break my fall [closed]

Snowflight’s day had started with a rude awakening, courtesy of his old mentor, in the form of being assigned to the dawn patrol. His paws had been lagging ever since. Thankfully, a warrior name came with plenty of perks, and he’d discovered the greatest one of all: once he did as RiverClan asked, the rest of the day was his. There was enough sun left to bask in and no one to tell him he couldn’t. So, after snagging a fish from the fresh-kill pile and grooming his pelt until it curled just the way he liked it, he’d set out from camp once again. Though Sunningrocks technically sat on ThunderClan’s side of the river, they’d belonged to RiverClan longer than even Addershade could remember; Snowflight couldn’t imagine a better place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Sure enough, his home Clan’s scent settled over him as he approached. Another scent, trees and dirt and something uncomfortably close to rot, mingled with it. It didn’t quite seem like ThunderClan, but it was forest-y enough, and he was tired enough, that he paid it no mind. Snowflight stretched out on one of the lowest, flattest rocks and closed his eyes. The post-sunhigh light was warm. The breeze ruffled his fur just enough to cool it, not enough to be an annoyance. For the first time today, he could just breathe.

Then something clamped down on his back leg.

With a howl of pain, Snowflight jerked upright—or tried to, because at the same moment, the thing that had a hold on him yanked him back. "Let go—" Another yelp broke out of him as he twisted to see his assailant. Not a cat; it looked more like a fur-covered boulder than anything, at least until he noticed the markings on its face. Stormbringer had the scars to prove her experience with fighting predators, and she’d always said raccoons didn’t usually come out during the day— Oh, Snowflight thought, kicking at the raccoon with his other leg, ”usually.” He might not have been trespassing on ThunderClan’s territory, but predators didn't care about borders. His heart jammed itself in his throat. He hadn't told anyone where he was going. It’d been a while (a moon and a half, in fact) since he’d felt truly scared during a fight; from what he knew about raccoons, they probably cared even less about the no-murdering part of the code than the Righteous Few had. With a wild swipe that didn't hit much of anything, he pulled his leg free and stumbled back. The raccoon, snarling, not running, followed.

Raccoon used Iron Bite, dealing 30 damage and using 20 stamina.

Snowflight
10/40 HP (-30)
130/130 SP

Raccoon
30/30 HP
280/300 SP (-20)

A large brown creature slinked through the forest, thorny tendrils brushing against his thick coat as he maneuvered through the narrow passageways in the verdant ferns. He took in a long, drawling breath, eyes fluttering shut as he traced the prey-scent on the wind. A young rodent, a flighty one, but healthy and clean. The fear-scent permeated the nutty, oaky smell of squirrel. If he stayed upwind, he might be able to catch it.

He moved upon the crossing log, careful not to let his huge paws scrape the fragile bark and create a sound. The creek he passed over rushed with a vengeance, spraying mist on his hot face, and reminding him of his proximity to RiverClan’s territory. He paused in his venture, lifting his head to check the border, detecting nearby fish-scent. But there was a trail that made his stomach turn with memories of days far behind. Three-day-old prey in the hot sun was the only other thing that was comparable to that vaguely familiar smell and the sensation it created within him. Raccoons, less intelligent and more vicious than the more dangerous fox, were easily taken down by a team of two… or a very large young tom. Beecloud sighed, abandoning that irresistible squirrel, to chase the little devil out before some poor apprentice happened across it. He made the last few leaps over the crossing log and made haste to discover the source of the scent trail.

Once or twice, Beecloud thought he spotted a ringed tail disappear to the left or right. If it scurried into RiverClan territory, it would likely follow the length of the river to Fourtrees, out of his fur and ThunderClan’s. As the raccoon’s movement began to zigzag, it was increasingly more difficult to tell the beast’s location. Beecloud grumbled, ears flicking as he leered at empty bushes, willing the raccoon to show its ugly mug.

A yelp broke the silence, and the young warrior’s heart kicked into motion. From Sunningrocks, the sound came. A scuffle? For what? Beecloud turned around, churning up dirt as he broke through the bushes. The sight startled him, and a frightened meow escaped his odd-toothed maw. A white tom, leg stained red with blood, cornered by the very same raccoon. Panicked, Beecloud eyed the border. The fishy scent marking was an invisible barrier, punishable by death.

”Oh, STARCLAN, what am I DOING?” he gasped, breaking through the invisible wall head-first and throwing his huge body at the beast with a satisfying thud. He grappled with it, leaning back as it chattered in his ears, until he could hold on no longer and was forced to release, tumbling down the rock they had wrestled on and landing at the river’s edge, water lapping his neck fur. ”Hang on, I’m coming back up!” he called, shaking out his scruff. ”I’ve tracked that bugger through a third of my territory! Don't let it take another chunk out of you!”

Beecloud used Run-and-Tackle on Raccoon! [8+3 HP] [10 SP]

Beecloud
40/40 HP
110/120 SP (-10)

Snowflight
10/40 HP
130/130 SP

Raccoon
19/30 HP (-11)
280/300 SP

Somewhere through the whirlwind in his head, Snowflight assessed his options. Escaping into ThunderClan territory wasn’t one of them. He’d be fighting a battle on two fronts, maybe three if StarClan took matters into their paws again, and he didn’t know the landscape. He couldn’t flee to the river, either. Swimming on an injured leg was already uncharted territory for him; he wouldn’t risk the raccoon being angry enough to follow on top of that. Besides, a retreat meant turning his back to an enemy. Though he might’ve been able to ignore his pride just this once, fear wasn’t so easily overlooked. Snowflight stood his ground, injured leg shuddering under him, the rest of him shaking more than he cared to admit. He could’ve sworn he’d heard a meow. There wasn’t time to look. The raccoon had already stripped away too much fur (and skin, though he was trying not to think about that) for his liking.

A shout—a voice—came from beyond. Snowflight could’ve cried. Being a warrior and, in his opinion, too old for that sort of thing, he instead swallowed hard and lifted his head to see a brown-and-white beast of a cat erupt from ThunderClan’s side of the border. The cat hurled himself at the raccoon, and Snowflight had a realization. None of his denmates had a pelt like that. The cat who’d come to his aid could only be a rogue or a ThunderClanner.

Either would be better than a predator.

A downward glance told him nothing. Blood and fur hid most of the damage the raccoon had done to his leg. Stifling an unsteady laugh at the thought of explaining this to Spiderquill, he looked up in time to watch the other cat drop out of view. Snowflight's heart promptly lodged itself somewhere in his ear. One half-beat of staring at the rock's edge, two, three, and then the voice called up to him. At once, his gaze snapped back onto the raccoon. Blood dripped from its scraggly fur as well as its teeth. It looked as menacing as before, but something had risen above the fear; anger came easier now that someone was watching. ”Got it,” he growled. ”I’ll keep it busy!”

He stepped back, further from the rock and the river. Dutiful as an apprentice on their first-ever patrol, the raccoon closed in. When it lunged, it went high. He dove and tore a set of lines into its underbelly. Wobbling on his feet, he turned to face it again, only to be met with a skinny-toed paw. He ducked, knowing even as he moved that it was a mistake—another yelp burst out of him as the raccoon’s claws sliced into his face, carried upward by his own momentum. Warmth trickled down from his forehead. Snowflight reeled, squeezing his eye shut before the blood reached it. ”So, I-I know what I just said—” Despite his efforts, the raccoon was very much alive and livid…and its eyes were still on him.

Snowflight used Half-Turn Belly Rake on Raccoon, dealing 11 damage and using 20 stamina.

Raccoon used Quick Swipe on Snowflight, dealing 20 damage and using 10 stamina. Snowflight can no longer fight.

Snowflight
0/40 HP (-20)
110/130 SP (-20)

Beecloud
40/40 HP
110/120 SP

Raccoon
8/30 HP (-11)
270/300 SP (-10)

The scent of fishy border markers was overwhelming, almost sickening, as the ThunderClan tom clamored up Sunningrocks, yelping as the raccoon's grubby paw made contact with the stark white tom. The beast was staggering, and yet it did not let up. Beecloud's ears flipped backward as he reckoned with the only option he had. A ThunderClan war cry ripping through his maw, Beecloud leaped across the other tom's body to face the raccoon, raising a six-clawed paw to its eyes and slicing them through. His eyes shut in a disgusted cringe at the sound and feeling of severed flesh. The raccoon collapsed, and Beecloud ducked, plunging his muzzle into the raccoon's throat.

Powerful, fanged jaws clamped over the creature's windpipe; he gagged as its blood filled his mouth. Raccoons, apparently, did not taste very good, and would certainly never be his meal of choice. They struggled for many moments, though his opponent was in no condition to. Thrashing became kicking became twitching, the predator's incessant chattering coming to a weak gasping. Finally, after an eternity, the raccoon dropped its weight, dead, and Beecloud released the sack of fur, looking away as it slumped in the dirt. A cruel fate for a cruel animal, who had endangered the life of a cat... oh! A cat!

He found the stranger again as his mind caught up to the aftermath of the brawl. A lily-white tom, odd-eyed, and very bloody. Behind the residual terror, there was a handsome face and glossy RiverClan coat. Beecloud bounded over rocks to reach him, stopping short. RiverClan cats didn't often take kindly to intruders in such coveted territory. His amber eyes twitched towards the ThunderClan side, but his paws stayed locked to the stones. "How bad is it?" he hummed. "I can help... I think. I'm not a swimmer, but I could try if you need a lift. We're safe now." A laugh erupted from his chest against his own will. "Unless raccoons started avenging their fallen. In that case, I think I'll want your help throwing that thing in the river!"

Beecloud used Rear-Up to Slash on Raccoon! [9 HP] [15 SP]

Beecloud
40/40 HP
95/120 SP

Raccoon
-1/30 HP
270/300 SP