𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑤𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟

Chapter 17

     Eclipse went to her den early, a plan already forming in her mind. Somehow, she didn't feel like she was entirely herself. It was like the primitive part of her brain had taken over and the sensible part of her brain couldn't control her own body anymore. She slept for a little while, but then she woke again at midnight. She crept out of her den, and looked around the camp. Everyone was asleep in their dens. She then slunk into Reed's den.

     "Reed," she whispered. "QuietFlower needs your help! She's lying wounded in the cluster of pines near the lake!"

     Reed blinked open his eyes, and glared up at Eclipse.

     "Why should I believe a monster?" Reed hissed.

     Eclipse gave a huff of exasperation. "Whatever you say about me, I'm loyal! I won't let QuietFlower die! And if she's gonna die, she wants you by her side." Eclipse glowered at him "unless, maybe you don't actually love her. Maybe you'd let her die just because you don't trust me."

     There were a lot of things wrong with the believability of the information, like why wouldn't she also bring SpringShine if someone was really wounded, and why would she not smell like the pines near the lake if she was supposedly there. She just had to hold her breath and cross her claws, hoping Reed would believe her.

     Reed tried to hide his emotions, but Eclipse could tell he was scared that she might be telling the truth.

     "Come on!" She urged, nosing Reed toward the vine curtain.

     Reed looked back at her, and slipped out of the den. Eclipse followed, and they ran on silent paws out of the camp.     
     Once they were in the forest, they bolted toward the lake side by side. They dashed through the undergrowth, leaping over fallen trees, and swerving around brambles. The night air was freezing, and the ground was covered in frost that stung Eclipse's paws.

     Reed gave a frustrated growl as he got his paws tangled in a blackberry thicket. Eclipse gingerly nipped at the brambles to free Reed, and as soon as he was untangled, he leapt into the treetops. Eclipse spread her wings, and leapt after him.

     They flew through the clouds, the moons lighting their way. Eclipse couldn't help her heart swelling with emotion at the thought of flying through the night like this with Reed before he broke her heart.

     But she forced herself to focus. As much as she would love to lose herself in the moonlight, all her worries falling to the ground below her, this was no time to get soft. Her mind and claws needed to be as sharp as thorns.

     At last, they arrived at the lake, the moons shimmering on the water.

     "Where is she?" Reed panted, looking around.

     Eclipse scoffed, and leapt at him, claws unsheathed. "Your brain is smaller than a mouse's. You actually believed me!"

     Reed fell to the ground under Eclipse's weight, and Eclipse pinned him. Reed stared up at her, immense fear shining in his eyes.  Eclipse smirked, and swiped at his face with her claws. Reed dodged, and wriggled out from under Eclipse, but not without a small scratch on his cheek.

     "You really think you can escape me?" Eclipse taunted.

     "You really are a monster!" Reed hissed.

     Eclipse raked her claws through the muddy dirt below her.

     "Maybe I am," she growled. "I can't escape fate, and neither can you."

     Reed's hackle-spikes lifted, and he lashed his tail. "How have we come to this?" He snarled.

     "Fate," Eclipse hissed, launching herself at him. "Specifically yours!"

     Reed scrambled to get away, but Eclipse caught his haunches in her claws. She wrestled him to the ground, and the two rolled in a frenzy of teeth and claws. Reed swiped at Eclipse's muzzle, and raked his claws through her pelt. Eclipse screeched, and bit his paw as hard as she could. Reed howled in pain, and Eclipse took her chance. She rolled him onto his back, and dug her claws into his chest. She leaned down to his ear.

     "Poor QuietFlower is going to wake up tomorrow, and discover that her lover has been killed by a bear. Oh, how sad. The he-Drolgon who fought off a bear almost as big as him was killed the second time he tried that idiotic trick," she hissed, slashing at his belly with her claws.

     Reed let out a howl of agony, and Eclipse grabbed his head with her claws. She then dragged him over to the edge of the lake, and pushed his muzzle underwater. The freezing water splashed up around Eclipse, wetting her pelt. She shivered. The water was as cold as ice. Reed writhed underneath Eclipse, and bubbles floated up around her freezing, bloodstained paws.

     Suddenly, Reed gave a fierce blow with his hind legs, and flung Eclipse off him. He shakily got to his paws, and stalked over to Eclipse who was lying winded on her side.

     Eclipse fought to get to her paws before the next attack, and she faced the Drolgon she'd once loved.

     "I won't let you destroy Pacree Sky," Reed growled.

     "Destroy?" Eclipse said in mock innocence "who ever said I wanted to destroy my Pacree?" She lashed her tail, and raked her claws along the ground, leaving long scores in the earth. "I just want to destroy you." She flung herself at him, and caught her claws in his side.

     She raked her claws through his pelt, and bit the back of his neck. Reed spun around, and bit Eclipse's wing.

Eclipse howled, her wing stinging bad, and she swiped at Reed's nose, blood splattering onto her pelt. Reed yelped, and slashed at Eclipse's ear, ripping the soft skin. He pinned Eclipse, and tried to bite her neck. Eclipse growled, and beat her wings into his sides.

     Reed grunted and bared his teeth, trying again to bite Eclipse's neck. Eclipse bunched up her muscles, and shot out from under Reed. She swivelled on her back paws, and stood with her teeth bared, lashing her tail.

     "You're harder to fight than I thought," she scoffed, smirking.

     "As it should be," Reed growled, getting ready to leap.

Eclipse dove forward, sliding under Reed, and hopping up onto her paws behind him. Reed spun around, and Eclipse jumped onto his back. She rolled him over and over, until they were both in the icy shallows of the lake. Eclipse pinned Reed, planting her paw on his chest, and sinking in her claws. Reed tried to wriggle, but that put cuts in his chest from Eclipse's claws. He beat his wings at Eclipse's sides and kicked at her underbelly, but she kept her hold on him.

     "We could have had so much..." Eclipse growled, her throat heating up as emotion flooded through her. Her hackle-spikes slowly, dangerously lifted; a warning sign. "But you ruined it all, so now it's come to this."

     Reed tried to squirm again, but Eclipse shoved her claws harder into his chest. Reed coughed, spraying blood into Eclipse's face. He looked up at her pleadingly, tears welling up in his eyes.

     "Please..." he choked out. "Don't do this- I'll do anything..."

     Eclipse smirked, but on the inside she was trembling.

     What am I doing?! I only meant to intimidate him and show him I'm not afraid of him by fighting a little!

     Don't have mercy on this sorry excuse for a Drolgon. The only price for breaking your heart is a life. It's just fate. And if you don't kill him now, he'll expose you to the Pacrees. Do it, Dark One. It's your destiny...

     Tears ran down Eclipse's cheeks. She knew she had to do it.

     "Goodbye, Reed," she whispered.

     His eyes stretched wide, and they sparkled with terror. Eclipse lunged for his throat, sinking in her teeth, tasting Reed's blood. She kept her hold on his neck, feeling the life drain out of him. He coughed up blood, and it splattered onto the side of Eclipse's face. Then Eclipse bit down harder on his throat, and yanked her muzzle upward, ripping his pelt. Blood poured out, and Reed convulsed, then went limp.
     His eyes stared blankly up at the stars.