Please Don't Fade Away [Closed]

Rookpaw was still confined to the medicine cats den.

Quailfeather and Silentstrike had been bent out of their minds, ignoring their duties as warriors with constant trips to her side. Nothing had been right since she'd come back from her Moonstone Journey, and the pair of WindClan Warriors hadn't given themselves a break from the worrying. Silenttrike couldn't believe Willowwhisker- she'd told Rookpaw that she'd been adopted! His own mother, how could she?! The tom shook his head in frustration, moving closer to Quailfeather as they walked across the moors. "What in StarClan's name are we supposed to do now, Quailfeather?" The toms low, gruff voice was an octave fainter than it usually was, the events of the past few sunrises taking a visible toll on him. His fur was ruffled at out of place, and there was an empty, tired look that refused to leave his eyes. His posture was slouched, his movements lame and aimless.

The past few days had been worse than almost any others. Quailfeather hadn't been this driven to distraction since the turmoil ages ago when her father had been demoted from deputy. She'd already lost a daughter- she hadn't seen Mistpaw for years. There was no way she could stand losing Rookpaw- not when the young she-cat didn't know how much she meant to her parents... because they were her parents. Whatever fox-hearts had given birth to her gave up their right to claim her when they gave her up. Rookpaw was theirs, as much as Laurelsong was... which was why she hurt so much. The senior warrior's blue eyes, normally sharp and intelligent, were dull and cloudy from worry and lack of sleep. Her pawsteps across the moor lacked direction or energy. She didn't know hoiw much more of this she could take- she wasn't as young as she used to be.

Silentstrike's question was entirely justified. What were they supposed to do? For the first time in her life.... "I don't know."

The answer that any cat never would've expected from Quailfeather didn't shock the tom, not at that moment. He didn't have anything to say as a follow-up, so he instead continued walking by her side, trying to sort through the excess amount of thoughts bubbling up in his brain. Losing a kit was by no means easy, and the older couple hadn't experienced something as even close to this heart-shattering since Mistpaw had disappeared. Even so, they were more rattled by the sudden near-death experience that Rookpaw had been through. "Quailfeather... I..." The old warrior couldn't keep his thoughts straight, but if there was one thing he knew to be true at that moment... "I love you, Quailfeather." It was the only thing that made sense to him in that instance, so he concentrated on the words as he looked into Quailfeather's stunning blue eyes.

As she looked into her mate's eyes, Quailfeather's heart melted. Every time she saw him, she was reminded how lucky she was to have a tom like Silentstrike on her side, through thick and thin. If she didn't have him with her... well, she didn't know what she'd do, honestly. He was the only cat who really knew her, at this point. "I love you too, Silentstrike," she purred hoarsely, glad that she knew that one thing at least. She drew closer to his side as they walked through the territory, happy to have him through all the change, at least he was with her. She felt her tense muscles slowly begin to relax, trying to de-stress, just enjoying their time together...

Then she smelled dog.

Heart suddenly racing, the senior warrior looked up- and sure enough, two enormous dogs were a few fox-lengths away, staring them down, eyes intent. Her body froze. Though she knew what she had to do was to go up and attack them- or at least run away- she couldn't do anything. Her white paws were stuck to the ground. Her eyes were fixated on the two large threatening figures as flashbacks returned from her days as a younger warrior... being thrown across the territory, landing hard, blacking out... the cries of her family as they were hurt and Ashstar lost a life protecting them. Get up, Quailfeather, you hare-brained fool! If you don't do SOMETHING, they'll tear you to SHREDS! But she couldn't move. All that she could do was stand there in horror, knowing that she was probably about to die because of her stupid memories.

--

The larger black dog had come with his mate, Flying Fur, to hunt. Their home in the Longpaw-place was running out of food as the prey-animals moved from the protected thin-paths to the meadows where the sun shone. Snap Jaws had heard from his fellow dogs in the new pack that here was a good place to find many rabbits, and that if one was lucky, they might find cats as well. While not as good for food, cats were good sport to hunt, and these were supposed to be more dangerous than usual. And with just their luck, the two dogs had run into two cats. A she-cat and a he-cat. When they noticed him, Snap Jaws considered them for a second more, noting that they seemed like worthy enough prey for a competition of skill. Letting out a long howl to let them know that the hunt was to begin, and to alert Flying Fur where he planned to go, the strong black dog ran forwards, easily covering the distance in a few long strides, consumed by his love for battle. He hadn't had a good hunt in quite awhile. When he reached the pair, he snapped the smaller she-cat up in his fanged jaws, biting onto her leg and shaking it around.

Black Dog used Thrash on Quailfeather, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina, stunning for 1 turn.

Black Dog:
150/150 HP
330/350 SP

Quailfeather:
80/100 HP
280/280 SP

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

Dog. Silentstrike hardly even had time to think before there was a large black attacking the Quailfeather, tearing into her flesh and ripping her fur as it slung her around. He was getting ready to leap towards the black dog, barring it from hurting Quailfeather any further, when he heard the deep, sinister growl in the stomach of yet another dog behind him. When he looked back, he was facing another dog, large but not quite as big as much so as the black one. These dogs were driven by hunger, but it didn’t seem like they were there for lunch, more so just for the fun of it. It’s shiney brown fur reflected the sunlight, but Silentstrike’s mind couldn’t focus on one single thing, thoughts coming at a mile a minute. What do we do now!?! He was thinking back to how he’d been blinded, a terrified look in both of his eyes.

---

Flying Fur’s stomach growled, easily giving away her position in the long grasses of the moor. Although she was not there to eat, the cats would be both wonderful exercise and fun. The he-cat seemed almost awe-struck, unable to move. She wouldn’t give up her chance to make a move. Lunging toward the striped cat, she managed to lock onto its long legs, sinking her teeth into flesh and muscle while simultaneously shredding his rather thick fur.

Flying Fur used Iron Bite, dealing 30 Damage and using 20 Stamina Points.

Silentstrike:
65/95 HP
280/280 SP

Flying Fur:
90/90 HP
330/350 SP

Quailfeather let out a high-pitched screech of pain as the dog's teeth sank into her leg, tearing through flesh and bone with a sickening crunch. The last time she'd fought one of these monsters, it had smacked her halfway across the moor- but now, this one's attacks were far more offensive than defensive. And she couldn't even fight back. However, her pain was the least of her worries, in her opinion. A few fox-lengths away, Silentstrike was in trouble. He seemed to be in a similar predicament to her, being grabbed onto by the legs in the smaller female dog's teeth. Her mate was in danger. Her mate was in pain. Never mind that she was, as well... She'd gotten them into this mess. Oh, StarClan, it was all her fault. If he died, she'd never forgive herself... even if he was only injured, she could never forgive herself for causing him pain. "Silentstrike!" the senior warrior cried out, struggling to save the love of her life even while blood flowed from her crushed leg, stuck in the dog's sharp teeth.

--

Snap Jaws was having relatively little trouble tearing into the she-cat- though she struggled in vain when she saw the other cat being attacked by Flying Fur. He almost felt a twinge of guilt for a second, until he remembered that his pack had suffered from the claws of cats like these before. Besides, if he drove these off, he'd earn hunting rights on these prey-rich grounds for at least a moon-length. Growling with renewed ferocity, he let go of her leg to swipe the she-cat viciously across her fear-filled blue left eye.

Snap Jaws used Heavy Blow, dealing 25 damage and costing 20 stamina. Quailfeather is no longer stunned.

Snap Jaws:
150/150 HP
310/350 SP

Quailfeather:
55/100 HP
280/280 SP

That was it. Silentstrike managed to tear himself away from the smaller black dog, hissing in pain as her teeth ripped down his skin and muscle. It wasn't as painful as nearly losing Rookpaw. Grimacing slightly as he stumbled just slightly out of reach, he got up and made a quick dash towards Quailfeather and the large black dog. His determination only grew whenever his mate called his name, agony all but dripping from her voice. Gazing into her deep blue eyes, he shed a tear for her. Seeing his mate since apprenticeship in pain was not easy, it made him want to rush towards her and comfort her, but he knew that would only put her in more danger. He bowled into the large dog, loose fur flying in all directions as he tackled it to the ground. Jumping from the dog after he'd successfully knocked it from Quailfeather, he took a brief moment to catch his breath. He was standing right next to Quailfeather, so it wasn't hard for him to quickly bend over and nuzzle her cheek fur. His chest rose and fell, but his eyes flickered open when the dog got to his feet. Before it even had a second to make a move on either of the WindClanners, Silentstrike was on him again, scratching through the fur on his flank.

Silentstrike used Whirlwind Rush and Swift Strike, dealing a collective total of 23 Damage and using 25 Stamina Points.

Silentstrike:
65/95 HP
225/250

Snap Jaws:
127/150
310/350

---

The he-cat would not get away that easily, not from her. Flying Fur fumed, nostrils flaring as she made a mad dash towards the striped cat that had somehow managed to rip himself from her grasp. She skidded to a halt as she watched the lean tom attack her mate, a drop of fear coursing through her veins. Could she take this cat? Shaking her head in a fit of disbelief as he managed to attack Snap Jaws again, she raced into action as soon as the Wildcat jumped away from her mate's side. She was going to make sure this hurt. She took him by the scruff, shaking as violently as she could manage without hurting herself in the process. When she was content with what she'd done, she tossed him to the side, smiling with satisfaction as she heard the low thump of his body hitting the ground.

Flying Fur used Thrash, dealing 30 damage and using 20 Stamina Points. Silentstrike is stunned for 1 turn.

Flying Fur:
150/150 HP
310/310 SP

Silentstrike:
35/95 HP
280/280 SP

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 1

Pain. Quailfeather couldn't move. Her back legs were a mangled mess that she couldn't even feel. Her left eye was bleeding copiously. At least... at least Silentstrike had managed to get free. As her mate got away from the dog attacking him, the senior warrior relaxed somewhat, knowing that at least the tom she loved most would be safe... But then he ran to her. What? No, no! Go back! Get out of here, go be safe, save yourself! Despite her silent pleas, the tabby tom continued to fight the dogs, standing alone, trying to protect her. Why, why had she cried out? She should have made him leave! Now, now if he died, it would be her fault. As the smaller black dog tossed him to the side with an audible crunch, Quailfeather screeched again, in both physical and emotional agony. Salt-laden tears mixed with the blood pouring from her left eye. She couldn't get up, she couldn't do anything... Sobbing, trying to breathe, the injured she-cat lashed out instinctively with a crimson-soaked paw as a dog tried approaching her, the dog who had hurt her mate. But she knew, even as she struck her with claws, that it was hopeless. They would both die here, and it was all her fault. Oh, Silentstrike... forgive me.

Quailfeather used Front Paw Strike on Flying Fur, dealing 14 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Quailfeather:
55/100 HP
270/280 SP

Flying Fur:
136/150 HP
310/310 SP

--

Snap Jaws snarled in surprise and pain as the he-cat attacked him- not once, but twice. Any feeling but pain and rage left him. How dare this prey-animal hurt him? He was about to race over to the tabby cat, and attack him in turn, but then the she-cat struck his mate. The large black dog was more surprised than anything, now, but still furious. How was she still moving? Any other animal would either be dead or comatose from all that pain, let alone the blood loss. "I'll finish off this one," the he-dog growled to his mate. "You take care of the other. Finish this, and we will have prey for moons." Large eyes narrowed, the dog grabbed the she-cat's torn legs in his jaws once more, and tossed her farther away from his mate so she couldn't attack her again. No one hurt Flying Fur and got away with it.

Snap Jaws used Thrash on Quailfeather, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina. Stunned for 2 turns.

Snap Jaws:
127/150
290/350

Quailfeather:
35/100 HP
270/280 SP

The member 'Ash' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 6

Flying Fur merely nodded in agreement to her mate's words, more interested in the cats that were before them. These cats knew what they were doing. Any smart dog would've realized before that they were not to be messed with, and Flying Fur had her doubts about the outcome of this battle being in their favor. She shook her head in a displeased manner, not exactly willing to continue fighting. She didn't want her or her mate to be killed, but she wouldn't leave him to fend for himself. Racing back towards the he-cat she'd attacked before, she let out a fierce growl. Lifting up a large paw, she brought it down across his back, leaving him even more dazed than she had the first time. If that didn't send him sprawling, she didn't know what would.

Flying Fur used Heavy Blow, dealing 25 damage and using 20 Stamina Points. Silentstrike is no longer stunned, but has received a painful permanent back injury.

Flying Fur:
136/150 HP
290/310 SP

Silentstrike:
10/95 HP
225/250 SP

---

Ouch. Silentstrike's head went blurry when the smaller black dogs forepaw smashed down onto his back. It left him practically unable to move, as if he were stunned again. Through his haziness, he could see the male dog putting its filthy paws on his mate. He would not allow that. The pleading look in her eyes pushed him forwards, and he forced himself to get up. He fought through the immense pain in his back, driving himself to get up and fight for their lives. Before he attacked, he let out a shrill yowl. Running forwards, he was able to launch himself onto Snap Jaws' back. He made sure to rip through the skin on his pelt, making him pay for hurting his mate. 'He wouldn't dare put a paw on her again.'

Silentstrike used Leap-and-Hold, dealing 14 damage and using 10 Stamina Points. Snap Jaws' is stunned for 2 turns.

Silentstrike:
10/95 HP
215/250 SP

Snap Jaws:
113/150
290/350

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 6

Whether it was fate or merely coincidence that Brindlestar's path managed to intersect with Silentstrike and Quailfeather's, one could never truly be certain.

The heady silence that seemed to yawn on endlessly was unfamiliar- even the bleak expanses of grasses was often notorious for exuding a wide array of pleasant noises. It was slightly unsettling that, even now, no living creature seemed to be residing amongst the greenery. The odd scenario didn't have much logic or apparent reason behind it, until the wind shifted. In the place of the many different fresh scents of sweet grasses, earth, and living creatures, there was only the rank stench of sweat, blood, and fear. And dog. The realization sparked a fire deep within the recesses of her chest, searing her veins with a heated mixture of adrenaline and fear. She had only ever faced off against dogs once in her life, many moons ago, but she could still vividly recall the trail of destruction that followed in their wake.

The heat coiled tightly within Brindlestar's throat, making each inhale and exhale feel as though a wild fire resided deep within her- the flames spilling out with each opportunity available. Despite the storm of mixed emotions that was raging fiercely within her, her body seemed to move out of instinct. Tearing forward in pursuit of of the foul mixture of blood and sweat, she was quickly racing across the ominously silent moor. The closer she drew to whatever horrific scene was likely awaiting her, the more sounds and scents she could discern above the chaos- now she could hear the wild barking of the dogs and a slightly familiar scent that was lost among the maelstrom of others. However, as she finally barreled into view of whatever horrific scene was waiting just below the crest of a slight hill, Brindlestar could hardly recognize the battered and bloodied outlines of her Clanmates.

It took what seemed like hours to finally identify the two cats. Below the blood, mangled extremities, and ruffled fur, it was none other than Silentstrike and Quailfeather. Great StarClan! Watching for a brief heartbeat as the tom tried desperately to fend off the two ravaging dogs in defense of his mate, it was the final straw that pushed her forth into the fray. "Silentstrike!" Brindlestar yowled, plunging forward to rush the dog that Silentstrike currently wasn't grappling with. Thankfully, for the time being, the element of surprise appeared to be on her side due in part to her sudden appearance. This brief reprieve enabled her to slip beneath one of the dogs to lash out at practically anything within her reach before ducking free. "Take Quailfeather and go." She was no fool- the likelihood of her repelling two dogs solely by herself would result in a poor outcome, but if the pair didn't try to escape now they wouldn't have another chance.

Brindlestar used Belly Rake, Dealing -20 in Damage & Costing -10 in Stamina.
Brindlestar also used Swift-Strike, Dealing -8 in Damage & Costing -10 in Stamina.

Brindlestar
120/120 [HP]
280/300 [SP]

Flying Fur
108/150 [HP]
290/310 [SP]

OOC: Forgive my lateness please ;-;/

IC: Swiftstep had decided to take a slow stroll through the territory so he may clear his head. As he walked and walked, he felt like something wasn't right. He unsheathed his claws and cautiously continued to walk. He was on alert and was ready to defend himself if he had to. That's when the brown tom heard battling somewhere up ahead. The tom sprinted in the direction of the fighting and he soon saw three cats attempting to defend against two dogs. As he got closer and closer, he began to recognize their faces. Brindlewhisker, Silentstrike, and Quailfeather needed help! He ran up to join the leader and once he got there, he reared up on his back paws and used his sharp claws to pummel the dog's face. Then he attacked once more when the dog was still a bit disoriented by his first attack.
---------------------------------
Swiftstep used Rear-Up To Slash, dealing 17 damage and using 15 sp followed by Swift Strike, dealing 7 damage and using 10 sp.

Swiftstep:
100/100
255/280

Flying Fur:
84/150
290/350