{$title} mentions of blood and birth; death by car
Her paws led her, as they often did, outside of ThunderClan's camp, alone. Every so often, she wondered if Wave was the one to guide her paws, stuck somewhere in the afterlife, a ghost along these familiar paths. It was a disquieting thought, to think their greatest failure remained with them - but not altogether uncomfortable.
If Wave were still around, perhaps it meant she was haunted by both siblings. Or maybe Wave was here to give her company. Who could say? Rowanfeather and Loonstar had talked of meeting with the spirits of the dead before - would Wave be among them when she died? Or was his spirit somewhere else?
Too many thoughts for a chilled leaf-bare day. Too much sadness when she ought to be focused on hunting... the sooner she caught some prey, the sooner she could go back to camp and curl up in her nest to try and warm up.
Alone.
Watching her clanmates snuggle with their loved ones always hit harder in the colder moons. It made her long for a much further, simpler time - when Urchin and Wave would cuddle with each other after playing in the snow. Those days were long gone, and she'd watched from afar as her sister's kits enjoyed that same privilege.
The Ranger sighed, shaking the thoughts from her head. It would not do to dwell.
Her lonesome journey through the territory continued, until the scent of blood and asphalt stopped her in her tracks. A loner crouched in the center of the Thunderpath, heaving, having left a bloodied trail from the snow onto the surface.
"Hang on!" she called, running onto the strange path, cringing as she felt the weight of it beneath her paws. How many lives had been lost to the Thunderpath?
"I- My kit -" the loner meowed through gritted teeth. Seafoambelly's mind raced as she realized - this loner was in labor, and it wasn't looking good for her. What had happened to lead her onto the Thunderpath while giving birth? As she was about to ask, the loner yowled again, crumpling with the pain.
There was no other option but to help her across the Thunderpath - she couldn't leave her there, she couldn't run and get Rowanfeather.
"It'll be alright, just bear it for a moment longer," she meowed, grabbing the scruff of the queen's neck. There was so much blood - it pooled around the Ranger's paws and made her pads slip as she dragged the loner along with her.
The Monster was fast, unhindered by extra weight and slippery crimson. In a split second, a decision needed to be made.
Seafoambelly would not let the Thunderpath take another life if there was something she could do about it. The Ranger slung the loner out of the way, trying to follow - but she was not fast enough.
The crumpled body of the warrior lay beside the wailing queen, her broken chest heaving as eyes glassed over.
