Final Words [Closed]

Every step was fill with excruciating pain. What had started as a limp at the Shadowclan border had slowly into an agonized crawl. His dark, tabby fur was bedraggled and wild. Once white patches of fur had transformed into an unholy mess of blood and mud. One eye was swollen shut with a scarlet crust. One front paw had been reduced to a useless mess of crushed bone. The damage done was far beyond the skills of any medicine cat the forest had ever seen. Pain had long since given way to an aching numbness. There was only so long that the immense, throbbing hurt could trouble him, but it certainly did not leave. Yet, he dragged himself on. Through the dirt, he clawed his way in the direction of camp. Behind the warrior, there was a trail of dark red blood. It was quickly drying into the forest floor. Eagleheart's path would leave a mark on Skyclan's territory.

The worst part of the whole ordeal was how aggravated he was with not being able to walk properly. Not even the torn apart eye or crushed foot could compare to the discomfort of his humility. Shadowclan warriors had managed to reduce him to this. It was pathetic. The tom spat at the ground bitterly at the memory. He had only crossed the border to follow his daughter's scent and somehow it had turned into him being mauled by a pair of Shadowclan toms. Regardless of how he felt, Eagleheart knew he needed to get back to camp. There Addergaze and his kits would be waiting. Even if this were his last few moments. Addergaze could mock him for being a poor fighter once more, and then they could curl up together as they always had. If that would now end with his last breath, Eagleheart would be perfectly content.

A grunt left him as his injuries were jarred once more. The terrain was less than ideal for dragging one's maimed carcass across. However, the tom felt hope flutter in his chest as his one good eye caught a glimpse of the camp. What had felt like moons of writhing across the ground would soon be over. Eagleheart 's breathing grew ragged with both excitement and exhaustion. Using his powerful hindlegs, the injured warrior pushed himself forwards, kicking wildly at dirt and scraggly undergrowth. Instead of heading for the entrance, the tom tried to locate the back end of the nursery. His mate would be there. It was not long before he found it. Even in a half-conscious haze, Eagleheart knew the place he had always called home better then anything else. He finally collapsed near the den. The gasps that escaped his throat were beginning to turn to wheezes. But he still managed a soft hiss, "Addergaze."

He prayed to Starclan the she-cat would be able to hear his words, before it would be too late.