FALLEN ANGEL |☀| returning to camp injured

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
//note, this is pre-blizzard + obligatory @BERRYHEART tag

Each limping step felt like fire, second only to the fire of regret, shame, and misery burning from within. Fueled with adrenaline, he had fled from that WindClan apprentice as quickly as he could after that searing blow. Unable to manage much more than a crawling page once the real pain set in, blood seeping down his leg and staining the snow, he had no choice but to think.

The main thought, most primarily, was Fuck, it hurts. The second was that... the WindClanner had let him go. Just how many chances had he had to kill him? Stars, it hurt so bad. Lightpaw had never quite recovered his breath after the fight, each quivering, labored breath stinging the back of his throat. It was taking all his concentration to keep moving. His paws were numb, but it did little to take the edge off of the wound that continued to bleed angrily on his shoulder.

Nightbird was right about everything.

It felt like forever before he finally saw the walls of camp. It felt like no time at all had passed by the time he saw the walls of camp. As much as he wanted to hide away and wallow in his own brutal defeat, he wasn't stupid. He needed to go see the medicine cat, and the chances of getting to his den before at least one cat noticed him were slim.

On shaky legs, the apprentice nudged his way into camp, head low and misty eyes downcast in his attempt to avoid the stare of anyone, heading straight for Berryheart's den.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​

 

[Moonwhisper]

Moonpaw finds that most days in her idleness she is looking forward, expecting her view to be blocked by the sibling she once followed so lovingly behind and finding her pale gaze is left to observe the world unshielded instead. As a result she is often wide-eyed in her peering around, observant without really taking it all in; in a haze she feels her awareness is only surface level and that there is so much more she is missing due to her lack of focus. The tortie point gives a quiet sigh as she drops her eyes down to peer at her paws, tucked forward against her chest neatly where they could feel her heart fluttering from the faint touch; the cold has worried her more and more and she wishes once again for the time when flowers bloomed and the sun was not shrouded in heavy clouds and gray fog. The apprentice waits perched by Berryheart's den, she wants to visit Howling Wind but has struggled with her approach and was trying to decide how to present herself to her wounded grandmother. Should she be calm but polite, so the dark tabby would not fret for them in her poor state? Should she approach with enthusiasm and cheer? Was some degree of seriousness needed in her greeting and subsequent chat?
Words were hard, knowing how to approach others was even harder-she wished she had someone to fall back on but with only her and Burnpaw here it was hard to find a reason to follow her brother around. They weren't kits anymore and Burnpaw was often so angry-her empathy prickled still at the memory of the outburst when Fireflypaw and Howlpaw left.

She smelled the blood before she saw Lightpaw, head jerking up roughly in alarm and when the golden tom appeared she was alarmingly still for what felt like countless hours stretched out but was only a few seconds; the red snow, Lightpaw's distressed expression. Moonpaw hesitates for longer than she should have and she knows it, but when she snaps back into focus the other apprentice is already staggering towards them in such a state and the faintest scent of the moorland rises up from his pelt alongside the copper-tinged burn of blood.
"B-Berryheart!" She stands, turns to push herself into the den to call for her uncle with some regret, he doesn't like blood but they had to do something, "Lightpaw is hurt, please!"

​

 

[MOUSENOSE]

Mousepaw and Moonpaw had nursed alongside one another, sometimes from the same flank if one of their parents had business to tend to, and yet the only thing the small blue tortoiseshell feels towards the lovely blue-eyed point is jealousy. Even in her grief, Moonpaw is stoic, drifting through camp as though her head is caught in stormclouds that won't relinquish their silvery hold on her spirit.

And even calling for Berryheart, even upon seeing the blood seeping from Lightpaw's body, Moonpaw manages a level of composure that Mousepaw can't help but find irritating.

She sprints close to Lightpaw, dangerously close, until their noses are practically touching. She tears her burning, acid-bite green eyes over his injuries, her tortie tail puffed out like a mottled banner behind her.

"What happened to you?" She wails, resisting the urge to throw herself at the golden tomcat. "Oh, you didn't get caught by Twolegs too, did you! Sunfreckle was gonna get rid of all those traps but I didn't help because I was busy training and now you're hurt!" She tilts her head back, tears squeezing from her eyes. "Oh, I'll never forgive myself if you're hurt real bad because I didn't go fix those nasty traps!"

Is she laying it on thick? Maybe. All the while, she's conscious of Moonpaw looming somewhere behind them.
​

 

[nightbird]

the warrior trekked through the forest. it was eerily quiet, a silence that seemed unbreakable. light huffs of air exited through her nose as nightbird made her way back to camp. a solo hunting patrol that was peaceful, but nothing more. her jaw was held tight for more than one reason. not only was she unsuccessful, lightpaw seemed to have upped and disappeared that day. who knew where he was or what he was doing. it had her worried that maybe her words to the young cat had been too harsh. she had to keep reminding herself that a soft tongue wouldn't do him any favors.

as she neared the camp entrance, she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. the molly couldn't understand why, but suddenly the serene silence turned suffocating. nightbird quickened her movement, eyes trained on the tunnel to thunderclan's heart. they faltered for a second, dipping down to the ground. the sight stopped her in her tracks.

a gruesome sight caused dark tipped ears to snap backwards, pinning themselves against her skull. marring the pristine whiteness of the snow was crimson, leaking right into camp. for a moment she wondered if they were under siege, but no yowls of battle breached the thorny wall. it took a few seconds to tear her gaze away.

nightbird came barreling into camp. still on edge from the mysterious bloodshed, it didn't take too long to find it's source. moonpaw was racing into berryheart's den, beckoning his assistance. silver eyes landed on mousepaw next, the tortie's rambling quickly reached her ears, but the two quickly became unimportant. scanning across to the cat opposite mousepaw, she landed on a specific golden furred apprentice. the same red that was dabbled on the snow stood out starkly against his pale fur. nightbird stood there for just a moment, trying to gather her mind before approaching, but no thoughts came. it was as quiet as the forest she moved through moments ago.

she didn't know what to think. her face was blank, wiped clean of emotion. the metallic scent of blood was mingled with windclan's. no doubt there had been a fight. an angry fire threatened to tear through her throat at his blatant disregard for her clear expectations, but no words came. nightbird would be a fool to believe no retaliation would follow their conversation. still, she did not expect it to come in the form of a bloodied child wading through camp.

the ebony feline could not just stand and stare any longer. her paws felt heavy as she stalked over, tail lashing in her wake. nightbird couldn't bring herself to raise her voice at the tom. he had defied her every word and paid for it in blood. that was punishment enough. "move," she broke her silence with a calm, yet strong command to mousepaw, who stood almost nose to nose with her apprentice. blocking lightpaw's path to the medicine den. a huff from the warrior blew a plume of fog into the air. "unless you wanna bleed out right here, you're gonna have to move a bit faster," her words were quiet as she moved to his side, offering a shoulder to support his shaky steps.​

[ ☾✩ ]​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Oh, how once he had wished that some would call his name to ask for knowledge. Reality was truly cruel... though he still knew his dream was attainable, the state of limbo he was trapped in was undeniably a painful one. It did not show upon his face, or much within his speech, private tom that he was- but, when his name sang upon the air he knew it was only ever a dirge. A plummeting feeling, and the tang of blood upon the air... the sight of a scarlet stained face, today. A mild grimace grossed his expression, one he bothered not to hide. Still, after these moons... blood refused to ease him. With responsibilities to halt it now, he doubted the queasiness would ever cease.

It was not his duty to brave nausea, to resist the fainting fall. So dizzy paws took rushed limps forward, nodding his gratitude to Whispers as he passed her on his path toward Sandy. On the opposite side to Inky did he stand, offering her a quick nod of grateful acknowledgement before beginning to speak. What he offered was not extensive, and perhaps obvious- but he could not treat him out here. "Quick," he urged, tone as level as ever despite the wooziness that threatened to overtake him. The quicker they got to the den, the quicker he could be saved. The quicker the blood would be out of his sight. ​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
It wasn't long before a shrill cry called out for Berryheart, Lightpaw nearly jerking his head up to locate the source. No. It wasn't Morningpaw, no matter how much she looked like her, no matter how much she sounded like her.

The tom swallowed back the tightness in his throat as he thought about the taunts of that WindClan apprentice, but there was no more anger to spark a flame. He felt hollow, defeated in more ways than one. Mousepaw was in his face shortly after, and he recoiled back. Twolegs? Traps? "No," he began hoarsely, voice strained, but a familiar voice paired with a familiar scent made him stiffen, ears tilting back a few degrees uncertainly.

Lightpaw was trembling when Nightbird offered her support to him, although whether it was from his pain or attempts at stifling sobs and hiccups was uncertain. The more attention became drawn to himself the more he wanted to cry, but Stars, he was trying not to. She was urging him to move faster despite his own thoughts considering sitting down and not budging, but he was already this close, right?

"Please don't." It was quiet, defeated, nearly a plead. He wasn't quite sure what it meant himself. Even still, he made no attempt to pull away, even leaning into her while they walked. Berryheart was on his other side next, summoned by Moonpaw.

Before long, they were in the shelter of his den, himself sat in a nest, away from prying eyes, and trying to subtly wipe at his face with a snow-damp paw. For once he was at a loss for words, sitting in silence broken only by unsteady breaths with his gaze carefully fixed on the medicine cat rather than the mentor at his side.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​