out of the sunrise [closed]

On one side of the Thunderpath, the sun burned low in a pale, nearly cloudless sky. On the other, marshier side, a fox-shaped creature wandered. Lately Emberleap had been using his fox pelt as a blanket rather than the sacred covering it was meant to be. ShadowClan’s warriors tolerated its presence in their den; asking them to share their patrols with it, even with Flintstar’s blessing, felt like an overstep. He’d learned how to hunt and fight without it… Yet he missed it still. Not what it stood for, but what it was now—a shield, a weapon, something that had been at his side from the beginning. And so, when the last twitching ear had gone still after a long night’s work, he’d fished the pelt out from under his nest and set off.

So far, his walk had been peaceful. Monsters trundled by one by one, each of them firmly attached to the path. Would-be predators saw the fox’s muzzle before the decidedly un-foxlike ginger patches on Emberleap’s legs, and left him alone rather than risk a fight. But while the calm in the air and the pelt’s familiar weight on his shoulders were comforting, the silence was anything but. Nothing to hunt, nobody to talk to. Emberleap paused, shuffled, his tail swaying underneath the fox’s. If he could only do this by himself, was it really worth it?

As she'd taken to doing recently, Badgermask was out, alone, wandering the territories. She didn't know why all of a sudden she felt so suffocated while she was within the bramble walls of ThunderClan's camp. Maybe it was her new brothers, who she tried to pretend didn't exist... maybe it was the budding tension between the clans that had been all too clear at the last few Gatherings. But it was all she could do to return at night, to make polite conversation with those who tried.

Her paws scuffed the dry grass as she paused within a patch of sunlight that broke through the trees. Badgermask closed her eyes, letting the beam warm her thick coat as she fought to keep her breathing under control. She was so angry, sometimes, and couldn't understand why. A whiff of putrid, stinking air washed over her, and Badgermask looked up. She hadn't realized she was so close to the ThunderPath. Before she really knew why, her paws were carrying her closer to it. The warrior paused at the edge, hesitantly reaching out a paw to touch the odd, dark stone. Another monster zoomed past, whipping her long fur into a frenzy before it died down again into a stretch of silence where the road was bare.

Her attentions were snatched by a pale orange pelt on the other side of the ThunderPath, and Badgermask squinted, ears forward, as she tried to identify it. Fox... but with a weird, unnatural gait. The warrior exhaled dismissively - maybe it was injured. In any case... a fox on ShadowClan's territory was ShadowClan's problem. She began to turn away, and then... something made her stop, a flash of... something, on its legs, the way its muscles didn't quite move in tandem with the shifting pelt... her eyes widened.

Asylum.

Sinking down on to her belly, Badgermask watched, and waited, and watched some more. The creature paused, and she flattened her ears, hoping it wouldn't see her, as rage settled in her gut like hot lead. The Asylum had killed her father, and throughout everything, she'd not been able to get revenge. Well, that changed today. A series of monsters passed on the ThunderPath, and Badgermask waited. When there was another break, she darted across it, gaining on the fox-pelted cat that had moved past her position. She wasn't subtle, and when she was close enough for him to hear, she screeched angrily, muscles bunching for a split second before she leaped and made contact, her claws digging into flesh and fur alike.

Badgermask used Leap-and-Hold on Emberleap, dealing 9 damage and costing 10 stamina. Leap-and-Hold is in effect for 1 turn.

Emberleap:
HP: 41/60 (-9)
SP: 200/200

Badgermask:
HP: 45/45
SP: 150/160 (-10)

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 1