Choices and Consequences {Closed}

With a start, Hailpaw found herself standing at the edge of the forest. The grass beneath her paws had thinned out, transitioning to gravel. Just ahead was the river that divided ThunderClan and RiverClan territory. The burbling of the swiftly flowing current made its way to her ears. When did I travel this far out? It was a bright day, with sunlight dancing and leaping atop the water's surface. In an attempt to keep the reflected light from her eyes, the apprentice squinted. When that did not work, she shifted her gaze to her paws. How long ago did I leave camp...? Judging from the fact that she had been completely zoned out, it could have been quite a while by now. The young she-cat grimaced lightly, her features twisting. I don't know the answer.

Hailpaw had never been one to wander around in a daze—at least not in her younger moons. There was a possibility that her brief time as a rogue had changed her, but it was low. Ever since ThunderClan's return to the forest, the days had seemed to drag by at a snail's pace. Kept from hunting and training by her broken rib, there was nothing for Hailpaw to do but sit and stare at the walls of her den. She had little entertainment as well as little companionship. In interacting with her clanmates, Hailpaw was aware of how some of them looked at her. With her age and size, she should already have been a warrior. It should not have been surprising that they would be hesitant around her; after all, she had maimed another apprentice and abandoned her clan. She had come home, or so she had thought. In reality, she did not know if there was still a place for her here.

With Pricklebush so occupied, it had been easy enough for Hailpaw to sneak out of camp. When the opportunity came her way, she had taken it. Thinking back now, the white-furred apprentice felt slightly guilty. No doubt her brother was worried. She did not believe he had not noticed her absence. Ever since their reunion, he had been keeping a close eye on her—almost too close. Hailpaw did not complain, knowing what she had already done to him. It pained her to trouble Pricklebush. If she had had to spend another moment in camp, however, she might have gone mad. She had needed time beyond the bramble barriers to distract herself.

The memory of Blizzardshine's death still remained vivid in Hailpaw's mind. Even though several days had passed, the young she-cat still wrestled with denial. A part of her was incapable of accepting such a reality—a reality in which her mother was dead. It seemed like just a couple moons ago that she had been sitting at her mother's paws as a kit, listening to the beautiful queen tell stories of their father Artemis Odan. Now Blizzardshine was already gone, her blood having seeped out beneath the rocks like juice from crushed fruit. Hailpaw found herself standing atop a mountain of regrets. If she had known how little time her mother had left yet, perhaps she would have been better behaved. She could have spent time with Blizzardshine, instead of wasting away those precious moons wandering no-clan land. She could have made Blizzardshine proud to the very end. No, she knew she would have. But she had been nothing but a fool, engrossed only in battle.

What was done had been done. In the end, Hailpaw had not even been able to properly apologize. Those few words she had hurriedly thrown over her shoulder were the very last words she had spoken to her mother. It was a burden that would accompany her for life.

These thoughts had haunted Hailpaw for the past few days. Try as she did, she could not get rid of them. Whenever she was alone, they would creep back in—always over her shoulder, like a shadow. At last, she had fled into the forest. Now the apprentice released a small sigh. Staying out any longer would be unwise. If she did not return soon, it was not unlikely that Leopardstar would send a search patrol after her. These days, her presence was minded by many cats. She knew her actions were reaping their consequences.

The stocky she-cat turned to head back into a forest. As she did, however, she cast a glance towards the river. The watery depths were her brother's murderers. Time and time again, however, she seemed to find her way back to them again. Were these coincidences, or some sort of omen? Her maw quirked at the morbid thought. Surely there were few manners of death worse than drowning.

At that moment, the wind direction changed. Hailpaw's head jerked up, her yellow eyes wide. There was a foul scent in the breeze, one she had not noticed until that moment. Fox! The apprentice knew enough to be able to identify the scent. Her hackles rose as a wave of panic washed over her. What a terrible time to run into a predator. For once, she was not in the least keen for a fight. The throbbing pain from her broken rib gave her all the reason not to be. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. Moments later, there was a flash of russet fur against green undergrowth, and the creature stepped into view. Sickly yellow eyes found her own. The fox peeled black lips back to reveal sharp teeth, simultaneously flattening its dark-tipped ears. That was a show of hostility, if she had ever seen one.

Hailpaw cracked a pained grin. "Why... hello there?" The fox leaped.

Meadowpaw walked by the river, lost in thought. Nothing had been going right for moons now. Ever since Shade had revealed his true intentions… He had proved to her that you could trust no one but your own family. Then, they started to betray her too. Her sisters, Yarrowpaw, Milkpaw, and so many others, slowly died off. Untill, Flurryshine, Coldgaze, and her parents were all Meadowpaw had left. She had been the next one attacked. Hailapaw had crossed the border and attacked her for no reason, as she did to several other RiverClan apprentices. Then one was maimed so bad that they fell into a coma… She shook herself. Thinking about that now wasn't going to do anything good.

Meadowpaw started into the cold depths of the river. Without knowing it, she had walked to the place were Snowblossom had drowned. Her father had already died at that point, leaving her with only her two remaining sisters. Flurryshine had comforted Meadowpaw, becoming almost like a mother figure to her. She turned around and began to walk back, not able to bear being there. In the end, even the river had betrayed her. In flooding, it had swept Meadowpaw and Flurryshine away from Coldgaze.

Eventually, Flurryshine, who meadowpaw had always looked up to, broke. The loss was too much for her to bear. Her parents, siblings, mate, and finally her mentor, all gone. Flurryshine had dragged Dewshines body around, insisting that she be buried in RiverClan soil. She herself didn’t make it back. Flurryshine died next to her mentors decaying body, leaving Meadowpaw with one family member left. But Coldgaze had attacked a ShadowClan warrior, someone from their aly clan! Coldaze had to leave her, with no one left.

Meadowpaw found a spot and sat down, listening to the river flowing past, the lapping waves almost seeming to apologize to her. What am I supposed to do now?! She thought. A scent came on the wind.  A familiar, foul scent. Fox! Meadowpaw swung her head around frantically, searching for the source of the scent. Finally, she found it. It was on the other side of the border, in ThunderClan territory. It was attacking a cat. Not just any cat, but Hailpaw. The cat who had mauled her. Time seemed to stand still. Should she cross and help, or leave? Hailpaw had done many horrible things… Hurt so many innocent cats. Didn’t she deserve this?

"NO!" Meadowpaw leaped into the river, paws churning in the water as she swam to the other side. She grabbed onto the bank, hauling herself up. She shook her pelt, eyes blazing as she jumped onto the vile creature. Hailpaw might have left her, but she would be better than that. And every cat deserves a second chance.

Survival instinct screamed at Hailpaw to shrink back, to run. Instead, the young she-cat threw up one forepaw in a flimsy attempt to defend herself. Perhaps her nature as one born to do battle had prevailed. Perhaps Hailpaw was simply sick of running away. Either way, she made her decision within a split-second, standing her ground against the urge to flee. In the next instant, the fox's jaws closed firmly around the outstretched limb. There was a rending of flesh, a spattering of blood unto gravel. The ThunderClan apprentice emitted a sharp, tortured hiss that almost caught in the back of her throat. No words were needed to describe the experience. It hurt. "You—" Some foul remark must have been about to slip off her tongue, but it was swiftly cut off. The russet-furred beast jerked its head violently to the side, her foreleg still clasped within its jaws. Hailpaw stumbled, losing her balance. Her claws scrabbled in vain for purchase on the uneven terrain. The pain of her broken rib, which she had already been enduring, instantly intensified. For a moment or two, she found herself almost unable to breathe from the agony.

This might be bad. The distant thought flashed through the apprentice's mind. This might be really, really bad. Fear sparked to life within Hailpaw, an emotion that was not in the least bit pleasant to experience. It had been a mistake to leave camp in her current state. She could not die here. She did not want to die. As much as she missed Blizzardshine, she was not ready to join StarClan. For goodness' sake, she had not even earned her warrior name! Hailpaw had put her life on the line more than once; she loved the thrill of battle, of knowing just how much she was risking. Even during the battle with Lichenmask, she had been pretty much fearless. But she had been her strong, undaunted self back then. Never had she truly felt that death was standing by her side, until this moment. This was the first time that her injuries were so bad they kept her from fighting back. She had overestimated herself, which was why she had come out here alone; she fully realized her error now. With the death of her mother in recent memory, her own mortality had never been as clear as it was at that instant. Desperation mounting to new heights, she scrapped together as much strength as she could manage. She lashed out with her free forepaw, catching the fox right on the nose. Her unsheathed claws tore into the soft tissue, and blood welled up unto the white muzzle. In the brief moment that the grip on her foreleg loosened, she ripped the appendage free.

Hailpaw found herself already short on breath. With every inhale and exhale, pain hammered persistently at her side. The fox seemed absolutely incensed now, a reaction that came as no surprise. No one liked being clawed on the nose; Hailpaw knew she definitely did not. But she was in too dangerous a situation to dwell upon the possible extent of the fox's discomfort. Her triumph was short-lived, fizzing away as the enemy once more fixed its fiery glare upon her. Think, Hailpaw. Use that brain of yours! There had to be a way out of these circumstances. She really did not want to see her life flashing before her eyes. After she had come so far, she refused to accept a fate like death. She was not dying here, not if she had anything to do with her own fate.

There was, however, only so much time to think. The fox lunged towards the apprentice again. Hailpaw clenched her jaws, expecting to feel the teeth tearing into her flesh once more. It never happened. Before the fiendish beast could reach its target, another white-furred form slammed into its side. The fox staggered beneath the weight of its new attacker. As for Hailpaw, she could only blink in shock. "What are you doing here?" She sputtered, tone tinged with disbelief.

“I,” she said, her brain not totally grasping on to the concept. “I guess I’m s-saving you.” Meadowpaw slashed at the fox’s muzzle. It jumped back with a yip of pain, but quickly began to come at her again. She dodged its attacks as best she could, but she got hit by its claws multiple times.  She would dig her claws in just as hard, if not harder. I will save you, Hailpaw! Meadowpaw fought like she never had before. For once, she seemed to have a reason. A real reason, not just an excuse. Saving someone. Someone who had no one to protect them. It was her way to escape her pain… Meadowpaw realized. She lost people, just like me. That’s not an excuse, but... She would save Hailpaw, even if it killed her.

The fox was not prepared for this. He had come to attack a young, injured she-cat, not a skilled fighter! He was a fox, but not a well experienced one. The prey animal drove him back with ferocious strikes of her claws. All the damage he had afflicted on her seemed to do nothing.

Meadowpaw continued to fight, not noticing all the cuts she had gained. She had her goal, and wouldn't stop until she had reached it. The fox began to back away more and more, with fear in its eyes. It turned, preparing to run away. Meadowpaw turned to her former enemy. “I… I did it!” she exclaimed happily.  But her happiness was short lived.

The fox, noticing his opportunity, leaped forward at the unsuspecting apprentice. Jaws gaping open, he knocked over Meadowpaw. His jaws clamped shut on her throat. He wouldn't let go. Not until this nuisance of a cat was dead.

No… NO! She couldn't die! Coldgaze needed her! Dewshine’s kits needed her! RiverClan… Her mind began to blur, fading as she did. “H-Hailpaw…” she croaked. “B-b-be there for your family.” Unlike me… A sickening crack filled the air as Meadowpaw’s neck snapped like a twig. The fox, one final deed completed, fled the scene. Before long, he knew more cats would come.

As her life ebbed away, Meadowpaw heard a familiar voice. It was a she-cat... calling her name.
Meadowpaw? Meadowpaw!
Meadowpaw raised herself out of the fog she was in. Standing right in front of her, was her mother, looking as healthy as ever, no hint of the mud that had clogged up her white pelt when she had been brought back to camp.
S-Snowblosom, M-mother? MOTHER! Mom, I’ve missed you so much! She ran towards her, burying her face in her mother's pelt. She was crying now, tears of both joy and sadness.
We’ve missed you too, sister!
Meadowpaw turned, and saw two more cats standing in the mist.
Flurryshine? Lakewhisper? You're here too?
Of course, dear. We're all here. Come with us!
Wh-where? Meadowpaw said, confused.
StarClan.
And with that, Meadowpaw died.

"Saving... me?" Hailpaw forced out. If her yellow eyes could have stretched any wider, they did. What was this RiverClan apprentice talking about? While memory would not yield any hint to the newcomer's name, Hailpaw remembered her. This she-cat was one of the many she had attacked in her border skirmishes. Among the many opponents she had faced, the snowy-furred apprentice with mismatched eyes had particularly stood out for her cowardice. She had initially refused to fight Hailpaw, giving in only when she realized that she had no other choice. Was that same pathetic she-cat who had groveled tearfully before her now going to save her? That's impossible. The thought echoed in the ThunderClanner's mind, but she did not give voice to it. She had no idea why Meadowpaw was going out of her way, but the truth was that she desperately needed the help. As the other she-cat faced the fox, Hailpaw struggled to catch her breath. She was going to need every bit of energy she still had left. Blood streamed down her wounded foreleg, and she watched as it seeped into the gravel beneath her forepaw. Her vision almost seemed to waver, details flickering in and out of focus. Distantly, it occurred to her that Pricklebush would probably need quite a bit of spiderweb to seal up the jagged wound.

Meadowpaw had grown surprisingly skilled. She was one apprentice against a fox, yet the odds seemed to be tilted in her favor. The RiverClanner drove the beast back with fierce, well-aimed strikes. Blood stained the tufts of white and russet fur that clung to each creature's claws. At last, the fierce predator seemed to have made up its mind to flee. Hailpaw was filled with disbelief. A fox, being driven away by a single apprentice? It seemed almost impossible; to top it off, this very apprentice was the cowardly fighter who had barely been able to put up a struggle when facing Hailpaw. Yet it was happening before her very eyes—

“I… I did it!”

Until Meadowpaw made the most critical of mistakes. Hailpaw sputtered a frantic warning. "Hey—!" The words never managed to leave her mouth. The fox leaped forward, and its jaws closed around Meadowpaw's throat. There was a soft but firm crunch, and blood spurted forward from the fatal wound. The fox fled soon after, leaving Meadowpaw's broken body there upon the shore. As soon as she could overcome her shock, Hailpaw stumbled forward. She limped to the dying apprentice's side. "Are you mouse-brained?! Who turns their back on an enemy?" Her words, while harsh, was tinged with a sort of desperation. Was she really going to see another cat die, so soon after her mother had? Perhaps, if she went to get Pricklebush right now, the RiverClan apprentice could still be saved.

She's a RiverClan cat. She's an enemy. But her "enemy" had also come to save her. It was partly her fault that Meadowpaw now lay dying. Hailpaw did not understand. She did not understand why a supposed enemy would do such a thing. Did Meadowpaw not know what she had done to Icepaw? Meadowpaw could not die here; Hailpaw needed answers from her. The last, rasping words of the other reached her ears.

“B-b-be there for your family.”

"Wait!" Hailpaw hissed, panic clawing at her insides. But it was too late.