Love Is Spiders
Oneshot
Spiderpaw x Shrewpaw brotherly
Leaves ruffled slightly in a bush nearby before becoming still only a matter of seconds later. A light drizzle formed overhead, slicking the grass wet. A twig managed to erupt with a cracking sound into the silent spell of the clearing. Low breathing came out, barely noticeable usually, but in the silence it was almost vividly heard. A dark paw showed itself as an extremely thin tomcat emerged from the bushes. His dark pelt was neatly defined between mahogany and auburn shades. His nose scrunched up, baring his teeth as the sides of his cheeks gave way and were forced up with muscles as his nose moved up. Shrewpaw was on hunting patrol with his father, Dustpelt, who had clearly stated that he needed to catch something for his mother, who was nursing his younger sibling, Birchkit. A chilly breeze ruffled his light tabby fur, and the young apprentice shivered, his whole body shaking with cold. Normally, a breeze wouldn't faze him, but the effect of slow starvation of the entire Clan was affecting how well he could maintain temperature. It was at times like this that he wished for the old, carefree days of lounging in the greenleaf sun, sharing tongues with Whitepaw or Squirrelpaw.
Squirrelpaw. The name echoed in his head, and he briefly closed his amber eyes in pain. He had always been fond of the lively ginger apprentice, but she had run off with Brambleclaw about three moons ago, right before they had begun to starve from the Twolegs destroying their forest. They had even had to abandon their camp that they had lived in since the dawn of time, for the monsters were hungrily devouring their home. Already, his younger siblings Larchkit and Hollykit had died because of the Twolegs. Anger churned deep in his belly like the white-hot fires of the sun, and frustration throbbed through his veins, frustration that he could do nothing to stop the Twolegs from eventually killing them all. Just three sunrises ago,Squirrelpaw had returned, though she was closer to Brambleclaw than ever.They had claimed to receive messages from StarClan saying they had to leave the forest. But lately, Squirrelpaw's name hadn't made his heart ache as much, for he was beginning to grow fond of another. Her soft, creamy pelt was like a fluffy cloud floating across the clear skies, and his name seemed to have a special ring to it whenever she said it. Her deep, jade eyes reflected her intelligence, and he could lose himself in them for moons.Whitepaw, the single surviving kit of Cloudtail and Brightheart, certainly hadn't inherited her father's barbed tongue, but instead, her personality resembled her mother's. With her strong, silent courage and her love for life, it was hard not to admire her.
Soft pawsteps could be heard in the belly-deep snow, and Shrepaw froze, his ears pricked and body alert for signs of movement. Instantly Whitepaw disappeared from his thoughts, and he concentrated on the hunt once more. He heard the shuffling of paws, and he knew instantly that it was not prey to be hunted, but instead another cat.
"Father?" The dark brown tabby hesitantly mewed, his emaciated body tense and ready for battle. No response. Peering along the edge of a tree, he heard a rustle of leaves and felt a heavy weight drop on his back. Letting out a startled yelp, hefelt himself being crashed down to the ground, feeling the impact mostly on his skull against the dry,hard ground by now. His hunt for the Clan would have to wait! He rolled over with the little strength that he had after the effect of the blow and slow starvation. A key movement in fighting was rolling over and squishing your opponent against the ground, off-guard as well. He did so, writhing in the meantime to get out of the grasp of his attacker. In a heartbeat, he realized that the paws that clutched him were wide and sheathed. Shrewpaw opened his jaws in a soundless mew of laughter and got to his paws to face his attacker, whose figure was almost an exact copy of his.
"Spiderpaw!" Shrewpaw mewed joyously, leaping forward to affectionately nuzzle his brother. He studied his brother through narrowed amber eyes. Spiderpaw, his fluffy ebony pelt covered in snow, let out a vigorous purr as he touched noses with his littermate. Shrewpaw and Spiderpaw had been the only two in their litter, so they had an extremely close bond. Whitepaw affectionately joked that they were the next Rainwhisker and Sootfur, who were rarely seen out of each other's company.
"Hey, Shrewpaw, how's the hunt going?" Spiderpaw questioned his brother affectionately, nudging him slightly. Shrewpaw glared at him with rueful yellow eyes, though a glimmer of amusement flickered in them. He gazed carefully at his sibling, realizing how thin and tired he looked, bones jutting out painfully in every direction.
"It was going fine until you showed up!" Shrewpaw snapped bitterly, well aware that he probably looked just like Dustpelt. His father's temper had shown up in both of his sons, though Shrewpaw was better at hiding it than Spiderpaw, appearing kind and submissive. Sniffing the air, Shrewpaw caught the faintest trace of pheasant on the cold breeze. Spiderpaw muttered a muffled apology.
"I smell pheasant," The light brown tabby whispered quietly, his ears angled towards the distant animal, not even in view yet. Spiderpaw nodded slightly, scraping the dirt with one paw absently, his pelt slick with rainwater. Shrewpaw noticed how uncomfortable and exhausted his brother looked; he hated getting wet.
"You go back to Sunningrocks and get some rest. Take Dustpelt, too. Me and Thornclaw will take care of the pheasant," Shrewpaw meowed kindly, tail tip sweeping around to touch Spiderpaw's shoulder gently. Spiderpaw stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, gratitude swimming in his hazy viridian pools. He nodded in thanks, and trotted neatly away.
Spiderpaw would have stayed if he'd known that would be the last time he'd see his brother alive.
Rain pounded down heavy on his sleek black back, so heavily that no cat noticed that Spiderpaw's fur stood on end in pure disbelief. Mud churned around his paws, along with some of his brother's blood. He sat curled up to Shrewpaw's head, his head bowed low. Next to him, Whitepaw stared numbly at the light brown tabby, and Spiderpaw's heart ached for her. He had known that they were falling in love, but the time Shrewpaw had spent in the forest with her had been too short for them to reveal their feelings for each other. What a waste, he reflected, what a shame. If only he had stopped his brother from hunting alone, maybe he would not be lying here, eagle-spread, dead. Perhaps it would be Spiderpaw lying on the ground with a broken neck, his blood flowing freely. Maybe Whitepaw would be crouched next to him...
Spiderpaw shook his head slightly, his feelings for Whitepaw threatening to take over. No matter what, he could not love her. He could not fall in love, for it would be a betrayal to his brother's name. After all, the same blood that mixed with rain around his ebony paws ran through his veins as well. And Spiderpaw had been much closer to Shrewpaw than any other cat. Their brotherly bond rivaled that of Rainwhisker and Sootfur.
The dark tom gazed down at his brother's body as the little moonlight that was not obscured by rain clouds shone down on his light brown tabby fur, glistening with scarlet blood, and a cold blackness washed over his body like a tide. For now, he would try to carry on without Shrewpaw, but the future seemed bleak and pointless. If they were all going to starve and be crushed by Twoleg monsters, then life was pointless. And even if a journey across the mountains meant that the Clans would be saved, right now, it didn't matter, because the one cat who mattered most to him would never see their new home.