Desperation (Closed)

Mousefang plodded through the thick marsh, carrying a toad in his mouth. The mud and mire was getting deeper with each step, and he had to search around for the hidden rocks just beneath the surface to avoid getting sucked in any farther. It was already up to his stomach, pulling his belly fur down and getting clots of mud stuck in his pelt. He didn't particularly care; he had other things on his mind. The warrior stopped to rest on one of the rocks, and checking to make sure he was alone in the least desirable place in the territory, the brown warrior scarfed down the prey. It was a bad habit of his he'd been trying to break with little success. But tonight he was too upset to try and stop himself; he'd been upset for the past several sunsets. His last important family member was dead. Tigerflower was gone. One day she was there, talking about patrols and hunting and how good it would be in Greenleaf, and the next day her bloodied and broken body was being dragged into camp by some unfortunate soul who found it on a hunting trip.

The once-mischievous tom was a swirl of emotions. He was angry that anyone would dare trespass on Shadowclan land and attack an innocent she-cat and confused how anyone could have possibly overpowered his mother. Certainly she was not an amazing fighter, but she was always so full of fire that she could have scared off a fox if she wanted to. His muddied tail lashed back and forth. He wanted both to take his claws and rip up every shred of fur on that dead bastard Bear's back and to throw himself into the marsh, never to be seen again. Because of all the storming feelings that flooded his whole soul, the greatest and strongest of them all was a deep despair that gripped his heart like icy claws locked onto their prey. He was just a stupid half-breed who didn't deserve to be a part of Shadowclan. Only his mother physically tied them to the clan, like she was the proof that reminded the others that he was one of them. But she was gone, and he was alone. No other cat in the clan ever looked at him with the love that she did. Tigerflower cared, even when he was selfish and a jerk and when he pushed other people around. It was her job. She was his mother, after all.

Mousefang's green eyes dropped to his mud-covered paws. He wrapped his tail tightly around them and shivered, but not because he was cold.

Foxheart had found herself chasing a frog across the marshy territory, her mind focused purely on hopping along with the slimy piece of prey. She wasn't usually so persistent with sneaky critters, but something about this particular one had ruffled her fur backwards. With a growl in her throat, the she-cat pounced forward, her claws gripping to catch the slippery amphibian. The lucky thing managed to climb out from under her paws and jumped towards the Deep Marshes. The creature was light enough to hop across the sinking mud without a problem.

An aggravated sigh escaped the tabby's mouth. Her tail lashed back and forth as she contemplated her next action. Prey was often found drowned in the thick mud. It was a perfect place to find an easy catch, if you were brave enough to clamber through its neck-deep trap.

With a frustrated huff, Foxheart leapt forward. She immediately regretted her choice as the wetness soaked through her usually clean fur. Her paws felt sluggish. It took more effort than she expected to walk forward. With no rocks around to rest on, she continued forward, eyes alert for any sign of fresh-kill.

After what felt like a moon without any luck, her day had suddenly become much more aggravating. That idiot Mousefang came into her view, lounging on a rock without any visible cares. Scoffing, she trudged over to him, hellbent on lashing out at him. The tabby tom had been ignoring her teasing and comments for some time now. While he would normally react to her snide remarks, his recent behaviour had been too passive for her to ignore. You can't shrug me off here, the she-cat hissed in her mind. Little did she know, a deep pocket sat between the two cats. Her legs slipped further into the mud as she angrily stepped forward. Panic struck her lungs as her head nearly submerged.

She couldn't die here. Not now. Not in front of this mousebrained fool. She'd rather... She'd rather lose her pride for just a moment than lose her life. "M...M-Mousefang... H-Help!" the red tabby cried, eyes turned away and paws flailing helplessly in search for solid ground.

Mousefang jumped several tail-lengths into the air, spooked by Foxheart's voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. At first he was annoyed and upset that she had followed him even here, but as he turned around and opened his mouth to his something dismissive, he saw that the large red tabby was actually sinking into the mud. Was she... was she asking him for help? His expression was shocked for a moment, but then it changed to disdain. I really don't even have to help her. I could just... let her drown and a lot of my problems would be solved. He thought momentarily to himself. But then his usual mental process got ahold of him, and he was appalled at what he had just thought. No! I'm a warrior, and I don't leave fellow warriors to die! He thought, and crouched at the edge of his rock with a look of determination.

"Hang on Foxheart! Don't struggle, just hold still!" Mousefang called out before lunging at her from the rock, burying his jaws into her thick scruff. When he was sure he'd gotten a good grip on the she-cat, he braced his shoulders and haunches and pulled with all of his might. Grunting with the effort, Mousefang was just heartbeats away from giving in when the mud suddenly released Foxheart from its grasp and he stumbled backwards, splaying out on the rock. "Are... you alright?" He asked, slightly out of breath while he righted himself back onto his paws.