Cold Blooded: Dapple's Downfall

Ch 2, Final Words

"Needlefur why are you staring at me like that, its creepy, even for you!" I say as I stepped back to let her get up from her nest. My name is Dapple, I am the deputy of the Nightwatchers and my leader Needlefur is always slow to take action, so I have to help a lot with the usual jobs that you acquire when your leader. Everyone knows that she is on her last legs, after all she is the oldest of all the Nightwatchers that are still alive today, but that doesn't mean you can underestimate her by her older appearance for she is still pretty strong, but she has gotten worse over these past days making me have to help her more and more with simple tasks.
"Alright, I'll get up, and your the one talk?" She huffed as she rose out of her nest and padded towards the small pool of water in her cave. Satisfied I pad towards the entrance smiling, but Needlefur held me back by her last words that she spoke. " You must make the right choices no matter what, Dapple and I will miss your kind and loyal heart, but do not let fear drive you when I'm gone and remember the ones who love you." As I turned my heads I saw her falling to the ground, just as her loving green eyes closed forever.
"Needlefur!" I scram as I raced over to her body that lay on the cold floor unmoving. Tears streaming down my faces I pressed my noses into her spiked fur, breathing in her sweet scent and I heard the paw steps of all the other Nightwatchers racing over to see what happened. Even after they came in I didn't move, not wanting to leave her side.
I stood watching gravely as Streamsong and Sunleaf carried her body to the center of the camp, where we would say our parting words with her and sit with her until dawn. Sunleaf cast a sympathetic glance at me as he padded over to sit with me.
"Dapple, I know she was like a mother to you and was the one who took you in that day, she was also precious to everyone including me her son, but she would want you to keep moving forward."
"Your right Sunleaf, even though she may not be here among us anymore we still will continue with our purpose and destiny in life."
"Promise that we will stick together Dapple and to never lie to each other." Sunleaf looked at me seriously.
"I promise, after all we are brothers." I shoved him.
"Hey that was sneaky, you will pay for that you know!" Sunleaf chuckled.
"I know...." I say turning back to face Needlefur's body.
The first signs of dawn crept across the night sky and all the Nightwatchers stood from their positions as Streamsong and Sunleaf stepped forward ready to take her to her final resting place with the other deceased Nightwatchers. I padded forward to give Needlefur my last goodbyes, I touched my noses to her middle head and spoke " Needlefur, you were the seventh leader of the Nightwatchers and lead us in your time with great leadership and kindness let alone your strength, we will never forget you. Goodbye Needlefur, and great the others with happiness in your heart knowing that we will carry on with what you left us."
Stepping back, I allowed Streamsong and Sunleaf to carefully pick her up and carry her out of the camp to where the burial grounds lay outside underneath a huge willow. Turning back to the other Nightwatchers I remembered that I was going to be their next leader, the eighth leader.