this side of paradise [c]

Scorchtalon glanced toward Shadowclan's territory, in the direction Marshmallow usually came from. Where is she? He thought, pushing down a twinge of worry. What if someth- his thoughts were interrupted when he was abruptly tackled from behind. He whirled around, claws extended to lunge at his assailant. However, instead of an enemy cat, he saw Marshmallow, a gleam of mischief in her alluring blue-green eyes.

"That's okay!" He smiled in response to Marshmallow's apology. It had been a bit startling, but he wouldn't fault her for feeling restless. He honestly should have been paying more attention. Her next words caused him to frown a bit, hesitation clear on his face.

"Claws out?" He echoed, uncertainty crossing his features. Her reasoning made sense, but what if he hurt her? Still, she seemed excited by the idea, and he wouldn't turn it down if it would make her happy.

"Well... sure. I suppose it makes sense, we wouldn't want anyone to see us and think... well you know." Truthfully, he was just fine with sitting and enjoying her company, maybe chatting for a bit before going their separate ways. But if she insisted... He had to admit sparring sounded like more fun anyway, though he wasn't exactly sure what he'd tell his clan if he happened to come home with any scratches. He hopped down from the rock, waiting for Marshmallow to join him near its base.

Scorchtalon had his doubts about the idea, but how could he resist when Marshmallow looked so happy? He was still worried about the possibility that one of them would be seriously injured, but he pushed his worries aside as she motioned for him to go first. He tensed his muscles, only the slightest twitch of his tail betraying his intentions. With a flash of orange fur, he sprang at the spotted she-cat, leaping towards her and knocking her off her paws.

Scorchtalon blinked in surprise at the speed with which Marshmallow had retaliated. One minute he'd been thinking he had the upper hand with the first move, and the next he found his back hitting the ground, a firm weight on top of him pinning him to the ground. He winced a bit at the feeling of her claws digging into his shoulders, though thankfully they didn't seem deep enough to draw blood. He attempted to roll over and throw her off, only to find that his efforts were unsuccessful. He gave an annoyed huff at finding himself still under the she-cat claws, his tail lashing in frustration.

Even so, there was a hint of admiration in the ginger tom's eyes as he reflected on the physical prowess of his opponent. For a brief moment, he wondered if his kits would have their mother's strength and their father's speed, before disappointment darkened his gaze. He longed to have a family of his own, to raise his kits in Windclan and watch them become warriors, but deep down he knew it was impossible. Not only were he and Marshmallow from different clans, but Shrikestar had implemented a strict "no outsiders" policy. Resigned to his fate, he forced himself to refocus on the current moment.

"Good move!" He purred, his usual cheery nature returning

"I hope you know you're only winning cause I decided to go easy on you." Scorchtalon teased with a laugh. He was by no means ready to accept defeat though, once again attempting to throw off his assailant... only to have his efforts once again thwarted. Struggling to free himself had drained a significant amount of his energy, so he went limp, panting from the exertion.

"Alright, I give up, now get offa me you great lump!.

Scorchtalon leapt up as soon as Marshmallow's weight lifted off of him, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge her quick bite to his ear. He winced as pain shot through the assaulted ear, shaking his head to lessen the sting. Within moments he was darting toward Marshmallow again, lunging forward in a blur of orange fur, ramming his head into her flank in an attempt to knock the wind out of her.

"You're going to have to try a bit harder than that if you want to win!" Scorchtalon teased, his tail lashing back and forth with excitement. Though sparring wasn't the way he'd originally planned to spend the morning, he had to admit that the adrenaline of the fight had his heart pounding. It reminded him of sparring sessions with his brothers when he was an apprentice, back when he had less to worry about. It was fun to forget about his troubles for a bit.