you'll never ever walk alone — hawkcloud

[FOXTAIL]

Foxtail bursts through the camp exit, and he ignored any voices that might call his name. The tom can feel his heart racing in his chest, in his ears— and he can only think of one cat: Hawkcloud. Where is she? The lead warrior worries with pinned ears, Last I saw her was early this morning... He tries to think back to the dark, quiet morning; didn't he see her leave camp with Magpiepaw? His stomach twists at the very thought— StarClan above, was she with him when he died?

Foxtail tastes the air, and in the multitude of RiverClan scents... the lead warrior narrows them down to Hawkcloud. She smells like algae; like the moss that cloaks the rocks and trees. It's one of the first scents he learned to know; and he quickly focuses on it.

He finds his way padding towards the beech copse; his nostrils flaring. She's close by, Foxtail thinks with a racing heart, and he steps into the beech copse clearing.

And then, he sees her.

"Oh, H-Hawkcloud..." Foxtail murmurs at the sight of his distraught littermate, underneath the shade of a beech tree. His heart weeps, and the lead warrior makes his way over to her... "I'm... I'm s-so sorry," His voice stammers, tears in his eyes, as he aims to brush his fur against her. He would sit down, whether she likes it or not, right by her side. This isn't how your mentorship was supposed to end, Foxtail wants to tell her— he knows how much she worried, fretted, over Magpiepaw. That apprentice, for whatever reason they'll likely never know, seemed to have a distaste for his littermate. His littermate who has such a warm, caring heart; someone he knows he can always confide to, and his gut wretches that Magpiepaw never got to appreciate the cat Hawkcloud is. He attempts to brush his head against her fur, his tail wrapping around his trembling paws.

"...I'm h-here f-for y-you," His voice trembles more than usual, and with teary eyes he tries to meet her gaze. "I'm s-so-," His words trail off his tongue, and the only thing he can think to do is to embrace her more.​

𝐨𝐨𝐜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

• @Hawkcloud
  Set immediately after this thread
• 
  
  

  ---

  credit to raphaelion (via da) for the artwork <3
• Foxtail

  ​
  

  lead warrior
  24 moons
  warmhearted
  timid
  experience: trained
  backstory: [HYPERLINK]
  biography: [HYPERLINK]
  credit to tropics for the chibi <3
  

  cisgender male [he / him]
  eyes: green
  pelt: cinnamon/chocolate
  fur length: long
  parents: dawnflower and redfur (riverclan npcs)
  

  ---

  ​

​

 

[Hawkcloud]

The she-cat's senses, all of her surroundings, are muffled. The breath filling her lungs with each rapid inhale, the drying leaves on the beech trees that circle the clearing, rustling incessantly — all seem distant and unreal, as if Hawkcloud is trapped in a strange dream. It feels a bit like the she-cat is underwater, trapped beneath the river's current, pressing in on her eyes and ears and crushing her lungs with pressure. Is this how Foxtail felt when he sunk beneath the ice, all those moons ago? Is it how Magpiepaw felt? An awful sensation strikes Hawkcloud then, one that has bile rising quickly to her throat. She wonders if it was her fault, if her presence at her apprentice's side today could have spared Magpiepaw.

Just as her thoughts begin to spiral, twisting downward into darkness, her littermate's quiet voice cuts through the fog surrounding Hawkcloud. The she-cat bites back her tears, the sound of Foxtail's sorrowful words immediately returning Hawkcloud to a reality that is harsh and raw — and suddenly she feels she might be
choking on the sharpness of the air. She can't bear to look at her brother, lest the she-cat start sobbing, truly unraveling — and so she remains standing still, her gaze focused on the dirt as she feels the relieving sensation of Foxtail's warm fur against her own. Hawkcloud blinks at the feeling, a sharp frown tugging at her maw as tears rapidly fill her vision and her throat closes around it. She can't speak, only managing to lean against her brother's flank while she sniffles. She wants to thank him for his words, for being beside her right now — but she can't manage it.​