designer coat (c)

A mink. The warrior had been absolutely sure of it, having tracked a scent completely new to her, only distinguishing the animal on sight because it was something she heard described in an elder's story once. The wild purr that had echoed from the molly on her trip home from the Farm at the cusp of their territory and the Twoleg's was nothing if not completely filled with excitement, knowing exactly what she was going to do. Her Minky, now Minksplash, had received her warrior name recently, and Grebedance figured it was finally time to get the new warrior her own pelt- carry the tradition, of course.

The molly had been practicing her sharp cutting skills, knowing with an animal as small as a mink, it would be incredibly important to be gentle, lest she ruin it-- this was an incredibly rare opportunity she could not afford to waste. Waking early the next morning, Grebedance found her previous apprentice's nest, nudging the warrior with her nose on her way out. "Minksplash! I have a surprise for you- wake up and meet me at the entrance!" The bicoloured molly wasted no time exiting the den, waiting with a twitching tail-tip by the camp's entrance, familiar raccoon pelt draped over her shoulders.

Having to stay up all night the day prior had caught up to the newly-named warrior. All she wanted to do was spend the day sleeping, catching up on what she had lost out on. Lack of energy had never really hit her before, but now that she was in an all new den with new surroundings, new responsibilities... It seemed there was proof that she had in fact grown up. But the words that Mapleleaf had spoken to her would always be true. Never stop being the precious Mink you are. And she wouldn't.

While she technically was no longer under Grebedance's tutelage, the moment that she heard the molly's voice, she practically lept out of her nest. She had adjusted to hearing her voice as the call to start her day, to go on whatever training was expected. In some sense, Minksplash swore she began to wake up simply to hearing her mentor trot over, her body learning the pace, and the extra rustling from her mentor's raccoon pelt. So when she was told to wake up... there was zero hesitation.

Happily trotting over, the russet feline's tail was high as it rippled with excitement, her white paws tapping curiously against the earth beneath. "What is it, Grebedance?" Her head tilted, wondering just what it could be. Perhaps... I could be getting my own pelt? No, that's her family tradition. I'm not family, just her former apprentice.

"Come! There's hardly any time to explain!" The molly was already bounding out of camp, knowing that their window of opportunity would be so miniscule to successfully take down the creature, and she worried about missing it for that day. Her bounds settled into a fast trot, wet grass tickling at the backs of her feet as she beelined for the farm, all scents washed away by the previous night's rain.

As they crested the top of a small hill, Grebedance's eyes narrowed, looking for the lanky black shape she had seen a day prior. It wasn't hard to see, shuffling its way through bright green grass, straying further and further from the Twoleg nest. "My first day out of camp, I ran into a raccoon. Brick- Harebounce, Owlshriek and I took it down, and it became mine! A gift, for reaching training," She shook her back, wiggling the pelt as proof, green eyes shining bright.

"Now, Minky, it's your turn! And even better - your pelt will match your name!" She begun slinking down the hill, keeping herself pushed low to the ground, pausing next to a flowering bush, slipping her pelt off her back, turning to her former apprentice. "The Twoleg's normally keep it inside their little nest. I don't want it to spook and run back off, so we need to stay stealthy until I can pin it, okay?" Grebedance nodded to herself at the end of her sentence, hardly waiting for a response from Minksplash before she took off, a surprising amount of stealth present in the fluffy molly.

Within heartbeats she crossed the few fox-lengths left into the Twoleg's yard, waiting for the right moment to strike. The mink was busy, with what she did not care, only that its attention was elsewhere. Grebedance took a deep breath, leapt, and sailed across the grass onto the predator, pinning it beneath her weight, claws sheathed to not damage the coat. "Be careful using your claws! This... is a very soft animal..." She realised very quickly she wanted to bury herself in the soft fluff beneath her, and shook her head. "We don't wanna bang it up too bad that you can't wear it!" Grebedance grinned, pushing its paws into the grass, sinking her weight onto it further.

Grebedance has used Leap and Hold, dealing 8 damage and using 15 stamina! The Mink is pinned for 1 turn!

Grebedance:
40/40 HP
85/100 SP (-15)

The Mink using weasel stats, they're basically the same animal
12/20 HP (-8)
135/135 SP

The member 'oryx' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Effect Dice' : 1

Now that was a sight. It seemed as if she had rubbed off onto her mentor, watching the bicolored molly practically leaping out of camp towards their destination. Whatever composure that Minksplash had in that moment seemed to quickly fade away, as she excitedly followed after her former mentor herself. As she listened to the story, her tail stayed straight in the air, the excitement and adrenaline running thickly through her russet body to keep her running. "Hmhmm, your family's tradition. From when Harebounce was in another Clan of sorts, right?" She forgot what the name of it was, but knew it wasn't exactly another clan.

Of course, those thoughts stopped the moment that Grebedance said a magical five words: [color:1c00=00bc91]Now Minky, it's your turn! Her original thoughts were correct? She would be graced with a pelt, carrying the family tradition? Her green eyes went wide for a moment, halting her in her tracks with almost pure disbelief.

By some grace of the Stars, that seemed to come in handy as Grebedance went to pin down the lanky animal, and one quick glance at it told the she-cat already everything that she needed to know. It very much was just like her. Shaking the momentary stun of her own out of her pelt, she gave her mentor a nod.

Taking a moment to assess the little creature in front of her, she was almost afraid to sink her claws in. But the way that Grebedance had it pinned down, its head had minimal movement. Minksplash had studied the black-and-white molly's coat thoroughly, knowing where it seemed to have been skinned from, and she herself would try to apply that same logic. If anything, it would be an extra testament to the excellent training she had received. Hopping over without much more doubt, her paws enclosed themselves around the mink's head. Of course, the moment that happened it seemed to want to squeal, but it still was kept still enough. Hopefully, as her claws found themselves digging into just behind and beneath its skull, the marks could serve as good entry points for whatever it was that needed to be done. Plus, it was a move that would begin to drain the life from the mink, as the pressure from her paws surely would be dealing internal damage as well.

Minksplash used Front Paw Strike, dealing 7 damage and costing 7 stamina.

Minksplash:
30 / 30 HP
73 / 80 SP (-7)

Grebedance:
40/40 HP
85/100 SP

The Mink: using weasel stats, they're basically the same animal
5/20 HP (-7)
135/135 SP

The mink squealed as Minksplash's claws dug in, and Grebedance chirped with satisfaction, ill-prepared for the furry creature to struggle through her paws, breaking free to bite the bicoloured molly, clamping onto her with an incredibly weak bite, visibly exhausted from the struggle. It drew blood, and she growled low in her throat, slamming her paw down on it's head, finishing the job. She bent down to begin cleaning up her bite mark, whiskers twitching at her first ever battle wound.

"Well Minky, we did it! Now, give me a moment. I'm not sure how well it'll work for a pelt like mine... It isn't quite big enough. We'll figure something out though," She grinned at her former apprentice, beginning the careful job with needle-sharp claws.

The Mink broke free and used Gripping Bite on Grebedance, dealing 7 damage and using 15 stamina.
Grebedance used Front Paw Blow, dealing 6 damage and using 5 stamina.

Grebedance:
33/40 HP (-7)
65/100 SP (-20, 15 + 5)

Minksplash:
30 / 30 HP
73 / 80 SP

The Mink:
KO'd