Warriors RPG (V2)

[The Kingpin]

By the time Shadowstar and Falconflight had returned, Shadowsoul and Silverpaw were long since gone. Deeper in the forest, the black bengal made his plan quick, clear and direct. "We'll split up. You cover the ground, I'll head for the trees. Gather what you can and return to Camp. I'll meet you there" he explained, eyes already focused on a low lying web spread between a couple of branches a half dozen fox-lengths off the ground...

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli's expression soured. Had he been less delirious, he would have fought tooth and claw at such indignation. But now, with his head swimming and the world spinning, the offer seemed like a gift from the heavens. Watching Shadowstar through one eye glazed with weakness, Eli consented with a nod.

[Hopeflower]

Shadowstar carefully fastened her jaws in the younger tabby's scruff and lifted him, tipping her head back to keep his injured leg and his hind paws from bumping against the rocky ground. Slowly, pawstep by careful pawstep, she made her way down, tail held out behind her for balance. Her neck muscles were protesting before she was halfway down, and the dull ache gradually spread along her jaw and shoulders, but she didn't dare stop or let go. She released him when they reached the bottom, setting him down gingerly. "Just through here, now," she mewed, nodding to the gorse tunnel.

"Okay," Silverpaw meowed, looking nervous but determined. The pale gray she-cat bounded off toward a promising-looking fallen log, her fur slightly ruffled from nerves.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli hesitated in a daze, the trip down the ravine only furthering his disorientation. Even when he regained what he could of his bearings, he hesitated. This was a society of strange, wild cats, and he was in very serious danger. But...if Shadowstar had lied about wanting to help him, she could have tossed him down the side of the ravine in a heartbeat. Yet here he was, delivered safe and sound. With a deep, shaky breath, the young cat hobbled into the gorse tunnel, flinching as thorns tugged at his ragged pelt.

Firestreak, meanwhile, was seated near the warrior's den. The news about the injured stranger had spread since Mapleleaf arrived back at camp, and every cat seemed to be curious to at least some degree; Firestreak included.

[Hopeflower]

Shadowstar waited patiently, following the injured tom once he was through. She glance around, calling for her medicine cat, and was relieved to see the blue-gray tabby already approaching. "Great StarClan," Mistpool gasped, looking over what she could see of the tom's injuries with no small measure of shock. "This is Mistpool," Shadowstar told him as the medicine cat circled them, the tip of her tail flicking. "I'm afraid I have to explain a few things to the rest of the Clan, but don't worry. She'll take good care of you."

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli's ears flattened against his head to voice his discomfort, but he said nothing. He felt embarrassed by the way the other she-cat was inspecting him, and he could feel the eyes of many other cats boring into him. Shadowstar described this cat as a "medicine cat", and although the term confused him, he assumed this one might be the healer she was talking about. A surge of adrenaline - in response to his surroundings - was all that kept the young cat on his paws at this point. Even the thought of a nice warm place to rest almost caused him to collapse.

[Hopeflower]

Mistpool motioned with her muzzle toward her den. "Come with me," she mewed, the usually soft-spoken medicine cat's tone even gentler now. "You look like you need to rest, and I need to clean the blood off of you so I can see those injuries better. Will you need my shoulder?" She tilted her head as she asked the question, watching him closely.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"I can make it," the young tom meowed in a small display of independence. In truth, he was glad the medicine cat was not far away; but, of course, he would never admit it. Eli limped his way in the indicated direction, and almost missed the split in the rock that marked the she-cat's den.

[Hopeflower]

Mistpool stayed close, allowing the stranger through the entrance first before she padded inside and patted a soft moss nest with her paw. "Rest here," she meowed. "I'll be back in just a moment." She slid into the cracked rock where she kept her herbs and pulled a tuft of moss from the store she kept for bedding. Soaking it thoroughly in a small pool of water near the back of the cleft, she backed her way out again and dropped it beside her patient. "Drink," she encouraged softly.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli blinked. It was only now, with fresh water right under his nose, that he realized just how thirsty he was. Crouching down on shaky paws, the young cat lapped hungrily at the moss. Almost subconsciously, he stepped gingerly into the nest and carefully lowered himself down, while his eyes watched the clump in front of him as if it were the most enticing prey in the world. Now situated comfortably, he began licking the moss again, trying to eek out every last drop of the delicious liquid. In between licks, he murmured, "Thank you."

[C S]

Tiberium came to a stop amidst a cluster of low lying ferns and cocked his head at a peculiar rustling he heard. The wind was not blowing, and even if it was he doubted the sound he heard could have been caused solely by it. He turned his head to look at Ferallion, finding that his brother was sitting on his haunches with his eyes closed. His ears pricked and swiveled before he opened them again.

"Up," the gray cat said simply, his pupils angled towards the branches above.

Tiberium raised a brow, feeling a slight twinge of pain from the scratch on his forehead. He turned his sights forwards again and looked up into the trees, seeing a dark shape obscured by the shadows of the treetop.

"Huh," Tiberium mewed. "It's up, alright."

"I think it's a cat. Looks like they are trying to get something," Ferallion observed.

[Hopeflower]

Mistpool offered a small smile in response to the thanks and mewed with a touch of humor, "You may not be so eager to thank me once I'm done treating you." She pushed a leaf closer, careful not to roll any of the three poppy seeds off of it. "These are for the pain," she explained. "They're going to make you feel a little sleepy." Three was more than she would normally give a cat, but considering the severity of the wounds, she thought it would be better for him to sleep through most of this - she would ask about his leg and eye before they kicked in.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul was already busy gathering cobwebs, jumping from tree to tree, branch to branch, dipping into holes in trunks with a paw, the Tom wasting little time in gathering the much needed supplies. He could only hope Silverpaw was similarly successful...

[C S]

Tiberium tracked the seemingly erratic movement of the cat as it went from branch to branch, spending only a few seconds on each limb before springing off again. The cat did not seem to notice them, and if it did it made no indication of it. Its focus appeared to be dedicated to the task it was carrying out.

"Thunderclan cat," Ferallion went on to say after taking in a few strong whiffs of the air. "I do not suspect that things are completely well at the camp."

Tiberium hummed thoughtfully. He recognized the cat's behavior to be that of a forager, but one that wasn't looking for food. It was more akin to his outing with Mistpool a year ago, except much more frantic to some degree.

"I have to agree with you on that," Tiberium mewed, "there's a cat in their midst that is in worse condition than ourselves."

"Blast." Ferallion swiped at the ground figuring that the medicine cat was preoccupied with more pressing matters than what he wished to conference with her about. "We should not complicate matters with our appearance, then."

"It would be for the best," Tiberium began, "though if things are as bad as I imagine, we might be better off lending them a paw."

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli hesitated, staring at the seeds with clear skepticism. Although he wasn't a cat of many years, he had never heard of seeds with healing properties. With a slight, awkward shrug, he licked up the seeds and sat back, as if expecting immediate results.

[The Kingpin]

The interaction between the two cats below didn't escape the keen hearing of the black bengal, and it only took him a few moments to slow his pace and cut down the noise with which he moved to nearly nothing. He moved to a lower branch that he had alreadly cleared, looking down at the two with a narrow amber gaze on the branch of a tree across from where he was last heard. Loners. Siblings. Seasonal companions to Thunderclan. They were many things, but they were allies to the Clan first and foremost. It was interesting to see them here at this time of the year though, and the tom decided to address it. "Keen observations, brothers. Glad to see your focus hasn't faltered with your wounds. Unpleasant, Windclan's lot, aren't they?" purred the black bengal, his paws and forearms grey with webs...

[Hopeflower]

Mistpool purred encouragingly. "Let's have a look at that eye first," she mewed. "Can you put open it at all?"

Silverpaw wriggled her way awkwardly out of the fallen log, one forepaw and a considerable amount of her pelt covered in cobwebs. She suppressed a sneeze as one brushed her nose and looked around for Shadowsoul, wondering where he'd gone.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli shook his head, frowning. Although the eye itself was unharmed, the fur around it was matted with blood. The skin beneath was swollen so much from a cut that narrowly missed his eye that his eye could not open even a sliver.

[Hopeflower]

Mistpool nodded to herself, stepping forward. "This may sting a bit," she warned before beginning to wash the blood from his face, unsure of where exactly the injury itself was with the fur around the eye so coated.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli flinched, a searing jolt of pain spiking through him as the wound was cleaned. Thankfully, whether by the power of the seeds or simply him growing accustomed to the discomfort, the pain was gradually reduced to a dull throb as time went on. As the pain subsided, though, he felt himself nodding off.