Preparing Jayleaf's Body

[Runfast]

Mistpaw, silvery medicine cat apprentice of DewClan, slowly made her way down into the medicine cat's den. The den was made out an old badger hole and was big enough for a medicine cat and ten patients. Not that it had ever been used for ten patients at once, but it was still spacious. But it wasn't a wide den. It was narrow, the nests for patients set in the wider parts of the long den. There was a pleasant pool of water and a herb storage, and the den always seemed to be warm.
Today, though, Mistpaw thought it was like bathing in ice.
It would have been easier, she felt, if Jayleaf's body had been in the front of the den.
Instead, she found that her beloved mentor's body had been dragged further back into the den. It looked like the medicine cat had been attacked and there had been a fight. There was blood. Everywhere.
Mistpaw swallowed as followed the trail. She came to a corner, and her nose told her that Jayleaf was there. Mistpaw turned and had to fight not to turn tail and flee.
Jayleaf's eyes were wide open, his mouth open in what might have been the aftermath of a defiant snarl. He had deep claw markings in his sides and across his shoulders - it looked as though one of his paws had been caught in another cat's jaws mid-strike, then torn.
Worst of all, though, was the deep bite-mark in his throat. The greater majority of the blood came from that.
"He can't have been killed earlier than this morning."
The medicine cat apprentice closed her eyes slowly, sighing heavily.

[Meany]

Brownhowl followed the she-cat into the den and paused, gaping at the sight of the dead medicine cat.
"Those dung-hearts," he spat, though there was deep sadness in his eyes. "I hope their own fires burn them!"
He looked around at the blood, his fur bristling. "I wish - I wish-" He couldn't think of a punishment great enough. He abruptly leaned against the wall, his legs shaking, breathing heavily.
After nearly a minute of grieving, he stood straight. "What do you need me to do," he asked huskily.

[Runfast]

Mistpaw nodded to the warrior. "Cover the blood with sand. Use wet moss to get the blood off the walls. I will prepare him." She flicked her tail at her dead mentor, her voice void of emotion.
She turned and padded off to the herb stock, picked up some sweet-smelling leaves and returned, setting them next to Jayleaf's broken body. She knelt next to him and began to gently groom him, taking care to miss the gaping gashes and slices.
She paid no attention to Brownhowl.

[Meany]

Brownhowl waited for Mistpaw, in case she had anything more to say. When she said nothing, he turned and began to kick at the sand, covering the bloody sand like he would dirt.
He was at his for a while - the blood was everywhere. As hard as he tried, some of the sand was still a light pink in places. And there was still the wall to do. Some was easy - just pull down some of the earth. But some was stone.
He bowed his head and went to retrieve moss from the herb-stock. I hope Mistpaw doesn't mind. He didn't want to interrupt her.
Brownhowl wetted the moss he picked up in his jaws and returned to his cleaning.

[Runfast]

OOC: We should probably time skip this since the whole thing will take a while.

IC: Mistpaw kept to her task, cleaning the blood from Jayleaf's fur, cleaning and masking the scent of Shadowspot from the wounds, preparing her mentor for his final night under the golden boughs of DewClan.

[Meany]

OOC: Yeeeeaaah, you're right.

IC: Brownhowl finished before Mistpaw. He turned to look at her and mewed while turning, "Mistpaw, I've fini-"
She was still grooming Jayleaf.
The brown warrior paused awkwardly. "I'll just...wait. For you. Outside...Yeah..." He turned and padded out, his tail flicking nervously.
When he emerged, the sun was far across the sky, only shifts away from beginning to set. They'd have to leave soon.

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