Open to Join Plot Thread When a Stone Turns Cold

"Run. That is an order."

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Cinderwisp had made it her own personal to priority to ensure that Nettleplume always had help available if he needed it. He was young with no other medicine cat. And with the vicious attacks, their healer was their most prized individual. So she made it an objective to visit the elegant tom.

Padding in, the molly laid her eyes on Stoneclaw.

...

He reminded her of Cinderwhisper. The pain washed over her all over again. Despite that, she kept a neutral expression. If she had to be brutally honest, she always thought that the tom was too harsh on Goosesong. Goosesong was a good warrior. One of their best. His skills rivalled her own. But she didn't voice her thoughts. She simply sat down beside Stoneclaw, sighing as she awaited Nettleplume's return.

I am shaped by the trials I refuse to surrender to.

༄༅:･ﾟ🕊️･ﾟ:༅༅༄

The day had brought Lilyriver's joints some aches as the sun had begun to set. So she had left her sleeping kits in the nursery for just a moment before making her way to Nettleplume's den. However if he wasn't there, her joints could wait for later. 

However, when the white she-cat moved toward the medicine den, she didn't see Nettleplume, she saw Cinderwisp, in all the glory that followed her in her coming role as deputy. She gave her a nod, but paused as the scent hit her nose, uncovered, fresh, metallic and wrong, blood mixed with... something.

And then, she saw Stoneclaw, laying limp and unmoving in a nest, covered with dressings for wounds that he had returned with from the attack at the gorge. But unmoving was hardly an understatement, his breath was either very low or nothing at all. It was then that Lilyriver realised what Cinderwisp had probably seen right away. "He's with StarClan?" it was less of an ask and more of an observation, but she framed it as a softer question to Cinderwisp. "How long since do you think?"

"Run. That is an order."

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Cinderwisp had heard Lilyriver’s pawsteps before she even entered the den. Perhaps she should have been called Cindermoth. She never had been able to catch one despite her training. They were just too good, seeming to hear things that even she could not. The molly nodded back, eyes following the queen’s. Was she thinking the same things as her? Or something else? 

“Yes, he is.” the molly answered bluntly before feeling her stomach rumble. Stars above she hadn’t eaten enough during her last meal, too occupied with figuring out optimal patrols to even eat. She had given her leftover prey to Tangleloon. “I do not think it has been very long. Perhaps mere heartbeats before I came in.” the she-cat replied, looking over again. 

“I have not been here for very long. I came in not long ago to make sure that Nettleplume has everything he needs. But perhaps that’s exactly what he is doing. Going to pick up herbs to mask the scent of death… The kits do not need any experiences with death just yet.” Even if Skykit already has experienced so with Cinderwhisper…

I am shaped by the trials I refuse to surrender to.

༄༅:･ﾟ🕊️･ﾟ:༅༅༄

"Death follows us everywhere. It's as natural as breathing." Lilyriver responded softly, however it wasn't cruel or to purposely disagree, she believed that showing how peaceful death could be to her own kits would make them far less frightened of it when the time eventually came. There would one day be a time where her kits would have to live on without her. She she didn't want them to be frightened by that. It is a simple part of life, nothing more. "I would think so, yes. I was coming to ask for some joint relief but this is more important." she explained, sitting beside the body of the once fiercely stubborn warrior.

For a moment, Lilyriver just sat there, her eye drifted back to the nursery as well, her kits were resting in their nest, that was good. Nettleplume hopefully wouldn't be long. "He should have known when to surrender. And that's coming from me." Lilyriver replied with a self-deprecating chuckle, placing one of her pinkish-white paw paw pads over the scar on her back eye. It was an eternal mark of what she had done to defend their territory. And her kits will be another mark of her loyalty. She risked her own health to bring them here, she was older than she would have liked to be, but she doesn't regret it, not at all. Skykit and Galekit make all of it worth it. "There isn't much to do about it now. I will wait here for Nettleplume. You're free to go and do your own duties if you would like."

Lilyriver's good eye turned to Stoneclaw's body, she had known him well, but he had never really been the friendly type. He wouldn't have been happy dying in the elders' den. She was sure this is what he wanted over a peaceful death. A testimate of his strength and loyalty, he could very much be commended for that.