Just Breathe [Closed Patrol]

Ashpaw couldn't remember the last time he had been out. All that he recalled was what had happened.
 
The white and gray tabby blinked both his eyes as he hesitantly padded after the other two cats, even though only one of them still worked. The other had been mercilessly clawed to the extent that he couldn't see out of it anymore. It made him sad when he realized that one of his eyes would forever be blanketed by darkness itself. A long scar ran across his side, forever a painful reminder of the one time he tried to stand up for himself.
 
He had tried being strong and was immediately knocked back down for it. His entire face was torn up, and he could no longer bear to look at his reflection. Whenever he did look, all he saw was the leftover of his former, courageous self. It's like he had gone back to the ways he had followed when he was a kit; he would hide in the shadows unless he was needed. And he liked it that way. The longer he spent in the darkness, the less likely it would become for someone to strip him of the dying self-esteem he still had.
 
Apparently, his clanmates refused to let that happen. One day several cats called him out to hunt with them. That day was today. He could've refused, but he didn't; there was something about their soothing voices and gentle, coaxing nature that persuaded him out of his hiding place. Now, here he was, quietly slinking behind them with his ears pinned down and tail tucked between his legs. He didn't know why he had agreed to do this, but there was no turning back now.

(OOC: oof, sorry for the late reply!)

Ashpaw didn't seem to be the only depressed and withdrawn apprentice in SkyClan ever since Blossomheart's disappearance and highly assumed death. Spiderpaw and his brother Alderpaw have already lost both their mother and their father, but to lose their foster mother as well... Now the two were practically orphans with no friends in the world save for each other. As per usual, he hung far behind in the patrol, staring down at the ground as he slowly trekked on after his Clanmates. He hated being out of camp. Why couldn't he just hide away forever in the nursery? He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be anywhere but back in camp with his brother protecting him, promising him everything would be alright. Of course that wouldn't be true ever again, but it would still be nice to hear.