******Goldenclaw's POV******
After helping Jemsong drag Phillip's body out of the Cave for burial he'd asked the ombré furred tom if there was anything else he could do. The Silent Forest was no longer filled with the caterwauling of battle, but the devastation wrought upon the Silent Brothers was expansive and devastating. If there's anything I can do to help then I should, the golden tabby thought.
He was disappointed by Zachariah's response. The two toms were padding down to the path of rock crags they'd climbed up to get to the secret entrance. All the gritty rock was making Goldenclaw's paw pads ache, he was almost certain they'd be sore tomorrow.
+ No my young friend. You have done more than enough. Besides, your companions are waiting for you.+ Zachariah projects with a flick of his tail, the top a pure white in coloring.
Goldenclaw's mind raced with the realization. By the Angel, I completely forgot about Violetpaw and Ravenspirit! The warrior had been so caught up in helping out the Silent Brothers that he hadn't stopped to think about his two traveling companions for even a heartbeat. What if Frostfang's goons got to them?! His heart raced with fear.
As if sensing his concern, Jemsong went to reassure him + It is alright Goldenclaw. The Circle would not have been able to get to them from where they are at the top of the falls.+ The Silent Brother's words did little to calm his spirit.
I need to get to them! Now! He could picture Violetpaw and Ravenspirit clearly now: the two cats had been yowling out to him as he leapt off the cliff. Surely they knew Goldenclaw was alright.....right? But what if they don't? For all they know the jump killed me. The more he thought about it the more uneasy he became.
"Can we go to them now? I...I need your help getting back up there." Goldenclaw was unsure if he should tell Zachariah about his leap off the cliff.
It's confusing enough to me that I was able to do that in the first place. That was at least a thirty or more foot drop. Explaining that to Zachariah won't be easy nor possible right now. He covertly glances at his flanks where his runes had glowed a blazing golden.
Through thick tabby fur he could see the ink black lines of permanent runes etched into his skin. They'd stopped shining ages ago, but that hadn't made him lose the soft buzz he still felt thrumming in his heart like a bird trapped in a cage. Oddly enough this feeling wasn't that unpleasant, just very weird. Tingling is the best word for it, Goldenclaw thinks as he flexes his claws.
+ Of course. Follow me.+ Jemsong replies. Goldenclaw lets out a sigh of relief that the Silent Brother doesn't ask any questions. The two cats make it to the top of the falls surprisingly quick, though at this point the golden tabby's paw pads feel like they've been rubbed raw.
"Goldenclaw!" Violetpaw's high pitched mew exclaims. The tortoiseshell races over to meet the two toms, her purple eyes wide with worry. Ravenspirit trails behind her, albeit at a slower pace. The healer's eyes were oddly narrowed, and it made Goldenclaw's pelt prickle with unease.
"Hey guys. Sorry I left so suddenly." He says. When Violetpaw reaches his side, her cold nose is reaching out to get a good whiff at him, as though knowing his smell will tell her whatever she wants to find out about him.
Ravenspirit takes the more practical approach of eyeing the warrior's wounds. Goldenclaw keeps his chin held high, he'd gotten a few scrapes from Ratchet and from the Sour twins but other than that he was mostly uninjured.
My paw pads hurt more than the claw marks on my flanks. The blood that had been oozing had long since dried, the dark burgundy scabs making faint streaks of orange appear in his fur. Goldenclaw can't help but meet the healer's gaze, wondering what he might be thinking.
I hope it's not anything bad. HunterClan had yet to tell the other clans about the return of the Circle. With a vampire being here to witness an attack from the notorious gang, they might not have a choice. The other clans were likely to be angry...the prospect of HunterClan facing scrutiny not settling well with the golden tom.
"We're just glad you're alright." Ravenspirit says eventually, his tone measured. "Though I am curious as to what exactly happened below." He gestures to Silent Forest with one black paw.
Goldenclaw blinks at him in surprise. I guess I didn't think about Ravenspirit and Violetpaw not being able to figure out who was attacking below. It was clear Violetpaw understood the Circle was responsible, her whiskers twitching anxiously.
The young apprentice is wisely keeping her mouth shut and waiting for her mentor's words. Gold eyes flick to Jemsong as if asking for guidance. There are no projections in his mind from the ombré furred tom, a silent signal that Goldenclaw is on his own. Thanks for the help, he inwardly mutters.
"There was an attack. A bunch of rogues were trying to rain chaos on the Silent Brothers." Goldenclaw admits. Best to stick to the truth as much as possible. If he directly mentions the Circle then I'll tell him, but other than that I'll leave that decision to Blossomstar.
Ravenspirit dips his head. "I see." Emotions are swimming across the black tom's face, too many for Goldenclaw to get a read on. He wishes desperately he had his parabatai's intuition for reading other cats. Right about now it would be a truly useful skill.
"Were a lot of cats hurt?" Violetpaw inquires. Goldenclaw shares a glance with Jemsong; the list of fatalities was not truly known yet, the amounts of dead and injured still being tallied.
+ We don't know yet. But I plan to find out. I must leave now, was there anything else you all needed? + Jemsong asks.
Goldenclaw watches Ravenspirit ramble off his request for what herbs he needs. Jemsong gives the healer a nod before heading down the crags to retrieve the herbs. When the Silent Brother disappears the vampire whirls back onto him. Violetpaw also eyes Goldenclaw with great intrigue, no longer frightened like she was before back when he'd left.
"So I'm guessing there's more to the story than that. I could see there were demons down there, and ordinary rogues wouldn't be able to slip into the Silent Forest and cause so much damage." Ravenspirit states.
Goldenclaw hangs his head. He has to tell Ravenspirit the truth now, if he doesn't it could mean bad things for HunterClan. "Okay." He proceeds to tell the healer everything they know so far about the Circle and their return into the spotlight. While he talks Ravenspirit remains completely silent, not even twitching when Violetpaw adds in her own input.
It's only when Goldenclaw is finished that Ravenspirit responds. "So HunterClan has been going through a lot lately. I'm glad FangClan isn't the only ones."
"So you're not mad that we kept this from you?" Goldenclaw asks, still worried about what Ravenspirit might tell Cricketstar.
The Medicine cat shakes his head. "You didn't want to cause mass hysteria. That's understandable on all accounts. I won't tell Cricketstar anything, but I strongly recommend that Blossomstar make a formal announcement about the Circle at the next Gathering." He says firmly.
"Thank you Ravenspirit. I-I don't know what to say." Goldenclaw admits. The healer had possibly the best reaction to this whole ordeal that he could've had.
"Well I do! Can we eat something before going home? I'm starving." Violetpaw says. As if on cue Goldenclaw's stomach rumbles at her words. The trio share a laugh, Ravenspirit's shoulders trembling with hilarity.
"It would seem Goldenclaw is in agreement with you. Though after fighting all day I'm not that surprised." The healer mews.
Goldenclaw gives a sheepish shrug. "That sounds like a good idea, but we should ask Zachariah for permission before we hunt."
+ What do I need to give permission for? + Brother Zachariah projects. The tom was scrambling the last few steps up the rise to the top of the falls, a bundle of herbs tightly clenched in his jaws.
"Would you minded if we hunted here before returning home?" Violetpaw says hopefully. When the Silent Brother gives a small nod of approval, the apprentice lets out a giggle of glee before darting off into the bushes.
Goldenclaw grins at her retreating form before looking at the other two toms. "I better follow her. You wait here." He says to Ravenspirit who dips his head in agreement. "Take care Zachariah." He murmurs then darts after his apprentice.
If Jemsong has said anything in response, the golden tabby didn't hear it as he plunges into the undergrowth. When he and Violetpaw return to the Clearing with their jaws laden with prey only Ravenspirit remains. After a quick dinner the three companions step into the Portal to return home.
******Arrowheart's POV******
It had been three days since Arrowheart "allowed" (was persuaded/ begged/ practically forced...to be honest) Simon to join their expedition, and the warrior would be lying if he said his mood wasn't on a downward spiral. When the trip had first began, he'd been excited to spend some time with Patchfur. With Simon joining their motley crew the dynamics of the group had changed somewhat.
Arrowheart had hoped that Sparkpaw and Simon would keep each other busy....but unfortunately that hadn't been the case. The tabby tom was constantly prattling on about Mundane nonsense, and when he wasn't doing that then he was asking Arrowheart and Patchfur questions about the most idiotic (in his humble opinion) things.
"Why does the Mundane have to come along?" He'd asked the other day. Arrowheart had been met with a lot of disappointed stares and some ridicule from Sparkpaw from that (apparently) horrendous question. The topic ended getting promptly dropped after the question as Patchfur had dragged him off for some special sharing tongues time that night.
He wished to make the kittypet leave him alone, but as he knew Patchfur wouldn't like it if the young tom was chased off. That and apparently Simon had no where else to go, with the whole business of his Twolegs trying to 'declaw' him and all. So he grumpily kept his mouth shut. Just because I have to put up with him doesn't mean that I have to like it.
Around the second day of traveling the scent trail WolfClan left behind went stale. Arrowheart wasn't all that surprised; the clan must've crossed through the same watery trenches they had to in order to get to where they were headed. In the process, the werecats lost their scent making it impossible for them to be tracked.
At first his heart had sunk with the news. Especially as they were coming up on another TwolegPlace now on this third day of traveling. The young Shadowhunter had been wracking his brain for ideas as to where the missing Clan might've headed in the massive fenced in area, but with his limited knowledge of what Sparkpaw and Simon kept terming as 'neighborhoods' he kept coming up blank.
"Can we stop now please? My paws are killing me." Simon says with a groan from somewhere behind him. Arrowheart and Patchfur were keeping stride together, with the two best buds (or whatever they termed themselves....Sparkpaw told them a long winded story last night on how they were pretend engaged once??) trailing right behind.
Arrowheart couldn't help but roll his eyes. That kittypet is slowing us down. The young tom could admittedly hunt decently, but he wasn't used to walking for long periods of time like the forest cats were. This led to the tabby asking for water breaks and times of rest. The Shadowhunter would much rather they keep progressing, but unfortunately he is once again outvoted.
"That sounds like a great idea." Sparkpaw agrees. Of course she does... His ginger apprentice had been more than happy to let Simon join them, unlike Arrowheart who'd rather be across the continent from the chattering tom. There's only so much I'm willing to take...and I've about reached my limit on kittypet nonsense today.
Beside him Patchfur's whiskers twitch decidedly. Arrowheart knew that his bicolored boyfriend is also unhappy with this turn of events, but unlike him his warlock has much more patience. Arrowheart finds that to be a very attractive quality....though he wishes it wasn't being used against him this go around.
"Arrowheart and I will go hunt. You two head over to that copse of trees and we'll meet you there when we're finished." Patchfur gestures to the approaching tree line up ahead, where a small patch of trees was growing separately from what appeared to be a full blown forest.
They'd been traveling through deep sodden undergrowth and muddy ditches for the last three hours now, so the black furred (whose fur is stained with muck at this point) warrior appreciates that they'll be underneath the protection of trees soon.
I wonder if WolfClan might've stopped here? It wasn't the craziest idea, but it was still highly unlikely. WolfClan are moor dwellers, so they would feel safer out in the open then underneath towering trees. To each their own but I still think that's mouse brained.
"Okay! Bring me back a big mouse please. Or or a pheasant, one with all the plumage would be great!" Simon calls after them as Arrowheart and Patchfur slink towards the forest. The sky is beginning to darken overhead, the promise of rain heavy in the air.
Once the two young cats are out of earshot, Arrowheart comments, "You think the Mundane would understand that I can't just find him whatever he wants because he wants it. The forest provides what it will, we have no choice in the matter." He pricks his ears at the sound of a bird's cry. I hope it's nearby, really just about anything would be good right about now.
Patchfur makes a noncommittal noise, his bicolored eyes focused on the upcoming oak trees. Being so close to the copse, the grass is greener with less of the dampness of the thick undergrowth. Arrowheart relishes in the feel of the spongy blades having missed regular forestry with a pang of longing ever since they'd left for the moorlands.
"You have a point, Arrowheart. Though I have a feeling that Starlord's lack of knowledge of prey and the forest isn't what your really worried about." Patchfur said.
The younger tom almost laughs at hearing yet another strange name for Simon coming out of his boyfriend's lips. Just where does he come up with them? Does StarClan or the Angel help him come up with them spontaneously, or is that Patchfur being himself. His amusement falters at the rest of his warlock's words. Patchfur was indeed right, Arrowheart is worried about something else that has nothing to do with Simon. And everything to do with WolfClan.
"You're right. I am worried about something else." He clears his throat before speaking what's on his mind. Patchfur stares at him searchingly, the older tom waiting in silence for his Shadowhunter's next words. "What if we can't find WolfClan? The trail has gone stale and for all we know we could be lost." He couldn't help the worry seeping into his mew.
If they couldn't find the missing Clan, what would become of the other clans of the forest. And even more worrying is what will happen to WolfClan? Without the other clans, without borders, without structure, without StarClan to guide them what will they become? Arrowheart didn't have a good answer to that, the warrior not wanting to dwell on the dark possibilities any further.
"It'll be alright Arrowheart. StarClan wants us to find WolfClan, so I'm certain we will soon enough. Our ancestors won't lead us astray." Patchfur says reassuringly.
The two toms are now in the forest, heads swiveling to pick up noise or the scent of prey. Conversations with Patchfur are always easy. The warlock doesn't press for answers in the annoying way that most cats do, instead giving Arrowheart ample time to formulate a response, encouraging him with the smallest of gestures.
If only all cats were like that. He remembers Sparkpaw and Simon both asking him how much further they had until they reached WolfClan. The two younger cats had pestered him about it for a good hour until Patchfur managed to shut them up. He couldn't blame them for being curious, but still the pestering had rubbed him the wrong way like poison ivy irritating the skin.
"I hope your right." Arrowheart grunts out as he hauls himself up and over a fallen tree, his tail waves wildly behind him.
The trunk was much too massive for either of the two cats to leap over so that left scrambling up and over as the only option. The damp bark underneath his paws was cool to the touch, some of the fragments flaking off as his claws sank in deep. He notes that there are no other claw marks in the trunk, signifying that there were no other animals (specifically cats) to climb over it thus far.
So WolfClan didn't come here then. Any hope the Shadowhunter had about avoiding the oncoming TwolegPlace sunk like a downed ship them, not even the slightest trace of the bow remains above the murky depths.
Sighing, Arrowheart scrambles down from the fallen log, his nose immediately catching the scent of something strange as well as a scent he's all too familiar with. He ignores the odd smell that he can't place to take another whiff of a woodsy smell. Arrowheart can already feel his mouth watering.
Patchfur lands down beside him with a grace Arrowheart admires. "Do you smell that?" He can't help the excitement in his voice.
The other tom takes a whiff of the air before nodding, his golden green gaze mirroring the excitement in Arrowheart's own blue eyes. "Yes, we've got a rabbit close by...and possibly an entire warren too." He licks his lips.
"I think they're behind the rose bushes here." He angles with his ears to the bushes.
Sweet smelling red roses are in full bloom here, there red petals tantalizing to all the herbivores living here. What wasn't so tantalizing was the glimmer of sharp thorns that lay just underneath the petals. I wouldn't fancy getting pricked by one of those.
"Alright then Arrowheart, lead the way." Patchfur beckons him forwards with a paw. The two toms creep silently side by side around the prickly bushes; their footfalls are light as to not make the prey aware of them.
******Sparkpaw's POV******
"I guess we should wait here." Sparkpaw murmurs. As it turns out, the small copse of trees surrounds a deep ravine. Sand is packed in on all sides around them with the tree branches overhead obstructing their view of the sky.
"Okay." Simon agrees before flopping down into the sand. The collar around his throat, once bright orange is now a dull rust colored brown. With all the mud they'd been wading through it was no surprise that Simon's collar has lost its pristine coloring.
Sparkpaw sits down in front of her friend, though she's much more careful to avoid covering her chest fur with sand. It was bad enough that her forelegs and paws were constantly getting drenched, she didn't want to add uncomfortable gritty sand in between her toes to the mix.
The two young cats talk comfortably together for some time. Sparkpaw finds herself pleased to be around Simon so much. I hadn't realized just how much I missed him. Simon is like an odd fragment of her old life that she still gets to have. Everything else may have changed for her, but at least she could count on her friend.
Speaking of changes.... Her mood soured as she was reminded of a certain golden tabby tom. Goldenclaw and she were getting on better terms when she'd left for WolfClan territory, but the warrior was still acting standoffish around her. It was both frustrating and painful to the ginger she-cat who just wants to be close to him again. But what if he won't let me...What if we can never return to the way we were?
"You're upset about something. What's wrong." Simon asks, his voice soft. Brown eyes with amber flecks were blinking at her with intrigue.
"I'm just thinking about Goldenclaw. Things have gotten a bit awkward between us and I'm worried we won't be able to get past our problems." She admits this sadly.
Simon scoots forward so he's a muzzle length away, the faint shafts of light spilling through the vegetation overhead make the silver tag on the orange band gleam. "I'm sorry your having to deal with that Clary—-I mean Sparkpaw. You don't deserve to deal with that. Any cat would be lucky to be your friend, let alone your mate." He murmurs this with a fierce passion. Sparkpaw wishes she believed him. If only I did, my life would be so much easier.
"I wish it were that simple. Goldenclaw and I...we both wanted so much more. And now" Her throat closes up, almost choking her. Sparkpaw's green eyes are clouded with emotion, but the amount there doesn't come anywhere close to the underlying war inside her heart. "And now we can't have that. We've been reduced to this....to this awkward sibling hood. I'm not even sure he considers me a friend." She admits.
Simon frowns at that, his expression unreadable as he ducks his head down. Eventually he responds, his voice toneless yet filled with something Sparkpaw can't identify. "If he can't accept the truth then he's no better than a piece of fox dung. Your better off without him." The tabby growls.
Sparkpaw gasps at that. "You can't be serious about that!?" She says, her heat beat twinging underneath her chest.
There was a certain warmth inside her from Simon's brazen words, yet also a tugging pain that ran deep within. Without him....he can't be right, can he? She tries to picture living the rest of her life without Goldenclaw and finds it impossible to imagine.
Something about the golden tabby had her forever hooked, an unhealthy but truthful reality she was trying to push away. But he's not wrong, a part of her mind whispers fiercely, if he can't move forward...you deserve better.
"I'm dead serious. And besides, I know there's another cat who likes you like a lot." He says this with a smile, his ear flicking.
Her eyes narrow at that. "And who would that be?" She asks in confusion. He better not be talking about one of the house cats in the neighborhood. Half-clan relationships are viewed poorly enough, but a relationship between a kittypet and a Shadowhunter would be seen as an absolute disgrace.
"Well, Sparkpaw.....it's me." He murmurs a bit shyly, ducking his head down. Her eyes widen with confusion, her mind shutting down and rebooting as though she is Sparkpaw.exe.
"Wha-What did you say?" She asks thinking she might've misheard. Surely he didn't say he likes me.
"Sparkpaw, I-I like y-you." He stutters out, meeting her green gaze with complete sincerity. "I have for a very long time, I just didn't know how to tell you." He admits.
Sparkpaw's heart is beating in overdrive now and it has nothing to do with the humidity of the forest. Blood roars in her ears, the she-cat is pretty certain she's blushing right now. This supposed blush likely deepens as Simon scoots even closer to her.
From this close up Sparkpaw can feel his hot breath on her cheeks and spot the dancing flecks of amber in the tom's eyes. A faint flicker of pink is in there too, Sparkpaw's unsure if she's ever noticed before. It seems there a lot of things I don't know about him though.
Sparkpaw's still trying to formulate a response when she senses it. A dark energy begins to waft through the air, like a deadly smoke that coats the ground with a sickly ash. Both the cats are on their paws in an instant, hackles raised and ears pricked. The discussion of before is left temporarily forgotten. Sparkpaw would've been glad if it wasn't for the smoke moving up to block out the thin trails of light, encasing them in almost complete darkness.
"Sparkpaw what's going on?" Simon yowls out. His voice seems so far away, yet she knows he can't be that far from him. Green eyes dart to and fro to try to find the source of the black smog.
"I don't know." She answers back, unease prickling in her ginger fur. Moments before the apprentice had wanted to get away from the tom to figure out her mess of muddled feelings. Now she wants nothing more than to find him, so they can stand against this threat together.
SCREEEEEEEE an animal's noisy voice lets out from above.
Sparkpaw looks up just in time to see a massive owl swooping down on them. The thing is the color of a musky brown, rivulets of white and a pale gold shimmer in its primaries and tail feathers. There are two points at the top of the creature's head that remind Sparkpaw faintly of devil's horns. This is clearly a screech owl.
And that's not all....her mind adds. Wrapped around deadly sharp talons is a pivoting dark energy. The inky blackness of it matches the smog surrounding the trees in thick clumps like they were solid in form.
"Simon watch out!" She shouts out to her friend, ducking as the deadly talons take a swipe at her.
The bird lets out another SCREEE of anger at having missed its target, but this quickly changes to a squawk of surprise as a screeching form jumps on top of it, the animal's claws outstretched and unsheathed.
"Leave Sparkpaw alone!" Simon mews angrily. The tabby's claws must sink deep into the bird's flesh on its back as the owl lets out what Sparkpaw assumes is a cry of rage.
Blood sprays the ground as Simon digs his claws in deep. But Sparkpaw knows it to be a fatal effort: without Angelic might or Downworlder ability there was no way for the tabby to destroy this creature.
"Simon you have to get off the owl. Your attacks won't make it stop!" She yelled up at him.
But her shouts fall on deaf ears as Simon doesn't seem to hear her. The house cat bites downs sharply onto the owls swiveling ears. The flying demon retaliates almost immediately, flapping with powerful strokes of its wings before flipping over. The action is so strange and violent that Simon falls off so fast Sparkpaw is left blinking stunned for a second with shock.
When the apprentice recovers she darts over to her friend, fur bristling. Simon lays on the ground with blood bubbling from his mouth. Sparkpaw can't see the injury on her friend's back but she can see the pool of blood oozing out from underneath him in a burgundy wave. A strange red energy is floating around his stunned frame now like misted blood.
"Si, Simon. You have to get up!" She nudges at him fiercely.
Simon groans, coughing up another wad of blood. Sparkpaw doesn't have to look at her paws to know they're trembling with fear. So many emotions are colliding inside her mind, each fighting for dominance. Thankfully the owl is still recovering from Simon's weight; it circles overhead with smog still spritzing the area the way a nasty air freshener might...or a too strong dose of Febreeze.
"Clary....Sparkpaw.....I'm so sorry. I-I love you but I-I shouldn't have said said anything." He sputters out, a grotesque amount of blood coating his tongue in a dark red.
The strange energy surrounding her friend's body was like a filmy second coat of fur. It ripples where Sparkpaw touches him on the chest, and where she's bent over to see his face, her heated breath ghosting across his muzzle.
"Nonononono, Simon save your strength." Sparkpaw tells him. Overhead the owl is still circling, though for how much longer the apprentice has no idea.
Simon's brown eyes dully take in her distraught form. "It's okay Sparkpaw. At least if we meet our end," bleary eyes shift up to the demonized owl. "I'll get to do it with the cat I love."
The sentiment of his words sent a deep pang through Sparkpaw's heart. The tabby tom for all his rambling did have a way with words when he wanted to. Being with him, for no matter how short of a period made her feel wanted, needed, cared for.....and most importantly loved.
I can't lose him. Not now. Not ever.
Resolve lit her green eyes like a brilliant flame rising up against the darkness. Her paws began to pulse with a brilliant gold light. Sparkpaw glances down at them, surprised to see the wisps of sparkling light fizzling at her paws. An image started to take place in her mind: inky black design of lines interconnected to form something brand new.
"I-I love you too. I'm going to save us Simon, I promise." She whispers fiercely to Simon's prone form.
Her companion must've passed out from the blood loss as he doesn't respond to her proclamation. The red light still flickers around him like a sheet pulled over his body. He was so still that if not for the hesitant rise and rattling fall of his chest she would've thought him to be dead. Please Angel let him live!
She pulls her lips back in a snarl as she glares up at the demonized monster responsible for hurting Simon. The bird is screeeeing again, it's flapping wings furling inwards now to dive at her.
With a speed Sparkpaw thought herself incapable of, the apprentice traces the image in her mind into the air right in the direction of the owl. As though she was drawing out the sun from the sky a big shaft of sunlight shoots from her very paws where the rune was drawn. The almost blinding light slams into the owl full throttle as it makes its descent towards her and Simon.
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The owl cries out as it gets hit. The monster turns into a goopy mass of ichor the second the light touches its wide frame. The black burning acid shoots out everywhere, sizzling away at nearby branches, plants and other fauna nearby. How it didn't hit Sparkpaw and Simon is a miracle to say the least.
"Yes!"
Sparkpaw can't help but cheer, her heart rate finally slowing down to beat in a more regular rhythm. A part of her is still amazed that she was able to create a rune like thatThe ginger apprentice wastes no time in darting over to Simon to check up on him. The tabby is in the same state as he was the last time, though the pool of blood is beginning to dry up. Sparkpaw is unsure if that's a good thing or not.
"Sparkpaw what's going on?" A familiar voice calls from behind her.
She turns to see Arrowheart and Patchfur's closely brushing forms appear at the top of the ravine, their eyes widened in shock at the scene before them. Both of them were dragging a rabbit a piece. Patchfur had dropped his the second the ravine had come into view for him. Arrowheart is following suit now, placing the rabbit down the slope with Patchfur to join Sparkpaw and Simon in the clearing below.
Arrowheart's spots Simon's form, his eyes widening. "Is he dead?" Her mentor asks, worry edging his mew. Patchfur watches silently beside him, bicolored eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"No he's..." She trails off as her gaze flits to Simon. The red energy still faintly glowed around the house cat's prone form was still there, but the faint rattling of breath and the rise and fall of his chest was not. Her heart drops with horror.
No! Simon! No!
*****************
A/N: Soooooooooooooooo.......that happened. Poor Simon! To set your hearts to rest, he's not really dead dead (and I'll explain why next chapter). Hope y'all enjoyed! Stay tuned for more and let me know what you think in the comments.