Heart as hard as stone[Death topic; open]

Sagestone hadn't been feeling well for the past few sunrises. At first he had played it off as having eaten crow-food or something, but he steadily got worse until even the medicine cats were telling him to stay in camp and rest. Despite the newleaf coolness, he felt as if his pelt was on fire. What was wrong with him? At least Tawnyshadow had visited him in the nursery the other day. The tom signed as the remaining few warriors in the camp went off for patrol. His breath rattled in his chest, and he swallowed in a attempt to quench his incurable thirst. He hoped he could return to his warrior duties soon...

A sweet voice interupted his thoughts. "You never realize how much you enjoy your duties until you can no longer do them, hmm?" Sagestone's head snapped around to face a white she-cat he had never seen before. For reasons he couldn't explain, the she-cat didn't look out of place. "I suppose," He agreed. The stranger's amber eyes twinkled with a slight amusement as she waited for him to process her words, and it was then that he noticed the stars glimmering at the tips of her fur. A Starclan warrior... but that meant-

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" He whispered, suddenly scared. The she-cat dipped her head. "It is time," She confirmed, "Though, you've lived a good life, even if it was a short one, haven't you?" Sagestone couldn't find fault with that either, though... though he wished he could have told his best friend just how he really felt about her. I'll be waiting for you, Tawnyshadow, he promised. The warrior got to his paws, the tightness from his chest suddenly gone as he followed the she-cat, away from the camp he grew up in, and away from the life he had once known.

OOC: Thank you Copperbeans for letting me use Deerleap in this post :)

OOC: no problem!

Tawnyshadow returned from patrol to find her friend lying at the side of a clearing. She had been worried about the tom's sickness, so seeing him so relaxed was a relief. She padded up to him, ready to curl up beside the grey tabby and enjoy the peaceful day. But as she drew closer, she noticed the unusual stillness in the tom, the lack of the rise and fall of his flank, and his head had rolled to the side in an uncomfortable position. His position seemed very familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

It took roughly six heartbeats before she realized that she had seen the same position shown countless times, not on cats, but on prey. Fresh-kill. The sign that they had died. Tawnyshadow's eyes widened as she took a shuddering breath. No. No no no no. Sagestone- the cat she had grown up with, the cat that was always the first to cheer her on, who was always there for her- he couldn't be dead. Her legs crumbled under her.

A wail of grief stuck in her throat as the warrior wrapped her body around her friend's fallen form. Her vision blurred as she took in his scent one last time. I'm sorry, Sagestone, I should have been there for you, I should have torn the forest apart looking for herbs to help you, but I didn't. I'm so sorry, she cried softly, hoping that wherever her friend was, he would hear her final words to him. I'll never forget you, she promised.

Something about the mood in camp seemed ominous as Sunflare returned from patrol. He couldn’t quite place it, whether it was the scent, Tawnyshadow’s posture, or just a feeling hanging in the air.

And then he saw the body. Sagestone’s illness had finally claimed him, it seemed. Sunflare respected the other tom as a loyal warrior, but still something inside him, a voice he didn’t really think he should heed, whispered. He and Tawnyshadow were certainly close. Who will she turn to now, hmm? Shaking his head to clear that thought, the slender cat gingerly approached the object of his affection. He cleared his throat.

Gently, Sunflare nuzzled the back of Tawnyshadow’s neck. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I know what he meant to you.”

Tawnyshadow raised her head as a familiar voice whispered in her ear. She blinked at Sunflare with glazed eyes, as if forgetting for a moment where she was. Her heart burnt in her chest... was this what heartbreak felt like? "He was always there for me, and now he's gone," She cried softly, her voice breaking with sobs. Her yellow eyes searched the tom's, seeking comfort and assurance. Sunflare was her friend, perhaps the only one other than Sagestone. He wouldn't leave her as well, would he?

Sunflare sat down beside the tortoiseshell, his flank brushing hers. Her eyes met his, brimming with grief. Though Sunflare remained dry-eyed, he knew she was right. Sagestone’s time had been unfairly cut short. Still, there was nothing Sunflare could do for him now. Sagestone was with StarClan, and a living, hurting cat sat by his side. Oh, why did these things happen to loyal warriors while codebreakers got off free? Sunflare lent Tawnyshadow a shoulder to cry on and an ear to speak to. Her heart was broken, but though his ached a different feeling also came up. It was then that he knew. Sunflare loved Tawnyshadow.

Sunflare was the only anchor to the world. The clearing echoed with her broken sobs for the next few heartbeats. She wanted to get up, and to just run away from it all, but she couldn't stop thinking about him. Why hadn't she noticed how bad his illness was? Maybe if she had noticed, she would have spent more time with him, and then... and then maybe she could have finally admitted just how much she loved him.

Clearity washed over her like a sudden wave, cool and shocking and unexpected. Tawnyshadow straightened and twisted to face Sunflare. Her eyes were wide with regret and horror. "I..." She chocked out, "I think I loved him." the words clawed its way out of her throat. Part of her longed to keep that secret within her, to hold on to the last of her link with Sagestone. But the other part wanted nothing more than to confide this in her only other friend.

OOC: Throwing this in to see Sunflare's reaction! She will in the end still fall in love with Sunflare, but for now here is some more character development >:)