- Jun 7, 2022
- 42
- 15
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// TW: implied mention of death and mentions of grief-related depression
Ever since his dad, Marigold, and Jasmine had left them, ever since the Great Battle, Basil's mom had been distant. Physically, she was there but whenever the black and gray tom tried to speak to her it was like trying to have a conversation with a wall. He would tell her about his training, about his day, about anything at all and it was like she hadn't even heard him. 'that's nice dear' she would say quietly, even when he had told her he had almost gotten hit by a monster. But still, he did not give up on her. He brought her prey every single day, to the nursery where she had stayed even though all her kits had since outgrown it. Sometimes he could coax her to eat and sometimes she would even take a few bites before pushing the rest away, leaving it to him to finish the scraps.
Today something had changed though, today when he headed to the nursery to bring her her morning meal she was already outside, enjoying the early leaf-fall breeze that tugged at her fur, illuminated by the gentle morning sun. She looked alive for the first time in moons. She smiles at him and its contagious. He smiles back, happy that she is up, happy that she is going back to how she was finally, after so many moons of watching her stare blankly at the walls of the nursery with eyes glazed over. He had always done his best to keep her clean, to groom her fur for her, but he could not coax the life back into it no matter how clean it looked. Now though it had returned. "Basilpaw my love would you like to go hunting with me? We should have something fresh to eat today" she says, the most words she has spoken to him in a long time and he immediately perks up. "I would love to ma" he says and they turn and leave. Together.
It's a beautiful day out. Closer to the thunder clan border, the scent of pine mingles with the surprisingly pleasant smell of the decaying leaves that sometimes even find their way over to Sky Clan's side of the territory. He speaks to his mother, telling her stories of his adventures as an apprentice and she actually listens. She asks questions about the Thunder Clan deputy who saved him from the thunder path, about the patrol to two-leg place, and his journey there. She is engaging with him and actually taking an interest. It makes his heart soar, makes him feel light. She even tells him she's proud of him.
They finally stop talking long enough for Basilpaw to scent a mouse that he finds scuffling around in the underbrush, foraging for the seeds and trying to fatten itself up for the leaf-bare ahead of them. He drops into a hunter's crouch, just like Harpyfall had taught him. He is about to pounce, about to make the catch when he hears a scream from behind him.
His heart stops cold.
When he turns, green and brown eyes wide with alarm he sees an owl, its claws dug into his mother's back, her mouth open mid-call for help and for a second he freezes. Scared, uncertain of what to do. He had never seen a bird so big before. It all happens as if in slow motion. The creature is lifting off the ground and Basilpaw is leaping toward it but he is too slow. With a beat of its massive wings it takes off with Gardenia clutched in its talons. Basilpaw lets out a distressed cry and immediately chases after it when seeing that he would not be able to stop it from leaving with his mother in it's clutches.
He follows the sound of her distressed wails, stepping on sharp rocks, crashing through the undergrowth. He has torn his paw pads open and is covered in scratches but he does not give up. Not until the cries die out and the owl is out of view.
She's gone.
The marbled tom stares up at the sky, tears starting to form in his eyes. This can not be happening he thinks to himself. How could this be fair? Just this morning he had gotten her back only to lose her again in some sick twist of fate, leaving him an orphan. "No!" he screams, angrier than anything. "No no no no! Bring her back! You can't take her! You can't have her!" his words are useless though, no amount of pleading to the heavens would return what he had lost. She would not be coming back this time.
// permission given by Petra to play out Gardenia's death!
TLDR; Basilpaws mother is taken by an owl while they are out hunting.
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