Swans || Gravelsky Death RP

Instructions

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺ night is over the park, and a few brave stars look on the lights that link it with chains of gold the lake bears up their reflection in broken bars that seem too heavy for tremulous water to hold. we watch the swans that sleep in a shadowy place, and now and again one wakes and uplifts its head; how still you are -- your gaze is on my face -- we watch the swans and never a word is said. - "swans" by sara teasdale ༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺ Gravelsky's silver-tipped lashes drift open upon the dawning of a uncomfortable pressure in her chest. She'd felt it before; the memory of the pain, as if someone had taken her heart from her chest and squeezed it in their paw, how it had fogged up her mind and sent storms of agony through her ribs. So when the beginnings of it came again, it was easy to recognize. The only difference was that she wouldn't make it out of this one. She'd always been intrigued by stories of death; not of the grim parts, but of the strange sense that someone felt before they were to die; that they knew it was coming. That innate sense in their heart sending echoes in the cavern of their mind, telling them to take those last few steps towards the end, to follow the pale rays of light that streamed in through the exit. She'd always wondered how people just knew that. But now, sitting here in her nest, with this pressure on her chest, her old gray tabby fur thinning day by day, the heirlooms from her family fallen decorating her thick curls of silver stripes... it was undeniable that today was the day. Before Gravelsky went though, she wanted one last thing. As she rose slowly from her nest, she could feel her old bones creak in retaliation, thin legs shaky and ready to give out as the squeezing pain in her chest spread like hot flames up the base of her neck. Between Death vicing her heart, she made sure Petalsigh's rose, Lucenthaven's lilacs, Sunflowerventure's bejeweled desert lily and Peonypath's sunflower were safe in her nest, and picked it up by the edges in her jaws. She wanted to be with her family when she died. One slow step after another, with her head getting gradually more foggy and dizzy with the pain ravaging her chest, she eventually made it outside, under the pale moonlight. Her emerald eyes stare up at it with remembrance. In her youth, when she and Burrpelt had met frequently while she was still younger, she remembered nights where Burrpelt would end up asleep pressed against her flank, the silver brilliance of the moon smiling down at her with fond eyes. It was calming. That same watchful, serene gaze continued to shed its grace atop her old body, tinging her gray fur a shining silver like its own beautiful countenance. She smiled softly, the wrinkles of her face more present than ever, glad her old friend was here to help her relax in her last moments. Gazing across the horizon as she laid down against her nest, she wondered about Snowdroppaw. How he was doing during this time. If he wondered about her too. Wherever he was, she hoped with all of the power in her pain-wracked heart, that he was safe and happy. She'd always watch over him with the warm eyes of a mother's love. Sunflowerventure too. She'd seen the soft she-cat as she was leaving camp earlier. How her flanks rose and fell gently with the peaceful movements of slumber, her beautiful calico fur catching beams of the moonlight reflected off of crystals in the cave. She knew her girl, her wonderful little sunflower, would persist despite her passing. Hopefully she knew after that how much she loved her. Part of her wanted to go back to say it one more time, but she didn't want to bother her. Her bones probably wouldn't let her move anyways. Her mind drifted to Peonypath. Her dear friend... maybe, even a little more than that. Whatever it was, she cherished it deeply... and hoped that Peonypath was doing well in Thunderclan. No doubt the scarlet she-cat was still kicking, serving her Clan, just like she'd wanted. It made Gravelsky very, very happy. Her grandkits... Shinesprout... Zenithmuse... Ghost... everyone made her so happy. She could only hope that in the span of her life, she'd been able to grant them the immense joy and love that she felt when she thought of them. In the depths of her aching heart, a flicker of warmth persisted for them. She set her head on her paws and closed her eyes. /Lu... Petalsigh... Burrpelt... Mum and Dad... Everyone... Wait for me, okay?/ ༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺