Hawkeye vs. Pripyat/Spiderlily

[Dodgestrike]

War.

Blood. Carnage. Killing. Fury.

Loss.

Hawkeye bounded through the ravaged terrain, cats seething and dying, fighting and shrieking their final death dirges. He had been too late to help in saving a few of his clanmates already.

Too late…

Was that befitting him? He had been futile in saving Oddeye’s life. Nothing. He had been useless, and his mate, the she-cat he loved so dearly with every breath that escaped him, was gone. She was gone, and he had been left alone, left alone in some dark place. Forgetting, Hawkeye had left the clan that day, to mend himself back into a mere shadow of a tom he once had been.

Hawkeye was back.

A shriek to the right caught his attention, and golden eyes turned to see a young Boneclanner tearing wildly into some Risingclan apprentice. With a wild snarl the large orange tom was on the younger tom in a flash, claws flicking out once. Twice.

The young tom, an older apprentice, staggered backward, a strange bubble escaping his lacerated throat as he turned tail to run. He managed to get several feet before falling, legs moving weakly as he tried to escape.

The Risingclan apprentice had already gotten to her feet and gone after another cat, not bothering to thank Hawkeye, who stared almost transfixed at the dying tom.

He’s almost my son’s age…

Hawkeye shuddered, tail flicking from side to side a few times, attempting to pull away from the sight. He had to find Dodgepaw, in this mass of chaos.

Before it was too late…

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Hawkeye's death warrant was signed and sealed.
He just didn't know it yet.

Behind him, from somewhere far off on the battlefield, there was a blur of speed. A swift, black shadow.
A BoneClanner, and this one no half-trained apprentice. A real BoneClanner, infamous, dangerous.

Pripyat. A name that would be made famous by this day.
The black tom leaped past Hawkeye, his paws thudding almost soudlessly on the bloodstained grass. Instantly he spun to an effortless stop, his claws catching and grounding him.
He licked the blood from his lips; it was fresh and tasted strongly of bitter copper and iron.
Pripyat relished the flavor.
His blue eyes were narrow, and a slow, dark grin was growing on his face.

"Why, hello," he purred. "How do you do?"

This tom had killed one of Pripyat's own. You don't screw with a BoneClanner, not if Pripyat can see you.
He was going to love the dying screams of this cat.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

Something was coming.

Hawkeye had finally moved to pull away from the stilled body now, shaking his head at the senselessness of the matter. When even the young died fro something not fully understood…this was the manner of warfare. This was the end to so much, to so many…

Then, another came, a black tom. The Mistclanner bristled a bit, long orange fur raising a bit along his spine. This tom, this dark avatar, reeked of death. Of blood. Of murder…

“Why do you ask, warrior?”

They were of the same clan, this black killer and the fallen son of Heartless. Both Boneclanners. The enemy. Hawkeye tensed, waiting for this shadowy creature before he to attack first, waiting and watching to see what he was up against.

Alas; this tom might not allow such screams to escape him.

He thought that, until another scent caught his attention. For you see, such a dark apparition didn’t travel alone…

--

Spiderlily had known almost immediately when Pripyat had vanished from her side again. The tabby knew and trusted her shadow more then any other cat alive, even more then her Duskclan sister, but still. She never really liked it when he traveled too far away.

But the executioner could manage quite well otherwise, her and Dreamreaper ripping apart a Stoneclan warrior and maiming their snow white medicine cat in the process. But Heartless had burst upon the scene, telling them [in less nice words] to bugger off, before attacking her wounded wayward daughter.

Spiderlily and Dreamreaper split up then, her eerily beautiful sister going off to seek out a few of her clanmates to torment and have back her up in some more killings, the Boneclan murderess seeking out of loyal companion.

“Oh my my…”

She purred as she slunk up behind Hawkeye, yellow eyes lifting to meet her love’s gaze for a moment before she circled Hawkeye, chuckling darkly.

“What do we have here? A lone Mistclan warrior, caught redpawed in the death of one of our own?”

She had noticed Zinstorm’s body near them, and put things together. Two plus two did equal four after all; and the blood on the orange tom’s claws was damning evidence.

“Do you know what they say tom? They say that when you see someone that you’ll never meet again, spider lilies carpet the path in red. Today isn’t your lucky day, because this Spiderlily is going to make you wish death came so deliciously quicker then it will.”

Torture?

Oh yes.

She’d been aching for it.

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat's blue eyes flashed with delight; Spiderlilly was here. Now he could truely enjoy this, more so than he would have if Spiderlilly was out of sight.
He could never be fully happy so long as she was not nearby. He was bound to her as surely as a vine binds to a tree.

"Oh yes," he chuckled. "I even saw him do it."
His gaze lingered for a moment on Spiderlilly, his expression unusually soft.
Then he transferred most of his attention to Hawkeye, his smile growing to fill the entire bottom half of his face.
Sharp blue eyes. A zipper grin of sharp white teeth.

"Why do you ask, warrior?" Hawkeye growled.

Pripyat shook his head. "Tsk tsk. That's not very polite," he scolded, mad laughter flashing in his eyes.
"We might have to teach him a little about politeness, right, Spiderlilly?"

He began to circle the tom, his predatory stance vicious, wolflike.
He was lusting for the taste of blood, fresh between his teeth. He flicked his tail toward him. "First bite," he mouthed to Spiderlilly. Then he gestured to her. "First break.
Fair and square, my dear."
He trusted she knew him well enough to understand.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

Tag-teamed by a Boneclan killing duo. This was not how Hawkeye planned for his day to go. He assumed explaining to them all he wanted to do was find him son would have no affect. They were heartless murderers; never would they allow him to carry on his way.

And…that didn’t sound too promising.

The black tom began to circle him, and Hawkeye was careful to not allow this contender to leave his eyesight. To do so, he was sure, would mean a quick and bloody death at his end. Such cats didn’t hesitate to attack from behind.

Wait…

The orange tom whipped his to the female, but it was already too late.

--

“We might have to Pripyat. Facing your kills gives you no right to be rude.”

A light, purring, taunting laugh easily followed; as the executioner found herself immersing into the verbal word play.

Spiderlily understood quite well, in fact. She smiled back, her look as wolfish and darkly devious as Pripyat’s.

While the insane tom had this Mistclan warrior distracted, the she-cat stepped forward, one small, unnoticed pawstep, before she lunged the remaining distance lightning quick. Just as the tom turned to face her she had already seized the upper part of one of his back hind legs, twisting her head torturously before ripping away, taking off a fair sized chunk with her.

--

With a yowl of agony, Hawkeye went for the tabby she-cat, set to tearing into her pretty face.

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat stood, head down, waiting. Spiderlilly tore into Hawkeye and leaped away, the smell of blood making her move a success.
Hawkeye whirled and slashed his claws for Spiderlilly's face; the moment the tom's intent entered Pripyat's brain, a snarl leapt into his throat.

Oh no you don't! he roared silently, coiling to spring.

If you lay--

He exploded into motion.

--one claw on Spiderlilly--

He kicked savagely at the ground, propelling himself forward.

--I'll tear you into--

He flew at his enemy, teeth bared.

--a bunch of little cats!

Pripyat aimed to grab the scruff of Hawkeye's neck in his jaws and yank him backwards, away from Spiderlilly.
When he struck the ground, on his back, slam a paw into his chest.
Knock the every breath of air from the bastard's lungs.

"You don't TOUCH her!" he snarled, his teeth clicking together furiously. "If you put so much as ONE claw mark on her, I'll make your death a long one! I'll eat you tail to face, slowly and agonizingly! I'll track down any kin you have and make them watch! And then, when at last you are permitted to die, I will kill them even MORE painfully! They will scream for a moon!"

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

Inches.

Spiderlily was quick; but Hawkeye’s righteous anger gave the tom speed. He had been only inches to tearing into the female when a grip to the scruff of his neck jerked him backwards. The orange tom yowled, spitting as he was jerked away from his intended target, rolled onto his back.

Then there was a paw slamming into his chest, over and over. Hell! Was this black tom, this Pripyat completely mad?! Word after word fell from the black tom’s muzzle, but if he expected for Hawkeye to remain still, he was mistaken.

Thank the stars for a thick pelt.

He practically writhed, ignoring the pain in his chest where the enemy male had been trying to pound the breath clear out of him, seething upward off his back with both paws shooting forward, claws drawn, to tear into Pripyat’s side.

Mistake number three.

--

She hadn’t been at all worried at the tom’s sudden burst of speed as he took after her. Spiderlily really thought this war to be a pretty little thing; fairly tame in considering to the street carnage she had grown up around in the city. The worst one she had ever been in had been the last one; when all the city cats had pitted against each other.

All for a damn she-cat.

Men. Dreamreaper was beautiful, however, and that was a lot of time all that toms wanted to see. Or lead their clans to destruction for. It was a damn good thing she had complete and utter faith in Pripyat. ‘Else she might not allow her dear wonderful sister around him.

No time for jealously, or memories. As the tom came up on her the tabby had curled herself, preparing to take the necessary twist that would easily take her out of range of the incoming slash, but found it wasn’t necessary at all.

Ears pricked forward, catching every word that escaped her companion’s mouth. A shiver ran down the entire length of her spine, tingling and warm, as a shock of pure adrenaline rushed through her body.

Eheheh.

This was just too damn good.

Pripyat didn’t need to be so protective of her; she could handle herself quite well, if not better, then most cats in a one-on-on skirmish. She found dirty.

But Spiderlily’s greatest strength always lay at being a torturer.

When the tom sprang up towards Pripyat, the she-cat was already streaking forward. Her friend’s words had been promising, too much so to just allow for them to remain simply words.

This tom’s kin might not be screaming, but hell, by the time she was going to be through with her the city she grew up in would be hearing his screams.

In a tactic learned from Pripyat himself, Spiderlily snapped with her teeth, sinking them into the side of Hawkeye’s face, before ripping back. And plans he might have had in attacking the other tom subsided under the force of the assault.

--

When the she-cat yanked backward, Hawkeye shrieked as part of his face was stripped away. No! It couldn’t end like this. Cutting claws caught Spiderlily across her shoulder as the Mistclanner regained his footing, backing away but not running in the face of the two killers.

“You won’t win.”

He hissed; blood matting his orange fur and turning it crimson as he stared the two down.

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat bounced backwards, avoiding Hawkclaw's attack, his vicious, feral snarl becoming his usual manic grin.
"That would be news to me, then," he meowed, smiling at Hawkeye.
That 'I'm gonna kill your family with teeth' smile. You know the one.

He purred in appreciation as Spiderlilly made her next assult. Very good, and he definately reconized where the inspiration for that particular move came from.
"Nice," he cackled, his tail waving excitedly.

He took a slow step back, his blue eyes going narrow. Abruptly, he launched himself forward, aiming to full-body tackle Hawkeye--and in midair, catch one paw between his teeth and crush it.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

For a moment, Hawkeye scanned over the two, around and about him, half hoping there would be an ally to appear from the sidelines. But any cat near them was preoccupied in their own fights; no one around to assist in evening the odds.

The orange Mistclanner could only hope fitfully that his son would be alright, as he took a step back and braced for the next attack.

“Look around you. How many of your clan do you see actually winning; in comparison to the number overwhelmed by clan forces. You can’t win.”

Even if they won this fight. Even if they killed him, tore him to shreds, they wouldn’t win.

A scream sounded from nearby; as weak pretty little Treeclanner Shinzui found her end at Razorblade’s merciless claws, before the cruel young medicine cat headed off to find another victim.

Another loss.

The main clans were taking heavy losses too.

Hawkeye winched at the scream, but Pripyat was flying at him again, the tackle hitting the large tom dead on. As they fell, the Mistclanner managed to move just enough that powerful jaws didn’t catch his paw.

Instead, they caught the leg right above his paw, snapped agonizingly into pieces. With a shuddered hiss of pain and rage, Hawkeye landed on his side; the black enemy above him.

--

The moment that Hawkeye impacted the ground, Spiderlily moved forward in a sultry, dangerous walk; a smile, slow and sweet and all the scarier because of it, appearing on her face. Pripyat had his down, for the moment, now she could play.

“How terrible for you that you see it that way. Watch as your clanmates are ripped limb from limb. Watch as those you love and cherish are devoured, torn to pieces screaming and begging for mercy. Watch…”

Such twisted words purred into Hawkeye’s ear, before her paw swiped out across his unwounded side of his face; claws pricking upward slowly, so slowly, until they tore directly into his eye. She made sure that it wasn’t deep, not deep enough to kill him, but she kept her claws there as the tom yowled and writhed under Pripyat’s weight, keeping the pressure so that his mind exploded in pure unrelenting agony..

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat watched Spiderlilly in fascination...and maybe something even close to awe.
Oh, the pain Hawkeye must be feeling...Pripyat was high on adrenaline and the thick smell of blood.

He leaned down, put his mouth close to Hawkeye's ear. "All of this...all of this, your Clans have brought upon yourselves. The deaths are on you." As he spoke, a gray MistClan she-cat fell beneath the claws of twin BoneClan warriors; blood ran out onto the grass. "Because you just had to insist on this little war. Now, with all this wonderful killing, could you call this a win for your clans? Think how many won't come home!"
He laughed darkly, his tail curling with mad glee. In a swift, almost careless movement, Pripyat snatched at Hawkeye's ear and twisted his neck to tear it right from his head.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

The pain?

Agony wasn’t even close enough a word to hint at what the tom was feeling. There was just so much pain in him that Hawkeye’s world had tilted into something so terrible, so meaningless.

Poisoned words from the dark tom whispered and purred into the tom’s ear. His fault? His fault? It wasn’t!

“Warriors die for what it right and what is just. At least we’ll have a place for us within Starclan, whereas bastards like you will never even catch site of it.”

Hawkeye spat directly into Pripyat’s face and started to rise when teeth seized his ear, a terrible sickening twist, and then a prolonged scream followed as the skin tore, blood running down the side of his head as the black tom was left holding his ear.

Ohnononono…

It was then, that moment, when it dawned to Hawkeye he was probably never going to see his son again.

He was going to die…

—

“Make this fun clan-tom. Scream some more for us; scream so prettily again and again~”

Now, Spiderlily wasn’t mad like her dear companion was. She wasn’t insane, but could be so deviously twisted, loving torturing almost as much as she loved Pripyat. Almost, it came close but wasn’t quite enough, not quite the same.

Still with that smile on her face she moved, claws raking the tom across Hawkeye’s shoulder in a mirror parody of the claw marks he had inflicted across her own shoulder, the only wounds marring her this far.

Instead of leaving is like that, there was a repeat slash at his flack, painting long-haired pelt splashed with crimson, before her teeth sunk with a crunch into the joint of his hind leg, head twisting as she pulled the leg in a way it certainly wasn’t ever meant to go. There were sickening, audible popping noises as the leg was lpulled upward, slowly past its limit, before a grinding snap and sudden ease of the tension of the leg signified it finally was properly broken. Spiderlily dropped the leg, flicking her tail to Pripyat.

She was sure her friend would understand. No point in holding the tom down now – he wouldn’t be able to run away if he wanted too.

They could kill him at their leisure, now.

[Kest]

[ i assume it's ok to powerplay a bit, since Hawkeye can't exactly do much to stop anyone... ^^' brick me if i'm wrong ]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat stepped slowly away and began to circle Hawkeye, his blue eyes calculating.
In a sudden burst of movement, he bounded roward and sank his teeth deep into Hawkeye's flank. He was still for a moment, and then he forced his powerful jaws together until they met. The muscles in his neck clenched and then released as he pulled back, tearing a great chunk of flesh from the helpless tom's side.

He chewed for a moment. Swallowed. Ran his tongue across his fangs.
Grinned.

"Your turn," he purred to Spiderlilly.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

The black tom was moving, and, although stricken and heavily wounded, the Mistclanner tracked the mad one the best that he was capable. It was difficult, with one eye completely ruined, but his remaining one glared defiance at the tom.

Then movement, as Pripyat latched himself onto his flank; jaws snapping deep. Then with a mighty wrench Hawkeye felt skin tear and yank away.

More pain could only assault his senses.

But he was a warrior, and a true one at that. He knew now, more then anything else, he was going to die from his wounds even if they didn’t finish him themselves – and he wasn’t about to curl in a ball and allow the killer duo to have their merry little way tearing him apart.

But what could he do? With a foreleg and a hind leg broken like they were; he couldn’t move at full capability. But still. He wasn’t completely helpless quite yet.

The mad tom hadn’t moved from where he stood after he…devoured the chuck he ripped out of him. Hawkeye pushed his body beyond it’s limitations and rolled, using his good legs to seethe quickly towards the tom, rising on his one hind leg in a last show of defiance as his good leg snaked forward quickly in an attempt to practically slap the tom across his face with drawn claws.

--

“Does he taste good?”

Spiderlily practically purred as she watched Pripyat swallow the meat he had ripped from the wounded clan-cat’s side. But then the tom, this damn clan-cat, went for her friend.

How dare he…

In a fit of anger the she-cat darted forward, snapping shut around a fluffy tail and yanking backward with all her strength, hoping to misbalance the already unbalanced tom so that Prip would escape unscathed. She dug her forepaws forward, claws sinking into already stained flesh as they were ripped back, tearing paths into Hawkeye's side.

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

"Unequivocally," Pripyat meowed.

Hawkeye's attack suprised him; he had not expected such stubbornness from such a badly injured cat.
Spiderlilly's quick actions saved him from harm. That, too, suprised him, but it was a more pleasant form of suprise. Her protective rage told him that her feelings must be recoprocated...at least mostly.
It was a cheering thought. Although Pripyat didn't stop for long to dwell on it.

Pripyat flashed at Hawkeye, closing his teeth on his back, just above where his legs joined his body. If Hawkeye didn't somehow shift out of the way, Pripyat could crush his spine.
See how this tom liked his back legs paralyzed.
No chance of escape or recovery from that. And he would taste what it was to be truely helpless.

It was wonderful, truely.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

Stubborn?

Stubborn didn’t even come close.

Hawkeye didn’t want to die. He had to find his son first; tell him he was sorry for leaving, tell him he was sorry for everything. Dying had not been planned.

He tried. He had always been a good warrior, strong and true to his mate and son. But Oddeye’s death had broken something inside the tom for a while. He couldn’t allow his friends and clanmates to see him like that. So he had left. And now here he was fighting for his life in the middle of a bloodied battlefield, and it wasn’t what he had wanted.

He was dimly away through the fog of rage and helpless fury of teeth seizing hold of his back, his spine, and then there was pain, followed by numbness. He tried to kick out with his good leg, to give the tom the slashing he deserved, but there was nothing, nothing.

He couldn’t move his back legs anymore.

Even so, he broke from the fog, ignoring the agony, pure and unrelenting, that lifting off with his broken front leg caused, trying to curl over himself and slash at Pripyat with his good front leg. No matter what, no matter what he was still going to fight to the bitter end.

--

“Amusing.”

Spiderlily purred as she sliced cruel paths across the helpless tom’s shoulder.

“What must make him fight on like this? Such a pathetic beast, unable to help even himself.”

She knew the game she was playing. Each little claw on her paw flicked small, shallow, painful bleeding cuts littered across his shoulders; her voice like beautiful silken poison.

Breaking the mind was as enjoyable as breaking the body.

And still, the cur fought on!

The she-cat hissed as Hawkeye tried, again!, to slash at Pripyat, moving so that she pinned the orange clan cat down, moved so her claws sunk in deep into his shoulder. He seethed his body and tried to knock her off but there was just so little he could do anymore.

[Kest]

[ more powerplaying ^^' ]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly lie there either," Pripyat pointed out, waving one paw for emphasis. He glanced to Spiderlilly. "...I suppose that makes me a fool?"

He stared at Spiderlilly for a long moment, barely blinking. Then he turned back to his unfortunate new toy.
"Bits and pieces," he purred at Hawkeye, pressing his paw against the tom's front leg.
He slowly shifted his weight until, for one suspended moment, he was balanced completely on Hawkeye's leg.
Then the bone split with a rather delicious crack, and Pripyat laughed in delight.

He leaped over Hawkeye's body and snatched a mouthful of thick fur.
He pulled back, removing it...along with a fair amount of skin.
"Shall we skin him alive?" he growled, his tail twisting around and around in terrible, estatic amusement.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

There was a smug little smile on Spiderlily’s maw.

“Never. Taunts, dearest Pripyat. Break the mind; strip away a cat’s hope, and the battle’s already won.”

There was a satisfied purr rippling from the tabby; of course, she knew quite well about breaking another cat. Torturing the body wasn’t always nearly as fun when there also lay the option to crush their mind as well – this clan cat could no longer properly fight back; as severely wounded as he was. They had succeeded in destroying his hope of ever healing; however, she desired to snap every last one of his hopes and dreams before they finished him.

Silken words.

They had been words spoken to break the tom, nothing more. Falsities, untruths.

Pripyat was no fool.

The executioner circled the two, yellow-amber eyes trained upon the limp form of the paralyzed tom, one ear pricked towards Pripyat at his next suggestion.

“Oooh, I like that one. Where should we start at first?”

--

Oh no oh no on no on no.

Hawkeye knew what the she-cat was doing, even if her dark companion did not. It was a tactic of warfare he’d seen before; but the worse part was…

….it was working.

Was it really too late?

Did he have nothing left?

His eyes wandered, blank and vacant and away for a long moment, looking between his two would-be killers and then to some spot away from them. There….there he could see her.

Snow white beauty, healthy now in Starclan as she had not be in life, his everything…

“Odd…eye…”

His eyes closed for a moment, and he stilled as if he had fallen into death’s slumber. Then he braced his weight and shot forward, teeth snapping at Pripyat, good paw dancing forward to grip him into a warrior’s fatal embrace – to slash at his side and chest, inflict as deep of wounds his failing body would allow, ignoring the agony that seized hold of him. He had something to fight for; his son, his clan, his life that he was soon to leave behind.

And if anything, he was going to prove to these Boneclan bastards the meaning behind what a true warrior was.

[Kest]

[ omg the powerplayz o.o -shot ]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Once again, Hawkeye showed a will and vitality that suprised the dark tom.
Hawkeye's claws scored into Pripyat's chest, but his swift movement left the brunt of the blow to the empty air. Pripyat danced backwards, his pawsteps carrying him away from his fallen prey, leaving Hawkeye to beat helplessly at nothing.

A few beads of blood scattered into the dust.

Hawkeye's efforts came to nothing but the scent of blood on his claws. Nothing but the happy-crazy eyes of his enemy upon him.
The world is darkness and there is nothing for you, those eyes might have said.

Pripyat lunged suddenly, one paw stomping down with horrible, wonderful precision on Hawkeye's remaining leg. With his weight he hoped to pin the tom's paw down.
Without pausing, the BoneClanner leaned forward, seeming to grab Hawkeye's entire face between his teeth. Such a move would leave Hawkeye fully immobilized, unable to raise a paw to strike or turn his head to bite.

Pripyat applied pressure, the sharp, strong points of his teeth biting into Hawkeye's flesh. Then relaxed.
"Start anywhere," he said with effort, looking at Spiderlilly from the corner of one eye.
Then he pulled back ever so slightly and snapped his teeth shut in a move that would drag fangs across eyes, tear flesh, perhaps even fracture bone.

[/blockquote]

[Dodgestrike]

So close, so close.

The dark tom had already leaped out of the way, and Hawkeye found his last reserves of strength finally dying away the moment the enemy cat lunged forward, his one unwounded leg pinned beneath the other’s as his face was seized by sharp teeth.

And then there was pulling, pulling, as he felt his flesh tear from the skin bit by bit, teeth snapping closed on his side as that damn she-cat followed suit, her wicked laughter a faint echo as everything started to grow dim and fuzzy. Too much blood lost, too much…

Blood spilled everywhere, dark against the earth beneath them.

In the last moments of his life, Hawkeye questioned why it had ended so. He had never done anything wrong. He had always done his duty as a Warrior, up until the very end.

The world was too much for him too handle, his wounds too severe for him to survive.

This was the end, though in his warrior’s mind it didn't click that way. Hawkeye told himself he was asleep, and died thinking so as his lifeblood seeped into the battlefield forever.

Lights out.

[Kest]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat drew back, feeling the life leave the tom.
Hawkeye's face grew quiet. His motions stilled.
Pripyat glanced across at Spiderlilly, a wide grin plastered on his dark face. The deed was done. Their enemy lay in death's cruel grip, irrevocably.
The act of murder was like absolution. Cats like himself and Spiderlilly, they almost worshipped death as the Clan cats almost-worshipped StarClan; the dealing and causing of it, the weilding of the power and the blood, all this was the other half of their world--it completed them. They worshipped death and the murdered body of their prey was the alter at which they preyed.

All figuratively, of course. Death was no religion, although to some it could be a way of life.

Pripyat sank his teeth into Hawkeyes shoulder and peeled flesh from the bone for a victory snack. The taste was strong and right, metallic yet natural, rich, still warm with blood.
He sat, curling his tail around his paws, to enjoy it. Yet another foe had fallen, and quite satisfactorally indeed.
After swallowing his mouthful, the black tom looked to Spiderlilly, his blue eyes bright. Happiness; a cooling body by his side and Spiderlilly unhamed in sight.

Pripyat suddenly recalled another face, similar to Spiderlilly's in some vague way--a DuskClanner. "That other cat," he meowed curiously. "The DuskClan she-cat. She was your sister, wasn't she?"

[/blockquote]