Post by Shadowkit on Feb 25, 2021 19:06:40 GMT -5
It didn't seem like anything around him was real anymore.
From the moment he walked into camp with his mother, he felt the strange aura within the camp. From the way that some of the Shadowclan warriors were gathered about the center of camp, to the sneers and glee that were clear to see in the gazes of some of the cats gathered about. He could see the uneasy gazes of Ebonypelt and Tigersprint in the further corners of the camp. He was uncomfortable with the feeling that was coating the camp, but it was only confirmed as his father, Nightclaw, who was stood close to the floor in front of the leader's den, began to approach the two of them. His gaze quickly turned to his mother, about to say something when her mother's dark, morose look made him stand silent, while his father approached.
She didn't look to him, but she quietly spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Shadowpaw...S-stay behind me..." Her voice had a shake to it that he was not acclimated to, a sign of worry just not common to his mother. It set his fur on edge far more than the weirdness of the camp could.
He could see the nervousness prickling his mother's pelt as Nightclaw approached the two of them, while the gazes of the cats gathered around were unmistakably focused on the three of them. Clutching his breath in his chest, Shadowpaw pulled back a nervous half-step, quickly glancing to his father and then back to his mother. What was happening? Why was he grinning so wide?
Nightclaw’s grin never faltered as he approached Dawnstar and Shadowpaw. "You have failed, again and again, to demonstrate that you have the strength to lead this clan." Nightclaw’s deep and scratchy voice bellowed over the camp, loud and commanding. Amidst his words, one could almost discern a jovial tone; and paired with his wide grin, one could almost say he was taking pleasure in whatever was taking place here. “Your warriors no longer trust in you to get done what needs to be done. And most importantly...you have been soiling the true calling of a warrior. To demonstrate one's strength...you spit upon it. You cower before the other clans. Shadowclan is sick of it, and Shadowclan is sick of you."
Shadowpaw's blood froze stiff as he heard what his father was saying. He could easily discern the threat posed within his father's words, and though he felt like the both of them were in danger, he felt his legs frozen to the ground and his mouth refusing to form words.
Dawnstar had a pretty similar reaction as her mate spoke to her of the transgressions she had committed against her clan. She knew what he was talking about--she had been, for the short moons since she was appointed leader, trying to better Shadowclan's relationship with the other clans, and to dissolve their reputation of being a deceitful and untrustworthy clan.
But there were many who didn't agree, and she was realizing it had been a sentiment growing more strongly than she had thought. She stepped to the side and pressed up close to her son. Shadowpaw was breathing fast, and she could feel the fear surging through him...just as it was through her. "Shadowpaw..." She was muttering under her breath, trying not to be heard by anyone else. "You...you may need to run, far...I...Don't question me. If this..." She cast a quick side glance to look at her son, who was the reason she opened her eyes in the morning. Her ice blue eyes gazed down at him. "I love you, Shadowpaw..." She quietly pressed her pelt against his. "I love you so much." She gulped, turning back to Nightclaw to look at him, who's smile had taken on an element of sick, utter enjoyment. He began taking slow pawsteps closer to Dawnstar.
Shadowpaw's gaze fixed upon the eyes of his mother, utterly frozen in fear and confusion, equally filled with fear in this situation and a confused, strange sort of relief as his mother assured him of her love for him. This was going to be fine, right? They were going to be fine. This is going to be okay...
"Your time is over." Nightclaw drew closer and left no uncertainty as to what was happening here. Only a couple pawsteps away, he suddenly pushed himself forwards, charging Dawnstar and pulling his claws out as he prepared to strike at the neck of his mate. Dawnstar was more than ready, and she pressed her legs strong into the ground, leaping up into the air and swiftly, yet barely, avoiding the claws which were mere inches from her neck as she evaded Nightclaw. She knew immediately that this was a coup, that he was trying to take over and, from the ambivalence of the surrounding cats, enough of them agreed with Nightclaw, or were too scared to fight back against the relative consensus, to help her. She knew this wasn't looking favorable to her.
Shadowpaw couldn't have described the terror that was spilling through him as his own father suddenly attacked his mother, swiping directly for his mother. though his everything felt frozen in place, his legs forced him backwards a few pawsteps, while his mother took to reciprocating the attack, trying to tackle the tom-cat as she awkwardly landed on top of him after he dived towards her. The two of them ended up in a ball, rolling a short distance together before Shadowpaw, hearing the words of his mother echoing in his head, turned tail and dashed for the entrance they had just entered through.
There was nothing he could do to stop himself looking back and skidding to a halt as he reached the exit of the camp. A couple warriors were rising and beginning to approach him, scowls on their face as they seemed intent to keep him from leaving. But that didn't even enter his mind as his eyes took in his parents.
She was fighting hard, but despite her quick reflex, this whole situation had taken Dawnstar by surprise. She had felt traced of dissent being bred in the clan, but she had not been ready for the severity of it. The ambivalence in her clanmates. Despite struggling and scrabbling against her mate, she found herself beneath his paws before she could take a breath, and as she finally sucked in a breath and prepared to plead with him, to beg him not to go through with this, to ask him why he was doing this...his fangs were closed around her neck.
"NOOOOOO!" Shadowpaw screamed from the entrance to the camp as his father's maw closed around the neck of his mother. It was impossible to process what he saw when he turned back from running, just to see his mother lying upon the floor with teeth in her neck. Moments ago, just seconds ago he was padding alongside her, as she promised him that they would step up his hunting training, despite the fact that she had other things that had been taking her time. Now, Nightclaw was lifting his maw, dripping with blood and a wide smile on his face.
And while he was lifting his maw, Dawnstar was realizing that she was going to die. He was swifter than she had expected given Nightclaw’s massive size. She underestimated him. She wasn't ready. Oh Starclan. I'm going to bleed out in moments, every life, all seven, and... Horror filled her as she thought of her kit left beside her. Her head lolled back as she felt blood pouring from her neck, and with the slightest bit of relief, she saw him at the entrance to the camp. He obeyed her, as always. The slightest spark of hope lighted within her heart. Run. Get away. There's nothing here for your bright heart.
Her blue eyes lay on him as Shadowpaw stared in terror, in an all-consuming and paralyzing horror at his mother upon the floor of the camp, bleeding out the refuge of life that lay within her. He wanted to cry out, to beg his father to stop, and to beg his mother not to die, not to leave him, but it was all futile. And as Shadowclan cats began growing closer to him, he realized, very quickly, that whatever was going to be left after this, he was going to be subject to it.
"No!" He cried out once more, though her eyes were already greying and her body was growing limp. It meant nothing. Tears beginning to pour out of his eyes, he spun about, charging out of the camp with total haste.
---
They were after him for several minutes at the least, as he charged across the territory, tears pouring from him, leaving an invisible trail in the ground as he pelted at full speed across the territory. He knew he didn't have a single moment to waste as he felt the warriors behind him; yet after almost two minutes, he felt an absence of their presence, thinking he couldn't hear their pawsteps anymore.
Still, he didn't want to be deceived. He continued pelting through what he assumed was the Shadowclan territory. It wasn't long until he came upon a twolegpath, impossible to mistake, and he finally risked a glance behind his back which lowered his speed.
They had broken off of him at some point, leaving him to run. Beginning to suck in heavy breaths, exhausted from both the sprint and everything that had just happened within a short number of seconds, the apprentice felt his legs growing extraordinarily heavy. He made it across the path, a paranoid measure to make more distance between himself and whoever was following, before he slumped down in between a few trees, and the tears pouring from his eyes began turning into uncontrollable, painful, breath-breaking sobs. His mom was dying. She...she had to be dead.
None of this could be reality.
From the moment he walked into camp with his mother, he felt the strange aura within the camp. From the way that some of the Shadowclan warriors were gathered about the center of camp, to the sneers and glee that were clear to see in the gazes of some of the cats gathered about. He could see the uneasy gazes of Ebonypelt and Tigersprint in the further corners of the camp. He was uncomfortable with the feeling that was coating the camp, but it was only confirmed as his father, Nightclaw, who was stood close to the floor in front of the leader's den, began to approach the two of them. His gaze quickly turned to his mother, about to say something when her mother's dark, morose look made him stand silent, while his father approached.
She didn't look to him, but she quietly spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Shadowpaw...S-stay behind me..." Her voice had a shake to it that he was not acclimated to, a sign of worry just not common to his mother. It set his fur on edge far more than the weirdness of the camp could.
He could see the nervousness prickling his mother's pelt as Nightclaw approached the two of them, while the gazes of the cats gathered around were unmistakably focused on the three of them. Clutching his breath in his chest, Shadowpaw pulled back a nervous half-step, quickly glancing to his father and then back to his mother. What was happening? Why was he grinning so wide?
Nightclaw’s grin never faltered as he approached Dawnstar and Shadowpaw. "You have failed, again and again, to demonstrate that you have the strength to lead this clan." Nightclaw’s deep and scratchy voice bellowed over the camp, loud and commanding. Amidst his words, one could almost discern a jovial tone; and paired with his wide grin, one could almost say he was taking pleasure in whatever was taking place here. “Your warriors no longer trust in you to get done what needs to be done. And most importantly...you have been soiling the true calling of a warrior. To demonstrate one's strength...you spit upon it. You cower before the other clans. Shadowclan is sick of it, and Shadowclan is sick of you."
Shadowpaw's blood froze stiff as he heard what his father was saying. He could easily discern the threat posed within his father's words, and though he felt like the both of them were in danger, he felt his legs frozen to the ground and his mouth refusing to form words.
Dawnstar had a pretty similar reaction as her mate spoke to her of the transgressions she had committed against her clan. She knew what he was talking about--she had been, for the short moons since she was appointed leader, trying to better Shadowclan's relationship with the other clans, and to dissolve their reputation of being a deceitful and untrustworthy clan.
But there were many who didn't agree, and she was realizing it had been a sentiment growing more strongly than she had thought. She stepped to the side and pressed up close to her son. Shadowpaw was breathing fast, and she could feel the fear surging through him...just as it was through her. "Shadowpaw..." She was muttering under her breath, trying not to be heard by anyone else. "You...you may need to run, far...I...Don't question me. If this..." She cast a quick side glance to look at her son, who was the reason she opened her eyes in the morning. Her ice blue eyes gazed down at him. "I love you, Shadowpaw..." She quietly pressed her pelt against his. "I love you so much." She gulped, turning back to Nightclaw to look at him, who's smile had taken on an element of sick, utter enjoyment. He began taking slow pawsteps closer to Dawnstar.
Shadowpaw's gaze fixed upon the eyes of his mother, utterly frozen in fear and confusion, equally filled with fear in this situation and a confused, strange sort of relief as his mother assured him of her love for him. This was going to be fine, right? They were going to be fine. This is going to be okay...
"Your time is over." Nightclaw drew closer and left no uncertainty as to what was happening here. Only a couple pawsteps away, he suddenly pushed himself forwards, charging Dawnstar and pulling his claws out as he prepared to strike at the neck of his mate. Dawnstar was more than ready, and she pressed her legs strong into the ground, leaping up into the air and swiftly, yet barely, avoiding the claws which were mere inches from her neck as she evaded Nightclaw. She knew immediately that this was a coup, that he was trying to take over and, from the ambivalence of the surrounding cats, enough of them agreed with Nightclaw, or were too scared to fight back against the relative consensus, to help her. She knew this wasn't looking favorable to her.
Shadowpaw couldn't have described the terror that was spilling through him as his own father suddenly attacked his mother, swiping directly for his mother. though his everything felt frozen in place, his legs forced him backwards a few pawsteps, while his mother took to reciprocating the attack, trying to tackle the tom-cat as she awkwardly landed on top of him after he dived towards her. The two of them ended up in a ball, rolling a short distance together before Shadowpaw, hearing the words of his mother echoing in his head, turned tail and dashed for the entrance they had just entered through.
There was nothing he could do to stop himself looking back and skidding to a halt as he reached the exit of the camp. A couple warriors were rising and beginning to approach him, scowls on their face as they seemed intent to keep him from leaving. But that didn't even enter his mind as his eyes took in his parents.
She was fighting hard, but despite her quick reflex, this whole situation had taken Dawnstar by surprise. She had felt traced of dissent being bred in the clan, but she had not been ready for the severity of it. The ambivalence in her clanmates. Despite struggling and scrabbling against her mate, she found herself beneath his paws before she could take a breath, and as she finally sucked in a breath and prepared to plead with him, to beg him not to go through with this, to ask him why he was doing this...his fangs were closed around her neck.
"NOOOOOO!" Shadowpaw screamed from the entrance to the camp as his father's maw closed around the neck of his mother. It was impossible to process what he saw when he turned back from running, just to see his mother lying upon the floor with teeth in her neck. Moments ago, just seconds ago he was padding alongside her, as she promised him that they would step up his hunting training, despite the fact that she had other things that had been taking her time. Now, Nightclaw was lifting his maw, dripping with blood and a wide smile on his face.
And while he was lifting his maw, Dawnstar was realizing that she was going to die. He was swifter than she had expected given Nightclaw’s massive size. She underestimated him. She wasn't ready. Oh Starclan. I'm going to bleed out in moments, every life, all seven, and... Horror filled her as she thought of her kit left beside her. Her head lolled back as she felt blood pouring from her neck, and with the slightest bit of relief, she saw him at the entrance to the camp. He obeyed her, as always. The slightest spark of hope lighted within her heart. Run. Get away. There's nothing here for your bright heart.
Her blue eyes lay on him as Shadowpaw stared in terror, in an all-consuming and paralyzing horror at his mother upon the floor of the camp, bleeding out the refuge of life that lay within her. He wanted to cry out, to beg his father to stop, and to beg his mother not to die, not to leave him, but it was all futile. And as Shadowclan cats began growing closer to him, he realized, very quickly, that whatever was going to be left after this, he was going to be subject to it.
"No!" He cried out once more, though her eyes were already greying and her body was growing limp. It meant nothing. Tears beginning to pour out of his eyes, he spun about, charging out of the camp with total haste.
---
They were after him for several minutes at the least, as he charged across the territory, tears pouring from him, leaving an invisible trail in the ground as he pelted at full speed across the territory. He knew he didn't have a single moment to waste as he felt the warriors behind him; yet after almost two minutes, he felt an absence of their presence, thinking he couldn't hear their pawsteps anymore.
Still, he didn't want to be deceived. He continued pelting through what he assumed was the Shadowclan territory. It wasn't long until he came upon a twolegpath, impossible to mistake, and he finally risked a glance behind his back which lowered his speed.
They had broken off of him at some point, leaving him to run. Beginning to suck in heavy breaths, exhausted from both the sprint and everything that had just happened within a short number of seconds, the apprentice felt his legs growing extraordinarily heavy. He made it across the path, a paranoid measure to make more distance between himself and whoever was following, before he slumped down in between a few trees, and the tears pouring from his eyes began turning into uncontrollable, painful, breath-breaking sobs. His mom was dying. She...she had to be dead.
None of this could be reality.