#eagleburn

[dawngen]

made eagleburn in picrew, find the picrew in question here!

[dawngen]

feeling like im a sixth grader again as I try to remember how to draw cats from memory

[dawngen]

"Eagleburn?"

Head rising from his mossy bed, Eagleburn pricked his ears towards the sound of a voice he recognized. His ears twitched, feeling sorry for but a moment, though he concealed it well as he rose to his paws and sat.

"Leopardpaw?"

The young tom-cat nodded, and remembering himself, quickly said, "Yes, it's me. I'm here to bring you your prey."

It was difficult to determine the time of day that it was within the medicine cats' den. While he could still see light and vague shapes, here in the den, it was all dark. There was no morning sun to signal when to wake up, nor falling darkness to inform him of when it was time to retire. It was Beewatcher who kept the time for him, letting him know that it had been three days since his temporary imprisonment.

The only times he was allowed to feel the sun on his fur or to walk under the moonlight was when he was taken to the dirtplace.

Had he known he would be treated thoroughly like a prisoner, he may have reconsidered his route of eliminating Bayspots.

"Thank you, Leopardpaw. I know this is hard on you."

The apprentice stepped forward, picking up the thrush he had put down, and carrying it to Eagleburn. He had been next in line to receive his warrior's name until everything had fallen apart.

"Not as hard it is for you," sorrowfully Leopardpaw said as he placed the thrush close to Eagleburn, sitting down. "I believe you're innocent. You defended yourself."

For a beat, Eagleburn felt pity for his apprentice. He was warrior-aged, primed and ready to step into the pawsteps of his ancestors, but he was still naive. He looked at his mentor with the hope that he was nothing more than an innocent bystander in a crime that he hadn't wanted to commit, but his paw had been forced to do so. Eagleburn envied him. He recognized much of himself in the young tom.

"Leopardpaw."

"Yes?"

By the shuffling of moss and scrabble of claws on hard dirt, Eagleburn could tell that Leopardpaw had stood to attention. Internally, Eagleburn smiled.

"Tell Beewatcher to ask Oatstar to perform your warrior ceremony without me."

Leopardpaw's shock was palpable as a mortified gasp escaped the young apprentice before he could stop it.

"But--"

"No but's. You were supposed to get a ceremony before the full moon, and you deserve to stay on track. You can do it without me in exchange for one promise."

"Of course--anything, Eagleburn."

Eagleburn's whiskers twitched in amusement at how eager his apprentice was to please him. His first apprentice, and potentially his last. Would any other cat be as fine a tom as Leopardpaw under his tutelege?

"Come and tell me all about it. I want to hear your new warrior name from you the moment your vigil is over with."

Leopardpaw was quiet for a moment, and for a second, Eagleburn wondered if he was going to reject his offer.

"I'll come running the moment the vigil is done," he finally said, and Eagleburn purred in contentment. Stretching out his neck, Leopardpaw took the invitation to step closer, bumping cheeks together while Eagleburn gave him an affectionate lick over the ears. The young apprentice felt much like a sibling to him, and while he was loathe to disappoint him like this, there were bigger things at play.

"Okay, go on then."

Eagleburn gave Leopardpaw a gentle headbutt, nudging him back towards the mouth of the den.

"Go talk to Beewatcher, my little warrior."

Leopardpaw laughed, and while he could not see it, Eagleburn felt his warm smile on his fur.

"... I'll come back soon, Eagleburn."

Nodding, he listened to the sound of his retreating pawsteps, and slowly, he curled into himself, disinterested in the thrush brought.

An empty belly helped keep his head clear.

[dawngen]

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather under the Great Oak!"

Slipping out from the medicine cats' den, trying to avoid the yellow-glare of Dappleddusk, Brightstorm looked up to direction of the Great Oak. Oatstar was climbing to the thick branch that gave the perfect vantage point over the clearing--and, Brightstorm noted to herself, with more skill than previous attempts--and the uneasy clan cats already milling about making way over.

The long fingers of dawn had begun to stretch out over the camp, signaling the end of the vigil. Her three kits all still sat silent near Bayspots, the only to look in her direction being Frostspots. Her copper eyes narrowed in gentle disappointment, likely let down by her mother avoiding her own mate for the entirety of the vigil, and she could not bear to meet her gaze for too much long.

"With the rise of the sun, we wish Bayspots a smooth journey to StarClan, and honor her time here with the clan," Oatstar said, and for a beat, Brightstorm could see her mother in him. While many doubted his leadership abilities and whether Darkstar had made the right choice, it was clear he had paid attention to how she addressed the clan.

"Sparrowshadow, Frostspots, Sandfeather--will you help the elders in burying Bayspots?"

The three siblings nodded, with Frostspots glancing again in Brightstorm's direction, while the other two focused wholly on Bayspots. It was strange seeing her so still when in life, she had been so active.

Was she truly in StarClan? Was she looking down upon them in disappointment for what they did to her?

"Now, I know everyone is worried about Eagleburn..."

"The murderer?" hissed Sandfeather, resulting in a ripple of murmurs through the collective of cats.

In a moment of rare assertiveness, Oatstar stomped his forepaw against the branch he stood upon.

"Would you accuse Bayspots the same if she returned with Eagleburn's body?" snapped Oatstar, and Sandfeather recoiled, ears flattening. "All we know is that they both fought. We can't change the outcome."

Letting the cats settle, Oatstar soon continued, "Eagleburn has been nothing but a trustworthy warrior and deputy to this clan. He has never demonstrated any ulterior motives, never has been caught breaking the warrior code, and has always been loyal. Is there any cat willing to deny this?"

Silence controlled the crowd, and Brightstorm, even in the heart of it, felt her skin crawl beneath her fur. She felt as though all eyes were stuck to her, knowing that there had to be more, knowing that she had to know something. The fact they were right bothered her that much more.

"After speaking with Beewatcher and Dappleddusk, we've all agreed that Eagleburn will be relieved of his duties as deputy until he has fully healed, and until we can decide what exactly caused Bayspots to lash out. We understand that everyone is on edge, so he'll be staying in the medicine cats' den under their watch."

Another wave of whispers coursed through the group until Oatstar lifted his tail.

"If anyone has questions, please talk to me, Dappleddusk, or Beewatcher. For now, lets focus on saying goodbye to Bayspots."

Adjourning the meeting with a wave of his tail, Oatstar leaped down to join the elders and warriors in bidding Bayspots a final farewell before she was taken to the burial grounds. Brightstorm, feeling rooted to the spot, only managed to rise when realizing how many curious eyes were upon her. They were surely wondering why she was so reclusive, what she had heard when she had visited Eagleburn, and bowing her head, she hurried to say her farewells to Bayspots.

"This is real, isn't it, Mama?"

Sparrowshadow met her with sorrowful eyes, ears drooping in grief.

"I keep hoping it's a dream."

"I know, my love, I know," Brightstorm murmured, headbutting her son gently and rubbing their cheeks together. "I'm sorry I did not sit with you--I... I was struggling. I'll go with you to the burial place."

Nodding, Sparrowshadow seemed satisfied and ready to forgive Brightstorm for her absence, while her other kits studied her with expressions she could not decipher. Sandfeather turned her head away as she approached, and Frostspots could only offer a solemn look, and Brightstorm took a pawstep back, accepting that both she-cats needed room.

"Let's go," said Oatstar, and with a nod, the cats, joined by three of the clan's elders, gently lifted Bayspots up, and moved in unison to take her to her final resting place.

I'm sorry, Bayspots, Brightstorm thought, gently pressing her nose against her flank. But... maybe Eagleburn was right. Maybe this was for the better.

[dawngen]

Eagleburn did not need his vision to feel sharp eyes upon him, studying him with a vicious scrutiny he knew was deserved.

"I know what you've done."

Calmly, the deputy tilted his head to address the pointed hiss. "I don't know what you mean, Bayspots."

He'd sensed her earlier watching him, ever since he, Brightstorm, and Suntuft had brought the kits back to camp. Initially, he had thought of entering the nursery, hoping to have a private moment to speak properly to Brightstorm. Bayspots's presence swiftly changed his mind, and her intense approach justified his changed mind. Hostility rolled off of her in hot waves, enough to warm the cool leaf-fall air. His ears twitched, otherwise appearing unperturbed.

"I'm not stupid, Eagleburn," Bayspots spat. Her voice was kept low enough for none of the other cats to hear, but judging by the sound of her fluffed tail's harsh lashing whistling through the air, Eagleburn imagined their clanmates would notice her displeasure, "I've seen you and Brightstorm, and now you mysteriously bring back kits?"

Whether or not her verbal blows land, Eagleburn doesn't show it. He merely nodded, and motioned with his tail.

"Let's discuss this outside of camp."

Without leaves on their branches, the light split through the trees easier. Under the midday leaf-fall sun, far from camp, Eagleburn and Bayspots faced one another. Even after the long walk out of camp, Bayspots's anger had yet to exhaust, and if anything, she was especially furious.

"Why in the name of StarClan did we need to go out this far just to talk?"

"Because you're right. Those kits are as much Brightstorm's as they are mine."

The silence was deafening. Eagleburn heard the hitch in Bayspots's breathing, the faint sound of her claws clenching into the soil below her paws. Steady as ever, Eagleburn remained stalwart, unmoved.

"How dare you." Bayspots broke the silence, her voice lifting high. Birds in nearby trees took flight in panic at the sharp rise of her howl. "I always knew you and Brightstorm had something going on--"

Her voice hitched, emotions flooding.

"Ever since our first litter... I've seen how she's looked at you when we've been together. I have been nothing but a good mate, I have treated her well, and yet she had the audacity--"

"I crossed a boundary," Eagleburn admitted, head bowing. "I should have known better. Brightstorm had begun coming to me as you grew colder to her--and while I understand your insecurity, why didn't you talk to her? She adores you still."

Bayspots bristled.

"I don't owe an explanation of our relationship to you," she hissed. Hackles lifting, tail beginning to enter a harsh lash, she bared teeth that Eagleburn could not see. "Maybe she should've looked inward first if she's going to complain about me."

A moment of silence passed, and Bayspots looked at Eagleburn with an expression of frustrated confusion.

"Is this it? Did you drag me out here just to rub this all in my face? I won't let you get away with it. You and Brightstorm both will face not only the judgment of our clan, but StarClan. This won't stay a secret."

Quietly, Eagleburn nodded in understanding.

"I know," he agreed, to Bayspots's bewilderment. "That's why I brought you out here."

Silent, Bayspots didn't know how to answer, so Eagleburn continued, rising to his paws from where he sat.

"If I frame it right, that you were a cruel and unforgiving mate to Brightstorm, the clan may forgive her when enough time has passed. Especially when you took me deep into the woods, when everyone could smell your fury, to make an attempt on my life."

Stunned, Bayspots gaped. Eagleburn could sense her disbelief, heard the subtle shift of leaf-litter beneath her paws as she slid back a pawstep. It was followed by a step forward of his own, confident and unwavering as the pair of blind, scarred eyes that bore her down. In their foggy reflection, Bayspots could see her own expression, and how terror slowly replaced anger.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, voice suddenly smaller, and Eagleburn took another step.

"Your sacrifice will make way for a new life for not only my kits, but for Brightstorm as well. I'll make sure to pray to StarClan for you to be taken care of."

In the reflection of blind eyes, the last thing Bayspots saw of herself was her mouth opening in a yowl that never came.

[dawngen]

With a thick tension in the air, Brightstorm tenderly followed behind Suntuft and Eagleburn back to camp. In the fleeting seconds prior to Eagleburn's arrival, she had naively hoped that maybe, just maybe, she could lie to Bayspots. Two of these kits looked so much like her, and none looked even slightly similar to that of Eagleburn. She could say it was a delayed blessing from StarClan, maybe convince her that it was some strange happening that was not to be questioned.

But as she looked to Eagleburn, who held one of the four now-quieted kits from his mouth, she knew it was impossible.

"I--well--" As if she were facing down a roaring Monster thundering down upon her, Brightstorm, confronted by Eagleburn, lost all her words. Suntuft was bristled against her, protectively standing over her still-recovering sibling.

Eagleburn lifted his tail, indicating a desire for silence.

"I won't out you to Bayspots," Eagleburn said softly, "As I'm as much to blame as you. I..."

He hesitated, and sensing Suntuft's aggression, he took a step back to provide the two she-cats room.

"I care deeply for you, Brightstorm. I always have. I never would want to hurt you."

Brightstorm loathed how her heart sang at those words. She was so deprived of affection from Bayspots that those simple words from Eagleburn had her feeling head-over-paws, and she ached from the bittersweet knowledge that there was one cat who cared for her so deeply, but it wasn't the one she had made her vows to.

"We don't have time for this." Suntuft's voice was sharp, piercing the tension and cutting off the two. "Whatever you two have going on, it's none of my business, but we don't have long until sunrise. Will you help us?"

Brightstorm blinked, surprised at her sister's bold question. Eagleburn had said he would not out her to Bayspots or the other cats, but he never implied he would help. These were his kits, certainly, but he just as much to lose as her among their peers were their affair to be revealed. He would be better off cutting his losses, and leaving Brightstorm to do damage control.

Hesitantly, she peered back at Eagleburn from her sister, noting his contemplative look.

Finally, he nodded.

"... Yes. Tell me what to do."

And thus brought them to their present moment. Some cats had already begun to exit their dens by time they entered camp, and Brightstorm keenly felt their eyes upon her. Pelt burning hot, Suntuft bumped their shoulders together, and she blinked in appreciation.

"What is going on?"

Beewatcher pulled herself out of the medicine cat den, followed by Eagleburn's sister, Grayfade.

Eagleburn, who had taken the lion's share in carrying two of the kits, gently set them down, and spoke before either she-cat could try to summon up their practiced story.

"These are my kits," he said with such confidence that Brightstorm was rattled by it, staring on, gobsmacked, as he faced their clan with tail held high. With a flash of envy for his courage and unwavering confidence, she watched as he continued to speak to their enraptured audience.

"I had met with a rogue she-cat once, but... as we all know, it was enough." He bowed his head, and gently licked the brown-dappled kit blindly squirming around his paws on its head. "We agreed the kits would be safer here. I understand the consequences that may come from this."

By the end of his speech, more cats entered the clearing, and most importantly, Oatstar made an appearance. Brightstorm studied their leader keenly, gauging his sleep-dazed reaction as one of the warriors whispered to him what had gone on in his absence. He seemed confused and surprised, but she did not recognize any hints of displeasure or anger. Striding forward, Oatstar joined the other cats gathering around the trio.

"Suntuft, Brightstorm, is this true?"

Brightstorm straightened, doing her best to hide how sore she felt. Beewatcher studied her with interest, and Brightstorm felt her skin prickle beneath her pelt.

"Yes," Suntuft cut in, "Brightstorm was helping me to the dirt place when we found Eagleburn talking to a she-cat. We helped him bring the kits here afterwards."

Shame left Brightstorm uncomfortably warm. These were her kits, and yet, she could not manage to speak as everyone around her took control. She merely nodded along her confirmation, head bowing.

"... Well, leaf-bare is coming, and we already have so many mouths to feed..." Oatstar seemed hesitant, and Brightstorm's stomach plummeted. He had allowed Suntuft's kits! So many cats from this clan were not from it, and such was how they kept their bloodlines strong and diverse. Would he truly turn away these helpless kits?

"Nonsense."

Grayfade's stern voice broke in, and the fluffy gray-and-white she-cat lashed a solid gray plume of a tail.

"Leaf-bare is a rough season for us all, but it is no reason to turn away kits. Don't forget that these are your deputy's kits--they'll be strong and courageous warriors one day, just like Eagleburn."

Ears flattening, Oatstar did not seem pleased with this interjection, and for a moment, Brightstorm wondered if this would be the one time he put his paw down. But soon, he conceded, and quietly nodded. Relief rushed through Brightstorm like the warmth of the sun. Eagleburn's expression was unreadable, and while she knew he could not have seen Oatstar's hesitation, surely he sensed it.

"Suntuft, you're the only nursing queen right now. Would you be okay with suckling these kits?" Grayfade asked, and without missing a beat did Suntuft nod.

"Yes, of course. I had a small litter anyways."

Murmurs rippled through the clan as the three cats, now including Grayfade, scooped up the kits to take them to the nursery. Brightstorm tried not to think of how badly she wished to remain with them there, rather than turning them over to Suntuft, but she knew it was for the best. Especially given Eagleburn's sacrifice, knowing the potential fallout from their clanmates...

Looking around, a tiny, fluffy bundle kept in her mouth, she froze.

Bayspots sat in the mouth of the warriors' den, coolly watching the ongoings of the morning. When their eyes locked, Bayspots held her gaze for only a second before she turned away, going to have a word with Squirrelbite.

Brightstorm's stomach sank, and with ears and head lowered, she slunk after her sister and the others to drop off the kits.

[dawngen]

"Who do you think should become warriors this moon...?"

"Who do you think deserves it? We have many experienced apprentices."

Four moons have passed since Darkstar left them, and Oatstar had gained his nine lives. For four moons, Eagleburn had quietly taken on not only his own tasks, but also the burden of becoming the leader's shadow. Many cats have gone from seeking out Oatstar to going directly to Eagleburn, for more often than not, Oatstar would cite needing the deputy's counsel before he could make any solid decisions. Such little time had passed, and yet, the impact of their leader's indecision and lack of confidence was shining through to even the most oblivious warrior.

Eagleburn sat with his tail curled over his paws, back straight and upright, while listening to Oatstar pace his den. Recently, he noticed new grooves in the den floor when he would step too far into it.

"Yes, but, what is experienced enough?" Oatstar sounded anxious, as though doubting his own means of determining an apprentice's worth. "Do I go based off of how many moons they've been training? What their mentors say? What if a mentor speaks highly of an apprentice, but everyone else comments that the apprentice hasn't shown nearly as much talent? How am I to figure out their biases?"

The tip of Eagleburn's tail twitched.

"You're overthinking it," he said, forcing patience. "Instead of thinking of every scenario, go and actually talk to the mentors. You know that they are fair in their judgments and fond as they may be of their apprentices, they know better than to push them into too soon of a warrior ceremony."

Oatstar stopped and sat down. Eagleburn felt the air gently rush by his paws from how forcefully he had sat.

"I guess you're right..."

There was a weighty pause, and Eagleburn did not need to hear Oatstar's speak again to know what he was about to ask of him. Knowing how long he would dance about the subject, suppressing a sigh, he cut to the chase first.

"How about I go and talk to the mentors of apprentices I believe may be ready?"

Oatstar exhaled in audible relief.

"That would be great," he meowed thankfully, "I know they'll be honest with you. Everybody honey-coats things around me, I'm sure..."

Eagleburn's ears twitched. That's because you're overly sensitive, he thought coolly to himself, but didn't speak it aloud. He rose to his paws.

"May I go, then?"

"Yes, yes. Let me know how things go."

Eagleburn bowed his head and turned, faintly hearing Oatstar mumble to himself.

What would I do without him? he thought he heard.

Run this clan into the ground, Eagleburn silently answered, padding off towards the scent of Coldpaw to ask of his mentor Brindlelily's whereabouts.

[dawngen]

"What do you smell?"

"Um..."

Eagleburn does not need his vision to know what face Leopardpaw is surely making. The young tom-cat has always been the lazy sort, shameless in his efforts to sneak around his duties as an apprentice, and trying to ride on the backs of other apprentices. Perhaps that was why Oatstar had selected Eagleburn as his mentor. He knew well that Eagleburn was a firm teacher, if not a bit too stern at times.

"Don't just use your nose," Eagleburn reminds him, expertly flicking his tail against Leopardpaw's side. He senses how concentrated Leopardpaw is by how he leaps into the air in surprise at his touch, hearing the air shift around the apprentice as he shook out his pelt and tried to regain his composure.

"I think I smell... Monsters?"

Confusion interwove through Leopardpaw's voice, threading together an implied question that Eagleburn understood.

"Good," he praises, and Leopardpaw preens under the rare compliment. Simplistic as it is, Eagleburn did not hand out such rewarding dialogue easily, as cited by former apprentices Ferntail and Squirrelbite. Squirrelbite, especially, loved complaining from the elders' den that early retirement due to her leg wound saved her from suffering him too long.

"What direction is it coming from?"

Leopardpaw focuses again, and this time, Eagleburn doesn't pressure him. They are only one moon into training, and he wants him to flourish without too much pressure this early on. Intentionally had he decided to have them set off alone after noticing Leopardpaw's reliance on other apprentices' to avoid investing too heavily in his patrol training.

"... I think... towards the bottom of the mountain?"

He can hear Leopardpaw pause.

It isn't uncommon for cats to forget his blindness and try to point with their tails, and he senses that Leopardpaw had been about to do the same. Eagleburn does not comment on it, simply nodding.

"Take us there."

Leopardpaw's silence is full of unspoken confusion, that much Eagleburn could sense, but the apprentice knew better than to speak out against his mentor, and trekked onwards. Eagleburn took up the rear, ears constantly swiveling and nose held up in the air as he slinked by thick tree trunks and delicately stepped over frosty foliage. Leaf-bare was coming soon, and soon, their training would have to come to a temporary pause to focus on hunting.

Shaking these thoughts out of his mind like clinging cobwebs, Eagleburn senses they're close. His ears press forward, and he smells the slow-developing fear rolling off of Leopardpaw's pelt.

"Is that...?"

"Keep going."

Eagleburn's voice is firm, and Leopardpaw, hesitating, presses onward in silent obedience. Eagleburn imagines he is slinking low to the ground, tail down and ears pinned, and he understands why. The further they trekked down the mountain, the more the sounds below this side of Mist-Bound Mountain rose upward. Distantly, with his keener hearing, he could hear it.

The rumbling of Monsters.

In silence did they continue walking, Leopardpaw not daring to speak, until they were there. Over the tall, waving wild grass roared the Monsters Eagleburn had Leopardpaw scent, and with a swift motion of his tail against Leopardpaw's chest, he brought them both to a stop.

"That's--!"

Leopardpaw's voice is full of amazement, stunned.

"Is--is that a Thunderpath?"

The air is full of the stench and sound of Monsters roaring by. Eagleburn remembers his own journey down here, led by his own mentor, Dusktree. With seeing eyes then, he had watched in horror and amazement as great swathes of Monsters went streaking by like comets. Blink once, and they were gone, replaced with a fresh wave taking up the rear.

"It is similar, yes," Eagleburn explains, voice rising to be heard over the snarling din of Monsters, "This is the Roaring Stone. You must take great caution if you ever come here."

With practiced pawsteps, Eagleburn strides forward, with a subtle gasp from Leopardpaw.

"Eagleburn--!"

"Don't question me, Leopardpaw."

His voice is sharp like his claws, and Leopardpaw obeys with a barely-heard whimper of understanding.

Confidently, Eagleburn steps close to the Roaring Stone, but still too far for the Monsters to snap him up.

"This," he begins, sweeping his tail over the brown, dying grass, "is where our border ends on this side of the mountain. You must never try to cross the Roaring Stone."

He turns, returning to Leopardpaw.

"At night, the Monsters lessen in numbers, but they run too quickly here to cross."

Eagleburn can foggily remember as a young kit hearing about Darkstar, their previous leader, declaring this rule. After her personal assessment of the never before seen Roaring Stone, she decided it too dangerous for her warriors to try and cross. Wide and expansive as it is, he understood. Just to get to the safety of the patch of grass in its heart is a gamble on one's life, but to do it twice when running across the other side?

No Thunderpath is comparable to the Roaring Stone.

"Where are they going...?"

Leopardpaw's voice swells with forced confidence, obviously trying to find the bravado he displays around his den-mates that he lacks around Eagleburn.

"We don't know." Eagleburn shakes his head. "We just know they use this path to migrate. Maybe they are on their own patrols, or hunting for the Twolegs in their bellies."

Eagleburn turns his head back, as if looking at the Monsters flying past.

"You must always be careful when patrolling this part of our border."

"Yes, Eagleburn."

Nodding his approval, Eagleburn flicks his tail, indicating for Leopardpaw to follow him as he took the lead back up the mountain.

"Let's go and find some prey for the elders. If you don't find at least two things, I'll have you on tick duty."

Eagleburn's voice gains a rare, teasing lilt, and Leopardpaw revels in it.

"I'll do you even better," Leopard declares in a proud challenge, "I'll find four!"