by 䏠xote » Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:38 am
by 䏠xote » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:23 am
The Exile wrote:
since fallowface's exile, the clan had
goldenfang could remember it very clearly. she
had been by skybird's side when she'd given birth,
the white queen gaunt from hunger. there'd been
no food for moons, and the she-cat had sacrificed
everything for her dear, beloved kits. dovepaw
and softpaw had indeed survived, but whitepaw
had simply not been strong enough. even now, as
the queen lay still, panting, there was hope in her
eyes. there was so much blood, and the smell of it
seemed to sink into the moss of the nursery.
the kits were dead.
all of the tiny bundles that came from her barely
rounded belly were still, her hunger having, in turn,
starved them as well. they'd never had a chance,
herringface would say later. there'd never been a
doubt in his mind that this would be the outcome,
the result they so dreaded. when she'd looked back,
her hollowed face hopeful, lionstrike had begun to
weep.
goldenfang had watched as the light died from those
soft amber eyes, had turned to anguish, emptied of
their very life. the white she-cat had let her head
rest against the ground, and had taken several soft,
barely audible breaths.
then, she'd been gone.
goldenfang could not wash the image of her brother
sobbing over the graves of his mate and kits from her
memory. night after night, she dreamed of the terrible
mourning that seemed to have no end.
great starclan, she was so tired of mourning.
there was still no food, but without skybird's mouth to
feed, the suffering seemed a little less. no cat would
dare say it out loud, but they all knew the truth of
it. each cat that died lessened the load. those living
shared prey, and went without when they had to.
even the elders rejected food when they could. the
memory of skybird so fresh in their minds.
for all the world, it was a tragedy.
that was why goldenfang felt such horror when she
discovered that she was pregnant. she was so thin
from their many moons of famine that she'd been
certain she would stay hollow, and yet it was not so.
her belly had swelled, and she could feel those tiny
beings kick and squirm within her. despair flooded
her as fallowface had gently kneaded her flank,
nodding gravely.
they'd both seen skybird. they both knew the pain
that such a terrible famine had caused--and now,
developing inside of the golden she-cat, the same
horrific tragedy was beginning to unfold.
the two agreed to do something.
they would remove the mouths that took the most
food, one at a time, to make room for the little
lives that were so precious to them. perhaps to
any cat with sanity, it might have seemed horrible,
but to these desperate parents, there was no
other choice.
and so goldenfang steeled her heart, set her jaw,
and slayed them. fallowface turned his eyes away,
and when the deed was done they grieved in silence.
when marigold's blood had been spilled into the
snow, there had been no going back. spattered
among the drifts with that crimson life fluid was
the heart and conscience of both cats, a statement
to their promise to one another and the kits they
would parent.
dovepaw was the most difficult. goldenfang had
been unable to do away with her face to face--
she had seen skybird in the apprentice's eyes,
had heard lionstrike in her laughter. her heart
had wavered, and she had made a mistake.
now, she could not help the shame that turned
to tears and streamed down her muzzle as he
stared down at her in disbelief.
"...you're not serious." her brother mewed, so
quiet, his voice trembling.
"i wish that i had an apology, brother, but i do
not." goldenfang returned. she raised her head,
and her eyes held no regret, not a drop. her gaze
was unwavering, her defiance true, fierce with
the love of a mother.
the cats of the clan were shocked, and watched
with betrayal in their eyes.
"i knew it!" oceanpaw blurted. "it was you all along,
you- you--" the apprentice's claws unsheathed, and
she leapt, despite the cries of their clanmates to
stop.
claws met fur, and blood spattered onto the snowy
ground in droplets, but the coat beneath oceanpaw's
toes was not goldenfang's. cloudberry stood there,
fallowface by her side, her gaze steeled despite the
tears welling at her lashes.
"that's enough, oceanpaw." she mewed, and the
apprentice jumped back immediately.
the white she-cat raised her head. "...go, you two.
leave thunderclan, and don't come back." her words
were not harsh, however, and her eyes were filled
with melancholy.
goldenfang watched her a moment, whiskers quivering,
and fallowface nuzzled her, turning her away.
"...why?"
cloudberry's gaze softened.
"it's what skybird would have wanted, goldenfang.
she would have understood better than anyone what
your grief felt like. take care, and make sure they
grow healthy and strong."
fallowface nodded solemnly, and nudged his mate
away, the two making their way to the exit.
"we're just letting them leave?!" oceanpaw mewed
in disbelief. cloudberry glanced down at her, and
she smiled softly.
"...one day you'll understand what i mean, oceanpaw.
until then, trust me when i say that suffering only
ever creates more suffering."
no cat argued, and both ramstar and lionstrike sat
with them as they watched the killers go, a sorrow
and relief hanging together in the air.
thunderclan would go on to rebuild.
the next newleaf would be plentiful, and they would
be blessed with happiness. they would never hear
of goldenfang or fallowface again, but far outside
the territory where the giant hooved beasts roamed,
three young ginger kittens would be raised getting
plump on field mice and sleeping in the twoleg's barn.
[good end]
by imp. » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:24 am
by 䏠xote » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:29 am
by Chamrosh » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:30 am
by sockwearer » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:30 am
by dotdottdoot » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:31 am
•Kylo Ren• wrote:Username: •Kylo Ren•
Name: Ravenkit
Gender: Female
Rank: kit
Short description: ravenkit is a large black shecat with a white chest, white paws and white rings around her eyes. She is shy and quiet but loves solving puzzles.
by akame, » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:31 am
by MoonlightTabby » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:31 am
MoonlightTabby wrote:MoonlightTabby wrote:Username -- MoonlightTabby
Name -- Rosepaw
Gender -- She-cat
Rank -- Apprentice
Short Description -- A black scottish fold with yellow eyes, known for being an overly-confident cat, but in reality, she really isn't.
by ghostlyhamlet » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:33 am
Users browsing this forum: peachpit. and 2 guests
