Unexpected Places [Closed]

Subject: Unexpected Places [Closed] Wed 20 Jan 2021 - 8:25

Gingertalon grunted as she heaved her way out of the hole that was dubbed the nursery, fur bristling at the cold air that sank its claws into her as she escaped the warm confides of the den. She gave her pelt a shake as the queen stretched out each of her limbs, before she winced as she struggled to shift one of her back legs. She glared intently at the limb, at the scars that wrapped around it from where a dog attack had so easily stolen her warriorhood from her. Then, she scanned the camp for the cats who had stolen what was left of her freedom.

Asylum.

She wanted to snarl just thinking about them, anger bubbling up as Olivestar had surrendered to them and then fled. What kind of leader was she? She had sold out her Clan and disappeared in the night without a word, leaving them in the jaws of the beast with clipped claws - without a leader. She shook her head with a huff, limping her way across the camp. But truly, her anger toward Olivestar was nothing compared to the rage she felt toward the invading cats. Gingertalon had lost nearly everything when she had been attacked - her dreams had been shattered but she still had freedom. She could explore the moor, take time to herself. But not anymore - now they had to be watched for...What? Their own protection? Gingertalon knew the risks of leaving the camp on her own - it had taken everything from her but it was still her choice to risk it again. Now even that simple choice was gone and she hated it.

She hated everything these Asylum cats stood for, for petty reasons or otherwise. With slicked ears and squared soldiers, the queen marched toward the entrance of the camp as fast as she could. Her kits were finally old enough that she could leave the camp - but she had enough of bumbling paws around her. She didn't want to be watched by Asylum, she wanted a moment of peace. She wasn't about to wait for an Asylum cat to join her. With as much speed as she could muster with her limp, she slipped from the camp and prayed to the stars that she had somehow been quick enough to escape unnoticed.

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Unexpected Places [Closed] ABC-Gang-Acornstar-2

Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

Subject: Re: Unexpected Places [Closed] Mon 25 Jan 2021 - 19:40

For Thalia, most days stationed in WindClan were the same. She'd keep watch, often out of the shadows where the WindClan cats could clearly see her, and she would weather their glares and unveiled anger at her very existence. She brushed it off every time, because even if it hurt, she could always bounce back. Sometimes, though, something interesting would happen - like now, as she caught someone rushing out of camp as fast as they could. The only Asylum cat with a tendency to do that, as far as she was aware, was herself - so she didn't hesitate when it came to giving chase.

It was dangerous to go wandering alone, and they were supposed to protect the WindClan cats. To keep them from doing things just like this. Besides, she only ever ran away from the camp when she felt hurt or afraid. So maybe the WindClan cat that had run right past her was upset, too - and in that case, she wanted to try and help. "Wait! Please!"

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[Only mods are allowed to see this link]
[character pages]
Leopardstar ~ Nightdancer ~ Lightningbreeze ~ Mistflower ~ Scarletflare ~ Muse
ShadowClan ~ ThunderClan ~ SkyClan ~ SkyClan ~ RiverClan ~ Nomad
Leader ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Scout
Tier 5 ~ Tier 5 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 1 ~ Tier 3

Subject: Re: Unexpected Places [Closed] Mon 25 Jan 2021 - 19:56

Gingertalon had to bite back a groan as she heard a voice call out for her to wait, jolting to a stop as she took in a deep breath and swung to face the Asylum cat giving chase. She wanted to snap at the young she-cat she found herself facing, questioning what she wanted but...She knew what she wanted. It seemed she was going to get an escort after all. "...Fine." Her ears slicked back as she narrowed her eyes, before she groaned and turned - limping away at a slowing pace. "Well, come on then," she muttered, loud enough for the she-cat to hear. "I just need to stretch my legs - don't get in my way."

She hated this. She just wanted some semblance of a private moment but no, Asylum demanded that they couldn't go out alone. So what if she had a bad leg? It wasn't like she was even planning to go that far from the camp - she just wanted peace and quite for the first time in moons. A soft growl escaped her, tensing her shoulders as she limped her way across the moor - almost annoyed at the simple desire to look over her shoulder to see how close the Asylum she-cat was sticking to her than the simple fact that she was there. How long would they be forced to deal with these annoying...Annoying fleas!

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Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

Subject: Re: Unexpected Places [Closed] Mon 25 Jan 2021 - 20:16

Thalia fell into step shortly behind the WindClan cat with ease, watching with concern. It seemed that this cat had trouble with one of her legs, from the way she was walking. Why did she risk running like that, then? Still, her initial reason for following hadn't been forgotten: if this WindClan cat was hurting, enough to run away, she wanted to help. That was all she ever wanted to do, really, to help and make things better than they were. "...I'm sorry, I don't know your name, but... Are you okay? The way you were running out like that, I was worried. I mean, I know that I only run like that when something really bad happens, so... What about you?"

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[Only mods are allowed to see this link]
[character pages]
Leopardstar ~ Nightdancer ~ Lightningbreeze ~ Mistflower ~ Scarletflare ~ Muse
ShadowClan ~ ThunderClan ~ SkyClan ~ SkyClan ~ RiverClan ~ Nomad
Leader ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Scout
Tier 5 ~ Tier 5 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 1 ~ Tier 3

Subject: Re: Unexpected Places [Closed] Mon 25 Jan 2021 - 20:23

"Am I okay," she repeated, her voice hollow with shock. The...This she-cat was seriously asking that, after everything that they had done! Three of their Clanmates laid dead - two at the paws of that...That Theron and she could only assume what had happened with Raventail. Their leader and one of their warriors had just upped and vanished. All because of them. "Am I okay?" Her voice became shrill as she spun to face the Asylum cat, tail fluffing out as it lashed back and forth. "I was running from you! I want nothing to do with you Asylum cats! We can't even leave our camp for a simple walk without you hounding us! We aren't yours to control! As if you care about my well-being. If you did, you would leave me alone!" she snapped, stepping forward as claws dug into the ground. "You would leave all of us alone! The only thing that would make me 'okay' would be if all you Asylum cats would just GO AWAY!" With that, she reared backwards despite the stabbing pain that lanced through her leg and swung a heavy paw toward Thalia's face. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, pure anger toward her situation had taken hold of her.

She had lost most of her freedom when she had lost the main use of her leg - she just wanted what little she had back.

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Acornstar ♀ ~ Badgermask ♀ ~ Creamsky ♂ ~ Duckpaw ⚧ ~ Eveningmoon ♀
TC T5 Leader (80 HP - 170 SP) ~ SC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ SkC T5 Warrior (70 HP - 160 SP) ~ RC Apprentice (20 HP - 60 SP)~ WC T2 Warrior (35 HP - 70 SP*)
Rosybrown (Forest)/Sandybrown (Feral) ~ Indigo ~ Tan ~ Olive ~ Icyblue
*Disadvantage Stats

Subject: Re: Unexpected Places [Closed] Mon 25 Jan 2021 - 21:18

Thalia stood perfectly still, as if frozen in place - like the chill of the season had reached her, covered her as thoroughly as it covered the ground - as the WindClan cat tore into her with harsh words. She was used to that, to them doubting her intentions and claiming she didn't care at all, to them hating everything she was. She'd half-expected it.

But she hadn't expected the action that followed; for the already injured queen to rear up and attack her, the older cat's heavy paw colliding with her face. This hadn't happened before. The closest she'd come to trading blows with another cat since being assigned to WindClan was with their healer, and when she'd thought there might be danger she'd run in the opposite direction. There had been other Asylum cats around, then.

Thalia was alone now. Everything was wrong, this wasn't how it worked - she was a Nightstriker, and alone was the worst thing she could be, she was meant to always have someone at her side; but here she was, alone and in what felt like very real danger.

For the first time in all her memories, she was genuinely afraid for her life.

I don't want to die...!

It all happened so fast, she didn't even notice her own blood dripping slowly onto the snow.

She moved before she could even start to realize that she had, a lifetime of training and instinct taking over where thoughts and feelings had failed her time and again: her strike was swift and sharp and deadly.

(She didn't realize until it was far too late.)

She just wanted all of it to stop. The harsh words, unveiled threats, having to stand by and endure it all, to take whatever these cats threw at her over and over... She only wanted it to

STOP.

When the cloud of smoke fogging her mind began to clear, the cat she'd only wanted to help was lying on the moor.

Lifeless and still.

No longer a threat.

No longer a threat, certainly, when she was no longer alive.

An icy chill ran through her as she realized this was something she had done.

I... I didn't even know her name... I don't know her name!

"...I'm sorry," Thalia choked out, lying next to the still form of the queen. "This isn't what you deserved. I never meant for it to go like this. Please understand, I never meant for this... I know they won't. I'm not stupid, okay? I know. I know I'm not wanted here. I don't even want to be here! But you - you attacked me first, and they'll never believe me when I tell them, will they?"

(Because she was the monster. Had she always been?

Was she willfully blind to her own role in the story that was her life?)

She wanted to stay there forever, frozen in guilt and shame, or maybe to turn and run and never look back. But she couldn't do that now, not when she still had to transport the cat's lifeless form back to her camp, still had to explain what had happened.

All the way there, she couldn't shake the little voice in the back of her mind.

They were right about me from the start, weren't they?

______________________________________

[Only mods are allowed to see this link]
[character pages]
Leopardstar ~ Nightdancer ~ Lightningbreeze ~ Mistflower ~ Scarletflare ~ Muse
ShadowClan ~ ThunderClan ~ SkyClan ~ SkyClan ~ RiverClan ~ Nomad
Leader ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Warrior ~ Scout
Tier 5 ~ Tier 5 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 3 ~ Tier 1 ~ Tier 3