after dark | fire

[strawmoon]

They're out and about in the territory, they love the night, the breeze, the way the snow glints in the moonlight. Truly Straw does not know if they're allowed to be out (not that they'd care, actually), especially this far out, but they've stumbled upon a group of twolegs. They don't know why (well they do, Straw isn't too far from the barn) they're out here but they're... crouching over something and they want to get a better look. They stalk closer, squinting before theres an ignition, a spark as they all go running and theres a streak of fire that shoots towards the heavens. In awe they watch until they're met with the loudest noise they think they've ever heard and the fire explodes in to vibrant colors, blinding them. More begin to roar, distant, heart stops as they turn. The end of the world as they know it is approaching, they're sure of it.

They run all the way back to camp in tears.

Firepaw is still up and they dash, aiming to cower under her as they shake. Loud booms continue to explode in to the sky and they do their best to place their paws over their ears. "The Heavens are mad at us..." they're convinced, they truly are, its so loud, loud. The cataclysm of the world, they will join the star cats here soon... "We will die soon..." they're slightly calmer knowing that they'll die besides Firepaw, a fellow apprentice, rather than by themselves. Theres something comforting in that thought.

// @Firepaw ​

"speech"​

 

[Firefang]

It's hard for her to sleep it always has been even before the pains of hunger have left her uncomfortable and the chill of leafbare makes staying warm an impossible task. She puts off laying down for as long as she can get away with, sitting up in the snowdrift neck craned up to the expanse of stars seeking comfort in them as she's done since she was a runty kitten outside the stoop of the nursery. Eyes wide with wonder and hope back then now grown dark with apprehension to hope whatsoever. She doesn't know anymore if Starclan has some grand plan for her like Ravencry does, she doesn't know much of anything other then that she can't rely on them to make her strong she has to strive for it work herself to the bone to obtain the power to be worthy of the blood in her veins and the fire in her eyes - worthy enough to be her mothers daughter and a true member of Windclan Tunneler or not! She wouldn't give up, wouldn't get lazy like Snailpaw no matter how badly she wanted to just laze around some days instead of shivering in the cold stalking scents that led to nothing but dead ends or prey that was too quick footed for her to keep up with. She considers going out now to brave the coldest winds and flurries the night of this dreaded season had to through at her, it'd be better then just waiting to pass out from exhaustion but before she can there's a explosion of sound in the distance, it's muffled by how far it is but it's enough to make every fur on her body rise with discomfort - it couldn't be a dog bark; but what if it was she couldn't let it get close to camp but she saw what happened to Duskfire she...

It's not that there was no way, no dog barked like that and more of the strange booming- it's loud like thunder and vaguely she can make out an odd glow in the sky above the direction of horseplace, her eyes narrow and she stands upas if to get a better view her fur still puffed up. She deliberates over waking her mentor or well any of the warriors but surely they must've heard and before she can make a run for it to one of the burrows many of them slept in the careening form of a familiar worm-whisperer comes bounding her way and she backs up almost certain she's about to be run into. Only for them to go hide beneath and a insult along with a demand as to why is on her tongue about to be hissed but she feels them shake against her paws and the words die in her throat as quickly as they almost spat out of her like venom. Her ears fold back at their words and it makes her wonder if they're right was this one of those omens like that rabbit was? Nah no way that was crazy talk, Strawpaw's specialty no way right?

❝Dun' be a mousebrain❞ she starts and though she feels uncomfortable with the other apprentice hiding beneath her like they were some overgrown kit she doesn't move or shoo them away. ❝It's just... thunder don't get your tail in a knot❞ that was the logical rational wasn't it, just a strange storm maybe they were common in leafbare how would she know it was her first after all. But even she isn't too convinced. She huffs ❝It'll be over soon probably we aren't dyin' I got way to much livin' to do before that❞ as if she got a choice when her time came but mortality was still so foreign to her, she knew cats died had seen Hycanithpaw succumb to his ailment but the idea of her or even Strawaw joining starclan on this night seemed too farfetched.

​

( PLACE ME IN MY CASKET TONIGHT ; BECAUSE IM ALREADY DYING INSIDE )