The Banshee || Part Three: Victory

[ Littlestep | Crafter | Twilight Rim ]

Littlestep tensed for a moment when he felt Tigerpaw rasp her tongue over his fur, but relaxed after a few moments. His heartbeat was still settling down, and he didn't remove his paws from his face. Littlestep sighed softly, as if in thanks, as his wound began to feel less... dirty.
His ears flattened as he heard the banshee's screams from outside. He didn't know what Hopflight and Tidefrost were doing to the creature, and frankly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. From the sounds of the shrieks, it was brutal. I do hope no cat ever invokes the wrath of those two... he thought.
Suddenly, a strong stench hit Littlestep's nose. There was a warmth to it, and from here, all he could able to hear was the thumping of the creature's tail and the grunts and groans of a dying beast. The crocodilian rumble and gurgles made his fur stand on end, and Littlestep assumed that one of them, or both, had ripped its stomach open. Only the entrails of a beast could stink that badly.
Littlestep tried to get to his paws, wanting to peek outside, but as he tried to stand he gasping in pain. His chest felt as though he'd been hit by one of the twoleg's monsters. Littlestep failed to stand, and stared hopelessly out after Tigerpaw.

{ Hopflight | Monarch | Twilight Rim }

As seamlessly as it had begun, the connection between the Monarch and Vanguard severed, their minds retreating to their respective vessels.  Hopflight gasped as he felt the wave of fatigue and pain wash over him, but he continued to hold the creature down in its dying throes, snarling at it just as fiercely as it was snarling at them.  His ears pinned at the scent of the creature's insides, hissing as he felt a great tremor rack the banshee's body.  The beast curgled once more, twitched, and was still.
Hopflight held its head to the ground for another few moments, panting heavily, before he was certain that the creature had really, truly died.  After a few moments, he staggered back from the thing's body--somehow it looked even larger now that it was dead, its corpse a mound of scales and blood.  
And now that the battle-high had worn off, he felt the pain lance through his front leg.  He swooned dramatically, splaying on his side and raising his wounded leg.  It actually looked pretty bad, torn and bloody, completely mangled.  
"Owwwww," he moaned, looking dejected.  "I have been wounded!  Aah, I can feel my life flashing before my eyes.  Fare well, my brave, brave comerades.  For I have fought my last... noble... battle..."

{{Tigerpaw | Vanguard Apprentice | Twilight Rim}}

The stench of the beast's blood reached her nose, followed by an even more fowl smell. Entrails and large burst of blood could be seen from where the beast lay, writhing in pain.
The beast's gurgles and struggling was slowing as it rasped for breath.
She could feel Littlestep watching behind her. And her familiar too stopped to watch.
Tigerpaw with wide eyes stepped away from Littlestep and the hollow of the tree. She movements still labours and stiff as she was still under Hopflight's command. But she also felt it flicker slightly. And somehow it felt like a different hold on her. She felt Hopflight's command but also through that command she could.... no she was sure she felt Tidefrost through it too.
Laying her ears flat she the head she wondered what they were doing. They felt as though they were one. Two bodies but one mind.
She wanted to be there with them. She wanted to call out to them. She wanted to help them. This little cream-colored apprentice didn't like feeling helpless. She wanted to be doing something useful. She wanted to be in there helping. But at the same time she she knew her place, after all she was only an apprentice and still had a lot of learning to do. A lot of growing to do.
She stood watching Tidefrost and Hopflight, yearning to be there for them, to be of help.
But she knew in some way that standing her guarding Littlestep was helping them. After all Safe Haven needed all the cats to fight the land of Ash.
And as soon as she felt Tidefrost and Hopflight though the command it was as gone as fast as it came. That was when she hear Hopflight yowl. Her eyes caught wide with fear. He was in pain.

{ Tidefrost | Vanguard | Twilight Rim }

The bond between her mind and Hopflight's dissipated into...nothing, as quickly as it had been formed.  The gray vanguard shuddered as if she had just shed her own pelt, looking from the dying banshee to the monarch, not sure whether to be angry with him or pleased that it had worked out.  Tidefrost hadn't hurt him.  He hadn't gained any other injuries.  She stared at him for a long time, trying to figure out what to say or even to feel, and finally she just gave him a smile.  At her paws, the banshee groaned its last and fell utterly, eerily silent.
Hopflight seemed to check and make sure that it was truly gone from this world, but Tidefrost had already lost her bloodlust.  She knew it was over.  The gray she-cat instead turned her head immediately, seeking out her apprentice and Littlestep- relief flooded her when she met them both alive and, as far as one could be after facing an unknown adversary, well.  The little familiar still stood mute and ruffled at Tigerpaw's side, wide eyes watching them all.  Tidefrost offered a weary smile and a dip of her head.
Before she could give any compliments or encouragement, however, Hopflight flopped over with a loud groan.  Tidefrost turned at once, eyes wide and afraid- she knew he only made a complaint when the wound wasn't fatal, but she could tell that he was disguising his actual pain through his dramatical display now.  It was serious enough to push him to that limit.  That immediately gave her reason to worry.  She flicked her tail towards Tigerpaw as if telling her to stay with Littlestep, shedding her weapons in the same instant, and then crossing the single tail-length that kept her from her monarch.
"Don't be stupid," she mumbled, pushing him the rest of the way down and eyeing the wound as carefully and detachedly as she could.  If she really analyzed it with feeling, she would be sick.  Instead, Tidefrost looked at it as if it were a wound on an Ashen, seeing how it would hinder them, how it would hurt them.  It was a very useful way to assess the damage.  She nudged Hopflight's head with her nose for a brief moment, allowing herself that tiny, insecure show of worry before looking towards Tigerpaw.  "We just have to bind this, that's all.  Stop the bleeding...um, listen, Tigerpaw- can you get some cobwebs or leaves or something?  I need anything to bandage this up."

[ Littlestep | Crafter | Twilight Rim ]

It didn't take long for the sounds of the dying ashen to fall silent. There was a period of tension, dead silence, and Littlestep's heart pounded in his aching chest. Then suddenly, Tidefrost's head appeared in front of the tree-hole. Littlestep jumped when he saw her, fur rising when he saw all of the blood caked in her fur. He sighed softly upon realizing that the vanguard seemed alright, and that the blood mostly belonged to the banshee. Littlestep opened his mouth to speak, but a soft 'thump' sounded from outside, and Hopflight's exaggerated groaning could be heard.
Littlestep turned his head to look, but he only faced the innards of the tree. He looked back towards Tidefrost, who had already disappeared to go check on the monarch.
Littlestep listened carefully. Maybe Hopflight wouldn't be too bad. He did have healing powers, right?
When he thought of the healing abilities, Littlestep winced in pain. Those would be very useful to have, he thought. He gave Tigerpaw a nod. He would be okay by himself for now.

{ Hopflight | Monarch | Twilight Rim }

Hopflight consented at once when Tidepaw--no, TideFROST you idiot-- pushed him the rest of the way to the ground, swooning with one paw (the good one, of course) flopped over his face.  Their concern was so touching, it almost brought him to tears.
They had done it.  they had done it!  Tidefrost's appearance had turned the tide (hah!) of the battle, but it had taken the efforts of the four of them to bring it down.  Hopflight, wounded pretty early on, with a lot of his energy poured into damage control.  Littlestep, who had been so brave, and had come up with the brilliant idea of mobilizing the creature with vines, before taking his battle wound.  Tigerpaw, who had fought so vailently, so bravely, and so well even though she was still just an apprentice.
"Oh yes, my allies, my comerades, my friends," he moaned, rolling to where the rest of them were.  His wound was still bleeding, and now it was really starting to hurt.  "Yes patch me up, while I regale you with the tail of how I acquired this horrible wound!  I'm sure you would all like to know what happened."

{{Tigerpaw | Vanguard Apprentice | Twilight Rim}}

The stench of the beast's blood reached her nose, and it was now even worse that is was dead. It’s entrails and blood could be seen littering the grown where the beast lay, it last breath long gone from it body.
But one thing was now different. With the beast still and silent. All that could be heard was Hopflight’s dramatic yowls of pain. The figure of the beast was now only a large still mass of blood, scars from their attacks, some wound still fresh and still bleeding littered it's body. The fight was over. Looking up Tigerpaw would see a large grey bloody mass of fur heading her way.
Tidefrost was at Littlestep's and Tigerpaw's side in seconds. Tigerpaw nuzzled her as she dipped her head and offered a weary smile. Hopflight was a tail-length from them. And Tigerpaw could see the damage to his leg. It was bad. Blood staining his fur as new trails shone and seeped down his fur.
"We just have to bind this, that's all.  Stop the bleeding...um, listen, Tigerpaw- can you get some cobwebs or leaves or something?  I need anything to bandage this up." Tidefrost said as she went to Hopflight's side examining his wound.
Tigerpaw nodded and turned to Littlestep.
"I'll be right back." She said, placing a paw on his head gently. And then she started to scout around the tree for some leaves and cobwebs.
She could find cobwebs by the dozen which she collected by winding them around her paw. And as for leaves the only things she could find were dead dried leaves. But she knew it was better than nothing. She picked them up in her jaws.
Hopflight's dramatic moaning tang in her ears, as she collected the things. She didn't know if it was real pain or not.
She collected as much as she could before she carried them back to where Tidefrost and Hopflight were.
"Will this be good enough?" She asked worried about the wound on Hopflight's leg.

{ Tidefrost | Vanguard | Twilight Rim }

Though Hopflight's exaggerated bemoaning was a little irritating, Tidefrost felt more relief than anything.  So long as he was keeping up a steady fuss, she was reassured that his life wasn't really in any danger.  Of course, that was just for right now- if she didn't stop the bleeding or get his wound to seal right, he'd be prone to infection, especially out this far and amongst ash.  She looked at Hopflight apologetically even as she realized that she'd have to clean it, wincing before he could.  
"I have to wash it out," she explained, her eyes hardening slightly as if trying not to show her empathy.  Then, to humor him, she added, "And in case you forgot, Hop, almost all of us were here.  But I guess you can fill me in."
She was steeling her nerves just as Tigerpaw returned, and Tidefrost's gaze washed through with relief.  Without hesitating, she carefully took the entirety of the ragged leaves and nodded gratefully to her apprentice, murmuring, "Yeah, I think that's fine."  Inwardly, Tidefrost's insides squirmed with discomfort.  She wasn't used to playing medicine cat.  She wasn't even really sure what to do.  All that she knew was from the times that she herself had been injured- for once, Tidefrost was grateful that it had been often.  She nodded shortly to Hopflight, biting her tongue for a second, and then as gently as she could began to rasp it over the open gash.  It tasted like copper, gritty at first against her tongue- the fight had splashed dirt and ash into Hopflight's flesh, and Tidefrost's stomach knotted into itself as she spat out a mouthful of it.  Her spit was tainted red.

[ Littlestep | Crafter | Twilight Rim ]

Littlestep nodded as Tigerpaw pat him on the head and disappeared to go collect what Tidefrost had requested. He paused for a moment, flicking his tail. He couldn't stand by himself, so the tom stretched his neck forwards to peer around the lip of the hollow tree. He looked across the grass and ash towards Tidefrost and Hopflight. "I-is there anything I c-can do...?" he wheezed softly, speaking for the first time since receieving his injuries. Littlestep winced in pain as he spoke. That likely hadn't been a good idea. Hell, he wasn't even sure why he'd asked. Maybe because of how useless he felt at the moment. "I-I know s-some medicinal kn-knowledge..." he added painfully. Littlestep had spent plenty of time in the medicine den back in the clans, as he'd always been quite sickly.

{ Hopflight | Monarch | Twilight Rim }

"Aah, it was a glorious fight!  You see, Littles was being harrassed by a banshee, as the damsel often is, and when I heard his girlish shrieks of terror, I boldly leapt through the forest, tackling the beast all on my own--"
And he launched into a fictional recap of the day's events.  Though he did give credit to Littles ("The damsel had teeth!  Or brains, at least, because he sent vines whipping towards the beast, practically hanging it..."), Tide ("Oh the kid was a beautiful fighter, don't get me wrong!  She never picked up my finesse, but she was all full of jagged, swirling blades--she actually turned into ice at one point and used her ice-body to rip apart the thing's face..."), and Tiger ("My grandprentice was a stunning fighter!  You know she called a familiar mid-battle?  Without meditation or anything, just ZAP there it was, and its voice was so loud that it knocked the banshee off of its filthy paws!"), he definitely put himself in the starring role. 
In fact, he barely even seemed to notice that Tide was rasping a barbed tongue over his filthy wounds, lounging on his side and speaking in a non-stop chatter, with a dramatic flair that he had doubtless picked up from his own storytelling mentor.  Eventually, he seemed to realize that Tide was tugging at his wounds, because he suddenly jumped.
"Ow ow OW!  Jeez kid, be gentle with me!  I'm a wounder warrior--er, Monarch.  How are you doing, damsel?  You need healing for that bump in the ribs?"

{{Tigerpaw | Vanguard Apprentice | Twilight Rim}}

Tigerpaw watched as Tidefrost cleaned and tended to Hopflight's wound. He was still making a fuss. And it brought a smile to her face.
At least he was being so vocal about it. That had to be a good sign right?
She placed a gentle paw on Hopflight's head when she saw Littlestep make his way over to them he still seemed weak and wobbly on his paws. And with Tidefrost helping Hopflight, Tigerpaw immidiatly went to Littlestep's side and press her side to his good side to steady him and give him support. It was the best she could do for now.

{ Tidefrost | Vanguard | Twilight Rim }

Blood tasted awful.  She really didn't recommend it to anyone who was curious- best to skip out on that experience as long as possible.  Tidefrost wasn't stupid, of course; in this world, not tasting blood was impossible if one wanted to live a long life, but she still hated it every time.  And if she were being honest, she was most likely more accustomed to its sickly sweet tang than others.  She winced when Hopflight did, pleading silently with StarClan- or perhaps just empty air- that he would continue to lose himself in his crazed tale of adventure and chivalry and other dead things that could only survive in stories nowadays.  Tidefrost only paused to glance up at Littlestep, her eyes sorrowful but determined.  Slowly, slightly, she shook her head; yet his second statement gave her pause, and she felt her tongue hook on loose flesh, causing Hopflight to yelp and yank away.
"Stay still," she muttered, picking a tuft of his bloodied fur from between her teeth as Hopflight turned towards Littlestep.  Her fur prickled faintly with irritation as she pushed him back down with a forceful paw, and she added in an undertone, "I'm being as gentle as I can, okay?  You know as well as I do that if I don't clean this out, you're going to have a lot worse to deal with than a bit of blood loss and pain.  Please just...tell us a few more stories."
Tidefrost glanced at Littlestep again, debating whether to draw attention to him or to let Hopflight get carried away.  Tigerpaw was supporting the patched tom, which created a swell of unbelievable pride in the gray she-cat's chest.  Such a good cat...  The vanguard sighed and then blinked quickly at Littlestep, asking for his patience, before turning to Hopflight.  "Can it wait until your wound is cleaned?  Littlestep can tell me how to dress it while you take care of him afterward."

[ Littlestep | Crafter | Twilight Rim ]

Littlestep hesitated for a brief moment. Healing for his wound? Littlestep thought it would have been nice, but Hopflight's leg looked terrible, even with the healing it had already recieved. The crafter debated whether or not to accept the gesture, but concluded that he should. The leg wasn't life threatening, so a little bit of healing wouldn't be too bad... "I-I suppose." he replied, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't strain himself.
He nodded in agreement with Tidefrost. "M-Make sure that y-you're taken care of f-first," he mewed. Littlestep stretched his neck forward, narrowing his eyes. He couldn't move all too well and it was hard to see from his spot, halfway out of the tree's hollow, but he could make the wrappings around Hop's leg well enough. "B-be sure to b-bind it tight," he said, remembering how the AspenClan medicine cat had treated wounds back in the old territory. "Once t-the wound is c-clear of... w-whatever is in there, a t-tight b-binding sh-should prevent infection... T-tie it off with about th-this much bindweed left." he held up his paws, indicating a short length that would be appropriate. "W-we can f-find better supplies when we get h-home."

{ Hopflight | Monarch | Twilight Rim }

It took this to get everyone to fuss over him?  Hmph.  Actually, he'd already known that an injury called for a lot of attention, but in the past it had usually been the TidalClan medicine cat getting sick of his stories and knocking him out with some sleeping herb pretty early on.  Now it was actually working, and on cats who usually just rolled their eyes at his antics.  He laid back smugly, tail flicking over the ground.  
"If you insist, I could finish my incredible tale!" he chortled, sitting up and rolling so he could sidle right up to Tidefrost.  "Continue to fuss over me as I do so."
He really should take care of Littlestep, though.  He tried not to let anyone notice that he was activating a low tier of his Healing ability--not on himself this time, but on the brown-and-white tom.  His healing reached out to soothe the crafter's pain and begin lightly healing his wound.  He didn't have much energy left to spare on this--the fight against the banshee and his own injury had almost completely wiped him out.  But he had enough to help a little bit.
"Now, where was I... aah, yes!  Now, I turned to the small apprentice and with my delightful words inspired her to bring a piece of her resolve forth, into the physical realm!  'Oh Hopflight' she said to me so gratefully, 'I never could have done this without you!  Why your very presence by my side inspires me to become ever-greater...' " he continued prattling on, weaving his stories to distract himself from the pain, and quite enjoying the attention.

{{Tigerpaw | Vanguard Apprentice | Twilight Rim}}

Tigerpaw was still supporting Littlestep when she felt something familiar brush her fur. She knew what that was. Hopflight was using his healing tiers. It was low. But it was there. She didn't say anything she just continued to support Littlestep.
Though when he mentioned her in his dramatic tale. She couldn't help but giggle. She didn't say those words exactly, but she wasn't about to say anything about it. She just wanted him to be okay.
Though she was also surprised that he mentioned her familiar in the tale. That was a surprise to her. She didn't know how it happened but that feathered familiar helped even if it was only a little.
Tigerpaw wondered what Tidefrost would say about her familiar when they got back to Safe Haven.

{ Tidefrost | Vanguard | Twilight Rim }

Her face immediately flushed across with heat when Hopflight pressed up as close as possible against her, their fur meshing together in an altogether clashing display of nature's finest colors before she managed to regain her composure and gently push him back down again.  She would have chastised him, but her cheeks were burning too much and she would've interrupted his story, which was currently the one thing distracting him from the washing of his wound.  Tidefrost busied herself with it even more than before, her eyes a little wider and her lips pressed together as if fighting something back for a few more seconds.  After a while, though, she softened again into her normal expression and glanced towards Tigerpaw.
"I'm glad you're alright," she murmured, relief washing over her blue gaze.  "Better than alright, though, aren't you?  You've got a familiar now?"  Tidefrost tried to both keep her attention on her apprentice and her eyes on Hopflight's injury as she began to attempt to bind it.  Bind it tightly, I guess, she thought silently, doubtfully following Littlestep's guidance.  She wasn't sure how much the crafter knew about healing, but at this point she didn't see any better options.  She'd have to trust his judgment, which was likely better than hers anyway.  She wasn't one for picking herbs, much less knowing how to use them, and healing powers were quite obviously beyond her area of expertise.  It was a shame that the only healer among them was the injured one.
With a quick movement, Tidefrost pulled her jaw up with a reed clutched between her teeth so that the bandage she had been carefully constructing around Hopflight and his story immediately snapped taut.  She waited with the reed's tip still dangling from her teeth for a moment, seeing the slippery outside glint faintly with blood, but after several seconds Tidefrost was satisfied that the monarch would not bleed through his own dressing.  "That should do it," she mumbled, biting through the extra length of reed and spitting it away, her tongue curling at the muddy aftertaste.  She loved seafood, but she certainly wasn't fond of the kelp and greenery that they swam in.

[ Littlestep | Crafter | Twilight Rim ]

Littlestep hardly noticed Hopflight using his healing abilities on him. His pain ebbed away a little bit and he found it a tad easier to breathe. His brow rose in slight suspicion, though he said nothing. He wasn't sure if Hopflight was using his powers on him or not, and he didn't want to accuse the monarch outright and look like a fool when he was wrong.
He watched Tidefrost quietly, listening to the dark tom talk about the battle. Littlestep smiled softly. It was entertaining to hear how Hopflight exaggerated the tale, though he hoped that if this battle did bear any significance on Safe Haven's history that it would be passed down as truthfully as possible. With a sudden realization, Littlestep passed his gaze over to the monster. I.... Did I discover this? He wondered, large ears flattening for a brief moment.
Clearing his throat, he turned to Tigerpaw who stood close beside him. He spoke quietly as to not interrupt Hopflight. "C-Can you support me w-while I walk?" he asked softly, gesturing with a paw towards the fallen beast. As much as he was fearful of the creature, Littlestep thought it best to look it over a little bit to see what he might learn.

{ Hopflight | Monarch | Safe Haven }

"You're finished?" Hopflight asked, cutting off mid-way through his story.  He raised his injured leg and inspected the bindings with an overexaggerated critical eye.  It was wrapped well, and he could feel the taught leaves press the edges of wound together.  This was going to require some more healing, but at least he wasn't going to bleed out before they got back to Safe Haven.
Next time, I won't be so STUPID when we're off to face a new enemy.  Really, that was dumb.  His power as a Monarch had led him to believe that he was invulnerable, and if he hadn't been with a group, or Tidefrost hadn't shown up when she had, it might have been the end for him.  
"Thanks for the rescue, kid," he said, hooking his uninjured paw around her neck and swiping his tongue over her ear before she could get away.  "I'd always wondered what it was like to be a damsel in distress."  He stood then, stumbling for a moment before finding purchase on the ground.  He padded over to Littlestep and helped nose the brown-and-white tom to his paws.  
"Why don't we wait on that for a bit, damsel?  Let's get back over the wall and get some fresh warriors to escort you--we don't know if any of these other beasties are crawling around, and though I could definitely take on another two or three right now, I'm itching to tell my story to fresh ears."  His tail flicked uneasily.  Really, if they were caught by anything more powerful than a Fowl right now, they'd be in some trouble.  
"Let's go back," he said, turning from the fallen beast and facing the wall.  "I'll send word ahead.
"Safe Haven should know to welcome its returning heroes."