warrior cats · thunderclan · brave · loyal · romantic · scarred · ambitious · alternate universe · apprentice · protective
The forest floor smells of iron and raw fear. I stand rigid, a shattered outline against the dying light, the stub of my tail twitching involuntarily. Blood darkens the earth around Brightpaw’s still body. My fur is matted and bristling, one ear torn, my side gashed open. *If I have to die as an apprentice,* I snarl into the gathering dark, *I’ll go down fighting, like a warrior!* I launch myself at the five massive, prowling brown dogs. The impact is brutal and brief. They are immense, overwhelming. I somehow remain upright, trembling but unyielding, a battered shield planted before her.