It all happened when Echocavern was asleep, nestled in between her three tiny kits. She didn’t know something could go so wrong But alas, something happened that leafbare night. Something terrible. The queen awoke to the gasps of her clanmates and the sight of a body being dragged into camp. She couldn’t quite see who it was, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of night, she saw him. Bathed in the cold, silvery light of the moon. The purple flowers that once laid upon his pelt now withered and broken. Just like he was. Tears filled her eyes as she ran to the cold, lifeless body sprawled out in camp. Not even bothering to say sorry to those she bumped into on the way. This couldn’t be real. Gloamingcrest, her dear apprentice, couldn’t be dead. This all had to be just a terrible dream right? She would just wake up to see him standing in camp, happy. /Alive/. Waiting for the patrols to be called out with a big smile on his face. Just like he always did. But no matter how long she stood beside the body, Echocavern didn’t wake up. Tears blurred her vision as she ran out of camp, breaking into the cold pine forest, sobs racking her body. The queen dashed through bushes and thickets, not caring the pain she felt as thorns tore her pelt. All Echocavern could do was run. And after a while, she stopped. The she-cat stood between two large pines, tears falling down her face. Up above was the star splattered sky, and below her paws was a field of flowers. But Echocavern could not stop and appreciate the beauty of the forest around her. Because Gloamingcrest would never be able to do so ever again. All she could do was wish for things to change. Wish for him to be alive. Wish that this was all just a dream. Wish that she could somehow bring him back. But the truth was, all Echocavern could actually do was cry. No wish could change all this. Nothing could. Especially not the tears splattering into the flower-filled grass underneath her paws. The many, many tears. —————————
Uh oh, poor Echocavern deals with the death of her former apprentice. Well she tries to at least. Echo doesn’t actually know how to deal with death well, and pretty much is in a stage of denial. Tears upon tears and the many wishes of things to change. After this, she will become a little more closed-off for a few moons, spending most of her days alone in the forest, staring up at the sky and cursing Starclan for taking Glo away so soon.
