Bittersweet Revenge [Spottedfern]

[ravenclaw]

Dawn was coming fast and Frostfoot was mourning for Galepaw. His fur was cold against her face as she buried her head in his soft fur. She had finished grooming it back to its handsome shade of gray when moon high came. The she-cat lifted her head, tears in her eyes, as she looked at Silverpelt. Please, please take care of him. Her thoughts raced to the sky as the deputy stood up stiffly, her joints ached from staying still all night. She shook her coat and gave herself a quick groom. She nudged Spottedfern gently with her head. "I'll be back later." She muttered so she wouldn't disturb the rest of the clan. "Galepaw died, and its time I set it right." The words veiled a threat to the creature that killed the apprentice. Her breath billowed in front of her muzzle, trailing her cheeks as she padded calmly out of camp. The warriors stared at her with curiosity and some opened their mouths to question her, but the look in Frostfoot's eyes dared them too. She stopped just in front of the camp's entrance and looked at Galepaw's gray body, as cold as ice in leaf bare. Then she glanced at Spottedfern. She closed her eyes, letting her head drop and rest against her chest. She let out a sigh and looked at the tunnel to the camp with determination. Come with me at the risk of your own life. Or stay here and live. Frostfoot let her thoughts float across the camp to Spottedfern, but knew the she-cat wouldn't actually be able to read them.

The deputy flicked her tail and headed out camp. Out in the territory, Frostfoot looked around at the camp, at the marshes, at everything. This could very well be the last time she saw it. She closed her eyes and immediately saw Stormstar. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a butterfly. Soaring just out of reach, taunting her, teasing her. She purred at the thought of the WindClan leader. If I go through with this... I might never see him again. But whatever killed Galepaw could very well kill another cat. I must not let that happen. Not to me. Not to ShadowClan. Not even to another clan's cats. Determination boiled inside Frostfoot's blood, giving her strength and courage to go face whatever had taken Galepaw's life. Her legs moved quickly, carrying Frostfoot to the wetlands, to Galepaw's grave. On the edge of the marches, Frostfoot looked over the water of the wetlands. She looked around and saw a tree root. It had deep scars in it. Recent. She sniffed the root and her blood chilled. "Galepaw." The scars on the root were ragged, as if something had pulled Galepaw off easily. Frostfoot could almost hear his terrified screeches, the water splashing about as he thrashed. The scene played out in front of Frostfoot. He must have been walking calmly, unaware that he would die in moments.

The water would've rippled where the creature surfaced. Suddenly, she was very sure about what happened. Galepaw was plodding through the water, having a good time with Spottedfern, talking and laughing. He splashed her with a paw when the water rippled. Frostfoot's ears pricked, her fur bushing in a heart beat. She looked at where the otter came from and watched it leap from the water like a fish or a toad. Galepaw screeched as he tried to flee, but the massive creature got his leg. The gray apprentice reached out to grab something. Frostfoot looked at the root a moment before Galepaw's claws gripped it anxiously. He was pulled back, his claws ripping across the tree root as he was dragged into the water by the massive creature. Frostfoot's breath caught in her throat as she watched Galepaw twist and turn, trying to dislodge himself from the creature with no luck. No hope. He was pulled under and the surface of the water stilled except for the bubbles that escaped his mouth. Frostfoot blinked her eyes and flattened her ears. She closed her frosty blue eyes and backed out of the water, thinking. Galepaw was only an apprentice. He didn't stand a chance.

Hailfur was a hefty warrior with fighting skills like no other cat had seen in awhile. He was strong, vicious, and had deadly accuracy. The creature killed him as easily as Frostfoot could kill a leaf. Her chest seemed to collapse with sorrow. It was her fault that Hailfur died. If she hadn't been in the wetlands that night moons ago, Hailfur wouldn't have needed to save her and die himself. Frostfoot felt hollow with grief. It had been moonhigh when Frostfoot, heavily pregnant with Hailfur's kits, had wandered into the wetlands. She needed to get away from the nursery, get out into the territory again. She had missed it terribly, cooped up in the camp with nothing to do. Hailfur made sure she stayed in the camp. It was only thanks to a secret hole in the camp wall that she got out unnoticed by anyone. Since then, Frostfoot had gotten it fixed. But on that night, she had seen something disturb the water and was curious. She had stayed where she was and was only saved when Hailfur crashed into her. But it didn't stop the sharp teeth from piercing her leg. The memories flowed into Frostfoot like a river.

It was moonhigh and Frostfoot circled in her nest, restless. She had been stuck in the camp since Hailfur discovered she was expecting his kits. She was proud that she would mother the deputy's kits, but she missed her freedom. She missed ShadowClan's territory. She sighed as she picked herself out of her nest once more and groomed her ginger and white pelt. She crept out of the nursery as if she were stalking a bird. Slow and quiet. Unseen and unheard. She stuck to the shadows along the camp wall and pulled herself under a hole in the back of the camp. She grunted with effort as she hauled herself under it, struggling with her massive belly. The medicine cat the time, Ashpelt, had told her there were at least four kits. Four! A sharp pain in her belly brought her attention back. The unborn kits weren't liking that they were being forced through a small hole thanks to Frostfoot's need to get out of camp. Finally, however, she was free. The she-cat slithered away from camp like a snake as she headed for the wetlands. They were always her favorite place to think, or when she just wanted to get away from camp. This was one of those times. She finally reached her destination, out of breath and worn out. But the peace around her, the soft croaking of frogs and toads, helped the pregnant she-cat relax. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. It was then a sharp scent filled the air.

Frostfoot recognized it after a moment, and when she did something slammed into her from the left. She squealed with panic and saw Hailfur standing over her, holding onto her scruff. His eyes were closed tightly as if he were struggling to keep hold of her. It was then the she-cat felt pain surge in her left, hind leg. She screeched with panic as she saw the massive creature, its beady eyes and sharp teeth, which were embedded in her leg, gleam in the light of the half moon. She kicked out, flailing, as Hailfur pulled harder as he struggled to get Frostfoot to safety. The otter's teeth ripped down her leg, sending agonizing pain through her entire body. "No! Stop! It hurts!" She cried out. Hailfur let go of her for a moment and immediately she was pulled into the depths of the swamp. Her head was pulled underwater and Frostfoot's survival instinct went into overdrive. She flailed with her paws, large air bubbles escaping her mouth as she twisted toward the otter as much as her enlarged belly would allow. She slashed at the creature with all her available claws as another cat joined her. Hailfur yowled, water filling his mouth, and his battle cry muffled by the swamp's water. He clung to the water like a tick, scoring the beast's pelt with the strength of TigerClan. It seemed enough. The otter released Frostfoot, but swung it's head around and locked its teeth around Hailfur's foreleg.

Panic gripped Frostfoot as she tried to decide what to do. Her lungs screamed for air, but her instinct to protect her mate was just as strong. Something grabbed her scruff just then. Another one!? Frostfoot whirled on the other otter, but she felt weak with relief when she saw it wasn't another otter. It was Crimsonstar! She struggled away from him, twisting, as she watched Hailfur be dragged into the shadows of the deeps of the swamp. He was already dead, Frostfoot knew, because no air bubbles floated from her mouth. Crimsonstar dragged the she-cat to the surface of the swamp and out of the water. He helped her back to camp...

Frostfoot sighed as she opened her eyes. She turned her head, looking at the long, gruesome scars on her hind leg. Four of them on the outside of her left, four on the inside of her leg. They were long and started at the top of her hip, slithering down her leg at an angle down to the joint where her leg bent above her paw. The scars were easily seen, as they were on bare skin where fur would never grow again. It had been that night with the otter that caused those scars, and it was those scars that reminded her that whatever was in the wetlands, it had taken Hailfur away from her. Snap! A twig broke in two and Frostfoot whipped around to face the source of the noise. Her teeth were bared, her ears back and her eyes flashing like blue fire. Her fur was bushed and her claws were out, her ginger and white tail lashing. She saw something moving toward her through the shadows and Frostfoot prepared herself for a vicious fight if it was the otter.

[ℳintу]

i  know  much  more

[atrb=style, background: #9ba68f; border: dashed #FFFFFF 0px; border-radius:20px 20px 0px 0px;] [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, border: solid #000000 0px; width: 400px; height: 400px; float: left; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 25px; padding-top: 25px;] [/style] spottedfern The once-bright she-cat lay at Galepaw's feet, heart aching and dead inside. She felt so hollow now, half the cat she had once been. As Frostfoot left at dawn, she stared after her. The deputy had made eye contact with her and paused for a moment, and Spottedfern guessed that meant she was allowed to join her. She hated to leave Galepaw's body behind at this hour, but she reluctantly joined the deputy's side as they fled camp. As they approached the scene of death, Spottedfern felt like a ghost banished to an unwanted realm. She didn't want to be here - she didn't want to be anywhere near this horrifying place. Not only did she want to avoid the scene of Galepaw's death, but that strange creature could still be out there. A twig snapped as she followed Frostfoot numbly, realizing that the she-cat had been unaware of her the entire time. She heard her hisses, and was about to say something - but nothing came out. She couldn't say a word as her throat was choking on every possible syllable. She gave up after a moment, simply revealing herself without saying anything, glancing at the side in sorrow. This place around them smelled like death, and she felt she couldn't do anything here except mourn. In the waters behind them a movement stirred. It was slow and caused a slight ripple before leaving once more, methodically. table & image manip © minty, image © sxc.hu

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[ravenclaw]

Frostfoot relaxed when she saw it was Spottedfern. She turned so her right side was facing Spottedfern, Frostfoot's blue eyes scanning the wetlands. "This place is haunting for you because it is where you lost Galepaw, but it is also a place where I lost a loved one as well. Two actually." Frostfoot's voice croaked with grief. "His name was Hailfur, he was ShadowClan's deputy before me, and he was my mate, the father of my kits. I loved him very much." Frostfoot thought about Hailfur. His soft, sleek fur, his long, muscular legs, broad chest and shoulders. He was strong and kind, but firm when he had to be. Frostfoot sighed. "He saved me from the monster that killed Galepaw." Frostfoot looked at her hind leg, her eyes tracing the scars that ran down her leg. She looked at Spottedfern, sadness in her eyes. "I was a queen then, expecting Hailfur's kits. I was due the next moon, but I missed ShadowClan's territory. So, I decided to sneak out one night at moonhigh. I had a secret entrance into the camp that I left through. Nobody saw me, or that's what I thought. I came to this exact spot and was gazing at the stars. Like Galepaw, I didn't see the ripple of the water, but a sharp scent filled the air around me. I opened my eyes as something hit me from the side. I panicked, but realized it was Hailfur. But then I panicked again as I felt a sharp pain in my hind leg. I saw it was the creature." Frostfoot mewed softly, her ears twitching as she tried to catch every sound around her at once, her jaws open to taste the air. Nothing.

"It was the size of a dog, brown and white with beady, black eyes. Its teeth were large and glistened in the moonlight. I thrashed, clawing at the creature's face with my other hind leg, trying to get it to let go of me. All the while, Hailfur had me by the scruff of my neck. He was pulling as hard as he could, his amber eyes blazing with fear of losing me and our kits. Well, the creature, which I know is called what twolegs would call an otter, pulled back. Given it was the size of a dog, the otter was stronger than a large cat. It dragged me into the water, but Hailfur was determined to take me back to camp in one piece." The deputy could still hear her own shrieks of fear and pain as the otter dragged her into the water, and the thrashing of the water as she was pulled in, but also the yowling of Hailfur trying to save her. "Well, it hurt being pulled in two different directions by two strong animals, I felt like I was being ripped in two. I yowled that my leg hurt and that my neck hurt being pulled at once. Hailfur's teeth slipped and his teeth slammed shut. The moment he let go, I was yanked into the water so fast it made me dizzy. I twisted around as far as my fat belly would allow and gave the otter all I had. It was then Hailfur appeared next to me, slashing at the creature with the strength, speed, and ferocity of StarClan. But then something happened that made my blood freeze in less than a heartbeat. The otter let go of my leg, but launched itself forward and grabbed Hailfur by his foreleg. He didn't stand a chance. He was already exhausted from trying to get me away from the otter, and he was dragged down into the depths of the water effortlessly." Frostfoot shuddered as she stared at Spottedfern, her eyes welling with tears.

One escaped her eye and rolled down her face, splashing into the water beneath Frostfoot. "I tried to decide what to do. My instincts told me to resurface and get air, but my heart told me to save Hailfur. But Crimsonstar made the decision for me. He grabbed my scruff and I struggled, thinking it was another otter. StarClan, however, blessed me with my leader. He pulled me onto dry land and licked my fur dry. I told him that I needed to save Hailfur, but I knew it was too late as I looked across the water. No bubbles disturbed the surface. I knew Hailfur was dead, that his kits would never meet their father until they themselves joined StarClan. Well, a moon later I gave birth to four kits. I named them Hailkit, Otterkit, Sunkit, and Moonkit. Three toms and a she-cat." Frostfoot sighed. "Well, they were all healthy, but they had been born in leaf-bare. Moonkit and Sunkit died of greencough, they were among the first to join StarClan. I knew Hailfur would be the one to take them there. The following moon, Otterkit died of starvation, seeing as I had only enough milk to feed one kit. Hailkit remained alive until newleaf. He decided to sneak out of camp and explore. I woke from my nap and he was gone. I followed his scent and my fur bristled when I realized where it was heading. I got to the wetlands and found Hailkit's mangled body. It looked exactly like Galepaw's body back in camp. I knew he was dead and as I was picking him up, Hailfur appeared to me. He looked exactly as he did before, strong, sturdy, and sleek. He had no wounds on him except for his foreleg, which was cris-cross with scars from the otter. Next to him were our four kits." Frostfoot blinked her eyes, tears rolling freely down her face.

"Hailkit rubbed against my front legs, telling me how sorry he was, and how much he already missed me. I couldn't fight back the tears that filled my eyes. I rubbed my head against my son and told him that it was okay. I told him that he wouldn't ever need to be afraid of StarClan, that they would protect him. Always. Hailfur told me he would take excellent care of our kits. 'I know.' I told him. They said goodbye and I went back to camp without my last kit. It broke my heart, but the next day I was named deputy. I should have felt excited and joyful, but I felt empty and hollow. I said thanks to every cat that congratulated me, but it wasn't heartfelt. I went to my nest that night and I dreamed of Hailfur and my kits and me, all playing together, happy as could be. I knew Hailfur sent the dream to me, and brought the kits with him so we could play together. As a family." Frostfoot sighed. "I was actually there when the otter came to ShadowClan. Four twolegs brought it in a shiny cage and set it free. I didn't think it would be a problem. But now I realize I was wrong. I've come to the wetlands to set the scores straight, and I'm not leaving until that thing is dead. If you come any further Spottedfern, I cannot guarantee your safety. I cannot promise you that you will go back to ShadowClan in one piece. Because today, only one predator will come out alive. Either that otter dies today, or I do. And I'm not leaving until that happens. I cannot let this thing destroy any more lives. I will not allow it." Frostfoot growled as her ear twitched a the sound of disturbed water. She spun around to see three black dots moving across the water. The sharp scent of otter filled the air around her.

Frostfoot stared into the eyes of the murderous creature. "I am not afraid to die. And if I do, I am ready for you, Hailfur. Receive me with love and understand why I had to do this." She muttered as the otter threw itself at Frostfoot. The she-cat yowled, her pelt bushed, as she swiped at the otter's muzzle with sharp claws. It growled as it stumbled, off balance. Frostfoot launched herself onto the otter's back and held onto its scruff, tearing at the otter's back and shoulders with ferocious claws. She felt Hailfur next to her, his scent filling the air around her as it overpowered the rank stench of otter. Frostfoot, distracted, was flung off the creature's back. She landed with an "Oof!" The otter growled as it advanced on Spottedfern, fire in its eyes and blood, no doubt, on its mind. Frostfoot leaped to her paws, but pain shot through her forepaw. Sprained! The deputy panicked. How could she save a clanmate when she had an injured paw! Frostfoot knew, all the same, that she would shut down completely if she lost another friend. The ginger and white she-cat hurled herself at the otter, landing awkwardly on its back, and hissed at the pain that shot through her. She growled as she slashed at the creature's ears, but again she was shaken off. "Frostfoot. You shouldn't have come!" Hailfur's voice filled Frostfoot's ear. "I had too. This pile of rat dung has taken away to many cats that I care about. I will not let it take away another!" The she-cat puffed, already exhausted, and threw herself into battle once more.