Be careful where you tread [closed]

Returning yet again to Skyclan territory, Elsa decided that after her last visit that Skyclan might be one of the clans she more enjoys. Talking to Honeycomb gave her a good opinion toward Skyclan, maybe she could come across the she-cat again? Or perhaps she would come across someone new? Approaching the larger forest, she walked through the thin words before pushing into the thicker woods, her white pelt standing out against the dark hues of trees. She was once again hit with the strong, foul scent that she didn't recognized, but like she had before, she ignored it. She turned her head from side to side looking for any kind of colors that stood out against the dull landscape.

After sitting through Honeycomb’s lessons every single day since her apprenticeship began, Jaypaw had decided she deserved a break. It wasn’t like everything she’d learned would fall out of her ears overnight. She’d drilled the basic hunting crouch so many times by now, she couldn’t forget it if she tried. Thus Jaypaw, instead of training, was lounging across a tree branch. Her Asylum companion, a mousy cat wearing a raccoon pelt, huddled against the trunk on that same branch. Though Jaypaw had intended for this to be her day off, things had been boring…until she spotted something white moving on the ground below. Her eyes lit up. It was one thing to fight mindless predators or spar with Honeycomb—but the white thing was a cat. A real opponent! Better yet, her Asylum partner hadn’t moved a whisker. This battle was all Jaypaw’s.

Shuffling forward on the branch, the tiny she-cat took a deep breath. Then, with a shrieking war cry, she leapt from her perch and landed squarely on the intruder’s back. Being only apprentice-sized, and small for an apprentice at that, she didn’t have any hope of pinning anything with her barely-trained muscles—but she could draw blood, so she concentrated on digging her claws into the she-cat’s skin. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Jaypaw used Sky Drop, dealing 7 damage and using 15 stamina.

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

Elsa
38/45 HP (-7)
140/140 SP

It seemed as though her luck was out. No cats were in sight, and it didn't seem as if there were any scents wafting from inside the forest. With a sigh, she turned to leave... That was until she felt a large amount of weight fall on her from above, and she hit the ground with an "Oof!" Looking above her, she found herself looking at a small cat, probably around the age of an apprentice. Her eyes widened with panic as she tried to process the situation. Maybe it was an accident? Surely this cat didn't mean to fall on her?  "Hello, i'm-" Her words were cut off by a shriek as the young cat above her began to rake her claws into her back. This was definitely not and accident. With a small grunt she pushed the cat off of her and fixed her gaze on her, a worried expression on her face. She always hated to fight, but she found herself having to unsheathe her claws every now and then.

With a deep breath, she darted toward the cat and reared up on her hind legs, pummeling her opponent's face with her paws. She felt awful over hurting a cat like this, especially such a young one, but she felt as if she didn't have a choice. Once her paws touched the ground again, she backed away, trying t decide whether she should attack again or run.


Elsa used Upright Front Paws on Jaypaw, dealing 11 HP and costing 20 SP

Elsa
38/45 HP
120/140 SP (-20)

Jaypaw
09/20 HP (-11)
65/80 SP

Judging by the shriek (and the greeting said shriek had interrupted), the intruder hadn’t expected an attack. Jaypaw, hanging on for dear life, couldn’t help but grin. Being smaller than her opponent (she didn’t have to admit that to take it into account), she needed every advantage she could get. Before she could sink her claws into the she-cat’s back again, something shoved her, and suddenly, she was tumbling head over paws into the snow. Right—surprise alone wouldn’t win a battle. Snarling, she scrambled to get her legs beneath her again. “Hey! You can’t—"

Her sentence came to an abrupt halt as she met the intruder’s battering paws face-first. Jaypaw didn’t quite manage to stifle a yelp as she stumbled back, covering her aching muzzle first with one paw, then the other. As little as she cared about the painfully repetitive lessons Honeycomb put her through, she had to lean on them now. Put space between herself and the enemy, then decide what to do. Fortunately, said enemy was also backing off. Jaypaw took a heartbeat to assess the damage. Wobbly legs, ringing ears, no blood as far as she could tell. She could still fight. She could still win. Watering eyes narrowed to pale yellow slits, Jaypaw sank into a crouch. Then she launched herself forward, claws aimed high.

Jaypaw used Front Paw Strike, dealing 6 damage and using 10 stamina.

Jaypaw
9/20 HP
55/80 SP (-10)

Elsa
32/45 HP (-6)
120/140 SP

It seemed as if her opponent wouldn't give her much time to think. No sooner than she had fallen into thought, the Skyclan cat was leaping toward her, only noticing the she-cat heartbeats before razor-sharp claws were dug into her flesh. Letting out a harsh hiss at the pain, she narrowed her eyes and moved her gaze to the younger cat. She didn't come across younger ones often, but they seemed as if they packed more energy and and lacked caution and hesitance. As much as she hated to, she raised her claws and mimicked her opponent's move.

Elsa used Front Paw Strike, dealing 9 HP and costing 10 SP. Jaypaw is K'O'd.

Jaypaw
00/20 HP (-09)
55/80 SP

Elsa
32/45 HP
130/140 SP (-10)

Somehow, though she knew full well this was a battle for prey and territory, Jaypaw hadn’t been expecting claws. A yowl broke out of her throat when the intruder made contact. This time, when she raised a paw to her forehead, it came away smeared with blood. Admittedly, a tiny bit of blood in the grand scheme of things, but for an apprentice who could count the number of fights she’d been in on one paw, the sight was a little alarming...though not enough for her to surrender. This outsider thought she could waltz into SkyClan’s territory and get away with it—Jaypaw couldn’t just leave!

But before she could take a step, a soft voice rose from behind her. “I’m not giving your warriors something else to blame us for.” Then, for the second time in far too few sunups, Jaypaw found herself suspended in midair—secure not in her mentor’s grip, but in the jaws of the raccoon-pelted Asylum rogue she’d dragged onto this patrol. Apparently, they were much faster at climbing down than up. As the rogue turned her back on the white-furred intruder to begin the slow march back to SkyClan's camp, Jaypaw opened her mouth to complain, but the adrenaline was already fading, and in its absence, the marks along her muzzle began to burn in earnest. Maybe she could leave...this fight for another day. That sounded much better.