Blood Never Washes Off Your Paws

[Will S]

Silverthorn took the paper. Blood on his Chrinose paws. He fumbled distressed at what he had just seen. His family had been Killed in front of his own eyes. His fur stood on edge as he walked back through the umbra to White-Ravens new den. He barged in. His large frame filling the doorway. Silverthorn bellowed in ruff English right at White-Raven His eyes dead locked with hers. The shear terror in his eyes showed the agony that lay in his heart.


"They're Gone. All of them there gone."

Silverthorn fell to his knees as he wept the paper still clutched in his paws.

"They are gone. Blue, Toshie and Seeks the Truth, All gone.

"I... I" Silverthorn stared at his paws. "why.....


He shifted into feline the paper laying there at his side. He curled up in a ball. Weeping and yowling in pain and heartache.

[Layla O'Riely 'Sparkles']

Pulled from the doorstep Tree Whisper was fresh on his heels. Following him in she nearly tripped over him. She stood in Chinos as well. "White Raven. We're so sorry." She held the contract signed in blood out to her so that she could see. "I doubt I could have helped. But still I'm so sorry." Fresh tears ran from her eyes and she shifted down to homid, stopping not on her feet, but her knees at Silverthorns side.

[Will S]

The small cat felt the warm body behind him. he curled up in the comfort being given to him by Tree-Whisper. He nuzzled the side of her leg with his wiskers, the warm wet tears falling down them and to the ground.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

White Raven lies curled in a miserable ball of fur; she had not even realized that something was subtly blocking her pack link with her family until she felt their deaths rip through her, shattering her mind, her heat, her soul... She lies insensible and lost, unable to react to anything around her. Kitten-paws is crouched at her muzzle, licking her face and ears, fear and grief in the spirit-cat's every move. She looks over at Tree-Whisper and Silverthorn, and she speaks to them, as she has never done before, in clear and clearly overwrought English. "Help her...she won't wake up!"

[Will S]

Silverthorn shifted to chatro. He used the last of his willpower and strength to go over to the puddle of white fur. he let out a roar as he nudged the bear rolling her onto her back.

WAKE UP KAILEY!

Silverthorn started to use his strong paws to shake her awake. His stubbornness put the bears to shame. He would not let her fall. Not Now. Not EVER!

[Layla O'Riely 'Sparkles']

Tree Whisper also helped to shake her, and try to wake her. "White Raven?" She kept nudging her. "Wake please."

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

For a long minute her body flops limply as Silverthorn shakes her, her black eyes staring blankly at the ceiling of the cave. But eventually the pleas of her friends appear to penetrate her grief; her dark eyes start to focus and her body starts shaking with silent wracking sobs. She shifts to burrow herself into Silverthorn, low moans rumbling in her throat, wordless and lost.

[Will S]

The large cat held the bear close. "Kailey I am here. Let it all out." * he started to groom her while she cried and moaned into is fur.*

[Layla O'Riely 'Sparkles']

Tree Whisper sat silently nearby. Lost as to what to do. So recently these had become her friends and so soon they had died. There was nothing to say to the two fera in front of her. Just sit and wait. Letting them know her presence was there as a comfort hopefully. She shifted down to homid and rifled through her bag.

Hoping White Raven wouldn't mind she pulled 3 candles of odd size shape and color from her bag. She set them a bit away and lit them. First a Small green one, then a tapered purple one, and finally a small pillar orange one. The smells of sage, lavender, and sandalwood mixed in the air of the small cave.

Tree Whisper sat and let the smells cloud her mind. The pain from the grenade didn't hurt much anymore, but a fresh pain racked her small frame. Crying harder than ever she leaned on the caves wall to keep sitting.