[Captain]

@CandyFlossCat

“Is this really how I’m going to die?” Pinewhisker thought to himself, the cold rush of water and darkness surrounding his lean body as he remained trapped under the flood water’s surface. No cat had heard his shrieks for help, nobody was coming to his rescue, he was alone and close to death itself - closer than he had ever been before in his entire life. He could feel the heavy rocks pressed against his hind leg, keeping him from escaping this nightmare and getting air. The brown-furred warrior could feel the exhaustion in his body slowly taking over, everything ever so slowly becoming less of a struggle as the tom-cat came close to accepting his fate now. Pinewhisker knew nothing about death and how it felt to go out this way, even fear had left him and now he was just here, unable to break free from all that held him down. He thought to himself, why does he try to escape now? This young warrior had no friends or family left to run to, only a clan that was practically gone from sight by now. He saw how horrific this place had appeared to them and he knew cats were quick to escape without even thinking of helping. Pinewhisker slowly closed his eyes, letting his body relax where it was now. There was hope though, Needlescar had persuaded him to stay and help the terrified cats and in doing so, he rescued Bumbledawn.

“Needlescar.” The name of the she-cat he had met only recently and her words whispered through his ears. “Okay.. Be careful.. I don’t want this to be the last time either..” The young tom-cat could still feel her warm fur as she nuzzled him before he raced off to save Bumbledawn. He wanted to see her again, knowing that she cared for him even though they had only met this morning during his hunt. They seemed to share a connection like any other and Pinewhisker knew that he would fail her now, knowing that there was no way out of this for him. Then, at that moment, all the memories seemed to flash before his eyes, seeing his family be taken by the flames of the forest, unable for him to save them. His eyes sprang open, the amber-hued coloring seeming to shine in the darkened water. He couldn’t stand to fail her too, like his family - no. No, this would not be how he went to the stars. Not yet, not now.

Immediate adrenaline coursed through his body and he began to thrash wildly, kicking his stuck hind leg and hissing in pain as the rocks dug into his flesh. He repeated to himself her name over and over again, fighting for this she-cat that he barely knew, but he knew that she needed him, she was the only one he had left now. He couldn’t do this to her, he knew the feeling of loss too well by now. Pinewhisker uttered a scream of muffled pain as he ripped his leg from it’s confines, the water turning red around it as he immediately swam upwards. The tom-cat’s head broke through the surface and he gasped for breath, sudden light coming into his widened eyes as he seemed to be freed from death itself. This moment of freedom was, however, broken quickly as he was swiftly carried down the current, but the warrior growled and forced himself against the water, his front paws coming out of the water and sinking into the wall of mud that lead to the dampened grass surface. He heaved himself up, hissing in pain with each go and Pinewhisker never stopped. He never did. Each heave of his bleeding, weakened body made him want to yowl out in pain, but there was time for that. Paw after paw, sinking into the mud as he climbed up the breaking wall of earth, but soon, his claws sank into the green grass and with a finally huff of breath, the male threw himself up and over into the grass, collapsing on his side. Low, deepened breaths came from the male for a moment as he laid there, but he was far from giving up now. The smell of blood flooded his senses and saw the gaping wound in his leg, bleeding from the jagged rocks.

This would have to be tended to later though, Pinewhisker needed to find Needlescar and make sure she was safe, he didn’t care about his injury anymore. There were more important matters at paw here and the brown-furred tom lifted himself to his paws, standing on three legs as he didn’t put weight on his injury. He overlooked the camp, seeing cats still fighting for dear life and he could only hope that she wasn’t one of them. He sucked in a breath and called out for the smaller she-cat. “Needlescar!” Pinewhisker shouted, looking for her.