Glass Animals {EXXUS PLOT FINALE}{OPEN}

Finchstar and Aspenheart hadn’t been able to stop this war. To believe this would end here was wishful, feather-headed thinking. A raccoon burst out of the gorse tunnel. Reinforcements. Raventail tore away from his mate, claws bared—and the raccoon shrugged off its skin, revealing a lanky frame typical of WindClan’s warriors and a smattering of injuries not quite thick enough to obscure the ginger-and-white fur of the cat who bore them. That stopped him short. Unable to blink, to breathe, he sheathed his claws.

Finchstar, alive, stared around at them all. Then his eyes found the medicine den, and he strode past them toward where Aspenheart lay. Raventail exhaled. With that breath, whatever had kept him steady since the first battle slipped out of place. Suddenly, the dog began to seize. In an instant, Zinnia’s words were grounded in reality; these were cats. In that same instant, it no longer mattered. They (and the others as well, if their pelts were also false) had drowned Finchstar and Goldengale in dirt. Together, they’d attacked warriors and apprentices alike with intent to kill, and had torn Puddlepaw to shreds when this nightmare had started. As far as Raventail was concerned, their feline fur was just another disguise.

From the mess of fur and spines rose a black-and-white cat. He ran past them—to the medicine den, Raventail realized. A better deputy would have gone after him. When Raventail turned, however, the calico was the first thing he saw. It was her he charged toward with a furious howl, slamming his shoulder against her at full force. He came away hissing, ears pulled flat against his head. All the relief, all the anger; there was no way to shape it into words.

Raventail used Run-and-Tackle on Dae, dealing 13 (+3) damage and using 10 stamina.

Raventail
89/100 HP
210/280 SP (-10)

Dae
44/70 HP (-16)
125/200 SP

Dappleshine
74/100 HP
245/280 HP

---

To Lightfang’s relief, Aspenheart didn’t refuse the herbs. He watched with increasing nervousness as the medicine cat, upon licking up the leaves and poppy seeds, curled into a ball. Before he could resume his search—something in here had to be useful, why didn’t he know—another cat made their way into the den. Tall and lanky, the way WindClanners were. Aspenheart uncurled just a little, and Lightfang turned his attention back to Burningwolf. Now he remembered. Finchstar. He’d barely had time to meet the cat himself, but Finchstar had been a vague presence since the mountains.

At once, he realized something. The calico cat was gone. The fox remained. A cat wearing a predator’s skin. Horror dawning over him, Lightfang looked up to see a black-and-white shape charge through the medicine den, directly into WindClan’s leader. His first response was to stagger sideways, placing himself between the beast and Burningwolf—and in that time, he saw that the beast wasn’t a beast at all.

His heart demanded he hang back, protect Burningwolf, leave Finchstar to fight his own battles. Then again, Finchstar had accepted them. Finchstar had brought news of Sparrowpaw’s execution back to the forest. If he cared so much for justice, there was no telling how he would react when he learned the truth of the mountain cats, but Lightfang did not want to watch another leader die. Keeping himself low to the ground, the pale tabby sprang forward. Aiming as close to the black-and-white tom's eyes as he could, he lashed out with unsheathed claws.

Lightfang used Front Paw Strike on Ovinnik, dealing 11 damage and using 10 stamina.

Lightfang
26/60 HP
170/200 SP (-10)

Ovinnik
49/75 HP (-11)
130/200 SP

Finchstar
45/120
300/300

No one was settled by the silence; it wasn't enough that the monsters that had been plagueing them lay motionless on the sand in front of the entirety of WindClan. Barleytuft could not be settled. As other cats started to slowly shift, the impenetrable silence made the senior warrior's pelt twitch. His eyes darted about wildly, and suddenly there was another crashing in the gorse and his heart sank - he knew they weren't finished, there had to be more! As he whipped to face the movement, though, he realized with surprise that the predators had used the tunnels. Furthermore, the predators were just.... pelts, strewn over Finchstar and -

"Goldengale, kitten!" Barleytuft shouted in a voice that cracked. He met his leader's gaze for an instant and then his legs were moving without his thought, stumbling and then racing towards the exhausted, battered, dirty, blood-spattered golden warrior he thought he'd lost. The lean pale tom was at her side, taking her burden of weight from her paws. He was too afraid, too overwhelmed, to purr and do anything except for try to bring her as close to himself as he could. "My kit, oh, sweetest, you're home..." Barleytuft murmured, tears spilling down his face.

Clovertwist watched with stunned horror as two more shapes entered the camp - and yet when they appeared to be Finchstar and Goldengale, his missing sister, his jaw dropped and he cried over his shoulder, "Ploverpuddle! I-I - Finchstar's home, he has my sister!" His voice carried into the nursery he was ready to protect, and yet suddenly there was a louder, more desperate sound coming from the clearing of camp. "Wait, stay there, what...?"

The shapes had come back to life.

The black dog was a black dog no longer, having suddenly thrown itself towards Finchstar; it was now a pale white cat, twisted with fury and blood. "Fox-dung, I knew it!" Barleytuft cursed, referring to its life, immediately drawing his tail around his daughter. Suddenly so much of his courage seemed rooted in place - he couldn't leave his daughter to fight. He couldn't leave her again, lose her again. She wasn't in danger here - could he keep her here? "Stay with me, Goldengale, stay - let me take care of you," the pale tom found himself begging his brave, unconquerable child.

Barleytuft has made no move.
92/100
250/280

Clovertwist, however, shook off his shock immediately, and the desperate need to fight was clear. The nursery was safe, but his Clanmates were once again in danger. Finchstar was nearest, with the stupid black-dog-white-cat having charged forward. Lightfang joined the fight, and this time Clovertwist dig as well, charging forward with a yowl of fury. He reared up to batter furiously at the cat, feeling much more confident on how to fight a feline than a brutal beast of a dog.

Clovertwist used Rear-up to Slash on Ovinnik, using 15 stamina and dealing 9 damage.
He also used Swift Strike, using 10 stamina and dealing 3 damage. (12 damage total)

Clovertwist
40/40
95/120 SP (-25)

Lightfang
26/60 HP
170/200 SP

Ovinnik
37/75 HP (-12)
130/200 SP

Finchstar
45/120
300/300

Finchstar turned in horror as the corpses in the center of camp began to move once more. He could only blink before the bicolor tom - Ovinnik, had crashed into his side, rolling the tom across the medicine den. In a second Aspenheart was on his feet, barking orders and shifting to battle mode. Barleytuft jumped to protect his daughter, and Clovertwist and Lightfang swarmed over Finchstar's attacker. WindClan at its best. Finchstar fought with his own resolve, pleading for his gaping shoulder to cooperate, but it buckled under him in stress, rendering the leader immobile. Raventail fought alongside Dappleshine as the two moved together beautifully. Even in the haze of battle, a jolt of pride shot through Finchstar as he watched his clanmates, his friends grapple with all who threatened their peace. WindClan was the breeze, and the breeze was determined.

Finding his paws, Finchstar was granted time as Clovertwist and Lightfang pulled Ovinnik's attention away. The leader dropped into a wounded crouch and hissed; "Your quarrel is with me, cat! I killed Pakhet, no longer will she terrorize the moor!"

Finchstar is no longer stunned.

Spotpaw licked her mother's cheek reassuringly. "Don't worry Foxspirit. I'll be fine" Spotpaw mewed. She let her mother lick her and soon enough the wound stopped bleeding. From the Nursery they heard everything. Cats in fox and dog pelts. Finchstar's return. And the return of Goldengale.

Spotpaw slowly got up to her paws. Goldengale was back! And Goldengale was well. Spotpaw limped just outside of the nursery to see Barleytuft meeting with Goldengale. "Goldengale's alive!" Spotpaw said happily a purr rumbling in her throat.

For a moment, for just a brief moment, the WindClan camp was eerily still and quiet. The strange fox and dog lay on the ground, hopefully dead. There was something wrong, however. All was not right with the world just yet. Elmskip's hackles rose as he stood rooted in place, green gaze burning with an intensity he didn't know he possessed. As he peered around at the other cats, he spotted that peculiar gray and orange pelt of Patrick, the loner, who was staring back at him. He's safe, the warrior thought, feeling a flicker of a smile cross his thin features. He didn't run away. He didn't...leave me.

The gorse brush exploded once more and two shapes came through it, a raccoon and a golden pelt. Before he could react, the raccoon became a cat again, a very familiar orange and white tabby. Finchstar and Goldengale had returned, they weren't dead. At once, Finchstar headed for the medicine cat den and Barleytuft went to help Goldengale. There was a flash of more movement; as Elmskip looked on in horror, from inside the dog, a black and white cat emerged and raced after Finchstar. So they were cats. Zinnia was right. His stomach lurched and his legs threatened to give out on him but he stood his ground, shaking his head to clear it. No. Tonight, this would be over, he would make sure of it. A muddy calico cat launched herself at Dappleshine and Raventail.

Fury burned through his fur like the fire splotched onto his pelt and, with one final look back at Patrick, the three-legged warrior sprang at Dae, hissing and spitting like mad. He tackled the she-cat to the ground, sharp claws digging into her flesh. "I will make sure you won't see the light of day, you filthy coward! Leave my family alone!"

Elmskip used Jumping Tackle on Dae, dealing 12 (+3) damage and costing 20 stamina.

Elmskip
52/55 HP
110/170 SP (-20)

Dae
29/70 HP (-15)
125/200 SP

Raventail
89/100 HP
210/280 SP

Dappleshine
74/100 HP
245/280 SP

Pressing firmly against her mate as he pressed to her, Dappleshine licked his shoulder gently. Was it finally over? Why was the air so still? It felt like a storm about to... And then it happened. The river of cats turned to face whatever was crashing towards them, only for them all to be speechless and the sight before them. Finchstar, and Goldengale, were home. They had returned! She had given up hope, although she never would have admitted it, that they would return. Her shock was why she missed the stirring, ears picking up the fury-filled voice and turning to lock eyes with her opponent until it was just too late. She braced herself as best as she could, but the strength behind the anger caused her to lose her stance, letting out a gasp as the air was driven from her lungs as searing pain shot through her body.

Two cats joined her side, an older tom whose name she hadn't quite caught yet, and her dearest love. If only she could catch her breath...

Dappleshine is no longer stunned.

---

Finchstar had padded at her side, relying on her as much as she relied on him. Great StarClan, everything hurt... But they had to get home. She wouldn't be made a liar, and every step just made her numb to the pain. By the time they reached camp she was ready to collapse, and as she took in the scene around the camp, her home, her tail flicked from side to side. Her eyes landed first on Raventail, her mentor, her deputy. Giving him a lopsided grin, the first since he had returned, she attempted to take a step before swaying on her paws. Her head then turned at a voice, called her name. Where was he? Where was... "Dad! Oh dad, you're here! Are you okay? Where's Crowpaw, and mom and Clovertwist? Where's Mistystripe? Oh dad..."

Her entire body shook before her legs gave out again, pushing herself into his chest fur. It was just like when she was a kitten, an apprentice. He had always been so safe, so kind and loving and supportive. She sighed deeply, fighting the urge to drift into sleep (who knew if she would wake up) when chaos exploded around them. Two strange voices cut through her peace, and her head shot up to see the two bodies that had been strewn on the floor of the camp rise from the dead and attack. Bile rose in her throat as she panicked, her paws weren't working again. Why, why weren't they working? She looked up at her father, tears of pain and frustration building. "I want to help, though... Please, come with me to help. Their leader... Their leader is dead. We can finish this, now. Please.. help me, let us conquer this together, dad." Her ears swiveled as another voice reached them, and she looked towards the nursery. Spotpaw stood in it's entrance, gazing at her excitedly. She was alright! Well, that wound certainly looked fresh... But she was protecting the nursery, clearly. A purr rumbled in her throat, her apprentice was so brave, so strong. Where was Crowpaw, though? The purr cut off as she looked around, searching for the black fur and multi-colored eyes of her kit. They hadn't gotten a hold of him, had they?...

Goldengale has not attacked.

Everything seemed to happen all at once. The strange fox-cat and dog-cat were not truly defeated. Aspenheart lay bleeding on the floor of the medicine den. Finchstar and Goldengale had returned home... It was all a blur to her.

And, in the blur of chaos, Zinnia rushed back into battle. The feeling was still so new, but she felt the rush of something flowing through her. She was defending something, protecting something; and that was what gave her the strength to fight. She launched herself at Dae once more, any hesitation she had once felt at fighting another cat fading after she'd seen the chaotic state the invaders had left WindClan in.

There were no words to share this time. No warnings, no questions.

She spoke the language of battle and performed the art of war, and there was nothing more to be said or done.

Zinnia used Run-and-Tackle, dealing 8+3 damage and costing 10 stamina!

Dae
18/70 HP (-11)
125/200 SP

Zinnia
31/40 HP
85/120 SP (-10)

Raventail
89/100 HP
210/280 SP

Dappleshine
74/100 HP
245/280 SP

Elmskip
52/55 HP
110/170 SP

Briarthorn was filled with hope and happiness when he saw Finchstar's return, and with him, his half sister, Goldengale! "Sister... Your okay!" He yowled with joy as he bound towards her. But then, the shapes of the defeated half-cats began to move. They leaped at Finchstar and his other clan mates. "No!" They would not hurt his clan again. He leaped at the tuxedo tom, raising up his hind legs and scraping his claws across the attackers face. "You should have stayed dead, you half-cat!"

Briarthorn used Back Kick on Ovinnik, dealing 10 damage and costing 15 stamina

Briarthorn
40/40
120/105 (-15)

Clovertwist
40/40
95/120 SP

Lightfang
26/60 HP
170/200 SP

Ovinnik
27/75 HP (-10)
130/200 SP

Finchstar
45/120
300/300

Ovinnik ducked and weaved among the clan cats, taking their blows but shrugging them off in a rage. This weakling claimed his quarrel was with the leader, yet he allowed his minions to do all of the fighting for him! The yells of the other cats went unheeded. "You can't have laid a claw on my superior, coward! You've never done anything for yourself since we showed up!" Ovinnik cared only for sinking claws into the flesh of the cursed creature who supposedly slew Pakhet. Crimson blood stained his white paws and glistened in the dark patches of his back. He dashed, snaking expertly through his crowd of attackers, and slid onto the ground to lash severely at Finchstar's stomach with all of his might. He had been exceptionally swift and savage in his disguise; now, as a cat, he retained his bestial nature and still snapped and drooled as a dog in its pursuit would.

Ovinnik used Half-turn Belly Rake on Finchstar, dealing 15 damage and using 20 stamina.

Briarthorn
40/40
120/105

Clovertwist
40/40
95/120 SP

Lightfang
26/60 HP
170/200 SP

Ovinnik
27/75 HP
110/200 SP

Finchstar
30/120
300/300

Swarms of cats latched on to her again, and from the corner of her eye she saw Ov attack her love. Her Finchstar. She thrashed and slashed at the cats, just attempting desperately to get space to move. To think, for one second. Despite being the youngest, why was she always the one making the decisions when it came to her and Ovnick's partnering? She agreed to this only to destroy Finchstar's life to take him back with her. But this was all failing, all crumbling around her like the tunnels on the moors that they have studied. Learned every detail. Memorized. They knew all about the tunnel system and how it worked. If the Packet was really dead, there was little hope for Theron. Ovnick would fight to the death here, and then what? They were here for nothing. All of the knowledge collected and gathered on this group of prey cats would disappear. No... She had to leave him behind. With a surge, Dae broke through the cats and sprinted towards the entrance. Spinning around, tail-tips away from the tunnel, she locked sight on her love one last time. So handsome. They would have made the most beautiful children this universe had ever seen. Oh, and Ovnick. A cat she had traveled with for many moons. He would surely die but... "I'll come back for you my love! One day Finchstar!" Her silky voice bellowed before she dove through the thorns. Paws hardly graced the grass as she sprinted away. The knowledge she held was more important than her love and Ovnick's life. Twas the sacrifice of a Nghtstriker.

Dae has fled.

As before, WindClan fell in around him and, to his relief, around Finchstar. The beasts had shed the spines along with their outermost pelts; if there had been reason to hesitate before, it was gone now. Suddenly, the calico broke away from the cluster of WindClanners, nearly fast enough to match them as she raced toward the gorse tunnel. With one final threat, she vanished into the dark. Torn between pursuing her and going to Finchstar’s aid, Raventail wavered, staring wild-eyed through the gorse. As long as one of them lived, WindClan wasn’t safe. They would never be safe again. Every fox, every dog, every predator they met, always the same uncertainty. As long as they lived—

But that was a fight for another day. Besides, if the beasts were smart enough to attack in the dead of night (and they were, they were cats, that was all they’d ever been), they were certainly smart enough to stage an ambush. Raventail turned, panting, and his eyes caught on golden stripes. The anger from before froze up in his chest and took his flagging determination with it, stopping him cold before he could launch himself into the cluster of cats around his leader. Finchstar hadn’t returned alone. With him was Goldengale, in wonderful defiance of what Raventail had been forced to announce nearly a moon ago.

Stars knew the moor owed WindClan a miracle. It was about time they followed through.

---

A silver tom (the one who knew Swallowflight; Lightfang had no time to recall his name) sprang into action, along with the cat who’d stood guard just outside the medicine den. Aiming his blows carefully so he wouldn’t hit the others was difficult enough; trying to protect himself at the same time complicated matters. After a moment, though, Lightfang realized there was nothing to dodge. The strange cat’s eyes were set on Finchstar. His behavior aside, he wasn’t a beast anymore. Shrugging off three fully-grown warriors was easy to a dog or for fox, but for an ordinary cat… Willing the strength of SkyClan into his limbs, Lightfang reared up, then brought his claws down over the black-and-white cat’s back. He pulled away to hunch in on himself as his wounds protested.

Lightfang used Upright Front Paws on Ovinnik, dealing 13 damage and using 20 stamina.

Lightfang
26/60 HP
150/200 SP (-20)

Ovinnik
14/75 HP (-13)
110/200 SP

Briarthorn
40/40 HP
105/120 SP

Clovertwist
40/40 HP
95/120 SP

Finchstar
30/120 HP
300/300 SP

Barleytuft stared with wide, glistening eyes as Goldengale, having drank in the situation as well as his blubbering affection, turned to him, looking up at him with those big, pleading eyes she'd had since she was a kit. The innocence there seemed gone and broken forever, but the strength and resolve she'd always shown remained. Father and daughter both wept, overcome with exhaustion and emotion, as Goldengale begged him to let her go - no, to go with her, to end the fighting once and for all. Barleytuft replied desperately, "Pl-Please Golden, I can't lose you." But then both of them were distracted: distracted by the sight of Spotpaw peering out the nursery despite her wounds, reinvigorated at the sound of Finchstar and Goldengale's return.

The senior warrior felt his weary, war-battered daughter purr softly, and his resolve had no choice but to change. Barleytuft gritted his teeth. He had missed the sound of his daughter purring, the look of hope. The look of fear... "Crowpaw was with Dappleshine, he's... he's either in the nursery or the medicine den," Barleytuft rumbled softly, distractedly, as he began to help his daughter back to her paws. "He's safe. You're right - we can fini--"

The warrior immediately cut off, jumping with a start as a commotion broke from where Finchstar and the others had been fighting a she-cat. Barleytuft let out a snarl as the beastly feline, once cloaked as a fox, broke through her assaulters and began to flee towards the entrance. "No you won't!" he snarled after her, and his eyes were full of fire and venom as he turned towards Goldengale and echoed her request, "Let's conquer this together." And without wasting another moment he touched his nose to her golden cheek and turned and whipped around to sprint through the entrance after the fleeing enemy.

Clumsily he felt his fur snag on the thorns in the tunnel, but he pressed on. Once they were in the open it was a mad dash. Barleytuft dug his claws in and pushed himself harder than he ever had. He half-listened for his daughter behind him, but his focus was on Dae as the cat flew over the moors. Her speed was unbelievable; she had taken off first, and that combined with Barleytuft's exhaustion and distraction lended to her escape. By the time Barleytuft finally slowed to a halt at the edge of WindClan's borders, the shape had disappeared into the night. The senior warrior stood panting, winded, devastated at the edge of his home.

Barleytuft hadn't done enough. The beastly cat had escaped to haunt them another day.

---

The pale cat hardly even seemed to notice Clovertwist and his companions' arrival, though Ovinnik was certainly tugged and pulled every which way by their attacks. The tom was snarling at Finchstar, and then without warning he was shouldering through his throng of attackers to fling himself at the WindClan leader. Clovertwist had no time to gape in horror at the damage that the tom was so venomously inflicting, and he could only throw himself at his enemy again. The novice warrior hadn't noticed the dull, growing ache in his kinked tail until he had spun and kicked out his hind legs at the distracted tom's side. Clovertwist felt a flash in his vision as his tail seemed to spasm, and both startled and injured the silver tom darted forward, away from the battle, suddenly shocked out of breath.

The pain was already less sharp by the time he halted several tail-lengths away, but Clovertwist was gasping and trembling at the radiating hurt in his tail. His ears flattened, and he looked around to see that his father was nowhere in sight. His pale amber eyes immediately looked back to Finchstar and the others. When would this be over?

Clovertwist used Back Kick on Ovinnik, using 15 stamina and dealing 10 damage.

Briarthorn
40/40
120/105

Clovertwist
40/40
80/120 SP (-15)

Lightfang
26/60 HP
150/200 SP

Ovinnik
4/75 HP (-10)
110/200 SP

Finchstar
30/120
300/300

Dappleshine had just recovered and stretched to claw at the hide of the calico when she suddenly turned and ran, moving as fast as some of the fastest among WindClan. Once again finding herself wishing that these cats weren't enemies, but rather allies, she was quickly left confused about her next move. There was no way she would catch up to that she-cat now, she was quick, but barely average among the WindClan cats. As Barleytuft and the newly returned Goldengale sprinted out of the camp after her, though, her attention focused onto the single remaining opponent. Stalking forward, cold and harsh anger and pain glinting in her eyes, she swiped out a single time, her paw flashing through the air with the speed she would lash out to catch a fish, opening a gashing wound across Ovinnik's throat. That was for everything.

Dappleshine used Front Paw Strike, dealing 14 damage and costing 10 SP. Ovinnik has been KO'ed and is no longer able to fight.

Briarthorn
40/40
120/105

Clovertwist
40/40
80/120 SP (-15)

Lightfang
26/60 HP
150/200 SP

Ovinnik - KO'ed
-10/75 HP (-14)
110/200 SP

Finchstar
30/120
300/300


Dappleshine
74/100 HP
245/280 SP (-10)

---

Goldengale's tail touched to her father's flank gently. "You won't, don't worry. Not if we work together." Hope shone in her eyes, piercing through the exhaustion and pain. Relief swam in their depths as she heard Crowpaw was alright, and for the first time she looked towards the previously RiverClan warrior with the tiniest hint of warmth. She still wasn't sure, but the warrior had been fighting at their sides, and to hear that she had stepped in to help her son.... Well, that certainly spoke for something. Helped to her paws by her father, she nuzzled his cheek gently as she regained her balance, setting her paws in place a bit shakily. It would end tonight. With her father at her side, and her clan and family around her, the terror would be over. 


Barleytuft's cry cut through her thoughts, and she turned in time to see one of the two cats who had posed as beasts disappearing through the gorse. "No!" She yowled, her voice cracking, but her father had the same thought that she did. Meeting his eyes with a look of determination and fury, she nodded silently, sprinting behind him. The thorns pulled at her pelt, but after the many wounds she had already received it was nothing. Soon they were in the open, and she ran as fast as she could, keeping pace behind her father. It soon became clear, however, that she would escape. She had gotten a head start, and great StarClan was she fast. Combined with her pain and fatigue, the two WindClan cats didn't stand a chance.... But they certianly gave it their best effort. 


Tears stung at the corner of her eyes as she watched the distant figure disappear from WindClan's territory, fleeing from them. They hadn't caught her. They had failed. Who knew where she would go? As the realization of that set in, she swayed before her legs gave out once more, crumpling to the ground in a limp pile with a weak whimper. She couldn't even feel her paws this time... It hadn't even been this bad when she was an apprentice, running with Raventail... What was going on? She looked to her paws, curiosity peaked. Well, they were still there... And they looked fine.... She tried to lift one, to check the bottom of her pad, only for it to merely twitch slightly in response. Blinking as her fear rose, she tried to move all, any, of her paws, to no avail. Wide eyes turned to her father as the horror of what she was experiencing set in. "D....Daddy.... I can't... My paws.... they keep... doing this. I can't get u-up."

The calico he had been fighting broke away from the cats swarming her and bolted into the night, fleeing the bloodied camp with her tail held high. Elmskip was tempted to race after her to finish her off but Barleytuft and Goldengale beat him to it, streaking after the beast--she couldn't be called a cat anymore. The tortoiseshell warrior watched her run away, his gaze burning. "I hope you rot..." he spat, his voice rising as he called after her. "You and your kin and your kin's kin, may you all rot on the Thunderpath, your insides devoured by crows. You don't deserve anything better...Filthy worms..." His cries fell on deaf ears and the three-legged tom found himself just standing in the middle of camp, sides heaving from the exertion of battle. The adrenaline was fading and it was only then that he realized how exhausted he was.

Was it over? For now. For now, they could rest. Elmskip lowered his head, sighing heavily. He looked over his shoulder at where Patrick was waiting, giving the tom an undisguised gaze of longing. Willing his heavy paws to move, he slowly limped over to him. There was so much he wanted to say but he didn't know how to say it. The tom took a deep breath, staring into Patrick's amber eyes. "You...stayed." he mumbled, tilting his head. "Why? What keeps you here? Your paw's healed. You're free to leave...Honestly, though...I-I'm glad. That you stayed. I...I don't know. That sounds silly. But...I'm glad you're safe too...You didn't get hurt, did you? I'm fine, if...if you were wondering. My paws are a little scratched, but...I'm fine." He visibly cringed hearing himself talk, flicking his ears back. "Sorry...I'm not good at talking right now, I sound so stupid..."

Aspenheart continued to scan the clearing, watching the carnage and trying to ignore the stinging of his shredded flesh. With their disgusting skins shed, he no longer feared the cats that emerged from beneath the masks. They were weak, spineless things, and they made the terrible mistake of invading WindClan's camp. They were surrounded by moor-cats. The medicine cat's mouth curled up in a dastardly grin, silently cursing them as they were overpowered by his family. It was morbid and terrible, but for a moment he wished to do the honors of dropping the ugly she-cat into the gorge. He heard a shrill cry that broke through his fantasy, and as his head swung around he nearly missed the shimmering orange pelt laying to the side...

"Oh, STARS, you're not dead!" he cackled wildly. The searing pain in his head kept him from running towards Goldengale, no matter how he shuffled his paws. He felt his eyes swim and pressure on either side of his ears every time he tried to lift himself up. Fine then. He plopped back on the ground in defeat and yowled out to Barleytuft. "Brother, bring her to me!"