W A S P P A W
Frost bit at his toes, causing the calico tom to shiver and fluff up his pelt against the cold. Snow continued to fall in ShadowClan territory and it didn't seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. It was times like this that he was grateful for his long fur to keep him warm when temperatures dropped. He didn't know how cold it was now, but their streams had frozen over and Hareflight was adamant that they had to collect as many herbs as they could before they died from the freezing weather. Wasppaw looked over at his companion, a ginger tom who wasn't as lucky as he was when it came to the thick pelt department. Though, when he had asked his clanmates if anyone wanted to volunteer to assist him in herb gathering, Applepaw hadn't hesitated to join him, despite the dropping temperature.
"Try to use your nose and eyes equally," he advised his fellow apprentice. "The snow is going to cover up most of what we're looking for, both scent-wise and sight-wise, but if we take our time and we're careful, we should be able to uncover most of what we need." He was hopeful, anyway. This wasn't his first snowfall, but it was his first time gathering herbs in weather this severe without his mentor by his side. He hoped that he wouldn't have to have her doubt her trust in his abilities to do this without her.
With Applepaw not too far away, Wasppaw set to work in finding what he could as quickly as possible. While he knew that it was important that they take their time to look, he didn't want to be out in the cold for more than necessary and he was sure that his fellow apprentice felt the same way.
Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten too lucky and neither had Applepaw. They had only managed to find a few usable herbs as most of the others had become too frost-bitten and were no longer salvageable. He wasn't too thrilled with this discovery and he knew that Hareflight wouldn't be either. A-ah, that's okay! It's b-better than nothing! He could hear her voice already in the back of his head, trying to cheer him up for not bringing anything back worthwhile. It could only mean that they had to be scarce with what they used throughout Leaf-Bare.
"Hey, let's cut through this way!" his companion suggested, motioning towards the thicker piles of snow a little ways ahead. At Wasppaw's befuddled expression, Applepaw went on, "Yeah, we'll probably be up to our chins in snow, but it's the shortcut to camp. We'll get there quicker."
"Okay.." Wasppaw hesitantly agreed, following the red tom. "Just be sure to keep the herbs out of the snow, we can't afford to lose them."
The pair made it through a few fox-lengths of mounds of snow before they felt a soft tremor. Startled by the sensation, they stopped in their tracks. The two of them were still young and hadn't yet experienced the terrors of what too much snow could cause in the mountains. Unfortunately, realization dawned on him much too late. The tremors increased in intensity and sure enough, within a matter of seconds that flew by far too quickly, the pair was covered by the snow and swept underneath.
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
Juncostar barely managed to scramble out of the way as the layer of snow beneath them collapsed. He stood in shock for a moment, breath coming in quiet pants as he blinked, wide-eyed, at the tunnel beneath them. What luck the apprentices had had, ending up in there rather than encased in snow. His relief was quickly washed away as the strong scent of blood hit him in the face. Panic rose in his chest, and he creeped to the edge of the tunnel opening, dreading what he was about to see. It was too dark to really get a good look at the damage, but he could, at the very least, see that Wasppaw was mostly unharmed.
Of course he knew that that could only mean that Applepaw was the one with serious injuries, but in that moment the grey tom was more worried about his friend. He squared his paws as Scorpionthroat lifted Wasppaw, leaning carefully to grab the medicine cat apprentice by the scruff. He was shocked at how light the little tom was, and how cold. He carefully pulled him out of the tunnel, lowering him to the ground and wrapping himself around him in hopes he could warm him up even a little. "StarClan's kits, Wasppaw," he breathed, pain in his voice, "You're ice cold. What were you thinking?" It hurt him to see the young tom in this state; he felt like he should have done something to prevent it. Surely there had to have been some way he could've stopped this.
W A S P P A W
"Wasppaw, my dear, they're getting close," he could just barely hear Starling's voice urging him awake. He felt a nudge to his cheek as the mountain cat's spirit prompted him. "You must get up. They will not know where you are if you don't make noise!" Her everlasting serenity shifted into a hiss, displaying just how on edge she really was. But it was thanks to that change in nature that got Wasppaw back on his paws.
"We're down here!" He yelled, his voice already sore and hoarse just from the burn of the cold. His lungs stung and his legs shivered from his own body weight, but he knew that it was now or never. The medicine apprentice shouted and shouted until he felt like he was about to pass out and even then, he kept going. It felt like nothing would ever change down in this hole, until he heard the scuffling of paws from above. Wasppaw huffed, feeling unstable on his paws and his breath coming out in wheezes.
The ceiling caved above them, startling him into hopping backwards before even more snow could fall on him. With the collapse of snow came the overbearingly large form of Scorpionthroat. The very sight of the stunning silver warrior made his jaws go agape, nothing but sparse huffs of his breath mingling into the air as he found himself at a loss for words. Even past the furrowed frown and scowling expression of the warrior, Wasppaw found himself feeling incredibly glad that Scorpionthroat was the first thing he saw outside of the cave.
The pressure of the other tom's snout against his shoulder jostled him out of his blank stare, resulting in him wincing backwards from the shock. The sudden warmth of another, living cat was harsh against his hypothermic skin. That, and the shock and awareness of Applepaw's death had stunned him as well. Before he could apologize for his own recoiling, Scorpionthroat was instructing him to get them out of the rabbit's hole.
"But... But, Applepaw," he muttered, his bi-colored eyes dropping down to the frozen red tom. He wanted to argue more, but the responsibility he felt for his fellow apprentice's death was overwhelming and when Scorpionthroat assured them that they would be back for him, he felt powerless to dispute the warrior. Shakily, he complied, following the silver warrior's guidance and mustering whatever strength he had left to clamber onto the other tom's back.
Scorpionthroat |The Blunt Sword of Shadowclan|
The silver tabby was already on high alert as soon as Juncostar had informed him that Wasppaw had been missing longer than expected. Normally he would not be concerned as many would slip away for hours at a time, but he knew how unstable the mountain had become during this leaf-bare. Snow heavily packed against the mountain ridge, often making the trek through usual paths and short cuts dangerous. Letting the leader take the lead as they search for tracks of the two younger felines. Scorpionthroat had only just found out that not only was Wasppaw missing but a young apprentice; Applepaw. Running his tongue over his fangs as he tries to rein in the worry settling within his stomach. Nostrils flaring as he carefully maneuvers through Shadowclan territory. Only catching faint scent trails here and there of the two missing felines. It wasn’t enough to pinpoint their location, so the two had to rely on more than their sense of smell.
Sharp gaze sweeping the area as they venture further away from camp, ignoring the deep snow biting at his shins and underbelly. For a while they followed the profound paw prints of Wasppaw and Applepaw, thankful that it was not currently snowing to hide away evidence that they passed through. He had no interest in starting pointless conversations with Juncostar, and he could tell the other tom felt the same way. The worry easily detected on the two-toned grey tom, Scorpionthroat mentally noted to keep his distance as Juncostar looked ready to hurl. His sensitive hearing caught on to the older feline near him, muttering curses as they go off trail. Not many stayed on the over used trails, especially in search for herbs during the winter moons. Scorpion could instantly sense a shift in the atmosphere, there was a certain stillness in the air. The type that caused his fur along his shoulders and spine to ruffle with unease.
Silence. Complete silence rang around him, no birds singing their evening songs, no sounds of critters scurrying along the snow. Honey crimson eyes squint at the sudden brightness affecting his sight momentarily. Hunching his tall frame as he inspects the snow, something was different. Brows furrowed as he notices the specks of hoarfrost decorating the white snow. That was very uncommon around the area, as the frost usually only settled at higher altitudes. The odd texture of the frost caused him to shift several times from paw to paw, they were at a dead end. The tracks and scent vanishing into thin air, confirming his thoughts that something had caused the two apprentices’ delay. Breath hitching as he shoulders past turned over pine trees, thick heaps of snow splayed out around them, faint trickles of snow still sliding down the slope. Closing his eyes for a brief moment as it instantly clicks, an decent size avalanche had flooded the area in a sea of snow.
The upturned valley looked almost unrecognizable, thin layer of clouded icy particles glisten in the air. Shivering at the temperature change, turning his chin slightly as he side glances Juncostar. Their expressions both mirrored the other, though the usual stoic silver tabby warrior was quick to mask his emotions. Now was not the time to panic, he needed to keep a calm head if he wanted to find Wasppaw and Applepaw. Ears perking up as he strains to hear anything that would tell him their whereabouts. He already knew that they had to be trapped within the feet of snow, he just hoped that they could get to them in time. Carefully padding around, his large paws pressing slowly and delicately into the deep snow, balancing his weight evenly as he did not want to cause the layered snow to shift even more. Noticing Junco suddenly perk up causes Scorpion to follow swiftly behind him. As he gets closer, only then is he able to hear the muffled yell. He could not distinguish who it was, but prayed it was Wasppaw.
Settling over the source of noise, ears swirling forward as his large paws dig into the snow. Huffing a deep breath, the warmth of his breath fanning and mixing with the cold air. Scooping mounds of snow, tossing it over his broad shoulders, not caring about the snow that got all over him in the process. Shooting the older tom a mild glare at the pointless command. It took everything within him not to scoff at the leader, what did it bloody look like he was doing? Instead he bites his tongue and digs faster. He could feel the snow shifting beneath his paws, telling him that he was getting closer to the pocket that the two apprentices resides in. Taking a deep breath as he swallows his yell of surprise as he falls through. Landing harshly on his paws, sharp sting radiating up his legs, but ignores the pain as his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Turning around quickly until his attention is drawn to the calico tom, huddled against the still form of Applepaw.
Frowning at the strong scent of blood, shuffling closer, hunching into the tunnel. “Wasppaw?” He mutters carefully. The smaller tom was alive and breathing but he could tell that the calico was losing warmth and fast. Once he was close enough, his cold nose presses against Wasppaw’s shoulder, jostling him to gain his attention. “We need to get you home. Both of you” he adds, his unusually concern gaze flickers over Wasppaw, double checking that he did not have any injuries. Sadly his attention is drawn to the lifeless form of Applepaw, a peaceful expression on his muzzle told Scorpionthroat that he did not necessarily die in pain or alone. “Climb onto my back” he orders softly, his mind already whirling as he tries to calculate how to get out of the pocket. Perking up once spotting a topside tree, looked stable enough to climb.
“Juncostar! Be ready to grab Wasppaw when I get close enough!” He calls up, he could just see the leader through the gap he fell in. Turning back to the medicine cat apprentice, “Let’s get you home…don’t worry I will come back for Applepaw” he reassures, there was no way he could leave the body of the former apprentice buried beneath the snow, but first he needed to make sure Wasp got to safety.
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
Panic was beginning to set in the longer they searched for the missing apprentices. Juncostar trusted Wasppaw to handle himself, but he could feel the fear settled in his belly growing stronger with each moment that passed. After what felt like an eternity, he finally picked up Wasppaw and Applepaw's scents, and he followed them through the forest. When the scents suddenly veered off the trail, heading deeper into the forest, Juncostar cursed quietly. "What were they thinking?" he muttered, exasperated. Turning wide eyes on Scorpionthroat, the grey-spattered tom felt his heart squeeze as he realized that there had been an avalanche.
Quickening his step, Juncostar felt icy claws grip his heart. Wasppaw better not be hurt; that tom would never hear the end of it if he so much as got a scrape. Juncostar would never let him live it down. He fought to control his emotions, swallowing the urge to call out for him. The last thing they needed was to cause another avalanche. The fresh layer of snow had hidden any pawprints, as well as wash away the scent trail. Just their luck, they'd have to search blind. With the sun beginning to set, the tom knew they'd have to be quick.
He was beginning to feel hopeless, almost forgetting that he had some-cat with him. Just when it seemed that there was no chance of finding Wasppaw, Juncostar could hear the faint sound of shouting not far off. His head snapped up, ears twitching as he struggled to figure out just where it had come from. He crept in the direction he thought he'd heard it from, carefully placing his paws so as to not fall through should there be a pocket beneath him somewhere.
He stopped suddenly as he heard the younger tom yelling again, this time directly underneath his paws. His heart pounding in his throat, he gestured toward the snow. "Dig," he ordered Scorpionthroat, before beginning to, himself.
warning for mentions of wounds, blood, serious injury, loss of life
W A S P P A W
Wasppaw frowned as his friend struggled to grasp his bearings; it was evident that Applepaw was starting to slip into shock. When the ginger tom made an attempt to move, the ShadowClan calico supported him to a sitting position with as much tender care as he could manage. "I don't care about the herbs," Wasppaw told him bluntly, immediately stifling any worry about their original intention of coming out in this weather. "I'm fine, Applepaw. Let me help you." His priority was saving his friend's life, the herbs weren't important to him. He checked Applepaw's wound again. The bleeding had slowed, or at least, he thought so. It was so hard to tell with the pool of red stains beneath their feet whether or not the wound had actually stopped bleeding. It was such a large gash that he didn't think he could stop the bleeding just with snow, but he also knew that he couldn't keep using it as an absorbent.
He gently removed the snow from Applepaw's wounds, using his tail to brush away the remnants as softly as he possibly was able to. It looked absolutely awful. Just beneath the bubbles of hardened blood, he could see how purple the cut had turned already. Now he was at risk of frostbite and as he quietly assessed the damage, he realized how bad the situation really was. If they didn't get somewhere warm, and fast, Applepaw may never be able to become a warrior.
Wasppaw took a deep breath through his nose, trying to calm himself down. "This might hurt," he warned his friend as he leaned in and began to swipe his tongue rhythmically over the wound. It tasted sour and smelled putrid, but he needed to warm Applepaw up and get the gash as clean as possible. Without water or cobwebs, alternative methods would have to suffice. After he was satisfied, the medicine apprentice told him, "I need you not to move your injury, and don't touch it anymore than I already have. No rubbing, no poking, and don't let it touch the ground or the walls of this den." When he received confirmation from his friend, he added, "Okay. Now we have to try and get you as warm as possible. Can you move?"
He didn't know how much time had passed since they had been swept into this hole by the avalanche. It felt like days, but that just couldn't be right. His body shivered uncontrollably and he worried about how much longer he could tolerate these temperatures. By now, his tail felt like it might fall off and his toes stung. Surely, Hareflight had realized they had been gone for far too long and sent a patrol out by now--right? Wasppaw curled his claws, trying to keep himself steady as well as conscious. He needed to be put together for Applepaw's sake.
He leaned over to check his friend's wound again. It had taken an even worse turn. Not only had it taken the laceration an incredibly long time to stop bleeding but the wound had turned black and it had swollen larger than anything he had ever seen before. Wasppaw gritted his teeth together, frustrated at his own inability to improve the condition Applepaw was in. A lifetime of being praised by his peers for his intellect and he couldn't think of a single thing that would save his friend from losing his limbs.
Panic struck him-- he realized that Applepaw hadn't moved in a bit. He rushed to his friend's side, only slacking with relief when he saw that his flanks were still moving up and down, albeit slowly. "Don't fall asleep!" He hissed, curling himself around the other apprentice, careful to move around his uninjured flank. "You have to stay awake." Wasppaw pressed himself as close as possible against the apprentice's side, trying to share as much body heat as he could. But as more time passed, the longer the two of them shivered helplessly in the cold, he gradually began to realize that he might not be able to save Applepaw's life. I'm so useless, Wasppaw cursed himself, agonized by the shortcomings of his own decisions. I hope he won't condemn me in StarClan. The next time I see him might be in a different life. At least by then, he won't be in pain anymore.
"That's not right, Wasppaw."
He jolted, alarmed by the sudden voice he heard. The healer to-be scrambled haphazardly to his paws, turning to face who had spoken to him. Wasppaw turned to find Starling, the spirit of a mountain cat he had met while on the journey to find the herb that would absorb the oil from the moonstone. Her large frame seemed so out of place in this cramped space, but the gentle warmness of her eyes was more than welcomed.
"Starling! Please, you've got to help us," he urged, "send a message to Hareflight, or Juncostar, or Mellowfrost, let them know where to find us. Applepaw can't last much longer!"
Remorse shown in her serene green gaze and Starling shook her head sympathetically. "I cannot, my nestling. The grounds I walk and the grounds they walk are too different. They cannot hear my voice."
His heart sank with the realization that she might be right. In the mountains, none of his companions had reacted to her presence. At the time he didn't find it unusual, as other cats never saw what he saw but as he recalled what she had said to him about her life in the mountains, about other mountain cats and that her ancestors were different from his, he found himself growing frustrated.
"Then why are you here!?" He demanded, his voice breaking as he shouted at her, "Why have you shown yourself to me, all the way out here, if you can't help me save Applepaw's life?"
The mountain spirit was silent for a moment, her expression unchanging as she accepted Wasppaw's outbursts. "He is not meant to survive," she told him, that same tranquil air of hers everlasting, a stark contrast to the chilling statement. "Wasppaw, you must learn the value of life." As he opened his jaws to speak, Starling interrupted him before a single word could leave his mouth. "No, my nestling. You take the legacy of life for granted."
"Your gift to see the dead has long since tainted how you see the living. You reunite when them once they've passed, a treasure that many do not have. You have lacked the experience of true loss and you have become naïve to the tragedy that is death." Starling's modest nature never altered, despite the harsh words she spoke. Her sage eyes leveled down to Applepaw. "He wanted to become a warrior. He had a long life ahead of him that he wanted to live. He wanted to be a father. A mentor. Maybe even one day, leader. But now, he will never get that chance."
"His fate has been touched by you, Wasppaw. At this time, we must understand the path our paws walk." Starling's words stung deep. As she revealed to him that it had become Applepaw's destiny to die due to his own arrogance, Wasppaw felt a pain unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was beyond shame. Had StarClan made the decision to punish them by teaching them the harshness of reality?
A P P L E P A W
A blinding flash of pain struck Applepaw, shaking him awake and sending his fur sticking straight up. His green eyes turned wildly to Wasppaw and he seemed to settle for a moment until he noticed what the apprentice was doing. He was pressing snow tightly against him. The cold against Applepaw's shoulder both stung and soothed and it wasn't until he glanced over to see what was going on that he fully understood what was happening. Red stained the snow by the pair, forcing Applepaw into a moment of stunned shock. There was so much. The combination of the blood leeching into the snow made it such a bright colour. It looked so unnatural. Was that all from him or was Wasppaw hurt too? He wanted to ask, but the words refused to come up, refused to let him say anything.
Tearing his eyes away from the gruesome scene, Applepaw took a shaky breath, focusing his green eyes on Wasppaw. He slowly worked towards calming himself, breath after breath, but even as he did so he realized he was still shaking. Was that from the shock or maybe the cold? The snow pressed up against his wound had caused a chill to move throughout his body. Blinking his eyes tightly to clear his mind a bit, he glanced over at Wasppaw, trying to meet his eyes. "A-Are you okay? I'm sorry about the herbs, I didn't mean for anything to happen. I shouldn't have got us to come this way and now they're all ruined and..." He trailed off, blinking his eyes a few more times. Come on, get yourself together Applepaw. You'll be a warrior soon, you can't be acting like this. He started to shift, gritting his teeth slightly. "What... do you need? How can I help? What's... useful for me to do?"
warning for mentions of wounds, blood, serious injury!
W A S P P A W
He didn't remember passing out. But when he came to, Wasppaw found himself trapped underneath a layer of snow. Now jolted awake, the calico tom jump-started up to his paws, his eyes darting to his surroundings. He and Applepaw seemed to have been carried away by the avalanche, far enough that they had somehow fallen through an old rabbit's den and were now trapped under the blanket of snow and ice that had carried them here.
Dread welled within him and he forced it down with a heavy swallow. First and foremost, he needed to check for injuries. Start with the basics. The herbs that they had managed to scrounge together were long gone, now all he had to treat any severe injuries was whatever happened to be in the den they had fallen into. Wasppaw first did a quick assessment of himself. From standing up just now, he ascertained that he didn't have any broken limbs. He was a bit sore and bruised, but nothing was broken and he wasn't bleeding out, thankfully. As he moved to check on Applepaw, the calico tom noted that he wasn't feeling dizzy or light-headed. He hadn't hit his head either. Somehow, it seemed that he had gotten incredibly lucky and hadn't seriously injured himself.
That's good, he thought to himself, I can prioritize helping Applepaw. "Applepaw, can you hear me?" Wasppaw called to him, being careful not to move him too hastily as he gently propped the ginger tom up to check him for injuries. Much to his horror, as he inspected his friend, Wasppaw found a piece of ice sticking out of the tom's ginger fur. It was jaggedly cut, like it had been snapped from the ground during the avalanche. How unfortunate that it had found a place in Applepaw's flank.
The calico tom gritted his teeth. Oh, StarClan, what do I do for him? First things first, the ice chard needed to come out. He needed to be prepared to stop the bleeding and to close the wound. But here, trapped under a blanket of snow and without any herbs, how was he going to do that? Acting quickly, Wasppaw shoved his paws into the frozen ground below, clawing out as much snow he could from the den's walls and surface. His paws screamed in protest from the cold, but this was the best thing he could do to save Applepaw's life.
He took a deep breath in through his nose. He took a quick glance at his friend. The other apprentice didn't even appear to be conscious anymore, either be it from blood loss or from the pain, he didn't know. Sorry about this. Bracing himself, Wasppaw gripped the shard of ice between his teeth, gently placed a paw on his friend's shoulder, his other paws planted firmly on the ground, and pulled.
The ice shard thankfully didn't fight him on the way out and it clattered to the ground at their feet. Moving with haste, he grabbed as many piles of snow as he could and used them to soak up the blood pouring from Applepaw's side. It seemed almost like it would never stop, the red that stained the white ground around them. But eventually, as he pressed clumps and clumps of snow against the wound, it finally appeared to slow. A breath of relief puffed out into the air. Perhaps the worst of it was over now.
Scorpionthroat
Shaking his thick silver tabby mane, a deep grunt escaping his lips, his breath clouding around his muzzle with each exhale. Leaf-bare was no doubt here, powered snow has long covered the ground below in a thick blanket. Thankful for his thick pelt, his dark grey paws sinking faintly with each powerful step. Golden honey crimson eyes flicker lazily around the clearing as he re-enters, having spent most of his day outside of camp to clear his thoughts and to enjoy the freezing winter. Ignoring the dampness of his belly fur, specks of white could be seen glistening his pelt before melting due to his body heat. Furrowing his brows as he subsconsciously seeks out the familiar calico pelt of Wasppaw. Their friendship of sorts was an odd one, as the older warrior had went to disliking Wasp to respecting him and even enjoying their little banters, though he would never admit that he enjoys being around him.
Feeling someone glancing at at him causes him to slightly shift his cranium, his piercing gaze clashing with Juncostar. It was odd that the newly made leader would pay much attention to the silent and moody titanium silver tabby. Arching a singular brow at him, wondering what the leader had in store for him this time. Parting his lips, air rising in his throat as he begins to speak but is cut off with Juncostar greeting him briefly before getting straight to the point. Feeling his muscles involuntarily tense as the other's words sink in. "Why? Is he not in camp?" he questioned, his deep voice remaining level and smooth though inwardly he was already on high alert. Why wouldn't he? Especially with his leader personally asking him to help find the medicine cat apprentice.
"He left camp on his own?" Scorpionthroat frowns, just what was Wasppaw thinking? Leaving camp on his own--in this weather? "Of course I will help" he adds, realizing he had not agreed to Juncostar's request. Tilting his head slightly as a motion for his leader to take the lead. A small scowl of worry painting onto his sharp features, his golden red eyes flickering to the ground, hoping for any tracks that would indicate Wasppaw's whereabouts. 'That idiot better be okay or I am going to kill him' was the only thought running through his racing mind.
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
Juncostar wanted to believe Hareflight that there had to be some simple explanation, but he couldn't ignore the hollow feeling in his stomach. "Yeah, you're probably right..." he conceded, but his brows remained furrowed, and his paws itched to go searching. As the medicine cat spoke again, asking him to go look, the tom felt the tension in his shoulders ease. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, standing quickly. "Thank you," he groaned, "Of course I'll go check on them. It shouldn't take too long, right?" He forced a tight smile, giving a single nod before ducking out of the den.
As he made his way across camp toward the entrance, he walked past a tom he'd seen hanging out with Wasppaw pretty frequently. He paused, blinking a few times, before turning to address the tom behind him. "Hey, Scorpionthroat," he meowed, tipping his head in the direction he'd been heading. "Come with me. We're gonna go find Wasppaw," he explained, waiting for some kind of confirmation before he turned and continued on his way.
H A R E F L I G H T
Hareflight had been sneaking glances out towards the clearing all day, waiting to catch a glimpse of her apprentice. It wasn't that she didn't think he could manage this - far from it, actually - but she still worried. Hareflight just worried. It was just part of her nature. However, he had to do this at some point and what better time than now with her so focused on looking after Crash. When she caught Juncostar's scent drifting in the den, she was hardly surprised to find the sound of lighthearted complaints following close behind. What she didn't expect was for him to change the subject over to Wasppaw and his herb gathering expedition.
She hummed softly at his words, leaving Crash's side to stand in the opening of her den, glancing at the sky. It had been a while. "I-I'm sure they're fine but... Well, I saw Wasppaw take another apprentice who hasn't been out herb gathering before, s-so maybe it took a wh-while for him to catch on." Despite Hareflight's reassuring words, there was a feeling of dread settling in her and while she had never been closely connected to StarClan, she had always tried to follow her gut. She sucked in a deep breath, glancing back at Crash and back to Juncostar. "Still... Would you? Ch-Ch-Check on them, I mean. Just in case... Maybe they need, uh, help bringing back the rest of the herbs or s-something." There was no way this was the case. No way they had found enough for this to be a concern. "W-With Crash here.... A-And I should be here in case anyone needs me." That was her job, as much as she felt like rushing out to find Wasppaw. "Just check on them for m-m-me? Please?" She gave Juncostar a worried smile, but she already knew he'd go. He cared about the calico apprentice as well and, well, he was leader now. This was his job as much as her being here was hers.
"I- Thank you, Juncostar. F-For thinking of him."
A P P L E P A W
Applepaw had never minded Wasppaw, really. Like many of the other cats, he had been nervous around the other, but he had never agreed with those who had made fun of him either. Applepaw had kept a safe distance, but admittedly, Wasppaw seemed interesting. After this expedition, Applepaw could safely say he actually liked Wasppaw. He was friendly and so kind and never made Applepaw feel like he was dumb for not knowing these things. He hoped they could become friends. Wasppaw was so nice.
It was clear that Applepaw was so deeply in awe of Wasppaw's knowledge of so many things. So, when the opportunity came for Applepaw to show off a shortcut he knew, he absolutely did. "Hey, let's cut through this way! Yeah, we'll probably be up to our chins in snow, but it's the shortcut to camp. We'll get there quicker." The ginger apprentice offered Wasppaw a wholehearted grin and started to go forward, with Wasppaw close by. As Applepaw felt a tremor in the ground, he knew he had made a mistake, but he didn't know the sheer weight of his mistake until he was taken completely off his feet by snow. Snow that closed in. Very quickly. "WASPPAW-!" Applepaw let out a shriek of pure fear before the snow covered the pair, cutting him off. By the stars, it was cold. Applepaw knew snow was cold, he wasn't an idiot, but this was a different kind of cold, cutting right through his thin fur and seemingly into his bones. It was suffocating too and so heavy. Oh, he just had to show off, didn't he? Now, he had messed things up for him and Wasppaw. He hoped Wasppaw was okay... The herbs would be ruined...
#melrps #hareflight #applepaw
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
It was starting to get cold-- way too cold. Juncostar enjoyed the cold normally, but this day was especially bitter. He couldn't help but be thankful he'd inherited his mother's thick fur, instead of his father's thin pelt. He didn't think he'd have survived otherwise. Dramatic as ever, the tom had slipped away to Hareflight and Wasppaw's den, just in time to catch the medicine cat apprentice heading out to collect herbs. He decided he'd spend his day holed up in there, at least until the sun broke through the clouds.
The grey-spattered tom was mid-complaint, whining again about how his paw pads stung from the cold, when he realized it was starting to get late. His voice trailed off, his brows furrowing, as he began to wonder where Wasppaw was. "Hey, uh, Hareflight?" he ventured, "How long does it normally take to get those herbs? Shouldn't they be back by now?" He felt his stomach drop; surely it shouldn't have taken this long. "I think... Y'think we should go look for them?" he suggested, sounding hesitant. He didn't want to suggest that Wasppaw wasn't capable of gathering herbs on his own, but something didn't feel right about this.