Come be lonely with me (C)

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 2

Ashflight's frenzied attack seemed to do its job, as the fox was now desperate to escape the grasp of these vicious cats.  At the sound of its whimpering, Ashflight released his jaws and backed away, finding Perchfall on the ground with a slashed shoulder.  Teeth bared, in his anger, he almost ran back over to the hesitantly retreating fox to finish the job, but he knew that his limited strength wouldn't last. Instead, Ashflight stood protectively over his deputy, her form nestled between his forepaws, and yowled at the fox.  "Go away, go!  Leave!!  Let us be!"  The noise seemed to work, as the bloody fox finally turned tail and dashed back down along the river towards the border.

For a moment there was silence, broken only by the sound of Ashflight panting before he looked down at Perchfall with as much of a smile as he could manage.  "A-are you okay?"  Stepping off of her, he bent down to examine the wound on her shoulder, which was staining the pretty white patches of her fur red.  "Cloverheart will need to patch you up, or I could I suppose, my parents taught me about herbs from an...early...age..."  As soon as Ashflight tried to take a step forward he collapsed, long gray pelt heavy with blood and his legs limp from exhaustion.  Laying down unsteadily beside Perchfall, his green eyes were tired and cloudy.  "M-maybe...we should b-both go see her..."

The Fox has retreated.

Before she could claw her way back to a standing position, anticipating some attack of retaliation from the fox, Perchfall found herself blocked from doing so. Ashflight-- beaten, bloodied, angry, alive-- stood over her. There was a strange light to his green eyes that she hadn't seen before. But, there was light in them. The dimness she had previously seen must have been her overactive imagination. Instead, he was alive, breathing heavily, and screaming with an anger she hadn't thought he possessed. At the confirmation of her friend's status, she barely even noticed the defeated fox scrambling back down the riverbank. Her flooding wave of conflicting emotions had wreaked havoc on her normally stoic senses. As she looked up at him, tired blue eyes no longer able to disguise all that she felt, she was once again that strange attempt at a smile. He always had to smile.

For some reason, he was concerned about her. Why? Because she'd darted foolishly in front of the fox and gotten a shallow cut to the shoulder for her troubles? Because she'd finally lost control of her emotions? Right... he'd seen her cry. She had cried. For nothing. She was so stupid. All of these thoughts raced through her in an instant, showing plain on features that were too exhausted to even try hiding them. "No, Ashflight, it's fine. I barely got hurt. It was my own fault. You, on the other paw--" Before she could even finish explaining anything, the tom collapsed. "Ashflight!" Alarmed, Perchfall tried to jump to her paws again, but a slight involuntary hiss of pain reminded her that the wound on her shoulder wasn't quite as shallow as she believed it to be. Instead of getting up, she instead leaned closer to the tom, staring intently into his eyes. He was alive, yes... but badly injured. So badly that it almost excused her inexcusable lapse in judgement. And still the fool was worried about her.

Perchfall gently, without thinking, brushed her nose against his. He felt warm... a little too warm. Her voice was shaky. "Hey, stay with me. Stay awake. We're going to go get Cloverheart, and everything is going to be fine. Don't worry about me-- it was my own fault-- I can't seem to control myself lately-- I'll be okay." Cutting her own ramblings short with a platitude she barely believed, the deputy slowly forced herself to stand up, doing her best to ignore the wince that was briefly written across her face. It was too late to resume her neutral mask. Stars, I have really made a mess of this. Hopelessly, she sighed. Should she try to explain herself? What was even the point? He was fading quickly. She needed to get him to the medicine den, and fast. If he actually died... like she thought he had... stars.... She couldn't go through that again. She wouldn't. There would be time for her foolishness later. "Ashflight. Can you stand up?" she asked, voice still not completely under her control. The concern was naked on her face. "If you can't, then I'll get another warrior to help me, and we'll carry you. I'm not strong enough on my own... Stars. I'm not strong enough to do anything. Deputy of RiverClan and I can't even...." Shut up, get to the point. "You did so well against that fox, but I would never forgive myself if you were permanently injured." Or dead. No, shut up, don't think about it. "So please... be okay. You don't have to be okay right now, but you need to stay alive." What was wrong with her? Why were her eyes starting to sting again? Why couldn't she control herself? Yet she didn't dare to look away, in case he disappeared. So Perchfall looked at her only friend, desperate, waiting for and dreading any response from him.

The world was spinning unsteadily, Ashflight's equilibrium thrown off by the pain and blood loss, but even as his eyes threatened to flutter shut he shook his head firmly, forcing himself to focus on what was in front of him, what he could see.  Blue, beautiful blue, like the river during green-leaf.  Perchfall's eyes, leaning so close to his, managed to bring him back to reality, and he locked onto them with an intense force.  Who cared about the pain, about the cold sticky liquid that coated his fur?  In her eyes, he could see home.  "P-Perch-"  His words were cut off as the she-cat's face drew closer, and instinctively he closed his eyes as their noses touched, face unwillingly flushing with warmth.  Her voice, so close to his ears and so shaky, made his heart pound.  How could I not worry about you?  You're my...  The words he had planned to say died on his tongue, he must've been confused.  Instead, he took a trembling breath and whispered, pressing his forehead against hers before she pulled away; "I-I'm not g-going anywhere, don't...worry."

Mustering all his determination, Ashflight lifted himself unsteadily to his paws, but not without a whimper.  Everything was sore and hurting, and when he tried to take a step forward he almost stumbled.  Looking up though, he watched as Perchfall rambled, the worry and fear on her face unobscured.  He had never seen her like this before, so unrestrained and emotional.  Her tears during the battle still weighed on him, and it hit him all in a flash why she had this reaction.  She...cares for me.  Truly, as I care for her.  Ever since their first conversation Ashflight had kept some tiny reservation in the back of his mind that he had been a nuisance to her, that maybe she had felt forced into this friendship by his persistence and that it was all an act.  His broken trust from moons of wandering and abandonment, he supposed.  At this moment though, as he saw those sparkling tears begin to grow in the corners of her eyes once more, he knew it was real.  This was genuine.

Despite the pain, Ashflight smiled with all his heart.  Taking the couple small steps forward that brought them together, the tom leaned gently against her side to support himself, gazing into her tearful eyes as his own began to follow suit.  "Hey, I'll be okay, I promise.  Thanks to you, I'm still here.  You give me strength Perchfall, you're stronger than you know.  Just...stay with me.  Together, we can make it back."  His voice was quiet, a bit shaky, but there was power behind his words.  You don't have to do everything alone, you know?  We'll help each other, support each other, and make it back safe.  That's what...friends, are for.