Whispering Wetlands

[tye]

"Foxpudge! Foxpudge!! I-I mean Foxbite?!"

Endlessly the white and black spotted tom called out to the hay-wired black warrior. The news spread like wildfire at camp and he couldn't believe it. Even though they wouldn't lie..it's just- it can't be! Oddly enough, for some reason, he felt a thread of connection with Foxbite. He's the only part of Windclan 'family' knew and the only one who's close to Hogpaw. Or at least, a little bit. All he knows it made him feel ..alright and safe. An image of a thick, muddy brown tom appeared in his track of mind. Brown eyes glimmering happily to see him with an inviting waft of yellow aura abutting him.

Cowpaw panted heavily, thumping down hard against the dirt like a mad cat searching for his clanmate. The thoughts accelerated in his head making him unable to use any of his senses. Green eyes flashed widely lashing right and left, another picture clouded his mind again. It was Foxpudge along with his old clanmates in the moorland looking content and happy.
Sped up again.
He blinked to the sight of an emerald moor that travels up to where it can touch the blue sky. The familiar smell of perfume and nutty scent of flowers, distinctly heather, gorse, honey that the wind merrily embodied him in glee as he rushed through the tree-less land of home.

He blinked again.

His sight stared down to his moving paws trailing on a soddy, wet path with the earthy floor laced with roots and clustered trees that seemed to close down on him. He realized the dark mahogany forest turned into his worse nightmare. Just as the trees slowly crowded him, his lungs seemed to clutch down as if a cat is sitting down on his neck. Chest heaving, breathing but it felt like he wasn't and that resulted in him gasping for air. He ran and ran checking every border, hollow and more until his paws given out, collapsing on the ground.
Where is Foxbite? He couldn't have gone far?
The spotted apprentice tried to gather his thoughts but his heart hammered like two stones colliding into each other. His mind couldn't function. His sight started to blur, ready to blackout any second.

Until.. a horrible scent pierced his nostrils triggering his gag reflex. The air held a putrid, putrescine smell like rotting flesh accompanied with a cloud of flies parading on two bodies. A raise of his paw he rubbed his eyes to clear his sight of what laid in front of him. It was obvious. Clear as day that it's a black cat, his only green eye stared blankly toward the sky. That single thread he cherished suddenly snapped. "Foxbite?" he couldn't believe what he's seeing. He placed his paw on the dead warrior's back, gently shoving him as if the tom would jump up and say 'hey'. But that wasn't the case as he continued to gently headbutt the cold corpse. "S-Stop playing around! We... we have to go back to camp and maybe they'll take you back in! Come on!" in pure denial, he spewed out as dark emotions started to surface from the depth of his heart. But what eradicated it to a full extent was another brown body that caught the corner of his eye. Looked like birds had picking on them, maggots working through its body already eaten half of the cat's flesh, exposing the white bones. He continued to stare at the decomposing cat, something didn't sit well in his heart. He..he felt a chill down his spine. Cowpaw walked around to see the face and screamed at all living hell. "HOGPAW!!" Tears exploded, he tugged on his old friend's ear despite already being detached from his almost non-existent body. His mind went blank. "Hogpaw, hogpaw, hogpaw," he cried, gasping to only cry louder and louder. "I-I should've looked for you! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!!! What-," he hiccuped, sobbing between his words, "What happened to you!!? Starclan no, please, no..! No, no, no, no.." he looked over to Foxbite frantically, "Let's go Foxbite, let's go..." his voice croaked, now dragging over the black tom toward Windclan border. "We have to go home! We..we..,"

His happy world crumbled. The beautiful colors he saw slowly drain away exposing this horrible reality as it crashes into his heavy heart and mind. A sudden gasp for air his glimmering eyes turned blank staring absent-mindedly toward the trees until his sight spiraled in the world of darkness.

[ @hxneysuckle , @BILL.]

[Estelle]

This was so exciting! Hailpaw happily followed Weaselskip out of camp, and despite her usual calm appearance, it was her eyes and wide smile that betrayed to eagerness of the situation. Hopefully everything would go right. Looking around left and right, this was the first time she got to see an actual border- and noted to properly remember it. Soon, they all arrived. She didn't pay much attention to the presence of Skunkblaze and only watched as he was told to go ahead-- holding back a small awardly giggle at the last part. Even though it wasn't really funny, or so she told herself after that. And the other may take it as rude.. hopefully they didn't notice.
Anyway, turning back look at her mentor again as she started speaking, Hailpaw then turned her gaze to where the border was. "it smells... different" She mew quietly "is it ShadowClan's scent?" probably, but the apprentice still asked. How interesting it was.

@Arie @gs29513

[gs29513]

Skunkblaze bounded ahead, and began to mark the border. She continued along the border, pausing occasionally to scent mark. (Should we find Cowpaw, Hogpaw and Foxbite? @BILL.) @Estelle @Arie

[gs29513]

Thorn crept out of the bushes, and looked around. She was scared, and tired. Exhausted, she lay down to rest.

[gs29513]

Skunkblaze padded along the border, until she smelt something different. She saw a small kit sleeping under a bush along the border. Who are you? she asked, prodding the kit to wake it up.

[Arie]

-- @Estelle @gs29513 --
{Sorry its short!}

Weaselskip sighed and nodded, her eyes remaining on Skunkblaze for a second before yelling out while lashing her fluffed up tail. "Hey you! I told you to go mark the border, not fool around. We're here to check for any scents or strange things that does not belong on a border. Not go around looking for strange things!" She couldn't believe that Brindlejaw assigned yet another incompetent warrior to her patrol. The she-cat might be young but she had a temper on her that was rarely rivalled. And this cat... was not on her friend list right now. Directing her green gaze at Hailpaw though, the molly's eyes softened up as they met Hailpaw's. "Yes. The strange scent you can smell very clearly now is Shadowclan scent. Its got quite the strong odour, and thats why it is so potent. It is also one of the many reasons we must mark this border so they know we're active in the area and not slacking. Slacking makes them think us weak, we need to appear as a strong front, as strength is what they value. Now come along, lets find a marker." With that she moved on, tail resting on Hailpaw, while she threw yet another glare at Skunkblaze.

[Estelle]

Hailpaw's blue gaze darted over to Skunkblaze as he got called at. Really, what was he doing? Well.. not something they should at least, assuming from her mentor's words. Sort of sounded like he was acting like a kit in the territory. But oh well, if Skunk was going to act like a kit, they were going to act like one. Their choice. Unless they actually found something interesting--
but her attention was quickly taken back to Weaselskip answering her question. ShadowClan's scent was indeed strong.. almost over whelming if she had to be honest. And not so nicely either.. "they don't sound like the friendliest" or every clan could think so.
Hail then gave a steady nod and got up to look for a maker, as was mentioned. Light blue eyes glanced here and there, hoping to find something that seemed like a good marker. Like that uhhh.. or that-- no, oh! or that stone? "could that work as a marker?" the silver apprentice asked the older molly with a look in her direction, tail gesturing towards the boulder. Weaselskip had said before that stones were used, right? So that should be fine- unless it was a bit over the border- was it? Hailpaw couldn't tell.. well it was close.

@Arie @gs29513

[gs29513]

Skunkblaze padded over towards Hailpaw and Weaselskip, ready to continue. Noticing their annoyed expressions, she mewed I scented a bit of rogue, but it's stale. A day old, and it hasn't really crossed into our territory. No need to tell these cats it was a kit. They might hunt it down, and actually hurt it. Bounding on, Skunkblaze paused to mark the border. @Estelle @Arie

[Arie]

-- @Estelle @gs29513 --

"Yes. That is exactly what we need to mark. Good found Hail," Weaselskip meowed as the grey molly made her way up to the steel grey apprentice and then began rubbing her cheek and her side against the stone. "This is how we mark the borders, the scent markers in us are located by our cheeks so its just rubbing it all good. If its a tree you usually scratch it, but bless that no trees are apparent here." With that she levelled another glare at Skunkblaze. "Rogue you say... Show me where this is, and I can tell wherever if its stale or not. Don't you think its a good idea for an apprentice on their first lesson to get to know what a rogue scent smells like? Show me it! Go ahead." Her ears flicked with annoyance and she wanted to slap someone... She might just have to result in slapping Brindlejaw for assigning her to such a clanmate of hers.

--

@Spiderfrost

Breezefeather let out a small sigh as the silver tom trekked down the moors. He felt like... he should do this. Say a final goodbye while still in this solemn mood after breaking down... after grieving from the loss of his children finally... A last goodbye for now, to his mother. Who despite resting in the stars, also rested in the dirt close to the Shadowclan border. Her grave was preserved, simply because he preserved it. His eyes glanced to the side at Lilypaw who followed him... it would show her why... he was so broken. A part of him had died that day... many many seasons ago. And it hurt, it still hurt and he didn't know how to feel about it. Making his way over to the mound of dirt, eyes constantly gazing towards the Shadowclan border warily, he bowed his head... and dropped the heather blooms he'd collected onto the grave. "I hope Starclan... is still watching... over you... Ma."

[Estelle]

The stone was already marked now, yes, but just to try it Hailpaw still rubbed her cheek to it's side. Well.. there wasn't much to it actually, just some rubbing, as expected. On the scratching tree's part.... she had to agree. It didn't sound all that nice but of course Hailpaw wouldn't voice such opinion. If it were to mark borders, there should be no complaining, and that was that. Now, Skunkblaze-- Weaselskip didn't seem all that fond of the warrior. Quite clearly. Hailpaw figured the scent wouldn't be to far from where Skunkblaze was, but still decided on waiting until she would show them the specific place- and until her mentor would get close to snapping at the other again, or send a glare. It seemed to have happened a few times now, not that she minded to much.

@Arie @gs29513