lift me up [OPEN/BLIZZARD]

The she-cat lifted her head from her paws, the sun was already brushing the highest point in the sky, and yet Lightpaw remained in the apprentice's den. She blinked her large, almond eyes and let out a soft sigh. Her stomach echoed in response - a gut wrenching growl that almost split her in two. The light colored apprentice winced, she wasn't used to hunger. Lightpaw had always been heavier than the other apprentices, not in an obnoxious, overzealous way but in a sturdier, more substantial way. She was well-muscled for a she-cat and she often found herself going to and from the fresh-kill pile more than she'd like to admit.

In order to reserve energy the patrols have slowed and her denmates have been focusing on finding suitable prey. It was unusual. Green-leaf was far more leisurely spent than any other season - yet here they were, struggling to find food. Half the clan was starving to death and the other was struggling to get by. For the first time in her life, Lightpaw could feel her ribs, and more importantly she was scared. Since Morningstreak's death the higher ranked cats have been speaking in whispers; a fear crawling beneath their gaze - and still no one knew what was going on. It was nerve racking to say in the least.

The she-cat glanced out toward camp, it was nearly dead. There used to be a gentle hum in the air, a combination of cheerful chatter woven together with songs from the forest. Instead an eerie silence has become the accustomed backdrop to her life. Suddenly - she spotted her father's familiar silver coat. Lightpaw blinked a few times, sometimes she swore the hunger made her delirious, but she was right - Blizzardclaw was definitely in camp. The apprentice hadn't spoken to her father in days, due to the dire situation Thunderclan needed their deputy more than ever, and it was affecting their relationship.

Before she could even recollect what she was doing, Lightpaw was already on her paws and padding whimsically toward the deputy. Her body seemed to float on the wind, disrupted and splayed from every gust of air. It was hard to walk when you could barely concentrate. She wondered if there was something wrong with her. Was everyone else this weak? She wasn't sure.

And then she collapsed.

Lightningshine
I Know It’s a Little Frightening
We Might as Well be Playing With Lightning

A few Gatherings had passed and yet there still was an odd feeling in the air. The air was thick with tension and even Lightningshine was being brought down by this odd depressing mood. It really bothered him. Even in down and dark situations, the ginger tom always found a way to make cats smile. Now, he struggled to even come up with something to make him smile. He was hungry, just like everyone else.

Coming out of the warriors den he looked toward the fresh kill pile and let out a small smile. It was still really small even though the apprentices had gone out hunting several times. He had even tried but everyhtign he caught was sick or to small to even count as food. It was like something wanted them dead. He heard whispers it was what Starclan had warned about, he didn't believe this though. Why would their ancestors suddenly turn their backs. He flicked his ears. No, it wasn't Starclan.

Spotting a white pelt moving acros sthe camp, he looked that way and was glad to see Lightpaw moving out and about. He knew she was probably suffering from hunger, but she was a strong cat. Just like her father. But something was wrong because she suddenly just fell in the middle of the clearing. He froze, his mind flashing back to the dreadful gathering.
No! Not Lightpaw! he screamed in his head.

Letting out a yowl to hopefully get Frostbites attention and hurried to his apprentices side. He could hear Blizzardshard joining him and he made sure to keep his distance so the father could check on his daughter. But still, he felt that fatherly connection to her as well, even if they had only really been mentor and apprentice for a few moons.

"Lightpaw? Can you hear me?" he mewed gently, trying to keep his voice even with little luck. Why? Why now?

Mousepelt slowly walked back into camp with a small skinny rabbit daggling from his mouth. With the time that had passed he had wasted away to the point were even he would admit that he is little more then fur and bones. Ever know green leaf had finally arrived it has done little to help the lack of decent pray. With things so bad Mousepelt has been using his free time strictly for hunting and resting as such he hasn't been spending much time at camp lately only normally returning to camp to drop off pray, check in to Blizzardclaw to make sure he doesn't miss any patrols, and to curl up in the warriors den at night. "All that time out hunting and this is the best I could get...It doesn't even look like it could fill the belly of a kit let alone a staving warrior or apprentice...at lest its better then nothing." Mousepelt muttered to him self as he instinctively started to bring the rabbit the fresh kill pile but then a flash of movement on the other side of the camp grabbed his attention. For a moment he just stopped and looked over not completely sure what was happening but then he saw an apprentice laying on the ground and with out another thought he ran over. Once he joined the others he posed for a moment to rap his head around what was happening then he put the rabbit down to speak "What happened...is she alright?" was all he could think to ask.

Blizzardclaw

When the night falls in around me
I don't think I'll make it through
I'll use your light to guide me way
cause all I think about is you

---

It was warm, sunny, and breezy. Perfect greenleaf weather. Usually right now the Clan would be full of fresh-kill and possibly fighting with another Clan over border disputes if they felt like it. They'd be happy and healthy, not this miserable lot that Blizzardclaw was faced with every day.

Why? Why were they being punished like this? If it was a personal grievance, Blizzardclaw would happily give his life to appease StarClan. He hated seeing his Clanmates, his friends, his family, suffering. The worst were the kits and younger apprentices. They weren't used to this hunger.

As selfish as this was of him, he worried most about his own kits. He knew he'd see them starving eventually, but it was supposed to be during leaf-bare! They should be plump and content, not hungry and straining. They'd barely been able to learn their basic hunting skills before the prey had mysteriously disappeared.

Blizzardclaw sat in the camp by himself, unnerved by the silence of the camp. But he wouldn't let it get to him; couldn't let it get to him. He had to be strong. They were ThunderClan; they wouldn't let something like... like this beat them. The only problem was he still didn't know what 'this' was. How could he fight an enemy he couldn't see and knew nothing about?

He had a basic outline of the territory scratched into the ground, trying to plan out hunting routes strategically so they didn't bleed the forest dry when movement caught his eye. Blizzardclaw raised his head and a smile immediately came to his muzzle when he spotted Lightpaw, his oldest kit, coming towards him.

That frown fell though. Something was wrong. She was... swaying and staggering. He knew she was hungry, but that hungry? The moment she collapsed, everything just... froze. The clouds, the breeze, his body, his breath, everything. The scene of Morningstreak's death flashed across his mind. No. NO. NO!

The yowl from Lightningshine broke the trance. He didn't remember moving when he moved next to her head. He knew he should check her heartbeat, see if she was breathing, but he was too panicked to do it. "Lightpaw?" he asked weakly, feeling a bit of him break inside. He'd lost so much already. He couldn't lose her too.

He licked her forehead gently, as if trying to rouse her, and tried again. "Lightpaw, sweetie, please. Open your eyes. Answer me. Wake up. Please..."

---

Words: 398
Tagged: wish., Mouse, WorldLlama, OPEN!
Notes: Probably a bit dramatic at the end, but I enjoy dramatic flair.

Lightpaw heard voices - all of them strung together in varying tones of apprehension - she could barely pick out the words, let alone full sentences, but she could feel her name. "Lightpaw!" It burned into her skin. The she-cat was immobile, her limbs to heavy to move, her eyelids too heavy to open. So instead she listened to her name, as it drummed through her veins in tune to her rapidly beating heart. The apprentice was scared - petrified that any moment her orifices would start draining blood and that she would share Morningstreak's morbid fate. But they were fleeting thoughts, her consciousness was drifting - moments were spent tracing her name on her tongue, others were clouded. She wasn't aware of her surroundings, of the cats desperately pleading for her life, or the decaying state her body possessed. The she-cat was unresponsive.

Her breaths were long and labored, her heart thumped wildly under her breast, and her eyes flickered to and fro beneath their lids. At moments her mind would jump to life - memories, some real, some fake would repeat until the moment was bent into her like a mantra. And one in particular seemed to crack her bones, get under her skin - the she-cat was poised on the gorge, watching as the water spilled into the river, her chin canted to the stars. Lightpaw narrowed her gaze, trying to pick out the brightest pin-prick when suddenly the water burst into life. It roared toward her, lifting in ravenous waves, until it lingered above her, pulled back by an anonymous force. The she-cat gazed into it's heart - where two beady eyes stared back. And then she lifted a paw and padded forward, drawn to it's begging gaze.

She stepped off the gorge and into the water -

The she-cat opened her eyes with a gasping, staggered breath. The world was hazy, blurred beyond recognition. She let out a whimper. The pains immediately returned, gnawing at her stomach like carnivorous rats. "Daddy..." She mewed quietly. She was too weak to lift her head, but she could sense her father's presence. She knew he wasn't alone, Lightningshine and Mousefur were nearby as well. It was comforting, knowing that her denmates cared for her. Still, it didn't erase the images pressed beneath her eyelids. She could feel the eyes boring into her pelt. She could feel the water dragging her down, but worst of all - she could remember the sky before the water rose. It was bleak, black, and barren, not a star in sight.

They were alone.

Mousepelt quickly picked up the rabbit and moved a little away giving Blizzardclaw plenty of room to try and comfort his kit thinking it better to just stay out of the way. He slowly sat back down keeping the rabbit in his mouth trying to think of something he could do to help but ended up just shaking his head to him self coming up with nothing. Realizing he still was holding the rabbit after it bumped into his side he slowly put it down beside him again the idea of food not even slightly appealing to him at the moment. Not knowing what to do or say Mousepelt just sat silently his tail slowly tightening around his paws as his mind started to wonder and he started to worry. He couldn't stop him self from thinking back to the gathering that had ended so tragically. Thinking about this he closed his eyes and bowed his head "Please don't let this poor kit share that terrible fate." he muttered under his breath. When he was finished he straightened up again finishing with a small sigh to him self as he opened his eyes again wishing he could do more then just hope everything well.

Lightningshine
I Know It’s a Little Frightening
We Might as Well be Playing With Lightning

Lightningshine sat beside Blizzardclaw watching Lightpaw intensely. She was going to be okay. She had to be okay. If something happened to her, then he would probably lose it. This was a kit! How could anyone, or anything hurt a kit? It was just unheard of, but again everything that had been happening had been unheard of. Crows disappearing into thin air, cats dying from no apparent injuries, and all the prey being sick or so thin they were practically bones.

Lightningshine dug his claws into the ground. He had never hated or turned his back on Starclan. There were reasons that everything happened. But this....this he couldn't wrap his mind around. Usually there were signs, warnings. The medicine cats would know usually before everyone else. If he recalled, even the medicine cats were hesitant to share their findings. So how could they prepare? could they ever prepare for what was happening?

Hearing Lightpaw's weak voice, the ginger tom rose to his feet but didn't move any closer. She was awake. It was a start, but he still worried. The tom had grown kind of fond of the small white kit. She was a quick learner. If something happened to her...

He flicked his ear and pushed the thoughts to the side. He quietly looked around. Other warriors were gathering to see what was happening. Mousepelt was the closest and Lightningshine moved a little closer so he could talk to him quietly.
"Mousepelt," he murmured just loud enough so that the tom could hear him, "We need to make sure that the others don't crowd them. Also keep an eye out for Frostbite. She'll be needed to check on Lightpaw."

He didn't feel like he was being demanding, but if Lightpaw got crowded it might cause her to go into a panic. That was one thing that they didn't need on top of everything else that was going on.

Word Count:: 314
Tagged:: Lightpaw, Blizzardclaw, Mousepelt
Thoughts:: Be careful about telling other cats what to do Lightningshine. You aren't deputy. lol

Mousepelt had lost him self in thought looking blackly at the ground as his thought on what was happening. But hearing his name snapped him right out of it. Mousepelt perked his ears and faced Lightningshine. When he was finished speaking Mousepelt gave a quick glance Lightpaw and Blizzardclaw then turned back to him and gave a small nod of his head. "Y-yes that is probably the best thing to do right now." he replied needing a moment before he remembered that Frostbite was the medicine cat. Mousepelt slowly unwrapped his tail and got up to face the rest of the warriors "I-it is probably best that we give them some room crowding her wont help her right now we should just give her some room to breath until frostbite shows up and can help her." he said said to the others at the beginning seeming to have a little trouble with his words but finishing with a flat calm voice. After a moment to make sure everyone had heard him Mousepelt slowly looked back to the ground with a small sigh not comfortable with all of the attention he had got from speaking up. He tock a deep breath then picked up his rabbit and finally put it gently down in the fresh kill pile after that he sat down again looking toward the camp's entrance taking a glance over his shoulder ever now and then just to make sure things aren't getting worse "I just hope that frostbite gets here soon." he muttered to him self so lightly no one else could hear.