the _ w r e c k a g e .

[Kest]

Kestrel had never been more exhausted.

Her body was bruised and battered. Blood still welled from the deep cuts ringing her neck.
She wanted only to return home, set her Clan in order, and sleep for a moon.
Then and only then would she celebrate.

Kestrel lead her Clan across the hilly terrain toward the camp. She was panting lightly and her legs wobbled with each step.

The gray and white she-cat topped a rise and accelerated into a run. The entrance to the camp was just ahead, and she was eager to reach its' security.

She was the first to enter the camp.
The first to realize that something was terribly, terribly wrong here.

There was blood everywhere.
It was smudged into the sand across the entire camp, splashed partway up the walls. Bloody pawprints lead from one side to the other and out.
Kestrel's heart squeezed out a few shocked beats. The smell of blood stung her nose.
This was not the homecoming she had expected.

A bloody lump of flesh lay beside the nursery. It was roughly cat-sized, but its fur was too torn and heavy with blood for the color to show through. The wide sea of blood around the thing was slowly congealing in the cool air.
Kestrel felt sick and agonized just looking at it. She had no idea who it could be -if it was even a cat at all-, but they were definately dead.

And then: the worst thing.
Just inside the den, all lined up side by side, lay five tiny bodies.
Kits.
Dead, crushed, and bloody kits.

Kestrel snarled ferociously, her claws pulling out to spear the sand.
Her mismatched eyes flared hot yellow and sharp blue.

Whoever is responsible for this will die.
I will tear their heart from their worthless chests!

I mean it.

[Battlecry]

<sub>"The black Boneclan cat," Came a voice, and Bluerage emerged from the Nursery Den, just out of the darkness. She looked a great amount thinner, marking her birth, but she looked gaunt and tired, and her eyes were hollow and shocked. 4 kits wailed at her leave, but she ignored them.

Kestrel said nothing, but she didn't have to.

Suddenly, a tiny kit trailed after her, searching blindly. As soon as it found Bluerage's tail, she curled up in it's thick shaggy fur and fell back to sleep.

"While they had come.." She said quietly.

She turned to look at the middle cat, the tiny black that looked like Crisp. "He killed one of mine, and 4 more.

.... And Kanji," She said sadly, looking at Kestrel through hollowed eyes.

... Suddenly, she sank, buckling under her trembling weight, and fell to the bloody, dusty floor.</sub>

[Bristle + War]

Crisp was sad.

He was sad because one of his kits was dead. He was sad because so many had died.

But he was happy because four were alive. And Bluerage was alive. His entire world was there, lying there, with a kit curled up by her tail.

Quickly the black tom rushed to his mate's side and pushed his muzzle into her fur.

"You're alright. I'm alright, the kits are alright."

Hopefully that would reassure her.

Hopefully it wouldn't upset her because one was dead.

While her father was sad and happy at the same time, her mother was more exhausted than she should be, the little she-kit didn't have a clue.

She followed her sister and curled up beside her.

[Onyxdart]

Checkmate was pawing forlornly through the medicine cat's supplies for something he recognized that would help the other's. Then he heard more cats coming into the clearing, and then heard snarling. He hobble-bound out to where everyone else was, seeing Kestrel and the others there.

"I tried to help, but that black cat was insane," he said. He looked around as if finally actually looking at the damage, and shuddered from nose to tailtip.

"And I tried, but I'm not sure which herbs are which in there, or what to do with them," he admitted. Fending for one's own cuts and bruises was much different than trying to figure out how to help several injured cats and a she-cat who'd just had kits.

[/size][/center]

[Kest]

Kestrel, exhausted and still looking a bit shell-shocked, realized two things.

One, that Bluerage had birthed her kits during the night, during the war, and there were four of them. She seemed tired and wan.
Kestrel left her in peace. This is something to celebrate when we deal with this, and rest, she thought.

Two, that Bluerage had spoken the name Kaji.
And now that lump of bloody catflesh was named.

With an angry, agonized sound somewhere between a snarl and a scream, Kestrel leaped forward. "Kanji!" she cried, landing at her half-sister's side, skidding slightly in the bloodpool.
She did not immediately notice that her white paws were soaking in Kanji's blood.
"Kanji! Kanji, look at me--right now! Wake up!"

Against all odds, Kanji stirred.
Her half-sister's shouts were distant and incomprehensible. One eye slid open, showing filmy blue irises.
"Ammy," she breathed, her voice a ghost. She reached out with one limp paw and brushed Kestrel's face, leaving a lopsided comma of blood behind.
The paw dropped, scattering blood in bright drops. "Am..."
Kanji trailed off, her one blind eye falling shut.

Kestrel wheeled around, her sharp teeth gritted and her mismatched eyes wide and blazing. "We need a medicine cat here!" she yowled, lashing her tail. The bloodmark on her face was stark against the white and pale gray.
"Brightg--"
Kestrel broke off suddenly, looking shaken.
Brightgate. Except that her beloved kestrel helper was dead.

"Crisp!" Kestrel rounded on the dark tom. "I hate to order you away from your newborn kits, but this is for Bluerage too. I need you to go to our ally Clans and ask for the help of a medicine cat or apprentice---anyone who knows herbs."
Her voice grew stronger as she spoke. The shock was wearing off.
"Tell them...tell them our medicine cat Juniper is dead and we have a gravely injured cat here who needs immediate assistance. Also a queen who has just given birth."
She paused, took a deep, steadying breath, and added,
"Go."

She was silent for a long moment. Then she turned her razor gaze on Checkmate. "What happened here?" she asked quietly. "Tell me everything."

[Undead]

“Junie’s gone? …Junie’s gone?”

A small voice sounded from the gathered felines’ side, the half-grown apprentice finally having caught up with the rest of the clan. She too, just like all those called to action, had been amongst the fray. The small cat was holding her right front leg off the ground, toes on the paw broken and the actual leg lacerated to the bone by the Duskclan she-cat she had fought with.

She and Juniper had gotten separated earlier in the fight – they had been helping one wounded cat, a Treeclanner. Undead had stepped just to the side to get the cobwebs for her mentor as asked, but then the fight had surged over the cats, tear them away from each other.

Disbelief. Hurt.

Pain. She was beyond her own pain. She couldn’t care anymore. Her dear friend and mentor was dead.

Juniper…

The apprentice suddenly sat down, hard, green gaze lost. First Shocky and now Juniper? Maybe she really was as cursed as her very name suggested.

“Juniper had…gotten around to teaching me some before…before…can I help?”

[Battlecry]

<sub>Bluerage looked up, a shock of hurt flashing through her eyes. Crisp had to leave, but it was for the best. With Juniper dead, and Kanji.. Dying. Her tail curled around the two sleeping kits, and she picked them up and toted them back into the nursing den. She knew where her priorities lay, with her four remaining kit, and she gave a careful look at Kestrel. She silently came up behind her.

"I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do," She said guilily, looking away. So much she blamed herself, for her kits having come at that time.

.. She could have helped save Kanji, and her 5th son wouldn't have died at the hands of the war that had gotten carried away.

She gave a steady look at Undead, giving her a reassuring flick of her tail. "I'll help, for the time-being," She said cheerlessly, forcing herself to her feet.</sub>

[Onyxdart]

Checkmate met Kestrel's gaze without even a flinch, and flicked his tail sideways.

"That crazy Boneclanner who fights like a wolf showed up. He attacked Kanji and the kits first, and then Kanashimi and I. He didn't leave uninjured, but I'm afraid none of us did as much damage to him as he did to us and our's. I will be more than happy to help hunt him down when we're done here," he said. Somewhere along the line, the "you" and "they"s Checkmate had been using t speak of the clan had dissolved into a "we" which he'd somehow ended up a part of.

So much for the loner life.

He turned to the small she-cat who had been apprenticed to the medicine cat.

"I can help too, if you'll just point out the herbs to me. I know how to use some of them- I learned some when I was on my own," he said.

[/center][/size]

[Life]

Life, was among the first of the cats to return home. He didn't recognize the camp one bit. Blood was everywhere. It smelled, and looked just as bad as the battle feild had been. The worst part of that was that Kestrel was very, very, very upset. As anyone who had a heart would be. Life was upset. He was more upset that Kestrel was upset; however. And if Kestrel was ever upset. It was guaranteed that Life was twice as so... in this case, almost insanely so.

Pressed to overdrive, Life rubbed against Kestrel's flank, purring as loud as he possibly could. Anything to turn Kestrel's pain into joy... if at all possible...

[Kest]

Kestrel managed to purr reassuringly to Life, and gave the young cat a clumsy lick between the ears. She was quite distracted and harried, however, and padded off a moment later.

"I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do. I'll help, for the time-being," Bluerage said, and Kestrel turned to face her.

"No," Her tone left no room for arguement. "Your place is with your kits. It's unlucky that they came when they did, but the fault lies with no one."

Then Undead's tremulous voice called out. Kestrel turned to the medicine cat apprentice, looking slightly startled again. She had, for a moment, forgotten that the young cat had been Juniper's apprentice.
The RisingClan leader crouched slightly so she could look directly at Undead. "Yes, Undead. I'm afraid it's true. She was killed by a DuskClanner," she meowed softly. "I am sorry..."
She stood again, sounding a tad more businesslike as she added, "We would be quite glad of your help."

She was beginning to feel in control again. Good. Very good.
To Checkmate she said, "Did he happen to let slip his name? We could track him without one, but more information would be useful..."
Her mismatched eyes flared with rage. She wanted to track this cat down and tear him apart, but it would have to wait. RisingClan came first...justice, second.

[Onyxdart]

Checkmate thought hard for a moment. The tom had said his name, but getting knocked against rocks hadn't done much for Checkmate's ability to recall particulars of what went on right beforehand.

But he did eventually remember. The tips of his fangs just showed in a kind of vicious smile.

"He told me his name was Pripyat," he said, voice trailing down into a low growl, putting a sound to Kestrel's angry countenance. He probably wasn't as angry as she was- after all, he was only recently aligned with this clan, but with his ears laced back along his skull and those tips of his fangs showing, it was clear he meant bad news for someone.

Then, as soon as the temper had come up, it left, his ears came back up, and a look of concern replaced the anger in his face.

"This may be the wrong time, but I would like to help. I'd like to be a part of your clan, rather than the welcomed visitor. If you'll tell me what needs to be done, I'll go do it," the young tom said to Kestrel. She didn't know how highly he'd hitherto regarded his freedom, and what he felt he might be giving up in the way of the absolute privilege to go where he wanted when. He was feeling reckless, though, and now was better than never. And if it proved he was not fit for Clan life, he would quietly slip away and no one would hear of him again.

[/center][/size]

[Battlecry]

<sub>Bluerage didn't even have the heart to argue if it was necessary, but she murmured a reply and turned away, long tail flicking Crisp before she slipped into the nursery to quiet her crying kits.

Her eyes were dull as she did so, but even she could not feel a sense of pride over her remaining kits. She curled around them protectively, letting her tail fall over them before she rested her head and quietly went to sleep.</sub>

[Onyxdart]

The warrior came padding into camp without even trying to be invisible, although she wasn't drawing attention to herself. Being invisible might have been hard, because she was being followed by several youngsters of varying ages.

At least they were bringing freshkill. Lots of freshkill. Deepcreek would give the younger cats that- they were not bad at hunting for their ages.

She trailed to a bare space and dropped her own freshkill, flicking her tail for the others to do the same, and then went to Kestrel, one ear flicked back uncertainly. A little grin of humor lit her face. She'd thought she wasn't going to make a joke of this, but now more than ever they might could all use the laughs.

"I found them! Can we keep them, can we can we?" she said with a grin, her tail waving good naturedly. Hopefully Kestrel wouldn't take her antics in bad part.

[/size][/color]

[yellowfang0039]

Ooc: Am I with you guys in the camp? I really want to join rising Clan, but I think it's really hard to keep up when I'm not everyday. If i'm not supposed to be here i'm going to give up and head to bone clan.*exsasparated sigh* At least there I have a reason for being cold blooded. ;D

[Kest]

[ was your character in the boundry thread, where I posted that Deepcreek could bring the new members here? if your character was, then sure, post here ]

[Bristle + War]

['sides, boneclan's like, dead...been following the war?]

[Undead]

It wasn’t surprising that Undead had been forgotten. She could be such a loud and cheerful apprentice, but she wasn’t something memorable. Perhaps that was why she was now able to stand alive, albeit wounded, while a good cat laid on that battlefield behind them.

A part of Undead wished that Kestrel had been joking, that it was just all some sick and terrible joke and Juniper would leap forward healthy and happy and laughing over it all.

But Kestrel didn’t joke like that.

And no Juniper was ever going to come forward with her smile and kindly laughs again.

Undead broke then, after Kestrel spoke. Already shaking badly from blood loss and shock, the apprentice practically collapsed, sobbing quietly.

“I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault! It’s all my…all my fault. If I was strong enough to stay by her I could have saved her. I could have done some, anything, to save her! I’m sorry…”

[Soulless]

“Enough.”

A strong voice sounded from behind the little apprentice, who looked up and back to see it was Soulless. Now, the young warrior hadn’t escaped the battlefield unscathed, but she wasn’t as injured as it could have been. Her eyes looked between all the cats there; including Deadnight who hung back a bit uncertain what to do.

“You could not have predicted what had happen Undead. It is not your fault. It’s no one’s fault but the scum who took her life, the same sort of scum who caused so much pain and suffering in the world. It’s over now. We’ve all taken losses, and severe ones, but it’s time now to help the living. We can mourn the dead later.”

The grey and white she-cat helped Undead to her paws, helping to hold the medicine cat apprentice’s weight as her gaze looked to Checkmate.

“You offered to help, yes? Undead here will show us what herbs we need to use on those wounded; we can bring them out of the medicine cat den. Right, Undead?”

The calico she-cat nodded agreement, before pulling away from Soulless and heading for the den. With a flick of her tail, Soulless followed.

[Lucky]

Sleep. That was the word that ran over and over through Bete's mind. Sleep. That what was most precious to her right now. But there was too much to be done and said, and lots of conversations that she could focus her large hears and evesdrop on. She looked around the clearing to see what she could do, as she focused her green eyes on the fresh kill pile, something else entered her mind. Eat. Licking her lips, she started to slunk over to the pile, then stopped. Now was not the time. She sat lay down in the fray of cats, swivelling her ears every which way, trying to figure out what to listen to. The news of the dead medicine cat really disturbed her, actually made her sad, as expressionless as she usually was. But she was so tired, that her eyes started to droop, and finally, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.