sensitive topics HOT SHELLS 𓆩⟡𓆪 accident

[crowpaw]

crowpaw had reached her breaking point. the dead weight of windclan, otherwise known as brookshade, had really pissed off her apprentice now. lie after lie spewed from her ugly teeth and she had done nothing. each empty promise had built up a false hope in the sleek girl, only to be shattered time and time again. she had just taken it. sat there like an obedient fool and pretended it didn't affect her. although her mentor never seemed to, crowpaw had grown very tired of sitting.

every time she had pissed her off, the words of her father clawed at her mind. "deal with it yourself, i'm busy," and "what kind of warrior do you think you'll be if you can't handle this one cat?" taunted her constantly. her mind was not her own with his words constantly playing in it. the two were alike in more than one way. they both tossed her aside, gave her nothing that she needed, and shared the misconception that crowpaw was someone who could be pushed around without repercussion. hemlockfang had paid his price, it was time brookshade did as well.

she had spent all morning in the nursery reinforcing it's walls, rage building slowly inside of her. her claws were not built to change nests. they had a much greater purpose, she had a much greater purpose. one look at the apprentice and anyone could see that. well built muscles rippled under her sleek pelt, begging to be put to use. the teeth that she used to carry moss were both long and intensely sharp. rather than using them for her gain, it seemed their only purpose was to bite her tongue, keep her mouth in check. and she did just that. kits stomped on her tail as she worked, and crowpaw said nothing. after all, today was a special day. brookshade was taking her to the shared border with riverclan. a simple border check. it would be quick and easy.

finishing her work in the nursery, crowpaw found brookshade speaking with a few older warriors. a grin was on her face as she approached with a feathery tail held high. she said nothing, yet listened to her mentor bid her goodbyes to her friends. listened as she told them they would return shortly. how bittersweet this was. they were so calm, so clueless. a mentor taking their apprentice out for a routine check raised no flags. it was normal.

the duo made it all the way out to the gorge with minimal issues besides some misplaced steps due to the icy sheen on the ground. it was a silent walk and while brookshade scented the air for intruders, crowpaw was vigilantly looking for signs that others were near. her head was on a constant swivel, and it seemed luck was on her side. no signs of anyone else for as far as she could see. they reached a spot close to the gorge, brookshade babbling about how the water below looked so pretty this time of year. crow wasn't listening, only giving silent nods. the tortie mentor invited her to come sit next to her, enjoy the view. she was almost making it too easy.

"brookshade, do you think i'll make a good warrior?" crowpaw asked nonchalantly, her tail drawing around white paws. she turned her head to look at the older cat, awaiting a response. it was quite a long pause before she got one. "ah yes, you listen so well. a perfect addition to the rank," she finally answered, a lazy smile on her features. crow couldn't return it. that was all she could give her credit for? her ability to listen, to take orders? she wasn't a puppet, something to be moved on another's whim. "what good is a warrior who follows commands without the knowledge to execute them?" she said with clean cut and precise words, her raspy voice emotionless and cold. crowpaw looked out over the gorge and turned her head back once again, this time her eyes as icy as the water that once ran beneath them. brookshade noticed no change in her expression, simply looking at her apprentice quizzically. how could one be so dense, so unaware of another's motive.

[cw: death]

in an instant, crow was standing on her hind legs. the tall apprentice was quick as lighting as she reached her paws around the old lady's neck and used the downward force of her motion to slam her head onto the rock beneath. if brookshade were any bigger, it would have been brutally unsuccessful. however, crow was large for her age and nearly stood as tall as her small mentor. maybe if she weren't so frail and out of shape the teacher would be able to deliver a counter, but unfortunately her age and size were working hard against her. instead, the woman gasped for air beneath crowpaw's looming figure. a mixture of shock and betrayal was on brookshade's face as crow brought her head low enough to reach her ear. "i'm sorry it has to end this way for you, truly, but you're in the way. i can't have that." crowpaw seethed, teeth snapping with her words. the next thing the tortie knew, she was pushed to hair lengths away from the icy edge they were on, eyes pleading but unable to move. the contact her head made with the stone had made her float in and out of consciousness. crow took a few steps away, double checking that they were in fact alone, before raising up on her hind legs again to deliver a final push, sending brookshade sliding into the gorge.

she didn't wait for her body to hit the far away ground. now, she had to be quick and smart. sure it was no secret she held a certain disdain for the warrior, but what type of apprentice would kill their own mentor? crowpaw could play it just right and be free of the old tortie for good. white paws carried her fast across the moor. she sprinted into camp, gasping for air with tears welling up in her eyes. she beelined right for the group her late mentor was chatting with and put on a pleading expression. "p-please, you have to help her! it's brookshade, sh-she slipped and..." crowpaw trailed off to catch enough breath to continue. her cry was a perfect imitation of urgency and worry. she didn't give them time to answer. she was frantic and distraught, after all. the tears that had gathered began falling quickly, "hurry, please!" ​

[ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ]​

 

[snowspark.]

The elderly tortoiseshell failed to be significant in his mind, yet she still existed under a familiar name. Brookshade, the raggedy old hag, still plodded around and snatched from the prey stash despite her withering age, even gaining herself an apprentice somehow. Though he supposed if his sister of all people could get an apprentice, then why not the ancient she-cat halfway to death's brink too? Ridiculous. He never had a mentor, fortunately, considering his cusp-of-adulthood age when the clans were founded; every time he spotted a bored apprentice forced into nest repair or some other idle chore, he was reminded of his luck. Snowspark snorted to himself as the tortoiseshell bid farewell to her equally wrinkled friends, preoccupied with stretching out a sore leg from his tumble down the hill days prior. Just a quick border check with her miserable apprentice, surely nothing would go wrong. By the time they were back, he'd likely already be out hunting for the day.

And yet things went incredibly wrong.

Pale eyes widened at Crowpaw's desperate plea, her rushed explanation of what happened. Slipped ― the RiverClan border wasn't one marked only by scent, but by the deep gash in the earth cut away by the rapid flow of water. Snowspark had seen it numerous times. Once when he was younger and new to the moorlands, he asked his half-sister if cats could climb down the steep slope. Oliveshade grumbled back the fatality of the gorge, effectively scaring him away from its crumbling edge despite the fat fish and flickering scales he often glimpsed beneath the innocuous waters. The old windbag, as annoying as she was, wouldn't stand a chance if she really had fallen. He didn't like her, but he didn't hate her enough to wish certain death upon her.

On his paws in a flash, Snowspark abandoned his thoughts of yet another hunting trip and darted through the camp's tunnel, not checking if anyone followed. He was fast on his own, slender legs powering through the snow and ice with grim determination. At the very least, he assumed Crowpaw would follow along to help, it was her mentor after all.

A stitch in his side appeared by the time he skidded to stop a safe distance away from the cliff, muscles protesting from the overexertion it took to race to the gorge. Snowspark craned his neck, unfocused vision scanning the icy waves below for any sign of life, such as a paw jutting out from the current or a scrap of fur clinging to a crag. But he knew as well as any other cat with half a brain that it was futile. Reddish whip of a tail lashing behind the young warrior, he paced anxiously along the gorge's edge, even bolting further downstream when he mistakenly glimpsed something. It was just driftwood, and his gangly form started to falter in defeat. Too little, too late. Panting hard enough to make his flanks visibly deflate on each foggy breath, Snowspark rounded on the apprentice, too out of stamina for any upset. "What happened?" he managed out, voice still somehow sharp with his usual temper despite his breathlessness. "It was just-... just a border check."​

 

[coalfoot]

———————————————【 coalfoot | windclan | male 】——————————————

【◈】Coalfoot didn't have a particularly strong opinion on Brookshade. She was certainly getting up there in moons, but he supposed he couldn't blame her for wanting to cling to the glory days of a warrior's life rather than retiring to the elder's den. Even still, did it really excuse her for slacking on her duties? If she wanted to remain a warrior, she would have to keep up with it... but those thoughts would remain locked away. The tom would continue to give her the benefit of the doubt.

The marbled tom had bid her a farewell as she set off with Crowpaw, soon turning back to Sparksnow and the others in favor of their ongoing discussion. It felt as though hardly any time had passed before the apprentice returned alone, weeping and frantic and sending a bolt of fear through his chest. The pale tom was moving before he was, although Coalfoot soon wasn't far behind, paws pounding against the frozen moor.

Cold air stung his lungs with each breathless pull by the time they reached the roaring gorge, tentatively looking over the edge as if he, too, could spot her. The mere thought made him feel as though his throat were closing. Brookshade was nowhere to be seen. Detaching himself from the others, he paced downriver, searching for any sign, but to no avail. With his expression bordering horror, dismay, and defeat, Coalfoot looked back at Crowpaw and Snowspark. "I don't see her."

Resuming staring over the edge, his mouth was dry when he continued, voice quiet. "Do... do you think she'll turn up in RiverClan?" If the water carried her downriver, then...

[penned by its_oliverr].

​

 

[crowpaw]

her time in camp was fleeting. just a few words from her and two warriors were sent flying through camp. crowpaw didn't want to go back there. everyone knew there was nothing to be done. but they still ran as if making it there faster would change the fate of brookshade. although on hesitant paws, crow followed. her pace was not slowed by the fact that she had ran all the way back here moments ago. the adrenaline running rampant through her veins fixed that problem.

once they reached their destination, she made note to hold back. she didn't want the same destiny as her poor old mentor. peering over the edge would just be too much for her to handle. her breaths came fast and quick. the frosty wind beating at her face seemed to dry her tears, but when snowspark whipped around to question her they came right back and in full force.

what happened to her he asked. vile words bit at her tongue. she wanted to say the old molly was not only holding her back, but failing her clan. say that she did everyone a favor and couldn't believe that nobody else found this unacceptable enough to rid windclan of her stench. but what good would honesty bring her in this situation? maybe some would agree with her, but the ones that didn't would be sure to make their voices loud. she would be ostracized, cast out. crowpaw wasn't having that when it was so easy to bend reality to her will. they would know what she wanted them to know. it wasn't like they could consult brookshade.

"she was looking out over the ledge, said the waterfalls were so pretty during leaf-bare..." crowpaw said, although her words were muffled by a mix of her catching her breath and the oh so overwhelming emotions she was feeling. "i told her to be careful! it had just snowed, the r-rocks. they were slippery," the girl continued. her tall form hunched to make her look smaller as she recounted the 'events'. "s-she lost her footing and fell. i don't know what to do! it's all my fault, i, i should have known and kept her away from the edge!" the apprentice cried, slouching into a sit and hanging her head low. it could be believed she admitted it was her fault to rid herself of any guilt, but there wasn't any to be found in the girl in the first place. she had won. despite her current disheveled appearance and tears, she felt triumphant. a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

coalfoot spoke up, saying he didn't see her. she lifted her head slowly, matching his green gaze with glossy eyes. no words came from her, but she managed a gasp for air. if there was no body to be found, that only made her choice of bringing death to brookshade that much better. she doubted anyone would go looking for her anyways. the tortie didn't deserve a spot in windclan's graveyard. he then suggested that she may turn up in riverclan. those words made her world stop spinning. she hadn't taken that into account at all. inwardly she cursed her clumsiness, but was able to overcome it. the body would be trapped in water for an unknown amount of time before being found. hopefully the river did her a favor and cleansed the scent of her mentor to be untraceable. "i hope someone finds her, she deserves a proper burial at least," a lie. she didn't even deserve the air she breathed. ​

[ 𓆩⟡𓆪 ]​

 

[hyacinthbreath]

♚ Another loss, another disappearance. Hyacinthbreath quickly makes her way over to the patrol of cats when she heard of the molly falling over the edge of the gorge. Hyacinth mourns the loss, aching from the danger. "I'll ask Sootstar if I can take a patrol to find the body." She meows softly, paws carrying her to the gorge to look over it. Most cats would be terrified of meeting the same fate, but it was boldness or stupidity that makes her careless.

"Come here, Crowpaw. It's okay, it's okay.." She attempts to soothe the crying apprentice, mercy biting at her bones. She strides over to the darkened molly, a paw reaching out to smoothe a messy fray of fur from her face. A mother's touch, though bitter in the end. Having someone die by the gorge.. It's tragic.

"Snowspark, Coalfoot. Up for a small expedition?" She asks softly towards the two toms, biting the inside of her cheek.​