Caɾղaցe Ɱօօղ ~𝙰 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝙵𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

28 🌙

"He's a kittypet now," Darkflower growled defensively. "You have no idea what we've been through." Her sharp green eyes were almost stinging Crescentpaw's like nettles; even though she was still at quite a distance.

"No, but I have some idea. It isn't much better off in Riverclan," the apprentice mewed mildly. "Eveningstar lost her ninth life and went to Starclan." Would it be considered oversharing if I told more than that?

Plumetail murmured behind them. The two she-cats turned and pricked their ears.

"Please find me something fresh... for my throat. Some cobwebs to pack it with. It's bleeding through again," the elder rasped. Mid-day sun washed her pelt with a golden sheen. The she-cat lay in the driest part of the clearing, where the trees made way for light to shine down upon a wide stretch of camp earth. Crescentpaw looked around for a clear pool of water and found one in the crook of a tree root beside a bramble den.

She approached it with stiff shoulders. I have a feeling I'm going to be very worn out by the end of today. Working as a Riverclan apprentice since her return and now traveling across the Clan territories as fast as possible would soon catch up with her. I've got to get this done in under two sunsets, though. Having tired paws doesn't matter.

"How did she die?" Darkflower asked as Crescentpaw pawed away a thicket of moss from above the pool. A fluffy layer of it was stuck to the rock's southwest facing side. It was partly full of bark and dirt as she peeled it daintily away, trying to shield the embarrassing act with her body.

"How do you think? The wolves," the apprentice said simply.

"Great Starclan, has no cat ever taught you to rip off a proper chunk of moss? Well, I'm not going to teach you." Darkflower sounded repulsed as she stalked around the apprentice and leaned into her space. The she-cat expertly sliced off the topmost layer with a claw, leaving the back-side of the moss stuck against the dirty flaking bark.

Tabby-and-white Crescentpaw seethed. With gritted teeth and flattened ears, she stepped back. I only need answers. I must get them and ask her if she's coming to the other clans with me- then leave.

She couldn't help but try to aid Plumetail's wound while she did so, though. She took her own clump of moss and began picking the pieces of dirt and gritty bark-chunks out, grasping them or swiping them off with the tips of her toes. Luckily Darkflower was no longer looking. The deputy dunked her own wad into a small dip in the earth that was cratering a pool.

"So... if Gravelstar lost his last life then why haven't you become leader yet?" The apprentice commented after a long moment.

"Oh great Starclan... Apprentices are just like frogs, jumping to the first lilypad they see." She cut herself off as she leaned up with a mouthful of dripping moss. Casually, Crescentpaw stopped picking her bundle clean and lifted it as well.

"Look, kit. All you gotta do to figure out the answer to that is look around. There's no Clan left to lead. All of my Clanmates either ran off or they're dead." She murmured through the moss, then fell silent. Crescentpaw felt the layers of pine needle thin out as she padded back into the center of their camp.

She nodded, trying to sound concerned while also mentioning the state of her own clan. "Well I can't say that isn't relatable. It was hard for Plumetail to tell me much about Shadowclan because her throat hurt." Darkflower sighed agreement. She leaned forward to offer Plumetail the moss soaked in water, and Crescentpaw waited while the she-cat took a drink.

"Go get cobwebs from the medicine cat's den. It's in that cave beneath the Leader's rock."

The leaders rock was seemingly part of that boulder-pile that Crescentpaw had seen while entering the camp. She padded over to them as Darkflower pointed her tail.