private The Sun Keeps Rising | Gravelpaw

[TIGERFROST]

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Another day of rest. Tigerfrost sits outside the medicine cat's den as the light of dawn grows brighter, the sun clawing it's way into the sky. It's a brilliant sunrise, he thinks. Ribbons of pink and gold, with cotton-like clouds that drift lazily across the horizon. The morning patrols had already been sent out, and the chimera had almost considered trying to sneak his way onto one. If not for the ache of his wounds, he'd certainly be out of camp right now. For now, though, he relaxes, enjoys the peace of the scenery. It wouldn't be too long, he thinks. Soon enough, he'd be back to his duties as a WindClan warrior, hunting and patrolling, and training his apprentice. He just hopes RiverClan won't be stupid enough to launch some foolish counter-attack out of revenge, in the meantime. Not unless they wanted even more of their cats to die. WindClan had certainly proven it's ferocity.

@GRAVELPAW ​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

It seems that they aren’t the only WindClanner who’s been confined to the camp, at least for today. They wish they could have gone out on the morning’s patrols, but their paw sends a sting all the way up their leg when they put pressure on the limb. He feels lost, in a way, restless without any task to perform in the aid of WindClan. He limps over to where Tigerfrost sits near Vulturemask’s den, looking out across the morning horizon. "Tigerfrost," they speak up, voice flat. The patched warrior is one who they respect, even look up to, and they settle stiffly beside him.

"How are you feeling?" Their head tilts, wide hazel eyes focused on the side of the warrior’s face. He’s so… big, compared to them. Not just tall, but broad. He seems larger than life, and seeing such a powerful cat so injured makes dread settle heavy in their stomach. They know that they got off easy, but to think that it could have gone even worse for them… it’s unsettling.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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An ear flicks with acknowledgement as Gravelpaw approaches. Tigerfrost turns his flaming eyes upon the apprentice, peering over their figure curiously. Wounded, but not quite so badly as some others in WindClan. Still, that limp looked quite painful, which would explain why Gravelpaw had not been assigned to any patrols, much like Tigerfrost himself.

"Good morning, Gravelpaw." The dusty hued tabby greets with polite, rumbling vocals. "I'm feeling quite sore, truthfully. But I am healing well. How about you?" The Lead Warrior inquires curiously.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

The lead warrior’s rumbling acknowledgement sparks something in Gravelpaw’s chest, and they sit up a bit straighter beside him. "I’m glad you’re not dead," they admit, blinking slowly up at the warrior. They fall silent, letting their words hang in the morning air. It’s the truth: Tigerfrost is like their uncle was, but better. Tigerfrost has never scolded them without reason—they don’t count the thorns-in-Firefang’s-nest incident.

After a few moments, they speak up again. "My paw and my face hurts. And I’m mad. She killed Juniperfrost, and we didn’t even get her back." Their voice is a sharp thing, pointed not at Tigerfrost but at themself. If they’d been faster, stronger, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten beaten up by a RiverClanner.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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I'm glad you're not dead.

He snorts, an amused sort of noise, eyes glistening. Funny little apprentice, wasn't he? But Tigerfrost is too stubborn to die, everyone knows this. Juniperfrost had been strong, but the Lead Warrior knows he is stronger. His victory over Cindershade had proven his arrogance, his pride. Who in the forest could stand a chance against him?

Well... perhaps if RiverClan launched a counter-attack before he had finished healing, they might stand a chance. Tigerfrost doubts it, though. RiverClan would be fools to launch a raid against WindClan, when their own warriors were dead or dying. Far worse off than Sootstar and her clan-mates, to be certain.

"Well, I'm glad you're not dead either." Tigerfrost finally responds. Gravelpaw was mad, and the apprentice had every right. It was that fury which had driven Tigerfrost to success. But indeed, Hyacinthbreath still lived, still breathed. Such a unworthy, traitorous fool.

"She won't get away with it. We'll get her, one day. Or perhaps someone else will. RiverClan lost one of their own because of her." Tigerfrost points out, referring to Clearsight.

"Cicadastar and most of his foolish clan-mates don't seem to care about the murderer in their midst. All they care about is taking every opportunity they can to kill WindClan cats. Just like Cicadastar said at the gathering. Crazed fool." What a fox-hearted tom. Raving mad like a loon. "Well. I'm sure Clearsight had family. Who knows, maybe one of them will see some sense, and kill Hyacinthbreath for us." A foolish hope, perhaps. Stupid... RiverClan had proven their cruelty time and time again, hadn't they?

"Ah, but it's RiverClan we're talking about. Still, rest assured, Hyacinthbreath will get what's coming for her, one day. Cats like her make far too many enemies." And eventually, one of those enemies would snap. Tigerfrost just hopes he's there to see it.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

They wrinkle their clawed-up nose as the warrior also concedes that he, too, is glad that Gravelpaw didn’t perish in their battle. They can’t quite tell whether his words are genuine, or if the dark tabby is simply echoing the sentiment out of politeness. Still, it means something that the lead warrior has some sort of concern for them.

Tigerfrost goes on to assure them—Hyacinthbreath will not get away with her crimes, her cruelty. They aren’t sure that a RiverClanner deserved to die for her actions, but they can’t find it in themself to feel bad for a RiverClanner. Clearsight; they scoff. His sight must not have been too clear, if he’d given his life to protect that worthless worm of a traitor. And they hadn’t been at the gathering to see it, but they’d heard rumors of the RiverClan leader’s ranting and raving, shouting and bristling.

They flick their good ear, irritation lacing their words. "Their leader sounds like a lunatic." Cicadastar. All high and mighty up on that rock, talking down on the other clans and lashing out at everyone who upsets him. He shouldn’t be in power. Why would the stars choose such a loosely held-together cat? Is he even fit to lead a clan, or is his mind just as cracked as the wintertime ice? "How could they decide to keep her there, when she’s such a danger? I don’t understand it."

The older tom’s words are a small comfort, even if there is nothing that they can do about Hyacinth now. "I hope some RiverClanner kills her. It would be… justified." Betrayal by the clan that she’d betrayed WindClan to run away to. It would be poetic, even.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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Gravelpaw was right, of course. Cicadastar was insane, having his tantrum like that in front of the entire gathering. Perhaps he simply knew that he was in the wrong, but refused to accept it, or acknowledge it. Always pushing the blame onto someone else's shoulders. That bastard had nearly killed Weaselclaw, and after his raving display in front of all five clans, he deserved what was coming for him

"He's a mad tyrant." Tigerfrost agrees bitterly. "Let's hope he finds some teeth in his neck as well, one of these days. Who knows what he'll do. He doesn't seem to care about what Hyacinthbreath did." The Lead Warrior points out. "Do you really think every cat goes to StarClan?" A curious realization, he thinks. Would StarClan really allow murderers into their silvery borders? "Hyacinthbreath doesn't deserve to hunt with our ancestors." Tigerfrost huffs with irritation.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

A mad tyrant—a fitting title for the dappled RiverClan tom. Cicadastar is a leader who is not fit to lead, and for the sake of all the other clans as well as RiverClan, he needs to be dethroned. "Hopefully one of these days comes soon. He’ll burn down RiverClan and take the rest of us with him."

The question that Tigerfrost poses makes him pause. He thinks on it for a moment, and then frowns up at the warrior. "If all cats went to StarClan, then it wouldn’t be a good place," he says, as if that explains his line of thinking. Because StarClan is all about life after death, right? It’s about sleeping in peace among the stars, among other fallen clanmates. What would be the point, if villains such as Hyacinthbreath are allowed there?

They wonder, briefly, whether they’ll go to StarClan when they die. Whether Tigerfrost or Sootstar or Badgermoon will. "She won’t make it to StarClan. It’s no place for cats like her." If he has to claw her from the sky themself, he’ll find a way to keep her from joining the stars. The same goes for Cicadastar, and that black-furred RiverClan apprentice he’d fought against.
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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Tigerfrost nods his agreement. Between Hyacinthbreath and Cicadastar, RiverClan would topple over and crash soon enough. Perhaps their deputy would be a more fitting ruler, but Tigerfrost knows next to nothing about the so called Buckgait. He's never even spoken to that particular cat before, so to judge the other's character is beyond him for now. As for StarClan, he agrees with the apprentice there as well. If every cat was allowed in, then surely the afterlife would be a restless one, rather than the peace they are promised in death.

"I can't help but wonder what happens to cats who don't reach StarClan. There must be some other place for cats like Hyacinthbreath." He's musing aloud, though more-so to himself than the apprentice.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

Gravelpaw can’t shake the feeling that presses in on them as they speak; what if bad cats like Hyacinthbreath do go to StarClan? They’ve always thought that StarClan is good, but if bad cats are allowed in then it can’t be good. He knows that he’s going to think himself in circles about it later today, when he lies uselessly in his nest because his paw doesn’t allow him to hunt.

Tigerfrost suggests that there must be another place, a different afterlife for cats who have committed horrible crimes. "You’re right, they must go somewhere else. Maybe… they’re stuck under the dirt, forever." Eternally suffocating; the after-death equivalent of being buried alive. A horrible fate, usually caused by tunnels collapsing. A fitting fate for the silvery tabby. "Maybe Vulturemask would know." They could always ask Sootstar, too—she and the healer seem to be most knowledgeable about the stars. But Gravelpaw hasn’t really seen much of the blue-furred leader around lately. Is she sick? Or is she simply resting, preparing for something else?

He cocks his head curiously to the side. Will he go to StarClan when he dies? Will Tigerfrost? Where is the line between StarClan and other drawn? Is it taking a life, is it intending to do so, or is it much more complicated than that? "Tigerfrost, do you think we will go to StarClan?"
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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Trapped beneath the soil forever. Tigerfrost can't even imagine the horror of that, though perhaps that was because he wasn't a tunneler. Some cats seemed to like being underground, but the Lead Warrior prefers to have the sky over his head. Getting trapped in some tunnel collapse sounded like one of the worst ways for any WindClan cat to die, so perhaps an afterlife such as that was indeed fitting for a traitor such as Hyacinthbreath. As for Vulturemask, Tigerfrost is not so certain if the medicine cat would have the answers they sought. Gravelpaw's next question catches him off guard for a moment, but Tigerfrost snorts.

"Of course we'll go to StarClan. How many cats have you killed in cold blood?" It's a pointed question. As far as Tigerfrost knows, the apprentice hasn't killed anyone. "Killing another in battle is one thing... we warriors know the risks, and we fight for our clans regardless. Raids, skirmishes, they all pose a risk of fatalities. But dragging another cat over the border for the sole desire of butchering them in cold blood is entirely different. There's no honor in something like that. Juniperfrost wasn't killed in action, he was murdered." The Lead Warrior speaks with confidence. WindClan had the support of StarClan, they slept beneath the gaze of their ancestors, and their medicine cat insured that the connection with the stars remained strong. ​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

Their concerns must be unfounded, ridiculous enough to earn them a judgmental snort from the lead warrior. Tigerfrost asks whether they have killed any cats in cold blood—butchered them unprovoked, killed them calmly and simply for the sake of killing. Defensively, they snap, "None!" It’s a surprised response, one that slips out without a thought. They are nothing like Hyacinthbreath. They know that they would fight and kill to defend their clan, to avenge their fallen relative, but dragging an enemy across the border solely to murder them… They aren’t that unfeeling.

At least Tigerfrost reassures them that they will go to StarClan, both of them. And that must be where the line is, between deserving to go to StarClan and being locked out. The line is honor, fairness, an understanding that oneself and an enemy are aware of the risks in battle. And even in the midst of battle, of the two they have been involved in, Gravelpaw has never slain another cat. Has Tigerfrost? "Have you ever killed anyone?" He’s a lead warrior, has clearly proven himself capable in a fight. Is there any way to make it so far in life without taking a life?
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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Tigerfrost had expected that response, he can't really imagine Gravelpaw murdering anyone in cold blood. As for Tigerfrost, he's yet to take a life for himself. He had thought he had killed Cindershade, yet she had been present at the gathering soon after the gruesome battle. With both her and Smokebreath on death's door, their loss would have been crippling to RiverClan. It's only for that reason that Tigerfrost finds himself disappointed they hadn't died. With as raving mad as Cicadastar seemed to be, the Lead Warrior wouldn't be surprised if he launched his own counterattack on WindClan's camp after the recovery of his clan.

"None have died by my claws. There have been close calls, but in truth, if I kill any cat in a raid, I would have no regrets. As I said, we all know the risks of war." RiverClan was furious over the loss of their own warrior, just as WindClan had been furious over the loss of Sunsetbreeze. At the end of the day, though, death was just a part of living as a warrior. Battles were dangerous, but that was the point of them, was it not? "Protecting myself and my clan is more important than trying to protect the enemy in the middle of a battle." Tigerfrost concludes confidently.​

 

[GRAVELSNAP]

The lead warrior asserts that he has never taken a life, and Gravelpaw finds it a bit hard to believe him. Tigerfrost is not a liar, as far as they know; they’ve spoken to him thus far and he hasn’t taken the chance to lie to them. But… that means that Tigerfrost is a powerful tom, every bit capable of killing, of enacting violence at Sootstar’s orders. Someday, perhaps they could be like him, though the lead warrior position has never seemed suited for Gravelpaw. No, they’re content to stay in the background as long as the clan’s lead warriors are doing their jobs well.

Tigerfrost’s explanation is simple: he has not killed anyone, but would not feel guilty if it were to happen. "You’re right," they concede, offering the older warrior a nod of their head. The warrior’s line of logic makes perfect sense to them; it is better to defend themself in battle by taking a life, than to lose their own life. "We shouldn’t feel bad if we do kill an enemy in battle, because they knew the risks. We’ll still go to StarClan." They repeat the words with determination, as though to solidify the idea in their head. "Thank you, Tigerfrost. I feel much better about… everything, now."
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[ DEATH OF A DREAM ]​

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[TIGERFROST]

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It seemed as if Tigerfrost's words had lifted some sort of weight from the apprentice's shoulders. The Lead Warrior dips his head, offering a nod in response to the gratitude.

"I think it's a good time for breakfast." The Lead Warrior finally breaks the silence, rising to his paws and grimacing at the pain it causes him. Regardless of the discomfort, he begins to make his way toward the fresh-kill pile for a meal. Whether Gravelpaw remained, or decided to go off and do something else was entirely up to the young WindClanner.​