Talonpaw was still shaken, to say the least. Even waking up to the dim light of the rising sun- his singular gaze looked exhausted. His body dragged, but his belly did not rumble. It instead churned- mixed, spun. His blue eye stayed locked on one spot, and his paws stretched over each other- neatly crossing at the ankles- waiting.
He did not know what Dustystar wanted to speak to him about- but the idea that she had said it with such bluntness- he knew his fate was set in stone. 'tomorrow' rung in his ears, and besides the feeling of being sick- he still tasted the thick ichor of blood. Perhaps it was that that sated him from feeling hungry. He wasn't sure.
Dimmingsun and Meadowpaw could only spare one herb for him, and he wouldn't have asked for more. He wouldn't say it again- Meadowpaw already chewed him out- but Talon was stuck believing what he believed. Meadowpaw did have a fair point- but it also hurt Talon to try to think about him not being strong enough. It was a constant, aching feeling- a gnawing feeling that threatened to eat him alive. He had to stay strong.
He had to.
Cats pulled in, they listened, they watched- and Dustystar stepped forward, closing the distance. He recognized each- his mentor, windclans leader, windclans deputy. He shifted uncomfortably, leaning on his side closest to the exit. Not that he wouldn't have to barrel through them- he still would've had to. But Talon looked for his exits if he had to regardless.
He couldn't be left to die here.
He refused.
He felt the eyes, and he believed this was the end of his time in Windclan. As soon as he was better, they'd kick him out. They'd chase him away. For a moment- he imagined small paws again, claws digging into the grass- pulling himself faster against the terrain. Tumbling, getting up and running. He has spent his entire life running, how could he expect to not want to in this moment...
"what happened?... who attacked you....? What border was it on?"
Dustystar spoke- and Talonpaws ears rung, the voice muffled by his own pounding heartbeat as he slowly shifted to his paws. His head lowered, and tattered ears pressed against his helm. His body reshifted... And through his torn lip, his tongue rolled in his mouth. Slowly, he blinked. Slowly, he processed. Slowly, he began speaking his story.
"I was huntin'. Testin' my ability- my eye in the dark. With one eye- things are different. Harder, Dimmin' an' merry doin' their best, but since the flood... I can't stop movin'. There's too much to do." He explains, awkwardly. How could he explain he needed his time alone- that it made him... Safer to be around? He didn't want to risk his hide. Plagues words rung in his mind, and his blue gaze shot to the side- the exit- before back at Dustystar. Studying her expression.
"I wound up at the Shadowclan border. I didn't go near enough- I thought I saw something bright from the big beast that walks that back beaten up path. It's stench is enough to keep me away. But, as I walked along the border, a squirrel crossed. The first prey I seen. It practically ran into my paws, and I had it dead within seconds. I would've been home by midnight. That feelin' when somethin's watching y'? I felt it. I looked back- and then I was being attacked." His claws flexed in his nest. Blue eyes flashed dangerously, ever so quick, before pulling back to the exhausted state it appeared before.
Perhaps listening to the elders when he groomed them free of ticks made him a good story teller. He wasn't sure, but he continued. "The attacker was jus' a kid. I didn't want t' fight I told them. I was content comin' home with the squirrel so the kits could eat in the mornin'. An' kid went on- it felt like they knew me. But I didn't know them. And when he attacked again- well.. I defended myself 'cause what was i s'pose t' do?" It was a genuine question; one he didn't know how to answer. How can you defend yourself when you are being viciously attacked? The kid had torn his lip first- and it's when his blood boiled, and he lost control and fought back. He wasn't going to tell them that he almost lost control entirely. He wasn't going to tell them he almost killed this kid.
"The squirrel tore in half, at some point- and I left the tail there. The kid ran off with the squirrel when... I let them. It.. wasn't worth it t' me anymore. An' I'm sorry-" he began nervously glancing towards the exit again, before taking a shaky breath and looking again at Dustystar. "The prey wasn't worth it anymore." He stated clearly- but it was obvious something was deeper that he wouldn't want to say. He spoke with truth, he spoke with a sort of confidence- but it was more of that fact that he knew what he was talking about. But the words still lingered-
The prey wasn't worth killing a kid.
@Dustystar @Merrystalk @GOLDENROAR @Meadowpaw
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Talon he/him, windclan 8 moons old.
black tabby with dark greyish brown undercoat and white underbelly. white crest on chest, and scars lining left side of face, blinding his right eye. icey blue eyes and white that is slowly starting to streak his features. Back scars non-existent for now.
mentored by Merrystalk // mentoring none
littermate to none
NPC x NPC / father/mother to none / mated to none
"speech" // "thoughts"
penned by Deidre ↛ deidre on discord, feel free to dm for plots. Art by PurpleCandyCorn.
