RippleClan | Camp

Troutfin shuffled backwards, fur prickling as he glanced from the grieving cats to his leader.

Sleekstar blinked a few times, slightly shocked at the reaction from Silversplash, then turned to Troutfin. "You need to go to the medicine den."

Covewhisper peered out of the medicine den upon hearing Sleekstar and Troutfin, his eyes widening upon spotting Silversplash and Bluemoon. He stepped out, clearing his throat to announce his presence. "You both need to go to the medicine den. You need to warm up." 

Wolfpaw walked slowly back into camp, flicking his ears back while he peered around. He swallowed and averted his eyes away from Bluemoon. "Oh dear."

Troutfin slunk towards the medicine den, shivering violently.

Morningrose trotted up to Sleekstar, eyes wide. "W...what happened?" she mewed.

“The ice trapped her under. It was forming too fast for us to save her.” He sniffed, then sneezed. “We can’t swim, not in this weather.”

Russethawk walked in behind his apprentice, shaking his pelt of snow but quickly making his way to the medicine den as he saw his brother’s tail disappear inside. “Troutfin? Are you okay?”

"Sleekstar, you need to follow Troutfin." Covewhisper spoke up after a moment, turning to walk back into the medicine den after he finished talking. He stepped inside, padding past Troutfin and Russethawk. He flicked his tail over Troutfin. "You probably have the Chills, Troutfin. Lie down." 

Dreampoppy padded slowly into camp with Rainspots, leaning a little against his side. Her white tipped tail rested on his back.

Troutfin nodded to Russethawk, still trembling, and curled up in a shaky ball in the nest.

Morningrose pressed comfortingly against her older brother and looked at Bluemoon's limp body.

Russethawk immediately lay down beside his littermate, pressing against him and offering his warmth.

Sleekstar licked Morningrose's ear. "She died like a warrior."

"We need to get you inside, you're freezing!" she exclaimed.

Troutfin sighed gratefully as he faded away into sleep.

Sleekstar shook his head. "I'm fine. Troutfin got the worst of it, he was under the water while it was freezing." 

Russethawk gently began to groom his brother's ears, pausing to look at Covewhisper. "Will he be okay?"

Rainspots dropped the large carp in the centre of the camp, looking around, then gulping as he caught sight of Bluemoon's partially frozen body. "I'm glad we got out of the water when we did," he mumbled to Dreampoppy, not entirely sure if he was imagining the stench of death.

"He will be once we get the blood flowing. He just needs to be warmed up." Covewhisper sat close to the warrior and worked on licking his fur backwards. 

Dreampoppy nodded, trembling a little while she turned her head in the direction of Silversplash.

Oceankit stares at the cats who looked cold and knew they needed warming up. "Want me to grab some... uhhh…" She paused trying to figure out what Wasplight had taught her. "Chickweed?" She asks, thinking of the herb that could cure coughs, before mentally hitting herself, realising that they didn't have coughs.

"I don't need you to grab anything, Oceankit." Covewhisper rose to his paws and flicked his tail. "Just head back to the nursery for now. Emberpaw and I are well off," he meowed.

"But I wanna help!" Oceankit whimpered, before a sharp glare made her stop as she saw her mother sitting at the nursery, glaring at her. "Ok Covewhisper…" She muttered as she walked to the nursery.

"I don't want you losing your first life to pneumonia!" Morningrose snorted stubbornly, head-butting her brother in the direction of the medicine den.

Newtpad watched Oceankit enter the nursery then peaked out nervously at the scene unfolding.

Ooc: Sorry I took so long to respond! D:

Ic: Whisperocean stood up, shocked. First he was having a normal conversation(sort of, heh), and then a cat was dead! The ground swayed. The sodden lump of fur was alive just before...
He took a step back, then unsteadily walked towards the warrior den. He collapsed into his nest, burying his nose under his paws. Chills ran up and down his whole body like spiders. He couldn't shake the thought from his head, the horror gripping and twisting his gut as if his gut was trying to tear itself from him. His throat was dry, and not even a whimper could sound from it.

Newtpad slunk towards the body, head lowered in grief for her Clanmate. "W...what happened?" she whispered hoarsely.

Silversplash looked sharply up at the queen, calming slightly upon seeing her. However, her tone was icy as she mewed, "Sleekstar took her on patrol and she drowned." 

Oakfur padded back into camp ahead of the patrol he'd been part of, and his stomach dropped when he saw Silversplash and Bluemoon. The brown tabby staggered over and collapsed into the snow, pressing his muzzle into his daughter's fur with an anguished whimper.

Newtpad lowered her head and touched her nose to her Clanmate's pelt. "May StarClan light your path," she whispered sadly.

Morningrose nudged Sleekstar again towards to medicine den.

Laurelkit peeked out of the nursery and blinked her wide eyes at the sight of the cats in the clearing. "Momma?" She squeaked and stepped out, shivering from the snow. "Momma, what happened?" 

Oakfur growled lowly and looked towards Sleekstar, his tail lashing along the snow. He rose to his paws and looked towards the leader. "Why didn't you go back under and grab her?"

Sleekstar's ears flattened, surprised by the outburst. "If I'd have gone back under, all three of us would have drowned," he stated. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"You have nine lives! She had one!" Oakfur bristled as he shouted, lashing his tail through the air. He hissed at the tom, arching his back. "She had one and she lost it while on a patrol with you." He spat out the statement and retreated to his daughter's body, relaxing only slightly when Silversplash nuzzled him in an effort to comfort him.

Sleekstar stared at the tom, still in shock, but managed to catch himself as he realised everyone was staring. "We'll hold vigil tonight, if the skies don't clear for the Gathering," he coughed a little.

Newtpad flattened her ears and padded back to Laurelkit, hushing the shivering kitten and shepherding her back into the nursery.

Morningrose glared defensively at Oakfur. If he says one more thing against my brother I'll shred his ears off!

Dreampoppy bristled at the older warrior's accusations, hissing back at Oakfur and lashing her black and white tail. 

Laurelkit went smoothly back to the nursery, curling back up in the warmth of her nest. "They're all so loud," she mewed and covered her ears with her paws.

Newtpad curled around the kit and licked her forehead soothingly. "Warriors are always fighting over something or another, don't worry," she mewed, pushing down her own horror and grief.

"Why was Bluemoon just laying there?" Laurelkit whimpered and looked up at her mother with wide green eyes. 

Covewhisper shook his head in dismay and sighed, looking towards Sleekstar. "I agree with Morningrose. You were in the water. You'll get the chills if you don't come in here and let me help," he mewed, surprisingly stern for the usually soft toned tom.

Newtpad touched her nose comfortingly to the kit's head. "She's joining StarClan," the she-cat mewed sadly.

Sleekstar nodded. "I was coming," he replied a little dryly to the medicine cat, glancing back at Oakfur as he padded into the medicine den.

Oakfur watched the leader with narrowed eyes, his ticked fur bristling while he curled defensively around his daughter's body. He looked at Silversplash and sighed, touching a nose to her head when he picked up on her muffled whimpers of anguish. 

Covewhisper shook his head at the tension and lead Sleekstar into the medicine den, pointing to a nest with his tail.

Russethawk looked up from his spot beside Troutfin, licking his brother's ear as he turned away in slight disgust.
Sleekstar's ears flattened, and he settled himself in the nest a little warily. "I'm fine," he mumbled.

Nevertheless, Covewhisper curled around Sleekstar and began to groom his fur backwards. "Don't mind Oakfur and Silversplash. They're grieving, and looking for someone to blame," he meowed quietly to the leader, his ears heating up. "You're a new leader as well, and you're young for one. Opposition is expected." He nudged Sleekstar affectionately.

Salmonpaw padded nervously towards the dead she-cat, unsure of what to say to the grieving cats but sure ignoring them would look bad.

Morningrose curled up next to her older brother protectively.
Troutfin stirred and blinked awake, still trembling

Silversplash glanced up at her apprentice and sighed, shifting over so he could sit by her. "You don't need to say anything," she meowed, dipping her head.

Salmonpaw settled into the snow next to her, a beam of light shooting through the clouds blanketing the leafbare sky.

Silversplash draped her tail over the young tom and nuzzled her nose into Bluemoon's fur. She squeezed her eyes shut and sniffed.

"Going to be an eventful gathering," Morningrose mewed, trying to lighten to mood.

Sleekstar managed a small purr, nodding as he realised he hadn't even thought about choosing cats to go, while Russethawk immediately focussed fully on his littermate. "Troutfin, are you okay?"

"Wha..." Troutfin rasped, blinking awake. He was still trembling slightly, but the haze over his mind had subsided.

"You think anyone will try to break in while the water is frozen over?" Morningrose mewed mischievously.

Covewhisper ignored the typical warrior chatter and directed his attention to Troutfin. "How are you feeling?" He mewed between rasps of his tongue over Sleekstar's fur. Being so close to the leader had his ears heating to the point he flattened them.

"Numb." Troutfin mewed, resting his head on his paws and looking bleakly through the entrance of the den. Bluemoon...

Covewhisper jolted to his paws immediately and rushed over to the tom, curling around him and grooming his fur backwards. "Are you still feeling the cold, Troutfin?"

"Yes..." he mewed shakily, "It doesn't feel like I'm about to die anymore."

Covewhisper relaxed instantly, exhaling in relief while he nuzzled the tom. "Good.. that's good," he mewed and managed a shaky purr in an attempt to comfort the warrior.

"What's wrong with Sleekstar?" Salmonpaw huffed.

Silversplash bristled and hissed. "He let my sister die beneath the ice when he has nine lives he could've used to help," she muttered to her apprentice, slender tail lashing.

Russethawk shifted away from his brother as Covewhisper shoved between them, huffing a little in annoyance.

Sleekstar sighed and shook his head. "Nobody would risk the water, Morningrose."

"Do you think they can get bloodcough from ice too?" Morningrose pondered, "Or does it only happen when they go in water. I've never seen what happens to a cat from outside our Clan when they go in water, the cowards don't want to test it around me and satiate my curiosity."

"They die," Russethawk stated bluntly. "Half a day, max."

"Have you seen it before?" Morningrose chirped.