Return from the Gathering

[Onyxdart]

Moving with as hurried a pace as he dared, Warfox arrived in Stoneclan camp, bearing Blindsong still on his back. He said nothing at all, but went into the center of the camp, regardless of anyone, and crouched, letting Blindsong's body gently to the ground. He stepped back then, allowing any to come forward who would to pay their respects.

Perhaps he should say something, rather than leave everyone who had not gone wondering?

"The Gathering has been violated. Several strange toms came to the gathering, and no one realized the problem until it was far too late. Snowstar, Dragonpelt, and Pinedark are chasing down the escaped kits," he said, loud enough to be heard. That was probably enough until Snowstar returned.

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Spellbound padded up to Blindsong's body quietly. He'd found a very pretty rock on the way back- multicolored, just like the she-cat. He set it down near her and pushed it with his nose until it was against her fur. He didn't know why he thought it fitting, only that he did. Then he stepped away, though not to sit near Warfox. He sat a little bit apart, head down, considering everything that had happened of late.

Then he tilted his head and looked up at Starclan. And what did the old wise ones and the dear departed think of all this?

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[Lostcause]

<sub>T H E R E, at the center of the clearing, sat a pretty young black and white she-cat. She lay with her head tucked down, her paws under her white chest tightly as if to block away sleep itself. Her eyes opened up slowly, granite gray-blue they were, shining down upon the rocky land below her, then up at Warfox as he spoke. Shortly before the gathering, Snowstar had accepted her, but elected not to bring her along.

Either way, the she-cat was fond of the obsidian black she all the same. Her eyes shifted to look at Spellbound, frowning. He looked so upset, and it only had to take one glance at his fallen comrade to understand. A stone was placed at her side.. Much like her color on her pelt. She sat down beside him and nudged him in a comradely sort of way. Sorry for the loss of your mate She said softly, not quite getting clan customs. The scene was touching all the S A M E.</sub>

[Onyxdart]

Spellbound looked over at the black and white she-cat, head tilted curiously for a moment. He hadn't known she was even in the clan.

With a flip of his tail, he motioned at Blindsong.

"She wasn't my mate, unless you mean that as friend. She was nice to everyone," he said to her.

"I don't believe I have ever met you here before, but you must be part of the Clan because otherwise you wouldn't be here, would you?" he asked politely.

"I'm Spellbound," he said with a slight nod of his head.

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[Lostcause]

She looked relatively curious, then she frowned.

I.. I am not allowed to be here? Snowstar, is what she's called, she came and accepted me just before many of the other cats 'go to the gathering' is what she said. She said 'nice to meet you Lostcause, and I want you to listen to myself and my deputy when there is one. Welcome to Stoneclan' is what she said. Oh, by the way, that's my name. She smiled. Lostcause.

It is very nice to meet you, Spellbound. She looked down at the now deceased cat, a light frown, almost but not quite like thinking. What was her name, if I may ask?

[Bovine]

Jadepaw hurried into the camp after Warfox, her tail prickling in distress.
She barely even noticed the other Clan members as she walked towards the now-cold body of Blindsong.
Before she approached though, she gave a mournful glance to her friend, Spellbound, in accknowledgement.

Curling her tail up into her chest; her heart beat so hard, she thought it may burst from her ribcage...
Jadepaw lowered her nose to the queen's fur and murmured a barely-audible goodbye...It was painful, yes?
The death of a clanmate?
She certainly believed it to be.
Blindsong had been a friend to all of StoneClan; always kind.

As she grudgingly stood again, she padded silently to Spellbound's side, head lowered. In an expression of her exhaustion, the petite she-cat leaned wearily on the tom's side.
She hoped he wouldn't mind.

[Lucky]

Silverwhisker padded into camp sulkily. He promised himself he'd sit vigil. He sighed as he looked at the body. As if these Clans didn't have enough problems.

He looked around at the cats talking. Is... is it ok... ok if I went ahead and... went ahead and sat vigil?

He walked a bit closer to the group. Looking sadly at the corpse, he twitched sadly and nervously. She was a great cat. I don't want to damage her body and cause disrespect. His eyes scanned up and down the body, and they locked on the she-cat's tail.

She's already been damaged. Stupid canibals...

[Onyxdart]

Spellbound looked from Blindsong's body to Lostcause, with her puzzling frown.

"Blindsong." he answered as Jadepaw came over and leaned on him. He shifted to keep himself from leaning so far as to fall over, and nuzzled Jadepaw on the top of her head.

"Y'alright, little one?" he asked her. He'd probably always call her little one, because she was a little one to him, and he'd met her hwen she'd been just a kit. After long enough thinking of her as "little one" in his mind, the name was stuck, even if she wasn't still Jadekit, but Jadepaw, now.

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[Rhapsody]

Jadepaw gave a slight nod, and a quite glance up at the warrior, then back down to the rocky floor of the camp.
Y..her voice gave an involuntary shudder, Yeah. I'll be fine...I guess I just need some sleep.
There was more to it than that, she knew, but she needn't worry herself or others.
Shifting her weight a little, she tucked her little legs beneath her as she layed down, still leaning a bit on the tom.
She would not sleep just yet.
Despite her better judgement and earlier statement, she decided that she was going to stay awake for a while longer.
Maybe just until the kits had been returned safely.

[Onyxdart]

He nodded once at Jadepaw, looking down at her curiously, like maybe he could read her mind and figure what else was wrong.

He was a magic cat, but not that magic. Finally he sighed and left her to her own thoughts, figuring if she needed anyone to talk to she'd speak up.

"Ah, well, it was a bad gathering anyway, so I am glad you didn't experience it as your first," he said to Lostcause, thoughtfully.

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[Bovine]

DEMN RAHTS! GIT OWT OHF CEMP! OWT, OWT!
That distinct, thickly accented voice boomed from above, a few ledges up, as a bulky, fluffy frame uncerimoniously skidded down to ground level, sending tiny pebbles a'flying.
Who else but Lostthought?
It was clear that he was chasing a rat. This rat was not like the wild ones though, it was a cream color and wore a red bow around its neck.
How odd.
Regardless, the odd Birman tom pelted after it, monstrous paws thudding the ground in hot pursuit. It was quite embarrassing sometimes how he could be so oblivious to a situation.
Nonetheless, he followed the darn thing all across camp, until it found a crack in the wall, squeezing its way in, in a way only pesky rodents could.
Not quite aware, because of him dedicating his line of vision to the vermin and it alone, Lostthought's skull intorduced itself, quite loudly, I might add, to a stone wall.
THUNK
The camp was suddenly filled with his voice, booming out curses in a foreign tongue.

[Lostcause]

N O W, Lostcause gave a curious and rather bewildered look. She.. didn't want to go to the gathering..? This one, at least. She looked down at the body of Blindsong, the blood still young on her. She pondered at this. It was her first night here, and a cat was Killed? Did they do this every night? Every gathering? She was saved the trouble of asking as a loud accented voice filled the camp.

She turned to look at Lostcause as he bolted through the terrain past them after a little bowed mouse. Oh, look, someone gave him a present! But it appeared it had gotten away. Now, Lostcause was blonde, not so brilliant, so she trotted over keenly to sit beside Lostthought. However, being ever Lostcause, she thought it was a different language. She was thrilled that she understood it! A little, at least.

She bowed next to him, peering into the hole.

Etskoozmeh, boot doo joo need 'elp catching dos demn rahts?

Lostcause was simply oblivious, not meaning to cause anyone any shame in any accent, nonetheless Lostthought. In fact, she seemed simply delighted at the chance to use this new 'language'! My, she believed she learned quickly.

[Onyxdart]

Spellbound grinned as Lostthought went tearing by after a rat. A really weird rat. The grin widened as Lostcause went after the tom and spoke to him. Laughing quietly to himself, Spellbound sidled over and peered in the hole, then looked at Lostthought.

"What's with the bow?" he asked, which was a terribly unrelated question. He looked at Lostcause, a wee bit confused. She was just trying to sound like Lostthought? Was it really possible she didn't know he just had an accent? That really seemed to be it.

She didn't seem to catch on to much, this she-cat. But it was alright by Spellbound- at least she was nice. You can't very well dislike someone just because they aren't sharp as a tack. And she wasn't stupid, she just... didn't seem to get some things. That was what Spellbound thought, anyway.

Besides, he was happy for the distraction provided by a new person.

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[Bovine]

Lostthought had been holding a paw to his forehead, still muttering curses, when a she-cat had appeared at his side.
She seemed to be using a rather strange accent...it puzzled him slightly.
Cocking his head to the side, Lostthought spoke,
Ai cehn't catch raht, noobahdy ehbl too cehtch heem, nah. He shook his head from one side to another. Then suddenly, he jumped up in that spazztic way of his, fluffing out his fur. HE TREECKY!
Lostthought stood there for a moment with a laughably quizical look on his face, looked to the crack, and then back to where a tom had appeared.
Ach. E's weerd raht. Weerd bohw on heem nehk, yah. 'E noht frahm heer, yah. Twolehg peht, heem wahs, Ai ahm theenking.
As he sat there, the tip of his tail twitched from side to side, in an annoyed manner...He didn't like to be beaten.
Especially not by a rodent.

VENDETTAAAA~

[Onyxdart]

Spellbound tilted an ear at Lostthought. He looked from the crack to the other cat several times. Then he shrugged. A weird rat alright.

"It'd probably taste funny, anyway. I mean, who knows what they put in those things. They got all this nonsense with needles and things and they're always stickin' ya with em. I say we leave it alone," he said, waving one paw at the crack the rat had disappeared into. He wasn't sure rats even went to vets, but it made a good excuse, anyway. Better than "No on can catch rats." Spellbound had caught rats, though he'd never chased one down and then caught it.

But he wasn't about to tell the crazy tom either of these things, one for fear of insulting him, the other for fear of insulting himself.

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[Onyxdart]

I know, I know. No twice posting. But this seemed a better idea.

Pinedark padded into camp carrying Rowdykit, with the other two following her. She was exhausted, and she was sure the kits were even more tired. When she got near enough everyone else, she set Rowdykit down very gently.

"Where's Chainless?" she hollered. And for that matter, where was Loveless? She sat down and yawned, a jaw cracking, tongue lolling yawn. Then she looked around, for anyone who might be inclined to help out a little here, and find Chainless.

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[Bovine]

Jadepaw had dozed off, but with the sudden influx of noise, she couldnt help but be roused from the light sleep.
Pinedark had just entered now, carrying one of the escaped kits; Rowdykit.
Suddenly unaware of her own exhaustion, Jadepaw bounded from her spot, to stand before the warrior; licking anxiously at the kit's downy head, like a worried mother.
Jadepaw looked up at the she-cat, while still rasping a tongue over Rowdykit's head like a fussy queen on occassion, and spoke.
I'm afraid I haven't seen Chainless around for quite some time. I'm sure she'll turn up soon. The medicinecat apprenetice was trying to reassure herself more than anything. But in the meantime, I'm here; Just tell me what's needed.

My my, how this young one spoke far beyond her years.

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[Lucky]

Silverwhisker had heard Jadepaw. He decided to go and make sure she was alright. He got up and looked around, and found her among other cats.

Hello, Jadepaw, he mewed, a tinge of sorrow in his voice, I see you've been training hard and well. I'm sure Chainless is very proud of you. So am I.

He looked at the other cats around her.

Well, don't let me get in your way. But... Um... Do you need any help?

[Bovine]

Jadepaw looked up to the silvery tom who had spoken to her and have a small smile and a nod in weary thanks.
I'm sure I'm not all that great, really. Oh ho ho modesty. Thank you, Silverwhisker.
She dipped her head once more to the warrior.
How kind of him.

[Onyxdart]

Pinedark smiled at Jadepaw. She'd even forgotten Chainless had an apprentice.

"I don't know... he got smashed by a bigger cat and hurt his leg," she said, motioning to Rowdykit. Then she looked at the other two, "And they ran all the way to Rogue Meadow, through bushes and all, and the Rogue picked Tempestkit up wrong and hurt the back of his neck, and he bit Autumnkit's paw." She didn't even seem to notice Silverwhisker, and talked right over him almost as if she hadn't heard a word he said. Well, she felt this was urgent- and yes, she was going to talk over anyone who got in the middle of what she was trying to handle.

"Snowstar said to help ya out with anything if you needed help, so just tell me what to do," she added a moment later. Then she looked right at Silverwhisker. Maybe she had known he was there the entire time. She flashed a really quick smile at him just to note he was there and that she wasn't annoyed, and then returned her attention ot Jadepaw.

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[Lucky]

Silverwhisker laughed. You need not be so modest Jadepaw, everyone knows your grea...

He realized with a start that Pinedark was there. He smiled. Oh... Um.. Hello Pindedark! Where you helping... um... helping... Jadepaw? Well... well please... let me not intrude...

He was awfully twitchy around her, almost like when he was around Chainless, only a bit more. She looked shy to him, but he wasn't sure. He just looked away, a small smile on his face, and stepped back a pawstep.