Carnies

This is a Songfic called Carnies by Rush featuring Ravenpaw.

 Under the gaze of the angels

 The StarClan warriors watched from the sky

A spectacle like he's never seen

 as the bloodiest battle I have ever seen rages on.

Spinning lights and faces

'''The light of day slices through the trees and dapples the river. The bodies of my Clan and the opponents are everywhere, fighting. '''

Demon music and gypsy queens

I hear cats yowling in pain, snarling in rage.

The glint of iron wheels

Claws glint and flash all around.

The bodies spin in a clockwork dance

Cats are jumping, rolling, clawing, biting.

The smell of flint and steel

'''I smell fear scent and blood all around. Tigerclaw races up to me. "Go back to camp!" he ordered me. I obeyed running the familiar path as a thought crossed my mind, "What if they need my help?"'''

A wheel of fate, a game of chance

<p style="text-align: center;">'''Going back to the battle might have meant my fate, but I took a chance and went back. I saw cats retreating from where I was in the bushes until only Tigerclaw and Redtail were left. I thought they were about to retreat after the last of RiverClan was gone. Tigerclaw jumped on Redtail, sinking his teeth into his neck, killing our deputy.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">How I prayed just to get away, to carry me anywhere

<p style="text-align: center;"> My mind raced and I prayed to get away from Tigerclaw before he saw me.

<p style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the angels punish us by answering our prayers

<p style="text-align: center;"> '''But my paws were rooted to the spot. I was stuck with my mentor and the dead body of the deputy.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">By answering our prayers

<p style="text-align: center;"> I ran as fast as I could, forcing my paws to keep running, making bushes rustle. Tigerclaw had heard me.

<p style="text-align: center;">A face of naked evil turn a young boy's blood to ice

<p style="text-align: center;">After that, whenever I saw Tigerclaw, my blood froze.

<p style="text-align: center;">The deadly confrontation, such a dangerous device

<p style="text-align: center;">'''After a while, I realized Tigerclaw would kill me to keep me quiet. He started spreading rumors. Firepaw told me he said I had gone to ShadowClan camp on our way back from the Moonstone and told them our camp was unguarded.''' That's when I told Firepaw and Graypaw what had really happened at the battle.

<p style="text-align: center;">The glint of iron wheels

<p style="text-align: center;">I recalled the glint of claws.

<p style="text-align: center;">The bodies spin in a clockwork dance

<p style="text-align: center;">I recalled the bodies of fighting cats everywhere.

<p style="text-align: center;">The smell of flint and steel

<p style="text-align: center;">'''I recalled the scent of fear and blood, Tigerclaw telling me to go to camp. '''

<p style="text-align: center;">A wheel of fate, a game of chance

<p style="text-align: center;">'''How I took the chance and went back. What I saw. I told Firepaw and Graypaw all of it.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">Shout to warn the crowd.

<p style="text-align: center;">'''Firepaw tried to warn Bluestar. She wouldn't believe it. Tigerclaw's lies about me were believed by more and more of my Clanmates.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">Accusations ringing loud

<p style="text-align: center;">My Clanmates yowled at me, saying I was a traitor.

<p style="text-align: center;">A ticking box in the hand of the innocent

<p style="text-align: center;">'''Those lies were ruining my life. I was innocent, but only Firepaw and Graypaw believed me.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">The angry crowd moves toward him with bad intent.

<p style="text-align: center;">'''My Clanmates wanted me dead. I had to get out of there. Firepaw and Graypaw fetched me and we ran and ran. I was going to the farm, where Barley lived. They explained that the Clan would think he was dead, killed by a ShadowClan patrol. As we ran I kept recalling the battle.'''

<p style="text-align: center;">How I prayed just to get away, to carry me anywhere.

<p style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the angels punish us by answering our prayers

<p style="text-align: center;">By answering our prayers

<p style="text-align: center;">'''Tigerclaw killing Redtail, the memory flooded my brain. I had wanted to run, but I couldn't and when I could Tigerclaw heard me'''. The battle of Sunningrocks thundered in my head.

<p style="text-align: center;">The glint of iron wheels

<p style="text-align: center;">The glint of claws blinded my sight.

<p style="text-align: center;">The bodies spin in a clockwork dance

<p style="text-align: center;"> RiverClan and ThunderClan warriors fought, yowling and snarling.

<p style="text-align: center;">The smell of flint and steel

<p style="text-align: center;">The scent of fear and blood clogged my nose as I started toward the Clan.

<p style="text-align: center;">A wheel of fate, a game of chance.

<p style="text-align: center;">'''My life was all chances. I was taking a chance by running away. I felt like Tigerclaw was on my heels right then, chasing me, trying to get in range to pounce and claw and bite until there was nothing left of Ravenpaw, the ThunderClan apprentice with a haunted life. It all melted away when we burst through the bushes and I took in the life of a loner at Barley's farm.'''