CAPSTONES - Part 3

Instructions

Previous Part: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1334980362/ [CONTENT WARNINGS: This SRP features a variety of topics, such as depictions of depression, grief, mentions of child loss, injury and death/near death experience.] ... A mouse’s shrill squeak of terror was cut short as the creature met the talons capped to Wildfirelament’s claws. The moon had risen now, high above the sky as silverpelt looked down at the night-wandering deputy, who pushed chirp’s mask aside and bent down to touch their nose to the mouse’s now prone form. “Thank you, Starclan, for the life that has been given here tonight.” Wildfirelament murmured quietly in thanks, before talon picked up the creature in their jaws, looking to the starry sky above. …They had been out long enough. Perhaps she should- The deputy’s thoughts were cut off by the distant sound of… Something. Something, hooves thundering against soil. Growing closer. Wlam turned, and right when they did, a large buck broke through the undergrowth. Its side was scratched up and bleeding, obviously escaping a hunter of its own tonight. The deer didn’t seem to notice Wildfirelament. Nor that the half-falcon deputy was right in its path. Wildfirelament quickly leapt, wings snapping open in an instant and pushing her up in powerful, fluid motions. But, talon wasn’t quick enough it seemed. (TW: Depiction of serious injury) Pain lanced through the raptor’s underside, a horrible feeling of a pronged tip spearing flesh and slicing downwards. Wlam let out a blood-curtling shriek, wings staggering mid-flight long enough for the air under them to slip away, sending chirp sprawling back to the ground with a less than pleasant impact. A sound of a sickening snap sounded through the air, Wildfirelament barely had any air left in talon’s lungs to scream again, all that she managed to cry was a wheezing, gargled noise. The sound of the cloven hooves from the frightened perpetrator faded as the creature bounded away, but Wildfirelament could hardly hear it over the sound of the blood roaring in her ears, the thrumming of talon’s heart beating like an off-tune wardrum. The sound of chirp’s own strangled gasps as they fought through the overwhelming pain to push air back into her burning lungs. Pain. Wildfirelament thought that they had known pain before. She thought that talon knew pain from the hawk that marred their face, scarred chirp’s flank, and took talon’s eye. This was worse. Wildfirelament’s hawk-talon capped claws trembled as they dug into the earth, scoring the dirt as she tried in vain to pull herself up, to will her wings to unfurl and fight through the pain, but she couldn’t. They *couldn’t*. The deputy, in all talon’s strength, had been felled by a creature who hadn’t even intentionally attacked. How ironic. And now, Wildfire was alone. Alone as they could feel the blinding white hot pain every time chirp moved, from their wing. To their underbelly. Feel something wet the fur of chirp’s underside.. They didn’t want to look down. Didn’t want to see how bad it was. Because they were afraid. Truly afraid. Wildfirelament hadn’t felt this fear since the day she saw Flint’s life almost slip away right through their claws, watched as Glorycourage did… …And now…? It was talon’s own life she could feel falling through the cracks like sand in an hourglass. …Stars. Was this really it…? “N-No..” Wildfirelament gasped, a surge of strength burning through their veins as they forced themself up to their paws, legs trembling as she fought against herself with every step. This was not the end. It was not. She *refused* to die now. Another step, Wlam could feel the viscous streams of red pouring down her legs. Not when talon had come so far, and yet still had so much further to go. Another, and Wildfirelament staggered. Barely avoiding falling as their limbs screamed in protest, feelings as though seconds away from giving out. Wildfirelament couldn’t die. Not now, when Falconclan needed their deputy. When chirp’s kits needed their damather. When Wlam still had so much more to prove, to give, many more moons left in talon’s wings to serve chirp’s clan. Another. Wildfirelament did fall this time, the bend of her front leg buckling under them, and they fell to the earth painfully in a heap. (Cont)