[Deleted]

Darkstar

I don't got time to look over my shoulder

Even when Darkstar began to feel her strength leaving her, she had kept fighting. Brackenstride and his sister were putting up a decent fight together, she had to admit, but she was determined to end the tom’s life. Ivyclaw had managed to pin her, but not for long, the other she-cat’s weight suddenly gone, her claws tearing at Darkstar’s skin as she was sent sprawling away. Darkstar snarled, turning to see who had interrupted her fight, only to recognize her sister’s familiar pelt as Thornscar half dragged her back to her paws, “Darkstar, we need to go. You need to call the retreat. We’ve done enough here, if we stay there will be more casualties than this is worth!” Ivyclaw snarled and advanced again and Thornscar intercepted her, “GO! Sound the retreat!”

As much as it made her physically ill to even think of turning her back on a battle, Darkstar spat in disgust and frustration as the sounds of the fight crashed over her and she took in for just a heartbeat how the battle was going. Her sister was right. This was never meant to be a battle that could be won in the typical sense, but if they stayed much longer it was certainly going to be a loss.

“NightClan!” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word retreat as she raised her voice above the caterwauling around her, “Back to camp! NOW!” And she turned and darted away before she could lay eyes on Brackenstride again. Her Clan needed her to leave the battle just as she had ordered them to, and her blood burned for it. But she could not leave if her Clanmates could not. She pushed through the growing exhaustion crashing down over her and leaped for a TreeClan cat pinning one of her Clanmates, tearing him off so they could escape before she moved on, letting the TreeClanner go in favor of a new target.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw Jaysteps’s body lying motionless, the fur along her spine rising as a new fury lent her energy. But Thornscar was at her side again, pushing her bodily away, “We need to go, before they trap us here.” Darkstar dug her claws into the earth but allowed her sister to nudge away the second time, turning and running with her, seething. They weren’t half way back to the border, Clanmates running along with them all the way, when Darkstar finally collapsed, unable to hold her own weight any longer.

Thornscar called for the first cat she saw to help, “Frostjaw! Help me!” She wouldn’t be able to carry her sister back by herself, but Frostjaw was a large tom. They had to get away quickly before some TreeClan pursuer found them.

Leave 'em all behind I'm about to take over

Ginger

[Ginger]

Frostjaw

nightclan warrior 35 moons

It only seemed like Frostjaw had just gotten back into camp, his pale blue eyes burning with a cold fire and a desire to maim, when he heard words that he dreaded to hear.

He knew this was not going to be a victorious battle, but it should have at least been a longer one. The large tom had not even gotten to send any of TreeClan's warriors to StarClan. Assuming they even belonged there. 

But it didn't take long for the tom with blood spattering his entire coat to realize that he was not majorly hurt compared to some of his other clanmates. As he headed out of the camp, a pile of fur that smelled like Jaystep grabbed his attention. An uncommon rage burned in his chest, making his steps stronger, pumping adrenaline throughout his body.

They weren't going to do anything to send Jaystep off to StarClan. At most, a few TreeClan apprentices would drag his body outside of the main camp and let it rot and fester... Some other creature could even eat the carcass. 

NightClan warriors belonged to the sky. They were the chosen few of StarClan. It was blasphemy to let them rot in the open. 

Frostjaw turned to a certain TreeClan Somali tom, a growl ripping through his throat. "Bury him, or I will bury you."

An empty threat, for Frostjaw had no true way of knowing if Jaystep were to be buried. But it was worth a shot.

The white tom played caboose, following his clan out of the camp and snapping his jaw menacingly at any TreeClan warrior who got too close to them. He stopped by the tree that he had made Hollowpaw climb up. He didn't have much time.

"Hollowpaw, come down. Be quick, we must le-"

"Frostjaw! Help me!"

The white warrior's head snapped around to see Thornscar struggling to get a crumpled form off of the ground. Upon closer inspection, Frostjaw realized that that figure was no other than NightClan's fearless leader: Darkstar. 

Quickly running from the tree, Frostjaw prayed to StarClan that Hollowpaw was behind him. He trusted his apprentice. Once he reached Thornscar and Darkstar, Frostjaw looked the concerned she-cat in the eye. He knew what she wanted him to do. And of course he would do it, this was the leader of the chosen clan. The highest of StarClan's elect. She had to make it back to camp, or NightClan would suffer its greatest defeat.

With Thornscar's help, Frostjaw slung Darkstar over his shoulders. She may have been smaller than he was, but by StarClan was she dense! Frostjaw knew she was strong, but he sometimes forgot that there were powerful muscles rippling under Darkstar's thick coat. 

The massive warrior, now with NightClan's leader on his back, began to take even strides back towards NightClan's territory. NightClan's warriors filed in behind him, doing what they could do make sure no one could get to Darkstar. She was about to make a sacred journey.

only in darkness can you see the stars

@zen & 499 words

[Deleted]

Darkstar

I don't got time to look over my shoulder

Darkstar heard her sister’s voice like a faraway echo, calling for help, and then everything faded to silence and a deep black. Peace. And then she was opening her eyes to find herself lying on a bed of pine needles. Confusion flooded through her and she pushed to her paws, looking around only to catch sight of a familiar pelt, all aglow with starlight. Her ears flicked back briefly, “Briarthroat?” The former NightClan deputy didn’t turn to look at her from where he sat, his back facing her, his gaze tilted down at the ground. She rose and padded curiously over to him, “What are you doing?” She found him staring into a large round pool of clear water. She thought she caught sight of… something moving in it, but whenever she tried to focus on the movement, only the water reflecting their surroundings greeted her.

“You won’t be able to see,” Briarthroat explained softly, “Only StarClan cats can see the visions in the pools.” He looked over at her then, sighing, “You’ve given up a life so soon into your leadership. I cannot say I am surprised, though I am disappointed.”

Darkstar felt instantly defensive, “I did what needed to be done.”

“Did it need to be done?” Briarthroat clearly did not agree.

“Look at everything TreeClan has done to us! First they claimed the deer path, then they stole our territory, the branch trail, for seasons. They crippled Pinewhisker. They killed Blackwolf. They crippled Rookshade. They needed to be taught a lesson. They needed to know, to understand, that NightClan will not let them do as they please any longer. They needed to know there are consequences for standing against NightClan. I gladly give up one of my lives to show them how far we are willing to go,” she spat.

“And Jaystep’s life? Do you gladly give up his as well? And Deerleap’s?” Briarthroat met her fiery gaze evenly, “How many more NightClan lives will you sacrifice to prove your point, Darkstar? When will it end?”

Darkstar’s ears flattened to her head, “It will end when the point is made and understood.”

Briarthroat sighed once more and the pool before them seemed to ripple with his breath, “I hope you think on that, and do not throw your Clanmates lives away so callously.” He turned back to the pool, “It is time to go home, Darkstar.”

She blinked and when her eyes opened once more, Briarthroat was gone. She hissed as all the pain of each and every wound suddenly struck her all at once. In StarClan’s forest, there had been no pain. She shifted slightly, eyes narrowed through the pain, but found herself still far too weak to move much. Frostjaw’s familiar scent registered a moment later. She didn’t know the big white tome terribly well, but she certainly knew his scent, just as she knew every Clanmate’s scent. His white fur was caked in dark blood, though she couldn’t tell how much was his, how much was hers, and how much was some other cat’s. She was draped over his back. She felt each jolt of his pawsteps as he carried her onward. “Frostjaw… thank you,” she rasped quietly. Although her pride was screeching for her to get back on her own four paws, she knew very well she was far too weak to walk on her own at the moment. StarClan had sent her back, but her wounds still needed treatment. She wondered if she would lose a second life before they got back to camp. Curiosity about the blood in his fur got the better of her, however, “Are you hurt?” Frostjaw only had one life, after all. If carrying her was taking any sort of toll on him, she would sooner lose another of her own lives.

Leave 'em all behind I'm about to take over

Ginger

[Ginger]

Frostjaw

nightclan warrior 35 moons

A small stirring on Frostjaw's back told the warrior that NightClan's leader had returned from her trip to the stars. He had never been with a leader while they died and came back with StarClan's blessing, so this moment felt special. As Darkstar made her return to the mortal plane, Frostjaw felt more closely connected to StarClan and his leader than he ever had before.

At her thanks, the large warrior simply looked back at the tortoiseshell on his back, his icy eyes connecting to her amber ones, before he nodded and looked forward again. He tried to smooth his steps to avoid hurting Darkstar more than she already was, but he still was a large cat, and it was nowhere near perfect. How odd that StarClan only gave a leader their life back, rather than choosing to heal all of their wounds. Reminds us that even our leaders are mortal, I suppose. 

Darkstar's next questions confused the white tom. This show of delicate concern was not what Frostjaw was expecting from his leader when she woke up. He didn't quite know what he was expecting from Darkstar when she woke up, but it was not this. 

Frostjaw had not been paying attention to the gashes on his face, courtesy of Finchcloud, until Darkstar asked how he was. Now, he was realizing his mortal limitations. There was a deep, burning throb on the top of his face as blood still continued to slowly run down around his eyes, where it then gathered at his chin and dripped to the ground when each droplet had formed.

But she need not know that fact. "What little pain I bear is pales in comparison to what was dealt to my enemies." 

Not a lie. Frostjaw was in more than a little pain, but he had no doubt that Finchcloud's dislocated shoulder had to hurt a whole lot more. Frostjaw could easily still hold his own in another fight should it come to that.

Soon enough, NightClan's border with TreeClan was soon upon them. Hopefully they would reach NightClan's camp in time for Smokefur and Shadowchaser to immediately tend to Darkstar and those that were deeply injured. 

"We are close." Looking back to the other warriors in the party, Frostjaw barked a quick order. "Darkstar needs immediate attention. Come forward if you do too." Few warriors came forward. It seemed that those that survived were fairly successful. Yet still, a life had been lost.

only in darkness can you see the stars

@zen & 383 words

[Deleted]

Darkstar

I don't got time to look over my shoulder

A rough purr of amusement sounded softly in the back of Darkstar’s throat at Frostjaw’s response to her inquiry about his well being. That was what she liked to hear. The tom’s steps were sure footed and did not contradict his words, proving their truth rather than false bravado. Frostjaw was a large tom, she had no doubt he dealt significant damage to any TreeClan cat that had been unfortunate enough to get in his way. Her claws flexed briefly, her mind wandering back to the battle. Lionstar’s two brats had teamed up against her, but she had given them both a few wounds to remember her by. If only she had managed to take Brackenstride’s life, her own life would have been far more worth losing. Briarthroat’s words came back to her and her ears flicked dismissively. She did not want to think about him or his warnings right now. She hadn’t the energy for that debate.

She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the sounds of the warriors around her, heading back home. They had left at least one dead behind in TreeClan’s camp and she couldn’t help but wonder if there were more. Deerleap. Right. At least two, then. Briarthroat had only mentioned two, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more. She raised her head slightly to look around as Frostjaw announced that they were nearing camp. It seemed as if no time had passed at all. Had she fallen asleep? Possibly. She felt incredibly tired. She was glad to see few cats step forth when the big tom ordered the injured forward. It seemed that besides the deaths they’d suffered, she was the worst off. “Let me down. I won’t be carried into camp,” she ordered, drawing on the last reserves of strength left in her.

Thornscar stepped up with a concerned look on her face, but didn’t argue as she helped her sister from Frostjaw’s back and pressed up on her other side, bracing the leader between herself and Frostjaw to help keep her upright as they descended into NightClan’s camp. Her steps were slow and she fought to keep the tremble from her limbs, but she was determined to walk back into camp on her own four paws.

Leave 'em all behind I'm about to take over

Ginger