Stars in the Night [OPEN]

Harechaser had dismissed it completely. In the morning she'd felt a bit off. A slight queasiness, a bit of tiredness, shivering, but surely it was just that she'd been running around. Perhaps she was developing some sort of sickness, but there had been no need to bother Burdockpaw about it. The apprentice had enough on her paws, and she certainly wasn't going to bother whatever frogbrain Windclan had for a medicine cat, either. Perhaps it was unfair of her, but the Windclanners made her tense and uncomfortable. Nightstar had explained his reasoning, but Harechaser still had her doubts, doubts she was no longer shy in admitting about this fool's alliance.She just couldn't relax around them, and couldn't relax in this harsh, windy, bitterly cold mountainside, either.

Her brother was still gone, and while she didn't agree with him on this alliance, she missed him. The clan needed him. Roseburn had disappeared a short time ago, around when the clan had fled to highstones, and while Harechaser and her sister hadn't been on speaking terms, the blow was still felt. Had she made her sister leave the clan? Did her sister truly hate them all? Their parents were gone long ago, and the idea of asking Echomist or Swiftheart for advice had simply been too daunting, so she'd kept quiet, guilt a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. They both had enough to worry about as it was, without a pointless squabble adding to that worry.

Harechaser slumped in her nest for the day, feeling more exhausted than she ever had as she finally closed her eyes against the rising sun. Not that she would get much sleep, either. With Windclan so close, the Shadowclanner could hear them going about their day with irritating precision, and despite her exhaustion the sounds of other cats waking up and starting their days kept her tossing and turning for a short while before finally falling into slumber.

She dreamed of her dad, of her papa. Of a starry landscape. She never took note of her dreams, but this one was... Vivid. Perhaps it was just the proximity to the moonstone? Apprentices were supposed to go there before becoming warriors, Harechaser had gone after the dark forest had finally left, but she remembered little of it. Perhaps she'd simply been too strung out from the horrible battle, from losing too many loved ones in rapidfire succession. The way that Starclan had taken sacrifice to help drive out the dark... That was all she had seen, at the time.

But now the stars shone brightly, more than she'd ever seen them do in the waking world.

In the waking world, her chest was still. Her fluffy, patchwork pelt lay cold as the mountainside that Shadowclan inhabited.

Harechaser has died of heart failure.

Burdockpaw remembered that Harechaser had injured paws. In the few days since, she hadn't seen the warrior. Like the good medicine cat she was, Burdockpaw set out to find her and check up on her. A few cats pointed in the direction of her nest, and remarked she had been there a while. Good, so she was resting. The marbled molly lumbered over and stood above the warrior. Odd. Burdockpaw tilted her head. Harechaser's chest wasn't moving. Leaning down, she pressed her ear to the cavity and immediately felt the chill. No sounds. Taking a step back she stared down on the body. Yes, body. Harechaser was dead. A peaceful end, at least. Sitting down, Burdockpaw curled her tail over her paws. She'd pay silent respects and then alert warriors for burial.

Swifthearts shoulder was finally feeling better as she awoke from a nap in the med den. She stretched with a yawn and walked slowly out to the clearing her shoulder was good as new thanks to burdock.

Her gaze landed over by the warrior den where it looked like the med cat was now checking up on her younger sisters paws were doing. With a little purr she walked over to them.


The realization caught her completely off guard as she stood there stunned for a minute not believing that her sister was gone. But there was no breath and hare chasers eyes were sealed shut in a final rest.

She went shaking to her sisters side which was now cold and stiff. Hare . Tears welled in her eyes… no not her too. She had lost so many siblings , not like this , not right after night was taken from them.

Burdocks quiet request for a burial went almost unheard to her but she managed a little nod. Echo and here were the last siblings … and night somewhere out there… she had to believe night was alive, he would be home at some point, he just had to be.

But even the most optimistic cannot always see the positive. And seeing hare gone like this, her former apprentice, younger sister and friend made her doubt so many things . Unlike herself she was angry, angry that this was her curse. To be the one to have to witness all those she cared about pass. She hadn’t ever felt this much raw anger at something before.