Seastones

[Wingnettle]

Lynxshade

Shadowclan Enforcer
33 moons | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Silver Tongue | Beefed Up (T3) | Mind Reader

Death Defier: ACTIVE

This cat was absolutely crazy.
Lynxshade had always known that, but the moment she realized her leader also had some sanity that led Shadowclan as a strong leader, she had chosen to put that aside and give her loyalty without questioning her anymore.
This was the Judgment Day.

"You're wrong, Dawnstar, if you think warriors will be loyal to you only because they live in your clan. You need to gain their loyalty, but you're only able to ask for it and kill anyone who does otherwise." She was scared to speak, and aware that it was probably comprehensible by the tone of her voice, but she didn't care. She was chosing her destiny, and she would do it without any guide.

"I refuse to pay with my body for a single mistake which doesn't even put our clan in danger! And I refuse to keep up with your own twisted version of the Warrior Code anymore. Leaders shouldn't kill their warriors. No cat should kill other cat for such trivial reasons, be there mistakes or beliefs."
She was, of course, perfectly conscious that Dawnstar was listening to her with no interest. That she would deem her words as unreasonable and unworthy. That she would be treated as a traitor for having spoken for her own life, and her own beliefs. And she did care for it. But she was ready to take responsibility for it.

Will someone even miss me? She suddenly realized how few cats in Shadowclan she considered to be her friends. She had many clanmates, but how many of them truly cared about her as a cat, instead of an Enforcer?
She could only think of three cats she truly cared for. Nightshiver, Hawkbite, Mistlewhisker. I'm sorry I've disappointed you. If I'll ever see you again...

She started circling Dawnstar menacingly, for she knew the ruthless feline wouldn't let her get away with it so easily. Although she had never liked fighting, she had became a warrior and developed the skills Dawnstar required for every cat to join her clan. And now, she was ready to put those skills to test.
Her fur bristled, her scruff rose and she fluffed up to twice her size. She unsheathed her claws, extremely conscious of the feeling of them sinking into the cold sand in this cursed night.

"Maybe you forgot one thing, Dawnstar." She walked slowly, trying to get away from her a little more with every steps. If she managed to get to the woods, she could melt herself with the shadows and disappear completely. Forever.
"No matter how much your warriors give their loyalty to you. Because there's one part of them - be it small or big - that'll always be loyal to themselves. And that's why she wouldn't let this tyrant reduce her to a mutilated puppet.

And there was one last thing.
"One day your reign will come to an end... And things will change. Nothing you can do will be able to stop this from happening." She lashed her tail, ready to charge. Her green eyes were fixed on Dawnstar, but her real goal was to dodge her and reach the forest that bordered the Seastones. Her whiskers twitched nervously, but she gritted her teeth against this bothering feeling to defy it. And win it.

And with this last thought, she charged at full speed.

Her body moved with the agility that overcame her strenght, sliding on the sand with her body low to the ground to dodge Dawnstar's large body and leap away. Away from the place I finally considered my home. Which was never, in reality, a place like that. Not safe. Not lovable.


But I swear, one day....

---

@Undertaker

[Undertaker]

@Wingnettle
Oh please! Gain loyalty, did she have bees for brains? You don't gain loyalty in clans it's given, you either give it or you get out. There was a whole oath to ensure that cats remained loyal to the clan. And that was a straight-up lie, Dawnstar only killed those who deemed themselves threats, like Lynxshade. She's given many enough chances to leave if they don't want to follow her. But there was no reason to point that out to a dead cat walking.

Dawnstar was truly questioning what she saw in this moron. How did Lynxshade survive on such delusional thoughts? The large molly flexed her muscles underneath her thick pelt and tuned the she-cat out, watching as she itched around her. She was being subtle about it, or at least trying to be, but it was hard not to miss her moving closer and closer to escape. Her eyes followed and as soon as the traitor's muscles flexed and she sprang, Dawnstar was on her.

[HR Powerplay approved by staff & TW for Gore ]
The leader forcefully threw herself at the traitor when she tried to dart past, ready to hold no mercy. She slammed her weight into the molly's flank and scrambled to pin her to the sand, ignoring any attempt at resistance. Balancing using her hind legs, she pressed one paw to the side of Lynxshade's face, digging her claws into her cheek and muzzle and the other against her shoulder.

"Over my years as ShadowClan's leader, I've learned that ruthlessness is a mercy in itself."

She immediately unsheathed her huge claws and dragged them down Lynxshade's shoulder and over her flank, her sharp, almost talon-like claws sliced through the top layer of her opponent's fur and flesh easily as she gouged her claws within the traitor's side and carved inward and down toward the stomach, giving a massive twist, before ripping her claws free leaving huge laceration on her flank and deep stomach gash.

"To protect ShadowClan and seek justice for us, I will deal any blow no matter how injustice it is."

The claws on the molly's muzzle scratched and shredded...She wasn't doing this to be mean... mostly, she just needed.... there we go. As soon as the molly parted her maw when the pain became too much, Dawnstar thrusted her paw into the she-cat's mouth. Much like when Mistlewhisker taught her to fish, the leader hooked her curved claws into the soft, wet, pink muscle and yanked her paw out, pulling, pulling, stretching, and pulling until she finally heard the flesh tear.

"I don't feel guilty when I kill or maul to avenge my clanmates. I'm not up at night filled with regrets and sleep well knowing I've done them right. I've learned to be colder as I've got older to protect my clan. I've thrown away my remorse to save the lives that matter to me, I don't care how vile I have to be I'll shred, tear, and rip apart, whoever stands in my way to keep everyone in check so that they remember to fear and respect the shadows. I am a monster."

Dawnstar remained standing over Lynxshade, though eased up on the pressure, her bloody prize hooked on her claws. She doubted the cat even heard her with the pain she was in, but Dawnstar had let her talk, was it not polite to do the same?

"I'll become a monster like none have known before to keep our enemies at bay, I'll become a tyrant to keep my clan from drowning in their incompetence. So think of me what you like, call me what you like, insane, cruel, ruthless, heartless, I've heard it all before and I certainly won't deny the truth in those words. So, what if I'm a monster?" It didn't matter to her.

"And yes, one day, my reign will end, death is inevitable. I can only hope my successor will lead ShadowClan into a prosperous future, but if not, that won't be my problem anymore. When I go, I go knowing I did everything I could for ShadowClan, but until that time comes, I'll fight death tooth and claw and destroy whatever I deem a threat to my clan."


Cat's tongue was longer than she had thought they were, pulling it out hadn't been easy either. There was a mess, she might have cut her paw open, and she couldn't tell if the blood on her paw was hers or Lynxshade's right now.

"You should have swallowed whatever it was that got you here, and accepted my mercy," Dawnstar said without looking away from Lynxshade. "Now you'll just become another foolish traitor no one remembers, crushed beneath my paw."

[Wingnettle]

Lynxshade

Shadowclan Enforcer
33 moons | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Silver Tongue | Beefed Up (T3) | Mind Reader

Just when she was ready to leap away from Dawnstar's sight, the terrible clan leader jumped on her and pinned her down as if she was a miserable piece of prey to torture, just like kits did before being instructed by their mothers. She felt sharp claws sink into her muzzle and tried wiggling free, but she was lighter and definitely not as strong as her. Would it be it? Her life would end like that, thanks to a wrong choice and a terrible mistake?

She gritted her teeth and bared them. "You know no mercy, Dawnstar... you've never had." The second later, talons of a thousand eagles were tearing her flesh apart. Her vision blurred, and tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She was dizzy with pain, and her earing became weaker. She could not think about anything but the burning, excruciating pain that seemed to take over her whole body. She felt an involuntary spasm, and found that she could not open her muzzle to utter a single word.

Dawnstar must have forced her to open her mouth, for the next terrible pain was just inside of it. She screeched in agony, almost loosing her claws trying to hook the ground and pull herself away from Dawnstar's weight. Her vision became a lake of red, and the stench of metallic blood filled her nostrils. Something was wrong. No, everything was wrong.

Suddenly the weight pinning her down eased a bit, but Dawnstar's speech was nowhere near the end. Lynxshade felt too weak to move a whisker, but she conceded herself a few moments to regain her breath and let herself relax completely. For the last remaining strength she had would be much needed in a few seconds.

She furrowed her eyebrows. I refuse to accept anything you call "mercy". To me, you are nothing but a weakling who knows only one way to lead a group of cats. You chose a blooding path.
She spat blood and saw a bright red color stain the send near her muzzle.
What a shame you'll never get to Starclan.

With a sudden thrust, she pulled her head out of Dawnstar's paw and bit down on her. Then, her hind legs kicked her belly and for a fraction of a moment, she was free of her. She opened her eyes and rose to her paws, flinching at the terrible pain coming from her flank and back. She missed several tufts of fur and was bleeding pitifully, but that didn't stop her to make a run for the shadows of the forest. Not toward Shadowclan, of course. Somewhere Dawnstar wouldn't follow.

But she knew she was following.

In the end, blood trails gave away her escape through the Thunderclan territory, where she could hide for the time needed under brushes and bracken, before disappearing completely from the clan territory.
Once she left behind the scents that marked their borders, she searched for a hollowed tree and there she collapsed. Blood was dripping from her injuries, and she couldn't think straight.

Her whole life had crumbled beneath the weight of a couple of misplaced words.

She closed her eyes and let darkness envelope her.

---

@Undertaker