Battle Of The Brave (Braveheart's death scene)

[icefur]

OOC: I'm killing off one of my fave characters, Braveheart . This is hard for me. (No, seriously!!!) This is open for anyone.

BIC: The snow fell softly, covering the pawprints of two cats. One was fully grown, two-and-a-half years old, and was well built, with muscles sliding smoothly under a thick, gleaming pelt of orange. The only unusual feature was a heart shape, red in colour, that sat on the cat's lower forehead, under resoloute emerald eyes, which, if one stared into them for a time, were filled with both unbearable pain, and hope.

The second cat was smaller. Seven moons old and barely out of kithood, his hardening muscled were visible under the attractive coat of a bengal tabby. An orange stribe ran from the base of his neck to the tip of his tail, and his green eyes were the same shade of emerald as the first cat's. It was easy to see that he was kin to the older cat. Their build was the same, their eyes were the same.

Braveheart sat down in the snow with a crunch, five inches from the gorge's edge. Sabrepaw sat down beside her, wrapping his tail around his front paws. "How do you like the snow?" The she cat asked her son. It was the first time he'd seen it. "Well enough," Sabrepaw replied. "But it cannot bring much more than death and hunger to the other Clans."

The flame-coloured she-cat was about to say that she agreed when the odour of fox hit her scent glands. Whipping around, she found herself facing four of the beasts. Standing her ground, she raised her hackles, fur on end. "Sabrepaw, run to the camp and fetch help," she hissed, not taking her eyes off the foxes. Sabrepaw was at her side, protesting volubly. "But Mama, they'll kill you," he meowed quietly. She replied, "They'll kill both of us if you don't go!" Launching herself forward, she unsheathed her claws, bowling over the nearest fox.

Sabrepaw ran as fast as his legs would carry him, kicking up snow in his wake. Twice he slipped, only to get up and run on. He was drenched to the skin, dispite his thick fur. Have to run, have to get back and help Mama fight the foxes, he thought, bitterly determined. Upon entering the camp, he skidded to a halt, yowling, "Help! Foxes at the gorge!"

Braveheart slashed her claws down one foxes' face, snarling as she did so. Dodging back out of its reach, she felt burning pain in her left hind leg. She snapped and hissed as she clawed the fox who had bitten her. The other foxes crowed around, leering hungrily at her. Diving for the nearest one, she forced him backwards until there was nothing but air between him and the edge of the gorge. Bulling into him, she sent him toppling over the edge.

[<~Horns~>]

Streampaw saw Sabrepaw run into the clearing. He was covered in snow. "What's wrong Sabrepaw?" he hissed. He scrambled around trying to find a warrior. He saw Dwarfstone and yowled, "There are foxes at the gorge. HELP!"

Dwarfstone looked up and broke into a run towards the gorge. He followed the tracks back to the gorge. He sprang out of a bush facing his foes. He leaped on the fox's back tearing out flesh with his claws. Blood was everywhere at once covering his eyes. What little air he had left from running there was gone when he fell to the ground. Unable to move, the fox crept closer to what looked like his next dinner.

[icefur]

Sabrepaw saw Dwarfstone race to the gorge. He meowed frantically to Streampaw, "Mama's there, surrounded by foxes! We've got to help! Come on!" He raced back to the gorge, half expecting his adopted brother and best friend to follow him. Seeing Dwarfstone about to be attacked by a fox, the apprentice hissed and slashed his claws across the fox's face.

Braveheart leaped away from the edge of gorge, grunting with the effort. She landed with a thud, and faced the two foxes that were surrounding her. She pelted towards one, raking her claws across its back. She felt an agonizing pain in the leg that had been bitten. Now it dangled, broken and useless, from its socket. The second fox jumped at her, catching her by the throat. The flame-coloured she-cat force herself to go limp in the fox's grasp. As soon as it relaxed its jaw muscles a little, she clawed at its face and dropped to the ground.

Braveheart did not realise that she was being backed to the edge of the gorge until she looked behind her and saw nothing but air and water. She jumped on one of the foxes, scratching and biting. Then she threw herself backwards off him, landing with a thud. The two foxes charged at the RiverClan warrior, and for a moment, all that could be seen was a huge ball of flame-coloured and russet fur.

Braveheart was mortally wounded. Big gashes and bites covered her body, and one of her ears was torn off. She lay still as the two foxes, wounded in a dozen places, crept towards her. Then she dove for them, knocking them off their paws. She bit and slashed, dodging blows. Then the foxes closed in on her once more. When they moved apart, Braveheart dropped limply to the ground. The foxes staggered from their wounds and loss of blood, and collapsed in a heap near the edge of the gorge. Braveheart's eyes flickered and opened, and she struggled to move. Sabrepaw, engaged in a battle with the remaining fox, could not rush over to her.

[<~Horns~>]

Dwarfstone looked at the young apprentice with hopeful eyes. He got up and slashed the fox on his hind leg. The fox whipped around to see a ginger cat knock into him. The fox was sent flying over the edge to it's doom. He looked at Braveheart and cringed at the sight she was in.

Streampaw was racing straight in behind his brother and best friend. He stopped at the clearing not knowing how to fight. He watched helplessly as his mother was dying. Once the foxes were dead he rushed to her side. He looked at the wounds all over. He knew that she had no chance and started pray for her out loud. "I'm right here mom. I'm right here. STARCLAN WHY? Why have you forsaken her? Why cant you help her? WHY?!!" He yowled.

[icefur]

Sabrepaw raced over to his mother. "Mama, don't die. Please." Tears coursed down his face. Braveheart smiled weakly at her kits. "Grow up big and strong, both of you. I know you'll be the best Medicine Cat and warrior RiverClan has ever seen." With that, her head slumped back on the ground and her eyes misted over.

[<~Horns~>]

He looked at his brother with eyes of sadness. "She is now in a better place where she doesn't feel pain. We can't understand StarClan's ways, but accept it for they know that only good can come out of it. Everything happens for a reason Sabrepaw." He looked down and his mother knowing that they would have to notify Halfstar about the foxes. "Dwarfstone can you help us carry her back to camp?"

Dwarfstone looked at the young with fearful eyes for him. He knew that what Streampaw was saying was right. "Yes, I'll help you," he answered solemnly. He crawled under her and lifted her. He felt Streampaw right beside him lifting her up.

[icefur]

Sabrepaw put his body under Braveheart's head. No longer would she be here to tell him about her apprentice days, to lick him or Streampaw on the head and say what clever toms they were, or to protect the or comfort them when they felt insecure. You told her she had a great destiny, he thought angrily. To be torn between life and death? To feel as if she was unlucky? What kind of "great destiny" is that?

[<~Horns~>]

Streampaw looked up to see the camp entrance covered on snow. He felt tiny flakes landing on his head. He felt the wind starting to pick up and snow was twirling all around. He walked through the entrance feeling sadness growing over him. Tears trickled down his soft fur. He looked up to realize again that she was in a better place away from all of this death and despair. She was in a much better place away from the evils of this world. "Let's set her down here and notify the other cats."

Dwarfstone nodded in agreement and stooped down to roll her off of his back. He looked at the two young cats who had sorrow filled eyes."I can see the sorrow in your eyes. You need that sorrow to leave or else it will crush you." He looked around knowing that Aquafoot needed to be here.

[icefur]

Sabrepaw nodded. He lay down beside his mother's body, burying his muzzle in her soft orange fur. He tried to stop crying, but more tears leaked out. She's up in StarClan now, with Father and her parents, he told himself, trying to calm down, but it was vitually impossible. He couldn't feel the scratches on his body from the fox; nor did he care. All he cared about was that the one cat who had always been there for him was dead. He wanted to die himself. Anything would be better than this. His heart ached for her to wake up and reassure him that she had just been asleep; that everything would be fine. But he knew, even if he waited all his life, that it would never happen. Exausted by running to camp and and back, then helping Dwarfstone to fight the fox, he felt like falling asleep, but he shook himself awake, keeping vigul over his mother's body.

[hollyleaf9]

Aquafoot walked out of the nursery. "What-Oh!" She gasped and sprinted over to Braveheart's body, "What happened?" She turned to her mate, a look of utter sorrow swirling around with grief in the blue depths of her eyes.

Sunkit's ears flicked as her mother left the den. Curiosity led her over to the dead cat. She crouched down and looked at Sabrepaw, her eyes clearly stating, I'm really sorry. Was she your kin? The tiny she-kit looked up at her parents and Streampaw. What had led this innocent cat to die?

[sparrow]

Ooc:: Aww, my sweet little Sabre, you're all alone now...

[hollyleaf9]

OOC-

[icefur]

OOC:

BIC: Sabrepaw looked up to see a she-kit crouching beside her. Seening a questioning look in her eyes, he explained, his voice cracking, "Sh-she was my mother. She was all the family by birth that I had left. A-and now. . ." His voice cracked, and he shuddered before continuing, "And now she's dead."

[hollyleaf9]

Sunkit looked at her paws. How awful! She couldn't even imagine losing Aquafoot... She blinked up a her mother. She turned back to Sabrepaw. Don't feel bad. She's happy in StarClan, and she'll be watching you forever. She gave him a sad smile.

[icefur]

Sabrepaw understood the kit's sad smile. He meowed, "I know she's watching over me, but I still can't help missing her." He blinked twice, and returned Sunkit's smile. "You'll be a wise warrior when you grow up," he told her.