Broken Together (Closed for Reaper King)

OOC: This is set a few hours after "Where is Your God Now Part 2"

Ashstorm walked into camp for the first time since the horrible event occurred hours before.  Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and the fur under her eyes was wet from the tears, she hoped no one would notice.  Walking was hard.  With each new step it felt like she was sinking into the floor, which, in all honesty, she sort of wished she was.  She did not want anyone to know what she did or what happened to Dawnhawk, all of it was horrible, but with how they acted the night when they first were free of the Asylum's rule, she thought they might be happy or congratulate her and that was something she desperately wanted to avoid.  She was no hero.  She was no savior.  She was whatever monster would decide to kill their own family.

She did not want anyone to know anything, but eventually they would have to.  There were a few cats that deserved to know.  They actually cared for Dawnhawk.  She spotted Tornpaw and gestured for the apprentice to follow her into the forest.  Walking just far enough so hopefully no one else would hear them, she took a breath in, trying to find a way to tell the apprentice what happened without her just bursting into tears again.  "T-Tornpaw, your father," She started and then took a deep breath.  "He drowned."  That was all she could say.  She was determined not to cry even though tears hung in her eyes.

It was ironic that all Ashstorm wanted to do when she was an apprentice was make Dawnhawk proud and learn to be just as strong as he was, that she would be the one to kill him (or so she thought he was dead).

The golden and white apprentice was carrying moss towards the elder's den on her way to fluff a nest for the elders, but she paused as soon as she saw Ashstorm gesturing to follow her out into the forest. Azure eyes took in the warrior for a moment making note of the way she carried herself.. Something bad happened didn't it? Tornpaw felt her heart drop. The apprentice quickly dropped the moss off giving a quick excuse before following after the warrior.

The whole time on the short walk the apprentice remained quiet. Afraid of breaking the silence. Afraid of the news that was to come from the older warrior. Tornpaw wanted to know what was going on, but she was so afraid. So afraid of the news. Her tattered ears perked at the mention of her father, but due to the tone of Ashstorm's words her heart was breaking. "H-he..." She started, her voice already breaking. "He.. he's dead..?" She asked her voice quiet. She didn't want it to be true, but this was Ashstorm. She didn't have anything against Dawnhawk.. So it had to be.. Oh stars.. It had to be...

Ashstorm dipped her head down, ashamed by what had happened.  Hurt was not even beginning to describe what she was feeling, but Tornpaw was an apprentice and Dawnhawk's daughter and Ashstorm did not even want to think about how much what she was saying could hurt the younger cat.  "Yes." She said softly.  "I'm sorry," she spoke filled with guilt.  She did not want anyone to know.  She did not want to face this apprentice treating her like the villain she was.  "That... That I had to tell you this."  Her ears flattened to her head and she took a step back as another tear fell to the ground beneath her.

Tornpaw's back end fell to the ground, her body barely bracing herself from falling fully. What?nShe didn't believe it. She couldn't. She didn't want to think it was true, but it was coming from Ashstorm this time.. Grief overtook the young cat. What did this mean for the rest of the clan? Were they going to celebrate his death? Where they going to cheer in front of her while she suffered from the loss of her dad? "What.. What are we going to tell the clan?" She asked her voice broken.

Tornpaw asked a question that she had been pondering herself.  Ashstorm eyes stopped tearing for a moment and she was able to pull herself together enough to think about and answer her question.  "You should... you should tell them only when you need to.  I'm not sure how they will react so I'll leave it up to you on what to tell them and who to tell it to."  She felt bad about not telling Tornpaw what exactly had happened and she was still debating whether or not to.  She deserved to know, but Ashstorm did not know if it would give the apprentice more to hate and worry about.