ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥 ✦ 𝟚𝟝 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕤 Rye returned Lightningwind's smile, and flicked her ears as her old friend looked lost in thought for a moment. She swished her brown tail thoughtfully as he inquired again about her reason for being so far from home, half expecting another interruption. "Well... My housefolk. They've been... gone. For a while. But I'm sure they'll be back!" She added cheerily, but her forced positivity wasn't enough to convince even herself. Deep down, Rye knew they weren't coming back, but she wasn't ready to accept it yet. "But I've had to go search for food, and... sometimes I wander pretty far away. The nest is so quiet..." She trailed off, the sadness that had been pushed to the back burner for most of the day suddenly creeping back in. As Bunnypaw called out, Rye followed the clan cats over to the fallen log where a little spotted tail could be seen jutting out from one end. Muffled whimpers echoed inside the trunk, and the pup's small hind paws scrabbled feebly in the dirt. Rye's heart broke for the little dog, and for Raya, who was clearly distraught. While the others worked to get him out, rubbing the aloe into his fur and tugging on his body, Rye leapt atop the log. Vines and moss grew over the wood like the pelt of a cat, feeling cool beneath her paws. She had never really come out this far into the woods before this, and for just a moment, she relished the feeling of just being out in nature, before snapping back to the rescue at hand. She located a small hole that had rotted away in the bark, and stuck her muzzle in as much as she could fit. The puppy's plaintive whimpers turned to loud yelps, and Rye winced for a moment at the shrill sound. The poor thing must be terrified, Rye thought. After all, they had no idea how long he had been stuck in there, and suddenly a bunch of paws started pulling on his abdomen and slathering slimy plant pulp all over his fur, and now there was some cat sticking her face into his. Just enough sunlight filtered in from the other end of the log for her to make out the dog's face. Fear and exhaustion shone in his big brown eyes, and he was shaking like a leaf in a storm. "Don't worry, sweet pup, we're gonna get you out," Rye attempted to tell the puppy in her best dogspeak, hoping that even if she jumbled up the words, her gentle tone would still convey her meaning. She reached a paw in to stroke the pup's head, attempting to soothe the poor thing enough to at least get it to stop kicking its legs at the cats trying to pull it out. It seemed to work decently enough; Rye could no longer hear little paws scraping the ground, at least. "Shhh, shhh...." She continued trying to pacify him, until she heard the wood beginning to splinter, and with a loud crack the little whelp was yanked from the hollowed trunk. A commotion was heard, and Rye pulled her head from the hole to see Oceanstorm sitting atop a rather disgruntled-looking Lightningwind. That was twice today somebody flattened the poor tom. Despite her best efforts to stifle a laugh, Rye giggled loudly. "Are you okay?" She asked, amusement evident in her voice. The puppy seemed happy too; despite his exhaustion and sap-sticky pelt, he skipped in excited little circles around his mother. Both of their tails were wagging fiercely. Rye felt an odd sense of joy envelop her at the heartwarming sight. It felt good to be part of a group working together for a good cause, even if she felt she didn't contribute all that much. Maybe the stories of vicious mean cats in the woods didn't hold that much truth, after all.

ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥 ✦ 𝟚𝟝 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕤 It was strange, Rye thought, how quickly things seemed to change in life. How best friends from kithood can vanish in an instant. How they can reappear as total strangers seasons later. How families can raise you, then leave you behind. And how on a normal day- well, relatively normal at least, one could go from drearily wandering the familiar fence-tops to being suddenly whisked away on some strange adventure with even stranger cats. Of course, Rye had heard of the forest cats who dwelled beyond the city, be it either from neighborhood gossip or tales told to city kits. Every cat had a different story of them, some recounting vicious, scarred cats who battled each other and ate house cats for breakfast, and others describing strange cults of cats who worshipped the sky. Some words were familiar to Rye, like 'clans' and 'leaders', though she had little understanding of what those things meant. The dappled molly still felt shaken as she was forced to her feet by the hurried departure of the strange group, owing to both her tumble from the fence and seeing Felix- no, 'Lightningwind'. The name felt so strange and foreign to her ears, though one constant in the rumors was that the cats from the woods bore odd names. She barely had any time to acknowledge the mixed reactions she was greeted with from the other cats- the bengal tom's annoyance, the dark-colored she-cat's amusement, the young calico's excited hello, or the absence of much response at all from her friend in his haste. She wondered if she could even call him that now. There were so many questions whirling around in Rye's mind but it was clear that whatever these forest cats were here for was too urgent for Lightningwind to answer them now. Looking for a dog? Rye shook her head in response to Lightningwind's inquiry. Of course, she had seen dogs pretty much every day as they were just as common as cats in the neighborhood, but knew nothing of one going missing. She certainly couldn't guess why a bunch of cats would want to go looking for one. While it was true not all dogs were slobbering aggressive beasts, Rye still wasn't eager about the rest. Her tufted ears perked up as the ginger tom began telling his story, the parts she did know. Her question about their friendship was answered when Lightningwind talked about her. She had no idea that she had such a big impact on him. She knew something wasn't right about her friend's home, but never really understood the extent of things. They were just kits back then, after all. It broke her heart to realize how bad things really were for her friend. She was still swept up in her emotions when Lightningwind asked how she was. She lifted her yellow-green gaze to meet his, then looked back down at her cream-colored paws when she was suddenly reminded of her current situation. "Oh, Fel- um, Lightningwind, I-" Rye was once again cut off, this time by a growl from the bushes ahead. Just how many surprises was she going to have today? She froze in fear momentarily when the large dog charged out from the bushes and the fight ensued. She hung back, appreciative of Oceanstorm stepping between the dog and her, but rushed in to help Lightningwind up when he was pinned down. A moment later, she recognized the dog and relaxed her muscles a bit. It was clear Lightningwind did too. Raya was the one exception to Rye's distaste for canines. She had always been gentle. Rye of course understood the conversation between her and the warrior, having probably the most time spent around dogs out of the whole group. At least some of the tension seemed to be lifted from the group. Rye still felt pretty awkward among these ThunderClan cats, but continued to tag along on their quest, even when they continued into the woods. Bunnypaw seemed eager and sweet, though the others still seemed skeptical or indifferent towards her. Mostly, she just wanted to talk to Lightningwind, and hoped she would get the opportunity soon. As Bunnypaw took off excitedly searching, Rye caught up to her old friend and walked at his shoulder. "I know you're... kind of in the middle of something, you and these cats. And I'm sure you'll have to return to your... ThunderClan, when this is all over," Rye spoke softly, giving the tom a smile. "But when you can... I would really love to catch up. And you should have visited me sooner if you were this close all along!" She flicked him with her brown tail in a teasing manner. What an odd day it had been so far.

ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥 Nine sunrises ago, Rye's housefolk vanished. She didn't know why or where they went, but she spent each dawn eagerly waiting in the window of the now-empty dwelling, and each evening after that sleeping in the garden, hoping the sound of their return might stir her. There had been times before that her people would leave for a few days, but they always came back, and they always made sure someone kept her fed in the meantime. But now, the house was empty of all their human belongings, and the rooms were dark and silent. No loving hands greeted Rye in the morning. No footsteps on the porch were to be heard in the afternoon. No kibble filled her bowl, which was one of the only things left behind. Besides Rye herself, that is. Another silent sunrise today. Another morning spent listlessly watching the sparrows peck and rummage through the seeds below the bird feeder that grew emptier each day and never filled back up. And another afternoon of Rye ambling through the other yards, desolate, with a forlorn peridot-green gaze only half focused on where each paw was going. She didn't exactly have a destination. She mostly only took these walks to get away from the crushing silence, and either win the kindness of other housefolk for a meal or get lucky with her rudimentary hunting ability. Other cats lazed about in their yards as Rye passed along the fences. Some housefolk were outside talking, laughing, or working. Rye's heart panged. She shook out her dappled cream and brown coat, as if in attempt to stave off the fear that she'd never hear her own family's voices again. With such faraway thoughts troubling her, Rye didn't hear the voices of strange cats only a fence away from her. She absently sprang up to cross over, but misjudged her leap and found herself tumbling from the top of the wooden wall, right into someone else's pelt. Before she could even realize what had happened, striking paws sent Rye rolling on the ground. She was dazed for a moment, and tried to stammer out a sheepish apology to whoever it was that she had just clumsily plummeted down on top of, until the strange tom's words confused her even further. He knows my name? Rye thought with a bewildered flick of her tufted brown ears. "How-" She started, trailing off as suddenly the tom's ginger stripes and dark blue eyes clicked in her memory. "Felix?" Flashes from a distant past briefly enveloped Rye's mind, of a warmer, cozy time when she was just a kit. Back then, she never ventured further than her own little garden, or the next- where Felix lived. The two would visit one another almost every day. She could still remember some of the games they used to play, like scaring the birds around Rye's housefolk's feeder or chasing each other beneath the rose bushes. She spent many days back then worrying about Felix after he disappeared with his young sibling. But the cat standing in front of her now was nearly unrecognizable from the little ginger kit in Rye's memory. She continued to stare at him in disbelief, only half noticing the company of other cats behind him.

𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕥 ✦ 𝕋𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟 It was heart-wrenching to watch the young, innocent Bunnypaw crouch beside her denmate and attempt to groom his cold fur. Stagfrost felt a little guilty that he had been so taken aback by the sight of Alderpaw's body, when the tiny she-cat didn't hesitate to spring to her friend's side. She clearly had a big heart, even if it was a weak one. Moved by the scene, Stagfrost steadied himself and swallowed down the nausea. Then Bunnypaw separated the fur on Alderpaw's neck. Claw marks in the shape of R, clear as day, still crimson red against the young tom's pelt. Bunnypaw's shaky voice pained him, and as Hazelface gently guided her aside, and Figpaw muttered quiet prayers while he tended the body, an ache began to grow in Stagfrost's heart. The initial shock of the terrible discovery had waned, replaced by grief and... fury. This wasn't just some random dog or badger attack. It was no accident. It was so deliberate, so methodical, down to carving an R right into Alderpaw's flesh. The killer wouldn't have done this if they didn't mean for the ThunderClan cats to see it. They wouldn't have so delicately posed the body to appear as if Alderpaw was sleeping like a cruel insult. "It was no warrior, Bunnypaw. No cat with a code could have hurt your friend like this." When Figpaw and Lightningwind agreed to take Alderpaw back to the camp, Stagfrost wasted no time gently wedging his shoulder beneath the small body. He helped the others hoist the weight of their Clanmate, and shifted the stiff corpse upon his back as well as he could manage. It didn't faze him at this point; the scent didn't hold a candle to the mixture of dismay and anger weighing down his heart. Lightningwind's hushed meow of warning grabbed Stagfrost's attention, and as his Clanmates' hackles rose, he felt his fluffy tail prickling with unease as well. Without a word, Stagfrost quickly helped Figpaw and Hazelface surround Bunnypaw in a defensive circle; well, as quickly as he could with Alderpaw draped across his shoulders; and got moving at a brisk pace. "Did you see something back there, Lightningwind?" Stagfrost asked quietly after a few minutes of hurried walking, only to go unanswered as the ginger tom's attention was pulled away by something else. He watched the older warrior make his way through the ferns that lined the bank of the stream, and Stagfrost's blood began to rush again, that same dreadful sensation in his paws he felt earlier when he heard Hazelface cry out. He didn't need to notice the cloud of flies or the greater stench this time. He knew. In his gut, he already knew what Lightningwind had found. Turning away, Stagfrost felt himself go cold and resumed the hike towards camp with the burden of both Alderpaw's remains and the knowledge that Lilywing was down there by that stream in the same condition. He couldn't bring himself to look. He couldn't see her like that. "I'll leave Alderpaw outside of the camp entrance, between the holly bushes, so that no cat has to see him or the others if they don't want to," he spoke in a numb, vacant voice. "And I'll send for some help to get the others."

𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕘𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕥 ✦ 𝕋𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟 It had been days since the disappearances of three ThunderClan cats began to raise hackles and questions among the Clan. An air of unease lay thick as snow upon the camp, despite the warm new-leaf sun beaming above. It seemed all the cheeriness had gone from the world, and the normally noisy and bustling home of the Clan cats was somber and quiet. This in part was due to the constant search parties that left the camp quite empty. Warriors had been scouring the territory for signs- a track to follow, a scent trail, even a tuft of fur- and so far, they'd all returned empty-pawed. Even the normally upbeat and energetic Stagfrost felt ill at ease. When word first began to spread about Alderpaw, Stagfrost didn't think too much of it. He figured the apprentice had probably wandered off on an adventure (as Stagfrost himself was prone to do at that age) while Hazelface wasn't watching, despite the molly being far from negligent, and that he'd likely return before nightfall. And when nightfall came, and Alderpaw did not, he too began to worry. Another couple of days had passed, cats had searched, and suddenly Lilywing and Spiderpelt turned up missing as well. This really shook the Clan; Stagfrost in particular was quite close with Lilywing during their apprenticeships and knew her to be a responsible and cautious cat. She had stopped him from recklessly jumping into trouble on numerous occasions, even after she earned her warrior name and left the den before him. Spiderpelt he never knew particularly well, but knew he was a generally well-liked cat too. The thick-furred tabby buried his claws in the soft earth outside the warriors den, feeling the grass tear between his toes and clenching his teeth against the anxiety growing in his chest. He had tried to force himself to rest before inevitably joining another search team, but sleep came fragmented and with difficulty. It didn't matter. The gnawing worry in his gut was plenty enough to drive Stagfrost onward. It wasn't long before Lightningwind called him for patrol, and he quickly heeded the warrior's summon. Unsurprisingly, Hazelface was already part of the group forming around the ginger tom. It was obvious to any cat how worried she was about her apprentice, and rightly so. Bunnypaw joining, however, did surprise Stagfrost. He briefly wondered to himself if it was a good idea to bring a young apprentice along, not knowing what they might find out there, but he didn't question Lightningwind. An extra nose couldn't hurt, after all. Stagfrost noted Figpaw's appearance at Hazelface's side and nodded, mostly to himself. It was a solid team. Though Lightningwind only said they were off to patrol, Stagfrost figured they'd end up searching for the missing cats as everyone had been. The patrol departed with Lightningwind heading the group, and no one spoke for a while. Stagfrost's weary, deep green eyes flicked ceaselessly from side to side as they made their way through the forest. He peered between the oaks, into the shadows beneath the bramble and over the swaths of fresh green undergrowth straining to glimpse any sign of Lilywing and the others. Hardly a sound was made by the patrol trudging along the trail save for soft pawsteps and anxious breaths. As the cats traveled deeper into the woods and the group broke apart to search, Stagfrost made sure to keep Bunnypaw within his sight. One apprentice had already vanished, and they couldn't be too careful protecting the most vulnerable of ThunderClan's members. "Bunnypaw, make sure you don't wander off alone," he cautioned. He spoke softly, as he didn't want to scare her, even though he was sure any cat could sense the tension regardless. Stagfrost made his way quietly through the brush, nose to the wind, when he froze as he caught the faintest whiff of something... very wrong. He couldn't even open his jaws to call out to the others before he heard Hazelface's shout. His heart dropped and without a second thought he took off racing towards Hazelface's voice. He knew by her tone it wasn't good news. His blood turned cold but he did his best to steel his nerves against the growing stench as he got closer. With a glimpse back to make sure Bunnypaw was coming too, Stagfrost broke through the row of foliage around the oak tree where Hazelface stood. His eyes met hers in silence just a moment before they met the gruesome scene before her. The scent of death and decay nearly choked him. A moment of shock paralyzed the young tabby warrior, spiking all of his long wily fur up before he moved himself between Bunnypaw and the body. He certainly didn't want her to see it; he didn't even want to see it himself. He knew all of the anguish and terror he felt at the sight of Alderpaw's corpse paled in comparison to the pain Hazelface must be feeling. He couldn't possibly find words for her, but he brushed her flank with his tail sympathetically. It was an incomprehensible act of evil. Did Lilywing and Spiderpelt meet the same fate? Did they find who did this? Or did the killer find them? Fearful thoughts spun in Stagfrost's mind. He felt dizzy, and he wasn't sure if it was the sickening fear or the smell.