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Description
A drawing I made to go along with this short story about my Warriors OC, Harestrike. They’re from my comic The Dog Star.
(Harestrike is non-binary, and thus uses they/them pronouns.)
——————

Furious yowls ripped through the normally still air, unsheathed claws leaving streaks of dark blood across the ground. Miststar could barely take the time to breathe before another one of Harewillow’s - Harestrike’s - supporters hurled themself at her. Grappling with the scrawny black tom, Miststar found herself staring down at one of her old Clanmates. “Gracklebreeze, stop this!” she begged, gripping his shoulders as he writhed underneath her. “Harestrike is mad. You must know that!” Gracklebreeze snarled and spat, blood trickling from his wounds.

“It’s you all who’re mad! StarClan abandoned us, Miststar! And if you love them so much, who don’t you join them?” With that he lunged at her throat, forcing her to jerk away as his jaws snapped closed hair-lengths away from her. As Gracklebreeze vaulted to his paws, claws outstretched towards Miststar, she took her chance and rammed her front paws into his stomach, knocking him forwards and driving the air from his body. Gracklebreeze wheezed as he collapsed to the ground, finally lying still as he struggled to breathe.

Guilt tugging at her, Miststar made an effort to turn away and finally spotted her target. Harestrike was crouched atop a dead tree stump, their tail lashing back and forth as they spit orders. The ex-medicine cat looked unkempt and wild, spittle flecking their muzzle and tangles knotting their brown and white pelt. Glancing across the battlefield, Miststar saw that the fighting was finally beginning to die down, with injured cats staggering away and many of Harestrike’s supporters fleeing into the bracken. Catching Pearstar’s eye, she flicked her tail towards Harestrike, and the other leader gave a nod. Together they narrowed in on Harestrike, with Snakestar falling into line besides them.

Within seconds they had encircled Harestrike, who realized a moment too late that they were surrounded. Snakestar moved first, his tabby pelt rippling as he launched himself towards the warrior and bit down. Harestrike screeched in pain, attempting to shake Snakestar off, but as Pearstar slammed her paw down on their head, the thrashing became futile. Wrestling to keep her rage contained, Miststar prowled towards Harestrike and stopped just in front of them. Their breathing came quick and ragged, finally swinging their eyes up to meet Miststar’s. Feeling Harestrike stopping their struggle, Pearstar and Snakestar slid backwards, teeth still bared as they waited in anticipation.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Miststar growled, her voice a low rumble. Harestrike glared at her, their glittering green eyes pits of malice.

“Not to you!” they spat, hunched over in front of her. “You’re only Sparrowstar’s pathetic replacement, just as stupid and blinded by starlight as all the others. I’d rather hold a conversation with the worms.”

“That can be arranged,” Snakestar hissed, stepping forwards his claws unsheathed, but Miststar waved him away. Harestrike had already caught the words, though, and slowly they rose to their paws, staring at Miststar with an unnerving grin.

“Yes, that’s perfect,” they purred, their voice hoarse and poisonous. They jerked towards Miststar with lurching movements, grotesquely thrusting their exposed neck at her. Miststar instinctively recoiled from the sight, even as Harestrike’s leg buckled underneath them and they crumpled to three paws. “Kill me, then! Don’t I deserve it? Show how noble StarClan really is.”

Tension crackled in the air as Miststar gaped at Harestrike, unsure of what to do. She looked out across the battlefield, the fighting over and many cats staring at the four leaders through lidded, frightened eyes. Blood was already soaking into the dirt, turning it a sickly red, and with a dull thud in her heart Miststar realized how many cats were lying motionless. What had this war turned the Clans into? Rogues who butchered their friends and family without a second thought? Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Miststar drew herself up to her full height. She couldn’t let it continue.

“No,” she said, her voice ringing through the quiet clearing. “I won’t do it. We will not become Clans full of murderers.”

“No?” Pearstar echoed disbelievingly, her shock mirrored on Snakestar’s face. Miststar thought she could even see surprise on Harestrike’s muzzle, mixed with what could have been anguish. It was gone in an instant, contorting into intense hatred and fury.

“You - you - “ they spat, unable to gather words as their body shook with exhaustion and rage. “You filthy hypocrites. You already killed Lavenderwhisker, you - can’t just - this isn’t how -“ Their head swung back and forth as they stammered, desperately searching for some cat to swoop in out of nowhere and save them. Both Snakestar and Pearstar had looked mutinous at Miststar’s refusal, but by now their expressions had changed to realization. The SunClan and RainClan leaders padded backwards, gazing coldly at Harestrike.

Miststar felt their ice reflected in her own words as she simply meowed, “Go.” When Harestrike didn’t move, she repeated the words with a curled lip and unsheathed claws. “Leave. Now. Go somewhere far beyond the Clans, I don’t care where, but never return here.”

She saw Harestrike hesitate, their claws tearing at the earth, but aching wounds marked their pelt, and the insurrection leader had never looked more exhausted in their life. Finally, with a last furious snarl, they whirled around and began to limp away, their tail dragging across the bluegrass.

Within moments they had disappeared over the crest of the hill, leaving the battlefield in a bloodstained silence.

Description
A drawing I made to go along with this short story about my Warriors OC, Harestrike. They’re from my comic The Dog Star.
(Harestrike is non-binary, and thus uses they/them pronouns.)
——————

Furious yowls ripped through the normally still air, unsheathed claws leaving streaks of dark blood across the ground. Miststar could barely take the time to breathe before another one of Harewillow’s - Harestrike’s - supporters hurled themself at her. Grappling with the scrawny black tom, Miststar found herself staring down at one of her old Clanmates. “Gracklebreeze, stop this!” she begged, gripping his shoulders as he writhed underneath her. “Harestrike is mad. You must know that!” Gracklebreeze snarled and spat, blood trickling from his wounds.

“It’s you all who’re mad! StarClan abandoned us, Miststar! And if you love them so much, who don’t you join them?” With that he lunged at her throat, forcing her to jerk away as his jaws snapped closed hair-lengths away from her. As Gracklebreeze vaulted to his paws, claws outstretched towards Miststar, she took her chance and rammed her front paws into his stomach, knocking him forwards and driving the air from his body. Gracklebreeze wheezed as he collapsed to the ground, finally lying still as he struggled to breathe.

Guilt tugging at her, Miststar made an effort to turn away and finally spotted her target. Harestrike was crouched atop a dead tree stump, their tail lashing back and forth as they spit orders. The ex-medicine cat looked unkempt and wild, spittle flecking their muzzle and tangles knotting their brown and white pelt. Glancing across the battlefield, Miststar saw that the fighting was finally beginning to die down, with injured cats staggering away and many of Harestrike’s supporters fleeing into the bracken. Catching Pearstar’s eye, she flicked her tail towards Harestrike, and the other leader gave a nod. Together they narrowed in on Harestrike, with Snakestar falling into line besides them.

Within seconds they had encircled Harestrike, who realized a moment too late that they were surrounded. Snakestar moved first, his tabby pelt rippling as he launched himself towards the warrior and bit down. Harestrike screeched in pain, attempting to shake Snakestar off, but as Pearstar slammed her paw down on their head, the thrashing became futile. Wrestling to keep her rage contained, Miststar prowled towards Harestrike and stopped just in front of them. Their breathing came quick and ragged, finally swinging their eyes up to meet Miststar’s. Feeling Harestrike stopping their struggle, Pearstar and Snakestar slid backwards, teeth still bared as they waited in anticipation.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Miststar growled, her voice a low rumble. Harestrike glared at her, their glittering green eyes pits of malice.

“Not to you!” they spat, hunched over in front of her. “You’re only Sparrowstar’s pathetic replacement, just as stupid and blinded by starlight as all the others. I’d rather hold a conversation with the worms.”

“That can be arranged,” Snakestar hissed, stepping forwards his claws unsheathed, but Miststar waved him away. Harestrike had already caught the words, though, and slowly they rose to their paws, staring at Miststar with an unnerving grin.

“Yes, that’s perfect,” they purred, their voice hoarse and poisonous. They jerked towards Miststar with lurching movements, grotesquely thrusting their exposed neck at her. Miststar instinctively recoiled from the sight, even as Harestrike’s leg buckled underneath them and they crumpled to three paws. “Kill me, then! Don’t I deserve it? Show how noble StarClan really is.”

Tension crackled in the air as Miststar gaped at Harestrike, unsure of what to do. She looked out across the battlefield, the fighting over and many cats staring at the four leaders through lidded, frightened eyes. Blood was already soaking into the dirt, turning it a sickly red, and with a dull thud in her heart Miststar realized how many cats were lying motionless. What had this war turned the Clans into? Rogues who butchered their friends and family without a second thought? Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Miststar drew herself up to her full height. She couldn’t let it continue.

“No,” she said, her voice ringing through the quiet clearing. “I won’t do it. We will not become Clans full of murderers.”

“No?” Pearstar echoed disbelievingly, her shock mirrored on Snakestar’s face. Miststar thought she could even see surprise on Harestrike’s muzzle, mixed with what could have been anguish. It was gone in an instant, contorting into intense hatred and fury.

“You - you - “ they spat, unable to gather words as their body shook with exhaustion and rage. “You filthy hypocrites. You already killed Lavenderwhisker, you - can’t just - this isn’t how -“ Their head swung back and forth as they stammered, desperately searching for some cat to swoop in out of nowhere and save them. Both Snakestar and Pearstar had looked mutinous at Miststar’s refusal, but by now their expressions had changed to realization. The SunClan and RainClan leaders padded backwards, gazing coldly at Harestrike.

Miststar felt their ice reflected in her own words as she simply meowed, “Go.” When Harestrike didn’t move, she repeated the words with a curled lip and unsheathed claws. “Leave. Now. Go somewhere far beyond the Clans, I don’t care where, but never return here.”

She saw Harestrike hesitate, their claws tearing at the earth, but aching wounds marked their pelt, and the insurrection leader had never looked more exhausted in their life. Finally, with a last furious snarl, they whirled around and began to limp away, their tail dragging across the bluegrass.

Within moments they had disappeared over the crest of the hill, leaving the battlefield in a bloodstained silence.