[p/t] Red, Speckled Doves

[moxie_the_slime]

`~~'
| speckledpaw |
| RC Apprentice | anxious and confident | they/them/he |
"I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll never Die-"

[TW: Panic Attack, Trauma, Blood, Death]
Barking and Howling began to ring in his ears, his eyes widen3d and his claws unsheathed.

Screams.
Blood.
Howling.

Screaming.
Howling.
Bleeding.

Loving.
Leaving.
Breathing.
Dying.

Screaming
Speckledpaw couldn't move, his breathing growing ragged, fast paced and uncertain, eyes slitted.

Howling
The thundering steps of paws, hunting down, the whisper of his mother telling him go hide, uttering soft words of comfort.

Dying
Now here he stood, paralyzed, staring at the graves. There were no graves for his mother or father. No words if gentleness for him.

@kira

[kira]

Redsurge looked up, starting off towards the next landmark whenever she realized that Speckledpaw wasn't following her. ''Speckledpaw?''

The russet-and-white braided tabby turned to look at the tortoiseshell tom, stiffening whenever she realized that he was frozen in place, stiff with grief (it was rolling off of him in waves, and she could feel it). His breathing pattern was off, his eyes wide with terror and fear. ''Speckledpaw...?! SPECKLEDPAW!'' Redsurge raced over to him, wrapping her tail around him and pressing her maw to his head. ''Hey, hey, buddy. It's okay. I promise you, it's okay. Everything's going to be just fine.''

''Look at me, Speckledpaw. Focus on my voice. Everything will be okay. Everything's going to be just fine,'' the warrior repeated, trying desperately to get him to snap out of it. ''Focus on my voice, buddy.''

[ @moxie_the_slime | Speckledpaw ]

[moxie_the_slime]

`~~'
| speckledpaw |
| RC Apprentice | anxious and confident | they/them/he |
"I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll never Die-"

Speckledpaw was shaking eyes wide. Slowly he blinked, looking over at Redsurge, eyes dazed.

"i-im sorry.." He murmured, looking shakily up at Redsurge, the tremors unceasing.

Loving..
Leaving...
Breathing....
Dying.....

Speck couldn't get it out of his head, sniffling, trying to hold back his tears.

"please can we go..?" His voice trembled, on the verge of sobbing.

@kira

[kira]

''Don't be sorry. It isn't your fault,'' Redsurge murmured soothingly, giving Speckledpaw a comforting lick between the ears. ''Of course we can go. I don't want you to feel unsafe.''

Redsurge led the way away from Seagrass Fields and towards a large expanse of territory, cut off by a large river in between. On RiverClan's side lay willows and reedbeds. On the other lay oak trees and bramble bushes. ''...this here is Smallpines, RiverClan's border with ThunderClan. I would remain cautious down here if I were you, even as a warrior. The thundersquirrels are...are known for being quite vicious. Larkwing...she was attacked by a thundersquirrel because she crossed the scent line to fetch Salamanderpaw, who had unknowingly crossed into ThunderClan territory. They did...they did some serious damage,'' the she-cat explained, glancing at Speckledpaw through her heterochromatic blue-and-yellow eyes. ''Promise me you won't do something as dangerous as crossing into enemy territory, Speckledpaw. Promise me you won't make a rash decision like that.''

[ @moxie_the_slime | Speckledpaw ]

[moxie_the_slime]

`~~'
| speckledpaw |
| RC Apprentice | anxious and confident | they/them/he |
"I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll never Die-"

The words felt familiar to his tounge, the need of a promise from a mother figure.

"I promise." He nodded, glaring at the thunderclan border, making a slight sneer. "Why would I even want to be on those disgusting thunder-rat's territory." He murmured, mostly to himself.

@kira

[kira]

''Don't say anything like that around one of them, Speckledpaw,'' Redsurge warned, glancing at the tom as she led the way to the next border and final piece of territory she would be taking him to see. Sedgewater Valley was still closed, as far as she knew.

''This is Saltmeadow Marsh,'' she explained whenever they arrived. Pine trees line the other side of the border. ''Take a guess at which Clan lies on the other side.''

[ @moxie_the_slime | Speckledpaw ]

[moxie_the_slime]

`~~'
| speckledpaw |
| RC Apprentice | anxious and confident | they/them/he |
"I'm Gonna Win, I'm Gonna Try, I'll Never Lose, I'll never Die-"

"From the trees or the stench?" Speck grunted, the panic attack must of been a doozy, because he wasn't acting at all like himself.

"Shadowclan's got their mangy scent written all over it." He grumbled, padding towards the border, sniffing it, his tail twitching irritably.

@kira

[kira]

Redsurge nodded. ''You're correct. Saltmeadow Marsh is RiverClan's border with ShadowClan,'' she purred, glancing at him. ''Since we've finished the tour with enough time to spare, I thought I might take you to the training hollow and give you a bit of hunting and battle training. Would you like to do that, or would you rather we went back to camp and call it a day?''

[ @moxie_the_slime | Speckledpaw ]