Claws
Oneshot
Sootfur x Whitepaw
Pale gray fur gleamed silver underneath the softly glowing moonlight that bathed the stone hollow. Anxious paws paced the clearing, tail twitching in clear agitation, stood a light ashen-colored tom with powerful rippling muscles. The muscular tomcat twitched his pink nose, a change in the night winds blowing the scent of another cat towards him. For a moment, the gray tom tensed, but he visibly relaxed as a slender white queen stalked towards him with shining jade orbs. The snow apprentice silently twined her tail with his, pale gray against soft white. The light tom allowed himself to be lost in her intoxicatingly sweet scent, but even she could not warm the feeling of coming dread that chilled his bones tonight.
"Sootfur," The young femme remarked, her voice more delicate than the finest rose in the forest, "You look like you've lost a rabbit and found a shrew." The light silver tom called Sootfur let out a purr, his amber eyes glowing softly as he gazed at her with tenderness in his eyes.
"Whitepaw," His face lit up as he spoke her name. She was like a ray of pure sunlight on a cloudy day. But even his love for her could not hold his heart still tonight, as his heart beat more frantically then ever. "Something isn't quite right. I can't quite put my paw on it."
That wasn't quite the truth, but he could not bring himself to tell her of his terrifying dreams. He had been in the camp, sitting quietly, when a dark shape had stumbled in and pinned him down. The light gray tom slashed at it, but even his muscles could not break free of this creature. He tried to kick his attacker off, and for a moment, it worked. But then the creature sent him flying across the clearing with one massive swipe of its forepaw. Claws sharper than any cat's met his head, and as he hit the ground, he heard two sickening cracks. Blinded by pain, he felt hot breath ruffle his neck fur. He struggled to break free, but his efforts were in vain. The creature savagely sank its fangs into his throat, and there was nothing but blackness washing over him like a tide.
But he watched the young apprentice tilt her head questioningly, concern etched on her strikingly beautiful face. He suddenly buried his muzzle in her soft fur, breathing in her warm scent. The world was a cold, dark place, but nothing seemed dark when she was by his side.
For moons now he had padded after Whitepaw, the single kit of Cloudtail and Brightheart. He remembered the day she was born back in the old camp, a hot day in the height of greenleaf, back in the days when no cat would ever go hungry.
"Come to see the kit?" Sootfur remembered, as a young apprentice, slowly padding into the nursery protected by brambles, hearing Cloudtail's proud greeting. The light gray tom had nodded, and gazed down at Brightheart. The ginger and ivory she-cat had looked exhausted, but her single green eye shone with pride.
Sootpaw had watched as Brightheart swept her tail back, and for the first time he noticed a tiny fluffy kit suckling Brightheart. He touched his nose to her sleek white fur. The little she-kit reached up blindly and touched her tiny pink nose to Sootpaw's. His amber eyes widened in astonishment.
"She's beautiful," He whispered softly, breathing in her milky kit-scent. Cloudtail and Brightheart both purred proudly, their tails swishing.
"She'll be quite the heartbreaker," Cloudtail purred, his chest puffed out in pride, "I think Whitekit likes you already, Sootpaw!" Sootpaw let out a small purr, and leaned down to lick tiny Whitekit's forehead.
"I'll always look after you," Sootpaw had mewed into her ear on that day, his mind racing with thoughts of them training together one day. Although, he had no idea that one day, he would fall in love with Whitepaw, the brave young apprentice who smiled in the face of adversity.
And now they sat together, tails entwined, in a peaceful silence. The moon ascended higher and higher into the sky, and Sootfur could already hear StarClan whispering to him. He knew that soon he would have to leave Whitepaw, and he knew that soon her heart would be broekn. It was cruel that they would take him now, when he and Whitepaw should have had a long, happy life together. But for now, he remained by her side, knowing that he could at least be together with her for one more night.