We've Been Here Before [Closed]

Stormsong hadn't come back from his hunt earlier that day. While it hadn't immediately alarmed Sleepycloud, a twinge of anxiety had her leading out a search party of just her and Auburnflare. They branched out not too far from each other, trying to cover more ground as they followed her mate's scent. The search had drawn them further and further away from camp. It certainly wasn't like him to have split from the original path of the hunting party he had been with. Unease twinged in her fur, and the forest she had grown comfortable in began to feel like it was bearing down on her. Something was watching her.

Sleepycloud froze in her path, instantly crouching low enough that her belly fur brushed the grass below. Only then did the wind change, and a stench of blood flooded the clearing. From the corner of her eye, the grey tabby form of her mate. The blood that pooled on the ground had slowly climbed up the side of his pelt and stained his flank a deep red.  "Stormsong?" She whispered, green eyes struggling to move from his prone form. He was alive, right? He had to be. He promised her that he wouldn't leave her side...! Creeping closer towards the tom, the stillness of his flank was too apparent. The anguish she had tried to hold at bay flooded in, leaving her to heave a great sob. "No, no, please. Please." She was more intelligent than this, begging a cat who had gone to join StarClan to wake up miraculously.

But the rational side vanished the moment she saw Stormsong's form. And for that moment, she forgot she was being watched. The ground shook with each step something behind her took. Sleepycloud spun in place, and her fur rose in defiance. A beaten and bloody Badger charged towards her. Between its claws was grey fur that she knew all too well. The grief slipped into a rage, a pure rage. Sleepycloud yowled in a fury, charging back at the creature. Its huge paw swung in a wide arc towards her. Its slow movement allowed her to leap to the side and scour its already exposed flank directly on the path that Stormsong had cut in his final battle. A satisfying squelch told the warrior she hit soft tissue.  

Injured Badger tries to hit Sleepycloud with Heavy Blow, using 22 stamina. Sleepycloud used Dodge and Fight, using 7 stamina and dealing 7 damage.

Injured Badger
20/90 HP (-7)
60/150 SP (-22)

Sleepycloud
40/ 40 HP
93/100 SP (-7)

The badger that seemed to have sustained major injury from her fallen mate reeled back at Sleepycloud; its beady eyes glinted in malice. For a half second, it stepped back, and Sleepycloud hoped beyond hope that it was opting to run away from her. But she was mistaken. The creature took its step back to lunge at her, again taking her by surprise. Except this time, Sleepycloud could not move fast enough to avoid the creature. Its maw sunk into her hind leg lifted her from the ground and swung her a distance away. The pain that raced up her leg in that instant and had been so overwhelming she had almost missed the fact that the air in her lungs had vanished as she collided with a decaying oak tree.

Had the forest always been so pretty? The way the sunlight danced through the leaves, shifting and changing with every breath of the wind. Like the stars the shimmered at night, they spun... They spun? Sleepycloud shut her eyes and struggled to get to her paws. The ground shook. Thud, thud, thud. The badger was coming to finish her off. Gritting her teeth, the she-cat let out a deep growl, facing the creature who had killed Stormsong, hurt her leg, and most certainly would go after the other cats of ThunderClan if she didn't fight back. With just three useable legs, Sleepycloud flashed her sharp teeth, tearing at the badger's open wounds. Its growl turned to a shriek. But Sleepycloud wasn't done. With as much balance as she could muster, the warrior threw all she could into a few extra lashes of her claws, hoping, begging for them to find purchase.

Badger used Iron Bite on Sleepycloud. Dealing 22 damage and using 30 stamina. Sleepycloud used Snap, and Desperate Blows. All together, dealing 13 damage and using 14 stamina.

Injured Badger
7/90 HP (-13)
30/150 SP (-30)

Sleepycloud
18/ 40 HP (-22)
79/100 SP (-14)

They had. Thank the stars they had. Blood flowed freely from the Badger. Its eyes were wild and shone with pain, though Sleepycloud was certain hers were almost precisely the same. The heavy huffs of the creature slowly got closer as it labored towards her. Sleepycloud knew she was backed into the corner. Blood from her leg pooled below her; the old tree and a patch of wild bracken were behind her. Certainly, Sleepycloud could not climb the tree with her leg in such a state. Nor have the speed to peel through the bracken. Running was not an option anymore. In the back of her mind, her father and Stormsong guided her paws. She would have to take this blow, but after, she could manage one last attack. It would certainly use its paw to swipe at her, as she was in the corner, and its giant maw could not reach otherwise. If it follows through with its paw the entire way, it would leave it defenseless against the gash.

Determined, Sleepycloud braced herself and took the swipe of the badger with as much stride as she could, not fighting against the gravity that pushed her over. Which, thankfully, lessened the blow of the claws that scratched at her pelt. Not to say it didn't sting more than anything else. Besides her leg, that is. Her vision blurred, and Sleepycloud could swear she could hear her heartbeat in her own heart. It wasn't a good sign, but it was enough for her to know she was still alive. Once again, she rose from the ground, not beaten yet. Her green eyes locked on the opening and pushed off with her remaining good leg, casting a deep cut on the badger.

They both collapsed just after. Sleepycloud was fighting for breath, fighting the exhaustion that plagued her. The badger, unmoving. As she glanced between the badger and Stormsong, the warrior understood that she would be just like them if she remained here. Sleepycloud was sure the only thing keeping her alive was adrenaline and the will of StarClan. What would StarClan still have in mind for her if she were to keep living?

It seems she would still have to find out. Rising to her feet again, Sleepycloud limped towards Stormsong and tried to pull him by the scruff towards camp. He was too unwieldy for her to manage on her own. "You couldn't have missed a few meals, could you?" She laughed, though her throat threatened to close as tears filled her eyes. "I won't leave you out here. I can't." Sleepycloud pressed her nose into his pelt, her heart sinking at the fact she would never feel its warmth again. She had to do right by him. The image of the unmoving badger flashed in her mind, and the warrior lifted her head with a realization. "Harebounce, you are about to be so proud of me."

Injured badger used Heavy Blow on Sleepycloud, dealing 17 damage and using 22 stamina. Sleepycloud used Front Paw Strike, Dealing 8 damage and using 7 stamina. Sleepycloud has KO'd the Injured badger!

Injured Badger
KO/90 HP (-8)
8/150 SP (-22)

Sleepycloud
1/ 40 HP (-17)
72/100 SP (-7)