ThunderClan: Life Before 2023's Sinkhole

[Clock Dragonshifter]

Silentclover looked around at the other cats in the clearing before they landed on her leader "I'll join." She mewed loud enough for her leader to hear as she lowered her head in respect. Her heart hung heavy as she thought of Iceripple her head hanging low. Who would have killed Iceripple she was such a good cat. she thought sadly.

[Akira]

Flamelight gaped. What? Icicleripple was... dead? How could it happen?! The tom dug his claws in the dirt underneath him, grief clinging to him like when his mentor died: he personally didn't know the medicine cat, but he would pay his respects. "I'll go," he said softly, rising to his paws. It was the very least he could do, right?

[Jayvines]

~Mistpaw~

Icicleripple... was dead?...

The young apprentice seemed to deflate; shrinking into the ground as her leader's words registered. A slow burn of confusion, grief, and panic began to grow in the chest of the small grey apprentice as she desperately tried to keep her eyes focused on the trunk of the Thunderwillow and not the mourning faces of Aspenstar and the cats around her.

If... If she was dead, that meant Thunderclan didn't have a medicine cat... What would happen to all the cats who got sick or injured this leaf-bare?! Who would kill a medicine cat?! Was it Shadowclan?! Oh stars, it probably was... They already had a reputation for murdering, but Aspenstar said their was no clan scent...

Tears began to well up in her grey eyes as the bubble of feelings welling up in her became too much.

It wasn't fair! Icicleripple was the nicest cat, and... and some cat had just taken her away from them for no good reason!

Her crestfallen gaze flicked to the ground and she squeezed them shut in an attempt prevent her tears from falling, but they leaked out anyways. Small droplets of water running down her fur in the chilly air of the clearing.

Should... should she help with the burial? Aspenstar had extended the invitation to cats who wanted to help... She should at least say goodbye before... before she was buried. Shakily looking up at her leader, Mistpaw wiped a paw quickly across her face before quietly adding her voice to the cats volunteering to help.

"If... If I can do anything to help with the burial... I'd like to," she forced out before returning her eyes to the ground beneath her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

~Sparrowflight~

Sparrowflights tail dropped to the ground as Aspenstar relayed the news of their clan's most recent tragedy. The loss of their medicine cat... Stars, this leaf-bare was going to be a hard one for Thunderclan. Seeing as there was no immediate danger threatening her clan she allowed the adrenaline that had filled her initially to dissipate with a low sigh.

Lifting her face to the cloud covered sky, Sparrowflight closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to Starclan that Icicleripple had been safely guided up to where the rest of their ancestors called home. That young medicine cat deserved to rest after all she had been through, but all those still left here...

Starclan help us...

Opening her eyes and returning her gaze to Aspenstar, the young warrior cleared her throat before speaking up.

"I can also help with the burial," she stated, keeping her voice low and even. "She deserves a proper resting place..."

[Ian]

Shiningskies watched intently, noticing how Aspenstar struggled to get the words out at first. Something bad must have happened, very bad for the leader to act like this- and Oh, how awful, she had been so young and it was too soon. The ginger molly had never interacted much with the medicine cat aside for getting healed, but the pang of grief still stabbed deep into her chest as if she had a lost a close friend. If this is how she felt, how must Aspenstar feel? The molly knew they had been close, Icicleripple had appointed her and Dogbark as the leader and deputy respectively, as well as led the Clan during the time after Eveningstar's death.

"I'll go with you, Aspenstar," Shiningskies said, hoping that she would be able to offer some sort of comfort. She wanted the leader to know that she wasn't alone during these times, that she had support and friendship while she dealt with her grief. By no means was she attempting to replace Icicleripple, the warrior knew she never could even if she wanted to (which she didn't because that would just be cruel), but she could at least be there to offer her silent support and be a cat that Aspenstar could lean on while she grieved.

[EnderStorm]

Enderkit wakes up and looks around. He gets up and stretches, then lays back down, wishing he knew some other cats.

[duskfire1]

Oatkit felt as if he was struck by a humongous paw, hard.
She's... dead? He didn't even know how to feel. His heart felt heavy, as he looked at the ground. He know he had never chatted with her, and he instantly regretted that.
Oh Starclan... Why?
He kept a hard, stony glare at the ground, trying to seize his sadness and thoughts of hurt, and throw them out, but they only kept coming. Like a tidal wave, they clung onto him, making him think very bad things.

--

Larkfrost had her eyes open wide as she heard the news. She then bowed her head, letting her ears flatten against the pain.
Thunderclan has been through so much... Now this? She looked up to let her gaze bore into the lifeless pelt on the ground near the entrance of the den, then she quickly switched to cast a glance at Aspentar, who seemed to be going through so much right now.
No leader should have to deal with this pain.
She stood up on shaky paws, "I'll assist in the burial." She let out a shallow breath and padded over to Icicleripple's body, trying to keep herself sturdy from the waves of grief. She bent down to give her cold pelt a swift lick, then she sat down staring at it. Staring at her.
"I know we may have not have been friends, nor enemies, but I want you to know, I hope Starclan treats you well, and we will all miss you. Your absence will have taken a toll on the clan, but we will rejoice. But we will never forget you in the process." She whispered into the former medicine cats ear, casting one more sad smile at the body, she backed away.
She cast a lone glance at Mistpaw after hearing her words and quickly hurried over to her, licking her ears she rested her tail on her daughters shoulders, squeezing her closer to show that it will be alright, we just have to power through these tough times first.

[ @Jayvines ]

[versailles]

@poppy. //

➸ rainypaw

today was something that rainypaw liked to call a 'curse clan life' type of day. their eyes were squeezed shut, large tail laying over their face. their head lightly pounded, a warning sign of the migraine that would eventually come later in the day. headaches were common for them - they had been ever since they suffered from that concussion a few moons ago. (maybe they should be worried about some sort of brain damage.) this one though..stars, it was persistent.

they could hear the murmuring outside of the apprentices den, but they couldn't make out any specific voices. they weren't going to bother to try either. they were pretty sure there was a meeting going on and they didn't even want to try and think about what the clan could be mewing on about. (they would find out later anyways, people liked to chat about what happened at meetings.)

they sighed, rolling onto their side so their back was facing the entrance of the den. "sleep, sleep, sleep.." rainy mumbled, hoping they would be lucky enough to find some rest.

[Nixey]

(Just a activity post!)
Shadowheart laid out in the clearing.
Brightpaw hummed quietly to herself.
Mosspaw rolled a mossball between his paw.

[Singing Jay]

(activity post, don't reply)

Fernpaw growled to himself.

Tulippaw sat calmly, listening to the sounds around her.

Larkwing as they called her laid down in the sun, but thinking and watching all the same.

[CroissantKitty]

(Open to anyone )

A chocolate siamese kit stepped into the clearing, looking around in awe. She was about three moons old, far from the ideal age of a cat wandering around alone. She had no particular scent of a clan, and in fact seemed to be foreign to clan scents, as evident by her scrunching her nose as she sniffed a wall of the camp.