WATN Writing Challenge
I could hear the blood pumping through my veins, my spastic heartbeat, my hitching breath as I looked down at her body. I wanted to scream, to run, to bring her back to life. "Rosepaw! Rosepaw!" I heard my friend and foster sister, Dawnbreeze, shout. Her eyes were wide with shock and fear, as were mine. "Come on Rosepaw, we need to leave!" She yowled over the snarls and hisses of fighting cats around us. I looked up from her body and my eyes turned wild. I felt my claws unsheath further and I leapt at the apprentice-sized rogue in front of me. I didn't care that she was younger, I didn't care that she was protecting herself, all I cared about was that she killed Nightpaw.
I let out a ferocious growl as my claws found their way deep into her fur. My heart beat faster, my vision got blurry and my hearing slurred. Slice, slice, slice. That's all I could think. Before I knew it, Dawnbreeze was yanking me off of the blood mess that use to be a cat. My eyes opened more when I saw the true horror that I had done. "Retreat! Retreat!" One of the rogues called, soon many of them were fleeing; all had injuries. I looked around and realized we weren't too good ourselves. Everyone was hurt in some way, I didn't realize how badly I was bleeding until after my senses came back. I opened my mouth in pain but no noise came out. "Rosepaw!" Dawnbreeze called again and ran over, helping me to my paws. I groaned and leaned against her. "Thanks..." I said in a quiet and raspy voice. I looked back in sorrow as Thistlecloud was carrying Nightpaw back to camp on his back. Ashbird beside him, actually looked sad that her daughter- or son -was dead. Once we reached camp, everyone had a turn in the herb den.
It wasn't until late that night that I was called. "Rosepaw, you need to go see Cloudstorm," Dawnbreeze said with worry. I shook my head. "No...I won't leave her," I replied, placing my paw onto the cold, unmoving one of Nightpaw's. She touched her tail tip to my shoulder. "It'll be quick, you'll be able to sit vigil for her," my foster sister tried to persuade me. Eventually I sighed and gave in, heading off to the herb den. Right after I was treated, I joined Nightpaw's vigil with Ashbird, Dawnbreeze, and Jaypaw. I felt a hole in my heart as I fell asleep next to her.
Three moons later, I heard could always hear the clan talking about me. Roseshade isn't the same. Roseshade has never gotten better. Roseshade is broken. I closed my eyes tight. It was true, I was different and I knew it. Even after requesting my full name be part of her name, could never mend the tear in my heart. I perked my ears and turned my head, noticing someone was there. I relaxed as I heard the comforting voice of Dawnbreeze. "Out here again?" She asked softly. I nodded and she sat next to me on the rock. I was where my parents first met, where I showed Nightpaw- or named Nightshade by Petalstar after...dying. The sunset was still beautiful, but it would never be the same without her.
"I miss her Dawnbreeze..." I said, my voice cracking. She nodded sympathetically and let me continue. "I miss her so much...I never got to tell her how I feel, how-" I stopped, my voice and body shaking to much. Dawnbreeze stepped closer and said "Roseshade, you can say it," she urged. I finally cracked and hurried my muzzle into her fur, wailing. "Dawnbreeze I loved her so much! I loved her so much and now she'll never know!" I cried. Dawnbreeze comfortingly licked me as I let out all my bottled up emotions. "I'm sure she knows Roseshade, and I'm sure she's watching us right now from the Star Watchers. She loved you back, even if she didn't know it, it was always in her eyes."
A/N Short, but sweet I guess. First writing challenge done, I hope it's not too bad. This was Rosepaw reacting to the death of Nightpaw. IWalkBlindlyIntoTheShadows owns Nightpaw and Ashbird, Amberstorm233 owns Dawnbreeze.
