WHAT IS A LEGACY? [ wolf baiting ]

[PALEFIRE]

This plan to bait the wolves into throwing themselves over the gorge was no doubt a risky one. It would likely not end without damage on their part, if not worse. But if it meant they would finally rid themselves of the terrible monsters, then Palefire was going to be there to see it done. Initially she'd wanted to volunteer to be a runner. She was fast, incredibly so, it was one of her few natural-born strengths. It seemed only fair that she be the one to take on that risk, to repent for what she'd done. But they'd already had a handful of brave warriors and apprentices that had stepped up before she'd had the chance, and if they had too many cats baiting the wolves, things would get chaotic and messy. Ultimately, she still wanted to help in some way, and so she'd followed along with the rear guard. She would make sure that the wolves did not set a single paw near their camp ever again. And if it required giving her life to make up for the one that she'd lost then so be it. It meant nothing to her anymore anyways.

Things moved very quickly once Batwing gave the signal to begin. She nervously glanced around her, placed a short distance away from Howlingstar and Leafhusk. Suddenly the lead runners took off, breezing past the lounging wolves and rousing their interest enough to give chance. Her pulse thundered in her ears, deafening her to the world around her as she helplessly watched her clanmates sprint towards the Windclan border. When she noticed the rest of the rear guard begin to slowly follow, she did the same, though her attention remained locked on the chase ahead of them.

It felt like hours, but was likely only minutes, before they inevitably neared the gorge. It had never crossed her mind that the wolves might be too smart to fall for their little trap. She trusted the plan that her elders had come up with, and knew that it would work. It had to. But as the group approached the cliffside, she began to peel off from the rest of her group as did the others, straining to keep sight of the runners ahead. Something seemed off... she could feel the shift of the tension in the air as the lead group suddenly split just before they reached the edge, rounding back towards the rear guard where she stood, leaving Batwing alone to face the wolves. What in Starclan's name was he doing...?

And then she watched in horror, along with all her clanmates, as the lead warrior threw himself over the gorge just as the wolves lunged. Her heart stopped, her blood froze, and for a moment it seemed as if time stood still. He was there one second, bravely staring down those demons, and the next he was gone. Gone. "Batwing..." It was nothing more than a hoarse whisper, complete and utter disbelief making her incapable of moving, breathing, doing anything. Why...? They had won, their plan had worked and the wolves were gone... So why were they still losing...?

Leafhusk's sudden declaration shook her from the shock, drew her wide blue gaze back into the forest they had just left behind. She didn't have time to understand what had just happened with Batwing. Howlingstar and Duskbird weren't with them? Snapping. Tearing. Breaking. No. They were all together only moments before... surely they had just split in a different direction and got turned around. "We should... We should look for them," she replied in a quiet voice shaken by all she had just witnessed. Her heart beat rapidly in time with her pawsteps as she turned back into the shadows of the trees, her pace only quickening with each passing moment that allowed her to imagine the worst.

But her imagination failed her, as it always did. Reality was so much worse. It didn't take long to find the pair of dark-furred bodies, left behind in the same place that she had last seen them. "N-No..." Her breath catches in her lungs at the sight of mangled flesh and blood-soaked earth, so much blood... Broken. Both of them contorted in a vision of destruction. Howlingstar had lives left, right? She wasn't sure. She hadn't been there for any other lost life. Would she come back to them? Could she? But Duskbird... he only had one life to give, just like the rest of them. One life, and it was over now. The world seemed to shift and she stumbled unsteadily as the full reality of the past few days crashed into her like a wave breaking violently over the shore.

Death had always been there. She hadn't realized it until now, foolish as she was; but its shadow had always haunted her. Her father, her mother, her clanmates.... her friends... She was ignorant to it at first. But it seemed determined to punish her for her mistakes by taking the lives of those around her. But not her; no, it would not take her. She would be forced to live with the consequences of her actions. She would close her eyes to their faces every night and wake each morning to the sound of their screams in her head. Her fault. It was all her fault, it had to be. Maybe this could have all been avoided some how, if she'd just stayed put, if she'd been able to warn the clan before the wolves ever got close.

Duskbird and Howlingstar were dead. Batwing was dead, Sunfreckle too. Acornwish and Jackdawflight. They were all braver than she was, better than she was, and that was why she still breathed and they did not. It wasn't fair. She did not even deserve to mourn their deaths, but her heart was broken all the same.

A weak sob pushed its way out of her throat as she crouched down beside Duskbird, beside Howlingstar. Skyclaw.... they were going to have to tell Skyclaw. She would have to watch her friend lose what was most precious in this world to him. She briefly pressed her nose into their leader's bloodied fur, once a rich shade of earthy brown, now painted red, just like everything else. "What.... what do we do..?" she choked out to those around her, the warriors more experienced with handling these losses than she was. "Do we wait with her until she wakes up?" Her tear-filled eyes frantically searched the faces of her clanmates, desperate for a way to help. "I can- I can run and get Gentlestorm. He can help her, right? I have to he- I can help..." Her paws trembled mercilessly, the same as they had the morning she'd returned to camp to find the devastation left behind by the wolves. She failed them all then, she couldn't afford to sit by and do nothing again. She had to make this right, somehow. There must be a way - there must be.

 

[Rainsweptblossom]

Rainsweptblossom's eyes widened as she watched Batwing jump into the gorge, her mouth agape with horror as the wolves followed. Her gaze then drifted over to Howlingstar, a limp bundle of mottled fur nearby. The dark-ginger-and-white warrior's tail drooped, her ears flattening against her head. Great StarClan, the wolf pack caused damage. A whole lot of it, too. One cat was dead. The other had lost a life.

 

[FALCONHEART]

𓍊𓋼 The reassurance from Duskbird doesn’t go far in the face of what could easily be certain death, but he offers the other warrior a shaky smile. This is the only chance ThunderClan has of getting rid of the wolves—if anything goes wrong, this could spell the end of the clan as a whole. They could all die. Falconheart could die. The thought terrifies him more than anything else, but he manages to force the trembling from his limbs and stand at his full height amongst the forms of his clanmates around him. When the wolves move, the group follows after.

Everything is going well. The patrol has thinned out somewhat, casting themselves across a wider area. Falconheart sticks close to the trees, his attention shifting from the wolves to the leader to his mentor and finally back to Duskbird. With each tree he passes by, he considers how quickly he could leap onto its trunk and scurry up into the branches above. But nothing has happened so far; the plan seems to be working!

And then it stops working.

He watches a wolf slip in the stream, and his paws bring him immediately to a stop. Bicolored eyes fly wide, turning to rush backward a couple fox-lengths before it takes notice of him—but he quickly regrets that he is not the one it focused on. Howlingstar, much older and leagues more creaky, cannot come to a stop soon enough, and goes tumbling over to land on the ground. The wolf goes quickly after its new prey, and though the leader attempts to ward it off, she is no match for a beast of such proportions. Her body contorts in ways that no cat’s body should, lifeless as she is shaken within vicious jaws and left in a jagged heap upon the ground. His vision flashes black and then white and then red, and he is unable to do anything as Duskbird rushes forth. The dark-furred warrior looks ferocious, courageous, as they rake claws across the wolf’s lip, drawing blood. But their own blood stains the ground, stains both dark fur and a thick pelt, and Duskbird’s fate is made clear.

All at once, the air leaves his lungs. He chokes on a sob, and retches as he tries to recover. His voice comes out as hardly a breath, desperation filling his mouth and flooding his chest at the horrible, gut-wrenching sight. Two cats who have always been there, and now they lie dead at his paws, destroyed for sport, for the sake of a great beast’s bloodlust. "No!" No… nononono. This can’t be happening. This can’t… it can’t happen, right? StarClan would never let this happen to them. But through the tears that fill his eyes and stream over snow-freckled cheeks, the crimson is all too clear. Howlingstar looks destroyed, broken as she lies on the ground. Duskbird looks worse, missing a limb and tossed to the ground without ceremony. It is a death unfitting for such a good warrior—they had been distant from the clan, but Falconheart had been raised alongside them and Skyclaw. Skyclaw, he thinks, and nearly gags at the thought. Who will tell Skyclaw of their brother’s death?

Something in his chest screams for him to shout at the two corpses before him, beg them both to get up now, but he can’t find words. His tongue feels useless in his mouth until Palefire speaks, and he collapses into a crouch beside the two bodies. He hasn’t realized until now that the wolves had continued on—other warriors on the rear patrol had continued to do their jobs—and he realizes that it odds all over. How much time has he lost, staring into pools of blood? He blinks harshly, and presses his nose momentarily into the bloodied fur of Duskbird’s shoulder. Should he close their eyes, or would they prefer to gaze sightlessly into the trees as they drift up to the stars? He shakes his head; Gentlestorm should make that decision. His chest heaves, though, as he does the same to Howlingstar, shadowing Palefire’s actions. "I won’t… I can’t—we… can’t just leave them," he stutters out between heaving, gasping breaths. His eyes sting, his vision of the younger warrior only a pale smudge through the film of his tears. When he speaks again, his voice rings with fear, with grief. "Somebody has to… has to… Gentlestorm." They need the medicine cat here, now. Howlingstar might not have any lives left, but if she does… They can’t waste any time, can they?​

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

Oddly enough, no one comes. She stands in this starry landscape as her ribs mend themselves, staring sadly around her as she waits. How long will it take this time, she wonders? And why is there no one here to speak with her? Frowning, she begins to pace, glancing up in time to see a faded version of herself weaving through the forest. Yes, she remembers hearing about that - her old lives are here, after all, blind to everyone around them. She sighs and sits down, tail wrapping around her paws, and waits some more.

When she is pulled back to her body, it is brief and agonizing. Her body twitches, her eyes flying open just in time to see a bloodied heap next to her, and she's gone again. Back in StarClan's clearing, but this time she isn't alone. "Duskbird?" She gasps, her expression horrified. He stands in front of her, star-speckled and looking just as confused as she is. "No...no..." She cries out, padding forward to press her nose to his cheek. "Why?" ​

 

[DUSKBIRD]

↟↟ᨒ   For a time, death is quiet. He looks upon himself, his own eyes open and starry, and feels — what? What does he feel? What could he feel? Part of him is resigned, he knows. Even if he had not put it to thought, he knew what he was doing. Knew what was happening. But to see it. Howlingstar. Himself, both still shattered. Only one fit to mend. Was that true? Was she going to be okay? He doesn't stay long enough to know. He can't know.

Because in a breath, StarClan takes him.

His grandma takes him.

It's beautiful here. He remembers the lushness of StarClan's forest from his visit with Morningpaw. He'd wondered about the end of this life then, and if he would ever go back, but he saw it then. The stillness of his body and the blood slowly stilling as his clanmates returned. He can't help his face. Wide open eyes, tears starting to well up when she looks at him, and he pushes himself into the comfort of her fur before they spill over. "It's okay," he babbles, "It's okay, I'm okay, it's okay." His inhale breaks and shivers apart, sniveling as he tries to gather himself. "Sunfreckle, and Acorn. Jackdaw, I couldn't let them take you forever." He presses himself closer until his cheek is into her chest, ear squished under her jaw. Sucking breaths in, shuddering breaths out, slowly, slowly steadying. "ThunderClan needs you. My family still needs you. It's okay. I'm sorry." She's lost so many of them. And now she's lost him, too.

"I didn't mean it. I know you did it to protect us. I'm sorry." With a breath out, he steps back. The shifting of stars across his pelt reminds them both that he is gone. That's okay. It's okay. "You'll go back, right? And you'll help ThunderClan."

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓  ╱╱ —𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐍 〚 01.06.2023 〛 ————————

• OOC. —
• 
  BLAZESTAR x LITTLE WOLF, " ORPHAN " LITTERMATE TO SKYCLAW; HALF SIBLING TO BURNSTORM, MOONWHISPER, HOWLFIRE, FIREFLYPAW, MORNINGPAW. MENTORED BY NIGHTBIRD. NEWFOUND THUNDERCLAN WARRIOR.
  ——— recently discovered his father's identity and is withdrawing into himself. seems distant and troubled, going about his duties absently as if sleepwalking his routine. seems mechanical around his family in particular, or anyone that he suspects knew the truth of his parentage. his ambitions have died quietly.
  
  TOYHOUSE ╱╱ AN ATHLETIC, LANKY CHOCOLATE TORBIE WITH DEEP AMBER EYES.
•  

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[nightbird]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ nightbird had hung to the back of the group, quick as she may be darting through the undergrowth a short stride gave little room for error. batwing lead the charge, it was an unsurprising move from the dark furred tom but just this once she wouldn't chastise the decision for it's recklessness. someone had to, it would be better if that someone was quick on their toes.

so far everyone had been fine, but hope that they would all make it from this okay was quickly squashed between powerful jaws. howlingstar falters catching the attention of a wolf. it is not long until the leader hangs limply in its teeth. nightbird's breath catches as she waits for the leader to jolt back to life, but how helpful would that be trapped in the mouth of a beast?

duskbird is quick, flinging themselves at the wolf. claws make purchase on thick fur and for just a moment she can believe he will distract it and get away unharmed. but sickeningly, the warrior's bones crunch, dark body soon discarded as if he were nothing more than an inconvenience to be crushed before continuing onto a better goal.

she stops running, ears flat and throat tight, and though duskbird is barely recognizable in his mangled state she sees him as a child. a kitten before her with eager eyes, practically vibrating with excitement over newfound apprenticeship. the wolves continued on chasing batwing and the other frontrunners, but her paws were frozen to the soft grass.

voices approached after some time, they were coming back. it must have worked. palefire and falconheart sound muffled in her ears. in response they twitch rapidly to try and dispel the sensation. a breath comes, ragged and heavy. "help me, we have to get back." the delivery is clipped as she moves to lift duskbird with the help of any nearby clanmates.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎┌── AND TIME IS RAGING ⋅⋆⋅ MAY IT RAGE IN VAIN ──┐‎

• ooc ↛
  

• 

• 
  NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, 31 ☾'s
  ⭃ a small black smoke molly with a single white paw and pale silver eyes.
  ⭃ mate to raccoonstripe / / mentor to none
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by vayle ↛ @vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[HOWLINGSTAR]

He keeps telling her it's okay. It's okay. It's not okay. One by one, her kin continues to be ripped from her. How cruel must the world be? How awful of a creature to take not one, but two of her family members away from her in such a short time? He presses closer to her and she embraces him, enveloping him in her thick pelt as she weeps. She can feel his shivering form and holds them tighter, starry tears dripping from her cheeks and fluttering to the grass. He sacrificed himself for her, so that she would be able to come back to life. "I'm so sorry," She tells him softly, brokenly.

I didn't mean it. I know you did it to protect us. She pulls away briefly to look at him, blinking in surprise. He forgives her. For keeping the secret of his father, he forgives her. Her maw pulls tight in a stuff line as she sniffs, eyes squinting shut as more tears threaten to come. What does she say? What can she possibly say?

"Yes. Yes, my body is healing," She murmurs to him, closing her eyes briefly as she feels her soul begin to be tugged back for a second time. She opens her eyes again and looks to them, her heart wrenching in her chest. "I don't want to leave you." But she must. How cruel it is to be given these lives, to be ripped away from her dying - no, her dead grandson...knowing she will return and he will not. She begins to fade, as her physical body twitches back to life from where it is protected by clanmates. "I love you, Duskbird. Go find your mother. Go...go get to know your father." She gives him a long look, soaks in his face for as long as she can, before she wakes up in the forest again.

She starts with a gasp, finding herself surrounded by warriors. Her shoulders still bleed horribly, but her neck...her ribs, they are all back in place. She is alive, but two lives less than she had been before. It doesn't matter. With a shaky breath, she looks hesitantly to her side and winces when she spots his body. So it's true. He really is gone. Grief contorts her face, but she forces herself to her paws with a pained grunt. "Did the plan work?" She chokes out softly, fighting back more tears as she tears her gaze away from Duskbird, to her clanmates.​

 

[leafhusk]

leafhusk blinks and she’s suddenly in front of the mauled bodies. it all comes rushing to her as she plops onto her haunches, exhaling out a shaky breath. a broken, choked sob forces itself from her throat, unable to stop it. the molly stumbles back for a moment, raising a paw to her mouth while she fixed her composure. forcing it back down because there’s still a camp to return too. she is utterly ashamed at herself for breaking down so quickly, but she does not say any apologies. it is sad, it is gut wrenching. more of these cats should be crying.

her body rises again to catch the tail end of howlingstar’s second resurrection. she’s never seen starclan bless a leader’s corpse like that, it is… disgusting to say the least, watching howlingstar’s body contort back into place.

there’s still a job to do, and she refuses to go back to camp with slouched shoulders and sunken eyes. leafhusk makes her way over, carefully nosing under duskbird’s body to help. it’s the best way to say thank you, she assumes.

"the plan worked," she responds to howlingstar, leaving out the important detail. someone else can, she already despises talking post crying.​