End of the Road // Like Morning Follows Night // Fin

"It's over, Lynxscar."

Thornstar's voice split the cold evening air suddenly. She felt Lynxscar's eyes on her but didn't meet his gaze. He would be angry, of that she had no doubt. However, he hadn't given her much choice. She'd stalled long enough. "I brought you out here to let you know in private before I told the others, but I'm removing you from your rank as deputy. You weren't ready for it. I see that now."

Silence met her ears.

She expected protest. Shouting, yelling... something. But only the still silence of Leafbare met her ears. She turned then to look at him. Raw hatred flashed in his eyes, his pelt spiked in anger. Ah... there it was. Thornstar only studied her former deputy calmly. Lynxscar was a walking, talking risk. Had she been thinking more clearly over the last moon she would have seen that by now. But... she hadn't. She'd been too wrapped up in her own head, her own emotions. She hadn't been leading her clan. She'd been doing the very same thing Scorchstar had. The she-cat wondered idly if his was the same expression Scorchstar saw on her own face when she'd found him in his den that day.

Fragile.

Broken.

Alone.

Considering that, she knew Lynxscar had every right to be angry at her. She'd let him down.

But that didn't change what had been done, or the actions he'd taken.

Suddenly, he lunged at her. His claws sank into her pelt and his weight knocked her off her paws. For a moment, she let him shred at her. She didn't fight back. He deserved this opportunity after all. She'd failed him just as much as he had failed the clan, but as his teeth sank into her scruff Swanpetal's words resurfaced in her mind once again.

"You messed up. I'm not going to lie to you to make you feel better. But you have a chance to get up again and do better. So all that's left to say is... Are you going to take it?"

In an instant she was on top of him, pinning him to the frozen ground with a snarl. Self-pity would take her nowhere. Regret would be her downfall if she didn't take action.

And that started with him.

"It's. Over."

Her words were growled into his face, anger sparking in her mismatched gaze. She held him there for a moment, both of their chests heaving as they stared each other down.

He understood now. She could see it in his eyes.

Thornstar lifted herself off of him, allowing him to get to his paws once more. She watched as the tom gave her one last hate-filled stare, only to turn and walk away. His tabby pelt disappeared into the tall grasses surrounding them, and she let out a tense breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

That was it then.

It was over.