[taillow]

BRAVEBIRD
she/her | windclan fury | 46 moons

With the minks having been dealt with and RiverClan soon to follow, Bravebird was feeling optimistic for the first time in moons. Her anger at their fishy neighbors had not once receded in their conquest of the moorland rats that had scurried about, that now lay dead on the prey pile. Memories of Fallownose still spun in her head on a never-ending loop, ending with several dead RiverClanners in her wait. As she headed out of camp, her claws flexed in the ground and she gave a snort. She couldn't wait to make those fish pay.

Breaking off into a sprint, with her friend at her flank, the Fury let a grin spread across her face. "Bet I can catch more rabbits than you!" she teased as she pelted across the moor like the very creatures she had just sworn to catch. The wind whipped her fur back and she felt herself glide across WindClan's territory like the very breeze itself. It felt freeing and welcoming, the reminders of why she loved these moors so much pumping through her veins. She gave a leap as she ran, paws outstretched to touch the sky above before landing hard on the ground, digging in and driving her faster.

Her destination was Twilight Falls; with the minks gone and their home no longer held hostage, there was surely a mess to clean up. On top of that, Brave felt the desire to stock up the Clan's prey pile. She could already hear Fallownose's teasing, and it made her smile. His death still had a grip on her heart, though it was starting to become less and less painful with each day. After all, he'd want her, and the rest of WindClan, to go on living right?

That might've been Fallownose's wish, but it certainly wasn't the stars as a familiar pelt came into sight.

Blood covered it to the point of being near unrecognizable, but Bravebird knew those brown tabby stripes. She knew that form, the white patches... the sightless green eyes hat stared at her now. It made her skid to a halt, everything suspended in the air as if the ground itself had left her floating. All at once everything slowed around her - the beating of her heart, the round of the wind, any arrival noises of the tom who had been behind her. Blue eyes were wide and staring at the lifeless form of -

"Fern!"

As if nothing at all had happened, reality caught up to her once more and Bravebird bolted forward, sliding to the fallen tom's side and starting to lick his fur clean of blood. "Hey, buddy, I've missed you so much. Stars, what got you this time?? Ah, don't worry about it. You won't wake up alone like last time, okay? I'm here, and once you're back we'll get you to Lightningstorm, and she'll patch you up. She'll-" She paused mid cleaning, the rest of her senses finishing their game of catch up. Like how cold and hard his body was. Like how he stunk of death. Stunk of...

Fish.

That was... RiverClan scent on his pelt.

It was a rage like nothing else she had ever felt. Similar to her brother's death but so, so different. It spiraled up from her paws, coating her heart and flooding her mind. Blue eyes that were once pooled with concern started to bubble with hatred, darkening as they narrowed. Her claws came out, digging into the ground. She knew he would awake any second, but there was still time to stand to her paws. Still time for her to turn her seething glare towards the border they shared with RiverClan. Her growl was low, but what it lacked for in volume it made up for in venom. Everything about her seemed to change in an instant as her glare remained unwavering.

"I'M GOING TO SLAUGHTER ALL OF YOU, YOU HEAR ME?" Tears fell from her eyes now, but they weren't one of sadness. Anger trapped her where she was, and Fernpaw's dead body - as much as she wanted to run off, she couldn't leave him when she knew he would wake soon. "RIVERCLAN WILL BE A TALE FOR KITS BY THE TIME I'M THROUGH WITH YOU. YOUR RIVERS WILL RUN RED, YOUR CAMP DESTROYED. YOU CLAN WILL CEASE TO EXIST ONCE I'VE RIPPED MY CLAWS THROUGH IT AND REDUCED IT TO ASH."

. . .

Her head was pounding by the time Bravebird finally sunk back down to Fernpaw's side, curling around his body and burying her nose into his fur. "I know you don't like it when I yell," she murmured to him, shaking her head against his cold body. "I'm sorry. They've just taken everything, Fern. They took Fallow, too. They..." Out of every cat though, she knew Fern was aware of the crimes committed by their neighbors. Fallownose's death had been the catalyst for war with WindClan, but this? Killing Fernpaw? This was the catalyst for her own personal vengeance. She wouldn't rest until the forest was rid of those filthy fish once and for all.

[ Crowtooth - @Rani ]
[ @BEAR. - the lad has been found! <3 ]