Tickpaw Tickpaw
Fight until the end like I promised to
Fight until the end like I promised to
ShadowClan
When you're lost in the universe, lost in the universe, don't lose faith
My mother says, "Your whole life's in the paws of the Stars"
My mother says, "Your whole life's in the paws of the Stars"
.
The coyote had been wounded when he found himself face to face with it... That should have made it less dangerous. Slower. Easier to outrun. But it hadn't. He had been close to the big tree when it happened, already having traveled quite a bit... But when he saw the coyote... Saw the blood on its pelt, dried and old, mixed with fresh rage, something feral in its eyes that hadn't dulled with the pain. Tickpaw knew he should run, run like fire itself was on his paws... Perhaps the coyote recognized him from the time where Fleapaw had been injured, he didn't know... Tickpaw hadn't even meant to find it. He'd been trailing a scent a rabbit or maybe just his own boredom, when the thing had turned and seen him. That was all it took.
A blur. A snarl. A flash of yellow teeth. He ran. Not smart. Not strategic. Just ran. His paws pounded the earth, lungs screaming for air as he bolted through this unknown territory, too wild with panic to notice borders, brambles, or the sharp sting of thorns tearing at his legs. The coyote gave chase, limping, yes, but relentless. The wet slap of its steps behind him was all he could hear above the roar in his ears. He didn't know when he crossed into SkyClan territory. Only that he had. The smells changed, lighter, higher, pine instead of mud but he couldn't stop, not yet. It wasn't until he heard nothing behind him, nothing, that his paws finally slowed. And then stopped. And then his legs buckled beneath him.
He dropped down near the roots of a gnarled tree, sides heaving, legs trembling so hard he could barely stay upright. His chest felt tight. His breaths came in ragged gasps. The fear was still clutching him, stubborn and cold, buried under his skin. I'm okay, he told himself, eyes darting through the underbrush. I'm okay. It's gone. I lost it. His claws gripped the dirt. He hadn't meant to run this far. He wasn't supposed to run at all. He should've stood his ground or circled back or something. But when its eyes had locked with his... When it lunged, instinct had won. And instinct had brought him here. Alone. Far from home.
The thought made his throat tighten. Foxdung... He ducked his head low, ears flattening as he tried to steady himself. " Stupid... stupid panic… " he muttered under his breath, teeth clenched. The silence of the place was eerie now, foreign and still. It let him breathe, but it didn't feel safe. He wasn't used to SkyClan's heights, their drier air, their trees that reached so tall. Everything felt exposed. Off. Still... He was alive. He stayed there for a few more moments, gathering what little composure he had left, eyes scanning the trees as his heart began to slow. Just a moment. Just to breathe. Then he would head back. He wasn't staying here.
Speech, thoughts/emphasis
