Post by Amber on Apr 3, 2008 18:38:11 GMT -5
A tiny gray and white tom, easily mistaken for an apprentice or kit, strolled on through the tall plants, a freshly caught shrew hanging limp in his jaws. He was older than he looked, yet still had a whole life ahead of him. But it seemed good things came early for this cat - already he had been a leader and he had his own adopted daughter and his blood-related kits. Still only barely old enough to be qualified a senior warrior, Noblefire had years ahead of him - many, many, if only things could turn out that way.
A little snap near his paws made him jump, startled. He backed away and listened, but after about a minute of silence, assured himself it was his imagination and began to walk again. He clutched the shrew tighter though, and sped up his pace. Another snap just below his sight, hidden in blazeplants, made him break into a run towards camp. A lot of foxes here recently...which means fox traps from those stupid Twolegs! he thought. He looked to the sky, silently praying to DreamClan his Clan could keep safe. But with his eyes skywards, he was not aware of the cleverly hidden trap before him, just a fox-length away; even if he had been looking he might not have noticed it.
A loud snap made him jerk himself downwards, followed by a tightening on his neck and a pain so strong it made him cry out. Too late he realized his mistakes. Eyes averted and flat out running, the trap had snagged his neck, and the noose was tightening with increasing speed as he struggled. Fresh blood began to ooze out of his wound, and he thrashed about in agony. It seemed like hours he lay, jerking this way and that, until he felt what was left of his strength leave him. His jerks became small tremors in his body until they stopped altogether. The pain began to dull, the world began to slip out of focus, and Noblefire began to lose a life. When he awoke, the blood was still there, the pain just as bad; even DreamClan could not fully heal this wound. It was the same thing over again. As the world faded he thought he heard hurried pawsteps approaching....but maybe it was just his imagination, trying to find hope....or the blood pounding in his ears.....whatever it was, the tom went limp hoping, wishing he could believe that it was real.
A little snap near his paws made him jump, startled. He backed away and listened, but after about a minute of silence, assured himself it was his imagination and began to walk again. He clutched the shrew tighter though, and sped up his pace. Another snap just below his sight, hidden in blazeplants, made him break into a run towards camp. A lot of foxes here recently...which means fox traps from those stupid Twolegs! he thought. He looked to the sky, silently praying to DreamClan his Clan could keep safe. But with his eyes skywards, he was not aware of the cleverly hidden trap before him, just a fox-length away; even if he had been looking he might not have noticed it.
A loud snap made him jerk himself downwards, followed by a tightening on his neck and a pain so strong it made him cry out. Too late he realized his mistakes. Eyes averted and flat out running, the trap had snagged his neck, and the noose was tightening with increasing speed as he struggled. Fresh blood began to ooze out of his wound, and he thrashed about in agony. It seemed like hours he lay, jerking this way and that, until he felt what was left of his strength leave him. His jerks became small tremors in his body until they stopped altogether. The pain began to dull, the world began to slip out of focus, and Noblefire began to lose a life. When he awoke, the blood was still there, the pain just as bad; even DreamClan could not fully heal this wound. It was the same thing over again. As the world faded he thought he heard hurried pawsteps approaching....but maybe it was just his imagination, trying to find hope....or the blood pounding in his ears.....whatever it was, the tom went limp hoping, wishing he could believe that it was real.
