[spade]

Originally Posted by Hexict

(you kidding me? you guys are the ones that are doing great!)

Autumn orbs were heavy with despair was he watched Cricketpaw struggle to hold onto her breath and he desperately tried to cling to life. It was sad to think that someone as young and promising as Cricketpaw ws now lying on the ground in the territory, bleeding out from a wound that shouldn't be. Northpath felt sick as he thought back how he had just stood there - sure he couldn't help, but it didn't make him feel any better after witnessing the scene. She was using the last of her breath on Geckoleaf and the starry tabby knew that it was only a few heartbeats before she had no more breathes. But he had to admit that he understood how she felt, understood that she had to tell her mentor and loved one how she felt.

After all, when he was dying he had done the same thing with Zerosight.

His gaze fell to the ground for a moment as the young cat's breathing seized, a sign that he life had ended. The tabby knew that Cricketpaw's spirit would soon re-waken and would need his guidance to get to Starclan. He forced himself to look back upwards, seeing the starry figure out the russet molly making her way towards him. Northpath tried not to seem so heartbroken as he noted the look of utter disappointment and sadness in her blue orbs as she realized that she was in fact dead. Understanding what it's like to dye in such a way, he felt completely empathetic towards her. But he wasn't exactly sure what to say to her, if was suppose to comfort her after a violent death like that. Swallowing he tried to blink her stinging orbs as she grew closer to him.

It felt as though a claw scratched at his heart as she spoke to him. His orbs flicked towards the ground before returning her gaze. "Yes, I suppose you were..." what should I be saying? The tom shifted his weight as he tried to think of something to say to Cricketpaw. He was a Starclan cat,
how come he didn't see this coming?! And why didn't anyone else ever say anything? Isn't it Starclan's job to look after the living cats? So why would they just simply let Cricketpaw die like this, why would they take such a young cat? He felt anger and confusion by this. Even though he now resided in Starclan, he still wasn't sure how they knew things and why they didn't always act on some of their knowledge.

But as she looked back at her own dead body and her mentor crying over her, it only got worse. Cricketpaw began to fall apart, crying and stating how it wasn't fair and that she could be healed by her mentor. He weakly shook his head. "I know.... It's not fair, trust me I know," he mewed softly. "But you can't go back. Cricketpaw, you're already dead and I'm sorry. If she could heal you, then you wouldn't have died but that tom had done too much damage and you were beyond healing," Northpath didn't want to share his anger with Starclan at the moment with her, he didn't want her impression of their ancestors be filled with hate as he showed her to Starclan. "I am really sorry Cricketpaw.... I didn't know this would happen and I couldn't help while you were attacked. I'm sorry," the tom didn't know what else to say but that he was sorry about all of this.

While Northpath spoke, Cricketpaw barely heard any words that left his mouth. Instead, she had turned her gaze back towards where Geckoleaf was now crumpled in front of Mistfall. Her heart ached,, beating quick like dull horse hooves, and in that moment she felt as though she would do absolutely anything to be by her mentor's side again. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she realized that never again would she wake up in the RiverClan medicine den to the sweet smell of honey and leaves. Never again would she feel Geckoleaf's tail float across her back as she comforted her after a particular stressful conversation with her mother. Never again would she heard the words, "I'm so proud of you" leave her mentor's mouth, the five words that seemed to fix every single broken piece of the bengal's past.

After a few moments, the rivers in her eyes finally drying, leaving her fur wet and matted, the apprentice turned back to Northpath. Her face felt sunken in, and each pawstep weighed as though the entire StarCave was place atop her back. "Let's just go," she muttered, not meeting Northpath's eyes as she began to walk aimlessly away from the scene. She just couldn't take anymore; each time she gazed across her lifeless body a tiny piece of her heart shattered and fell into the broken oblivion that now occupied her thin frame. All her life, she had been taught to look up to StarClan, to search for them on her darkest nights and gloomiest days. Where were they during that battle? she thought, a flicker of hatred quickly engulfing her heart. She knew that once she was among the stars more her attitude might change, but for now the only feeling that resonated within her was betrayal and a longing for Geckoleaf.

(Kept it short to rap this up; should the next post be North and Cricket in StarClan after him and Geckoleaf?)