Tales From The Broken {COMPLETE}

Squirreltail's Darkness -Epilogue-

Squirreltail tossed and turned, her nightmares tearing her heart apart. The only thing she could hear was Sorrelpaw's cries as she fell to her death in the icy water. When it wasn't Sorrelpaw, it was the sight of Pikepaw's body, broken from the branch that claimed his life. My kits. I was supposed to protect you. Squirreltail sat up in her nest, unable to sleep any longer. She was in the back corner of the nursery, sleeping alone.

Goldenleaf was curled up with Hollykit and Burnkit, who would become apprentices any day now. On the far end was Cherryleaf with her tiny kits sleeping soundly. She could hear their peaceful snores but Squirreltail couldn't remember the last time she had slept peacefully. Ever since Pikepaw's death, Squirreltail's heart had been permanently broken. When the group of apprentices returned with the news of the death of the son.

However, she had started the journey to a new home with a faint hope in her chest, only for that hope to be snuffed out as she watched Sorrelpaw fall to her death. Why has StarClan done this me? She questioned time and time again, wishing once to just hear her kits voices again.

They made it to their new home, but Squirreltail felt empty and hollow. There was a painful ache in her heart that never stopped, knowing that her two kits were lost forever. She could barely force herself to stand up or eat most nights, she just wanted to curl up in her nest and go back to when all of her kits were alive and safe.

Some days she felt numb, others she felt a pain so intense that she couldn't sleep. These had been Squirreltail's darkest days, even darker than when she lost her sight. I'd sacrifice all my senses just so my kits could be alive again. Squirreltail couldn't sit still any longer, she needed to get out of the nursery.

She stepped out, feeling the cold stone beneath her paws. She was only just starting to learn their new camp but she hadn't spent any time in their new territory. She wanted to run out into the trees, not caring what dangers were out there nor if they claimed her life. She didn't care anymore, she just wanted the pain to stop.

Squirreltail left camp without a trace at the back entrance near the medicine cat den, hoping that no other cats had seen her. She caught a strange scent, it smelled like Honeyfrost. She wondered why the young medicine cat would be out this late, but she didn't really care to think about it.

Squirreltail walked hopelessly into the forest, stepping on every stone and branch. She stumbled over roots but kept walking. She didn't know where she was going, and she wasn't going to stop. As Squirreltail moved through the forest, she caught her paw on a large root and tripped head over tail down a slight hill. She could feel something cut into her pelt, and when she stopped rolling she caught the sharp scent of blood.

Squirreltail couldn't find the energy to care about her wound, or any of the pain on her paws. She closed her eyes, listening to the quiet forest. She let the pain run through her body, she was just grateful that she could actually feel it. She curled up into a ball on the forest floor, thinking about her kits again. Sorrelpaw and Pikepaw, two perfect kits taken too soon. Just to hear their voices...one more time.

Instead of their voices, Squirreltail heard pawsteps. Brackenpelt. She guessed. How does he always find me? "I don't want to talk, Brackenpelt." She mewed with a dry voice.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing that I'm not Brackenpelt." Squirreltail lifted her head at the unexpected voice of Snakewhisker.

"Snakewhisker?" She questioned. "What are you doing out here? Why did you follow me?"

"I couldn't sleep and I saw you sneaking out of camp." Snakewhisker mewed, his paw steps grew closer. The tom let out a short cough and sat down. "Beautiful night."