Hopes Crushed for All [Open: Death Topic]

ooc: continuation of this topic

I just wanted... The tabby's pace slowed just the smallest bit to allow him a moment to glance back at the she-cat that lay across his back. As the words fell from her maw, any fight that was there, any bit that still clung to life, all seemed to fade away. Eaglepaw willed himself to believe she was merely unconscious. Losing a clanmate in such a horrific way was not something he had never imagine doing. Even worse, the thought of one dying under his watch. That drove him forwards. The apprentice did not care about making noise or kicking up any dust or twigs of the now healed forest. No, his one mission was to get back to camp. When the ravine was in sight, he let out a deep breath that he did not remember holding. His head was light. They were here.

Bursting through the gorse tunnel, Eaglepaw let out an ear-splitting yowl, "Mapleleaf! Hazelpaw is injured!" Still clinging on to the kit-like hope that his clanmate wasn't dead, he made his way over to the mouth of the medicine cat's den. He stooped down and gently pulled her off his back and onto the ground. There was no natural rise and fall of her chest. The mess that was Hazelpaw was still. His yellow eyes stared at the body. It was unreal. The massive tom usually showed little more emotion than anger or pride on any given day. But, now, his gaze portrayed disbelief alongside a certain sadness. He was too late. She was gone.

A dark tabby raced out of the apprentice's den at the yowl. He had been resting after a particularly long border patrol. The sight that greeted him made his stomach clench tightly. Eaglepaw... and... he fought off a grimace as he padded up to Hazelpaw and Eaglepaw slowly. Sadness in his amber eyes as he looked at his grand nephew sadly.

"...What happened?" He asked, refusing to ask if she was okay, he already knew the answer. He had seen cats crushed from the thunderpath before. Their bodies battered and bruised, no longer moving. He stepped forward to lay his tail sympathetically over Eaglepaw's shoulder. "I'm so sorry Eaglepaw." He murmured. His head dipped low in sadness. What a young life... it hurt him to think of her already in Starclan.

At the sound of Eaglepaw's yowl, Scarletpaw ran out of the apprentice den. She glanced at the sight in dread. Was that...Hazelpaw? What happened? She wanted to ask the question, but feared it would make Eaglepaw even sadder to tell the story. Her stomach clenched in horror. Hazelpaw was only a young cat with a great future ahead of her, but now all that was gone. Because she was dead.

Robinsong was lounging casually in the nursery. In less than a moon, she would have her kits. It brought a smile to her face to think of the little bundles by her side. Nothing could ruin this for her. She licked her swollen belly tenderly. The yowl that sounded around camp jolted her from the reverie and she got to her paws as quickly as she could, her belly slowing her down awkwardly. She left the nursery at a fast walk, her eyes darting round to locate the source. And that was when she saw Eaglepaw, and her adopted sister’s body.

Time seemed to slow down into eternity. She had somehow gotten over to Hazelpaw and was now lying by her side, sobbing into the apprentice’s fur. She had never gotten to see warriorhood! She deserved to. Robinsong thought she would have her ceremony soon, but now she would never get the chance. A choked yowl of grief escaped her muzzle as she squeezed her eyes tight shut, crying for her dead sister. She turned her gaze to Eaglepaw, tears still streaming down her cheeks. ”W-what happened?!”

Mapleleaf ran out of the medicine cat den, fur standing and puffed in shock. "What happened Eaglepaw?!" she asked rapidly as she looked at Eaglepaw then to the unmoving body of Hazelpaw. She could see her wounds and what caused her demise. The medicine cat began to circle around the tom. "A-Are you okay?" she asked with a concerned gaze. She had sadness welling up inside at the site of a dead clan-mate but she had to know if Eaglepaw was injured or not.

The apprentice stared down at the body in front of him. His eyes were dull as he stared at the unmoving frame. He had heard about death so many times but never had he witnessed it. As the medicine cat padded around him he finally tore his gaze away and looked up. There were hints of a growl in his tone as he settled his gaze on Mapleleaf, "I'm fine! She's the one that's hurt! Help her!" Eaglepaw found himself practically demanding the medicine cat to do her job. Or, rather, to hopelessly try to bring a cat back to life. None of him wanted to believe that her life faded away. Although, the expression on the she-cat's face left him hopeless.

"I was by the thunderpath and a monster took her life, I think. I showed up right as it sped off. She's dead, isn't she? There's no fixing her?" There was recognition in his words now. Eaglepaw stood over her, heart thudding as if he had killed her himself. How had he been so close and managed to let a clanmate die? Whatever Mapleleaf said in return would fall on deaf ears. The apprentice's ears flattened as he internally berated himself. And he was supposed to be a good warrior when he could not even save a clanmate. A strange mix of feelings tugged at his chest... humility and sadness.