The Winds of Winter [PLOT FINALE]

Amberpaw had watched helplessly as the RiverClan deputy dragged the apprentice over, despite the tom's snap from a distance away. As the massive tom reached her, however, his strong fishy scent and fierce green eyes immediately caught her attention; she looked directly into his eyes as he growled, "Do your job and help him." I'm trying! she thought desperately, but now that the apprentice was at her feet her body seemed to be moving into a rhythm on its own.

She was startled by the deputy's anger, and that was enough to get her moving again, tail tucked tightly against her body. As Scorchclaw padded away, Amberpaw found herself sniffing at the RiverClan apprentice, still-shaky paws parting his fur to sort out the worst of his wounds. The worst was his face, which was already riddled with old scars near the eyes beneath the new scars on his forehead and muzzle.

Amberpaw cleaned and treated the wounds as quickly as she could and then found that her patient was stirring.

The RiverClan tom began struggling to sit up, pain glazing his eyes, and he murmured with a grimace, "Ah... my head..."

Amberpaw gently placed a paw on his shoulder to settle him back down. "You need to rest," she stated, surprised by how steady her voice was. She realized she felt almost numb, but her body still shivered. "You've fought very hard. All the Clans will be proud of you." Quieted, Mottledpaw settled back down into sleep.

Amberpaw glanced back to see that Fallowpaw was still managing Lightstep and that Birdflight seemed safe before she risked a glance into the battlefield; she saw where Scorchclaw had gone to deliver the final blow to an apprentice Exile, offering the tom mercy and a chance to flee. She looked away, stomach churning, to see the fire across the clearing. The bright light hurt her eyes, but she spotted a fluffy gray she-cat stepping through the battlefield, a few wounds making sticky red mats in her pelt.

Amberpaw quickly grabbed some cobwebs and a small mouthful of poultice and limped up to the she-cat, murmuring through her herbs, "Let me help you." She very quickly sorted through the worst of the wounds and cleaned them up to bandage thoroughly.


Above them, the sky suddenly exploded with lightning, and thunder boomed around them like some giant being stomping. Amberpaw's fur bristled out along her spine at the cacophany, and she jumped with a start as a bodies went thumping from the Great Rock into the clearing of Fourtrees. The medicine cat apprentice gasped with horror and ran to the nearest one, her Clanmate Tigerleaf, and quickly began to inspect her. Relief tickled her pelt when she saw the she-cat was breathing, and Amberpaw quickly worked to pull the larger cat into the surrounding foliage and out of the battle to be treated.

As he was about to strike once more, a rather fluffy white ball came through, tackling Brushgaze to the ground. He raised a non-existent eyebrow at the apprentice, who still seemed rather cheerful about the entire ordeal. A bit like Poppypaw, but more of a fighter. A slight incline of his head acknowledged her words as his gaze set to the body of Brushgaze. She was still alive, just rather injured. Nobody would help her, or take her back in. She wouldn't survive on her own. His claws flexed in the bloody earth, the scent of blood was everywhere. The yowls had died down as well, leaving few Exiles remaining on their feet. They'd all soon be eliminated. The clans would win, they would prevail, Shadowclan and the rest of the clans would live on as they knew it.

Silently, his paws made their way over to the ground-ridden exile. He hadn't noticed if she was attempting to get up, he didn't care. His bloodied face looked down on their fallen foe. This merely presented a choice to make. He would not have this cat come back to hurt Shadowclan. He prayed to Starclan that Crowfur wouldn't kill him for what was about to be done.

He raised his gray paw, an oddity among the rest of his pale white fur.

He brought his claws down, causing a wound in the throat of Brushgaze. A blow to kill.

"I'm sorry, but it had to be done." His whisper was barely audible to anyone but he and Brushgaze as he brought his already bloodied face to her ear. Wounds she had inflicted on him. In battle, they were to not take lives lightly, all apprentices were taught that simple rule. These cats had been threatening the clans for ages now, and they would not be coming back if he had any say in it. With those words, he brought his head back up and scanned the clearing once more for his clanmates. Perhaps they still needed his help.

Suddenly he saw every cat that had begun fighting Lichenmask thrown as if they were pieces of fresh-kill. He took no look back at the dead body of Brushgaze as he bounded towards the cat who had started all of this. A rather savage growl came from the pale deputy as he defiantly hissed at the former Riverclan warrior. He dashed quickly towards Lichenmask's face, stopping just short and bringing both his front paws up, slashing as much as he could at the cat, whose eyes had eerily gone up into his skull. "Die you piece of fox dung! You're outnumbered, and your "army" is gone! The clans will live on as they are long after your corpse goes cold!" He attempted swipes at the cat's neck, attempting to kill him just as he had killed the cat's mate.

Froststone used "Front Paws Strike", dealing -15 damage and using -25 stamina.

Froststone:
HP: 83
SP: 205(-25)

Lichenmask:
HP: UNKNOWN
SP: UNKNOWN

Pain.

Pain reverberated all throughout Dustcloud's body, her small frame shaken beyond what her mortal mind could comprehend. And in an instant, she was swept off her feet. She felt the air beneath her body for a brief moment before her entire body went numb, her thoughts scattered father than Highstones. The blast that met her head-on resonated in her remaining ear, the intense ringing drowning out any other noise. Before she had time to question what had even happened, she felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her directly through her head. She'd been bashed against the Great Rock, head colliding with the ancient stone and jarring her brain, rendering her unconscious. Tumbling down the stone, her tabby fur was marred with blood and cinder. Thick smoke infiltrated her lungs, and each breath was harder to muster than the last. When her body finally made contact with the ground, a sickening crack echoed across the clearing, likely left unheard by the few cats that had managed to remain conscious. Flames licked at her then nearly dead body, singing her fur and burning skin and muscle. Several broken bones would have prevented her from escaping the blaze even if she had managed to stay awake through all of that, and the concussion that she now suffered from undoubtedly would have rendered her unable to stand. Two of her ribs protruded from their normal place, causing lumps to form underneath her burning skin. Her frontal right leg was pointed at an awkward angle; the bone had been snapped when she made contact with the ground. Her back left paw was twisted, several of her claws wretched from her feeble attempt at trying to grasp hold of the Great Rock as she fell. Her chest heaved, lungs unable to pull in sufficient a sufficient amount of air. The rise and fall soon slowed, and Dustcloud was now hanging on to her life by a single claw.

Duskpanther felt her whole soul shiver with terror at the site she had just witnessed. Lichenmask had released a powerful, otherworldly attack that sent those fighting against him sprawling all over Fourtrees. What horrible force is assisting Lichenmask?! Her childhood friend, someone she loved dearly,
was attempting to bring destruction upon the clans. The Riverclanner was weary and her heart ached. She decided to face him. She had to try and stop this before he could do anything else. The warrior ran over to where the tom was, careful not to hurt Froststone in the process. "Lichenmask!" she called with a slight tremor in her voice. She then tackled him to the ground, eyes wild and breathing erratic. "Stop all of this!" she pleaded with hurt shining in her gaze from many spontaneous emotions.
---------------------------------------------
Duskpanther used run-and-tackle, dealing 11(8+3) damage and using 10 stamina.

Duskpanther:
32/40
65/120

Lichenmask:
UNKNOWN
UNKNOWN

Froststone:
83/100
205/280

"You're not dying yet, coward!" Elmcloud suddenly snarled, blood-speckled features looming less than a whisker's length above Falcongaze's own. The imminent rush of fury that surged through his veins, roiling heavily within his exhausted system, was the default front of protection that his mind raised in response to such atrocious events. He hated this tom, hated the molly just as much- those who would spit on everything in desperation of pleasing some madden prophet, those who would gladly abandon their own flesh and blood for some unbelievable goal. They had proven how undeserving they were of the blessing of bearing their own kin, they had proven how mindless and utterly despicable they truly were. Yet, the terrible expression that had overcome Falcongaze's features at the realization of what had transpired had stirred something within his heart. The abhorrent lament that was undoubtedly coursing through the dying Exile's body was familiar, entirely too familiar. It had weighed upon his shoulders as he spent his final moments with Poppysong, whenever he had spent a frigid night alone grieving Dawnpaw, it had crushed the air from his lungs as he watched Stoneteller leave and Crowstar bleed out into the darkness of the night. A forepaw, initially raised to make quick work of his former Clanmate, suddenly fell back to the earth beside Falcongaze's bloodied head. Elmcloud was entirely unsure of what had just overcome him in those very finite moments, yet all he could taste upon his tongue was a bitter realization.

Perhaps fueled by empathy, perhaps fueled by mercy, his next movements were surprisingly gentle.

Carefully grasping Falcongaze by his bloodied ruff, Elmcloud's weakened muscles screamed under the unnecessary strain of hauling a fully grown cat. It was an arduous process, hauling the dying tom to where he knew Jaysong to be, but he endured with a slight groan of effort. Blind to the chaos that heightened around the stumbling pair, it took everything he had to not simply let the tom go crashing back into the earth beside his dead mate. It would be easier to indulge in the fiery wells of hatred he felt, but it was not his place to deliver such judgement.

Ears folding back against his bloodied head, Elmcloud gazed down upon Falcongaze and Jaysong with a poignant expression, "You don't get to die yet."

---

The acrid stench of smoke and blood made Adderfeather nauseous, made both her physical and emotional wounds ache profusely. Even as Chase vanished among the chaos of the roaring battle, she found herself motionless against her will. It was rapidly becoming too much- the sounds, the scents, the wounds, it was too much. Every where she gazed, she could only see the wrathful face of Reedheart descending upon her like he once did during that dreadful day. Whites of the eye easily visible within her singular eye, the long-furred molly's systems slowed to the sluggish hold of shock. Even at Amberpaw's gentle movements and attempts to treat the worst of her rather minimal wounds, the young RiverClan molly felt trapped within the shell of her own being.

Unseeing to the sheer calamity that raged around her in a seemingly endless cycle, Adderfeather flinched sharply at the loud explosion of lightning, cowering slightly as the flames licked even higher.

Thornleap's paws shook as several other cats closed in. His thick, bushy tail swung back and forth across the dry, cracked earth as he was forced closer to the raging wall of fire. The heat was growing, encircling him in an unbreakable wall of burning air. Around him, the faces of strangers and former clanmates became blurry as waves of heat rushed between them. No... His tattered pelt, soaked with sweat and blood, began to steam. No... His comrades were falling- he was one of the last few left alive. No! Across the battlefield, Brindlestar tossed Fallowpaw into the wall of flames. The sparks that her body sent into the air were reflected in his pale green eyes and the sick scent of burning fur, burning blood, reached his nose.
The young tom turned away from the fire, cringing as flecks of ash caught in his eyes and pelt. Thornleap was cornered, adrenaline rushing through his body as he peered into the faces of his former clanmates. As his fur began to burn, he felt a faint sense of peace wash over him. He squeezed his remaining eye shut tightly, feeling his chest rise and fall with every desperate breath, feeling his heart pounding in his ears, a neverending beat. He didn't cower, he didn't flinch as sparks stroked his cheeks. Deep within his mind, a faint voice stirred.


a pause

The flames licked his paws as he took another step back. The fire was greedy and impatient as it struggled to catch his fur, growing increasingly frustrated when it failed to grab ahold. Thornleap couldn't feel the pain when it finally ignited, spreading to his back.


His eyes snapped open. The wind changed, sending streams of golden sparks swirling around his bleeding face.


He lifted one lip in a snarl, approaching his enemies slowly. He had made his decision the second he had met with Lichenmask for the first time. He had been standing near this very spot...
A screech tore itself out of his throat as he faced the cats, his flaming tail lashing in the wind. There was no changing the past. The least he could do was face his impending death with a sense of honor.
His voice was rough. "I won't hide like a coward. I'm going to die, but for Starclan's sake, I'm going to die like a true warrior."

And with that, he threw himself into the crowd of cats, hissing and spitting, tearing at everything he could reach.
A tearing pain in his neck, a spurt of blood, and Thornleap knew no more.

Marshstorm combed the battlefield. His eyes out for clanmates, to account for their whereabouts when the sudden blast was heard. He turned to witness the falling, his amber eyes setting on a familiar battle-scarred pelt. 'DUSTCLOUD!' He watched as his beloved mate fell towards the furiously licking flames. Without a moment of hesitation, he plunged towards the fire after her. Even as the ground turned into paw searing coals and ashes, he pushed through. Dark pelt burning in the fire as he grabbed the scruff of her neck and hauled her limp body out by holding her as close to his chest as he could. The ash and smoke working into his lungs and throat, burning them. His eyes watered and chest heaved, though he did not stop until they were clear of the flames.

"Dustcloud... Dustcloud!" He meowed urgently. His paw rubbed against her shoulder, his pelt full of oddly burnt holes as he pressed himself next to her. He could see the broken bones, could tell that her body was blistered by the scent as he listened to her breathing in fear. Immediately anger towards Lichen flashed, but he looked down to her. He had to protect her. There were plenty of cats to fight... if something happened to her because he left... he'd never forgive himself. He turned, pressed his muzzle against her chest and counted her breaths softly. "You'll be alright... I... You have to be." He muttered. Thoughts of a future without her seared his mind in a drowning flood that made him want to yowl. They wouldn't happen, they couldn't. He didn't want to lose another cat who was close to him... not after losing his family once before.

Claws scrabbled against smooth rock; whiskers whipped in the fiery breeze. Tigerleaf was quickly joined by another warrior. She dared not take her gaze off Lichenmask, but she recognized the other she-cat as a ThunderClanner. Once or twice, they might have crossed each other during a gathering. Above the suffocating scent of sizzling flesh and ash, ThunderClan's scent was barely detectable. The air was shimmering with heat; Tigerleaf could feel it biting through her thin pelt, almost as if she were roasting alive. Sparks, carried along by the cinders, pranced and swirled around the few cats atop the Great Rock. When Fernpetal staggered to her paws, Tigerleaf could have jumped from joy. Relief flashed evidently within her golden gaze. Despite the fact that they had barely ever exchanged words, Fernpetal was her clanmate. She needed no other reason to try to save her.

If there was one comfort in their situation, it was that Lichenmask seemed unresponsive to the attacks that were launched at him. The brown-and-white tabby threw his piercing gaze to the heavens. Even as claws tore at his pelt, his intense amber eyes never left the sky, almost as if he shared some unbreakable connection with some invisible, yet present being. If it had been any cat other than Lichenmask, he would have looked out of his mind. Lichenmask did look out of his mind at that moment, but it was a different, terrifying kind of insanity. Strange energy pulsated within the storm clouds, flashing in purple streaks of lightning. Almost as if nature was resonating with the "Prophet," the winds screeched with wild fury. Swallowing with apprehension, Tigerleaf backed away from him. Every hair on her pelt was screaming at her to run; she could barely even feel the pain scorching her paw pads. But there was nowhere to go. Getting up had been tricky enough, getting down was going to be close to impossible. Or so she thought. In the next instant, the three hapless cats who had dared to lift a paw against Lichenmask was struck by the force of StarClan's wrath. Tigerleaf barely even had time to process what had happened. One moment, she had been crouched on the Great Rock, wide gaze fixed on Lichenmask. The next, she was in the air. That was the moment that Tigerleaf first experienced the pure fear of being suspended in nothingness. She opened her jaws to scream, but she could not even force out a sound. Her limbs were completely paralyzed by terror. Thrown by a force no mortal cat could comprehend, she hurtled across the clearing.

A sickening crack rang out as the young she-cat slammed into the dry earth. There she lay, an unmoving bundle of tabby fur perilously close to the ravenous flames. More than a couple bones had been broken with that fall, but Tigerleaf wasn't awake to experience the pain. Her eyelids had already flickered close, shutting in the light of life. She sunk deep into the void of oblivion.

Tigerleaf is KO'ed.

Froststone was not as fortunate as all those who rose up before him. Instead of merely being immediately launched off in some random direction, the white-furred Deputy was violently seized by the unseen force- nape agonizingly wrenched backwards so that the tender flesh of the throat was unwillingly bared before Lichenmask. ”You who would murder a nursing Queen believe you hold the ability to pass judgement? The ability to balance life and death? You’re nothing but vermin, trust me when I say that fate has much in store for you.” Within seconds of these cold words, Froststone was sent flying upwards into the air high above, nearly vanishing within the thick column of smoke that drifted through the night air. It was several agonizingly long moments before the Deputy eventually crashing back down into the bloodied earth with a sickening thud!

Whirling upon Duskpanther, Lichenmask merely shook his head in response to the molly’s pleas. Not even the sight of his eldest friend and childhood love could stir him from the depths of whatever madness he had descended into. ”You know not of what you speak of. Life begets death, death begets life. It must be done.” Impassively blinking as Duskpanther was easily sent sprawling back through the flames by that same unseen force, the young tom turned his back upon the RiverClanner, lips curling into a slight sneer. ”Now leave this place before I kill you.”


Lichenmasked used Holy Judgement, Dealing UNKNOWN Damage & Costing UNKNOWN Stamina.

LICHENMASK
N/A

FROSTSTONE
K.O.

DUSKPANTHER
K.O.

(OOC: Since Jade wanted me to decide how Sparkpaw dies, I’ll go ahead and put her death in this post.)

Orchidpaw turned to Sparkpaw when she showed up, purring sheepishly and nuzzling his crush.

All of a sudden, a fleeing cat collided hard into the pretty she-cat, sending her flying into the flames. Orchidpaw’s eyes widened, and he let out a screech or terror before rushing to the spreading fire. He launched himself into the licking flames, trying to ignore the burning his pelt and flesh endured, coughing fiercely against the fumes, and he finally managed to pull Sparkpaw out.

”Sparkpaw? Sparkpaw, wake up! Please wake up! Oh, great StarClan, why won’t you WAKE UP!!” It was no use. No matter how hard he shoved the scorched she-cat’s body, she wouldn’t move. Her eyes didn’t open, her mouth didn’t move, not even her sides rose and fell to indicate any breathing.

She was dead.

Orchidpaw fell to the ground and buried his muzzle into Sparkpaw’s burnt pelt, releasing a low, deep caterwaul of utter grief. He tried to tell her to stay out of the battle. He knew something bad would happen to her! But he didn’t want his fears to become reality. ”Please, Sparkpaw. Don’t die. I... I love you. Stars, I love you so much!...”

(OOC: I’ll post him and Scorchfang attacking Lichenmask later, I’m at work rn.)

Glancing around, it seemed as though most of the Exiles had been defeated, although Lichenmask and a follower of so were still standing. Rushing over to Hillfire and the others, Tinystar took a swipe at the tom and then stepped back for the others to continue. The battle was almost over and he'd never felt more relieved.

Tinystar used Front Paw Strike, causing 15 damage and costing 5 stamina.[/]

[b]Tinystar
HP 115/115
SP 225/270

Hillfire
HP 2/100
SP 140/180

(and others, will add later)

Brushgaze fought back fiercely, but with every second her strength lessened and old wounds started to reopen. Not only physical wounds, but emotional ones as well. Her family had abandoned her, all except for Stonepaw... and she didn't know where he was in the crowd of fighting cats. Didn't know if he was even still alive. Her kits, she knew, were safe in the barn, but she couldn't help worrying about them. She'd hoped to raise them on ShadowClan territory, give them a better home... But now what would she do?

A ball of fur barrelled into her side, tackling her weakened body sharply to the ground. Something in her broke- maybe a bone, maybe her heart. Just as suddenly, she couldn't get up anymore... couldn't move as the warrior's sharp claws moved towards her throat. "No! Please, my kits, my kits need me!" Reduced to begging, tears of pain spilled from her eyes, knowing what would happen to her children if she died. "Let me go back to my kits!" But there was no remorse in the monster's eyes as he slashed open her exposed throat. And just like that, she was dying. "Lichenmask!" Brushgaze screamed with the last breath in her body. Then she lay dead and broken on the ground, pale green eyes lifelessly reflecting the flames all around her.

Her kits... What about her kits?

OOC: Icepaw's had over two days to post, so I'm just going to go ahead and post. Also, please let Sparkpaw kill him.

"No, Flamewish." Ignoring everyone else, Hillfire barely flinched as attacks scarred at his sides. Flamewish was at the center of his vision. If he was going to lose, he would at least take this sick excuse for a warrior with him. "Killing you does not make me a coward, or as bad as you are. Killing you makes me stronger, and better for ridding the forest of you disgusting ThunderClanner. You're a codebreaking fool, and you deserve to die. I would say goodbye, but I hope that this is anything but pleasant for you." Never before had he found joy in causing pain. He had never found it at all bothering, but never something that made him happy. Now though, he was having fun. Swiping at her, he knocked the weakened she-cat down, smiling sadistically at her. Unsheathing his claws dramatically, he ever-so-calmly reached down and placed a paw on her neck. "See you in the Dark Forest." With agonizing detail, he dug his claws deep into her neck, causing blood the pool around his claws. Slowly, he dragged his claws through the flesh on her neck, opening and huge gash and causing blood to spill on the grass around them. No more did he care that his son was watching. This felt right. Getting rid of one of the world's many wrongs. Next would be Nutufr, then the rest of the impure weaklings that infested the once mighty clans. As his paw coated in his enemy's blood, he waited until he could no longer feel beating. Grinning, he looked at the corpse below him, and at the cats in front of him. "Who's next?" 

Hillfire used Front Paw Strike on Flamewish, dealing 14 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Hillfire:
2/100
230/280

Flamewish:
KO

Gladepaw, turned away as the Darkpaw ceased to live. It didn't matter, he was just another foolish cat, he had gotten what e had deserved. Her eyes, turned to Bearpaw. She hoped he was fine, more than fine. The white apprentice did not want her mother to lose another child. "Bearpaw? Get up you lazy oaf, please..." she mewed quietly. However, just as she was helping him, Lichenmask did a bad.

At first it was fear, that swept over her, but then it was anger, just like before. Without a second though, she strode towards the tom. The flames at the base of the great rocked roared in her ears, and licked at her pelt, threatening to sit her white coat alight. "Lichenmask!" she yowled "Do you even know what you are doing? Does it not register in that sick mind of your's? You have sent apprentices, and warriors to their grave, all for some cause that you know won't end well. You have done nothing, while queens, warriors and apprentices have been slaughtered. Your goal is to rule a purified forest, but is it pure if there are no cats left! You are a fool, anyone can see that!"

Orchidpaw slowly lifted up his head, his heterochromic eyes glowing by the fire’s light in seething fury. The love of his life had died in battle. The battle that was caused by Lichenmask.

Sparkpaw’s death was all.
His.
Fault.

Rising to a stand, he swiftly scanned the battlefield for the exile. When he spotted him striking down his deputy and another cat so easily, he was instantly filled with fear. What if he ended up killing him? Sure, he’d be with Sparkpaw again... but what about Poppypaw? What would he do if he lost both of them?

...No. Lichenmask wouldn’t kill he. He wouldn’t give him the chance.

With a wail or rage mingled with grief and sorrow, Orchidpaw sped through the flames and slammed his head hard into Lichenmask’s side.

Orchidpaw used Run-and-Tackle on Lichenmask, dealing 6 (+3) damage and costing 10 stamina.

Orchidpaw
20/20 HP
50/80 SP

Lichenmask
???/??? HP
???/??? SP

---

Scorchfang stood, shaking heavily, staring down at the now dead Brushgaze. Stars, she had kits. Now her poor kits would be without their mother and, after this battle, without their father as well.

He shook his head with a growl. He couldn’t think like that now! He still had a battle to finish.

Scorchfang spotted his son racing towards Lichenmask right after he heard his wail, and his eyes widened with fear. ”Orchidpaw, no!” Lichenmask had the power to rip nine lives away from a healthy Clan leader. He could easily kill an apprentice like Orchidpaw!

Racing after him, he leaped in front of Orchidpaw after he headbutted into the ganged-up tom. ”Stay away, Orchidpaw! Find Sparkpaw and help protect the camp!” Not bothering to wait around and see if he would do as he was told — which, of course, he didn’t, just stood there behind his father — he lashed out his claws at Lichenmask’s face with a furious spat. ”This is for killing Littlestar, you beast!”

Scorchfang used Rear-Up to Slash on Lichenmask, sealing 20 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Scorchfang
120/120 HP
230/300 SP

Lichenmask
???/??? HP
???/??? SP