Let's Give This A Try (Closed for Grey)

Diesel got Rowan to go on a patrol with him, the two needed a warrior to get out without​a fuss. That should have been the reason he had told Rockthorn to meet them for a patrol, his excuse for the specific time was that he wanted to get more familiar with the land. The Siberian sat impatiently with the blue abyssinian next to him. He kept looking around for the warrior.

Falconp-Rowan, Rowan. Rowan sat down, grooming the thin fur on his face. He ran a damp paw over his muzzle to get some annoying pollen off and straighten his whiskers. He was glad to have Diesel there, the younger was going through the same thing as Rowan. As they waited him hummed lightly, thumping his tail on the ground. There wasn't much for him to be nervous about if it was Diesel, they were both learning and Diesel had rogue parents just like he had his mother, his father had become a pet and remained one while he was whisked off with an angry mother trudging through the winter territory​ until well.. Everyone knew what happened after that.

OOC: Lmao short

Rockthorn padded up to the two apprentices, he had been approached earlier to go on a patrol with them since they needed a warrior to do so and he had agreed, he himself needing to get away from it all. Limping as steadily as a limping cat could, he stopped just before the two younger toms. "Well? Where is it you wanted to go?" He asked, a frown etching his horribly scarred face as an eyebrow lifted while he scrutinized the two young toms.

The younger tom looked at Rowan or as others would call him, Falconpaw and then to Rockthorn. "Just to a good hunting spot, I'm sure we'd all sleep better knowing the pile was high for the dawn patrol tomorrow." He meowed, quickly.

Falconpaw's gaze lingered on Rockthorn's scars and then quickly looked away. Hawkpaw was certainly ready to go, he had told him that he needed to come along.

Short too)

"It'd pay to be more specific Hawkpaw, how do I know it's a good hunting spot anyways? You've just become an apprentice, a filthy rogue before that." Rockthorn retorted sourly but nonetheless gestured that Hawkpaw take the lead. Rockthorn figured it'd be important to make sure that Hawkpaw knew his position was lower than Rockthorn's, despite being a big tom and having previously been a rogue and despite Hawkpaw's youth he knew that the tom could be quite strong. Survival in that barn must have been survival of the fittest.

""Where did those scars come from?" He said in mocked innocence before turning sharply and padding out the camp, he had to keep himself from getting too hasty, else he'd ruin the present, wouldn't he? The tom sped up his pace a bit. Filthy rogue? Oh, yes. He'd show him filthy rogue. His crippled mother was a filthy rogue as well, as was his sharp father. Bear was a filthy rogue. Rowan was a filthy rogue, Rockthorn was a lowly, filthy, rude, selfish, dead clan cat rotting on the ground with maggots on him. A low chuckle almost his throat, dying as a purr.

Falconpaw flinched at Rockthorn's words, following Diesel without saying anything. What was wrong with them? Why did Diesel think this was a good idea? When he caught up to the younger, he gave a nervous look and was given a grin in return. They had gotten pretty far into the territory now.

"Fighting Bear, I gave him a few nasty scars of his own." Lies, all lies, he was pinned and just took it as he was ripped apart - Brindlewhisker was the only reason he was still alive but he wasn't going to let this apprentice know it, his fur bristled at the thought. Rockthorn caught Falconpaw's flinch and immediately felt guilty for his words, dipping his head he meowed. "Sorry Falconpaw, I didn't mean you.. sounds wrong I know but I'd never hate you for your bloodline. Hawkpaw on the other paw..." Rockthorn muttered, Hawkpaw was much closer to Bear and so he resented the young tom much more than Falconpaw or his mother.

Rockthorn easily matched the tom's pace despite his limp, Rockthorn didn't think his shoulder would ever get better especially after both Bear and Leopardclaw had torn into it. His shoulder ached at the thought, same with all of his scars that Bear, Falconpaw's mother and Leopardclaw had inflicted.

It didn't help, Falconpaw still felt the same about the comment. His mother was worse than Diesel's blood. As far as he had found out. Born to a pacifist couple that was somehow still alive. The half hopeful look was gone from his features.

Diesel let his chuckle ring out this time. "If he wasn't dead, he'd thank you for the trophy, he loved scars more than a lot of other things. Now.." he could hardly wait to begin. This cat was more arrogant than the ones at the battle. With a dark grin, he rounded and slammed his body weight into Rockthorn's, hoping to make the shoulder injury permanent. "I haven't introduced myself or that apprentice over there yet. The names Diesel but, you're mouth is too messed up to say it properly anyway. My blood is more pure than your blood will every be. The tom you orphaned is named Rowan and if it weren't for you, he'd be a fantastic loner with superb hearing that could feed plenty. He'd have his mother as well." He muttered, striking his claws along Rockthorn's mauled face.

Rowan stiffened, backing away with fear and confusion in his eyes. "D-d-diesel!? What's happening? Wha-what are you doing?" His legs wobbled a bit and the whites of his eyes showed far more than normal.

Rockthorn gave a pained hiss in shock as he pulled away, Rockthorn's immediate instinct was to protect himself but as his leg bumped into Falconpaw's thigh his instinct immediately changed. Stepping back immediately he pushed Falconpaw as far as he could before turning back on Hawkpaw, putting himself between Hawkpaw and Falconpaw. "You weren't there to see how ragged and starved his mother was! He and his mother would have effectively died during leaf-bare if it wasn't for me!" Rockthorn didn't want to throw the death of Falconpaw's mother so he stopped at that moment.

Yowling with rage Rockthorn launched himself onto Hawkpaw, claws unsheathed to their fullest extent as he tore at thick fur and dug his teeth into the young tom's scruff, shaking and pulling as hard as he could, wanting more than anything to rip the skin, fur, fat, and flesh from the tom's spine. Using his size he tried to push the tom into the dirt, trying to push him up and down with his back legs.

"You wouldn't know ragged and starved if it hit you in the face! Then again, it did." He managed out, grunting as he hit the dirt. It was difficult to focus with all the shaking but, he used yet another thing from his inheritance even if he had not known so. The tom struggled to stand against the strain, falling a few times. Just barely off the ground, he gave a harsh kick to Rockthorn's hind leg to set his balance off. Blazing eyes flashed at Rowan. He was going to make things right, Rockthorn didn't deserve to defend himself​in this argument, Rowan didn't deserve to see the face of his mother's murderer emoting anything but pain, guilt, grief or death. Struggles continued for the tom until he shook himself violently to wrench his scruff free, he slammed the back of his head as hard as he could into Rockthorn's chin, hoping to send the warrior's jaws through his own skull if he could.

With alarm in his eyes, Rowan's breath quickened, his mouth went dry and his paws grew heavy when Rockthorn pushed him away from he fight. He grew dizzied and couldn't take a big enough breath to sustain himself.

Oh the sweet irony of that statement! Rockthorn flinched and stumbled away as his jaws clacked and his foot with kicked out from under him, "Oh but I do know!" He screeched, arching his back he turned towards Falconpaw with a hiss. "Run! Get to camp!" He snapped before lashing around to face Hawkpaw once more, tail high and fur all puffed out he circled. And circled some more before firing forwards and grasping Hawkpaw by the leg and wrenching, trying to pull and drag Hawkpaw through the dirt and maybe just maybe if he was lucky enough, dislocate Hawkpaw's leg.

Hawkpaw snarled in fury as he was dragged, giving a chuckle, "Oh, why run? I'm doing this for you, Rowan! You wouldn't leave now, would you?" His tone rose and he yanked his leg away, snarling in pain as Rockthorn's teeth kept it there. He tried to get up with his other three legs. "Honestly, some cats just don't know when they should just drop dead.. How many chances have you had to do so?" He yanked his leg away from Rockthorn, just enough to kick it back in the tom's face, his sides heaving.

Rowan finally got a manageable amount of air and heard Rockthorn's hiss followed by Diesel and his dangerously calm voice. "..p-p-please!" He looked at the two of them. "Just... Stop!" He yowled desperately, running between them.

The skinny tom chose the wrong time to do so, Diesel had lunged to hit Rockthorn and only had a split second to reduce it to barreling into Rowan. The two tumbled to the side and Diesel rolled back to his paws with ease. "Rowan, you idiot!"

Rowan was dazed for a moment, scrambling to his paws and putting himself between the two. "D-d-diesel, I-i can't s-s-stand blood! This doesn't h-help.. Y-y-you don't n-n-need to do this!" He stammered, watching a stream of blood go down the other's shoulder. "H-how are we s-s-supposed to explain t-t-t-this...." He groaned, panic filling him. "D-darkstar cou-could kick you out! Th-th-then h-how would you h-help me? I-i can't b-be alone a-a-again!" He sobbed, causing Diesel's fur to prickle. "R-rockthorn.." Rowan didn't know. He didn't know what to say, how to apologize. He just ducked his head. "A-all I d-do I c-cause fights! M-my mother, y-you and Le-leopardclaw... T-this!"

"Three, counting this one." Rockthorn shot back before his had snapped to the side from Hawkpaw's kick, before he could really tear into Hawkpaw he had tumbled into Falconpaw. Rockthorn's gut dropped from fear before Falconpaw started pleading, but no, Rockthorn won't let the tom be so close to Falconpaw, the kit he considered to be like a son to him. Stepping around Falconpaw he grasped Hawkpaw's scruff with a screaming jaw before trying to heave him down into the dirt, his leg almost completely gave but instead gave a big shudder before locking beneath him.

Once Hawkpaw was down on the ground Rockthorn wrapped his jaws over the apprentice's neck, squeezing harder and harder on his windpipe. This apprentice will suffer, the tom clearly had not a scrap of good in him. "Falconpaw, this isn't your fault. It's mine, I killed your mother not you, I fought Leopardclaw, not you, Hawkpaw attacked me and wants me dead, not you. Now look away, I don't want you seeing this." He growled through muffled jaws, crouching and laying all of his weight on Hawkpaw as he kept his paws wrapped around his shoulders.

Diesel fought for breath, the amount getting smaller and smaller. He struggled only for a moment, was he really going to die now? He didn't think it would have turned out this way, then again, he had been quick to fight with little strategy in his moves. He clawed at the ground it frustration and glared up at Rockthorn. If he was dying now, he'd make sure that he was looking his killer in the eye. His lips drew back in a silent snarl, he wouldn't waste the small frequency of air on this.

Rowan stared down at Diesel, watching as the younger seemed to accept death and it sent chills down his spine. All three of them. All three of them had seen death far too early in their lives and here they were in this mess. They were all damned. "N-no." He swallowed, shaking his tear-drenched head. "St-stop it! Wh-what g-good does it do? Y-you kill h-him, I-i go b-back to thorn-f-filled nights, y-you st-start th-thinking d-death is the a-answer! W-who's g-going to f-feel better a-after that!"

Rockthorn carefully replaced his jaws with a paw before slowly peeling his eyes away from Hawkpaw with suddenly chillingly cold eyes, his eyes flicked to Falconpaw. "Falconpaw, this is a cruel world and I'm sick of it. Look at Hawkpaw, he tried to kill me! Bear tried to kill me, your mother tried to kill me. Leopardclaw spills my blood, I have the worst of apprentices with no respect to be shown for my work! If there is no good to come to my actions no matter how much I plead and how much of my blood is spilled then what is the point!? There is none Falconpaw! No cat cares for either of us! No cat cares if your bedding is full of rot and thorns! No cat cares if Hawkpaw lives, no cat cares for my sanity!" Rockthorn snapped, claws breaking skin as he ranted.

Rockthorn's head flicked to look down at Hawkpaw once more, he knew that look. He did the same thing as he looked up at Bear as he tore into him, blood spilled over four-trees and Rockthorn was lost to the past again. While Rockthorn's physical body was standing stock still, his breath coming shallow and eyes shining with mania his spirit seemed to roam fourtrees once more. He watched as if on replay as Bear tore into his tiny starved body, his blood painting the ground red as if a flood. He was drowning in it, all the blood that burbled into his mouth and into his ears.

"But I do." For once, he didn't stutter. "I h-hate my n-nest. I-i'll n-never want someone to d-die. I-i visited y-you in the m-medicine cat d-den when y-you were hurt! P-perhaps I a-am nobody. T-that is j-just how I feel." He mewed, he looked down at the apprentice, relieved to see the lack of jaws.

Diesel closed his eyes when he felt the jaws release him. A shirt growl leaving him when claws broke skin. He wanted to get up, our from under the paw. Instead, he just laid there, exausted from the battle

Shooorrrrt)