(p)enny lane

[Patch]

Patch stopped dead cold, her eyes lit up with surprise and anger. "Pain was lying, hell, I don't even know if I'm even related to her! I am her, for pete's sake!" She stared wildly at the tom as she continued. "And I can name at least two cats that actually care about me! But yeah, I'd totally love to have stayed dead!" She had seriousness in her tone, not even caring as he stepped closer.

[Deleted]

"I am her!"

"Oh, so you're crazy too? I should've guessed." 'Does she really think she's some other cat entirely? How dumb is she?' He grew a tight smile as she went on, and stepped closer until he was almost nose-to-nose.

"But yeah, I'd totally love to have stayed dead!"

"I think I can help you out there. Just forget this little loner life of yours had ever happened." He said under his breath, and with that he leaped at her, claws extended and teeth ready as he aimed for the throat.

[Patch]

Patch took a long sigh, her fur bristling up. "Yes, I'm crazy! I'm sure nobody has guessed so far!" She yelled sarcastically, gritting her teeth. She opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by the seize at her neck. She growled and felt blood dye her throat. She didn't care to fight back, just as she did last time. But she wasn't panicking this time around, no fighting out of fear.

[Deleted]

Jude gripped her neck tighter, feeling blood trickle into his mouth. It was a satisfying taste, but he didn't grab her neck deep enough for it to be fatal. 'Why isn't she squirming or fighting back?' He wondered, attempting to rip a piece of her skin off before jumping back. He crouched down, tail waving wildly in the air. "What are you doing? Don't you know how to fight?" He spat, glaring at her.

[Patch]

Patch hissed as she felt her neck bleed out, a familiar feeling returned. She fell onto the ground and stared blankly. She coughed up small droplets of blood. "Like I said earlier, life for me was much easier dead. I know how to fight, but why weaken someone before Leafbare?" She sighed, her ears twitched. She attempted to laugh.

"Funny enough, I died from a slash to the neck last time, as well." She didn't know if she would live, but might as well make a joke just in case.

[Deleted]

Jude winced, almost looking away when she coughed up blood. He didn't like it, but she was right. The cold season was coming and cats needed to help eachother out. 'And I did the opposite of helping her.' He held in a breath, biting his lip. Was he feeling bad for her? 'I can't feel bad for her. She betrayed Riverpaw. And she made me stay at the barn. And... and...' He was grasping for an excuse now, but nothing could really justify what he did to her. She looked limp and in pain. No one deserved that.

He didn't know what to do. 'I can't let her die.' That was one thing he knew now. He stood up tall, stance no longer ready to pounce. He padded over and tried to give her a soft nudge. "Come on now. Let's get you cleaned up." He murmured softly. He could almost feel himself returning to the cheerful, friendly cat he usually was instead of this angry manifestation of himself that he had around Patch. Maybe he was wrong about her all along.

[Patch]

The she-cat lied on the ground, cringing at the cold shiver down her spine. She braced herself for another slash to the neck. But time passed and she still didn't feel anything, except for the life drifting slowly from her. A nudge was finally felt, along with Jude's voice.

Patch didn't say a word, but she obeyed and staggered up slowly. Her eyes were now filled with surprise.

[Deleted]

He stayed standing as she staggered up, gaze moving to the ground when he noticed her look of surprise. 'Why is she even obeying me? I'd have ripped my throat out if I were her.' Jude thought, offering a shoulder for her to lean on. "The river isn't far. You can clean up there."

[Patch]

The surprise faded from Patch's green eyes, it now looked dull. She blinked and hesitantly leaned on Jude's shoulder. The river? She hadn't been to the river in Deathclan before. At least, none she could remember, if she had, it was probably just a chat with another cat.

"River, huh? You think there's cobwebs there?"

[Deleted]

Jude slowly started leading the way to the river, going slow so that she wouldn't slip off of him. "A cobweb will just help close the wound, it won't clean it. I think it'd get infected if you just closed it up." He said quietly, taking a glance at her neck before going on. "I'm sure there's cobwebs over there anyway. You could use them after your wound is rinsed."

[Patch]

"I know, just taking notes." Patch murmured. She kept a steady pace, her green eyes focused on the path before her. She snuck a few glances around, trying to spot a big castle of cobwebs. She found them useful, and the structure itself looks amazing.

"I'm sorry for the whole yelling thing. I get agitated easily these days." She murmured, her tail swaying back and forth.

[Deleted]

"Okay." He muttered, looking in the opposite direction of Patch as they walked. The guilt he'd just started to feel was getting stronger and stronger with each pawstep. 'I hurt her. Twice. She didn't even fight back either of those times.' He thought, flattening his ears. His fur began to bristle at her next words. She was sorry? That just made him feel a whole lot worse. He didn't respond to her.

Soon the river was within sight. He stopped at the shore, then gazed around in search of cobwebs.

[Patch]

Patch sighed as Jude turned his gaze away from her. Did he still hate her? She lowered her ears and didn't comment on anything. The river was soon noticed and the bleeding she-cat broke away from the other and sat by the running water. She took a deep breath and began to clean her wound. It wasn't too perfect, considering how far she could reach the wound. But it was fine.

[Deleted]

Jude wandered away when Patch reached the river's edge. Making it a few tail-lengths into the forest, he stopped at a tree stump and inspected it briefly. Finding a few strands of cobwebs tucked in a crevice, he snagged them out with a claw and padded back over to Patch. He set them down next to her. "Here. Do you need help applying them?"

[Patch]

The she-cat glanced over at Jude. He wanted to help her so suddenly, she felt bad for feeling suspicious about it. Patch shook her head and gentlely picked up the cobwebs. "No thanks." She whispered politely, applying the cobwebs to her bloody throat. She had practice with applying them, considering all the other tomes she was hurt and bleeding.