[Mica]

Eaglepaw
Nobody's Daughter
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Your Blood
Aurora
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Your blood, what matter is it made of?
Do you feel it travel in and out your heart?
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Cold. It's so, so cold. A kit snuffles through the damp earth, panicked and desperate cries slicing through the air.

The eagle that snatched it shrieks and tilts its head, the beady eye of a predator alighting on its prey. It had been so easy to take from its group. So easy to dive down and grab the pathetic, squirming kit and carry it far, far away from the despairing cries of its parents. So easy to drop in this forest and watch from a branch far above, considering just how sweet it would taste.

It dives, wicked talons outstretched.

Before it can reach its target, the eagle is battered out of the way by dark paws, its wings torn by curved claws and legs snapped at by sharp teeth. Another cat--larger, leaner, blue. The eagle cries out in surprise and fury, launching into the sky in a flurry of feathers.

Cold. It's so, so cold. But as another pelt brushes against the tiny kitten and its shivering body, the cold is gradually replaced by warmth. Safety.

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Needles, stitching up the big holes
You prepared for battle, as you fell apart
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Herbs and blood stain her white paws, leaving crimson paw prints behind her as she squeezes into the medicine den, terror fading as she enters her sanctum. Stolen herbs flood her mouth with familiar scents and textures, reminding her of moments long past.

The fight rages outside, screams and cries coming together to create a symphony of wrongful execution and vengence.

Eaglekit has never known anything other than war.

Invasion, raid, fight, death. In her short life, Eaglekit had seen more death than most cats would see in their entire lifetime.

There is no one to help, anymore. Not after she left. The clan was left without their most vital organ, and as warriors and apprentices lose their lives outside, the place where that organ should have been continues to wither and rot in its absence.

There is only Eaglekit and a few others, in that den. There should be someone else, someone who is meant to heal, someone who knows how to take this disaster of a clan and stitch them back together.

But they are alone.

And they are dying.

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Are you dust?
You are dust, dust
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Your voice drowning in the white noise
Do you hear the echo begging you to let go?
(Let go, let go, let go)
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She blinks awake, the familiar scent of gorse bushes and heather soothing the trickle of panic that slid down her spine. She knows this place.

It's familiar in the vaguest of ways. She feels as though she's been here before, with its starry sky and looming mountains. It feels like home. But she has no home.

She can hear a voice in the distance, crying out into the colorful night. No matter where she turns, she cannot pinpoint where the voice comes from. The wind is too strong, carrying scent and voice alike far away from her.

She could chase it, but... she's so tired. Maybe she will seek it out when she wakes again. Closing her eyes, she sleeps once more.

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This Earth, whoever was it made for?
Just wait until tomorrow, it might not be as cold
(Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold)
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She remembers sneaking out of camp for the first time. It wasn't difficult, as all the warriors were sleeping and none of them thought to guard the camp entrance. Just the sort of laxness she had learned to expect from the clan.

But this time, it benefited her. Eaglekit slipped out through a hole on the far side of the camp wall, her small kit body squeezing through the bracken and out into the territory.

She didn't have time to take in the beauty of the night, as she was on a mission.

The very plague that infected the warriors to make them lazy in guarding had made them lazy in patrols. It wasn't hard to tell that resources were running low, and with no one willing to work to restock, the kit decided it was time to take matters into her own paws.

Stars twinkled above her as she slipped in and out of shadows, her stubby baby legs doing their best to keep her upright and moving even as the call of predators sounded through the clear night. As if the stars watched over her, she remained perfectly safe. Encapsulated in the grace of ancestors that weren't even her own. She had no concept of StarClan yet, but they were already looking out for her.

Her jaw had ached as she carried the herbs back, unsure if the green plants clamped gently in her teeth were even useful. It wasn't the herbs she was here for, anyway. It was to show that someone in this clan cared. Someone would go out of their way to provide.

She had just wanted a home. Somewhere she felt safe. Perhaps, if she could prove she was worth keeping around, that security would fall into place.

And yet, it hadn't mattered, had it? As Eaglekit--now just about apprentice aged--sits in the nursery and stares up at the stars from the entrance, she wonders just how many cats had died because no one had taken care of the clan. They have no medicine cat, no deputy, and a leader who hasn't received her lives. Just how long until Eaglekit will gain the security she so desperately desires?

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When all inside you burns like a star
It's after you burn out that you are
Reborn again, reborn again
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Her apprentice ceremony is bright, sunshine lighting her golden pelt on fire and making her shine brighter than the largest star.

She is joy, she is pride. She will do whatever she can to fix this clan.

Eaglepaw. It is not a name so different than the one she had during her kithood, and yet it means so much more. She cannot help the beaming smile that competes with the sun for its brightness. Everything is falling into place. Her mentor is a respectable tom who clearly puts a lot of effort into the clan. A temporary medicine cat is named. Finally, things are starting to look up.

And then Eaglepaw's pride is elevated, as her mentor is announced to be deputy. Even as nerves threatened to overwhelm her, Eaglepaw knows that she will do everything in her power to be worthy of his pride.

It's not the apprenticeship she had hoped for, but she hardly cares. She wants to do more, be more for this clan. No matter what her role is, she will study and train as hard as she possibly can.

Eaglepaw vows to do great things.

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And maybe if you called out for help
Then I could help you outrun yourself
Come run again, we'll run again
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Newleaf is finally in full swing. Prey is bountiful, and the river runs cool and full. Eaglepaw purrs as she lounges in the sun, legs aching from learning how to swim. She was afraid she would be bad at it, but with her teacher's help and plenty of practice, it feels almost as natural as walking. RiverClan cats are known for their ability to swim like fish, and this development in Eaglepaw's skill set has made her feel like she belongs.

She grew up in this clan, and her memories of her other life are negligible. While she never felt that she belonged as a kit, Eaglepaw feels more comfortable with this clan and her duty here with each passing day. She loves training, she loves learning new things and honing her skills. Her thirst for knowledge is insatiable, and while she doesn't trust the warriors of this clan fully, many seem eager enough to teach her what they know.

Even now, laying in the sun and letting her thick pelt dry, Eaglepaw is already thinking about her next training session. What will she learn next? No matter what it is, Eaglepaw is going to become the best at it! She guarantees it.

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But I, I refuse to die
I refuse to die
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Her paws shake as she storms out of camp, her warrior escort not far behind. Useless, all of them. Was she the only one who understood?

Was she the crazy one?

Rushwater was gone. Taken, killed, it doesn't matter. Of course it matters.

Was it an isolated incident? Were there other cases of cats going missing and the clan just not noticing or assuming they left of their own accord? How many missing clanmates had actually been killed? Eaglepaw has to find out. If there is a danger to her clan, her home, she'll be damned if she's going to sit by and let it happen.

Her warrior escort calls for her to slow, but the apprentice can't hear them. She needs to move, to do something. Maybe she is crazy. Maybe she's making enemies of shadows. But, on the off chance she's not crazy, that something nefarious really is happening... Eaglepaw can't sit idly by. Her paws itch to be useful.

Her paranoia flares, and she resists the urge to bolt from her escort. Ever since the ThunderClan raid, Eaglepaw has never been able to fully relax. The cats in this forest had proven to be as trustworthy as foxes. She had gotten too comfortable. She had settled into her apprenticeship and actually begun to trust cats again. But clearly, that had been a mistake. No one is looking out for her except herself. Her mentor is busy being leader of the clan, her only friend has disappeared, and her father has been taken or killed by an unknown enemy. She is alone.

Maybe it's better this way.

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But I, I refuse to die
I refuse to die
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