[ TW: this thread will contain descriptions and reactions to a character's death. please read at your own discretion ]
A walk alone... that sounded good. It'd been a little while since Berryshine had gotten out. With a few sick and injured cats stuck in the medicine den, it had begun to get stuffy and sort of sick-smelling in there, so she figured slipping out for some fresh air would do her some good.
Berry's mind was on a lot of things; RiverClan itself, her new duties as the full medicine cat, working alongside Cobwebfern as her apprentice... but another thing in her head was overshadowing most of that right now: worry. She hadn't seen Weepingpaw in awhile, and he'd been consigned to nest-rest. Poor Willowtail and Daisypaw were worried sick, too, which coiled her stomach in knots. Why had she ever let him out of her sight, as sick as he was? What kind of medicine cat was she?
So it didn't help that while Berryshine was out walking, her pink nose happened to twitch, picking up the weak scent trail of her very own adoptive brother. Immediately feeling hope, the she-cat straightened up, trying to peer through the undergrowth. It wasn't super fresh, but fresh enough to indicate that he'd passed this way; maybe he had just gotten lost? The fever from the stubborn infection he'd been fighting off could've made him delirious.
Great StarClan...
"W-Weepingpaw...? Hey, Weepingpaw! Where are you?" The herbalist was calling into the air, not caring about her shaky voice or volume for once. But not a sound nor a voice answered her; just the drone of the breeze rippling through the trees, and the occasional scuttles of prey through the fallen leaves. But no Weepingpaw.
Feeling a rush of mixed emotions, Berryshine took in a deep breath, tasting the air as best she could. Small paws hurried over grass and stone as she desperately followed the trail, trying not to lose the faint scent in the leaf-fall wind. Her brisk pace grew into a full tilt run, the rising panic and sense of dread filling her belly as only silence answered her calls. As if... as if she knew something was wrong.
And her worst fears were answered when she suddenly careened to a halt, breath catching in her throat.
There was a limp form in the grass, sightless eyes glassy and staring blankly into the sky. At first, all Berryshine could do was stare, her chest still heaving after her full-blown sprint; but even the burn of her exasperated lungs couldn't be felt over the cold horror seeping into her bones, making her shake. Even from this one simple look, the cat before her was too... still.
And even though her brain registered it quickly, somewhere in the back of her mind, the greater part of Berry couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. Cautiously, she slunk towards the limp form before her, the one she'd known and grown closer to over the past several moons. Her voice was barely an audible whisper as she inhaled sharply, getting closer. "W-...Weepingpaw...?"
No answer.
"O-Oh... stars above..." Berryshine whispered hoarsely, finally daring to reach out and prod Weepingpaw. Stars, he felt cold... too cold. Throat closing to the point where she couldn't speak, the medicine cat steeled herself to lower her muzzle by his as she pressed a paw to his chest at the same time.
But no breath brushed by her whiskers, and no heartbeat pulsed against her paw pads. And those eyes, as sightless as they usually were for the blind tom, only stared lifelessly up into the sky. Something about them was extra glassy, extra... lifeless. And finally, after suppressing this as long as possible, she smelled it.
That unnerving, somehow familiar tang of death.
And that's when it hit.
Crumpling to the ground, a terrified wail of horror left Berry's throat, stuck staring with eyes like moons, fixed on the corpse of her adoptive brother. A million things raced through her mind: oh, stars, what would Willowtail and Daisypaw say? It hadn't been that long since they'd lost Brightnight... and now...
"N-No... no no no..."
Grief and denial welled in her chest, and for a few long moments, Berry couldn't move. Couldn't do anything but let the realization hit her over and over, tears slipping from her green eyes. Eventually, she shook her head, trying to clear it enough to move, staggering to her feet.
"L-Let me get you home..." she gasped raggedly to Weepingpaw's unhearing ears, bending down to grab his scruff. But try as she might, Berryshine couldn't budge the larger tom. Especially in her trembling state, she was near useless trying to drag him across the grass.
Swallowing down another wail of despair, she pressed her nose into Weepingpaw's fur, trying to ignore the scent of death clinging to her now. "I-I'll be back, okay? I.. I promise..." Why was she speaking to him? She had no idea, just... had to. Had to say something.
The mad dash back to camp was only broken by her sobs that Berryshine tried to swallow back as best she could, her mind still not fully caught up yet with what she had just seen. It wasn't long before she practically careened into the clearing, her wild eyes looking around for two cats in particular. And when she spotted them, luckily nearby each other. Stagheart and Cobwebfern.
Racing up, Berryshine was probably quite the sight; her fur was on end, eyes wide and haunted with tear tracks down her cheeks, and her limbs rigid with tension. She had no real words nor time to explain, just had to choke it out. "W-Weepingpaw, he's..." The word 'dead' couldn't leave her tightened throat, coming out as a choked wheeze instead as she shook her head, shock still running through her system. "I... I-I need help..."
In her daze, without fully checking to see if they were right behind her, Berryshine stumbled back out, leading them right to the body, her shoulders slumping as she gawked at in horror for another few moments.
Finally, a few more choked, whispered words left her throat, the last one in particular bitter on her tongue.
"H-He's... dead..."
[ @ChromeSpooky_Hwaa | @finley !! - if you want cobs to join!! the post right after this will be stag helping carry weeping back to the camp, then getting willow/daisy ! ]
__________________
*despite everything, it's still you.
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she and Cobwebfern have a semi-closed den policy.
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude 3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 54 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]
—
Stagheart knew the smell of death.
Being a seasoned warrior such as he, it had become something recognizable, though no less chilling. From battles against other Clans, to the smell of rotting prey, even to sitting vigil for a fallen Clanmate... it had become something that grimly reminded him of the fleeting lives that he and his fellow felines led.
And as soon as he saw the panicked face of Berryshine, immediately following her without any questions asked... his stomach had sank, the closer and closer he'd gotten to the body. He could smell it even before it fully came into view, a lump lodging into his throat as the horrible realization dawned on him.
When Berryshine had initially mentioned Weepingpaw's name, Stagheart had felt a flood of relief; finally! The kid had been missing for awhile. And as an adoptive son of sorts to him, ever since Brightnight's death those few moons ago during the raid, he'd tried to take the blind apprentice sort of under his wing.
And now... all of that crashed down into a single moment where he stared with large, horrified eyes at the limp form on the grass. The grumpy, sometimes feisty, independent tom that was a brother to Daisypaw and Willowtail, now lifeless on the ground.
Dead.
A choked sound, almost like a breath of shock and immediate grief left Stagheart's throat involuntarily. He lowered his head, lapsing into silence for several heartbeats. Berryshine was shaken, that much was obvious; and he himself felt like he'd just been hit with a blow to the chest by a hefty badger. Great StarClan...
It was several moments before the tom could exhale shakily, blinking away eyes that held distant tears. But the battle-hardened warrior hadn't actually cried in a long, long time. And especially now, when he knew there would be several she-cats sobbing around him... he needed to be strong. Even as he barely felt like he was registering what was happening.
"Stars..." He shook his head in grieved disbelief, his usually-gruff tone shaken for once. With a slight and uncharacteristic tremble to his paws, Stagheart padded slowly over to Weepingpaw, pressing his muzzle briefly to the fallen apprentice's head. Throat closing, he murmured quietly to the blind tom.
"I'm sorry, kid... you didn't deserve this," he sighed, letting his nose rest for a few more moments on the unnaturally cold fur. There was plenty more to say, things that any warrior would wish their fallen Clanmate, but it couldn't leave Stagheart's throat right now. At least Weepingpaw would be joining Brightnight now in StarClan, and perhaps the ghostly afterlife could offer him sight... so that he could finally see. The thought immediately choked Stagheart up more, and he cleared his throat, raising his head with hollow eyes.
"I'll... I'll carry 'im back home," he offered quietly, briefly brushing by Berryshine in an attempt to comfort her, seeing how visibly shaken she was. "Willowtail 'n Daisypaw, they... they oughta know."
Steeling himself, Stagheart grunted in effort, sliding his shoulder under Weepingpaw's frame. The apprentice felt even bigger than he was for a moment, the deadweight nearly crushing, and not just for the heaviness. Clenching his maw, Stagheart rose to his feet, legs slightly trembling but otherwise holding his stoic, somber expression. "Stars, kid... you were gettin' as tall as me," he muttered to Weepingpaw, as if still in denial for a moment as they began the slow trudge back to camp.
It felt like ages as the realization slowly dawned on Stagheart over and over. Weepingpaw was dead... he knew that the 'paw had been struggling with a nasty infection that Berryshine had been trying to stave off for as long as possible. But dead? That just... didn't seem right. Nothing itself felt right as the warrior discreetly slipped back into camp, into the medicine den with Berry (and Cob, if she joined) at his heels.
Once he slid Weepingpaw off his shoulders as gingerly as he could, Stagheart lowered his head once more, hardly able to look at the lifeless form of the young cat on the ground. Clearing his tightened throat, he let several beats of silence pass before he croaked out the words.
"I'll... go get his sisters," he muttered, resting his tail briefly on Berryshine's shoulder in whatever meager comfort he could offer; just like him as a father-figure, Berry had been adopted like a sister to Weepingpaw and his siblings. This was an awful loss... and a terrible blow to the heart. Giving Cobwebfern a respectful nod as well, trusting her to help Berry along this, he padded out into the chilly night. But nothing could compare to the icy trickle of horror in his bones from such a premature loss.
It wasn't long before he found the sisters, Willowtail and Daisypaw. When he padded up to them, the haunted look on Stagheart's face perhaps spoke to the severity of what he was about to say. "Willow, Daisy... I..." His voice was rougher than usual, heavy with grief, and the stench of death clung to his pelt from carrying Weepingpaw. He swallowed hard, willing the lump out of his throat enough to speak. Stars, he didn't want to be the one to break this news, to see their faces fall into horror... but he had to. Someone had to, and it should be him. It wasn't like Stag to be unable to say the hard things, but this was a rather delicate situation, considering what this family had already been through. Finally, he choked the words out, just a starter for the horrors that had to come from his mouth.
"It's... about Weepin'paw. He's..." And the words died in his throat, his head lowering in grief.
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude 3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 54 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]
—
Stagheart knew the smell of death.
Being a seasoned warrior such as he, it had become something recognizable, though no less chilling. From battles against other Clans, to the smell of rotting prey, even to sitting vigil for a fallen Clanmate... it had become something that grimly reminded him of the fleeting lives that he and his fellow felines led.
And as soon as he saw the panicked face of Berryshine, immediately following her without any questions asked... his stomach had sank, the closer and closer he'd gotten to the body. He could smell it even before it fully came into view, a lump lodging into his throat as the horrible realization dawned on him.
When Berryshine had initially mentioned Weepingpaw's name, Stagheart had felt a flood of relief; finally! The kid had been missing for awhile. And as an adoptive son of sorts to him, ever since Brightnight's death those few moons ago during the raid, he'd tried to take the blind apprentice sort of under his wing.
And now... all of that crashed down into a single moment where he stared with large, horrified eyes at the limp form on the grass. The grumpy, sometimes feisty, independent tom that was a brother to Daisypaw and Willowtail, now lifeless on the ground.
Dead.
A choked sound, almost like a breath of shock and immediate grief left Stagheart's throat involuntarily. He lowered his head, lapsing into silence for several heartbeats. Berryshine was shaken, that much was obvious; and he himself felt like he'd just been hit with a blow to the chest by a hefty badger. Great StarClan...
It was several moments before the tom could exhale shakily, blinking away eyes that held distant tears. But the battle-hardened warrior hadn't actually cried in a long, long time. And especially now, when he knew there would be several she-cats sobbing around him... he needed to be strong. Even as he barely felt like he was registering what was happening.
"Stars..." He shook his head in grieved disbelief, his usually-gruff tone shaken for once. With a slight and uncharacteristic tremble to his paws, Stagheart padded slowly over to Weepingpaw, pressing his muzzle briefly to the fallen apprentice's head. Throat closing, he murmured quietly to the blind tom.
"I'm sorry, kid... you didn't deserve this," he sighed, letting his nose rest for a few more moments on the unnaturally cold fur. There was plenty more to say, things that any warrior would wish their fallen Clanmate, but it couldn't leave Stagheart's throat right now. At least Weepingpaw would be joining Brightnight now in StarClan, and perhaps the ghostly afterlife could offer him sight... so that he could finally see. The thought immediately choked Stagheart up more, and he cleared his throat, raising his head with hollow eyes.
"I'll... I'll carry 'im back home," he offered quietly, briefly brushing by Berryshine in an attempt to comfort her, seeing how visibly shaken she was. "Willowtail 'n Daisypaw, they... they oughta know."
Steeling himself, Stagheart grunted in effort, sliding his shoulder under Weepingpaw's frame. The apprentice felt even bigger than he was for a moment, the deadweight nearly crushing, and not just for the heaviness. Clenching his maw, Stagheart rose to his feet, legs slightly trembling but otherwise holding his stoic, somber expression. "Stars, kid... you were gettin' as tall as me," he muttered to Weepingpaw, as if still in denial for a moment as they began the slow trudge back to camp.
It felt like ages as the realization slowly dawned on Stagheart over and over. Weepingpaw was dead... he knew that the 'paw had been struggling with a nasty infection that Berryshine had been trying to stave off for as long as possible. But dead? That just... didn't seem right. Nothing itself felt right as the warrior discreetly slipped back into camp, into the medicine den with Berry (and Cob, if she joined) at his heels.
Once he slid Weepingpaw off his shoulders as gingerly as he could, Stagheart lowered his head once more, hardly able to look at the lifeless form of the young cat on the ground. Clearing his tightened throat, he let several beats of silence pass before he croaked out the words.
"I'll... go get his sisters," he muttered, resting his tail briefly on Berryshine's shoulder in whatever meager comfort he could offer; just like him as a father-figure, Berry had been adopted like a sister to Weepingpaw and his siblings. This was an awful loss... and a terrible blow to the heart. Giving Cobwebfern a respectful nod as well, trusting her to help Berry along this, he padded out into the chilly night. But nothing could compare to the icy trickle of horror in his bones from such a premature loss.
It wasn't long before he found the sisters, Willowtail and Daisypaw. When he padded up to them, the haunted look on Stagheart's face perhaps spoke to the severity of what he was about to say. "Willow, Daisy... I..." His voice was rougher than usual, heavy with grief, and the stench of death clung to his pelt from carrying Weepingpaw. He swallowed hard, willing the lump out of his throat enough to speak. Stars, he didn't want to be the one to break this news, to see their faces fall into horror... but he had to. Someone had to, and it should be him. It wasn't like Stag to be unable to say the hard things, but this was a rather delicate situation, considering what this family had already been through. Finally, he choked the words out, just a starter for the horrors that had to come from his mouth.
"It's... about Weepin'paw. He's..." And the words died in his throat, his head lowering in grief.
Willowtail could sense something was wrong, she'd awoken her napping sister, Daisypaw to ask her about the feeling. Something was off, something was wrong, something was...... gone? But what was it. Dasiypaw had listened to her questions about the feeling, dismissing them as worry for her apprentice Nutpaw whom had been missing for a day now. "It'll be fine sis! Maybe talk to papa-" Daisypaw cut off, her look sympathetic as Willowtail's sigh. Willowtail brushed her tail along her sisters flank, she turned her head to the approching Stagheart, her beloved father figure. "Stag-" she got cut off by his words, Weepingpaw.
"Weepingpaw" Willowtail whispered, her eyes filling with horror as the reality set in, his words heavy, no no no. Willowtail lost her mother, she lost her mate, she lost her youngest brother... she could not lose Weepingpaw to. "Weepingpaw's what?" Willowtail whispered, her tone getting desperate as she stood and meowed, "Stagheart, Weepingpaw is what." Willowtail mewled, but. As she asked her father, and herself the question. She knew, Stagheart's daunted look wasn't for nothing, Willowtail sat down heavily, her long tail trailing along her side as the all to familiar look of grief, anger, sadness, hopelessness, all returned to her beautiful blue gaze. Willowtail had just gotten over Brightnight's death... Daisypaw had just become an apprentice, able to finally spend quality time with her siblings. Willowtail's eyes clouded over as a singular tear fell from her face, "Stagheart..... what is he..." Willowtail meowed in question, her meow was quiet, desperate, she knew the answer but was praying to Starclan with all of her heart he wouldn't say the answer she knew he was guaranteed to say.
Daisypaw, knew to grief unlike her sister, Willowtail, widened her matching blue gaze. "He's- he's what! No no no no he can't be anything but here!" Daisypaw wailed, her eyes wide and panicked, she stood to fast, her tail bushing out which made her legs crumple in pain. Daisypaw's eyes widened, the stress, and greif, and despair that the young feline was feeling increase her symptoms. "He went for a walk.... two days ago.... I should have stopped him... I knew his condition but I'm stupid and I let him go out by himself!!!!" Daisypaw wailed, her legs thrashing, half in pain half in anger as her eyes blazed. "Why did he have to leave! He left everything and everyone behind all because he wanted to go on a walk-" Daisypaw was cut off by a fierce snarl from Willowtail, "Take it back! Weepingpaw did not leave us! He didn't leave us on his own will Starclan called him! Your young, and ignorant, he didn't die because of the damn walk he died because he was sick! Were you gonna sit there and cure him? Daisypaw your the caretaker, you haven't even been trained to clean your own goddamn nest yet how were you gonna save him!" Willowtail snarled, her blue gaze narrowed, blazing in matching anger, and then filling with sadness. Daisypaw's eyes angry as she brushed up her fur, retaliating. "I can't bare to lose him either! He's our brother!" Daisypaw tried to argue, pinning her ears as Willowtail growled. "I grew up with no father! My mother struggling with two kits alone! I was an apprentice when she gave birth to you Daisypaw, your littermate Rootkit DIED. Our mother died to give you life, and now I'm losing my littermate.
-----
We are losing our brother, Daisypaw do you understand if you sit here and blame this on you, you will end up farther into the rabbit hole than our own father did. And you know exactly what he did to our mother, we would not be here if that foxheart didn't grab up our mother with the intentions of a damn badger. But he did. Do you blame yourself for what our father did?" Willowtail asked, her sister shaking her head no. Willowtail turned away from her shaking sibling, stalking away with a dark, grief filled look to bury her nose into Weepingpaw's shoulder fur.
"I can't lose them both." Willowtail lowered her gaze, tears slipping free, "I lost Weepingpaw...... Stag- I lost my mate and my brother in the course of two days." Willowtail whispered, her eyes wide and screaming for someone to just, tell her it would be ok. But would it? "Nightshadepelt's nest was cold, it was cold and empty yesterday, he didn't come home. I found him in the river. He....." Willowtail didn't want to finish her sentence. The grey and ginger Molly giving a small sob as Daisypaw still stared at her sister in shock.
This was it. Brightnight was dead, Rookit was dead.
Nightshadepelt was dead.
Weepingpaw. Was dead.
__________________
Oceanstar is the leader of Beachclan, he has a semi-open den policy. <33 Mention me where ever just Vm me first Willowtail of Riverclan is Tier 3 Beefed Up and Agatha Kitty ! Both active<3 Blackberry is Moonclan's Medicine cat! He has a open den policy!! Softdove and Crowsong and the med cats of Treeclan and Fogclan, they have open den policies!
"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever" - Park Seonghwa @/Beanz is haunting my profile :sniffles"
lio lurked here, hope dropped a bundle of chocolates here
Rose littered this profile with flowers
૮ ྀིྀིྀི₍ ⸝⸝•̥\./•̥⸝⸝ ₎ ྀིა felix left a fawn here
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Last edited by ChromeSpooky_Hwaa; October 23rd, 2024 at 08:56 PM.
Willowtail could sense something was wrong, she'd awoken her napping sister, Daisypaw to ask her about the feeling. Something was off, something was wrong, something was...... gone? But what was it. Dasiypaw had listened to her questions about the feeling, dismissing them as worry for her apprentice Nutpaw whom had been missing for a day now. "It'll be fine sis! Maybe talk to papa-" Daisypaw cut off, her look sympathetic as Willowtail's sigh. Willowtail brushed her tail along her sisters flank, she turned her head to the approching Stagheart, her beloved father figure. "Stag-" she got cut off by his words, Weepingpaw.
"Weepingpaw" Willowtail whispered, her eyes filling with horror as the reality set in, his words heavy, no no no. Willowtail lost her mother, she lost her mate, she lost her youngest brother... she could not lose Weepingpaw to. "Weepingpaw's what?" Willowtail whispered, her tone getting desperate as she stood and meowed, "Stagheart, Weepingpaw is what." Willowtail mewled, but. As she asked her father, and herself the question. She knew, Stagheart's daunted look wasn't for nothing, Willowtail sat down heavily, her long tail trailing along her side as the all to familiar look of grief, anger, sadness, hopelessness, all returned to her beautiful blue gaze. Willowtail had just gotten over Brightnight's death... Daisypaw had just become an apprentice, able to finally spend quality time with her siblings. Willowtail's eyes clouded over as a singular tear fell from her face, "Stagheart..... what is he..." Willowtail meowed in question, her meow was quiet, desperate, she knew the answer but was praying to Starclan with all of her heart he wouldn't say the answer she knew he was guaranteed to say.
Daisypaw, knew to grief unlike her sister, Willowtail, widened her matching blue gaze. "He's- he's what! No no no no he can't be anything but here!" Daisypaw wailed, her eyes wide and panicked, she stood to fast, her tail bushing out which made her legs crumple in pain. Daisypaw's eyes widened, the stress, and greif, and despair that the young feline was feeling increase her symptoms. "He went for a walk.... two days ago.... I should have stopped him... I knew his condition but I'm stupid and I let him go out by himself!!!!" Daisypaw wailed, her legs thrashing, half in pain half in anger as her eyes blazed. "Why did he have to leave! He left everything and everyone behind all because he wanted to go on a walk-" Daisypaw was cut off by a fierce snarl from Willowtail, "Take it back! Weepingpaw did not leave us! He didn't leave us on his own will Starclan called him! Your young, and ignorant, he didn't die because of the damn walk he died because he was sick! Were you gonna sit there and cure him? Daisypaw your the caretaker, you haven't even been trained to clean your own goddamn nest yet how were you gonna save him!" Willowtail snarled, her blue gaze narrowed, blazing in matching anger, and then filling with sadness. Daisypaw's eyes angry as she brushed up her fur, retaliating. "I can't bare to lose him either! He's our brother!" Daisypaw tried to argue, pinning her ears as Willowtail growled. "I grew up with no father! My mother struggling with two kits alone! I was an apprentice when she gave birth to you Daisypaw, your littermate Rootkit DIED. Our mother died to give you life, and now I'm losing my littermate.
-----
We are losing our brother, Daisypaw do you understand if you sit here and blame this on you, you will end up farther into the rabbit hole than our own father did. And you know exactly what he did to our mother, we would not be here if that foxheart didn't grab up our mother with the intentions of a damn badger. But he did. Do you blame yourself for what our father did?" Willowtail asked, her sister shaking her head no. Willowtail turned away from her shaking sibling, stalking away with a dark, grief filled look to bury her nose into Weepingpaw's shoulder fur.
"I can't lose them both." Willowtail lowered her gaze, tears slipping free, "I lost Weepingpaw...... Stag- I lost my mate and my brother in the course of two days." Willowtail whispered, her eyes wide and screaming for someone to just, tell her it would be ok. But would it? "Nightshadepelt's nest was cold, it was cold and empty yesterday, he didn't come home. I found him in the river. He....." Willowtail didn't want to finish her sentence. The grey and ginger Molly giving a small sob as Daisypaw still stared at her sister in shock.
This was it. Brightnight was dead, Rookit was dead.
Nightshadepelt was dead.
Weepingpaw. Was dead.
— STAGHEART —
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude 3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 54 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]
—
As Willowtail repeatedly asked Stagheart about Weepingpaw, his heart wrenched in his chest. Clearing his throat, the warrior finally managed to grunt the words out in a quiet rumble, steeling himself for the oncoming despair, his eyes softened in sympathy and his own grief as he lifted his large head to look at her.
"He's... he's gone, kid. I'm... I'm so sorry."
The words were bitter on his tongue and his muscles tensed, seeing the horror of realization slowly dawning on Willowtail. And when Daisypaw suddenly cried out, he winced, knowing this probably felt like thorns stabbing straight to the heart for both she-cats. His haunted blue eyes flicked to Daisypaw, frowning in even more concern when he saw the visible pain from the young 'paw as she jumped up. He quickly outstretched his large paw, his touch incredibly gentle despite his powerful form as he tried to ease her back down, to not overextend herself. Before he could say anything, Willowtail had fired off into an emotional vent, and his maw snapped shut.
Stars above... the pain was palpable in the air, the despair and grief almost suffocating. Despite being somewhat familiar with death and of course familiar with loss, it felt different seeing others that he cared about struggle with it — especially others he was supposed to protect. But how could he protect them against broken hearts?
As the sisters went at it, Stagheart let Daisypaw brush by his flank, his paw still gently holding her still so as to prevent as much wriggling as he could. He took in a deep breath, his voice a low, gruff tone as he spoke a bit sternly to get the she-cats to listen to him, although he was still gentle and sympathetic as he spoke.
"Hey, you two... it won't do no good to go snappin' at each other. Daisy, like Willowtail was sayin', it ain't no one's fault... Weepin'paw was real sick, to where even Berry couldn't save 'im. If StarClan decided it was his time... there weren't nothin' you could do 'bout it." The battle-hardened warrior tried to meet the widened eyes of the frail 'paw, as if his piercing blues could bore that truth into her little head to make her believe it. Then his gaze softened, voice getting a bit quieter as he turned his head to Willowtail. Stars above, he didn't even know that part about Nightshadepelt — sure, he hadn't seen the tom in awhile, but he'd just figured he'd been too busy to notice...
The stab of shock from this revelation was dulled by the sharper pangs of grief through his system, especially the secondhand pain he was feeling from the sisters. As he followed them to Weepingpaw's body, where Berryshine was silently grieving, his chest felt hollow. Willowtail especially had been through so much, even losing her mate on top of all of this... how could he tell her it was okay? It wasn't, none of this was, but... it was life. Cold, hard, and brutal.
"Stars above... I... I know, Willowtail. I'm.. so sorry," he repeated quietly, genuinely hesitating before showing a rare gesture of affection; brushing his light brown fur against hers as he sat beside her, gazing down at the lifeless body of her brother. Stag hesitated for a long moment; this wasn't his strong suit, none of it was, especially when he was feeling some grief himself. But he was familiar with this sort of pain; he could steel himself and pull through it.
So, being the strong rock he knew the she-cats needed right now, he settled between them. He wasn't used to having this much proximity and closeness, but would gladly be there as he was needed. His voice was low and sincere as he spoke again, doing his best to keep his tone even.
"It... it ain't right. And it might not feel okay for a long while. You two have dealt with so much. But... someday, it'll be alright, I swear it. I won't lie to ya, you won't ever really forget a pain like this... but it'll be easier to manage at some point, I promise. For now, though... we gotta grieve. None of this was fair, 'n there ain't nothin' we can do to change it... but we thank StarClan for the time they gave us with the cats we care for, 'n we honor their memory."
He paused the rare inspirational ramble before blinking down at Weepingpaw, briefly pressing his nose to the limp cat's flank. "...May StarClan welcome ya 'n bring you peace 'n rest, kid..."
Berryshine let out a sniffle, starting to paw forward some lavender to dress Weepingpaw's pelt to hide the stench of death. Her green eyes were shining with tears as she quietly added in a shaky tone, ancient words of honor spoken for fallen Clanmates:
"M-May you find good hunting, swift running, a-and shelter when you sleep..."
Stagheart felt another pang of grief at her shaky words, swallowing hard before lowering his head. There would be a time to tell Stormstar, whether he or Berryshine would do it. For now... he just sat in silence, their little adoptive family — or what was left of it — huddled in the dim medicine den, quietly grieving together. And somewhere out there, he knew, there'd be a few extra stars tonight in the bright expanse of Silverpelt.
__________________
*despite everything, it's still you.
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she and Cobwebfern have a semi-closed den policy.
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude 3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 54 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]
—
As Willowtail repeatedly asked Stagheart about Weepingpaw, his heart wrenched in his chest. Clearing his throat, the warrior finally managed to grunt the words out in a quiet rumble, steeling himself for the oncoming despair, his eyes softened in sympathy and his own grief as he lifted his large head to look at her.
"He's... he's gone, kid. I'm... I'm so sorry."
The words were bitter on his tongue and his muscles tensed, seeing the horror of realization slowly dawning on Willowtail. And when Daisypaw suddenly cried out, he winced, knowing this probably felt like thorns stabbing straight to the heart for both she-cats. His haunted blue eyes flicked to Daisypaw, frowning in even more concern when he saw the visible pain from the young 'paw as she jumped up. He quickly outstretched his large paw, his touch incredibly gentle despite his powerful form as he tried to ease her back down, to not overextend herself. Before he could say anything, Willowtail had fired off into an emotional vent, and his maw snapped shut.
Stars above... the pain was palpable in the air, the despair and grief almost suffocating. Despite being somewhat familiar with death and of course familiar with loss, it felt different seeing others that he cared about struggle with it — especially others he was supposed to protect. But how could he protect them against broken hearts?
As the sisters went at it, Stagheart let Daisypaw brush by his flank, his paw still gently holding her still so as to prevent as much wriggling as he could. He took in a deep breath, his voice a low, gruff tone as he spoke a bit sternly to get the she-cats to listen to him, although he was still gentle and sympathetic as he spoke.
"Hey, you two... it won't do no good to go snappin' at each other. Daisy, like Willowtail was sayin', it ain't no one's fault... Weepin'paw was real sick, to where even Berry couldn't save 'im. If StarClan decided it was his time... there weren't nothin' you could do 'bout it." The battle-hardened warrior tried to meet the widened eyes of the frail 'paw, as if his piercing blues could bore that truth into her little head to make her believe it. Then his gaze softened, voice getting a bit quieter as he turned his head to Willowtail. Stars above, he didn't even know that part about Nightshadepelt — sure, he hadn't seen the tom in awhile, but he'd just figured he'd been too busy to notice...
The stab of shock from this revelation was dulled by the sharper pangs of grief through his system, especially the secondhand pain he was feeling from the sisters. As he followed them to Weepingpaw's body, where Berryshine was silently grieving, his chest felt hollow. Willowtail especially had been through so much, even losing her mate on top of all of this... how could he tell her it was okay? It wasn't, none of this was, but... it was life. Cold, hard, and brutal.
"Stars above... I... I know, Willowtail. I'm.. so sorry," he repeated quietly, genuinely hesitating before showing a rare gesture of affection; brushing his light brown fur against hers as he sat beside her, gazing down at the lifeless body of her brother. Stag hesitated for a long moment; this wasn't his strong suit, none of it was, especially when he was feeling some grief himself. But he was familiar with this sort of pain; he could steel himself and pull through it.
So, being the strong rock he knew the she-cats needed right now, he settled between them. He wasn't used to having this much proximity and closeness, but would gladly be there as he was needed. His voice was low and sincere as he spoke again, doing his best to keep his tone even.
"It... it ain't right. And it might not feel okay for a long while. You two have dealt with so much. But... someday, it'll be alright, I swear it. I won't lie to ya, you won't ever really forget a pain like this... but it'll be easier to manage at some point, I promise. For now, though... we gotta grieve. None of this was fair, 'n there ain't nothin' we can do to change it... but we thank StarClan for the time they gave us with the cats we care for, 'n we honor their memory."
He paused the rare inspirational ramble before blinking down at Weepingpaw, briefly pressing his nose to the limp cat's flank. "...May StarClan welcome ya 'n bring you peace 'n rest, kid..."
Berryshine let out a sniffle, starting to paw forward some lavender to dress Weepingpaw's pelt to hide the stench of death. Her green eyes were shining with tears as she quietly added in a shaky tone, ancient words of honor spoken for fallen Clanmates:
"M-May you find good hunting, swift running, a-and shelter when you sleep..."
Stagheart felt another pang of grief at her shaky words, swallowing hard before lowering his head. There would be a time to tell Stormstar, whether he or Berryshine would do it. For now... he just sat in silence, their little adoptive family — or what was left of it — huddled in the dim medicine den, quietly grieving together. And somewhere out there, he knew, there'd be a few extra stars tonight in the bright expanse of Silverpelt.
Willowtail noticed Daisypaw's pain after her rant, resting her long tail on her sisters as she leaned her head against Stagheart, gently sobbing in any way a cat could.... Willowtail shook gently, her heart feeling a bit lighter as Daisypaw's tail gently wrapped around hers, "What am I going to do without you?" Willowtail whispered, looking down to her brothers sickened... disheveled apprance. Gently lifting her head as Berryshine put the lavander blanket, signifying he was gone. He was truly, gone.
Daisypaw gave a small sniff, her head on Stagheart's side, sniffing away tears as she cuddled into his fur, trying not to look at Weepingpaw as she shook, her little paws red from the soreness of her harsh landing. Dasiypaw whispered to Stagheart, "Papa.... will Willow be alright?" Daisypaw asked, her eyes anxious as Willowtail stared blankly, "Losing the love of her life and her only left littermate all the while she had met our mother and uncle who are also gone...... shes going through so much...." Daisypaw mewed. As she spotted Berryshine, Daisypaw looked desperatly to her adoptive sister, asking for comfort.
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Oceanstar is the leader of Beachclan, he has a semi-open den policy. <33 Mention me where ever just Vm me first Willowtail of Riverclan is Tier 3 Beefed Up and Agatha Kitty ! Both active<3 Blackberry is Moonclan's Medicine cat! He has a open den policy!! Softdove and Crowsong and the med cats of Treeclan and Fogclan, they have open den policies!
"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever" - Park Seonghwa @/Beanz is haunting my profile :sniffles"
lio lurked here, hope dropped a bundle of chocolates here
Rose littered this profile with flowers
૮ ྀིྀིྀི₍ ⸝⸝•̥\./•̥⸝⸝ ₎ ྀིა felix left a fawn here
]@/Beanz@/mars@/Merp Machine@/CrimsionOaks@/WCUEhoneyfur@/Hollyheartofthunder@/MaplestrikeWCUE@/constellation@/Snowyfeathr@/KestrelPaw@/Eucalyptuspaw @/rubberRatroom - "It's so preppy in here
Willowtail noticed Daisypaw's pain after her rant, resting her long tail on her sisters as she leaned her head against Stagheart, gently sobbing in any way a cat could.... Willowtail shook gently, her heart feeling a bit lighter as Daisypaw's tail gently wrapped around hers, "What am I going to do without you?" Willowtail whispered, looking down to her brothers sickened... disheveled apprance. Gently lifting her head as Berryshine put the lavander blanket, signifying he was gone. He was truly, gone.
Daisypaw gave a small sniff, her head on Stagheart's side, sniffing away tears as she cuddled into his fur, trying not to look at Weepingpaw as she shook, her little paws red from the soreness of her harsh landing. Dasiypaw whispered to Stagheart, "Papa.... will Willow be alright?" Daisypaw asked, her eyes anxious as Willowtail stared blankly, "Losing the love of her life and her only left littermate all the while she had met our mother and uncle who are also gone...... shes going through so much...." Daisypaw mewed. As she spotted Berryshine, Daisypaw looked desperatly to her adoptive sister, asking for comfort.
— STAGHEART —
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude 3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 54 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]
—
Stagheart was quiet for a few moments as Willowtail and Daisypaw cried on either side of him. The poor young warrior's eyes were glazed over as she stared blankly, and he swallowed, trying to think of any other words he could say. Any more encouragements felt too rushed or shallow, and yet anything else stating how unfair this was might also drive her deeper into despair.
But Daisypaw spoke first, so the large tom swiveled his head to her, gently tapping his tail on her flank in a soothing motion. "She's... she's gonna be alright eventually, kid. Might just take awhile; it's more than some cats experience in their lifetime, let alone all at once. She's gonna need you there to support 'n help her through this, though, alright? I know you're hurtin' too, but ya need each other, more than ever. Can you do that?"
His tone was gentle despite the low rumble of his gruff tone, blue eyes creased in sympathy. When he'd lost those he loved or had been close to, he'd had virtually no one... and getting through the grief had been hellish. At least the sisters had each other; and him, and Berryshine. It wasn't enough to take away the pain, but... lessened the blow. And there would be other cats to catch them when the grief wanted to push them over the edge of a pit.
| BERRYSHINE |
small & nimble dark brown she-cat with darker flecks and light, leafy-green eyes | the collector | dreamwalker |
Berryshine was slowly dressing Weepingpaw's fur with lavender and shaky paws, masking the stench of death with the pungent yet soothing floral scent. It permeated the air, and she didn't mind that it momentarily overwhelmed her fuzzy senses, dulling some of the physical grief she could feel twisting in her chest.
To Daisypaw's mewed words, Berry felt her own heart wrench in her chest. She raised her head, meeting Daisypaw's eyes and nodding slowly as Stagheart spoke, reaffirming his words. Green eyes flicked between the sisters and her adoptive father, more than ever grateful for having them there, even if her chest felt hollow. Honestly, part of her blamed herself for not being able to cure Weepingpaw's infection. She knew Stagheart was right, that she'd done all she could and it was simply his time, but... feeling like she could've done more was something that'd never leave her.
But Berryshine's throat was too tight, closed with a lump in it, and no words left her maw. So instead she did her best to share a meaningful glance and nod before sighing, lowering her head back down to Weepingpaw.
It would be alright, someday... but not today. Stars, she didn't want to tell Stormstar; speaking the words aloud to the leader would only make it more real.
__________________
*despite everything, it's still you.
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she and Cobwebfern have a semi-closed den policy.
no more weeping, no more pain... [p]
]
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
Re: no more weeping, no more pain... [p]
