The Dawn burns Away [Death-Open]

The pale colored she-cat seat in the elders den watching her clan hurry to finish up things before the day time came. The mostly night time clan was slowly fading from the every night hustle and bustle to the calmest time of dawn. It was mostly warriors who stayed awake now. Apprentices were tucked away, tired from a days training. The former medicine cat stood from her spot outside the elders den, a smile came when she felt the pain in her old joints, but she moved with the pain anyway working her way into her nest. She settled into the soft nest her tail coming to rest over her nose. Her green eyes closed and her breathing became steady. Just as the dawn of the day faded the elder took her last breath, and didn't awake the next night when the clan started its routine again.

As the sun sank below the horizon once more, Swiftclaw got up to start the day. Normally, he had gotten out of the habit of taking care of the elders, but with the recent passing of Shimmerheart, he felt like he should probably check on Dawnflower. He had never really spoken to the elder, but he knew that she had served her time well and it was a joy to see her and, at one point, Shimmerheart talking about everything they had experienced in life. As he padded in however, he hadn't really noticed that the she-cat hadn't moved much. "How are you tonight Dawnflower?" He asked, already moving to switch out the moss in the den. The silence following was a little odd, but he figured she was tired. "I suppose you're worn out, huh?" He asked again but finally stopped with yet another unanswered question. Tilting his head, he glanced to the she-cat, staring at her oddly for a few moment before finally realizing that the she-cat wasn't breathing. "Dawnflower?" He asked, padding over cautiously as he tapped her side before he recoiled from the touch. She was already cold. "Wait, Dawnflower! No! Someone! Anyone! Dawnflower is dead!" Swiftclaw cried as he quickly ran out of the den.

"Wha's wrong?" Puddlepaw questioned, meeting the young tom just outside the medicine den. She blinked drearily, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the brighter light of the sunset. Confusion rocked her tiny body, and the fear she scented rolling off the black warrior in waves was the same she'd felt when she and Honeydrop were working on Blazeflight's terrible injuries…

Eyes widening, the young apprentice flattened her ears, breathing coming in quick bursts. Surely nothing could happen again—"Is someone hurt?" she breathed, feeling as though she was watching the scene unfold from far away. "Is…someone…" she didn't finish. She didn't want to.

Upon hearing Puddlepaw's voice, Swiftclaw turned quickly and headed for the medicine den. "Puddlepaw! Dawnflower..! She's..." He choked up, trying to calm himself but it was in vain. The elder was gone and there wasn't anything the warrior could do. "I... I don't know what to do!"

Duneclaw looked up from sitting be the warrior cat den. He wondered if something was wrong as he saw Swiftclaw rush to the medicine cat den. He decided to watch and see what happened.