Heartlands' Story - Tracker & Lore

Day 77 (March 12th, 2021) Winter 6, Y3 - P1

Redtail and Yellowfang visited StormClan the day after Snowtuft's funeral to inform Dustpaw and Beetlepaw. The young adults went back with them to mourn, and had also announced that, come spring, StormClan will no longer need aid from Heartlands. “But anyone in Heartlands is still welcome to stop by and visit. We are still sister-packs. StormClan no longer wants to receive paw-outs. Everything we get, we earn through hard work,” Dustpaw had said, “And we've decided to start giving out warrior names. I am Duststorm, and Beetlepaw has chosen the name Beetlefang. Featherpaw has chosen Feathertail. Come visit us sometime, if you'd like to know all of our new warriors.”

Winter was coming to an end. Owlfrost lifted herself from the Nursery and walked out of the den, stretching away the sleepiness she felt. It had been a week since Snowtuft's death, and while the memory was certainly still fresh in everyone's heads, it was a bit easier now to feel happy with the thawing of winter's frost. The river was beginning to melt, and already signs of plant life were sprouting through the glistening patches of snow. The sky was brighter and less cloudy today, and that made it feel easier to smile.

The Frostfangs -- Lilypool, Sootvine, Raindrop, and Hazelglow -- were out hunting, Stormpelt and Firesong were scouting together, a patrol consisting of Swiftbriar, Sunfall, and Hailstorm was checking the north to west side of the borders, and Robinwish and Pinetree were out checking the territory to see what plant life was starting to grow back. The former Herbalist has long since moved out of the Nursery. She had taken to aiding Pinetree with his duties, memories of being an Herbalist still sharp in her mind. She reminded him, however, that he should find a mentee soon. “It’s always good to have a protégé when something happens to the main Herbalist. I'll be helping you though for a long time if I have anything to say about it, so don’t feel rushed.”

With her children happily napping inside the Nursery, now weaned and no longer in constant want of her attention, she could go out into the clearing and lounge a little, soaking up the first rays of sunlight that promised better days soon. Several wolves still in camp had the same idea, though some used this time to take naps or talk and play amongst each other. It was a relaxing, peaceful day, the cloud of sadness that once loomed overhead finally giving them a break.

It wasn't meant to last, was it? Nobody seemed to notice at first, too busy swept up in their own activities. But a cry echoed all throughout camp -- the sound of Berrycloud yelling 'intruders!' -- and not a moment later, a swarm of bodies was upon them.

Many wolves were caught off guard. Confusion and fear swept through the camp, but the emotions lasted only a moment as the wolves got on their feet and met the intruders. Sounds of battle erupted in multiple places both within and out of camp, growls, howls, and beastly roars filling the air. Those who had been taking naps peered alarmingly out of their dens before joining the fray, while the ones lounging, playing, and talking were the first to brawl.

Owlfrost found purchase on the scruff of a female around her size. She thrashed and shook vigorously, her enemies' jaws snapping dangerously close to her shoulder, claws trying to dig themselves into the earth. Velvetwing and Tawnyspots stood off against a large male who was bigger than both the she-wolves, using their superior number and speed to snap at him before darting backwards and allowing the other time to do the same. Smokewood was in a bloody battle with an equally muscled male. Berrycloud was losing his fight, first to be ambushed, but soon Redtail managed to slam himself against the intruder and knock him down.

Others were not so fortunate in the fight. Ourwin and Dawnblaze were fighting side by side, but they were outnumbered 2 to 3 and others were too busy to help them. Marigoldshine was trying to help Yellowfang escape. Being the oldest, she was more susceptible to be badly harmed, but the snappy woman refused to be complacent, and so her friend was forced to stick by her in battle. Someone outside the camp, Owlfrost could hear the whimpers of Pricklestep's voice, but even the momentary distraction cost her a snapping blow to her shoulder.

The she-wolf half growled, half whimpered in pain, trying to rip the female off her and latching tighter at the woman's scruff. But she was resilient, and Owlfrost could feel her energy ebbing away as the woman found more and more of a purchase upon her shoulder and neck, leaning herself against Owlfrost so she could use her weight to push the lithe female down.

Soon after, she falls, and the woman finds a deadly hold on her neck. Searing pain causes the female to cry out and scrabble dull claws on her attacker, jaws snapping at air in an attempt to gain some sort of hold again. Blood oozes out of her fresh wounds rapidly, and stars glow in her eyes as her energy is drained even faster than her blood.

The weight on her body dissipates. With it, the pressure on her neck. Dazed and confused, the she-wolf's heart jumps happily at the site of her mate, Whitestorm. His snow-patterned coat is rippled with drops of blood here and there. A large gash is on his left foreleg, and his left ear is tattered and bloody, but at least, it seems, the rest of the blood belongs to their enemies.

“Hailstorm is leading the injured people out. We can't stay long!” he said, helping Owlfrost to stand as he pointed her in the right direction.

Just then, she stopped. “Our pups!” a glance is exchanged between the two, before the wolves bound off towards the Nursery. At the entrance, an injured wolf seems to stand guard and notices the two's arrival. Without words, Whitestorm leaps at the intruder, getting into another bloody battle as Owlfrost ducks into the Nursery. The wide, dense area makes it difficult to spot her puppies immediately, but through the pungent scent of blood and fear, she could smell them. Just as soon as she did that did she notice Jessie, her chest heaving with heavy breaths, her head matted with blood that seeped from a wound. Towering over her was another male, bloodied maw revealing himself to be the perpetrator. Owlfrost dashes forward and clamps down on the male's left leg, causing him to bark in frustration. He whisks around, but Jessie grabs his right foreleg and begins to pull. With the tides turning, both injured she-wolves tug and tear at skin and fur, trying to keep as far away from snapping jaws as they can.

But Jessie, head still bleeding profusely, is unable to hold on any longer. A 'no!' escapes from her jaw when he rips himself free from her grip, and the large male goes straight for Owlfrost. Using his superior size, he knocks her over and immediately grabs hold of her already swelling neck, fangs tearing at flesh and veins as blood pours onto the ground below. Jessie grabs hold of his injured leg and pulls, and though it keeps him off-balanced, his grip on Owlfrost is tight and unwavering.

A tingling sensation spreads like waves throughout her body, numbing her to the pain each time it happens. Her left foreleg, which had been placed around his neck to get him to loosen his grip, was slipping. Her energy was being siphoned from her body, and Owlfrost could feel herself going deeper and deeper into a never-ending sleep.

By the Gods above, she thought, Please keep my children safe.

OOC

Part 1 of 3 done. I would’ve waited until I had part 2 done so I could combine the two together, but I just got too excited!

Day 77 (March 12, 2021) Winter 6, Y3 - Part 2

Her head throbbed in protest and sent a wave of pain throughout her cranium with every movement, her eyes strained to focus, and everything around her was so very loud. She was afraid; more afraid than she'd ever been in her entire life. More afraid than when Willowpaw lay on the earth, seizuring to his death, more afraid than when the raging fire tore through her old home, engulfing with it all of the memories she had thus far created with Heartlands.

Between the pounding in her head and her own blinding fear, she could not stop the male from attacking Owlfrost. Even the thrashing and shaking she did with her hold on his back leg did not deter the hungry beast, adrenaline numbing him to the worst of the pain, allowing him the moment he needed to clamp down and squeeze until his prey lay still. When her body went limp and he let go, Jessie did the same, her whimpering mixed in with the cries of the children behind her.

When it all began, Foxpup, Icepup, Honeypup, and Sharppup had been in the Nursery with Jessie. It seemed, at first, that the attack would not escalate so much that an evacuation was necessary, but then she noticed that Heartlands was losing. When she began to take the pups out of the Nursery, the male and his look-out blocked them back in. A tussle had ensued, but Jessie had spent so much of her time in the Nursery had her skills were rusty, and he managed to give her a nasty head wound before Owlfrost had saved her.

Yet she was powerless to help her friend back. Fear and loyalty kept her rooted to the spot. Her heart was pounding and her head was throbbing; despite both of their efforts, the male was stubborn. Seeing the menace in his eyes, cold and empty of remorse, she knew she would be joining Owlfrost soon. Jaws snapped at her face, causing her to snap back in instinct, but it was just a ploy to get her distracted enough for the real bite. Fangs meet flesh, and once more Jessie found herself scrabbling to stay on her feet as he thrashed and tried to tear more flesh.

  A loud, pained roar spread throughout the entire camp, the noise filled with so much anguish that it stopped Jessie and the intruder. Instead of letting her go, however, he dragged her out of the Nursery, the pups frozen in fear and unwilling to move from the corner.

The brighter sunlight from outside caused the dazed she-wolf to blink rapidly, focus shifting in and out before her eyes could finally find the source of the roar. All around her, everyone had stopped, their surprised and shocked expressions locked on to two figures: a large male of earthen and sandy colors, his red eyes staring maliciously at his target. And Barnaby, crouched over and bleeding from his face.

Upon further inspection, Jessie realized with horror that his eyes had been torn apart.

The brown male took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, then scanned the clearing to look at everyone around him. In a loud, authoritative voice, he spoke, “My name is Tigon, leader of Lucien’s Claw. Before you stands your Alpha, defeated and broken. Blinded and helpless,” as if to emphasize the point, he raised a bloodied paw, and it didn’t take a genius to know that blood wasn't his, “You have lost your rights to this place. Your belongings are ours now. Your food, your medicine, your toys -- they are ours.”

“Sir,” a soft, submissive voice speaks. Jessie's eyes move towards the gray figure who approaches Tigon. Walker...He was a spy? “You've beaten their Alpha, fair and square. You can take over this pack. Many able bodies to help us grow stronger, many healthy she-wolves...and pups!”

“No,” Tigon says, his eyes never leaving the shocked and defeated faces of Heartlands' members, “We have enough wolves, and the men will cause us nothing but trouble. Sharpclaws, get the food. Ravens, get the medicine and crafts. Take it all.” Several wolves split off from the Claw group and set to work. Jessie noticed that several wolves, especially those who had not been as badly hurt, still seemed antsy to fight. But what could they do, when they had clearly lost? Barnaby did not move from his spot, crouching over the earth with his face still dripping, whimpers coming off him in a steady rhythm.

The male that had been holding her left to talk to his Alpha. The conversation was brief; Tigon shook his head as if to disagree with something, then the other male spoke again and Tigon nodded. Next, the male returned to her, but instead of grabbing her neck again, or finishing her off, he entered the Nursery.

“No...” she said weakly, her words falling on ignorant ears. Shakily she got to her paws, and walked on wobbled feet back into the Nursery. Not even halfway in, the male pushed her aside and walked back to Tigon, Honeypup clasped in his jaws, “My baby...” Now fully listening, she heard Tigon say 'Nice work, Darius. And the other one?' before he dropped Honeypup in front of Tigon and went into the Nursery to retrieve Sharppup, “Please, don't take my children,” this time it was spoken a little louder, and both Darius and Tigon turned their heads to face her.

Darius exchanged a glance to his Alpha, his expression asking some question Jessie does not know, but the Alpha walked towards her and spoke in a bitterly calm voice, “They’ll be raised well.”

“Take me with them. They're not weaned...” she struggled to focus on him, his large figure looming over her.

“Look at you, you can barely stand. What use do you have? Besides, we already have a den-mother. She will take care of them.”

How can he look at me with such calm, as he takes my children away? She felt herself sinking further into despair and overwhelming sadness, and longed for the safety of the Nursery, her pups suckling happily at her side. But reality kept her cruelly grounded to the events happening before her; Heartlands failed to defend themselves from a raid, all of their belongings were being taken, Owlfrost lay dead in the Nursery, and her children were being taken away from her. I couldn't keep Willowpaw either. What have I done to receive such pain? Tigon had long since stepped away from her. He stood in front of Barnaby now, and Jessie noticed that Marigoldshine took a few steps forward. Despite their obvious defeat, she still seemed ready to fight. Tigon paid it no mind, his expression still calm, “I say this loud and clear. You have one week, starting today, to collect whatever you have left and go. When the week is over, we will kill anyone still remaining on our territory.”

“Your territory,” Sootvine growled sarcastically, loud enough for the wolves to hear. The Alpha turned to him with an unwavering glare, “Sorry, my territory. I suppose I'm just letting the rest of them stay.” His lighter tone seemed to suggest it was meant to be a joke, but nobody from Lucien’s Claw laughed, unsure whether it was allowed. When no one else spoke, Tigon bid the defeated wolves farewell, and they all turned to leave.

“At least leave some feverfew and winterfat so I can treat Barnaby's wounds,” Pinetree said, brave enough to make the plea. He wished they would take nothing -- but knew it was a lost cause. Some herbs could still be foraged around for. Others, like the winterfat, didn't grow in the Woodlands.

Some of the intruders paused and looked at them, Tigon among them. They snickered and chuckled when he didn't respond immediately, probably thinking the same thing. You're all going to die anyway, “Sure. Marisol?” a she-wolf, one of the wolves carrying their herbs, picked out the right herbs from her pouch and placed them on the ground. Heartlands watched as the wolves left the campsite, the air thick with silence, and when their noises and smells could no longer be heard, the wolves were finally able to breathe.

Immediately, activity buzzed around the clearing, the wolves getting to work on helping each other and making sure everyone was okay. Right now, there was no time to think about his imminent return.

Hailstorm returned to camp with the wolves who had to leave due to their bad injuries. Among him was Berrycloud, Dawnblaze, and Tawnyspots.

Robinwish and Pinetree had arrived too late to help out in the battle, and as such had no wounds to tend to. They ordered everyone with serious injuries to try to lay outside the medicine den so they could tend to them first. Yellowfang commented, “Help them with what? They took everything,” but the Herbalists still looked up and down the medicine den for anything they might have left behind. There was nothing but a few crushed herbs and tossed over ointments, caked with dirt and unusable.

“Hailstorm, Sunfall, and Swiftbriar, can you escort me around the territory? Without my pouches, I can't carry as many herbs, but we need to get some ASAP,” Meanwhile, Pinetree left for a few minutes to retrieve cobwebs. It wasn't much, but it was enough to somewhat stop the blood that still leaked down Barnaby's face. It was obvious to the Herbalist that Barnaby would never be able to see again. Tigon had buried his claws so deep into both sockets that there would be permanent scarring and damage. He may even have to remove the eyes.

The team sent out to gather herbs came and went with multiple trips, getting the nearest herbs first before heading farther out with each leave. Pinetree tended to the wolves with the worst wounds first, and used what little herbs they had left for the moderate but non-lethal wounds. Everything else would have to rely on time and careful rest.

OOC

---

While the wolves were getting healed, Whitestorm approached Jessie. He had multiple sites of bite marks and abrasions, and he had a nasty shoulder wound that hadn't yet been tended to by Pinetree. She could see he was in pain, but his pain didn't stop him from asking Jessie where Owlfrost was.

She couldn't speak, too ashamed to admit the mistake she made: that she could not save Owlfrost from Lucien’s Claw. Instead, she ducked her head and pointed towards the Nursery. Whitestorm's expression revealed he knew what Jessie's reaction meant. He pushed on into the Nursery, and didn't leave.

While all of this was happening, a respite in the form of the Frostfangs returning came upon them. They had brought home with them an elk cow. The Frostfangs were confused upon seeing all the injured wolves, and when the situation was explained to them, they grew furious. Once more, the buzz of discussion and despair rippled throughout the group, anger and confusion then turning to questions and concerns. They had one week to leave this place -- the home they worked so hard for -- were they really going to leave?

Over the course of the next few hours, wolves rotated between allowing their wounds to rest, searching for herbs, hunting more food, and cleaning and clearing the camp. Barnaby was among the wolves exempt from working, so it was up to Sleekshade to decide who would go out and who would stay at any given moment. Berrycloud expressed concern that Lucien’s Claw might come back, but Yellowfang bitterly reminded him that they had no reason to start another battle when they've already won. Owlfrost's body was laid out into the clearing and given respect to when the wolves had time to rest. It was not an ideal funeral, but Whitestorm reassures himself she knows the difficulties they face. Still, he finds time in his schedule to bury her body, with Pricklestep and Swiftbriar aiding him.

By the time evening was rolling out, many of the wolves were exhausted. Jessie tucked herself deep into the worker's den when she wasn't working to avoid faces of people she feared would hate her for not being able to save Owlfrost. Whitestorm she especially avoided, afraid to know what his reaction was to her. Eventually, night overcame the camp, and everyone shifted into an uneasy sleep.

OOC

This is still part 2! I had ran out of character space X) Part 2 in particular was really difficult to make. I know how I want to make the reader feel, I can make myself feel it, but actually expressing it is hard. Eventually I just settled on what I got v.v

Day 77 - Part 3

The wolves awoke earling to continue building back what they’ve lost, but there was still confusion and worry amongst the crowd. The buzz of questions and concerns did not stop -- the Council were just as clueless as the rest of them, unable to talk to Barnaby who had been sleeping ever since the pain was marginally manageable, and Sleekshade refused to make such a momentous decision without word from the Alpha.

“We’ll have to leave,” Tawnyspots spoke, too injured to move from the medicine den as she spoke to Sunfall, “we can’t fight them off again when they decide to come back, and they will come back.”

“I’m not willing to leave such a wonderful place because we lost one battle,” Sootvine growled to Marigoldshine and Yellowfang, who had both been working with him as the trio fixed the damaged barriers, “This is our home. We should defend it with our last breath.”

“We need to get the pups back,” Lilypool spoke with Swiftbriar, the two helping Pinetree look for herbs while Robinwish stayed behind to keep an eye on the most injured wolves, “If we’re leaving, we need to at least get them back first.”

“How are we going to do that? Walk up to them and ask nicely ‘Hey, can we have our pups back? Thanks,’? It’s best we leave now and come back for them later, when we’re all better.”

This uneasiness and lack of direction persisted throughout the morning hours, until finally, when the Sunseekers went out to hunt and came back with two skinny muskrats, Barnaby called a pack meeting. Eagerly, the wolves stopped what they were doing and crowded around the center of the clearing, eyes shifting uncomfortably as they were made acutely more aware of the fact that Barnaby was blind. The claw marks, once swollen and bloody, were now just bright and red. It obviously still hurt, but the Herbalists were doing a good job fighting off the infection and saving what little was left. Some of the wolves couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be blinded, so painfully and so suddenly, but aside from needing Robinwish to direct him to where he was supposed to sit and face, he still portrayed himself as their strong leader.

With head raised high and tail curled slightly, Barnaby began, “I’m sure you’re all wondering what we’re supposed to do in the face of this threat,” he began, his voice clear. Underneath it, however, were faint traces of fragility, a snitch on the pain he felt; he tried his best to hide it, “Many of our wolves were injured, three badly so -- we do not have enough herbs to treat everyone as well or in good time. Spring’s arrival is soon, but it is too early to hope for a boon of herbs to save us. Our pups: Icepup, Foxpup, Honeypup, and Sharppup, have been taken by the enemy. From what I heard, they hope to assimilate our children into their own pack, to raise them as if they belonged to Lucien’s Claw,” murmurs of protest began to appear amongst the crowd. Barnaby politely silenced them before speaking, “We have no storage of food left, meaning rations must be given out until spring can bless us with bountiful prey. More on that later…

“I’ve thought long and hard about this. In these difficult times, we need someone who can lead this pack with strength, tenacity, and a sure-mind. It is obvious to you all that I am no longer fit to lead Heartlands. I cannot protect you from those wishing to take my rank. I cannot lead you to prosperity if I cannot see my own four paws. I cannot be the strong leader you all deserve.

“From this moment onwards, I hereby declare that I will be stepping down from my role as Alpha. Sleekshade will take my place, and I will reside as a Council member for advice -- not as Heir.” Though his decision answered some questions, it only seemed to raise others. Now, most of their questions were directed to Sleekshade, who sat within the crowd and carried on him a look of surprise.

“Sleekshade, what are we going to do?”

“What about the pups?”

“We need to attack!”

Without answering, the male walked forward as the crowd parted for him, their questions rubbing against his pelt as he found his mind racing with ways to answer them. He wasn’t prepared for this, and based on the looks of the other Council members, they weren’t either. Sleekshade walked until he stood on Barnaby’s unoccupied side, and the questions and barks of others began to be drowned out from his mind… I can do this, he breathed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, before looking at the sky, I can do this. I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life.

His eyes finally landed on the crowd, and it seemed in that moment as if he’d already been their leader for years. His expression changed, going from shocked and worried to confident in just a mere moment, tail curled up in a display of dominance, and head held high. There was no doubt about it that Barnaby had made a good choice. Sleekshade was ready to lead them. “We cannot leave our children behind!” he began, his voice sure and clear, “We will not. But Barnaby has spoken true words. This winter has not been kind to us, and spring cannot aid us in time. Too many of our wolves are injured, too many need herbs we do not have. Even if we go to one of our allies in the mountains, they will not return in time to make a difference. We must leave,” the crowd filled with noises of both protests and agreements, so much so that the noise that erupted seemed like utter chaos. Sleekshade needed a moment to get everyone to calm down, before adding, “We will go to the mountains, where our allies are. We have close bonds with the Shiawase Clan, Fierce Grace, and the Morningstar Kingdom. They will help us out, until we are fit enough to come back and take our children away from Lucien’s Claw.”

“So that’s it?” One voice rang out from the crowd before others could pipe in. Redtail, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout this whole meeting, finally spoke. The wolves turned to look at him, “We’re just going to give up everything, huh? Leave this place behind, because a bunch of mangy wolves got the drop on us once?” He was rising now, his tail leveled with his spine and ears folded, more out of anger than any sort of display of dominance. The crowd parted for him as he went to stand in front of them all.

“We cannot risk more innocent lives being killed,” somewhere in the crowd, a whimper was heard. It was Jessie, “Besides, it would be more beneficial if we lived next to our allies. We have no close allies here. No one could come to our aid immediately if we needed it,”

“The land we live in has more herbs than the mountains will ever have. We built our home here! Risen up from the ashes that burned down our last, stayed strong and persevered even after we found pack after pack unwilling to aid us on our journey. We found this place during the blistering heat of summer, when the rivers and lakes ran dry, and we still managed to find our refuge,” Redtail had turned to face the crowd. Within it, he could see mostly apprehension, but some wolves showed pride in what he was saying, “We’ve come so far to find this place. We’ve created memories here. Are you all just willing to throw that away?” Noises of defiance began to sound from the crowd, but Sleekshade spoke too soon for anyone to speak up.

“Redtail, I’m just as saddened as you are, but I have to think of the good of the pack. There are other places out there, better places, places where we can make new memories.”

OOC

There was something I wanted to say, but I forgot...I gotta start writing my OOC at the same time as I write the entry.