|☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ Skyclan: The Resilient and Tough |☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ ☁| ☼

Lavendersky shifted herself to a better position, though it took quite a bit of effort. "Who knows when that mouse-brain will be back." She snorted softly, shaking her head. "Return to your kits, do the test like I told you too." She meowed, sniffing as she clawed some of the feathers away. "Come back with news of the little one, preferably before I'm in the ground."

Lavendersky gave a soft sigh, nosing the sparrow for a moment before plucking a few more feathers. It wasn't pleasant, her stomach didn't feel great, but she attempted to eat anyways. "Now... if only that mouse-brained apprentice of mine would return... before it's too late..." She sighed softly, wondering how much time Starclan would grace her with.

“Smaller cats should always aim for the legs. The best way to beat a larger cat is to get them down to your level. Be faster, more clever.” Lilith explained simply, glancing at a few nearby tree roots. There was enough room between the roots and ground to make holes and gaps to weave through. She hummed. “That’ll do. See those roots? I want you to weave through them on one side until you can make it out the other. You’ll do it until you’ve got a fast speed down in darting and weaving.”

(meep, anything you wanna rp?)

Echowing was silently observing the vigil, having put on a few moments of acting grieved, before she had slipped back up to one of the ledges over camp. It was almost chilling, how effective Robinstar’s plan had been. She couldn’t tell if it was guilt or righteousness she felt in her belly for having helped in Spiritstar’s removal, but Echowing knew it needed to be done. Now, Skyclan could finally change!

She glanced at Mudwasp, watching the tom’s reactions with an intense sense of curiosity. What would he say, if he knew what she had done? Would he support her, like he had been doing so recently? She inwardly hoped he could one day.

Dreamlily quietly sniffled to herself as she touched her nose one last time to Spiritstar and Silvercloud’s bodies. She slowly stood up, wanting to be away from the dreadful sight of their dead clanmates. She felt frightened for Skyclan. What could they do with no leader or deputy now?

“You’ve been finding your way to me often.” Echowing mused as she watched Mudwasp approach. Her expression was not too emotional, moreso an even look that was sobered by the Clan’s general mourning. Or, at least, that’s what it looked like. She sighed heavily. “Warblerwind killing his own mother. Sometimes I wished my mother was dead. Yet… I never did anything like this.” She turned to look down again.

Dreamlily lifted her head to Kestrelfrost, sniffling once and mewing miserably. “How could this have happened? She was alive, with many lives only a moon ago. What are we going to do?”

Echowing kept silent about her own involvement, instead focusing on how Mudwasp said he preferred her company. Feeling a sudden spark of delight in her belly, she offered a small hum. “Resentment builds up. Maybe he couldn’t handle being the leader’s son, all that came with that. This is why the Code is flawed. All of it is. If sons kill their own mothers, then we’re doing something wrong.” She decided firmly.

Dreamlily gave a saddened huff. “Emberpaw and Hawkpaw already went through enough with the incident on the cliffs. Quickwing saved Spiritstar then, but… but she couldn’t save her on her last life. But if anyone can lead that patrol to find them, it’s Quickwing.” She mewed with a hint of admiration, before she looked at Kestrelfrost and swallowed. “Spiderbite ran out of camp. He was in a hurry, but what if we lose him too?”

“Working together…” Echowing repeated with a murmur, deciding then that it was time to start bringing him into the fold. She admitted suddenly. “You’re not the only one with that sentiment. Me… and more cats in the other Clans then you think. I want you to come with me on a hunt or patrol one night. I need to show you something.” She invited.

“I know…” Dreamlily took a breath to calm herself, eyes flickering gently to Kestrelfrost as she mewed softly. “Thank you for coming over to console me. It was kind of you.” She seemed a bit shy then, though she didn’t move away from the tom. “It feels nice to be looked at with kindness and not… other things.”

Redspring had slipped away from camp, determined to get her mind off of the great tragedies by doing what she did best, serving the Clan. If she could at least hunt and find some prey, then there would be at least some contentment. She paused as she looked up, spotting Willownose. Her heart clenched seeing her so down, and she was unable to keep going without speaking to her most beloved friend.

“Willownose… are you up for a hunt? It’s a free for all at this point until we can get something temporary going. Sparrowstrike and Poppyclaw are doing their best, so I was thinking we could handle the hunting…”

Buzzardfall spoke lowly with Poppyclaw, the tom doing his best to keep everything orderly and calm while the vigil continued. She nodded, before slipping away. Catching sight of Firefang, she padded to his side, gazing down at Spiritstar and Silvercloud with a heavy sigh. “Has this ever happened in the Clans before?”

Redspring looked at Willownose for a long moment, searching her eyes with her own before she mewed firmly yet lightly. “We’ll make it through this. We always do. I refuse to let this break Skyclan apart. All it shows me is that we need to make plans for moments like these, no matter how unlucky.” She offered a small look of gratitude. “But Starclan, Willownose. I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

“Well… Spiderbite has to hear from Starclan. There’s got to be a solution, even if it means we have a temporary leader and deputy until one can be chosen.” Buzzardfall responded with a serious look on her face. It wasn’t common for the energetic Warrior, but she swallowed nonetheless. “The senior Warriors are doing the best they can, and Poppyclaw is helping too.”

Redspring shook her head quickly, though she was warmed by Willownose’s words. “I’ll do what I need to, when I need to, for all of us. And I’ve seen wallowing. You were not wallowing. Just… getting time to think.” She brushed her tail tip against her side, comforting and steady. “Besides. Ashfeather needs you too. We both do. Cats like you are why cats like me do the things we do.” She shook her head then, clearing the deep thoughts before she mewed. “Let’s go find that prey.”

“Obvious choice is one of the senior Warriors. Skyflight or Sparrowstrike are both really respected. Pheasentcry too. But, I can’t count out a cat like Poppyclaw either. That level of dedication? It’s the kind of structure we need.” Buzzardfall hummed, before she blinked suddenly. “But. Quickwing’s been on top of it lately. She’s been there for so much. I’m no medicine cat, but to be there both times Spiritstar fell, and saving her once… could that mean something? Maybe I sound crazy…” She sighed.

"Of course I said it to him. You and I both know that furball can be reckless at times." Redspring snorted with a fond look in her eyes. Their relationship with Ashfeather, as odd as it may have seemed, was going way better than Redspring expected. If anything, it had made the bonds between the three of them even stronger. Having a mate was different, and sharing a mate even more so, yet Redspring found Ashfeather and Willownose's love for eachother to be as rewarding as her own love for Ashfeather, and Willownose. Pushing the thoughts away, she nodded once. "Frostyfoot's banishment, Spiritstar's death... it's impossible not to think about it. I try my best not to, so the second best thing is for me to try and focus on something else."

"It's okay to make light. If anything, we need it." Buzzardfall assured with a friendly glance, resting her tail on Firefang's shoulder. "It's better than making darkness out of it. That's my biggest worry. That cats will think Starclan's abandoned us, and turn... elsewhere, for protection." She shuddered.

Willownose flicked her ear. Frostyfoot's banishment seemed like only a brief moment compared to Spiritstar and Silvercloud's recent deaths. The three truly needed each other to get through such things. "That['s probably the healthy thing to do. I was just thinking... about Warblerwind. I didn't think he'd have such strong feelings to kill Spiritstar. Do you think the Dark Forest is involved?"

"Thank you for the reassurance," Firefang murmured, grateful for his friend. "I try to keep my faith as much as I can. StarClan has never truly abandoned us. Otherwise, we'd never have survived Robinstar and AdderClan." he blanched. "If anything, you'd hope they'd simply leave like Nettlesting did."

“It has to be, somehow. Spiritstar’s entire family is drenched in the Dark Forest. I can’t imagine them leaving her alone without trying to get back at her… and it’s haunting if Warblerwind has been working with the Dark Forest all this time. And now, he’s dead too.” Redspring sighed heavily. Nobody had suspected Warblerwind, yet Quickwing and Plumwillow wouldn’t have lied.

Buzzardfall’s face grew heavy at that. “I didn’t know he had that much malice for Cloudberry. But in a way, I get it. I can’t see why she just refuses to say who his father was. Clearly it was important to him… but Nettlesting betrayed us in the time we needed it most. And that stings, but you’re right. I’d rather a cat leave the Clans and not believe in Starclan, than to put their faith in the Dark Forest instead.”