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℍ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖 ||
𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
Ears pinned back against his head as the cold winds were beating through the trees, his nose felt like it was gonna freeze and fall off into the snowy marsh. Mercuryrose was giving orders, lifting his muzzle with an eyebrow arching for a moment before grunting. They were not to leave camp due to the extreme weather, letting out a slight sigh as his eyes roamed around camp as he was looking for the pale grey and ginger pelts of his siblings. Of course, when confined to camp, they were no where to be seen. Groaning inwardly, he turned back towards the fresh-kill pile, noticing how pathetic it appeared. “Shouldn’t we at least have a hunting party? No one is going to be surviving if we starve.” He questioned, nothing that Mercuryrose was no longer listening to him but turning to see Juncostar. Oh great. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he grumbled slightly as he turned his chin to see that Mintstrike was smiling softly. “She’s dealing with a lot of buggers. Why don’t I go ask her and we can get a small patrol together?” Mintstrike questioned while he nodded.
Huffing, the massive brown tabby was turning away from the other tomcat when the sudden sound of loud crackling and pops were echoing through the trees. Ears standing upright in shock, chin tilting and his eyes immediately lifting to scent the air as the ground seemed to tremble beneath his paws. Brows furrowing slightly as he looked at the mountains. There seemed to be an eerie silence that hushed the camp as everyone was gazing up at the mountain, watching the mountain of snow swallow trees. Mercuryrose’s voice clipped through his trance, looking over his shoulder for a brief moment as he spotted Hollowflame moving towards the apprentice’s den. “Move! Everyone out! Lets go! Lets go!” The senior warrior slipped inside of the den to quickly usher the apprentices out of the den. Moving to help his cousin, Toadpounce rushed towards the apprentices. “To the treeline! Head to the tunnels!” Toadpounce ordered, noticing that Plumpaw was staring at him blankly, their eyes wide. “Follow everyone else!” He ordered, using his muzzle to roughly thrust the middle aged apprentice. Hollowflame made sure the den was empty, his paws trembling from the force of the rumbling mountain of snow rushing towards them. “Clear?” Frogpounce yelled while the large dark red and black spotted tomcat nodded, “Clear!” Hollowflame confirmed, one green and one orange eye wide as he looked towards the snow dust in the air. “Move!”
Hollowflame roughly pushed his cousin, the two tomcats rushing out of camp with everyone else, another young apprentice was stumbling from the ground literally shaking beneath their paws. “Get up!” Hollowflame screeched, lowering his head to help the young cat up while Toadpounce dug his teeth into the scruff, simply putting them back on their paws and roughly nudging them as they ran out of camp and to the safety of the trees.
:: 𝕁𝕒𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕖𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕖, ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕𝕖𝕕𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ::
ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
Bi-colored eyes were gazing outside of the nursery, her tortoiseshell fur ruffled from the cold breeze as she looked down towards her kittens that were gazing at the snow with wonder. Never before had she ever seen such a snow storm as this, to lay so thickly and heavily upon the ground. Even the trees were creaking. “You keep frowning like that and your face will stick that way.” A familiar voice caught her attention, ears perking up in surprise before she laughed soft at Cloudedmoon and Jasmineflame. “I have been told that a time or two.” Cocoaflower hummed, watching as Auburnkit and Ripplekit rushed forth into the snow in order to greet their aunt, Cloudedmoon. “Hello, dears.” The pale brown spotted she-cat smiled fondly as she lowered her head in order to gently preen Auburnkit’s ears. Jasmineflame walked past her friend, bumping her head against Cocoaflower’s shoulder. “Seriously though, what has you frowning so much?” She questioned, her dark brown dipped tail twitching slightly as she felt tiny claws digging into her flesh, hissing slightly as she looked over her shoulder to gaze upon Marigoldkit. “Off, squirt.” She said firmly, while the little Molly smiled apologetically before letting go.
Cocoaflower gave her daughter a look before looking back at Jasmineflame and laughed softly. “You will have to get used to that, little claws everywhere.” She grinned while Jasmineflame groaned and Cloudedmoon perked up as her pale green eyes looked between the two mollies. “I seem to have missed something?” She grinned as she stepped into the den, tail tip twitching slightly with curiosity. “Our little Jasmine is expecting.” Cocoaflower smiled with a purr while Jasmineflame smirked slightly, using her tail to lightly swat at Cloudedmoon’s surprised expression. “Don’t look so shocked.” She huffed but Cloudedmoon smiled and shook her head. “I am shocked but excited for you and Mellowfrost! Does he know?” Cloudedmoon mused while Cocoaflower rolled her eyes. “Please, she’ll probably wait until her teats are swollen before he notices.” Jasmineflame couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head in amusement. Although the sounds of panic outside the den made both Jasmineflame and Cloudedmoon turn and gaze out of the den. “What the hell?” Jasmineflame muttered, stepping out of the den to see everyone rushing and screaming out, her ears pinning back against her head as she noticed Grimrose hurrying towards the nursery. “Whats going on?” She asked immediately, her eyes widening in surprise at his response. Avalanche.
Cloudedmoon instantly moved into action, lowering her chin to dig her teeth into the pale grey spotted pelt of Ripplekit, picking her nephew up from the ground. Jasmineflame quickly followed suit as she picked up Auburnkit, while Cocoaflower was struggling to grab two pelts. She had four kittens and she refused to leave any of them behind, but Grimrose was quick to come to her rescue. Letting out a trill of appreciation as he picked up Emberkit, her daughters eyes wide in surprise. Marigoldkit let out a squeak of surprise as her mother roughly picked her up, the queen hurrying out of the den with everyone else carrying one of her kits. The ground was trembling, ears twitching with the roar and crashing of the snow and trees. Mercuryrose yelled out to Grimrose but she couldn’t afford to look back, her one blue and one amber eye watching Jasmineflame’s tail lash as the other female was running through camp, keeping a strong hold on Auburnkit’s pelt. Snow as shifting beneath their paws, but everyone was weaving their way through the trees, not caring which direction they raced off to. But Cloudedmoon could’ve sworn that she heard someone screaming out Hareflight’s name through the trees. Causing her to trip slightly, Ripplekit squealing in fear as his rump brushed against the snow covered ground. But a shoulder pressing against hers caused the Molly to grunt, her pale green eyes landing upon Murkywolf as he was helping her up from the ground. Limping, she leaned into the tomcat, moving as fast as she possibly could from the tumbling snow.
Until this point, Crashingtide had seen only one avalanche in his life. It had been a while ago now, but he remembered that it was important to remain calm. When the call went out to evacuate camp, the blue tomcat quickly made his way towards the elder's den, assisting some fellow warriors in getting the clan's elderly to safety. An old she-cat with very poor eyesight and shaking paws leaned up against him as helped her along, her silver pelt bristling nervously. Crash could smell the fear on her. "What's happening? What is that terrible noise? Where are we going?" She squeaked, almost sounding as if she had reverted back to a scared kitten being carried away from danger by her mother. Crashingtide laid his tail across her back in an attempt to soothe her, whiskers twitching anxiously. "There's an avalanche coming, so everyone needs to get to safety. Everything is gonna be okay Creekflower, I promise. I'm gonna get you out of here safely." He cooed gently, feeling his heart clench in sympathy as the elder whimpered in fear.
As he neared a group of his clanmates loitering right outside of camp, two senior warriors stepped in to take Creekflower off his paws. That's when he noticed a little brown tom looking around nervously, the smaller tom's bright blue eyes widening when he spotted Crash. Crash's eyes widened when he saw the other tom alone. "Crashingtide!" Saplingskies called out, scurrying over to the blue tom. "Where are Waspsight and Hareflight?!" The former healer looked distraught. Waspsight was his adopted son, and he loved Hareflight like his own daughter. He needed to make sure they were safe.
Crash's heart leapt into his throat when Saplingskies questioned him. He'd been calm up until that point, but now distress was rippling off him in waves. "I-I don't know! I thought they were with you!" He felt like he was going to be sick. The thought of Hareflight ending up like that apprentice that got buried in snow with Waspsight not that long ago was almost enough to make him pass out. He didn't hear anything else that Saplingskies said to him, he simply turned back and ran into camp. Someone tried to stop him by grabbing onto his tail with their teeth, but the attempt went unnoticed by the former rogue, even though blood was trickling onto the snow behind him and a tuft of fur was now missing from the appendage. He dodged falling ice and broken tree limbs as he raced across the clearing, searching the area wildly. "HAREFLIGHT?! WASPSIGHT?!"
TW for heart issues!
H A R E F L I G H T
As Hareflight listened to the rumbling, her body kicked into action. They had prepared for this at least. She'd just go and get the herbs and meet up with Waspsight.
However, reaching the inside of the den, she found she was feeling lightheaded. She started to push through it, as she'd done numerous times before throughout her life, but a weakness in her body made her slow. It felt like everything was running in slow motion, and yet, somehow there wasn't enough time to do anything. Would everyone make it out okay? Would Waspsight be okay? She had to get the herbs out to them. It struck her that she needed to get her patients out of the den but when she turned to look they were already gone. They were here just a moment ago. Confusion was fogging her brain. The rumbling had begun to grow so loud, so unbearably loud, and it was in this moment she realized it was not just the trees, but her heart beat echoing loudly along with the crackle of trees breaking. Almost as soon as this occurred to the calico molly, a harsh pain struck Hareflight's chest. It felt like someone was gripping her heart in their jaws, squeezing on it. She let out a breathy gasp, eyes tightly shutting. For a moment the pain subsided and she thought maybe she'd be able to make it out to everyone, but then it was back, bad enough to make her legs buckle out from under her.
No, no, no, I need to make it out. I need to get out to them. I need to. Tears welled up in the healer's eyes as she tried to come up with a solution, but she hurt, and she was so tired, and it felt like she couldn't even think straight. All she could think about was getting out to Waspsight and Crash.
Then Waspsight was there. She didn't know why or how, but he was. It looked like he was saying something but the words didn't make sense in her brain. All Hareflight could do was let her tears continue to fall, mumbling over and over again, "I'm- I'm sorry. I'm s-sorry."
He needed to go. Waspsight needed to get out of here. No doubt the snow was almost upon them and Hareflight knew there was no way she'd be able to get out of here now. She was too weak, still in pain… maybe she'd pushed herself too hard, but it was too late now. Waspsight had to get out and save himself and his Clan.
But Hareflight just couldn't find the words. Neither her mouth nor her body would obey her and all she could do was cry. She didn't want to leave them, not yet. It wasn't her time.
Mercuryrose
Shadowclan Deputy
Hearing Waspsight’s words, the black and rose-gold molly’s eyes narrowed slightly but nodded as she understood what he meant when the leader was asleep. Good, it would buy some time before Juncostar’s guest would make an appearance which usually happened at random times. Looking towards the den and watching the cats at the entrances of the dens looking towards the mountains with unease, she knew that an important decision would have to be made otherwise there would be drastic consequences to Shadowclan. Hearing the cracks of the trees that were beginning to collapse within the mountains, and seeing large amounts of snow starting to fall.. Mercuryrose knew that time had finally ran out for Shadowclan, and everyone needed to get out of camp now.
“Get everyone out of the nursery and elder’s den now!” Mercuryrose ordered as she turned towards the leader’s den and bounded quickly towards it, there she found Juncostar and Aspenkit curled up within the nest as the gray leader was spending time with his son earlier. “Juncostar, we need to leave the camp.. The avalanche is heading towards us” The tall deputy said before turning around and seeing that Ravenpaw and a couple of other apprentices were helping the elders out of the camp while seeing Waspsight dashing towards the medicine cat den to get Hareflight.
However her eyes widened slightly as the loud crashing noise started getting louder and looked towards the mountains as large pieces of rocks and snow were rolling down and heading straight towards them “Shit.” Mercuryrose said seeing a couple of chunks of snow starting to roll into camp and nearly hitting Grimrose who was helping a nursery queen and her kits “Phantom, move it!” The deputy snapped, using Grimrose’s other name. Turning to watch the action surrounding her, she felt helpless as Mercuryrose couldn’t do anything but watch as the avalanche was rolling through the Shadowclan camp. Closing her eyes for a moment, the tall black and rose-gold molly took a deep breath for a moment before opening her dark green-pink eyes and sprung into action. Mercuryrose couldn’t stop the avalanche, but she could make sure that the cats within Shadowclan escaped safely. Looking towards the cats that Juncostar was starting to gather near the entrance, she noticed that the new father was extremely nervous as he was holding Aspenkit by the scruff and was making sure the small dark gray tabby wasn’t squirming. “Juncostar, meet at the Tunnels!” She called and nodded towards the Shadowclan leader as a couple of cats had left with him. Turning to look towards the medicine cat den, she noticed that Waspsight and Hareflight hadn’t left their den and a couple of curse words escaped her.. What was taking them so long? “Ravenwatcher, you and Grimrose start leading the others outside of camp.” Mercuryrose called and watched the black tom and her best friend nod before gathering up another group of cats and leaving the camp. The deputy was trying to work carefully, making sure that the dens were empty while also not getting slammed into with huge chunks of snow and ice rolling into camp. A soft sigh of relief escaped her when noticing that Mintstrike and Ravenpaw were out of camp, they were safe. However her ears perked up at a sharp cry and a call for help, Mercuryrose’s heart beating fast as the molly made a dash for it at the source of the noise.
- ef1fc2
H A R E F L I G H T
Hareflight was seated at the entrance to their den, watching Mercuryrose as she addressed the Clan. As much as she tried, Hareflight couldn't hide the worried expression on her face these days. So much was going wrong. Things with Juncostar, now the storm...
They weren't ready. Hareflight didn't feel ready. What were they missing? The herbs, what little they had, were wrapped, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice. Cats were ordered to stay in camp unless necessary. They were looking after anyone in the medicine den as efficiently as possible. It wasn't enough. And Hareflight constantly had this nagging feeling she was forgetting something.
She sucked in a deep, slow breath, trying to clear the aching in her chest. Hareflight had never been good at dealing with stress but it seemed as of late that things were just too much. Regardless, she would fight through it as she always had. She had to be there for her clanmates, after all.
It was in this moment that she noticed Waspsight watching her expectantly. Oh stars, how long had she been zoned out? Glancing at him and then over at Mercuryrose who seemed to be glancing over at Waspsight, she made a quick guess. "O-Oh, yes. Y-yes, you should g-go help. G-good idea." She offered the tom a strained smile, giving him a small nod. "L-Let, uh, let me know if you need anything, okay? I-I'm gonna... I'm gonna go over the h-herbs again. Make sure w-we have everything." She smiled again at him, watching him go before turning towards the den.
Hareflight took a moment to run a few licks over her chest, trying to clear the feeling of pressure before she had to focus. Before she could make her way into the den, however, there was a loud crack from the mountainside that continued to grow, almost into a rumbling. Hareflight turned to glance worriedly at Waspsight and Mercuryrose, willing her fogged brain to put the pieces together. Snow? Was that trees breaking? A chilled feeling was setting into her bones. Something was happening. Something bad.
Oh stars, they weren't ready.
W A S P S I G H T
They didn't have enough time to prepare. Even with Opalpaw's warning, ShadowClan was left to scramble to ready themselves for the storm that was coming. Living in the mountains, their exposure to heavy snow was a burden to bare. Waspsight shivered as he remembered his own experience being caved in under a mound of snow, and the life that had been lost in the process. He didn't want to relive that ever again.
While the warriors and apprentices secured den walls and made safe spaces for queens and elders, he was busy helping Hareflight with collecting their herb stack and bundling them safely into leaf wraps so they could be grabbed in a hurry. As they were finishing up, the healer heard the orders of Mercuryrose outside of the medicine den. "I'm going to go help her out there," he told his mentor, waiting for her to nod in affirmation before he made his way outside.
Waspsight huffed against the cold, hastily making his way over to the Clan deputy's side so that he could assist her with her duties. As he reached her, he could see the look in her eyes that mirrored her thoughts: the warrior had been looking for him, perhaps to ask more questions. "Juncostar is asleep," he told her with a shake of his head, signaling that he hadn't seen anything extraordinary coming from their leader as of today. "For now, we should focus on -"
At the sound of crackling from above the mountains, the medicine cat was cut off. He immediately followed Mercuryrose's gaze up to the cliffside. It sounded as if trees were beginning to fall due to the heavy weight of ice and snow. "That doesn't sound good," he commented with a grimace.