Pebbles and Stones {BlackxMoose}

[pretzel]

Moosejaw struggled to breathe, the look of Blackheart stuck in the mud stuck in his mind. "I'm sorry I lost the-" the tom was saying, but the words didn't even register with Moosejaw, he was too far gone.

"That sounds like kits. Moosejaw, that sounds like kits!" It took the brown warrior a moment to realize that Blackheart had taken off. He hadn't even heard the tom's words, he was trying too hard to compose himself. He sighed as Blackheart went back towards the river, and got to his paws to follow after the thick-headed warrior.

"Blackheart, come on! I thought we agreed to go back to camp!" He then heard the cries coming from the river, the obvious sound of kits in distress. He bolted after Blackheart, knowing that kits and the river never meant anything good. He reached the river just as Blackheart was reaching a small tortoiseshell kit. She had been dragged under by the strong current, and the large tom grabbed her roughly by the scruff. Immediately, Moosejaw could see that something was wrong. Blackheart's movements were too rough, his jaws were too strong. "Blackheart, no!" but he knew it was no use. The river was too loud - his words fell on deaf ears.

Blackheart climbed out of the river a good ways down from him, and Moosejaw ran to meet him, noticing the too-limp kit in his jaws. She was small and couldn't have been more than four moons old. Blackheart was yowling by the time he reached the other warrior, a paw held over the kit as he went to prod her again. "She isn't getting up! Why isn't she getting up? Come on now, just get up!"

"Move!" Moosejaw roughly shoved the larger warrior aside, taking control of the situation. His heart dropped when he saw that the kit wasn't breathing and he put an ear to her mouth and nose to double check. "She's not breathing," he whispered and gently brought a paw to her side, hoping that she had just swallowed some water. He pressed down lightly with his paw, hoping to expel the water from her lungs. After keeping up this action for a few moments, he realized something was very wrong with the kit and it wasn't just her breathing.

The young tortoiseshell lay prone on the ground, but her head was stuck at an odd, unnatural angle. Moosejaw flashed back to the moment he had seen Blackheart grab her in the river, the rough way he had gripped at her neck. He leaned down, experimentally rubbing his nose at the she-kit's scruff. He could feel where her neck had snapped, could smell the blood that had begun to coagulate beneath her fur at the time of death.

Moosejaw sat back in disbelief and shut his eyes, not wanting to believe what he was seeing. Even though the kit was from PeakClan, she still smelled of milk and moss and she didn't deserve to die. She was young, and a kit's death was always something to be mourned. "She's dead," he muttered, opening his eyes and finding himself unable to tear them away from the tortoiseshell body before him. "She's dead."

"Hey! Don't prod her! She's tired, just leave her alone!" The noise snapped Moosejaw out of whatever reverie he had fallen into, and he brought his green eyes up from the small kit. A second kit was on the shore of PeakClan's territory, shaking her head in horror as she began to back away from the sight in front of her.

The she-kit started to disappear further into the woods and Moosejaw stood, knowing he needed to stop her and at least escort her back to camp to explain what had happened. "Wait!" he called to her, trying to keep his voice gentle. He moved closer to the river, the water lapping over his front paws. "Don't go!" If she ran, things would be so much worse than they were right now.

[/font]

[Rachel]

"She's dead. She's dead."

Moosejaw's words slammed into Blackheart like a hammer, hurting him to the core. "No...no..." he stammered, backing away from the small body, "She was drowning...she was drowning and I saved her...." His voice got more insistent as the news hit him, "No no no no NO. I saved her! Why is she dead! I saved her!" It was just too much for the simple tom to handle. He was good. He had always been good. The fact that he had failed to save this little she-cat was a travesty.

He continued to back away, not even noticing the yells of the other kit. He was too far gone. "No no no no no" he kept whispering, yellow eyes fixed on the little body. Finally he was able to say something else, "I'm so sorry...." With that he shook his head, and turned to the forest, bolting to anyplace but here. He couldn't be here. He couldn't be next to that little body, and he couldn't hear the grieving screeches of her sister. He just couldn't. He was a good tom, and he couldn't grasp how he had done such a bad thing.

He didn't know what Moosejaw was doing, or where the other tom even was. He was trapped in his own little hell, trying to figure out where he had failed. He didn't know how he could go back to camp, or face any of his friends again. It felt like he was being crushed and torn into bits on the inside, and he couldn't breathe. His paws fell from beneath him, causing him to roll painfully on the ground. He didn't even bother to try and push himself up. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to."

[frosty]

Petalkit's eyes went blank, as if they were suddenly frosted over. Her damp pelt had frozen into bristles, and her fur was standing on end. Her silver and cream slashed tail was bushed out and her claws curled into the ground.

She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't feel anything. But the next thing Petalkit knew when she blinked open her eyes was that she was running. She was running at a frightening speed, kicking up shrouds of snow in her wake. If she wasn't pumped up on adrenaline, Petalkit would've noticed her little lungs were on fire.

Petalkit broke into a string of inaudible wails as she exploded into camp. She looked like a small tornado with her fur sticking up at all angles as she whirred past the entrance barrier. She couldn't make out any faces in the camp, and her vision was blurred. All of a sudden she felt light headed, and tried to call out for Dawnfur or Ashfang or any cat in camp.

ooc. Ahh writers block

[pretzel]

"She was drowning...she was drowning and I saved her.... No no no no NO. I saved her! Why is she dead! I saved her!"

Blackheart was backing away from the body, and Moosejaw could see that the tom was about to bolt. He moved towards the other cat; he knew he had to keep him calm, that he would need his help. But Blackheart was too far gone, too devastated. "No no no no no. I'm so sorry." And then he was gone, taking off into the woods.

Moosejaw went to take after him, but a rustling on the other side of the river stopped him. The small kit had taken off into the woods, running deep into PeakClan territory. "Wait!" the brown tom called after her, but didn't dare cross the river into PeakClan territory. He needed to get Egretheart, and quickly.

The brown tom followed after Blackheart, finding the other warrior a little ways into the woods, collapsed onto the ground. He raced over to the tom, pressing his shoulder against the other cat's flank. "Blackheart, Blackheart c'mon!" He nudged the cat, trying to get him to his feet. "Blackheart, I need you to get up. I need you to go back to camp and get Egretheart. Do you think you can do that? Can you get back to camp?" He knew it was a long-shot, but he couldn't leave the she-kit's body, not now. In all likelihood, the other kit had gone back to camp, and PeakClan's leader would be there any minute. He needed to be there.

[Dawn]

Lynxstar was tired. She lay in her den, feeling the stone floor even through the moss. That morning she'd led a hunting patrol around the northern part of the territory, a patrol that had turned semi-border patrol when they had scented a stranger's scent.

They'd been out for much longer than normal, trying to pin point the scent, but it had gone back over the border before they had caught up with the culprit. The thought of intruders enflamed her anger, so it was no surprise she had blown up at Bramblepelt when he'd done something stupid after the patrol had returned to camp. Day long scenting and yowling at Bramblepelt had taken it out of her today.

But then, just as she was about to fall into a hazy slumber, a yowling startled her awake. Lynxstar was on her paws in an instant, her neck fur bristling, and her claws extended. What in the name of StarClan was that?

She pushed her way out of her den and peered into the camp. The source of the sound was little Petalkit, wailing like a banshee. Lynxstar leapt down the rock face that led to the flat area of the camp, her eyes alert and sparkling. "Petalkit, what is going on?"

[/color] She meowed upon reaching the kit, her voice strong and commanding, though not unkind. Whatever had happened was obviously very distressing to the little kit, and however gruff Lynxstar may be, she had a heart.
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[frosty]

Petalkit stared up at Lynstar, her eyes wide enough to see the whites around her irises. She snapped her head around as pale gray fur flashed from the nursery. Ashfang was at his daughter's side in an instant, and Dawnfur's yellow tabby body was right on his tail. Her foster mother protectively wrapped her body around the kit, her long tail trailing over Petalkit's shoulders in order to soothe the distressed she-kit.

"Petalkit, Petalkit, hush, hush, it's okay, sweetheart. Come on, sunshine, tell Lynxstar what's wrong so we can help you," Ashfang meowed, his voice steady. Clearly the powerful warrior was just as upset as his daughter, but he was desperately trying to keep it together.

The tiny tortoiseshell opened her jaws to speak, but no words came out. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head for a moment, but she was back just as quickly. She felt Dawnfur lick her between the ears and heard her mew, "There you go, honey, you're okay. Just tell us what happened, and we'll make it all go away."

Petalkit let out a squeak as her eyes glazed over with raw sadness. Grief swept her off her paws, and she collapsed into Dawnfur's soft body. But she maintained eye contact with Lynxstar as she took a deep breath, in an attempt to keep her voice from shaking. "I-It's Firekit... A BrookClan cat killed her when she fell in the river..." she slowly explained, each word burning in her throat.

She stared down at her mottled paws as she pulled herself ff of Dawnfur. Petalkit didn't want any cat to touch her, or tell her it was going to be okay. She just wanted her sister back...

Ashfang's ears pricked up instantly and he let out a menacing hiss. "I'm going to find my daughter, Lynxstar, so you better not try to stop me," he snarled, pulling himself up to his full height. His anger wasn't directed at his leader but he needed to take it out on some cat. Ashfang unfurled his claws and immediately turned tail, not waiting for any further instructions. In a heartbeat he was gone, and Dawnfur was left staring after the tomcat. She wouldn't dare try to get in his way, especially if what Petalkit said was true. Firekit and Petalkit were the only things left in his life worth fighting for, and some cat had killed his baby girl. She shuddered, imagining what Ashfang would do to the BrookClan cat who had taken his daughter's life.

"Lynxstar, we need to send a patrol after Ashfang. He'll kill any BrookClan cat he believes is responsible, you and I both know that," she meowed, her voice serious but not disrespectful. Dawnfur reached her tail out to try to stroke Petalkit, but the kit lashed out angrily and ran for the nursery. "Don't worry about, Petalkit, I'll look after her, I promise. But you find this son of a bitch."

[Dawn]

"Petalkit, Petalkit, hush, hush, it's okay, sweetheart. Come on, sunshine, tell Lynxstar what's wrong so we can help you,"

"There you go, honey, you're okay. Just tell us what happened, and we'll make it all go away."

Lynxstar didn't so much as glance up as Ashfang and Dawnfur approached. She had not thought that they would not come at the sound of Petalkit's wailings. She knew Ashfang was the type of father who would destroy mountains and trek miles for the good of his precious daughters. But her attention was focused on Petalkit, for she could see plainly that this was more serious than the normal behaviors of a frightened kit.

"I-It's Firekit... A BrookClan cat killed her when she fell in the river…"

Lynxstar let a furious hiss slide from her maw. A BrookClan cat had murdered one of her own? A kit no less. How dare they. Knotted in her own fury and shock, she barely registered any cat's reaction, and only heard Ashfang's words in a distant mumble.

"I'm going to find my daughter, Lynxstar, so you better not try to stop me,"

Stop him? Why in the name of StarClan would she stop him? The BrookClan cat needed to be brought to justice and fast. Lynxstar would not allow such brutality to go unpunished, and she would not hesitate to leap into a war with their rival Clan, despite the fact that it would of course solve nothing.

"Lynxstar, we need to send a patrol after Ashfang. He'll kill any BrookClan cat he believes is responsible, you and I both know that, Don't worry about, Petalkit, I'll look after her, I promise. But you find this son of a bitch."

Lynxstar looked around at Dawnfur as she spoke, finally pulled from her muffled thoughts. she nodded slightly, her eye glinting. "Make sure Willownose is alerted to the situation. She can organize a more formal patrol."

[/color] She commanded, already striding in the direction Ashfang had taken. "Count on BrookClan knowing exactly how far wrong they have gone."[/color] She growled as she left the boundaries of the camp, pounding through the open territory, following the terrified scent trail of Petalkit.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Rachel]

Blackheart, Blackheart c'mon!

Blackheart groaned, barely hearing Moosejaw over the sound of his own thoughts. Why wasn't she was moving? What had happened. Did he do something wrong? He was interrupted once again by the other toms insistent mewing and felt a rare flash of annoyance.

Blackheart, I need you to get up. I need you to go back to camp and get Egretheart. Do you think you can do that? Can you get back to camp?

The annoyance vanished as Moosejaw spoke, and Blackheart was finally able to think clearly. "Yeah, yeah I can..." he mewed, shakily pulling himself up on his feet. "I can get Egretheart...." He focused on his task as he pushed himself back towards camp, refusing to think about the crumpled little body he had dragged to shore.

He pushed into camp, yowling "Egretheart! Egretheart!" Luckily the white she-cat was nearby, and she came at once. "Blackheart, what is it?" She noted the look of panic in Blackheart's eyes, and narrowed her own in response. Where was Moosejaw? She had sent the other tom out looking for Blackheart when he hadn't returned, but now Blackheart was panicked and alone.

Blackheart tried to talk, but managed to trip even over his own tongue. "I didn't...It was....She just....."

"Spit it out Blackheart, what happened?" Egretheart mewed, losing patience.

"A PeakClan kit fell in the water. I just wanted to help her Egretheart, but when I dragged her out she wasn't moving and her head was laying all funky. I think I killed her Egretheart, but I swear I didn't mean to. I didn't mean it!" Blackheart ended with a wail, and Egretheart let out a small hiss. Even though the kit wasn't from BrookClan, a dead kit was always a tragedy.

"Listen here, Blackheart!" she mewed sternly, making sure he was looking at her, "You stay here. You leave for no reason. Tell Nonamestar what you told me when he returns to camp, but do not leave. I'm going to go to Silver Falls, okay?" She waited for a slight nod from Blackheart before turning and sprinting out of camp. As she approached Silver Falls she saw Moosejaw, standing by the body of a small kit. As she got closer she saw how oddly the body was laid, and even without being a medicine cat she could tell the neck had been snapped.

"What happened here?" she mewed angrily, her frustration came to a peak, "I sent you out here to watch over Blackheart, so how did he manage to kill a kit!" She knew she was being unfair, but she also knew that they were going to have to go and tell Lynxstar what happened before a PeakClan patrol discovered this scene and thought the worst. She doubted the PeakClan leader would be likely to forgive such a tragedy.

[frosty]

Petalkit shivered under Dawnfur's grasp, out of terror, not temperature. She let out a series of whimpers before her eyes glazed over and she fell into a state of unconsciousness.

A slight jolt of fear went through Dawnfur, but she knew Petalkit just passed out because she was overwhelmed. The yellow tabby she-cat gently scooped up her foster daughter and carried her to the medicine den. She knew the medicine cat was away picking herbs, but Dawnfur knew the basics. She laid the kitten in a bed of moss, and curled up beside her.

She kept her ears pricked, listening for Willownose in case the deputy appeared in camp. Lynxstar had, after all, entrusted her to inform Willownose about the tragedy that had unfolded earlier that day. Dawnfur let out a deep sigh of grief, feeling the loss of Firekit for the first time. She missed the fiery tortoiseshell kit fiercely. It felt like a hole had gaped open in her heart. But Dawnfur took comfort in the fact that Rosestep could finally meet and take care of her biological daughter.

- x -

Ashfang pounded through the forest, ruining any and all forms of new life that might have been sprouting up through the wet frost. Grief powered his adrenaline as the huge gray tom ripped through the territory. His eyes were blazing, and his fur was bristling with rage. His lip was pulled back in a snarl, and when the Silver Falls came into sight, he let out a ferocious yowl.

Immediately, the PeakClan warrior recognized Moosejaw and Egretheart. His let out another screech of fury as he closed the distance between himself and the two rival warriors. The BrookClan deputy was involved in this? Fury pounded through his veins as he pushed off with his hind legs and launched himself at the white she-cat.

No words were required. He landed square on her shoulders and dug his claws in as hard as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the bright orange and black body of Firekit, but he refused to lay eyes on her until Egretheart and Moosejaw either fled or were killed.

[Rachel]

Egretheart had been so into chastising Moosejaw that she had not heard Ashfang coming. It wasn't until she heard his yowl, full of grief, that she saw him flying at her. As his claws dug into her shoulders and back she slammed down on her side, throwing the tom down with her.

"Stop!" she yowled, not wanting to cause any more harm than had already been done. "This was an accident!" As she twisted herself underneath him, Egretheart pushed him away from her body with all of her force. It took all of her effort, but she kept her claws sheathed. She didn't really know Ashfang that well, but the fury of his attack left no doubt in her mind, the dead kit belonged to him. She may not have been responsible, but she could not fault him for wanting vengeance for his kit.

Still, if he refused to halt his attack, she would be forced to defend herself. Already she felt the blood welling up on her shoulders where he had landed. His claws had gone in deep, his full body weight forcing them as far in as they would go. Still, the surprise of his attack was over. If it came to it, Egretheart was sure that she and Moosejaw could fend him off. She hoped it wouldn't come to that though; she wished no more pain on Ashfang and she knew that the rift it would create with PeakClan would be nearly unrepairable.

"Just let us explain!" she hissed through clenched teeth, while inwardly bracing herself for an attack she hoped wouldn't come.

ooc: Not my best, but it has been a while!

[frosty]

"Stop! This was an accident! Let us explain!"

Ashfang felt himself be thrown off the smaller she-cat as she rolled onto her side. His claws became unlatched from her back and shoulders as she pushed him away. Because he wasn't thinking logically, his attack was unplanned and messy. His reaction was slower than usual, but he sprang to his paws a few foxlengths away, his ears flat against his head and his lip pulled back in a fierce snarl.

"I need no explanation. My daughter is dead because of cats from your Clan. You better tell me right now, Egrethreat, who is responsible for this," he growled, every muscle tense in preparation for a recoil attack.

The bulky gray tom couldn't process thoughts. He couldn't believe the deputy would tell him this was an accident. Of course, he believed Petalkit over this fleabag. His daughters would never lie to him. They were his everything. And now Firekit was gone. As a father first, and a warrior second, he would never let this incident go without inflicting twice the amount of pain on the cat who caused this.

Ashfang's head was pounding. He winced in pain and suddenly felt a little bit dizzy. The tom dug with unsheathed claws into the ground to steady himself, as he glared at Egretheart and Moosestep with more hatred than he had ever mustered up in his life.

[Rachel]

"The kit fell into the water, one of our warriors jumped in to save her, however when she was grabbed it was at the wrong angle, and her neck snapped. It was an accident." Egretheart told the story as she had heard it from Blackheart, she would have differed to Moosejaw for a more in-depth answer, but she didn't want Ashfang to think Moosejaw was the one responsible. She was careful in her description not to even give the gender of Blackheart, she would not help him kill a cat that did something on accident.

"Please, I do not even know the full story yet. This is a tragedy, not a reason for a war. Stand down, and let us figure this out. If one of my warriors did murder your daughter in cold blood, they will be punished. I have no sympathy for kit killers." She stared at Ashfang, pleading with her eyes that he let this go for now, although she knew that wouldn't be the case. She needed Lynxstar or Willownose to show up, hopefully they would listen to reason before Ashfang began to attack any cat in site. She doubted the tom was in a listening mood.

How she wished it was more than just her and Moosejaw here. If Ashfang knew, the PeakClan patrol could not be far behind. If it came to a fight, it was going to look very bad for her and Moosejaw.

[Dawn]

Lynxstar shot through her familiar territory after Ashfang, though she could not go nearly as fast as he. She may have long legs and be able to cover space quickly, but she was not fueled by his same anger and urgency. A father who had just had his kits murdered...

When she finally reached her destination, she saw that Ashfang had come upon Moosejaw and Egretheart. Lynxstar snarled to herself. The deputy. The things BrookClan thought they could get away with. She glanced in the direction of a little ginger heap, but looked away quickly, grief for the fallen kit squeezing her heart.

"Egretheart."

[/color] She roared, her eyes flashing with fury as she stalked towards the white she-cat. "How dare your Clan murder one of our kits."[/color] She spat, her neck fur bristling as she shoved herself before the deputy.

She could see the marks on Egretheart of a recent attack, and was surprised that she had managed to escape Ashfang's claws before he did more damage.

"Where is the cat who did this? I want them here. Now."[/color]
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[frosty]

"Egretheart. How dare your Clan murder one of our kits. "Where is the cat who did this? I want them here. Now."

Silverwind pricked her ears. The medicine cat had been gathering herbs near the Falls when she heard Lynxstar's voice. A deep feeling of disturbance yawned in her belly, and the she-cat instantly dropped the bunch of fresh watermint. She bounded towards the sound of the PeakClan's leader's voice, and picked up the mixed scents of Ashfang, Egretheart, Moosestep, Lynxstar, and... the very faint traces of Blackheart's fear scent.

She dodged around the trunk of an old oak tree to see a confusing scene. The white deputy had deep gashes on her shoulders and back, and Ashfang's paws were bloody. All four cats had their fur bristling and fire danced in their eyes. As Silverwind scanned the area, she noticed a small, limp tortoiseshell kit who was well out of the way of the feuding warriors. Shock was evident on the dappled she-cat's face, but she tried to maintain a cool air.

"What is going on here?" she asked calmly, padding up to Egretheart's side.

"A piece of fox dung from your Clan killed my daughter." Ashfang got directly up in Silverwind's face, snarling fiercely. The medicine cat didn't even flinch, but merely blinked slowly. She turned her gaze on Egretheart. The small she-cat had a pretty good idea of what happened, but she wanted a detailed description. Perhaps now what not the time to speak to her deputy, so she didn't ask the white cat directly what had unfolded.

But Silverwind knew Ashfang was on the verge of another attack, and if the situation wasn't smoothed over, war was inevitable.

[Rachel]

"Would you all listen to yourselves!" Egretheart exclaimed, "You keep demanding blood, but nobody has a clear idea of what happened! That kit may not be from BrookClan, but it is still tragic for us. BrookClan would not shelter a kit-murderer."

The deputy had hoped with the arrival of an authority figure from PeakClan that some rational thinking would have been brought to the situation. However, Lynxstar came in, demanding the same blood as Ashfang without need for any explanation. They acted like BrookClan stomped around, offing kits whenever it suited them, and she was getting sick of their assumptions. It pained her to look at the little kit, and so she made sure not to do it. She was apparently the only one who was not going to get carried away by emotions.

The arrival of Silverwind did not help. As the medicine cat approached her, Egretheart moved herself carefully in front of her. As much as she had been wanting reinforcements, Silverwind was not what she had in mind. As Ashfang yowled at the she-cat Egretheart pushed herself between the two and hissed back, "I make allowances for your grief!" Her green eyes blazed angrily, "But I will not tolerate you getting in Silverwind's face! She is not to blame for this! A BrookClan warrior tried to save your daughter, and I'm sorry it ended tragically, but if they had not been around she would have drowned! Was it not better that her last moments were with a cat trying to save her, instead of the lonely grips of the water?"

She would have died anyways. Egretheart felt guilty even referring to it as she had, but she did not see another option. She would not let PeakClan threaten the medicine cat of BrookClan, or tear apart a cat who had only tried to help.

She saw Silverwind try to meet her eyes, but she did not have time to explain the situation. Instead she willed the other she-cat to turn around and race back to camp. She couldn't afford an injured medicine cat, and she desperately needed reinforcements if this were to turn into a battle.

She look up to Lynxstar, steel in her eyes, "I will not give you the cat responsible, because the cat you mean was only trying to help. I'm willing to discuss this further, once the threat of an attack is no longer imminent. Sheath your claws, and I shall sheath mine. No more injuries need to be done today, but if you insist on your vengeance filled intents, BrookClan will defend itself."

Blackheart had some things to answer for, but he would answer to BrookClan before she would hand him over on a platter to cats who wanted nothing more than to kill him.