O Enemy Mine

Today, in Firepaw's not-so-humble opinion, was not a good day. It just wasn't - not for any particular reason, but for a combination of smaller things, a figurative swarm of tiny gnats that bit at her fur and caused minor discomfort. And also, at one point, a literal swarm. The sun beat down with burning rays of flame, scorching her as soon as she dared step out into its light- and she thought maybe it might spare her the pain out of some sense of kinship (she was Firepaw, after all)- but no, she had been wrong. And because of that, she'd failed in her hunting earlier, for the first time since her apprenticeship had begun: not just made a mistake, not just let the prey go free, but failed, and alerted half the squirrels and birds in the forest to her presence by tumbling head-first over a branch when her scorched paws couldn't stand any longer. And that's when the swarm came in... Firepaw had practically begged Redfall to let her return to the forest at dusk to try hunting again (this time, alone, in case she made yet another mistake and embarrassed herself thoroughly yet again) - but, of course, the prey scattered and ran before her as soon as she got even remotely close. Perhaps, perhaps a tiny part of that was her complete inability to maintain a stealthy presence today. And the worst part? The worst part was that none of this- from the irritable temper to the hunting inadequacy to the lack of awareness- was like Firepaw in the slightest. She was usually calm, collected, and thoroughly meticulous with her efforts-- which really, made all this so much more troubling.

It's an off-day, she told herself; We all have them. Things will improve. But as the sun set on the forest and the chill of night took its place, Firepaw couldn't quite believe her own words. And it was with that thought in mind that the apprentice hopped from tree-branch to tree-branch along the border of SkyClan and ThunderClan, taking a deep breath to calm herself. No matter the day, hunting required stealth, and not some bumbling idiot snapping branches with every step. But make no mistake- Firepaw was determined to find something to hunt, even if it meant walking the forest and peering down from trees all night.

Hickorypaw did her level best to sneak through the underbrush, every once in a while peeking back over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed. Teeechnically, she shouldn't be out of camp without a warrior with her, but if she was going on a patrol, it would be okay, right? Besides, she could say she was practicing her hunting and providing the Clan with some extra security. It also gave her some alone time away from her parents and siblings, which was always nice to have every now and then.

The auburn-and-white apprentice kept her head low and her paws light as she caught up to the border. Judging by the woody scent and the tall pine trees beginning to stretch up to the clouds, it was SkyClan there across the border. Hickorypaw smiled to herself, pleased with her deduction, and began padding along the invisible, scented line, being extra careful not to stray over the wrong side. Just as Cherryblossom had taught her, she kept her eyes and ears and nose open for any signs of an approaching cat. The air was thick with the humidity and it clung to her fur and her whiskers, which was uncomfortable, but bearable, but the side-effect was that it clouded her senses a little. Even with the heavy scent markers around the border, she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to distinguish whether or not a cat--or worse--was coming.

...Well, at least not by scent alone. Luckily for her, her hearing was pretty good. Speaking of, a rustle across the border caught her attention. Hickorypaw did her best to ruffle up her fur, making her small stature look bigger. "Hello? Who's there? You're getting close to the ThunderClan border, watch out!"

Another step, another leap into another tree (and another rustle of leaves- something she'd usually have avoided with ease, but today, not so much), another scan for prey, and another smell-- the border markings, strong and clear-- and a pause. Something deeper, something fresher; prey? Finally, after all this time, something Firepaw could hunt and catch and kill and bring back to her Clan to prove that her day hadn't been a complete and utter failure? Maybe tonight won't be so bad after all, the apprentice thought, pausing for a moment to get her bearings. She was on one side of the border-- which she was sure, beyond any doubt, was the SkyClan side- even if the two sides were virtually identical, and even if the scents mingled together to the point that even the best-trained cat couldn't tell- no, she was on the right side. Which meant that whatever this prey was, she could hunt it down and extinguish its flame like she'd came here to do--

--and then, from a little way off, "Hello? Who's there?", and the orange tabby froze and slowly oriented herself towards the sound. Not a mouse or squirrel, not even a songbird, but another cat. Another cat on the same side of the border as her, no less! And not a voice she recognised, which meant-- You're getting close to the ThunderClan border, watch out!"

Of course. ThunderClan. Who else would send an interloper- an infiltrator- a spy into SkyClan's territory after the evening border-patrol had left? No doubt that was why all the prey had left- not because of the heat, or Firepaw's clumsiness today, but because of this fool driving them away; this fool who, clearly, had no idea how the borders worked, and had the audacity to comment on it-- so the apprentice simply observed for a moment, locating the intruder. The crackling of leaves, the faint scent on the wind beneath the cloying smell of the border... another step. Another leap into another tree. But this time, she didn't need to scan for prey- she'd found it. Any other time, perhaps the SkyClan cat would've avoided a fight - her small size didn't lend her well to combat, and she'd focused her training efforts more on hunting - but the cat before her seemed equally small, equally inexperienced. And more than that... to stop this runt was more than her pleasure, it was her duty. SkyClan demanded it.

"Move a muscle," the she-cat hissed, looking down at the white-muzzled trespasser below her, "and you're losing your fur. Just what do you think you're doing here?"

Despite her best efforts, when an angry, hissing voice sounded out from a tree above her, Hickorypaw flinched. Wait, above her? As far as she could tell, the border was a fox-length away. The little apprentice peered up into the trees, spotting an orange pelt lurking up in the branches. She paused for a moment, mind whirring, before a spark jolted through her. This other cat had crossed the border, not her, and now she had to defend her territory. Although, she wasn't really much of a climber, that was SkyClan's thing. ThunderClan cats were smarter though, every cat knew that. Hickorypaw lashed her tail and unsheathed her claws. She had a plan for getting that cat down here fast. And judging by the other cat's voice and size that she could see, she was young. Definitely an apprentice.

"Oh yeah? You're the one over the border, SkyClanner! What do you think you're doing here in ThunderClan territory?" she taunted, moving closer to the tree. Don't move a muscle, huh? Well, she would move all her muscles. "Come down here and fight me like a real cat, hiding in the trees like that is cowardly! That is...if you're brave enough!" Hickorypaw sneered up at the orange apprentice, whiskers twitching with the anticipation of a battle. Her first real battle! Her heart thumped hard in her chest with the adrenaline and her tail lashed again. Oh, hopefully she would win, it would be really embarrassing if she didn't.

By all accounts, Firepaw was an intelligent cat - she was perceptive, intuitive, and picked up on things far better than most. So it was not by some miracle of StarClan, but by her own simple observations, that she picked up on this interloper's intention - to force her into a fight on the ground and voluntarily give up her high-ground advantage. Clever, but short-sighted-- the intruder questioned her courage, but there was nothing cowardly about taking every advantage possible, nothing spineless about playing to your strengths. And then Firepaw paused-- maybe it wasn't about courage, but... the fact that this fool thought bringing Firepaw to ground level would even the fight? That she refused to take into account the SkyClan warrior-to-be's gruelling training and combat skills (which, small though she may be, she did have)? To be underestimated was a graver insult than any accusation of cowardice.

"You underestimate my power," she growled, claws digging into the bark beneath her as she glared down at the mangy, flea-bitten ThunderClanner below her. (It wasn't that the cat looked mangy and flea-bitten, of course, that was just something all ThunderClan cats had in common.) "I could shred your fur just as easily on the ground as up here. Besides, this is my territory, not yours-- you think you can come in here and spy on us like that? I bet you're going to report back to Brokestar about all our weaknesses if I don't stop you here. I mean-- not that we have weaknesses, of course!" (Firepaw had no doubt that this other cat was simply lying to save her own fur-- the border was right there, for StarClan's sake!)

Were Firepaw more focused on her environment than on her assumed prey, she might've noticed the shadow silhouetted against the waning moon, or the rustle of branches not far off, or the dark, almost piercing, eyes staring out at her from the top of a nearby tree. But instead, she kept her eyes to the ground, on this buffoon that dared question her skill. "In fact, I think I will come down," the apprentice snapped back, leaping to the ground in a single fluid motion as she turned to face her new nemesis. "Because I'm not some mewling kit who needs to rely on staying out of reach. I'm Firepaw of SkyClan," she said as if those words had any meaning whatsoever, "and I don't need a tree to teach you a lesson. I can do it just as well myself."

Hickorypaw's intention was indeed to draw the intruder down to her level, but that was only part of her plan. The other part was to lure the SkyClan apprentice into the underbrush where she would be at a disadvantage. Hickorypaw had been training hard, and one of ThunderClan's special talents that she had learned was how to maneuver in the underbrush. SkyClan's talent was obviously climbing trees, but the auburn apprentice was banking on the fact that they were less equipped to fight in the thick brush.

When the SkyClanner yowled that this was her territory, Dock's nose wrinkled in disgust and confusion. What in the name of StarClan...This was obviously ThunderClan! Unless...she was mistaken? No, she was almost completely sure she was still on ThunderClan's side of the border. She huffed in annoyance, whiskers twitching. She wasn't spying, she hadn't done anything wrong. Why was this kit so annoying? She watched on, holding her tongue at the other's quips. Patience was key. And, soon enough, just as she had predicted, the other apprentice leapt down from the tree, squaring up with her.

Ah, so her name is Firepaw, that might come in handy later. "Oh, you're not a mewling kit? Well, when you run home crying to SkyClan, don't forget to tell them it was Hickorypaw that kicked your orange rump!" she yowled, letting her emotions getting the best of her. She, too, had been much too focused on her newfound nemesis to notice the rustling in the brush, the low growl rising from a few foxlengths away. A snarling raccoon broke through and charged the squabbling apprentices, angry that it had been awoken from its afternoon nap. It aimed a sharp-clawed strike at the last cat it had heard, which happened to be Hickorypaw. The flash of movement alerted her enough for her to spring out of the way, hackles raised, tail bushed out, and eyes wide in fear. Stars, she should have been more careful. Once she had recovered from her immediate shock, she lashed out with unsheathed claws, just barely managing to catch the beast across the face.

---

Raccoon used Quick Swipe, using 10 stamina. Hickorypaw used Dodge-and-Fight, taking no damage, dealing 3 damage, and using 15 stamina.

Raccoon
27/30 HP (-3)
290/300 SP (-10)

Hickorypaw
20/20 HP
65/80 SP (-15)

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 5

Perhaps, in another time and another place, Firepaw would have maintained her composure, would have stayed high up in the tree, and would have escaped whatever fate lay before her now. But that time was not this time, and that place was not this place; and the SkyClan apprentice was far too focused on her new mortal foe to realise that lowering herself to the other cat's level (quite literally) might not have been the wisest move. But even in a Greenleaf drought, and even after a long, disappointing day, Firepaw was a thinker, an analyst. The orange tabby's mind was already formulating combat tactics as the ThunderClan cat before her spoke; leap to the tree, prioritise aerial assault, use momentum to her advantage and avoid retaliatory strikes- focus on precision over strength-- would a claw to the eye be too much for a simple border skirmish? It'd be just enough, Firepaw thought, an idea already coming to mind as she replied, a cruel twist on the other cat's name occuring to her, "Okay, Di-"

-and for the briefest moment, the fog in Firepaw's mind cleared, and her state of constant observance paid off; a low growl, quiet as moonlight, harsher and more feral than any cat's, and the final piece of the puzzle slid into place. The reason she hadn't found any prey nearby; the unusual scent that mingled with the border to confuse her; the faint sense of unease she couldn't shake. She was in the tree before she even knew it, her instincts springing into action to propel her to safety even as the raccoon leapt from the undergrowth towards Hickorypaw, as the apprentice dodged and lashed out with her own strike (a move which Firepaw quickly memorised and filed away for later use). This, Firepaw wondered, time itself grinding to a halt for her as the apprentice's brain kicked into overdrive, is one of those crossroads moments in life, isn't it?

Option one: do nothing. Allow the fight to play out, and either flee or eliminate the injured victor- that is to say, the raccoon, since Hickorypaw doesn't stand a chance against a predator like that. Return to camp with a dead raccoon, impress everyone. Easy, simple, effective. The logical choice.
Option two: engage target. Put myself at risk to help a cat of another Clan who wouldn't care in the slightest if I died. Voluntarily expose myself to danger and give Hickorypaw the opportunity to take me down when the raccoon is dealt with. Difficult, complicated, and entirely too risky. Given her status as a ThunderClan spy, I have no reason to help her. But it's the right thing to do.

And with that, Firepaw dived from the tree, her back legs pushing her off the branch with force to propel her through the air, claws-first, towards the raccoon's face, aiming to puncture one of the beast's eyes and letting her momentum bowl the predator over; the same tactic she was so ready to deploy against the other apprentice.

Visualise, then execute. Flight. Gravity. Impact. A growl, a feral yelp of pain, a roll as she kicked off from the raccoon to spin around and face it again- and a nod to Hickorypaw, the meaning clear as she asked, "Status?". The two of them shared a common enemy now, after all: a common enemy which Firepaw had just maimed and drawn the attention of, which was still well within striking distance.

See, this was why Firepaw hated doing the right thing.

Firepaw used Sky Drop, dealing 7 damage and costing 15 stamina!

Raccoon
20/30 HP (-7)
290/300 SP

Hickorypaw
20/20 HP
65/80 SP

Firepaw
20/20 HP
65/80 SP (-15)

The raccoon snarled in pain as the small orange cat sunk her claws into its back and it rounded on her now, ignoring the other small orange cat. It hissed menacingly and swiped at her, sending her flying, angry gashes opening up in her skin.

Hickorypaw gasped as she was momentarily out of the beast's focus, watching as it struck Firepaw with surprising force. Now, she was fighting not only to protect herself and her Clan, but to protect this SkyClan apprentice as well. That was the right thing to do, even if Firepaw had been mean to her before. With a yowling battle cry fit for a fully-grown warrior, the tabby molly dashed over to the tree, the tree, and leaped, kicking off the trunk to land on the raccoon's back once more. She slashed at the monster's back with pin-sharp claws, giving a snarl of her own to show she meant business.

The raccoon cried out as yet another pesky cat landed on its back and clawed at it. This was becoming too much of a hassle. With a definitive shake, it threw the little cat onto the ground and turned tail, hurrying back through the underbrush. It needed to tend to its wounds. Stupid cats.

The ThunderClan apprentice tumbled off onto the ground, rolling and hopping back up on her paws in an instant. Her breathing was fast and heavy with exertion and adrenaline. Her first battle! And she had won! Hickorypaw laughed now, a high, joyous laugh of pride. Cherryblossom would be so impressed with her! But...there was the matter of Firepaw. She couldn't just leave her there, that would cause all kinds of problems later. Hesitantly, she padded over to where the other apprentice lay, and prodded her flank gently with one little white paw. "Hey, uh, Firepaw? You're not dead, are ya?"

---

Raccoon used Quick Swipe on Firepaw, dealing 20 damage and using 10 stamina. Firepaw is KO'd.

Hickorypaw used Tree Spring on the Raccoon, dealing 7 damage and using 15 stamina. Raccoon flees!

Raccoon
13/30 HP (-7)
280/300 SP (-10)

Hickorypaw
20/20 HP
50/80 SP (-15)

Firepaw
0/20 HP (-20)
65/80 SP

Firepaw saw the attack coming a mile off, of course- outstretched claws, snarling teeth, a savage swing directed right at her-- and even as she tried to dodge, to spring out of the way in a manner very much like Hickorypaw had earlier, the raccoon's attack followed with unerring accuracy. The same evasion tactic would not work twice, and the orange tabby's eyes flashed in alarm as the claws slammed down towards her, a storm just marginally faster than she could flee from, the inexorable march of- well, raccoon claws. "Oh, f-"* bit into her, tore through her flank and scattered (far too much) blood and shredded fur along the underbrush- and like the cherry on top of a dirt cake, it was like fire. Nobody ever told her it'd be like fire.

Nobody ever told her ThunderClan cats could fight like a lion either, but as Firepaw lay there, pressing a paw to her wound in a useless attempt to stop the bleeding, she couldn't help but be... well, impressed was the wrong word. This was nothing compared to SkyClan's techniques, after all, but the other cat's utilisation of terrain and height was almost on par with her own. Something they taught in ThunderClan-spy-training, maybe-- but even so, it was focus on the fight or focus on her injuries, and the latter was a lost cause. She'd lost the energy to walk back to camp, or even yowl for help (not that anyone would be out this late anyway), and though the claws hadn't cut deep, they'd still pierced just far enough to turn this from a painful inconvenience into a... no, best not to think about that.

So as Hickorypaw drove off the raccoon and turned to Firepaw, all the SkyClan apprentice could do was stare up at the other cat and give her best, fiercest snarl (which really came off more as a half-growl, half-cough, about as intimidating as a caterpillar). And as the words, muffled and numb though they were, finally registered - "You're not dead, are ya?" - Firepaw simply gave a sharp laugh. She knew how this would go. Hickorypaw would finish her off, claim her first kill in the name of ThunderClan, and then continue with her mission to spy on the SkyClan camp, likely in preparation for an inevitable all-out assault. Nobody would find out until it was too late. "Don't pretend like you care," she replied, claws digging into the ground as another wave of pain flared up. "Just finish me off and be done with it. I'm not making it back like this anyway."

*for our younger readers, she was about to say 'foxdung'!

As she approached the other apprentice, Firepaw gave a rather pitiful-sounding snarl, which did absolutely nothing to deter Hickorypaw. The SkyClan apprentice growled and hissed at her, and Hickorypaw blinked, looking rather taken aback now. She let out a little nervous chuckle, her ears laying back against her head for a moment. "You...you think I'm gonna kill you? Why in StarClan would I do that? I'm not evil. Look, you're injured an' there may be more raccoons around. If y'want, I can just take ya back to camp and Mossbloom can fix you up before you head back home. I don't think you should be wandering around the forest when you're hurt like this."

The dark orange tabby sat down beside the she-cat, debating whether or not Firepaw needed help getting up. Finally, she decided she did, and went around to her other side. She took her scruff in her teeth and did her best to haul the other apprentice to her paws, grunting with the exertion. The two mollies seemed to be around the same size, but even so, Hickorypaw wasn't expecting how heavy Firepaw was. She definitely needed more training, she wasn't quite strong enough after all.

((aaaaaaaaaa i'm. so sorry. these last couple of weeks have been Heck (tm), i just finished going through a legal battle and i've only now managed to get my energy together, sorry this is so late!!))

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. It wasn't just that the other cat refused to finish her off (objectively the smart move for an infiltrator), but that it hadn't even occurred to Hickorypaw before Firepaw had pointed it out-- and like that, the haze over the SkyClan apprentice's thoughts faded, and everything fell into place. This wasn't some spy sent to explore SkyClan's territory, not some trained killer ready and willing to do whatever it took to accomplish her objective. Hickorypaw was just a cat-- maybe not quite a good cat ('ThunderClan' and 'good' were antonyms in Firepaw's eyes, after all), but... not a bad one either, she supposed, as hard as it was to admit.

Firepaw's second realisation, as a natural conclusion of the first, was that if Hickorypaw wasn't a spy, then there was a fairly good chance she hadn't been trespassing at all. The scent markings at the border had intermingled in the heat, and there was no convenient landmark to orient herself by, so... hm. She'd been so sure, and yet- now, that surety was blown away like smoke in the wind. And when Hickorypaw offered not just to not kill her, but even to escort her to the ThunderClan camp for healing? The apprentice decided that... well, maybe it didn't matter who was on which side of the border. It was all water under the... (Firepaw, having no concept of a bridge, was unable to finish that thought, but it was a pertinent thought nonetheless.)

So with a pained cough and shaking legs, the tabby pushed herself up onto her paws, leaning against Hickorypaw. A part of her wanted to say something like, I don't need your help, I can walk just fine, but- honestly? She couldn't. And pride was worth many things, but her life wasn't one of them. So instead Firepaw murmured something that sounded almost like, "... sure, whatever. Let's move."

And one more word, as the world spun around her, Firepaw's eyes closing as she faded into unconsciousness;
"... thanks."