Faded Hope [Riverclan Finale]

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 4

Just as strength entered his limbs again, the killing blow was struck.

Wide yellow eyes like his namesake watched as red, red blood poured from his mentor's neck. No. No. It was too late. He couldn't stop this, he couldn't move. Owlshriek's paws were rooted into the ground, watching the life fade from Hollyleaf's eyes gradually. Despite it all, she managed to give him a smile. Why? What was there to smile about, when her life was cut so short? She had so much more to do. More cats to teach, more prey to catch, so many more moons--

And yet, in a simple snap, that future vanished. Gone was the cat that helped him become a warrior, that showed him right from wrong, and that gave him the courage to keep moving when the attention of his father vanished. One of the most unconditional parental love he felt, right after his mother. How dare Vinethorn take this cat away from the clan that loved her so? How dare she play with the soul of his loved one.

Fury leaped through him, and once more, Owlshriek could move. But, then, another cat barreled out of nowhere, sending Vinethorn staggering just as she had done to him. Taking this chance, Owlshriek rushed to Hollyleaf's side. She was fading, if not gone. Gently, he touched his nose to his mentor for the last time. "Have faith in me, Hollyleaf. Our clan will not fall to them." Somehow, he knew she did. Satisfied, he turned towards Vinethorn who was still reeling from Aspenblaze's attack. "Taking the coward's way out then, huh? Scared you'll lose like the fat kittypet you are?"

With renewed strength, Owlshriek lunged forward, swiping hard onto Vinethorn with piercing claws, then, using the surge of energy to add in a few more for good measure.

Owlshriek used Front Paw Stike dealing 8 damage, using 7 stamina, paired with desperate blows, dealing an extra 5 damage, and using 7 stamina.

Aspenblaze:
30/30HP
60/80SP

Vinethorn
42/100 HP (-13)
112/180 SP

Owlshriek
19/40 HP
81/100 SP (-14)

Perchfall saw the blow coming from a mile away. In her anger, Vixenstar's movements were extremely easy to predict. However... she was tired. The blows to her side, head, and forearm were heavy, and she was dizzy from blood loss. Her adrenaline was beginning to wear off. So, there was no time to react to her opponent's outstretched claws. All that the former deputy could do was close her eyes and brace herself, hoping that the blow wouldn't down her too badly. Forgive me. However, the blow never came. Instead, she heard two things-- a dying gasp, and a cry of pain. Alarmed, Perchfall's eyes flew open, and she saw the source of both sounds. Poppyshine had darted in front of the Dark Forest she-cat's claws, pushing Perchfall out of the way and taking the attack for her. Claws raked through her belly fur, opening bloody gashes. "Poppy--!" At the same time, across camp, a shadow's jaws clamped onto Hollyleaf's throat, ending her life without so much as a warning.

Hollyleaf... I...

There was no time. There was no time to think, to realize. No time to feel. Perchfall moved numbly, almost slowly, capitalizing on Poppyshine's sacrifice and bringing her paws down hard on Vixenstar's head, slamming her to the ground. It was an almost automatic movement; her mind was elsewhere. Poppyshine got hurt to save me. Her normally calm blue eyes were wild, almost crazed with the sudden flood of emotion. Hollyleaf.... Hollyleaf is dead. Dead. Just a moment ago, both she-cats had been fine. Now one was wounded, bleeding heavily, and the other.... This is what the Dark Forest does. This is what they wanted. Jaystar-- you fox-heart. Is this what you wanted? Is this why you appointed me deputy? To make me watch every cat I have ever known, ever cared about, suffer? The empty pit of her stomach was not filled with grief, not with sorrow, but with rage. Rage at the unfairness of it all. It tasted sour.

Perchfall used Upright Lock on Vixenstar, dealing 12 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Perchfall:
17/63 HP
104/140 SP

Vixenstar:
8/100 HP
106/180 SP

Poppyshine:
23/43 HP
42/100 SP

Sorrelfern hissed as claws sunk into her belly but that pain is what she needed to force herself to clear her mind. She quickly shook the rest of the daze away and lashed out at the tom. Not noting that her strikes didn't have as much power as before.

Sorrelfern used Random Recall and Front Paw Strike dealing 10 damage, -12 SP.

Sparkfrost
HP: 32/80
SP: 118/170

Sorrelfern
HP: 44/100
SP: 124/180

Greynose:
Hnnggg..

Vinethorn felt a cat hit her and she looked to see who it was. Getting a good look at the tom, she recognized him as Aspenblaze, one of the Dark Forest trainees. “I see we have a traitor on our paws,” she growled to him. She lashed out at him, hooking her claws in his pelt. He would have to pay for betraying them.

Vinethorn used Front Paw Strike, dealing 10 damage and costing 7 SP!

Vinethorn
42/100 HP
105/180 SP (-7)

Aspenblaze
20/30HP (-10)
60/80SP

Owlshriek
19/40 HP
81/100 SP

(ooc - Vinethorn shouldn't have been stunned, so I fixed it)

OOC: Vine actually can't be stunned! That's my bad. If you wanted to edit your post to have Vine smack one of us, go wild cause that's on me

Stalking forward to ensure he stood between the vicious molly and the grieving warrior, he bared his teeth at Vinethorn, a thinly veiled threat of the damage to come. For half a second the RiverClan warrior become uncomfortably aware of Vixenstar watching him, and swallowed sharply as he remembered how sharp her claws had been through his pelt. Perchfall and Poppyshine will be okay, he tried to console himself; acutely aware of how dangerous their adversary was, but trusting that the new leader would be more than capable of felling his former mentor. Briefly the feral look in his eyes faded as the dark forest warrior spoke, and he lashed his tail as he spoke to spit out a sharp retort.

"Yeah, yeah, look just save us the speech, and leave." The feral look was back, stronger almost as he took a good look at the body of his clanmate, noticing the way Jaystar's son murmured something to her before throwing himself at Vinethorn, claws and words laced with venomous anger. "Yeah! What he said!" Aspenblaze bared his teeth, darting forward after his clanmate to slash out with his claws once, twice, until stinking blood stained the tips crimson.

Aspenblaze used Front Paw Strike and Desperate Blows, dealing 11 damage and using 14 stamina.

Aspenblaze:
30/30HP
46/80SP (-14)

Vinethorn:
31/100 HP (-11)
112/180 SP

Owlshriek:
19/40 HP
81/100 SP

It seemed her original dance partner couldn't take much more, which was fine with her. She was able to turn her attention to her new opponent that decided to join the dance. Of course she would do her best to show him a painful time.

Sorrelfern used Snap dealing 10 damage, -7 SP. Sparkfrost timed out!

Sorrelfern:
44/100 HP
117/180

Greynose:
23 / 66

As her opponent seemed unable to take anymore, Dewlight spun and ran back towards Greynose. Hissing as she watched her apprentice get hit, she skid to a stop at the side of the cat he was facing and reared up onto her hind legs before bringing her paws crashing down onto her head.

Dewlight used Upright Lock, dealing 12 (+2) damage and costing 10 SP.

Sorrelfern:
30/100 HP (-14)
117/180

Dewlight
56 HP / 133 SP (-10 SP)

Greynose:
23 / 66

Gradually, the fighting quieted. It had passed by in a haze, right in front of Cloverheart's eyes. She'd shrank away from it, cowering in the shade of her den. At the sight of it, her entire body froze, went rigid; her legs locked, and she nearly spilled over to the side at the chaos. When she regained control of her limbs, she used her energy to pedal backwards, retreating into the solace of her neck. If she stood there and watched– or, worse yet, tried to worm her way in-between the fighting –she was afraid her throat would have closed, and she would have died then and there. The medicine cat could only recoil further, squeezing her eyes shut. If she focused, really focused, there would be no war, no screaming, none of the rich scent of blood. It would be over. Then, eventually, it just... was. The wails of battle softened until they faded entirely. When Cloverheart took a shuddering breath and rose out of her nest, the shadowy figures were gone. Entirely. Even StarClan in all their brilliance were starting to fade, seeking out old friends to murmur goodbyes before returning to the stars.

Pausing briefly, she gathered what herbs she could carry between her teeth before setting out into camp. Her paws stiffened again, the scent of blood sweeping over her again, and she almost circled right back into her den. No. She silently scolded herself. Her breath had picked up, coming hot and fast through her nose. Despite her tightening chest, she padded into the heart of camp, scanning for those with the worst wounds. One familiar shape in particularly caught her attention, and her heart fell through to her paws. Keeping her steps as even as possible, Cloverheart slowly made her way over, just after Poppyshine settled in at the body's side. For a moment, the little she-cat just watched. Then she sat down, dropping her herbs. She ached, deeply, at seeing Hollyleaf's body, but at the same time... it chilled her. All her anxieties disappeared in a flash, quelled by a quiet numbness. Tapping Poppyshine with her tail, she whispered, "She's gone. Make your grieving easy, and don't linger too long." Advice bordering on belligerency welled on her tongue, and Cloverheart's ears lowered at her own crude thoughts. She bowed her head, eyes closing, before sweeping her herbs closer. "She'll be in StarClan. She was... a good cat." Despite the terse, formal tone, the medicine cat's voice cracked with emotion. "I'm more concerned about the living. Tell me who needs help, Poppyshine."

They were gone.... she was gone.

With a sudden bright flare, the camp in RiverClan was lit nearly as well as sun-high. Stars shone down from a glittering Silverpelt. After their absence, Perchfall only found them that much more beautiful. She sat down heavily, letting her tired, bloody limbs rest for just a moment while she gazed upwards. How many moons ago had it been, that she had sat under those same stars, uncertain of her life, with Ashflight by her side?... Now, they had returned, and life along with them. However, like before, she had no time to simply sit and appreciate. It would once again be her job to pick up the pieces. A few thoughts tried to halt her pawsteps before they even began. Perchfall, you aren't deputy anymore. Remember? You have no authority. This isn't your job. Just let someone else be in charge... go cower in your den and grieve for Hollyleaf. As much as her heart ached for her dead Clanmate (and maybe, possibly, friend), a determination made her chest clench up when looking at the chaos and bloody figures in her camp. Her camp, her Clan, her Clanmates. If she didn't step up, then who would? Would StarClan simply pick another, the way they had with Jaystar? If Jaystar returned, somehow... A brief shudder passed through her body. Still, she had to act.

She leaned for a moment into Poppyshine's kind touch, but shook her head. "I have things to do," she murmured, glancing around camp. "I will rest later. You should get some care first, those wounds look fairly painful." Forcing herself back onto her shaking feet, flicking her torn, bleeding ear, Perchfall prepared to do what she had to. But first, she spoke once more to Poppyshine. "Thank you for taking that blow for me. I wish it had not been necessary, but... you know as well as I, those claws may very well have ended my life. I am in your debt, Poppy." The shorter, familiar name fell easily from her lips, surprising herself as much as it likely surprised her companion. Yet, there was no time to chat, so she simply nodded with a small, grateful smile before heading off into the crowds.

First, Perchfall found a starry figure that she had not seen for moons... but had thought about often. The former deputy, Ivystar's deputy, whose place she had usurped. "Dewlight," she meowed softly, approaching the other cat's form. "I don't believe I ever truly got to speak to you. I am so sorry for taking your place... I am so sorry for all of my failures. Many of them were preventable. I am endlessly grateful for the assistance that you have provided here today. Please, forgive me my trespasses against you. I have the utmost respect for you, and I hope that you enjoy some well-deserved rest." The words she had longed to say for so long flowed from her mouth quickly, before she stopped herself from saying anything else. Instead, the gray and white she-cat simply nodded in a gesture of deep respect to the starry figure, before walking elsewhere.

By the time she had finished speaking to Dewlight, Poppyshine and Cloverheart were already assessing the damages. Once again, Perchfall found herself impressed by the calico's quick eye for what needed to be done in a crisis. "Thank you, Poppyshine," she said again as she approached the two, slipping back into her authoritative deputy tone out of habit. Her eyes flicked over to the medicine cat, who seemed upset. Understandably. "Cloverheart, her assessments are correct. However, Poppyshine also needs medical attention after those who need it the most-- Rushtalon, Dovesight, and Owlshriek-- have received it." Exhaustion was beginning to creep up on her, but she shook her head to clear away the darkness threatening to swallow up her vision. There was no time. She didn't have time. She had to sort this out, the burning question that had been nagging at her ever since Jaystar disappeared from off the face of the forest as quickly as he came. "Cloverheart... after you have patched up their wounds... would you go with me to the Moonstone?" she asked, hesitancy creeping into her neutral tone. "I know I am technically not the deputy anymore. I am also well aware that we have no clue where Jaystar is, or whether he will return. However... I do not want to leave this Clan leaderless. And with StarClan's return, if I do not use the time that we have now, they may choose another even less fitted for the position than Jaystar was." She hated saying her thoughts on the tom out loud, but something needed to be said. "I am not so full of myself as to think that I would be the best option for RiverClan. However, in the absence of a leader to choose who takes his place, I may be the next best thing. Do you have any objections?"

As the stars suddenly shone bright and the starclan cat's started to beat the dark forest warrior's Moon finally believed that there was something out there for the afterlife. Not necessarily starclan, but some kind of afterlife was awaiting them in order to judge them on their good and their bad deeds in life. As Whiteclaw faded before his eyes Moon was slightly sad to see him go. Although he was a bad cat, no cat deserved to disapear and die forever without any memories of them within the clans.

As he gathering his strength, he overheard Perchfall talking to Cloverheart, the medicine cat. Perchfall was asking Cloverheart had any objection to her becoming leader. "I have no objection." he said turning to face the conversation. "Athough it is not my place to appoint another leader or give my opinion I believe that you will be a great leader of Riverclan Perchfall. You have led us through these trying times within the clans and have living and kept most of the cat's alive."