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Post by Willow on May 4, 2024 15:00:58 GMT -5
"Bargain?" Nettlepatch asked, looking at Ravenshade in shock. "What could we possibly bargain with them about? Especially for our clanmates lives?"
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Post by thistle on May 5, 2024 20:00:20 GMT -5
Magnolia popped her head out of the oil drum housing her den, nodding briskly to Jadefeather. "Lick his wounds on that shoulder clean for me," she said. "Then I'll reset it and dress it."
She ducked back into the den, grasping an old rag in her teeth and pushing a jar of marigold and horsetail poultice out in front of her. Then she padded over to where a thick pipe came close to the floor, rummaging around in the shadows and withdrawing a paw swathed in cobwebs. Water gathered in a small puddle below the pipe from where rain ran down, and she dropped the rag into it to soak.
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Post by Foxstar26 on May 5, 2024 20:07:22 GMT -5
“I don’t know.” Ravenshade shook her head. “Twolegplace cats think differently. It was just a theory.” She shrugged. “We need to get back and report this to the clans.”
Lance lay on the ground embarrasses. “Ah I’m dying.” He moaned dramatically. “Just go on without me.” He said. “I’ve died of embarrassment by tripping.”
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Post by Icefire15 on May 5, 2024 20:20:44 GMT -5
Whitesun leaned heavily against Jadefeather when she offered her support, his body starting feel like it was growing weaker by the second. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, his wounds and shoulder were starting sting with pain. Whitesun blinked his eyes as they approached Magnolia, his vision starting to get a bit fuzzy now too. Arcticbreeze followed after Jadefeather and Whitesun, giving a lash of her tail at the mention of the rogues who had attacked them. "Don't rely on me for accurate information on them." She huffed, looking between Axel and Revy as she spoke. "I've never seen the leader of that group before, and the other rogues didn't look familiar to me at all." --------- Kyra watched Sable work for a few moments before she started digging at the ground like he was, looking back up at him as she did, "Like this?" She asked, her claws digging at the dirt gently. Skyla gave a nod, liking the idea of an easy hunt. "Sounds like a plan to me." She said as she came to a stop right by the tire pile and settling down to wait for Jax to scare the rats towards her. Jadefeather helped Whitesun settle into one of the nests, using her paws to make sure he wasn't laying on his bad injury. She looked up at Axel and Revy as Arcticbreeze spoke, her voice imploring as she sighed. "We don't have as much valuable information as you may think. Please, we're of no use to stay here, we can leave and never have to see eachother ever again." For a moment, Axel narrowed his eyes in a conflicted sense of frustration, yet Revy was quick to step in, brushing his father's side knowingly, and mewing. "We're asking the wrong questions, first." He looked at Arcticbreeze, his sly mannerisms seeming to take a back seat to his desire to know as much as she had to offer. The black tom asked cordially. "Arcticbreeze. Was there any indication as to what started the conflicts between your Clan and cats from here? Do you recall the names of any of the cats who attempted to invade Thunderclan?" He asked. There was no use trying to ask her about the cats in Greaser's gang, when she wouldn't know that information. But if Revy heard any familiar names, he might be able to use his sources to track down stragglers from those past groups. Axel watched silently, allowing Revy to take the lead on the questioning. That was far more his specialty than the more rough and tumble leader. --- "Yeah. Looks like you do have a set of ears on your head then." Sable snarked with a short huff of laughter, before he grew stern once more. "Don't rip the root when you pull it up. Grip the root as close to the ground as you can, and pull back strongly, but slowly." He explained. Jax waited for Skyla to settle into place, before he shoved his way into the gap in the tire pile. He rattled the rubber and metal around him, hissing as he flushed out the rats. A few scurried from different entrances, one darting right out in front of Skyla's waiting place. Whitesun sighed as he settled into the nest, eyeing Magnolia warily as she came out of the oil drum. He relaxed slightly when Jadefeather didn't seem too concerned with her presence and instead turned his attention to the two black toms that were currently questioning Arcticbreeze. Arcticbreeze frowned again as she looked at Revy, "I only really remember the names of the ones who were leading the groups. And as far as I know, there was only two groups that attacked us. There might have been more, but it would have been before I was born." She said, her tail tip twitching at the memory of the rogues that had attacked her Clan. "The first group was led by a cat named Phantom and his lackey Fang. From what I understand, they came here from a different Twolegplace far away and took an interest in our territory, so they decided to try to chase us out and take it for themselves. I was just an apprentice when all of that happened. The leader of the other group was called Ringo, but I don't know what his reasoning behind attacking ThunderClan was. It's not like all cats make it a habit to announce their plans to us when they attack." ----------- Kyra giggled at Sable's snarky comment before giving a nod of her head and grasped the root with her teeth as close to the ground as she could get. Giving a strong tug, Kyra struggled at first to pull the root up and gave a few more tugs on it before it finally pulled free and sent her tumbling back with the root firmly in her mouth. Skyla swiped a paw at the rat that came running towards her, slamming it down to the ground and quickly biting its neck to kill it. She lifted her head once she finished catching the rat, checking to see if there were any others nearby that she could catch.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 5, 2024 20:21:56 GMT -5
Hawkpaw glanced between the two ThunderClan warriors as they talked, her ears flattening against her head at the thought of having to leave her parents behind, "But what about my parents? Or Arcticbreeze? We can't just leave them behind!" She mewed, her voice shaking.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 5, 2024 20:26:54 GMT -5
Magnolia popped her head out of the oil drum housing her den, nodding briskly to Jadefeather. "Lick his wounds on that shoulder clean for me," she said. "Then I'll reset it and dress it." She ducked back into the den, grasping an old rag in her teeth and pushing a jar of marigold and horsetail poultice out in front of her. Then she padded over to where a thick pipe came close to the floor, rummaging around in the shadows and withdrawing a paw swathed in cobwebs. Water gathered in a small puddle below the pipe from where rain ran down, and she dropped the rag into it to soak. Jadefeather nodded silently to Magnolia, opting to allow her numb grief to narrow in on Whitesun's injury instead. She carefully began to groom around his wounds, clearing the worst of the blood. She ignored the taste, not caring one bit so long as she was helping her mate in any way. She watched Magnolia cautiously from the corner of her eyes, confused at what she was doing with that odd scrap of pelt and that odd hollow thing that seemed to be filled with herbs. Since when did the Gang have a medicine cat? Surely they couldn't talk to Starclan. Starclan didn't exist to cats like these.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 5, 2024 20:29:38 GMT -5
“I don’t know.” Ravenshade shook her head. “Twolegplace cats think differently. It was just a theory.” She shrugged. “We need to get back and report this to the clans.” Lance lay on the ground embarrasses. “Ah I’m dying.” He moaned dramatically. “Just go on without me.” He said. “I’ve died of embarrassment by tripping.” "Oh, shoot! You're such a dumpster-brain, you know that?" Rocco sighed with annoyance, before it quickly turned back into a humored laugh now that he was sure that Lance was okay. He shook his head. "Get up you big oaf. We'll never make it up the skynest stairs if you wear yourself out tripping and falling." He glanced up, eyeing the side of the skynest where the fire escape stairs criss-crossed their way up the side. All the way at the top, that was where Salem's twolegs spoiled her and fed her things that he could only ever dream of.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 5, 2024 20:40:55 GMT -5
Jadefeather helped Whitesun settle into one of the nests, using her paws to make sure he wasn't laying on his bad injury. She looked up at Axel and Revy as Arcticbreeze spoke, her voice imploring as she sighed. "We don't have as much valuable information as you may think. Please, we're of no use to stay here, we can leave and never have to see eachother ever again." For a moment, Axel narrowed his eyes in a conflicted sense of frustration, yet Revy was quick to step in, brushing his father's side knowingly, and mewing. "We're asking the wrong questions, first." He looked at Arcticbreeze, his sly mannerisms seeming to take a back seat to his desire to know as much as she had to offer. The black tom asked cordially. "Arcticbreeze. Was there any indication as to what started the conflicts between your Clan and cats from here? Do you recall the names of any of the cats who attempted to invade Thunderclan?" He asked. There was no use trying to ask her about the cats in Greaser's gang, when she wouldn't know that information. But if Revy heard any familiar names, he might be able to use his sources to track down stragglers from those past groups. Axel watched silently, allowing Revy to take the lead on the questioning. That was far more his specialty than the more rough and tumble leader. --- "Yeah. Looks like you do have a set of ears on your head then." Sable snarked with a short huff of laughter, before he grew stern once more. "Don't rip the root when you pull it up. Grip the root as close to the ground as you can, and pull back strongly, but slowly." He explained. Jax waited for Skyla to settle into place, before he shoved his way into the gap in the tire pile. He rattled the rubber and metal around him, hissing as he flushed out the rats. A few scurried from different entrances, one darting right out in front of Skyla's waiting place. Whitesun sighed as he settled into the nest, eyeing Magnolia warily as she came out of the oil drum. He relaxed slightly when Jadefeather didn't seem too concerned with her presence and instead turned his attention to the two black toms that were currently questioning Arcticbreeze. Arcticbreeze frowned again as she looked at Revy, "I only really remember the names of the ones who were leading the groups. And as far as I know, there was only two groups that attacked us. There might have been more, but it would have been before I was born." She said, her tail tip twitching at the memory of the rogues that had attacked her Clan. "The first group was led by a cat named Phantom and his lackey Fang. From what I understand, they came here from a different Twolegplace far away and took an interest in our territory, so they decided to try to chase us out and take it for themselves. I was just an apprentice when all of that happened. The leader of the other group was called Ringo, but I don't know what his reasoning behind attacking ThunderClan was. It's not like all cats make it a habit to announce their plans to us when they attack." ----------- Kyra giggled at Sable's snarky comment before giving a nod of her head and grasped the root with her teeth as close to the ground as she could get. Giving a strong tug, Kyra struggled at first to pull the root up and gave a few more tugs on it before it finally pulled free and sent her tumbling back with the root firmly in her mouth. Skyla swiped a paw at the rat that came running towards her, slamming it down to the ground and quickly biting its neck to kill it. She lifted her head once she finished catching the rat, checking to see if there were any others nearby that she could catch. "So Ringo is dead." Axel rumbled, suddenly seeming humored, yet in a vengeful way. "Serves the tom right for letting that Clan cat he mooned over string him along. The fool went mad when she turned her nose at him and told him to get lost. She was from Thunderclan, I'm guessing. You want your reason, it's right there. To go to War over something as foolish that, it's beyond me, but it cleans up one obstacle that had been a problem at the time." Axel inspected his claws with an unimpressed look, humored by Ringo's follies. He glanced up at Arcticbreeze as she mentioned a Phantom and Fang. He seemed to narrow his eyes. "Sounds like the twoleg community beyond the rivers and the marshes. There's more than just this one, I'm assuming you Clan cats also meet some other cats from other... Twolegplaces, you call it?" "Stragglers of these failed attacks must have made their way into our city after they had traveled far enough from their other home to not have a reason to backtrack. This would be their closest refuge." Revy looked calculated and thoughtful, before he looked at Arcticbreeze again. "I must ask you... just how many of your Clanmates do you think are from Twolegplace, or from the City? I'm curious." He mused, inwardly wanting to know if Spade truly had left for the Clans like Jade had. He didn't want to feel the ache in his heart, as much as he hated it, it would always be a part of him. --- "Not bad." Sable grumbled, the only compliment he was willing to give as he inspected Kyra's root. He moved to pull up a few of his own, making a small pile at his side. "Pile them up neatly so we can carry them easier." Jax slipped out from the tire pile, flicking his ears with approval as he saw that Skyla had caught the rat. He snickered. "There's plenty to eat, now that it's warming up, and the rats are all having a field day in the tire piles again. They seem to really like all these old monsters." He kicked the side of a rusted old car with his paw.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 6, 2024 20:27:51 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze eyed Revy at his next question, not feeling all that comfortable about giving him so much information about her Clan. She gave a small shrug as she answered, "There's a few that came from the Twolegplace. Our last patrol actually brought back the sister of one of our Warriors, she had been injured and wanted to speak to our leader about something urgent." She mewed.
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"Okay!" Kyra mewed around the root before adding it to Sable's already growing pile, making sure that it was nice and neat. Purring happily, the small kit bounced over to the next purple weed and started digging up another root, humming quietly to herself as she worked.
Skyla dropped the rat at her paws, "At least we won't be starving anytime soon. Greaser and Chaos have been telling us to make sure we keep our strength up lately, so it will definitely help us in the long run." She mewed, nudging the fat rat with her paw. "I wonder just what Greaser is planning. You think he wants to try and make a move on Axel's territory?" She asked, looking back at Jax. Skyla had only been part of Greaser's group for about three moons now and still had a few doubts about joining such a large group, but in her short time there, she had made a few friends and wanted to do her part in helping keep them safe.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 6, 2024 21:00:48 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze eyed Revy at his next question, not feeling all that comfortable about giving him so much information about her Clan. She gave a small shrug as she answered, "There's a few that came from the Twolegplace. Our last patrol actually brought back the sister of one of our Warriors, she had been injured and wanted to speak to our leader about something urgent." She mewed. -------- "Okay!" Kyra mewed around the root before adding it to Sable's already growing pile, making sure that it was nice and neat. Purring happily, the small kit bounced over to the next purple weed and started digging up another root, humming quietly to herself as she worked. Skyla dropped the rat at her paws, "At least we won't be starving anytime soon. Greaser and Chaos have been telling us to make sure we keep our strength up lately, so it will definitely help us in the long run." She mewed, nudging the fat rat with her paw. "I wonder just what Greaser is planning. You think he wants to try and make a move on Axel's territory?" She asked, looking back at Jax. Skyla had only been part of Greaser's group for about three moons now and still had a few doubts about joining such a large group, but in her short time there, she had made a few friends and wanted to do her part in helping keep them safe. "Sister of your Warrior..." Revy mused thoughtfully, sharing a silent glance with his father as the two black toms seemed to speak to eachother without any words. Axel was clearly uncaring about the prospects of Clan cats, but Revy was far more interested. He asked, somewhat smirking. "I'm guessing you're being careful to hide the details of your Clanmates. But I do hope you understand that beyond this temporary stay, we've nothing to gain from targeting the Clans. As you can see, it is not Axel's style." "I would rather pull the fur out of my pelt." Axel grumbled bluntly, before he snorted. "This she-cat. What's her name? You know it? If I know her, I'll be the first to tell you if she's there to beg for help or trick you all into falling for a facade until she kills one of your clanmates." He offered. --- Sable watched Kyra for a moment as he dug up his own roots, a small sigh escaping him as he remembered how close to death she had once been. He'd never admit it outloud, but he was glad that he had made it in time to keep her alive. Gang or not, Sable couldn't watch her rot out alone in the alleyways. Now, she could at least be of use, and live a long life. "That's always the big goal. As much terf as we take from small loner groups and kittypets, the best territory is the one that Axel is sitting on, and has been expanding since the days his mother had a hold on every corner of the city. I never knew or saw Alice, but if Axel is anything like his mother from the stories I grew up on, then that's the hardest challenge we'll ever face." Jax explained simply. "The tom has so many kits, he could repopulate his losses each season if he feels like it." He grumbled.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 6, 2024 21:44:36 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze sighed, her tail twitching in light irritation when Revy called her out on her vague answers. "Echo, I think." She said, thinking back to the injured she-cat that had been brought into camp just the other day. "And I doubt she would do any of what you're suggesting. Her brother is a loyal warrior of ThunderClan, and he wouldn't bring someone into our camp that would bring us harm." Arcticbreeze continued fiercely.
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Kyra made quick work digging up the burdock roots, making sure to pile them neatly like how Sable told her too. She lifted her head after a bit, looking around for more that she could dig up when she spotted a different plant with round, yellow leaves and bounded towards it, "Oh! Sable! What's this? Is this something we can use?" She mewed excitedly, lifting a paw to prod it.
Skyla huffed and gave a shake of her head, "If that's the plan, then Greaser is going to have to gather more cats into his group if he wants to stand a chance against Axel." She grumbled, picking up the rat and padding towards Jax. She dropped it next to him, "Here, you go ahead and have this one. I can catch another one no problem." She mewed.
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Post by Foxstar26 on May 6, 2024 22:09:23 GMT -5
Lance got up a little gingerly after a few moments. His shoulder ached slightly from where he fell on it. It didn’t seem much more than a bump and bruise. Hopefully the rest of their run would stretch it out. “Alright alright.” He sighed. “Don’t get your tail in a twist.” He teased. “Let’s hurry.” He spoke.
—
“We have to leave them for now.” Ravenshade meowed gently. “The three of us won’t do much good against these cats.” She spoke. “We can report back to the leaders and hopefully they can send a patrol to look for them.”
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Post by Willow on May 7, 2024 11:05:42 GMT -5
Nettlepatch looked at Hawkpaw with sorrow in his eyes, "If these cats were strong enough to capture your father, we're not going to be able to help them with only the three of us. We'll escort you back to camp with Silvercloud's body. Then it will be up to Spiritstar and Lightningstar to form a plan."
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Post by Icefire15 on May 7, 2024 17:22:27 GMT -5
Hawkpaw looked between the two ThunderClan warriors, her ears flattening against her head as what they were saying made sense to her. As much as she hated the thought of leaving her mother and father behind in the Twolegplace, they were clearly outnumbered. The apprentice gave a reluctant nod, "O-okay..." She whimpered.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 7, 2024 18:00:39 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze sighed, her tail twitching in light irritation when Revy called her out on her vague answers. "Echo, I think." She said, thinking back to the injured she-cat that had been brought into camp just the other day. "And I doubt she would do any of what you're suggesting. Her brother is a loyal warrior of ThunderClan, and he wouldn't bring someone into our camp that would bring us harm." Arcticbreeze continued fiercely. ------- Kyra made quick work digging up the burdock roots, making sure to pile them neatly like how Sable told her too. She lifted her head after a bit, looking around for more that she could dig up when she spotted a different plant with round, yellow leaves and bounded towards it, "Oh! Sable! What's this? Is this something we can use?" She mewed excitedly, lifting a paw to prod it. Skyla huffed and gave a shake of her head, "If that's the plan, then Greaser is going to have to gather more cats into his group if he wants to stand a chance against Axel." She grumbled, picking up the rat and padding towards Jax. She dropped it next to him, "Here, you go ahead and have this one. I can catch another one no problem." She mewed. “Echo.” Revy mused, his eyes flashing as the name certainly rang a bell or two. So it seemed many cats were twined with the Clans. He glanced once at Axel, inwardly anticipating the moment he could use that to his advantage, rather than ignoring the Clans all together. He gave Arcticbreeze a small smile. “Well. You have been exceptionally helpful, Arcticbreeze.” “What’s the extent of your fighting abilities?” Axel now addressed all three of them, his eyes indicating a begrudging acceptance. He grumbled. “I’m to believe you all would have lost the fight with Greaser, but I can give you the benefit of the doubt that you were ambushed.” “We were.” Jadefeather muttered sharply, only to close her jaws as Axel shot back firmly. “You were ambushed because you thought yourself so important that you could walk into territory that isn’t yours like you own it, and not have the gaul to back it up when you’re met with an ambush. If not city cats you were thieving from, it was the cats who command territory of the smaller nests and yards near your Clan, right? Or is that only a problem when it’s your territory that’s getting crossed over?” Jadefeather inwardly felt scolded, knowing deep down that Axel did have a point. The risk they took to get prey from outside their borders was hitting them full force now. Silvercloud was dead, and Whitesun was badly injured. Her and Arcticbreeze were practically prisoners, or they would have been dead. She looked away from her father, focusing on Whitesun to avoid the discomfort of admitting he was right. —- “Don’t touch anything you don’t know!” Sable snapped firmly, leaving his pile of roots to rush over and block Kyra from getting too close to the plant. He rumbled. “Let me inspect it first, got it?” (Not sure which herb this is, did you have one in mind? XD ) “Hng.” Jax grunted in agreement, before he admitted. “I’m thinking of going on a recruitment run again, try and get new joiners to come into the group. Greaser usually has Chaos vet them out, so maybe we could round up some prospects.” He offered.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 7, 2024 18:03:46 GMT -5
Lance got up a little gingerly after a few moments. His shoulder ached slightly from where he fell on it. It didn’t seem much more than a bump and bruise. Hopefully the rest of their run would stretch it out. “Alright alright.” He sighed. “Don’t get your tail in a twist.” He teased. “Let’s hurry.” He spoke. — “We have to leave them for now.” Ravenshade meowed gently. “The three of us won’t do much good against these cats.” She spoke. “We can report back to the leaders and hopefully they can send a patrol to look for them.” “My tail is perfectly fine, thank you.” Rocco teased, before he quickly padded towards the skynest. He eyed the fire escape stairs, leaping upwards with a breath to perch upon the closest step. He looked down at Lance, grinning. “Just checking, making sure you’re not afraid of heights, because we’re going up really high. Think you can handle it?”
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Post by thistle on May 7, 2024 19:05:46 GMT -5
Magnolia popped her head out of the oil drum housing her den, nodding briskly to Jadefeather. "Lick his wounds on that shoulder clean for me," she said. "Then I'll reset it and dress it." She ducked back into the den, grasping an old rag in her teeth and pushing a jar of marigold and horsetail poultice out in front of her. Then she padded over to where a thick pipe came close to the floor, rummaging around in the shadows and withdrawing a paw swathed in cobwebs. Water gathered in a small puddle below the pipe from where rain ran down, and she dropped the rag into it to soak. Jadefeather nodded silently to Magnolia, opting to allow her numb grief to narrow in on Whitesun's injury instead. She carefully began to groom around his wounds, clearing the worst of the blood. She ignored the taste, not caring one bit so long as she was helping her mate in any way. She watched Magnolia cautiously from the corner of her eyes, confused at what she was doing with that odd scrap of pelt and that odd hollow thing that seemed to be filled with herbs. Since when did the Gang have a medicine cat? Surely they couldn't talk to Starclan. Starclan didn't exist to cats like these. "All righty now," Magnolia mumbled around the wet rag as she padded over to where the big white tom was laying, pushing her jar forward with her cobweb-wrapped paw. She gently pushed between him and Jadefeather, sniffing all along his shoulder and gently prodding along his foreleg, her ears twitching every so often at his small grunts of pain. Just as I thought!
"Your shoulder's out of place," she mewed matter-of-factly. "I can put it back in, but you've gotta be tough, 'kay?" She place one paw against his shoulder and curled the other round the bend of his foreleg. "Here we go, big guy," she said before skillfully putting the limb back into place with a pop.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 7, 2024 19:17:50 GMT -5
Revy watched Magnolia silently, observing the ease at which she treated Whitesun. He nodded slowly with approval once she popped the tom's leg back into place properly.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 7, 2024 22:33:25 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze sighed, her tail twitching in light irritation when Revy called her out on her vague answers. "Echo, I think." She said, thinking back to the injured she-cat that had been brought into camp just the other day. "And I doubt she would do any of what you're suggesting. Her brother is a loyal warrior of ThunderClan, and he wouldn't bring someone into our camp that would bring us harm." Arcticbreeze continued fiercely. ------- Kyra made quick work digging up the burdock roots, making sure to pile them neatly like how Sable told her too. She lifted her head after a bit, looking around for more that she could dig up when she spotted a different plant with round, yellow leaves and bounded towards it, "Oh! Sable! What's this? Is this something we can use?" She mewed excitedly, lifting a paw to prod it. Skyla huffed and gave a shake of her head, "If that's the plan, then Greaser is going to have to gather more cats into his group if he wants to stand a chance against Axel." She grumbled, picking up the rat and padding towards Jax. She dropped it next to him, "Here, you go ahead and have this one. I can catch another one no problem." She mewed. “Echo.” Revy mused, his eyes flashing as the name certainly rang a bell or two. So it seemed many cats were twined with the Clans. He glanced once at Axel, inwardly anticipating the moment he could use that to his advantage, rather than ignoring the Clans all together. He gave Arcticbreeze a small smile. “Well. You have been exceptionally helpful, Arcticbreeze.” “What’s the extent of your fighting abilities?” Axel now addressed all three of them, his eyes indicating a begrudging acceptance. He grumbled. “I’m to believe you all would have lost the fight with Greaser, but I can give you the benefit of the doubt that you were ambushed.” “We were.” Jadefeather muttered sharply, only to close her jaws as Axel shot back firmly. “You were ambushed because you thought yourself so important that you could walk into territory that isn’t yours like you own it, and not have the gaul to back it up when you’re met with an ambush. If not city cats you were thieving from, it was the cats who command territory of the smaller nests and yards near your Clan, right? Or is that only a problem when it’s your territory that’s getting crossed over?” Jadefeather inwardly felt scolded, knowing deep down that Axel did have a point. The risk they took to get prey from outside their borders was hitting them full force now. Silvercloud was dead, and Whitesun was badly injured. Her and Arcticbreeze were practically prisoners, or they would have been dead. She looked away from her father, focusing on Whitesun to avoid the discomfort of admitting he was right. —- “Don’t touch anything you don’t know!” Sable snapped firmly, leaving his pile of roots to rush over and block Kyra from getting too close to the plant. He rumbled. “Let me inspect it first, got it?” (Not sure which herb this is, did you have one in mind? XD ) “Hng.” Jax grunted in agreement, before he admitted. “I’m thinking of going on a recruitment run again, try and get new joiners to come into the group. Greaser usually has Chaos vet them out, so maybe we could round up some prospects.” He offered. Whitesun hissed through his teeth when Magnolia set his shoulder straight, digging his claws into the bedding that he was laying on. He looked up at Axel when he seemed to scold Jadefeather, giving a lash of his tail, "Every patrol that we sent out made sure to be careful to hunt in territory that hadn't been claimed yet, and the gardens we chose to hunt in had no signs of kittypets living in them. There weren't any scent markers on the territory we were ambushed on." He said, his voice becoming a bit more strained as the she-cat worked on his wounds. "They had already killed our Clanmate by the time we got there and they clearly had us outnumbered, we did what we could in that moment." Arcticbreeze scowled, starting to grow tired of the questioning coming from Revy, as well as the lecture Axel seemed to be giving them. "If you doubt our fighting abilities, then why bother forcing us to show you our ways?" She snapped, raising her chin to glare at Axel. --------- (It's tansy lol I was going based on the description on the herb list ^.^') Kyra stepped back when Sable rushed over and blinked at him with wide eyes, tilting her head to watch him examine the plant. "So what is it? Is it dangerous?" She mewed, her curiosity as strong as it ever was. Skyla's ear flicked in interest, looking back at Jax, "Well, if you would like some company, I can join you. I'm curious to see just what kind of techniques you use to recruit others." She teased, her whiskers twitching in amusement as she scented the air for another rat that she could catch.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 8, 2024 16:35:35 GMT -5
Axel gave Whitesun a humorless laugh, eyes flashing darkly as he mewed. "That's the reality of life out here. If a loner or rogue won't get you, a dog or twoleg will. And if they don't get you, a metal infection or a disease will. Borders change every day, you kill to keep what you have, or kill to take it. Greaser, as much as I despise him, knows these rules. Jade, I taught you these rules, and you still let your cats come here." He looked sharply at her. "Not that I care for their fates, but if that cat you cared for was lost in an ambush, you knew by heart that those happen on whims here."
"I know." Jadefeather seethed, eyes flashing with pain. "Silvercloud and I both knew it. We were there to make it safer for our Clanmates, and guide them away from city cats, but we failed. Is that what you want to hear? Does that satisfy you, that I've lost my friend?"
Shockingly, Axel only released a deep sigh, surprising Jadefeather when he grunted. "No. I'm not satisfied. I'm only disappointed that you've lost the instincts I taught you here." He turned to the side, now looking at Arcticbreeze as he gave a deep snort. "You're your mother's daughter, with a mouth like yours." He glanced around stubbornly, making sure that nobody was peering in, as he relented. "Some of the city's strongest cats didn't stand a chance against your Clan, no matter how many times they tried to invade. While an ambush may throw you off, being prepared for a fight would have seen you Clan cats winning. I'm not stupid enough to ignore that, as much as it slashes at my pride." He rolled his eyes with another heavy sigh. "This stalemate between my cats and Greaser's will only get worse if we don't come up with new tactics. Revy's put his faith in you enough to stand up to me. I'd be a fool once more to ignore that intensity, coming from him."
Revy offered a small grin at that, though his eyes were trained intently on Arcticbreeze, and then on Whitesun, specifically the tom's injured shoulder. Even put back into place, the wound there was deep, and Revy had a feeling the injury would be long-lasting.
---
"It's not dangerous. It's Tansy." Sable sighed after checking the herb and remembering Patrick's description of it. He mused, seeming to improve in mood as he mewed. "This one actually does quite alot of good stuff. No need for the root of it, we can just pluck it at the stem." He nodded sternly. "Go on then."
"You don't need my permission to join me on something like this." Jax reminded with a hint of a grin, before he nodded once. "The two of us might make a more convincing argument, if they're looking for stability. We're not weak cats, we're stronger than most cats in the city, because of our group."
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Post by thistle on May 8, 2024 19:53:14 GMT -5
Magnolia continued working, dipping her paw into her jaw to draw out some of the poultice and began to dab it into Whitesun's wounds, carefully washing it deep into his shoulder wound in particular. All the while, she listened intently to the conversation going on around her. She gently peeled a strip of cobweb from her paw, dressing the gash on the tom's shoulder and plastering the poultice into place. Finished, she wiped her green-stained paw on the used rag and covered the jar with its lid again, bustling everything away into her den once more.
She left the soiled rag by the puddle to be cleaned for reuse later before ducking into her den and rummaging around in the shadows, emerging once more with a dried poppy head. She set it by her paws and waited patiently for the others to finish their conversation - the kittypet Patrick had told her how potent even one seed could be for an already exhausted patient.
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Post by Icefire15 on May 8, 2024 20:20:08 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze huffed again when her so-called mother was brought up again, not wanting to think about the she-cat that had left her to die the day she had been born. "So, what? We just show you how we fight and you let us go? No way it's that easy." She grumbled, not sure if teaching these cats their battle techniques would even do what Axel and Revy wanted. ThunderClan might have survived several attacks from these rogues before, but her Clan still suffered heavy losses from these attacks. Skyblossom had died during Phantom's attack and she still felt her foster mother's loss every day. And if this Greaser really did have such a vendetta against ThunderClan, did that mean her Clan was facing another threat again? Arcticbreeze's tail lashed at the thought, worry for her Clan starting to worm its way into her chest. Would ThunderClan ever know peace from these rogues?!
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Kyra tilted her head and looked closer at the plant before looking back up at Sable, "What does Tansy do? What kind of good stuff?" She mewed, reaching forward and gingerly plucking the flower at the stem, setting it aside to start another neat pile.
"Well, let's eat up first, then we can head out." Skyla said, dropping into a crouch and stalking after another fat rat that was just in front of her. She grinned at how easy it was to catch this prey, the rats seeming to not care that the cats were taking up a home among all of the dead monsters. Making quick work of the catch, she made her way back over to Jax and dropped it at her paws, "Shall we?"
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Post by Moonblazer on May 8, 2024 20:35:49 GMT -5
Jadefeather watched Magnolia work, amazed by her skill without being a Clan medicine cat. She nodded. “Thank you, by the way. I’m grateful you’re here, helping him. I’m sorry… about all this.” She murmured.
“It’s that easy.” Axel mewed bluntly, his face curling with a straight frown as he grunted. “I told you before, I don’t want or need some long-lasting vendetta against the Clans by killing their little grunts. Besides. Your friend looks like he won’t be walking well for a long while. You’re good as dead anyway wandering injured out.” He reminded.
“Perhaps we can help eachother.” Revy offered smoothly, even as Axel shot him a disgruntled glare at the idea of mutual aid for any Clan. Revy continued. “Kin helps kin, yes? And if your Clan is being terrorized by cats from here, how better to stop them than to allow us to tear them down for you? Assist in getting our young ones battle-ready, and we can just battle them for you. Ideal, if you don’t want to lose anymore cats to Greaser’s claws.” Revy offered.
—-
“Tansy reduces fevers, helps expel poisons, all kinds of stuff.” Sable explained quickly and gruffly, watching Kyra harvest the plant. He rumbled. “I’ll show you the plants you can never touch, sooner or later. If you see a plant you don’t know, always ask me first, got it?”
Jax took a few quick bites of his rat, eyeing Skyla with a silent nod, before he stretched his sore legs and rumbled. “Good to go. Let’s stay on our turf for now, and hope a stray or two’s in need of some assistance.”
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Post by thistle on May 9, 2024 19:40:00 GMT -5
"Oh, it ain't no trouble," Magnolia replied quietly, as not to speak over Axel, Revy, or Arcticbreeze. "I think my claws were made to heal, not hurt."
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Post by Icefire15 on May 11, 2024 17:12:44 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze watched Revy closely as he spoke, still finding it difficult to trust the smooth-talking tom. She gave a small flick of her ear, considering her next words carefully, "I don't speak for my Clan when it comes to making deals or promises. Do as you please, I don't care. Just don't expect anything in return from ThunderClan." She said firmly. Arcticbreeze wasn't about to make her Clan be indebted to these cats, "Are we done? It's been a long day, I'd rather not drop dead from exhaustion."
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Kyra gave Sable a serious nod, a rare thing for the normally excitable kit. "Got it! Do we need anything else? Can I dig anything else up for you?" She asked, quickly going back to asking questions.
Skyla ate her rat just as quickly and stood up, giving her lips a couple of licks as she joined Jax. "While we're at it, why don't we make sure no one moved our borders? I'd hate to have to scare off more ragtag groups that think they can try and make a play for our territory." She mewed.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 11, 2024 17:46:02 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze watched Revy closely as he spoke, still finding it difficult to trust the smooth-talking tom. She gave a small flick of her ear, considering her next words carefully, "I don't speak for my Clan when it comes to making deals or promises. Do as you please, I don't care. Just don't expect anything in return from ThunderClan." She said firmly. Arcticbreeze wasn't about to make her Clan be indebted to these cats, "Are we done? It's been a long day, I'd rather not drop dead from exhaustion." --------- Kyra gave Sable a serious nod, a rare thing for the normally excitable kit. "Got it! Do we need anything else? Can I dig anything else up for you?" She asked, quickly going back to asking questions. Skyla ate her rat just as quickly and stood up, giving her lips a couple of licks as she joined Jax. "While we're at it, why don't we make sure no one moved our borders? I'd hate to have to scare off more ragtag groups that think they can try and make a play for our territory." She mewed. "The day I expect anything from your Clans is the day I die." Axel grunted darkly to his daughter, finding the prospect to be rather offensive. While Revy only looked at Arcticbreeze with a sweet silence, clearly awaiting Axel's decision on the matter. The gang leader turned his head, mewing. "I have things to oversee. You will be monitored every second you are here. Try anything funny, and I kill Whitesun in the nest we've graciously given him." He threatened, before he rolled his shoulders, motioning to the piercing eyes of some of his cats perched high up on beams and rafters of the factory. "I'll kill you myself if you come near him." Jadefeather warned, serious. "I don't care if I'm expecting kits. I'll fight until one of us or both of us is dead." "...Hmph." Axel mused, brushing off the threat, but giving the smallest of smirks. "I suppose you haven't lost all of your instincts, Jade." He padded off then, needing to go check on his patrols and then on his youngest kits. Revy watched him go, before he hid his laughter with his paw and hummed. "So serious, right? Well, you all are free to stay here with Magnolia, these nests are only for injured cats anyway. Want anything to eat? Seeing as you all want our prey so badly, we can share." He offered sweetly. --- "This should be good for now." Sable mewed, inwardly knowing he was getting too old to be stuffing his jaws full of herbs when it was easier to collect one or two per day and be done with it. He nodded to her pile. "Pick it up, we'll take it back. It'll make your tongue feel funny for a bit after, but it's perfectly safe." "Good idea. We can mark them again. I was thinking of snagging that one alleyway that has no marks yet, with the dumpsters. We might find some good pelts in there like we did the last time, or some more places to hunt rats." Jax offered, slipping out of the junkyard fence with a snort of air, before he waited for Skyla to come with him.
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Post by Moonblazer on May 11, 2024 17:47:15 GMT -5
"Oh, it ain't no trouble," Magnolia replied quietly, as not to speak over Axel, Revy, or Arcticbreeze. "I think my claws were made to heal, not hurt." Still bristling from her interaction with her father, Jadefeather allowed herself to breathe and relax, before she looked at Magnolia and mewed lightly. "In the Clans, you'd be revered as a medicine cat. It's one of the most prestigious positions a Clan cat can have... who taught you what these herbs do?" She asked curiously.
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Post by thistle on May 11, 2024 18:30:56 GMT -5
"Oh! I don't know about bein' revered..." Magnolia laughed quietly. "But I feel appreciated enough. Back in my old town, when I was still livin' with my housefolk and doin' shows, there was this lovely molly a garden over. Ancient and wise thing, she was. She taught me all about herbs and their uses, called it 'herbalism,'" she went on, speaking of the elderly cat who was her neighbor when she used to be a pedigree show cat. "Apple Fritter was her name. She taught me everythin' I know, and I miss her like I'd miss my own mama."
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Post by Moonblazer on May 11, 2024 18:38:33 GMT -5
"Oh! I don't know about bein' revered..." Magnolia laughed quietly. "But I feel appreciated enough. Back in my old town, when I was still livin' with my housefolk and doin' shows, there was this lovely molly a garden over. Ancient and wise thing, she was. She taught me all about herbs and their uses, called it 'herbalism,'" she went on, speaking of the elderly cat who was her neighbor when she used to be a pedigree show cat. "Apple Fritter was her name. She taught me everythin' I know, and I miss her like I'd miss my own mama." “Are you treated well here?” Jadefeather asked simply, knowing how brutal these cats could be, seeing as she used to be one. Guilt still ate at her for her first moons of life.
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Post by thistle on May 11, 2024 19:09:36 GMT -5
Magnolia blinked. The cats here had threatened her when she first set paw on their turf, cold and alone and starving. They'd taken mercy on her then, and they'd not harmed a hair on her pelt since.
"I know they're a rough and tumble bunch," she said. "And they've got a different way of doin' things. But they're cats just the same as you and me, and they take good care of their own. Revy actually brought me in, too, bless him," she purred, her nub-tail twitching. "I may not fight or defend our turf like the others, but I do think myself a Night Striker just the same."
Seeing as Axel, Revy, and Arcticbreeze were still occupied, she leaned closer to Jadefeather. "Pardon my pryin'; you used to be Jade, right? Heard boss man call you that. Why'd you leave?" she asked, innocently curious.
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