[BlooRey DVD]

Hawkstar

may your dreams be larger than mountains

A caterwaul cut through the confusing mass of sounds and scents. From where he'd been fighting next to Lionstar, Hawkstar's head snapped to the side in time to see Dawnblossom's limp form hanging from the jaws of a fox. His heart seized in disbelief, claws curling against the unforgiving stone beneath. His head screamed for him to move, but for the briefest of moments, he remained rooted in place. It wasn't until he saw the familiar figure of Eagletalon lunge forward that his senses returned to him. Pushing forward to bound down the stone structure, the StoneClan figurehead threw himself into the writhing mass of bodies below.

Winding through the battle was no easy task for anyone, never mind a cat of his stature. His progress was slow, but determination kept him moving forward. Everywhere he looked, cats and foxes clashed in demonstrations of brutality he'd always preferred remained at bay. Foxes, he was certain, felt no drop of remorse or hesitation for the carnage they dealt with razor sharp teeth and elongated claws. It was this thought, thrumming through his mind, that boiled his blood and had him lunging at any ginger-coated, vile-scented creature within range of his jaws and claws.

A well-timed shoulder-check from broad, sand-coloured shoulders knocked a younger fox off balance, and two cats he did not recognize took the opportunity to leap. Leaving the vulpine monster to their mercy, Hawkstar continued to swim through the ocean of fur and bodies, doing what he could to ignore the unmistakable tang of blood. As Eagletalon crashed into Tenko's side, causing the red-furred demon to stagger, Hawkstar pushed forward with two mighty bounds, and sunk his teeth into a scruff littered with thick fur. Knowing that his rushed entrance and the dense fur wouldn't allow him to pierce skin with any life-ending precision, Hawkstar did the next best thing.

Burying his teeth into what he did have before him, the massive tom collected all the strength he could muster to heave the fox's weight from the ground. In a display of violence reserved only for the writhing heat of battle, Hawkstar rose to his hide paws and launched the disoriented fox, sending it crashing against a rock face. As it struggled to right itself, winded and coughing, the StoneClan figurehead's gaze flicked to Eagletalon. "Pardon my intrusion." He rasped, jaws splayed wide as he panted with the exertion of the maneuver. "Couldn't let you hog all the revenge, now could I."

Though the words were teasing, his voice held no playful edge. Only anger and sorrow tinted his rumbling voice, the same two emotions reflected in his pale amber eyes as they continued to watch the fox. "What say you, brother. Shall we teach this flea bag a lesson, together?"

leader of stoneclan

and may you have the courage
to scale their summits

background image | harley king | Fawn | table by phoenix

Note: 99 moons

[Fawn]

Eagletalon

Eagletalon's eyes flashed, bright and hot like molten gold. "Together, brother." He couldn't summon the grim joviality that Hawkstar was able to; his head was too full of pain - his own and Duskflower's - his heart too full of rage. Duskflower's sister was dead, and he would never forgive the foul beast that had robbed his family of one more cat. He favored his right hind leg, blood dripping over the wide, scarred foot. It would make his steps slick, but Eagletalon had fought under worse conditions.

The rain. The snow. The blood of friend and foe alike.

Tenko recovered, spitting blood and snarling. The fox seemed to recognize that this fight had gotten much, much harder. Not only were Hawkstar and Eagletalon closing in, but they were blocking the fox's only escape route. Tenko's lips curled away from his muzzle, and Eagletalon saw the tensing muscles - the strength gathering like a storm. The fox meant to jump.

A wiser cat would have considered letting Tenko go, but Eagletalon never claimed to be wise. So when the fox lunged forward, snapping its jaws at them to create an opening, Eagletalon called the bluff; the fox leaped. Eagletalon leaped as well. Smaller-bodied but strong, Eagletalon crashed into the fox's stomach and they went down in a vicious tumble of legs and teeth and shredded fur. Eagletalon bit into the fox's belly until the creature screamed; momentarily blinded by the anger in his blood, reality hit hard as the fox's legs kicked out. Eagletalon's neck and muzzle bore heavy scratches, but he did not let go until he felt the fox snap its teeth onto his tail and wrenched him free.

Eagletalon yowled. He was slow to reorient himself, and cursed his advanced moons. A younger Eagletalon would have landed on his paws and thrown himself back into the fight with renewed vigor. But Eagletalon's landing was made messy by his bloodied leg, and he slipped, face screwing up in pain as some overworked muscle finally tore. The muscle burned like fire, but he was back on his feet, panting hard.

He wasn't a young cat any more. But with Hawkstar's help, they could kill the fox and assess the rest of the damage.

---

371 Words
BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

Hawkstar

may your dreams be larger than mountains

No years of experience as Clan healer were required to recognize Eagletalon was injured. With his weight shifted visibly to the left, blood seeping from a dangling paw, Hawkstar made sure to consider this with any move he might pull. Nearby, the red mass of fur that was their opponent hauled itself to its paws, teeth bared in a furious snarl as blood seeped from between its teeth. Although much of that was undoubtedly feline, Hawkstar could tell in the hunched way it held itself that some of it was vulpine. And in that, he took grim satisfaction.

The fox made the first move, and, being some ten moons younger, Eagletalon reacted first. Bracing his broad shoulders, the sand coloured tom let his anger-fueled brother serve as a temporary distraction. While the pair tangled, colliding in a twisting mess of snarls and blood, Hawkstar stalked just out of reach, waiting for the moment the flurry of motion became two distinct figures once more. There existed one major fault with the plan that had developed in his mind: he lacked the time to check on the health of his companion. But he had little choice, for every moment he spent checking on Eagletalon was a moment Tenko had to reorient itself too.

It was in that vein of thinking that Hawkstar released the energy building in his limbs, charging the still-reeling fox and colliding a broad shoulder against the beast's. The momentum of the StoneClan leader's body forced Tenko back into its corner, and against the rock face. Unsurprisingly, a startled rush of air escaped the fox, something resembling a gasp. Hawkstar himself could feel the impact in the slight hiccuping of his breath as his stunned body struggled to draw in air.

Holding enough common sense to jump back, Hawkstar felt the whistle of air as jaws snapped shut where he'd been standing heartbeats before. Lashing out with a well-timed blow, the big tom smacked the fox's muzzle with enough force to cause it to stumble. Darting sideways, the StoneClan figurehead took a chance and leapt, dropping his weight on the back of the unsuspecting demon. Hind claws sunk deep into fur and flesh, his forepaws finding purchase in the fur-coated muscles of the beast's shoulders. Just as Tenko's head snapped up to howl in a mix of pain and fury, Hawkstar latched his teeth back into that scruff and braced himself.

The fox thrashed, jaws whipping round to grab at anything within reach. When it couldn't find anything substantial to grasp, the red demon's body shifted focus; recognizing a move he'd use many-a time on cats smaller than he, Hawkstar tighten his grip and squeezed his eyes shut. The stone wall he'd used to best Tenko twice now became his enemy, the young and furious animal throwing itself against it to dislodge the intruder upon its back. Each collision rocked the aging tom's core, the darkness behind his eyelids swirling with the impacts.

He held on for as long as he could, but the continued collisions eventually loosened his grip. Tenko felt the slight release and seized an opportunity, gripping onto a forepaw that slid just into reach and ripping the big tom from its back. Hawkstar collided against the ground with an audible thud, rolling several tail lengths before he could begin to consider standing up again. With the world still reeling, blood dripping into his left eye from a stinging scratch above it, and a paw burning with pain, StoneClan's figurehead blinked desperately in an attempt to bring the image of two foxes before him back into one.

Shaking his head and panting, the tom gritted his teeth expectantly, waiting for the next attack as his hind legs dragged beneath him.

leader of stoneclan

and may you have the courage
to scale their summits

background image | harley king | Fawn | table by phoenix

Note: 99 moons

[Fawn]

Eagletalon

While Hawkstar clung to the fox like a burr, Eagletalon had been harrying the creature’s legs with the intent to trip it up. Once the fox’s mobility was compromised, they could go in for the kill; that’s what this was leading up to. StoneClan’s mercy had run out, and on tonight of all nights, no quarter would be given to beasts that had already taken so much.

Eagletalon hissed. He could not find an opening, and his intention to cripple their opponent was going unfulfilled - until Hawkstar was wrenched from the fox’s back. His brother hit the ground hard, hard enough that Eagletalon could feel the jarring sensation through the earth, traveling up through his bones and into his heart. We’re too old for this. It was a realization that came too late. Bracing himself for a bloody conclusion, Eagletalon lunged for the disoriented fox. Hawkstar swayed where he stood, blood dripping into his eyes and over his muzzle. The fox’s body darted out of reach of Eagletalon’s jaws as it dove in for the killing blow.

The fox picked Hawkstar up in crushing jaws, intending to shake him until his neck snapped. Eagletalon roared in defiance, his blood on fire as he threw all of his weight into the fox’s shoulder. It was rough and uncalculated, but it was effective. Hawkstar was thrown from the fox’s jaws, and Eagletalon tried to follow the large tom’s trajectory as he bit into a dense ginger scruff. As he fought, Eagletalon caught a glimpse of his brother’s prone form at the base of the leaders’ rock, awkward and unnatural in how he lay. Shock plunged his heart into cold water, and Eagletalon lost his focus, just for a second.

The fox’s jaws locked around him, crushing the breath from his lungs and the life from his veins with punishing force. Above the fear, above the regret of giving his family one more cat to mourn, was a calm, crystal clear conviction. If I die, then I’m taking you with me. Eagletalon had always known he would give his life for StoneClan, for his brother, for his mate, for his kits - both blood-kin and adopted. He would give his life for every apprentice he trained, every kit mewling in the nursery, every warrior that ever fought and lived and loved under the name of StoneClan.

The fox’s teeth pressed hard, crushing him tight enough to force a pained wheeze from the old brawler. Eagletalon’s claws found the creature’s fur, and he writhed until he was close enough to sink his teeth into the fox’s throat. They were locked in a death match, neither willing to yield, because defeat would only hasten their bodies slumping to the ground in permanent stillness. It did not take long.

Eagletalon bit until his muzzle was bloodied, tasting it on his tongue and in his nose and soaked into the fur around his eyes and ears. The fox released him with a gurgled, ululating cry. They fell, bits of fur coming to settle on the stained, battered bodies in StarClan’s Claws.

There was only darkness and pain and the reek of fox, until slowly, Eagletalon felt his strength start to drain, the hold on the fox weakening. He couldn’t see, but he could still feel the coarse press of fox fur against his cheek where he had slumped. How ironic, that the very thing that killed him should make a comfy place to rest his head for the last time.

A scent drifted in from a memory so long ago that he had forgotten it until now. Fallingstar. His sister had come to take him home. A smile creased Eagletalon’s red muzzle, his pulse slowing to nothingness as death claimed him in full. With a final breath no one heard, the StoneClan warrior died.

”Eagletalon…”

The stars whispered his name, and he opened his eyes. Eagletalon blinked in surprise at the host of cats standing there to welcome him to StarClan. There were tiny kits - one nestled between the paws of his mother, Jayflight, with his father, Tallstripe, looking proudly on. Ashpaw watched curiously from beside Dawnblossom and Windsong. A dark gray tom grinned from the throng, and Eagletalon felt a surge of delight to see Stoneclaw, his first apprentice, looking so… alive. Cricketleap’s tail waved madly at him, as if she had to hold herself back from greeting him fully. Not far from her was Silverstorm.

Understanding - and a shared melancholy - passed between the two toms. Fate had been unkind to the she-cat they loved; Duskflower would find herself again a widow, left to weep over the broken body of a mate taken too soon. Eagletalon’s heart ached for her. Fallingstar nudged him gently with her nose, and Eagletalon put on a brave smile for his sister’s sake.

She flicked her tail behind her, to a cat he had not immediately seen. It was Hawkstar.
”Be quick,” she spoke softly, her voice the soft rustle of leaves over stone. ”He will not be here long.”

Eagletalon turned, unable to marvel at the ease of movement and the youth coursing through this eternal, starry form when there was still so much to be said. He smiled - a little wryly, a little warmly - and butted his head against Hawkstar’s shoulder. ”I’m sorry, brother. I can’t go back with you this time. Look after my kits for me, wouldya? Help Kestrelclaw and Meadowflight understand… Mistcloud and Smokestorm…” The scarred warrior’s eyes softened, damp with sorrow for the life he would no longer get to have. ”Tell Duskflower I’m sorry, and that I love her more than all the stars in Silverpelt. I love you too, brother.”

Eagletalon flashed a grin, the memories building up behind his eyes, solidifying into a lump in his throat. ”But I don’t have to tell you that, do I?” Hawkstar would know. He would look back on their friendship, their brotherhood, and know that they had been kin. There was no greater act of love that Eagletalon could perform for his family than to die protecting them.

And he had.

Did he regret it?

Never. Never in a thousand moons.

---

1056 Words
BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

Hawkstar

may your dreams be larger than mountains

The world tilted left.

The ground lurched beneath his paws, the massive tom's balance betraying him as he staggered sideways briefly.

An overcorrection proved the mobile world to be a figment of his mind, brought on by blood loss and an impact far greater than his aging body should withstand.

He felt as though he were watching the fox from beneath several tail-lengths of water; the image was distorted at best, and everything seemed sluggish. Until the fox lunged. 

One moment it was worlds away.

The next, thorn-sharp teeth plunged into his neck.

Crushing jaws muffled the agonized cry desperate to escape, reducing it to no more than a ragged exhale. Despite his size, despite his experience, despite everything, he was no more than a kit in the jaws of such a demon. His eyes rolled back in his head, unable to focus on a single thought. All he could hear were distant, panicked cries and answering snarls from all around. All he could feel was the vice-like grip of the fox's maw that tightened with every gasp he took.

And then there was nothing. No earth beneath his paws, no teeth embedded in his neck. Only himself and the air around him. The strange peace lasted for but a brief moment, before his trajectory slammed him against a rock formation he'd stood upon so many times. Though the waking world witnessed him slam against the stone, ricocheting off various peaks and finally slumping unmoving on the ground below, Hawkstar felt none of it. To him, the whole world flashed brilliant, disorientating white, before quiet darkness blanketed him.

A gentle paw against his shoulder roused him from the strange sleep. The StoneClan figurehead stirred, his blurred vision slowly slipping back into what was considered normal. For a moment, he was shocked to find he was gazing upon himself, seated some tail-lengths away. The sand-coloured form was partially see-through, seated next to a familiar face that was transparent, yet more present than his mirror image. It wasn't until he blinked up at the star-specked form of Dawnshadow that the pieces began falling into place. "...Mother?" He rasped, and she purred while burying her nose into his fur. "Yes, my child. I'm here." She whispered to him, nosing him slowly to his paws. Hawkstar was still shaky, every muscle in his frame screaming from over-exertion. Yet even as he stood, he could feel the strength slowly returning to him as StarClan healed him.

His gaze drifted over many starry forms as they slowly began appearing, cats he'd loved in life, cats that had waited here for him upon every lost life. And yet none approached, not even the three young forms of Breezekit, Dawnkit and Frostkit seated at Breezeflight's paws. Blinking in confusion, he turned to face his mother again, who greeted him with a comforting smile, seeming to understand his unspoken questions. "They all wish to speak to you, I promise you that. But tonight, tonight is... Someone else's turn." He didn't miss the strange flicker of apologetic sorrow in her eyes.

And when someone butted his shoulder, he quickly understood.

It was as though someone stole the breath from his lungs, pale amber eyes staring at a familiar form while his head screamed that this tom should not be in this landscape. Hawkstar almost missed Eagletalon's words, but forced himself through the shock to cling to the sound of his brother's voice. He felt his throat tighten at the request, his head and heart going out to the kits and the mate Eagletalon would be leaving behind.

"I love you too, brother. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”

Closing what little distance remained, the big StoneClan tom pressed his forehead to Eagletalon's, amber eyes squeezing shut against a threat of tears. "No." He rasped, voice thick with emotion. "You never had to say. I knew, I always knew. And I always loved you too. Nothing will change that." He reassured him. For a moment, he didn't move, not until a set of pawsteps stirred him. Stepping back slightly, his eyes tracked the approach of a black-pelted tom with vibrant green eyes. "Viperpaw." Hawkstar rasped, though whether it was an explanation for Eagletalon or simply a statement remained uncertain even in the speaker's mind.

The young-looking ebony tom dipped his head to Hawkstar with a warm smile, before turning green eyes that shone with an age and wisdom far exceeding his appearance upon Eagletalon. "Thank you, Eagletalon, for standing with him and protecting him when I could not. When none of us could." Viperpaw spoke in a steady tone, his black tail sweeping to indicate the line of cats behind them. The raven-coated tom paused for a moment, before a bittersweet smile turned the corners of his maw. "You have earned your rest, my brother. Though you have your own family here, know that you have also earned a place within ours."

Hesitating only to touch his nose to Hawkstar's shoulder, Viperpaw stepped back once more. "We will have many opportunities to speak in the future, Eagletalon. For now, it is almost time." The second piece was spoken to Hawkstar, who immediately understood. He could already feel the tug of the waking world on his conscience. Pale amber eyes flicked back to his similarly hued brother standing before him. "I know I asked much of you in life, Eagletalon, and it is unfair for me to ask more of you now, but... Take care of them for me." He murmured, his eyes flicking to the procession of cats he had the privilege to call family. "And I promise you, I will care for yours." No further words were exchanged, for nothing more was required between them.

As the call's strength continued to crescendo, Hawkstar shut his eyes and rested his forehead against Eagletalon's. The senior warrior's scent remained familiar, though now it was dotted with a scent he could only attribute to StarClan. It was cold, yet warm, like the incessant light of the stars overhead.

Hawkstar's body convulsed suddenly, before the aging figurehead dissolved in a fit of coughs. His lungs wheezed, clumsily hauling in breath after desperate breath. Unfocused eyes hid from him a view of the world, and all he could scent was the stifling tang of blood. Still, he dragged himself to his paws, every fibre of his being lethargic and weakened. Every move caused his bones to creak, his body settling into place after the impact that had cost him a life. He could still feel a strange weight on his fur, where blood had thickened and dried, matting his fur unnaturally.

Slowly, images began settling into place. Bodies, both vulpine and feline, littered the clearing meant for peace, blood soaking into the dirt around them. The juxtaposition of such carnage and total silence was a strange one, Hawkstar's senses struggling to return from StarClan above. He watched, unmoving, as the last surviving fox escaped into the surrounding darkness. For a heartbeat, no one seemed sure of just what to do. Gazes filled with sorrow, exhaustion and confusion exchanged glances, waiting for someone, anyone to make a call.

The StoneClan figurehead remained silent. His pale amber eyes turned to the tangled forms of Tenko and Eagletalon, examining them distantly for a moment. ...You refused to leave without taking the demon with you, eh brother? He thought solely to himself. Large paws stepped forward, and though his motions were stiff and slow, they were also methodical and caring. With each tug on Tenko's limp frame, he dislodged more and more of his brother's figure. Eventually, he was able to free the brown-coated tom completely, at which point he lowered himself next to Eagletalon. Pushing his nose into the other tom's quickly cooling fur, he sent a promise to StarClan. I will bring you home, brother. That, I swear to you.

Though it took him many tries, the old tom was eventually successful in pulling the slightly smaller frame of Eagletalon atop his back. Moving slowly and ignoring the tired aches in his bones, Hawkstar hauled himself to his paws once more, head lowered slightly where Eagletalon's rested upon his. He could feel his brother's weight pressing upon him, one foreleg hanging next to each of Hawkstar's shoulders. Lifting his head slowly so as not to disturb his brother's, Hawkstar's ragged voice broke through the air still buzzing with uncertainty and panic.

"StoneClan, those that remain, collect our lost and gather with Smokestorm at the clearing edge closest to our border. We are returning home."

leader of stoneclan

and may you have the courage
to scale their summits

background image | harley king | Fawn | table by phoenix

Note: 99 moons