ᴄᴜʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴄᴀʟʟ: ᴛʜᴇᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴀʟᴘᴀᴡ'ꜱ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ꜱʀᴘ

Instructions

Trigger warning for mild blood and death, I'd advise you click off if that bothers you. Theatricalpaw padded out of the medic den, trying not to think about why only Rookpaw was left to treat her wound. He passed the warriors' den, trying not to think about why the friendly warrior who had snuck fae out of camp as a kit was no longer around. He cast a glance towards the nursery, trying not to think about why the kits they had fought with just a few moons ago had never became apprentices. There was no need to be worried about the wolves. StarClan was watching them, and he was going to be leader, as simple as that. And Silhouettepaw would be her deputy. Since Sil had survived one of the wolves already, it was surely a sign, a sign that his four-leaf clover was lucky enough to keep him safe, a sign that hers was too, and a sign that they couldn't die because they had destinies to fulfill. In the meantime, Thea could tell jokes, have fun, treat life like normal, so maybe everycat else would too. If xey were brave enough, silly enough, uplifting enough, maybe the blanket of tension that smothered the camp would finally lift. Wind had a plan, anyways, a plan to fight the wolves off once and for all. That was why fae'd checked in with the medic again today. Once her small wound was finally fully healed, he could be brave just like Silhouettepaw and finally face one of the creatures. She'd be hailed as a hero, everycat would love them, and he'd probably be made leader on the spot. Most importantly, everycat could stop moping around and things could go back to being safe and normal again. Thea yawned and curled up in xer nest, certain it would all be over soon. She was right. ____________________________________________ A terrified screech, like nothing she'd ever heard before, awoke Thea from sweet embrace of the thoughtless dark. He shot from her nest as more unearthly yowls followed, sprinting out of the apprentices' den and skidding to a stop. They were here. Wolves. Two of them, eyes dark and soulless, gaping jaws filled with sharp yellow teeth stained red with fresh blood, snapping at the terrified cats that flitted about under their huge paws. They were nothing like fae had imagined. Nothing could have prepared him for the sheer ferocity of the huge beasts, not the stories, not the warnings, not even the limp bodies dragged into camp. Everything seemed to slow as she stood there, rooted to the ground, eyes staring, feeling nothing. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They were supposed to be ready, they were supposed to be healed, she was supposed to be the heroic hunter, not the prey. Their paws finally unstuck from the ground, xer body instinctively turning away, muscles tensing, ready to run. No, no, that wasn't right either. Silhouettepaw hadn't ran. Leaders didn't run. She wasn't supposed to run, he was supposed to charge. Heroically, bravely, like a strong warrior who mattered. Thea didn't have time to think. One of the wolves raised its head, blood dripping from its curled lips as it locked eyes with her. Drawing up every ounce of confidence, every scrap of bravery that had been there only a few hours ago, wind charged, faer fluffy tail streaming out behind her, adorned with the rosemary his grandfather had told him was lucky. Her ears pinned back as she leaped at the creature, claws fully extended, sharp white teeth bared in a snarl. He sliced at the wolf's shoulder, but her moons of training and sparring had done nothing to prepare her for this. Still, Thea gave the fight xer all, the same thoughts coursing through faer mind over and over again. /I can do this. I won't die. I am brave, and I have a destiny, and I have luck on my side./ They miraculously dodged one of the creature's massive paws, and were about to attack again, but froze, spotting something laying in a patch of dirt a fox-length away. His four-leafed clover. It must have been knocked off during the fight. The world narrowed the second he saw it, the screeches, the pain, the snarls, all fading away. Nothing else mattered anymore, only the single pinpoint of bright green in the dirt. Silhouettepaw’s lucky clover had kept him alive. That was how it must have worked. Hers was doing the same, keeping them safe, protecting him with its luck. Without it she was dead. Thea lunged away from the wolf, abandoning everything else in a single desperate leap, claws outstretched, reaching for faer lucky charm. It was too late. The wolf lunged. Its jaws snapped shut. The world split into a thousand fragments and his thoughts tangled and twisted. "This can't be how it ends..." Thea choked out as the fragments disappeared among the blackness swallowing faer vision. It was the last lie she would ever believe. ____________________________________________ ᴛʜᴇᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴀʟᴘᴀᴡ ᴏꜰ ꜰʟᴜʀʀʏᴄʟᴀɴ 5/24/26 - 6/14/26 ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ꜱᴛᴀᴛꜱ: | 59/0 | 6 | 8