Roleplay

@Malignantt @NickelDragons

Kawapaw rolled over. "As much as I would love to take a break, I have to kill something!" Kawapaw complained. Kawapaw found himself face-to-face with Riverpaw. "Do ya think our med cat wil die?" He asked nonchalantely, not even bohtering to use a name. Geez, was he in Kill Mode again or something? No, Kawapaw. What has set you up on killing recently? Calm down. You're not usually like this. Kawapaw berated himself.

Kawapaw sighed, heading back to the corner to finish the last of his mouse. Really though, what could have made Acornstem just collapse like that? Maybe it was coyotes? But they were just rumors, weren't they? "Hey guys, do you think it was the coyotes?" Kawapaw guessed.

Sleekfoot's words came in fast but very faint. His body felt limp as it was lifted up from the mix of blood and dust. He had never felt like this before in a long time. Whispering went through the clan with murmurs of worry. Only with the strength to open both eyes, the tortoiseshell peeked at the warriors who carried him.
Dunefoot, Sleekfoot, and a couple others he didn't recognize from the start. He attempted to mutter a few things like "it's alright, I'm fine" but it just wouldn't budge. The medicine cat felt his body being set down with a cat overhead. "This one, over here. Marigold. We need to chew it into a poultice, and then spread it on his wounds... I'll look for cobwebs to bind them if you could do that for him...". The last thing he saw was a movement of cats approaching his small bundle of herbs
"You don't know how..." was the last thing he was able to mumble. *** Mittsteps started to leave and he could feel warm fur pressing against his. Autumstep jolted up from where he was sleeping, glaring at Stormtail for his sudden action. "Ah, excuse me-- Stormtail? I don't think I need you--" he coughed garishly in between the sentence. "-- to stay--" again the medicine cat coughed. Acornstem anxiously got on his mitts and crawled to the back of the den.
"Get out of my--" a cough. "--den if you have to. I need a mome--" one more cough but longer and more hoarse. "--moment to myself" with that, he pinpointed the entrance with his tail. His body shivered from the cold breeze swimming into the den. Moonhigh in the desert wasn't his favorite time of day. Autumstep's eyes were usually bright but now they looked dull. "I'm reassuring you that I'm fine. None of you-- had any experience with being-- a medicin--" the tom closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall back down on the stone floor.

@shaunti

@Dunno @NickelDragons

Cactuspaw shuddered visibly at the thought of something more dangerous than Coyotes, and at Kawapaw's blunt questioning.
"Of course Acornstem will live! Why would you even say something like that!" His tail was standing straight up, bristling with fear.
"And even if it wasn't Coyotes, we'll know, He'll tell us about it when he wakes up, and the guards will chase whatever- it- is out of our territory. But- what else would it be? Foxes?"

@Malignantt @NickelDragons

Kawapaw swiftly finished of his mouse, a rare treat in the clan. "Dunno. But you know what the elders say- Hope for the best, expect for the worst." Kawa offered mindlessly. Really though, Acornstem wasn't suited for wounds. Medicine cats had never trained to build up their tolerance and resistance; They may be able to heal others and even themselves, but not when they were out cold!

"Coyotes..." Kawapaw trailed off. "It's been a long time since I've come face-to-face with one of those." He remarked. "Either way, I'm not going to try anything with them. I'm not going to go fight an opponent stronger than me in life or death." Kawapaw explained. "I just hope it's not anything we have to worry about. Poor Acornstem."

Pumpkinroot whipped his head around, there, was the keeper, Pebblespine. He grunted hard before thinking up the right explanation. "Same old, same old. Disturbed about the fact that Acornstem mentioned a coyote. I tried to release from ever hearing the word again but it didn't really help," he looked over to where his sister was. "I mean, she's about to start kitting those youngsters. Last time I checked it was against the code to ever pay attention to them. They're always explained as useless and 'corrupted'. Especially you, everyone always talks about how you're a downer to this clan," the guard felt horrible. He didn't need to tell the "old" cat this.
"But even with that, you're still brave enough to accept these insults? I could never do that!". Pumpkinroot leaned down, not bothering to look into those grayish-blueish eyes. "I apologize for going too long-- why don't you go visit Fawnpad. She'll need your wise psychological words," the brown cat forced a grin. He stood up, padding to the fresh kill pile to take his place with the others. Only two cats appeared nearby, sharing tongues with each other. Selecting a choice over fish then fruit, he bit into the sweet and tender skin.
The grimace of blood tracks leading into the medicine cat den made him think. What if he helped the gray tabby with Acornstem? "Would make me look decent enough to get chosen for something...". Without thinking, he pushed away the food and bounded into the den. "Acornstem, please tell me how I can help you. I can't leave you- that's Sleekfoot's orders,".
Words pierced the inside of his ears. Pumpkinroot gasped at the sight of Acornstep's limp body. "Stormtail what happened-- what did you do to him?" the guard rushed over, pushing the hunter out of the way. He prodded the side of the cat, thinking that it would wake him up. "Acornstem? Acornstem wake up--".

@Malignantt @shaunti

@TimeOblivion @Dunno @shaunti @NickelDragons

Pebblespine looked absolutely floored at the guard's compliments, shuffling slightly in place as he searched for how to respond.
"It's... humbling that you think so highly of me. Thank you." His voice shook a little at the end, obviously touched. Trying to regain his even tone of voice, he mewed, "I'm not sure about "wise psychological words", but I'll try my best to calm Fawnpad down. This isn't the first time predators have attacked a cat, and they've never gotten near the camp before. And the kits are so closely guarded. They'll be fine." He smiled back, trying to appear completely reassured, before trekking up to the nursery.
"Fawnpad?" Upon hearing her sharp breaths and feeling the fear radiating off her, he padded near the brown she-cat, sitting next to her, but with enough air between them that the Keeper didn't feel he was enroaching on her space. He sat quietly, keeping his breathing even and slow and working to keep his own fear at bay. Listening was the better way to relate. Asking what was wrong would probably provoke a snappy response.

Though their paws itched to run and tear the brutes to shreds, Sandstream dipped their head and followed their Clanmates to the warriors den. They'd get through this. The large tabby quickly fell into an uneasy sleep, twitching a bit.

Cactuspaw nodded reluctantly.
"Mhmm... let's all at least try to sleep." Truth be told, he was exhausted from the training session earlier, and everything from the tip of his tail to his paws ached. But his mind was racing too much to fall into an easy sleep.
"G'night, everybody." he mumbled in a voice much more subdued than the usual loud blare of the hunter apprentice, closing his eyes and curling up in an honest effort to rest.

Sleekfoot jumped down from the rock shelf of her den, where she had been quietly looking out at the territory, possibly keeping watch.
"Stormtail. Breathe. Tell me exactly what he said. You won't help Acornstem by panicking. Did he fall unconscious, or just fall over?" She looked over at Pumpkinroot, seemingly the only other unoccupied cat in the clan. At least she had support that wan't constantly panicking.