Redmoth shivered, opening his golden eyes and glancing around. He had to think a bit before recogn.izing the surroundings. He doubted he'd ever get used to life outside the caves.
Arching his back in a stretch and parting his jaws in a yawn, he sat down and licked his shoulder. He hadn't noticed the scratches on it from the brambles; after all, they didn't grow underground.

Frostedstar hadn't slept or moved since the cats settled down to rest. He stared out into the demolished forest his eyes narrowed and unblinking.

Hickoryfrost lay curled around Dovekit, Shellkit, Ghostkit, and ___kit (D: whoops. Forgot the name.). He yawned and opened one eye to locate for Sweetfur and Lightningstrike.

Redmoth gazed at Frostedstar, "You look like you're half-dead," he meowed, padding over to sit beside the silver tom. "You should rest. I can keep watch," he offered, continuing to stare at the destroyed forest.

(It's Scorchkit silly xD )

Frostedstar remained silent for a few heart-beats, then he meowed, "I'm just...thinking... Keeping watch is meaningless. The forest has nothing to offer; friend or foe."

(Such a bad memory. I like "You look half-dead." XD)

(where's everybody else?)

"Hm. I assumed you were watching for any cats who aren't-" he paused, "Who aren't dead."
The dark tabby looked up at the dark sky, "It's going to storm again. Any ideas on what to do?"

(I dunno .-. )

Turning his head towards Redmoth, Frostedstar sighed, "We can't stay here. The forest...well, you can see...If there are any cats still alive, I don't want them to be left out there when the rain gets worse..."

"We could always keep a look out while traveling. Although, we need to keep kits and apprentices as close to us as possible, back in the caves sinkholes would form after heavy rain. A cat would be walking and," he smacked his paw in the mud, making it sink in slightly, "bam! No more cat...."

Sweetfur felt numb, weak, and exhausted. The walking uphill had been rough, as had her ordeal last night. She still ached all over, and she was horribly cold.

Frostedstar nodded and turned back to the forest he once called home. "Where do we start?" he half asked himself.

Lightningstrike and Loudstorm padded back into view with two robins dangling from their jaws.

"First, we need to wake the others. I'll speak to them all shortly, but we should let them get comfortable first- if that's even possible," Redmoth replied, yawning again.

(The last one took place after the flood, so your cats would be somewhere in the territories of Ice, Celestian, or Auroraclan. There's a small group of cats [mostly Iceclan] who joined up by Iceclan's cliff thingy)

Frostedstar's neckfur bristled slightly. "Speak to them about what?" he meowed struggling to keep his voice even.

(All of those cats were RPers' cats, so yours'd have to find them, or be found.)

(Sorry what did I miss?)

Redmoth replied curtly, "The journey, the Clans, and the Code."

Sweetfur whimpered, clenching her jaw in her sleep.

(I missed the first one and I'm not sure which cats I have. I know I have Pinefur, but he's all I remember. e-e)

( @Quad: Pinefur and Morningfinch.)

(How could I forget Morningfinch!? Oops. Okay, thanks. XP)

Pinefur stretched, paws sore from walking. Glancing around placidly, he remembered where he was; the broken forest. He sighed, weary from the trek and emotionally drained by all that had happened.

Feeling bewildered and somewhat threatened, Frostedstar responded with, "I don't believe any of these cats have forgotten what being a warrior means...What exactly are you trying to pull?"

Lightningstrike carried his k!ll to Sweetfur and he sat down next to her, dropping the robin and nudging it inbetween her paws. "Eat," he meowed.

Redmoth twitched his tail tip, "You'll have to wait."

Sweetfur sat up groggily, but obeyed, "Thank you..." she whispered.

Riverstone sat down, grimly looking at the horizion. She looked at the other cats noticing how dreary they looked. She sighed she tried not to think to deeply, if she did it would only bring up bad memories.

Swishing his tail, and clenching his haw, Frostedstar stood and meowed with a faint growl, "Don't try anything funny. The forest may be destroyed, but my clan's loyalty isn't." With that, he skulked to find a high point to sit on.

Lightningstrike meowed with his chest puffed up, "There are still birds in the forest, but I haven't found any mice, voles, moles, or many squirrels...I think we can mannage."

Pinefur shook his fur, dew misting about him, and he padded to the edge of camp, peering into the tumbled logs. *Might as well hunt, it'll be something to do.* He took one last glance back at the cats before trotting through the logs in search of prey. A slight drizzle made the soil sticky and soon his paws were a deep shade of brown. He kept going until a ground squirrel came into veiw. He crouched. The small animal was nibbling on the yellow-white grasses, looking for the seeds stored in the tips. Pinefur flicked his ears and leapt, landing inches away from the rodent. He swiped a paw at it, and hooked its ankle on his claw, bringing in close to snap its neck. Once he did, Pinefur slunk back to camp, prey clamped in his snowy jaws.

Sweetfur nodded bleakly, "Where are the kits...?" she asked softly.

Loudstorm set his robin down for any cat to take and he galloped to meet Frostedstar and he meowed quietly, "There's a tom over there with four kits. His name is Hickoryfrost, and he needs a queen or his kits will die. I don't know about you, but these cats need hope. What better hope is there than the thought hope that new life is possible after all of this?"

(Oh gosh. I've gotta go get lunch. See you guys later maybe?)

Lightningstrike flicked his head in the direction of the enormous black tom. "Hickoryfrost is doing what I told him...I think it's working."

She shook her head clearing away any pesimistic thoughts. She stood up and stretched , her muscles still ached. She glanced around before pacing around the camp.

Sweetfur stood up, "They need to eat..." she limped toward the large black tom, moving much slower than usual.

Frostedstar nodded in agreement. "I'll see to it that they get nourishment."

Loudstorm dipped his head and meowed, "Thank you, Frostedstar." He looked around and noticed Riverstone, so he padded carefully over to her.

Lightningstrike quickly stepped in front of the ginger she-cat and he meowed softly, "Sweetfur, you can't. They can't find out."

Sweetfur's eyes darkened, "But..." she couldn't think of anything to say, other than her tired, depressed expression, she didn't seem like she cared about anything.

Frostedstar tipped his head to Sparrowflight politely and padded to the queen, gently attempting to rouse her from sleep.

Lightningstrike set his head on Sweetfur's shoulder that was wounded many many moons ago. "Please...They don't seem to suspect anything, and I'd like to keep it that way."

Frostedstar softly meowed to the queen, "We have kits without a mother to nurse them. They desperately need a queen."

Sweetfur stayed silent, staring at the ground, "They'll never know I'm their mother...?"

Riverstone continued to pace , glancing at the horizion every now and then. She breathed in deeply taking in all of the remaining scents of the forest.

Lightningstrike sighed and mumbled, "They won't be blamed for their parents choices either. If anyone found out, those kits will share our burden..."

Loudstorm approached Riverstone and meowed, "You know, I'm going out hunting again. Would you like to join me?"

"They won't know either of us... but... I love them," she whimpered, crumpling to the ground.

Lightningstrike layed down and pressed his muzzle into her head and murmured, "They're perfect and no queen could ever love them like you and I...Maybe one day they'll find out..."

Riverstone turned around and smiled "Sure". Riverstone padded up to Loudstorm and said quietly "I hope we can find some voles".

Sweetfur said nothing, only shivered and stared at her paws.

Loudstorm gave her a half smile in return and chuckled. "I'm sure there will be some." He started towards the wrecked forest.

Riverstone paused for a moment before following Loudstorm. /I doubt there will be anything in this in this wreckage/.

Hickoryfrost stood and stretched, sending the four kits into a loud mewling fit. He yowled, "Hey Lightningstrike! Can you help me with my kits?"

Lightningstrike's ears pr!cked up and he nudged Sweetfur and whispered, "Come tend our kits."

Sweetfur smiled slightly, than hid it as she hobbled toward the kits. She gently lay down beside them, curling her tail around them, "Hello kits... I'm Sweetfur... I'm your m- medicine cat...." she mewed softly.

Loudstorm trotted with his ears scanning for any scuttlong paws, but he only heard a faint flapping of wings. "Well, there are a few birds left..." he mumbled

( QmQ I feel so bad for sweetfur....)

Lightningstrike proudly watched the four wiggly mewling kits squirm towards Sweetfur's warm belly. He sat blocking the other cats' view and urged Hickory frost to do the same.

Riverstone sighed it was just as she thought, barely any prey left in the forest. /Sure there are birds now but how long will they last?/

Frostedstar nodded and curtly thanked her before he scanned the grounds for Hickoryfrost.

Sweetfur purred, delicately licking at the rump of the white tom. She did the same to the other kits so they could relieve themselves, and then she gave a grateful look toward the toms beside her.

(I have to go. D:)

(Nuuuuu D: )

(Nooo D':)

(Doods, we're gonna paws it for a while. Just 'til Takky-poo gets back.)

(okay)

You always post when I'm offline.. I may have to leave if this happens again..

I have a cat in my fan-fiction named Lightningstrike X'D. Might as well go figure out a different/original name! (Sorry for commenting on this)