#idk the rogues motives yet and am. still debating the deaths

[whelpimnauthuman]

I had a thing happen in Clangen and I need to share (and probably eventually draw/make a story about)

For background, the two main cats (Boulderlight and Dustshard) are siblings, in a mountainous Clan known as Crestedclan. Their parents are Fawnstar and Frostsnap, the two are from different litters. Boulder is older with a sneaky personality, Dustshard just graduated a few moons ago and is compassionate.

The Clan recently ended a war with a neighboring Clan; during that time Boulderlight's leg was broken from a trap that had been set. She's nest-bound while it heals, which is fine because she's expecting kits. (Dustshard sympathizes; he had broken a bone during his assessment - he'd graduated on time, and recovered just fine! But he remembers the feeling all-too well)

The kits are born, and after a few weeks Boulderlight's leg heals, although it's horribly mangled- she'll clearly have to relearn how to walk on it.

Dust offers to take his sister out on a walk outside camp - not far, he promises, just to get some air. She happily agrees, although it takes much more effort to convince her mate, Scorchbloom.

"We're not going that far, just for me to get some air. Besides, you heard Lynxstep, I need to exercise my leg-"

Scorchbloom doesn't like it ("Why can't you get some air in camp?") but eventually agrees, going to watch their kits.

I'm kinda vague on details here, but essentially the two go out and enjoy themselves, have some sibling bonding, etc. but are stopped by the smell of rogue. It puts them on edge for obvious reasons, but there's also the fact that the last moon a rogue was spotted, but fled before he could be chased off. The patrol at the time had felt very strange and off-put by how quickly he fled and agreed to keep an eye out.

The siblings now are on edge, and are suddenly confronted by a gang of 3-4 rogues, who, while they don't seem violent, immediately put Boulder on edge. They give off a weird vibe, and she tries to subtly, quietly, get Dust to go back to camp without the rogues noticing, or at least before they get more aggressive. After all, he can at least run and get help.

Dustshard refuses, until Boulderlight physically shoves him, right as one of the rogues leaps. She's forced to the ground, and he bolts, one of the attackers hard on his paws.

The sounds of Boulderlight's battle draw another patrol, but it's already too late - Boulderlight is dead.

Dustshard isn't going back to camp with this stranger behind him. He's going back to his sister as fast as possible. He realizes he knows this territory better than this intruder, so hides himself... Before ambushing the larger cat. Dustshard knows he's losing, but he can at least take this rogue with him. In a final, desperate attempt, he tackles the stranger and pushes them both into what is known to be an unstable part of the mountain...

Hearing his mate's death, Scorchbloom can't return to the nursery...