Stormclan Lichenpaw's Tragedy

Edwin3 posted on Jul 22, 2010 at 02:53AM
Swiftbreeze padded quietly outside the camp, intent on a hunt and hoping to run into Lichenpaw. She hadn't seen her daughter all day, not since Shrewclaw had spoken to Sandpaw and her earlier. They had all three left camp together, but only Sandpaw and Shrewclaw had returned.

"She says she's fine and wants to hunt," Shrewclaw had said. But Swiftbreeze was having trouble believing that. Her daughter hadn't been herself lately, and she was worried. More worried than ever. Sandpaw seemed genuinely lifted from the father-daughter chit-chat and had been in a good mood for days, but Lichenpaw had seemed more sullen and had, afterward, simply vanished.

Stormstar was less than pleased. She had ranted and raved for a day, then afterward had muttered about how Lichenpaw would never get her name. But Swiftbreeze was convinced that something else was going on. Mother intuition, she guessed.

Intuition or not, she had to know for sure.

Walking out of the camp, she smelled something interesting. Lichenpaw. And blood.

Panic overwhelmed her instantly and she wondered in that moment why no one had smelled that before. Fernsniffer had gone out looking for her a short while ago, but said there was nothing there.

Running full speed, she came to the gorge and stared in shock. There, lying on the ground, was Lichenpaw.

Lichenpaw was dead.


...


They could hear her wail back at camp. Everyone could. There was no denying the instant that Daisyflower heard it that Swiftbreeze had found Lichenpaw. She knew the moment it reached her sensitive ears that something had gone wrong.

Everyone seemed to freeze. So did time.

"What was that?" asked Sandpaw, who had been pacing worriedly. Shrewclaw rose to his feet, no doubt in panic for his mate and lost kit.

"I don't know," Stormstar said thoughtfully. "But I don't like it. Tanglescar, take a patrol out NOW and find Swiftbreeze."

The third in command wasted no time. "Fireheart, Duskbreak and Pricklespots, Shrewclaw, and Lionpaw, come with me away!"

And off the cats went.


...


Swiftbreeze circled her kit despairingly. "Lichenpaw!" She screeched. "Come back! Come back!" Grief was something that couldn't be reached. Nothing could. She was numb of everything but panic. Make this work! Make this work! She remembered her mentor screaming it at her one day in training. You're gonna get dirty sometimes, but you have to make it work!

So that's what she'd do. Throwing herself on the ground, she scrambled to get to her kit's lifeline. Whatever that was.

She wasn't aware of anything. She didn't realize the warriors were behind her until she felt Shrewclaw brush her fur. "Swiftbreeze. Swiftbreeze. Swiftbreeze." He repeated and repeated it until he saw Lichenpaw.


...


Daisyflower remembered once when she was little, just a newborn, and Spruceleaf was out hunting to stretch her legs. She had paniced and kicked out at everything.

"It's okay, Daisykit," Bluefire had said. "Spruceleaf's just out for some air."

But when Spruceleaf returned, noticing her kit's panic, time had slowed down. Not really, but for Daisykit it had. She could remember looking up, opening her eyes for the first time and seeing her mother's shape in the entranceway, rushing toward her in slow motion before leaning down and licking her head.

"It's okay," she had said sweetly. "Mommy's back." But it had all been slowed down to near standstill. Now, even blind, Daisyflower could still see the look on Spruceleaf's face as a crying Daisykit had curled up to sleep with her. It was the one memory she kept closest and told no one.

That was how it felt when Lichenpaw was carried into camp. Body stiff as a board, but relaxing as rigor left. The stench of decaying rot filled the camp and the elder's den.

Everything was slow as Swiftbreeze came running in, screaming loudly for her dead daughter.

"Lichenpaw!" But it was deep and slow. Daisyflower put her head to her chest, remember the task Lichenpaw had set to do when Daisyflower had heard her last. "Let me clean that for you, Daisyflower. You'll get greencough and I don't want that." Surely with a cheery smile to go with it.

Sighing deeply, Daisyflower listened for Lichenpaw's voice, but heard nothing.

...


written by Edwin3 and Cara Lea. property of LeamanFamily.inc any and all use of this material without handwritten permission will be reported

Stormclan 261 replies

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over a year ago Pennypatch321 said…
laugh
@Windstar: Yeah, Moonshine321? Pricklespots here.
over a year ago Pennypatch321 said…
worried
Lionpaw, I'll go get Pinegrowth. I'll tell her what happened. If you don't move that leg much, it shouldn't worsen. At least, that's what I'm guessing..
~Sandpaw
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
hmmm
*stares blindly at ground* I hate being blind, and I love it. It's a gift from StarClan. I may not be able to see what you see, but I see other things, such as the spirits who are attacking Lionpaw. ~Daisyflower~
over a year ago orkneymatrix said…
Hey
over a year ago Blacksun2 said…
hmmm
why everthing bout me now..........
over a year ago tanglebelly said…
*Shrugs*
-Tanglescar-

my phone is acting up on me i might now be on for a little while..
over a year ago salamence42 said…
Lolz ok.
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
tongue
*shakes head* Why not? You seem to be very... *flicks tail at Cinderpaw and Sandpaw* ...popular. ~Daisyflower~
last edited over a year ago
over a year ago tanglebelly said…
*flicks tail at Daiseyflower* dont reminf him....
-Tanglescar-
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
wink
*laughs* Whatever you say, Tanglescar. ~Daisyflower~
over a year ago tanglebelly said…
just dont want a repeat...*growls*
-Tanglescar-
over a year ago Edwin3 said…
sad
*sighs and scuffles feet, sitting alone* ~Swiftbreeze
over a year ago ferretandsilt said…
crying
*notices* Shrewclaw....*nudges brother* ~Steamfur

*gulps and pads up to Swiftbreeze* *nudges her and brushes against her* ~Shrewclaw
over a year ago Edwin3 said…
crying
*sits with head down, sobbing* ~Swiftbreeze
over a year ago ferretandsilt said…
crying
*sobs with her* ~Shrewclaw
over a year ago flowergirl19 said…
surprise
gsps in suddn pain* my kits! *licks swolln belly* theyre coming! dappleberry
over a year ago tanglebelly said…
*walks away from Dappleberry and sees Shrewclaw and Swiftbreeze* you two need to get back togather for your remaining kits...
-Tanglescar-
over a year ago salamence42 said…
Mmph.
over a year ago Mistyflower said…
surprise
Dappleberry? Dappleberry! *rushes forward* Get Pinegrowth!

-Dreamtail
over a year ago flowergirl19 said…
surprise
pnts* my kits! my kits r coming! dappleberry
over a year ago Edwin3 said…
worried
*looks at Tanglescar* *head down* We know. ~Swiftbreeze
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
wink
*guides tail along new kits from Dappleberry* They're very cute. ~Daisyflower~

*runs up and purrs* Hi Daisyflower! I'm Brairkit! ~Briarkit~

*runs up too* And I'm Brindlekit! ~Brindlekit~
over a year ago flowergirl19 said…
blush
purrs* your a handful come nw kits lets let daiseyflower sleep. dappleberry
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
big smile
*laughs* Thanks, Dappleberry. (we'll work on your writing if you want.) ~Daisyflower~

But mom! ~Briarkit and Brindlekit~
over a year ago ferretandsilt said…
big smile
*purrs* ~Shrewclaw

*runs over to Daisyflower* Can I sleep here? ~Molekit
over a year ago ferretandsilt said…
laugh
*picks up Molekit and places him in nursery* No. ~Steamfur

*laughs at Molekit* Haha! ~Skykit
over a year ago flowergirl19 said…
zzz
*purrs* thnx, steamfur dappleberry

*curls up to sleep* honeykit
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
zzz
*joins them* ~Brindlekit~

*purrs as she sleep* ~Briarkit~
over a year ago flowergirl19 said…
zzz
*kiks in sleep* honeykit
over a year ago Edwin3 said…
smile
*purrs and brushes Shrewclaw* Kits are so precious. ~Swiftbreeze
last edited over a year ago
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
wink
You're not going to make more, are you? ~Daisyflower~

*stares at them with wide eyes* ~Brindlekit~

*crouches* Kits aren't for me! I'm a warrior! ~Briarkit~
over a year ago TalaLeisu said…
hmmm
*purrs and glances at Sandpaw then looks away quickly* ~Dogtail~
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
cool
*watches* Mommy! Are they in love? ~Brindlekit~

*whacks Brindlekit over the head* Of course not! She's an APPRENTICE! ~Briarkit~
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
smile
*purrs* That doesn't mean they can't be in love. You know, it happened before. To a medicine cat, to be precise. ~Daisyflower~
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
laugh
*crowds around with brothers and sisters* STORY! ~Brindlekit and Briarkit~
over a year ago Pennypatch321 said…
smile
*looks over at Shrewclaw and Swiftbreeze and smiles* I'm glad that you two are back together.. *glances at the new kits* Are you two talking about me?
~Sandpaw
over a year ago arcaninegal123 said…
Lolz. *smiles*
over a year ago Blacksun2 said…
laugh
yes they r snadpaw little gossipers *nuzzles them* im lionpaw little kits.....
over a year ago salamence42 said…
Yepperz.
over a year ago Blacksun2 said…
ull get to now me alot hey maybe we mite train together
over a year ago Bluefire7777 said…
meh
im sweetpetal ex-deputy and current elder....
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
big smile
*glances at Lionpaw* Cool! *stares at Sweetpetal* EX-deputy? What happened? ~Briarkit~

*flicks ears to listen* ~Brindlekit~

*shushes kits and glances at denmate* You don't have to answer that, you know? ~Daisyflower~
over a year ago TalaLeisu said…
hmmm
*glances at Sweetpetal* I'm not good at stories, but I may have missed this part of it. Care to tell? ~Dogtail~
over a year ago Bluefire7777 said…
meh
i retired nothing much of it
over a year ago TalaLeisu said…
hmmm
*nods* What happens to the third-in-command position? ~Dogtail~
over a year ago Bluefire7777 said…
stormstar will give it to someone else
over a year ago SoyalaLeisu said…
big smile
Hmm. ~Daisyflower~

Who will she give it to!? ~Briarkit~

Stormstar? What's she like? I haven't seen her in person yet. ~Brindlekit~
over a year ago Bluefire7777 said…
shes vry large and powerful she-cat with large black stripes tht streak across her mighty grey pelt and blazing green eyes tht look into ur vry soul!
over a year ago Pennypatch321 said…
laugh
*laughs* Try not to scare them Sweetpetal. They're only kits.
~Sandpaw
over a year ago Bluefire7777 said…
i know im just exaggerating but u get the piont large she-cat grey tabby green eyes respected by everyone