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SwiftPaw glared at CloudPaw, or CloudTail now. How come he got to be a warrior first? Probably because BlueStar favored him.
LongTail wrapped his… well… long tail around his back in a comfortingly way, “No worries, I’ll try to tell FireHeart to make you a warrior.” he mewed.
The apprentice relaxed slightly, “Thanks, LongTail.”
He still watched as all the warriors and apprentices chanted CloudTail’s name. SwiftPaw was older than that white-furred cat although.
The tom stormed off to his den, tail lashing angrily as LongTail watched.
He sat down at his mossy bed, curling around it while muttering curses. BrightPaw watched, “SwiftPaw, you alright?”
SwiftPaw didn’t answer.
BrightPaw decided to just leave him alone.
…
Later that night, BrightPaw slept peacefully, dreaming. While a scheming SwiftPaw was walking around his den, thinking on how to get his role.
But then he remembered; the dogs, they were recently terrorising the clans, especially ThunderClan. If he could drive them off, he’d be a warrior.
Great!
He turned to BrightPaw, and nudged her back with his paw.
She didn’t wake up yet, rolling to her side.
“BrightPaw, wake up!”
Finally, BrightPaw woke up, “What, SwiftPaw?”
“I got an idea.”
“Of what?”
“So we both can become warriors, none of the other apprentices want to join along but I think you can!”
BrightPaw thought, before responding, “…What’s the plan?”
…
They padded somewhere, the soft grass muffling their sound.
“Are you sure this works?”
“It will, BrightPaw.” SwiftPaw said, confident.
Both of them continued walking, SwiftPaw’s eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary until he almost tripped, “Gah!”
He caught himself, both of them looked down, expecting a rock.
It was a rabbit, head gone. It didn’t seem like a cat would do this.
BrightPaw scented another fresh-kill, then looked up.
“SwiftPaw, look! A trail!” She pointed out.
He looked, a bunch of prey just lying there. Birds, rabbits, mice and voles, “What could have caused this?…”
They followed the trail, until it ended in the SnakeRocks.
“Why did it end here?”
“They probably got bit by the-“
A bark Interrupted SwiftPaw, making BrightPaw flinch, “W-What was that?!”
“Don’t worry! There’s nothing here!”
Few minutes later, a pack of dogs came running through, seems like they heard them.
Both of the apprentices ran, trying to escape them. But the dogs were much faster, so they bit down BrightPaw’s tail and threw her to the side.
The dogs went to her, finding her easy prey.
SwiftPaw heard a caterwaul, then looked back. Some dogs were after him, but BrightPaw was getting mauled! He took a sharp turn threw himself at the nearest dog, making it let out a squeal and distracting a few dogs from BrightPaw
His claws shredded its fur, but they threw him off. They chased after them.
BrightPaw soon got up and ran with him, jumping at the dog’s eyes, biting and clawing furiously. The dog let out a cry but threw her against a tree.
That same dog ran towards her, bit down at the left side of her face and shook its head. BrightPaw yowled, feeling its teeth crush her eyes and fur.
It dropped her, tore out a clump of fur and went back to trying to kill SwiftPaw, thinking the other apprentice was dead, she also thought she would die.
She was barely conscious, half-blind and face disfigured. She watched SwiftPaw fight by himself.
SwiftPaw kept on hauling himself on the dogs, but earning a new wound each time. Biting at its legs, clawing at it’s face. And in return he got a bite to his chest.
He gasped, the air out of him going out and coming back.
Then, a bite to his neck.
SwiftPaw let out a loud caterwaul, it quieted and he slowly stopped moving while still hanging in its jaws.
The dogs knew he was going to die anyway, so they dropped him with an excited squeal and ran off.
As soon as they were gone, SwiftPaw used the last of his energy to walk towards the unconscious BrightPaw. He thought she was dead, but he’d also die with her.
But as soon as he was nearby, he collapsed, heaving.
Both of them bled out, with BrightPaw’s left side of the face disfigured and bleeding while SwiftPaw’s neck had a nasty gash, making him lose blood.
Slowly, SwiftPaw fell limp, teeth still in a snarl. Dead, lifeless and motionless.
But the thing was?
Two stopped breathing, but only one actually died.