Bristlestar had grown tired of hearing these warnings every time a cat goes patrolling. She decided to see for herself if those rumors were true and to drive off the foul beast.

"Where you goin'?" -Sandtuft noticed the elderly leader leave camp.

"I'm going to drive off that badger everyone's been talking about." -Bristlestar politely said, voice a tad hoarse. Her response sparked a small outrage in Sandtuft.

"Nuh uh uh," -Sandtuft stepped in front Bristlestar's path. "There's no way you're fighting a badger alone, not when i heard your joint rattling and cracking, you feeble ol' lady."

Bristlestar rolled her eyes and continued walking.

"What- Bristlestar, with all due respect, i genuinely think you should bring another cat with you- otherwise what your doing is just a suicide patrol." -Sandtuft politely opposed Bristlestar, but was only met with a withering glare.

"If i'm doing this alone, i'm doing this alone, Sandtuft. Don't you understand? I'm not bringing another cat just to stand there and die. It's the duty of the leader to take risks for the safety of the clan."

Sandtuft found it hard to disagree, but couldn't muster up a word before Bristlestar exited through the shrubbery near the exit. Dejected, she walked off.

...

Bristlestar had been wandering for a while. Eventually, her legs ached and could barely keep her walking.

Suddenly, the bushes behind her rustled. Unsheathing her claws faster then ever, she noticed an entrance to a burrow.

"This must be the sett of the creature..." She thought before entering the burrow, shrouded in the darkness of the night.

She walked through dead end after dead end, the sett empty and seemingly abandoned. Only as she walked outside she heard the distinct sound of heavy footsteps.

Heart racing and full of adrenaline, she began desperately clawing her way out of the burrow, the badger closer than ever. Bristlestar escaped, only for the jaws of the badger to clamp on her leg. After yowling in deep pain, she hissed at the badger, only for it to jump at her.

She dodged the attack and she leaped on top of the badger, biting into the animal's shoulder. The badger's back legs were exposed, and such, it used those to cut open into her belly. She bit the thing's neck, killing it.

Though, the pain she felt when she slipped away from consciousness was worse then what she felt during the attack.

...

"Bristlestar! Bristlestar, where are you?!" Palestreak yelled as the search patrol inspected the forest for any traces of Bristlestar.

"D-Do you have any idea where mom could be, Sandtuft?" Wolfripple asked the deputy, swallowing her spit in nervousness.

They looked everywhere for her. The sky was starting to turn blue and they had found nothing, until-

"Guys, i found her!" Crouchtail exclaimed, though her tone was very unenthusiastic. Cats came and saw what had happened to Bristlestar.

She had slowly been rising up from the area where she lost her her second life, a pool of stinking blood forming underneath her. Bristlestar kept coughing and hacking blood while her legs were twitching and quivering.

"MOM!" Wolfripple immediately ran towards her, hoping that the elderly leader would lean on her for balance and help get her back to camp.

"...Wolfripple... sweetheart... what are you doing here...?" Her exhausted voice sounded rash and rough.

"We were all so worried about you! We-we-we-what were you think, fighting that badger?! Mom, don't do this again...!" Wolfripple's rambling ended in a small, but joyful, sob.

"I promise, Wolf."

Bristlestar looked up at the sky, where the stars glowed meekly.

Eight stars shimmered brightly then the others. Then, one of them suddenly stopped glowing.

One down, seven lives left.

-🏹 (hi!!! it's me the og crossbow, last ask i sent it was me and i just forgot to turn on anon woopsies)

THIS IS SO GOOOOODD! You brought genuine smiles to my face <3

I feel like now is a good time to tell you that Wolfripple is a tom, but other than that you captured everyone perfectly!!!