CrestClan | Camp

Kestrelthorn glanced at Bumblestar. "I might have a suitable punishment for him."

Foresthowl nodded, sitting down on one of the clean nests and showing the medicine cat the end of his tail, where a lump of fur was clearly ripped off. "It stings a bit, but it's not broken."

Skystreak bushed up, his pupils shrinking to slits. Please, StarClan, don't make me an apprentice.

"Oh yes Kestrelthorn, I'd love to hear it. Honestly I think he should spend some time with the kits learning decent respect but that seems a bit harsh, don't you think?" She said with a small giggle. She probably shouldn't be teasing in that sense but... he was acting childish.

Kestrelthorn nodded. "Wonderful idea, but no. I was going to suggest that he take control of the rat problem." The deputy turned to the new warrior, whiskers twitching ever so slightly. "If he is so determined to prove himself, then he should get a chance. And when it fails miserably, he will be punished like any other cat who attacks a Clanmate unprovoked."

Skystreak flared his nostrils. "Fine. I'll do it. On my own." he announced, "I'll save all your tails from the rodents where she failed."

Peachwhisker dressed it with chervil and marigold and pressed cobwebs to keep the poultice in place.

"Well, get on with it! If you're so special." She scoffed and turned her back on Skystreak to face Frostedstep. She sighed. 
"Sorry for not asking before, but are you alright? as much as I hate to admit, he does have one heck of a bite." She said softly.

Foresthowl hissed under his breath. "Ow," he huffed.

Kestrelthorn glanced at his father. "Do you think it'll teach him anything?"

"I'm fine, Bumblestar." Frostedstep smiled at the leader, dipping her head before padding further into camp.

Nightfall stretched out and yawned. "As entertaining as that was, we should really get going. Archpaw! Come on!"

Archpaw bounced over. "What in StarClan's name was that all about?" she snorted.

"If he gets a few bites probably," Talonstorm mewed, "Prey fighting back might humble him a bit."

"Okay, all done," Peachwhisker mewed gently, patting the cobweb down, "Make sure not to aggravate it, and tell me if you start feeling feverish."

Bumblestar smiled as Frostedstep walked away, glad to know no physical injuries were caused. "Well, seems like we got someone to keep an eye on." She said, half to herself, looking a bit worried. 

Fidgetpaw followed quickly after Archpaw, still looking a bit sleepy. "Okay, what the heck."

"An idiotic tom who got scared over being snapped at." Nightfall snickered and grinned at her apprentice, waving her tail. "Ready to go scare some fishbrains, Archpaw?" She mewed, nodding a greeting to Fidgetpaw.

Hollycrest watched the whole ordeal with Skystreak with narrowed eyes. She flicked her tail irritably and huffed. 

Dovepetal, after staring off for a long moment, darted over to Bumblestar. "I can accompany Skystreak, to make sure he doesn't do anything sketchy," she mewed quietly.

Skystreak glared wordlessly at Dovepetal, tail thwacking against the ground.

Peachwhisker trotted out of the medicine den. "What happened out here?" she purred curiously.

Kestrelthorn's tail flicked, rather annoyed that Dovepetal hadn't addressed him, seeing as it was his idea. "I think it's better if he goes alone." 

Foresthowl nodded, then realised Peachwhisker had already left and purred a little to himself and got up to find his mate again.

Archpaw nodded excitedly. "Please! Rats are disgusting, I want to catch a mouse on the way back to eat," she huffed.

"Well, Bumblestar is leader still," Talonstorm mewed comfortingly to his son, "Any cat would want her input on matters as important as this,"

Nightfall laughed and shook her head. "Food is food when it's Leafbare, Archpaw," she mewed.

Dovepetal resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She disliked being around family. "Talonstorm is right about that," she meowed.

Kestrelthorn's tail flicked grumpily. "And I am deputy, it was my idea. Let me know when StarClan decrees I'm not worthy of my rank next time, thank you." He turned tail and walked out of the camp, needing to get away from everyone for a moment.

Talonstorm scoffed, "Don't worry, he's just being dramatic." he reassured Bumblestar.

Ivyglow stretched and yawned as the wind picked up, shivering. "We should go back inside," she called to her kits.

Mumblekit let out a sound of relief and darted back inside ahead of his mother and brother, curling up immediately in their nest. "Too cold," he muttered. 

Hollycrest ushered her kits into the nursery, Hopekit being held by her scruff since the tortoiseshell had fallen asleep. She glanced back out after setting down her kit, purring to catch Foresthowl's attention.

Cloudleap lifted his nose into the air. He tasted the crisp air, searching for his apprentice. "Inkpaw. Where are you?" He ignored the surrounding cats. Crossly, he called out again. "Inkpaw. We're going to train. We need to work on your fighting skills."

Inkpaw snorted and trotted over to his mentor. "Alright," he mewed, flicking his dappled tail. "Maybe I'll knock you down this time," he chuckled and glanced toward his sister while she glowered at Skystreak. "Frostedstep hasn't had the best day."

Cloudleap frowned. "That sucks," he said. Flicking his tail impatiently, he continued. "Let's go. We have to fix your stance. You fall like a leaf from a tree almost every time." Cloudleap stood. "After we finish, you can eat. Okay?"

Inkpaw resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I do not. You're just huge," he muttered beneath his breath and trotted ahead of his mentor.

Skystreak sat near the entrance of camp, tail lashing furiously.

Kestrelthorn padded up to Skystreak, fur now ruffled from the wind and snow rather than anger. "Who do you want to take with you?"

Skysteak scoffed, "I was thinking I could do it on my own, everyone else seems to have something better to do then bother with rats."

Kestrelthorn snorted softly. "All right. Come back if the weather gets any worse."

Skystreak held his head high and trotted out of camp, walking with as much dignity as he could muster.

Kestrelthorn rolled his eyes, padding back into the camp and shivering in the sharp winds. “We need more prey,” he said to nobody in particular.

"Agreed." Cherryhaze flicked her russet tail and stepped over to Kestrelthorn. "With this snow though, it'll be hard to catch anything. No doubt the water in RippleClan is freezing," she mewed.

"I can go by the pigeon nest." Talonstorm suggested.
Peachwhisker trotted to Cherryhaze, tail flicking. "We need to collect herbs, do you think you can get an escort for Mosspaw and I?" she asked sweetly.

Cherryhaze blinked and stared at the medicine cat as if she'd grown a second head. "In this storm? Will we even be able to find any, Peachwhisker?" She looked at Talonstorm, twitching an ear. "Take Nightfall and Archpaw with you. Going to RippleClan's border is too risky with the storm. Do you agree with that Kestrelthorn?" She looked to the older deputy.

Kestrelthorn sighed a little. "I don't think anyone should be going out in this, but if you must." Do they really have to go? he added in his head, rather irritated.

Cherryhaze gave him a sympathetic look. She turned to Peachwhisker. "Alright, I'll escort you. However, I think Mosspaw should stay in camp. She's young after all. We cannot stay out long, not with this weather, so it will have to be a quick trip."

"Goodness, I never even noticed the weather." Peachwhisker sniffed, "I doubt anyone will develop infections before the storm ends, I suppose we should wait."

"We'll be careful," Talonstorm mewed, "The nest is sheltered and the path there isn't too treacherous."

Cherryhaze let out a relieved exhale. "It might be more dangerous with the snow. Just be more cautious than usual," she meowed. "I'd hate for anything to happen. If it's too treacherous, come back. Don't try to keep going."

Talonstorm nodded. "Nightfall, Archpaw, I'm going to the pigeon nest. You can join me if you wish."

Archpaw peeked up at her mentor. "Can we? Please?!"

Nightfall hesitated, glancing out at the storm. "We can, but you need to stay close, okay? I don't need my apprentice freezing."

"We'll walk through the thickets," Talonstorm mewed, "The brambles should shield us from the winds. I'm plently old enough to have dealt with leafbare storms harsher than this."

Cherryhaze looked towards Peachwhisker and purred, "I'll accompany you after the storm passes. If we're lucky, the cold will preserve some of the remaining herbs. Right?"

Peachwhisker nodded, not wanting to correct her in that the cold would kill the leaves.

Cherryhaze managed a little, happy purr and trotted away. Her russet tail waved behind her, flicking against the fallen snow. 

Willowpaw rolled onto her back and let out a bored groan, stretching her paws upwards. "I'm boooored! And hungry. When is the patrol going to be back?" She grumbled to no one in particular, tan tail lashing through the snow.

Twilightkit rested his head on his paw, rolling over and staring at the roof of the nursery. "Mama, can we be apprentices now?"

Skystreak dragged himself into camp, panting, eyes wild with pain.

Cherryhaze spotted him a moment later and her eyes widened as she darted over to him. "Skystreak! What happened?" She mewed, pushing her shoulder up against his to let him lean against her.

He looked at her, eyes wild with horror and pain. "Rogues!" he screeched, "Cats from outside the Clans!"

Cherryhaze's eyes widened even further. "Skystreak, that's just an old elder's tale! You can't possibly be serious," she mewed, leading the tom to the medicine den. 

Willowpaw rolled over and perked up at the mention of rogues.

"Oh StarClan, what happened to your leg?" Peachwhisker mewed.

"Rogues!" he spat, "One the size of a dog and maned like a lion, the other a frothing blight!"