Bleeding Out (Closed)

The first rays of golden sunlight filtered into the medicine den, creating a peaceful aura. The light dappled the fluffy brown pelt of the sleeping warrior, who awoke with a yawn. The cold air that seemed to seep in the den hardly bothered him with his pelt of pure fluff. He grinned as he remembered what he had been told the night before. After what seemed like moons (though it was just a few days) of being unable to hunt, he was finally allowed to start patrolling once again. It was horrible being confined to camp like a useless little kit for a second time. Shrewheart didn’t care at all that he had slept in, just glad that is was a clear. Though he didn’t mind the rain, there was less prey on days when it rained. He could just imagine the feeling of catching a mouse again. And he knew just who to share the experience. He stepped outside, shaking the dust out of his fur. Looking around, he spotted Reedheart fairly quickly. That was the first cat he had ever left camp with, and now that he was forced to have to have the experience a second time, he decided to be sentimental for once in his life. He trotted over to meet the other warrior, picking up a small mouse from the prey pile as he did so.
“Hey Reedheart. I’m allowed to start patrolling again today. Wanna come with me?” he offered, tossing the mouse to his friend. He had hardly built up an appetite at all just laying down for days on end, especially with the disgusting scent of herbs surrounding him. For those reasons he didn't eat anything himself, content just to watch his friend eat before they left. Maybe that could be like old times as well, having hunting contests and fighting badgers. And even if they just did normal hunting, it would be more than welcome after his stay in the medicine den. Any sort of excitement was welcome now.

When the day has come, but I've lost my way around. And the seasons stop, and hide beneath the ground.

The golden tom was walking peacefully in the camp when he suddenly heard someone approaching him. His green eyes looked at his old friend who was now walking again after the battle in the Sunningrocks. Reedheart couldn't feel happier to see him healthy again but... after he became Sharptooth's mate he couldn't help feeling a bit... jealous of him. However, there was no way he would show that. Shrewheart was his friend and he was offering to hang out again. Why should he hate him? "Sure! Thanks for the mouse." He purred picking the prey and eating with quick bites. Soon, he focused on the brown-furred tom and trotted to the exit of the camp, smiling playfully. "Let's go before our paws get frozen."

OOC: I'm not going to use the hunting system

"Well, maybe your paws will freeze off. I doubt any cold no matter how strong can get through this amount of fur," Shrewheart joked, oblivious to Reedheart's jealousy. He jogged out of camp, the cold hardly bothering him due to his fluffy pelt and natural ignorance of pain. Soon they were a good distance away from camp, where the trees stopped too much snow from hitting the ground and their roots provided natural homes for prey. This would be a perfect place for hunting. It was near where he had taught Robinpaw how to hunt, and she had proven that her skills weren't limited to battle. He wondered how his friend's apprentice was doing, and decided to ask him.
"Do you have an apprentice? Mine is great. Maybe we could have them train together sometime. Oh, and my kits can come too. Sharptooth would love that," he suggested, scenting the air. He had completely forgotten if the golden tom even had an apprentice, let alone who it was. The scent of a shrew filled his nose, and he crouched down, following the rodent's trail a small ways. As soon as he saw it, he pounced, quickly killing the shrew with a bite to the neck. He picked it up and carried it back over to Reedheart. "Want it?" He dropped the creature at the tom's paws. It was almost a symbol of offering himself up to his best friend.

When your eyes are red, and emptiness is all you know. With the darkness fed, I will be your scarecrow.

The golden tom followed his friend and chuckled light-heartedly when he joked about his fur. He was right. It was hard to get through that long hair he had. For a few moments, any jealous or concerned thought dissapeared while they walked quietly through the woods. Reedheart remembered the old times... before he was kidnapped by the Mist... before he was a warrior... before Sharptooth chose Shrewheart as her mate.
However, that moment didn’t last and the reality came back to the warrior when his friend talked again. When he mentioned Sharptooth and their kits, he couldn’t help turning his head away from the brown-furred tom. ”I have an apprentice but I prefer to train her alone if you don’t mind. I would only bother you and Sharptooth if I come along to your family trip.” He said in a serious tone not looking at his friend but at the snow. He only returned his sight when he noticed that the other warrior walked away from him. After a few seconds, he returned with a shrew on his mouth. Reedheart didn’t expect that he would offer him the prey and he blinked a bit surprised by his offering. However, the tom didn’t smiled gratefully at the tom. Instead, he frowned a bit angry. ”Have you forgotten that we are warriors? The Warrior Code said that we hunt first for the queens, elders, kits and sick cats. I can’t accept this when I’ve already eaten and others in the camp need it more than me. What were you thinking about?” His voice and expression weren’t his usual self but he couldn’t help it. Finally, all the hidden jealously and anger that he was containing for moons was now showing up and Reedheart didn’t notice that until it was too late.

Shrewheart was rather surprised by Reedheart's sudden serious and a bit angry tone. And here he was, thinking it would be a light-hearted a celebratory patrol. He squinted, as if trying to figure out if this was really his friend or not. It almost seemed like it was a different cat entirely. He dug a hole in the snow and buried the shrew with a huff, remembering his earlier analogy and wondering if this was some sort of bad omen. But that thought quickly left his mind, as most important creepy things did. Instead, he just narrowed his eyes, determined to make this a fun patrol. "You know, just because Sharptooth is my mate doesn't mean she doesn't like being around you. It's fine if you would prefer to train your apprentice alone, but I would like you to meet my kits sometime." He looked back at where he had buried the shrew before continuing. "And geez, Reedheart, since when have I worried about the warrior code? Also, technically I counted as a sick cat yesterday, so I'd say it's okay to stretch the rules. But fine, I'll give this Lichenfang later. We'll just hunt some more now." He turned up his nose slightly in mock arrogance, then snorted in laughter and looked his friend in the eye, trying to see a glimpse of shared amusement. "C'mon, this can still be fun without Sharptooth here!" With that he jumped a step away, scenting the air like he was smelling for an adventure.

When the hour is nigh, and hopelessness is sinking in. And the wolves all cry, to feel they're not worth hollering.

He looked at his friend a little ashamed of how he was acting. Shrewheart didn’t deserve his anger but... he wasn’t able to contain his feelings about the she-cat that was his first love and was taken away from him by his best friend. The tom sighed and tried to smile a bit, giving to the other warrior a shared friendly expression. ”You know better than anyone that I’ve always liked to follow the rules, even as an apprentice.” He said, nudging his friend with one paw.

He agreed with him and smelled the air, searching for prey as he trotted around. The slight movement of a bush caught his attention and the golden warrior crouched down before starting walking toward a skinny squirrel. But his troubled heart distracted him and when he jumped, the tom failed miserably and ended up falling into the bush in a mix of branches and snow. Reedheart shook his body, angry and frustrated. ”Fox dung! Why everything I do end up wrong!?” He hissed, shaking off the branches of his fur.

Shrewheart smiled snorted slightly in amusement a Reedheart's friendly smile a light-hearted comment, glad that he didn't seem to be angry anymore. Now they could have fun and do some hunting just like old times. Stretching out his legs again, he lifted his nose to find something to catch. He caught the scent of the same squirrel as his friend, but let the golden tom stalk it instead of himself. Maybe some successful hunting would be the perfect thing to lighten up the mood a bit. As he watched, he couldn't help but snicker at the failed leap and the disastrous results. After recovering from his fit of laughter, the brown tom bounded to the other warrior and stopped right next to him, a downright silly grin spread across his face and laughter glittering in his yellow eyes. This was too good of an opportunity for a joke to let down.
"Well, not everything you do ends up going wrong. Let's see, you..." he paused for a moment, looking like he was in deep thought. A moment later, the light-hearted expression reappeared on his face and he shrugged. "I actually can't think of anything. It turns out that the was one thing you got right." With that, he laughed again, the thought that it may not be funny to anyone but him not even crossing the warrior's mind. He picked a few of the branches that remained in Reedheart's fur off and smile genuinely at him. "You know I'm just kidding, right?"

I will reach inside, just to find my heart is beating.

His green eyes gazed at his friend approaching but he son turned his sight away, frustrated. He wasn't angry at him for the joke. Reedheart already knew that Shrewheart liked to mock around. What really upseted him was that he was right. He never did anything right in his entire life. He let his sibling die... he was captured by the Mist and he couldn't do anything about it.... and now... he couldn't even be the mate of the cat he loved.

With a small hiss of frustration, the tom shook the rest of the branches and then looked at Shrewheart with narrowed eyes. "No... what you say is right and is no a joke, Shrewheart. I can't do anything right! Cherrykit died because I couldn't save her. Honeyspark, my only living littermate, was captured by Riverclan and I couldn't save her. The Mist captured me and wasn't able to do anything at all to come back home. And now... I'm only a grumpy warrior who can't stop being jealous of his best friend!" He confessed, letting out all his feelings as he clenched his fangs. "Because I wasn't enough, now you're with Sharptooth and you created a family while I can't because... I still love her. I envy you so much, Shrewheart and I can't help feeling angry every time you talk about her and your perfect kits."

The grin on Shrewheart's face fell when Reedheart turned on himself. Were they really going to have to do this? At first he was just mildly annoyed by how this patrol he had tried to make fun was turning out. But when the part about jealousy came up, his interest (and concern) grew, and he subconsciously took a step forward. What? His best friend had been jealous of him for being with Sharptooth this whole time? This was not one of the many things he treated with the 'you learn something new everyday' approach. No, this was something a bit bigger than that. His jaw dropped incredulously. He wasn't the only one who loved that she-cat? It made sense in his mind now that he thought about it, but he had always just assumed they were meant for each other and that was that. Now everything made sense. How the golden tom had been so distant and grouchy ever since his warrior ceremony, and even more so whenever he brought up his mate or kits. Now the fact he had been accidentally antagonizing him this whole patrol clicked. For once, his mind was blank on a joke to make on the subject. But this being awkward or how he was going to respond was the last thing on his mind.
"Wait, what?" For a few seconds, that was all he said, feeling it summed up everything he was thinking. But now the patrol wouldn't be as fun. Well, that would be an easy enough fix. "So, you like Sharptooth?" Oops. That wasn't what he had meant to say. Thinking harder this time, he tried again. "I don't really know what to do about all this. But I did think of something you don't do wrong. You've been a great friend to me ever since I was a kit. So if you want to focus on something you're good at, we should just do that. Maybe we could play a game?"

You tell me to hold on, oh you tell me to hold on...

The fluffy golden tom didn't know what to expect from Shrewheart after his confession. Anger? Sadness? Pity? The answer was none of them. He frowned when he asked something he just said. With a slight blush and an embarrased face, he lashed his tail angrily. "Of course I like her, mousebrain! Wasn't it obvious?" He said a bit ashamed of his own feelings. After all, Sharptooth was his friend's mate.

He listened quietly to the next words of the brown warrior and... the jealousy slipped away from his heart being replaced by blaming thoughts. How could he consider him a good friend after what he just did and said? Reedheart confessed that he was in love with his mate... and he had been ruining this patrol with his grumpy attitude. The tom was far from a good friend but still... Shrewheart saw him as one. He blinked trying to contain his tears and he looked at his own paws, ashamed. "A good friend?... It's hard to believe that after what I've been doing today... I'm sorry. Don't worry about me. You don't have to do anything about this situation. Just... forget that this happened and let's go back to how we used to be: just two good friends that love challenges... only if you still want to be my friend. If you do, then tell me more about this game." He offered, raising his head one more time and showing up a smile. His smile wasn't completely honest but... it was enough for him.

"You think I would be mad at you after all the suffering I put you through as apprentices? Have you met me?" Shrewheart joked. The jibe at the beginning didn't get to him. Thinking back on it, it had only been since he had agreed to be Sharptooth's mate had Reedheart grown so defensive and separated. And who wouldn't like such a beautiful and talented she-cat? Everything did make sense now. He grinned when his friend agreed to a game. After a few moments of thought, he came up with a good idea. Sure, it was kit-like, but since when had he worried about anything like that? He rolled his eyes at the golden tom's self depriving statements, not moved by a single one. As apprentices he had been a jerk, and now he was supposed to not like a friend because he shared an interest? If he ever acted by those interests it would be a completely different story, but that hadn't happened. So he saw no reason to be mad. "Of course you're still my friend. Nothing will change that. As for the game I was thinking..." He paused for effect, a grin creeping up his face. "You have to catch me!" With those words, he sped off in the other direction. He had never been a fast runner like his brother had been, and his leg made it almost impossible to keep at a good pace, but his stamina allowed him at least a little time where he could go fast.

... But innocence is gone, and what was right is wrong.

Reedheart chuckled, less saddened than before. After all, his friend always found the way to lighten up the mood of everybody. Even if he was reckless, sometimes dumb and impulsive, he liked him the way he was. He gave him a thankful smile when Shrewheart reassured him that they were still friends and smiled as well when he started to run. It was childish game but that didn't matter anymore.

The golden ran behind his friend, remembering each moment they shared together. Starclan surely blessed him with Shrewheart in his life. He trotted close behind him, slowing a bit because he knew that the brown tom was still recovering from his wounds. "You gotta be faster than that or I'll catch you soon, Shrewheart!"

Sharptooth trotted through the undergrowth, her head low. "C'mon, we're almost there!" She called over her shoulder, flicking her ears with a playful excitement. They had been tracking Shrewheart and Reedheart for a while now, but their scent was getting much stronger. They were nearly there, and Sharptooth's paws were tingling with excitement. Perhaps once she caught up to them they'd have time for a quick play-fight, just like the old days.

Flickerpaw quickened her pace beside her mother. "They'll be so surprised when they see US." She said quietly, and trotted along. She felt like a kit in comparison to Sharptooth.

Shrewheart just grinned at Reedheart's playful job, more encouraged than anything else. Due to a lifetime of ignoring pain, he pushed everything his leg was feeling out of his mind and ran as fast as he could, enjoying the wind on his face. Not nearly as fast as a WindClanner, probably less than the speed of the average ThunderClanner, but he still felt a thrill from it all. It wasn't the running itself that was fun, it was that he was able to spend time like this with his friend after such a long time of them feeling separated. This just felt right. But of course, his mischievous mind had to come and ruin another almost perfect time. As usual, the first thing that came to him was how to scare the golden tom. A sneaky smirk appeared on the brown tom's face, and he changed his direction, somehow quickening his already strangely fast pace. The trees started thinning out slightly around him, and soon the familiar acrid scent hit his nose. Instead of grimacing, his smile widened. Soon the strip of black stone was in sight, and he hurtled across, not caring about monsters or the though of a ShadowClan patrol. Once on the other side, he allowed himself to stop, doubting that the other warrior would cross with being prompted. His yellow eyes lit up with amusement, and a smirk still remained on his face.
"Are you still sure you're going to catch me?" the fluffy brown tom teased, painfully playful. To him this was all just part of the game, not some extremely risky decision. The thought of being hit by a monster or attacked by a ShadowClan patrol hadn't even came to his mind, his thoughts entirely focused on how well this patrol was now going. Sure it had a rough beginning, but now they had gotten to the fun part! Just hopefully his friend would keep playing along.

If the last thing that I do, is to bring you down...