Smackdown! [open patrol]

Wolfpaw paced in circles near the entrance to camp. The air was warmer than it had been in a while, and the apprentice could tell that Greenleaf was fast approaching. That annoyed her, because she just wasn't built for heat! Her thick pelt just felt bogged down, and she hadn't shed off any of that fur quite yet. Her only solace was that she was going to get to go on patrol. The molly always enjoyed going out and seeing the territory, maybe even the shade of the forest would help with the burgeoning heat. All Wolfpaw had to do now was wait for her fellow clanmates to arrive, and they could head out!

Emerging from the apprentice den, Stag let his eyes adjust to the light before stepping fully into camp. Even though it wasn't unbearably hot yet, it was warm enough out for him to grow uncomfortable. No matter how many times he shook out his thick pelt he couldn't rid himself of the sticky feeling beneath it. He let out a heavy, yet quiet sigh, looking across camp. A figure nearby the camp entrance caught his attention, a figure he soon identified as Wolfpaw. He approached the she-cat, shaking out his pelt one last time in another failed attempt to make himself more comfortable. "Hey there, Wolfpaw. Waiting to go on a patrol?" He asked, gaze wandering to her pelt, which he notices was about as long and thick as his own. "The heat treating you as badly as it's treating me? It really is awful." He commented, standing next to her. "You don't mind if I join you on a patrol, do you? We'd need a warrior to accompany us before we go." The tom had spent enough time in Thunderclan to memorize all of their rules- well, most of them. Either way, he wouldn't let himself be caught breaking any, especially since it seemed like cats had began to grow more comfortable are him despite the constant reminder of his past that displayed itself on his face.

Thrushnose lay on her side in the Highrock’s shadow, waiting for the fur on her legs to dry. Though she didn’t fully trust the river not to sweep her off her paws, the draw of being able to wade into the water had been too strong to ignore. If the rest of greenleaf was anything like this, she’d be tracking down RiverClanners for swimming lessons soon. The next Gathering, maybe. She’d have better luck under Fourtrees’ vow of peace than on the border.

Chatter from the camp entrance caught her attention, and she sat up, ears swiveling to follow the conversation. A patrol. One with cats she didn’t know well, a gray tabby apprentice (Molepaw, Woolpaw—Wolfpaw, that was it) and Stag, the ex-Asylum tom—but that was no excuse to stay away. First, they were Clanmates, a fact that carried more weight than it had before Asylum. Second, she needed a chance to stretch her paws, and from the sound of it, the two apprentices needed a warrior. In her mind, it worked out perfectly. Thrushnose rolled onto her feet, stood, and made her approach, half-wet fur and all. “I can come along.”

Getting annoyed at her pelt for not just being nice and cool, Wolfpaw began to lick it in some attempt to get rid of any shed fur. She hoped that maybe that would help. As she furiously groomed, she spotted Stag padding up, and midlick she said, "Oh hey! Yeah, I was waiting to go out on patrol." Shaking her pelt one final time, she looked past Stag, spotting a warrior padding up behind him. "This heat sucks, if I could, I would bite it, maybe that'd teach it what for." She wasted no time before continuing, "Yeah you should totally come with me! So should..." Wolfpaw waited a moment so she could properly identify the warrior padding up to them. "So should you Thrushnose, yeah let's go! Patrol time!" The apprentice wasted no time beginning the patrol and padding out of camp, not waiting for any response.



(OOC: if y'all need hunting requirements, feel free to do that, my next post I'll unleash the Raccoon!)

Following Wolfpaw's gaze as it drifted behind him, Stag turned around to see Thrushnose approaching. He didn't even bother questioning why she was wet, he was just happy to find out that she would be going with them. "Great!" Thrushnose was a cat that he was somewhat familiar with, but not enough to consider her anything more than an acquaintance. Either way, he was glad that she chose to come. He followed Wolfpaw as she lead them through the camp entrance, ducking through the thorn barrier to prevent leaving any of his fur behind on the brambles- a habit that he had picked up quickly after arriving in Thunderclan. He stayed nearby Wolfpaw as they walked along, raising his nose to the breeze every now and then to see if he could pick up a fresh scent. Eventually a squirrel's scent wafted through the air and he strayed from the patrol to follow it, leaving the two with only the words, "I smell a squirrel".

Creeping through the undergrowth, he walked quickly and quietly. When he initially smelled it, he could tell that the squirrel wasn't far, so he tried his best to keep it from noticing him as soon as he started to pursue it. It took only a moment or two to spot the rodent, which stood in an open area at the base of a tree. Keeping his amber eyes locked onto his target, he exhaled before pushing himself from the underbrush, bounding over to the squirrel with as much speed as he could muster. Extending a paw, he swiped at the rodent, but it began to run away from him before his claws could reach it. It scrambled up the tree, and Stag followed it briefly before realizing his attempts were hopeless.

Stag unsuccessfully tried catching a squirrel, costing 3SP

Stag
77/80 SP [-03]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Fortunately, both apprentices seemed to be of a similar mind to Thrushnose. Though she was an acquaintance at best, they had no complaints, and mere heartbeats after she joined them, they hurried away from camp and its brutal sunlight. Thrushnose paused at the tunnel’s thorny mouth. As the oldest of the bunch, she was probably supposed to walk in front; however, Wolfpaw had eagerly taken the lead, and Thrushnose was quite happy to let her. It was her patrol, after all—and it would make good practice for a warrior-to-be. Thus, the bulky tabby fell into step behind her companions as they padded into the forest’s cool darkness.

Stag broke away from the group first, pursuing a squirrel. Thrushnose fell back as well, not to follow, but to listen in case any other creatures had set their sights on the same prey. What she heard wasn’t a predator, but the rustling of something smaller. She turned her head to see a sparrow pecking at the ground a few fox-lengths away. Broad trees partially hid it from view…meaning they could hide her, too. Flattening into a crouch, she began the slow creep forward from trunk to trunk until her target was within pouncing distance. She gave a single twitch of her tail—then jumped, pinning the sparrow to the earth and snapping its neck in one smooth, well-practiced motion. Carrying the bundle of feathers carefully, Thrushnose turned back toward the patrol with little fanfare; though Stag and Wolfpaw weren’t fresh from the nursery like some apprentices, she wouldn’t risk leaving them unattended for any longer than necessary.

Thrushnose attempted to catch Bird, using 3 stamina. Success!

Thrushnose
80/80 HP
237/240 SP (-3)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

Wolfpaw was happy to be out on patrol, and as her companions went their separate ways to hunt, she did the same. Scenting the breeze, the apprentice scented something she hadn't ever scented before. Curiosity overtaking any kind of fear, she began quietly making her way towards the source. As she approached, she saw a creature with black and gray fur. Oh, I'm pretty sure that's what a raccoon looks like? Wolfpaw was about to turn away, but as she began to move her paws a twig made a loud crack under her weight.

Amber eyes flicking back to the raccoon, she could see the raccoon stop eating whatever it had its paws on, and begin hissing at the cat that now made her presence know. For a brief moment, Wolfpaw thought, Oh shoot, as the raccoon flung itself at her, defending whatever it was eating with feral vigor. The raccoon made a swipe with its claws toward Wolfpaw, attempting to connect with her face.

Raccoon used Quick Swipe, dealing 20 damage and using 10 stamina!

Wolfpaw, already turned partly away from the raccoon, was able to duck under the claws, rolling herself away as well as she could before getting back to her paws. In her process, she tried scratching her opponent, but she couldn't quite connect as she made her retreat. "Raccoon! Raccoon!" She yowled this at the top of her lungs, hoping to alert the rest of her patrol. Wolfpaw might be reckless, but she wasn't completely stupid, and she knew she couldn't take this thing on her own for long.

Wolfpaw used Dodge-and-Fight, dodging the previous attack, missing her counterattack, and using 15 stamina!

Raccoon
30 HP
290 SP (-10)

Wolfpaw
20 HP
65 SP (-15)

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

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'Effect Dice' : 2

The sound of Wolfpaw's yowl instantly caught Stag's attention. Ears raised and eyes widened, he stood still for a few heartbeats before sprinting toward where the sound came from. Although he knew there was a raccoon nearby, he couldn't help but feel surprised when the scent hit his nose. The moment he caught sight of the raccoon's dark pelt he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Picking up speed, he changed direction toward the creature and collided with it, using all of his strength to knock it off of it's paws. He separated himself from the raccoon as soon as he could, stumbling over to Wolfpaw before regaining his balance. "You're not hurt, are you?" He looked over the she-cat, no blood or wounds catching his eye. He let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, good. Thrushnose should be here any second to help us."


Stag used Run and Tackle, dealing 6[+3] HP and costing 10 SP

Stag:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP [-10]

Raccoon:
21 HP [-09]
290 SP

Two sounds split the muggy air: first the snap of a twig, then a yowl. “Raccoon! Raccoon!” Neither dog nor Asylum, but dangerous all the same. Especially to an apprentice. In battle, even the time it took to cross a few fox-lengths could make all the difference. Thrushnose’s heart skipped. Abandoning the sparrow under a clump of ferns—there wasn’t time to bury it—she dashed toward the commotion.

The scene took shape one piece at a time. First Wolfpaw and Stag, both on their feet, though “standing” didn’t mean “uninjured”; then, entirely too close to striking distance, a hissing, spitting raccoon temporarily stalled as it struggled to regain its footing. Thrushnose’s gaze darted across the trees. There. A broad oak sturdy enough to hold her weight. She reached it in a few strides and began to climb. The raccoon had just about straightened up when Thrushnose launched herself off the trunk and onto its back, her weight pulling it to the ground again. She dug her claws into its matted fur as it thrashed. “Is—“ She broke off with a growl. With raccoons, there wasn't nearly enough to grab onto. ”Is anyone hurt?”

Thrushnose used Tree Spring, dealing 14 damage and using 15 stamina.

Thrushnose
80/80
222/240 (-15)

Stag
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Wolfpaw
20/20 HP
65/80 SP

Raccoon
7/30 HP (-14)
290/300 SP

Remaining in a guarded stance, she stared the raccoon down. It looked pretty thin, and Wolfpaw could only assume it was pretty hungry if it was defending its prey. For a half-moment, she felt bad for the creature, but that feeling quickly dissipated at how angry she was that she was getting attacked by something. With a growl, she just about made another move towards it, then she saw the brown pelt that was Stag rush in and tackle the raccoon to the ground. She went on the defensive as Stag made her way over to her, not wanting the raccoon to try and pounce on him. She once again began trying to go on the attack, but then Thrushnose showed up, making a really impressive attack. "I'm fine, I'm pretty sure Stag is fine, and I'm really angry at this raccoon!"

Wolfpaw hissed these words as she finally darted forward toward the grounded raccoon. Spotting its exposed belly, she flopped to her side, ripping at what she saw with all the might her hindlegs had. Within moments, red began to coat the raccoon's underbelly, and its movements became weaker, before stopping completely. The raccoon finally succumbed and went limp. Panting, Wolfpaw came back up onto her paws, that was something! "It's...well it's dead." She looked at it for a moment before looking back at Thrushnose. "You alright? I didn't see it get you but better safe than sorry! Also sorry for alerting it, I almost didn't think it would attack me, but everything turned out fine! We should probably go back though, do we bring the raccoon? I'm not sure if it's good prey or not." She spoke quickly, as per usual, shaking dirt she had accrued out of her fur.

Wolfpaw used Belly Rake, dealing 7 damage and using 10 stamina! The raccoon is dead!

Wolfpaw
20 HP
55 SP (-10)

Raccoon [DEAD]
0 HP (-7)
290 SP

Thrushnose
80 HP
222 SP

Stag
20 HP
70 SP

It seemed as though the fight was over in only a few moments. Thrushnose entered the scene and got a good attack in on the raccoon, Wolfpaw going in for another. The tom took a few steps forward, ready to get another swipe in, but he realized that it wouldn't be needed when the raccoon fell to the ground by Wolfpaw's claws. He stared at the creature. Back when he was with the Asylum, he knew that this raccoon would likely be used as a pelt. He had to admit that he wasn't too sure what the clans did with defeated predators. "Yeah, I'd say it's pretty dead." He added, turning to Thrushnose when Wolfpaw did. He looked over the warrior, not seeing any wounds on her either. Had they defeated a raccoon without receiving any injuries? Tuning back into the conversation, he caught the end of Wolfpaw's words. He looked at Thrushnose, waiting to see what she would say. He felt like leaving the carcass here would be a bad idea, as it could attract other predators. Maybe they would go back to camp and some other cats would go out to take care of it, though.

Nobody had gotten injured in the time she’d wasted, thank the stars. The sooner they ended this, the better. As Thrushnose struggled to keep the raccoon down, Wolfpaw charged back into action. Each of her kicks tore deeper into the raccoon’s belly until it went limp. Sheathing her claws, Thrushnose took a few hurried steps away. No chest movement. Glassy eyes. Dead beyond a doubt.

When she looked up, two sets of eyes were on her. Though she was sure she hadn’t given the beast a chance to make contact, she couldn’t ignore the steadfast logic of better safe than sorry; the tabby warrior looked herself over before turning back to the apprentices with a nod and a faint smile. “Mhm.” Not a scratch on any of them. That was downright miraculous. At that thought, her tone turned the slightest bit stern. “Next time, if you smell anything that isn’t prey or another cat, be ready to fight it or run. I mean anything,” she said, and rolled a scarred shoulder. Stag probably knew better, but a reminder couldn’t hurt.

At Wolfpaw’s next question, she tilted her head as she thought. They hadn’t caught much, and leaving a dead animal, predator or not, lying around was asking for trouble… Thrushnose bent down to examine the raccoon. It was scrawny, but not sick-looking. She supposed she could run it by Dovefrost before adding it to the pile; he’d know the signs of potential illness better than her. “It never hurts to fill the fresh-kill pile. I’m sure somebody will eat it.” I will, if nothing else. As she made to shuffle the raccoon onto her back, an idea hit her, and she abruptly straightened up. “Would either of you want to carry it back?” She didn’t know if Stag or Wolfpaw were boastful types, but they would probably care about being seen hauling a raccoon into camp more than Thrushnose did.