sensitive topics YOU’RE NOT A PROPHET ♡ death

[Acornwish.]

ACORNWISH — how could I fear any hurricane?
Since the news of the wolves had spread, Acornwish had been on edge, like so many of her clanmates.
Distant eyes seem to swell with concern whenever she watches someone cross the threshold from the safety of camp to the outside- what was once at least a remotely safe forest.
Yet, wasn’t this the life she had bargained for? When she had been accepted into the ranks of Thunderclan all those moons ago.
Oh, how things had changed. Wrenflutter, her siblings, much of her extended kin now rested amongst the starry night. Acornwish didn’t feel as grown as she thinks she should, instead the chimera only felt lost, watching as her peers moved on with their lives and grew into their potential.
Acornwish, newly promoted and all, was simply stagnant.
These are the thoughts that swirl behind a far-way gaze as she pads quietly with her patrol, though her senses are alert as ever with the danger she knows lurks from somewhere unseen.
”Hmm…" As the scent of squirrel bathes her tongue, Acornwish stops in her tracks, silently signaling to her patrol the intent to follow the trail.
Just as Flamewhisker taught her, the fawn-furred warrior slides through the thick undergrowth with ease, brushing against barren shrubs with hitched breath.
Snap!
Something creaks up ahead, and Acornwish’s gaze narrows. That must be her prey. The rustling continues, and before Acornwish can properly wonder if squirrels have ever sounded quite this large, it is too late.
As a cinnamon forepaw reaches to part brittle branches that obstruct her view, the large, beady eyes that stare back at her make the young warriors blood run ice.
Overwhelmed by its stinging breath, the breeze suddenly smacks against her head, alerting the she-cat that she had made the fatal mistake of positioning herself down-wind. A lethal accident in which she could not have known better.
The thing begins to move, raising its head to its full glory. Acornwish needs to run, just as she had when she was Dogbait. She wasn’t destined to meet a fate like this.
There is a piercing screech, and then nothing.
When her demise is discovered, there would be nothing to be found spare for the crimson that drips from those barren branches.

"speech"
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♡ —

• tldr; while tracking a squirrels scent trail, Acornwish encountered a wolf. When the scene is discovered, she will have already been taken elsewhere. However, her scent and blood, as well as the wolf’s scent will be present. I wish I could have given her a more memorable death, but my muse for her has unfortunately completely disappeared in these past few months. Thank you all for giving her love when she was around, though! :,)

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[batwing]

A piercing screech.

It was awful, just as the first few times he had ever heard it. Little Wolf, Gentlestorm's cry just after finding her. Stormywing, the screaming of his.. his friends on the journey just after the dogs started to come after them. This shriek was similar- hair-raising, and blood-curdling. It sounded like death was upon them, and Batwing was over in an instant.

"No... no, no no, no." Batwing whispered as he found the scene, staggering to the side. Blood. It was just about everywhere, tangled with the scents of Acornwish, copper blood, and... and a wolf. Fucking wolf. He inhaled sharply, his ears lowered as he staggered to a stop. His shoulders heaved, and a shout left his mouth, the lead warrior winded from the carnage alone. "ACORNWISH?" He cried out.

Batwing knew better. He knew that she was already dead- there was no way that she'd live, after losing this much blood. Yet another scream committed to memory, yet another death for the stars.​

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"speech"​

 

[Flycatcher]

"Batwing!" Flycatcher hissed urgently. The two warriors had come across the scene together, a piercing scream distracting them from their prior hunt and sending them in search of the source.

The scene they had come across was a bloody mess - literally. There was no sign of a body but with a familiar scent in the air, Flycatcher knew it had been Acornwish who had screamed. He also knew from the amount of blood that she was likely already dead or dying. With the sheer amount of blood spilt, there was no way she could have survived. Mixed with her scent and that of her blood was another. He didn't really recognise it but with the recent warning about wolves, he could take a rough guess at what it belonged. "Batwing you need to be quiet," Flycatcher said, more gentle this time. He did not wish to interrupt the other's mourning but he did not think shouting was a wise idea. "We shouldn't be shouting. We don't know if the wolves are nearby."

He looked around warily. "We need to get back to camp and let Howlingstar know about this," He mewed. "A warrior killed on our territory is not a good sign..."​

 

[phloxdawn]

Before more wolves appear, Batwing's cries draw Phloxpaw through the trees. A wolf of a different kind, perhaps, but you were unlikely to find yourself murdered in any sort of way (other than socially, of course) by the apprentice. She stops still when she sees the horrible scene. There is blood everywhere, on every surface surrounding herself and the two lead warriors. And yet... Phloxpaw's eyes scan the bloodied wood around them, but she does not see a corpse. The wolves are such terrible predators. Phloxpaw thinks its high time that someone do something about this, though she says nothing in the wake of the mourning for her clanmate.

"Shouldn't we search for a body?" The question comes before Phloxpaw is ready for the answer. At the selfish forefront of Phloxpaw's mind is her concern with getting Acornwish's blood in her white fur. Does the smell of death stick to things? Acornwish's scent is nearly undetectable to her beneath layers of sour copper. She might not have even realized it was Acornwish if not for Batwing's anguished cries. Flycatcher had seemed resolute about getting back to camp, but Phloxpaw- despite her unwillingness- wonders if Acornwish might be dying instead of already dead somewhere.
"SPEECH HERE"

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[batwing]

Batwing's ears flattened the instant his words echoed off of empty-core trees. His head snapped towards Flycatcher as the former deputy hissed as him, and he nodded, swallowing thickly. A paw shifted as he moved to the side, his head dipping down further as guilt and overwhelming grief grasped him. He hadn't been especially close to them but- a clanmate, none the less. Gone, in an instant. What would happen if they found camp? His kits.. his kits. Batwing couldn't let them take anyone else. But what could he do? They were predators hunting beasts as big as deer.

He was just a cat.

His head nodded towards Flycatcher, swallowing thickly. Regain control. He managed, vision turning towards Phloxpaw. "With... the amount of blood here?" He spoke wearily, vision sweeping to the maroon that gently dripped off of budding leaves. "There won't be anything left." His words came as a hoarse whisper, and Batwing's head shook, turning to pad towards camp to give news to Howlingstar.​

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"speech"​

 

[Flycatcher]

Flycathcer looked sympathetically at his fellow lead warrior, when Batwing gave a nod to him and calmed down. Flycatcher could not wholly fault him for his outburst. Perhaps had they not know of the wolf threat, he might have done the same. Unknowingly like Batwing, he also thinks of camp and his own mate waiting in the nursery, not wanting to think of what might happen if those slobbering beasts found camp.

Phloxpaw blurts out about searching for a body and he looks away with a pained expression, glad that Batwing answers first. Stars, he wanted to find a body though. Even if it would probably have been a grim sight he thinks it would be right for Acornwish to be buried closer to home, and for her clanmates to mourn the loss of a young warrior. "It is as Batwing said, the likelihood of us finding a body would be slim," Flycatcher mewed softly. "With all this blood I doubt there would be anything we could do even if she was alive."​