so i made that betch a topic. betches love topics.

The tom slit his green eyes at the stranger for a moment, glancing aside at Pondpaw for a moment and shaking his head. No, this wouldn't, without good reason anyways. He considered just ignoring the threat and moving on, but the stubborn pride inherent to the clan kept him in his place. Sagewhisker sniffed, "Really, now? Where?" If they had trouble getting through the undergrowth, he highly doubted a plump RiverClan patrol could hide themselves any better. "It's no concern of yours. I suggest you move on if you fish-brains want to keep your pelts." Ohyus. Sagewhisker. Master of comebacks. /sarcasm.

"Fourtrees is holy ground and a place of peace." Smokepaw replied, dodging the question. "Consider this your last warning." Smokepaw's face did not show the faintest trace of emotion.

If your eyes are in your head and not on your hind legs, you probably noticed he's rather good at that.

This was it. His bluff was up. Smokepaw regretted saying it was their last warning, but realized that it would have been a dead giveaway to further give empty threats. He just hoped they were cautious enough for this.

Of course, he hadn't realized there was an alliance between the two Clans. An alliance now only held together by history and nothing more, but an alliance no less.

"Only on the full moon." A look of mischief suddenly grew on the tom's face as he took a few steps out, just on the edge of the comfortable shadows. Sagewhisker lowered his body, watching the tom carefully. "Right now, this place is fair game to anyone." As totally wise Sagewhisker thought he was, and how the rest of the clan thought he might be, he still had yet to find himself in an actual battle. It was his young arrogance that challenged this stranger and the rest of his supposed patrol; that told him he and Pondpaw could easily take whatever was thrown at them. "So, let's see what you've got then." A smile was on his face.

Pondpaw, - having totally finished her battle practice with her true mentor, Shadowstar earlier - dropped into a defensive crouch beside Sagewhisker, ready to take on this 'patrol' that the RiverClan cat had said was waiting for them. She, obviously, hadn't been in a battle before either, so she was quite excited, although quite a bit scared too. She extended and retracted her claws repeatedly in anticipation, as she awaited Sagewhisker's signal.

Smokepaw frowned at this. Well, mouse-dung. "If a war is what you want then attack me. Your Clan is doomed if you do so." Smokepaw replied calmly, cautiously taking a jab at the two ShadowClan cat's pride.

This probably wasn't going to make them going away, but he didn't have many options at this point anyways.

Of course, Smokepaw had gotten a bit of battle training with Hopeclaw in, but by the odds his only chance would be if they had any relatively big bodies of water nearby. He just silently hoped that these two were more hiss than bite.

No, that doesn't work very well for cats. Smokepaw thought it would sound clever in his mind even though no one would hear it. He was wrong.

Yet that feeling nagged him again that something was familiar about this cat. Smokepaw pushed it away and focused on his current predicament.

The tom wavered for a moment, but really only a moment. The end of his tail twitched, "You know..." Sagewhisker had started to say, as if caught in a slump. Then he smiled again, "I think we'll take our chances." His gaze darted around for the moment for any immediate backlash at his words, but none had arrived, and so he quickly searched for the easiest approach instead.

It really only took no less than a few heartbeats. Really only want to send this cat flying into the bushes out of fear, if nothing else, he tossed his small bird aside and sprang out into the clearing; outstretching his paws. With instinctive precision, Sagewhisker aimed to swipe at the stranger's ear; a place where blood would be drawn and flow easily, a scare tactic if nothing else. Whether it worked or not, he still pushed forward and aimed to bit at his shoulder. It didn't occur to him in the least that he might have known this cat already; he honesty didn't care much at the moment, more-so focus on making sure this RiverClan kit had his arse handed to him, really.

Smokepaw flinched as he felt pain sting his ear. Knowing his surperiors, they probably wouldn't give a mouse tail and would probably say that he deserved it. He held his ground, a bit of blood trickling from where Sagewhisker had hit him. "You'll regret that choice." Smokepaw replied but offering no resistance or retaliation when he was hit on the shoulder immediately afterwards, which made him stagger slightly. He was easily bulkier than the other two and wondered if he should fight back, but decided against it.

Pondpaw, having dropped her rat when she spoke to Sagewhisker, charged after her mentor, ready to battle. She didn't know what her the warrior had planned, but she was ready to fight, and she had no idea about all this family stuff that seems to be going on. ;u;

Sagewhisker had jumped back, expecting him to at least bat his paw at him in retaliation... Or something. But no. "Will I?" He asked rhetorically. The tom glanced for a moment around the clearing clearing, half-expecting the promised patrol to pounce out at them, but getting nothing. With a somewhat awkward look, he glaned ay the battle-ready Pondpaw who had charged out after.

"Ready to strike, huh?" Sagewhisker muttered in amusement, throwing a glare at the cat. "What's wrong? Too scared to fight back?" He spat, the fur still standing uneasily up on his pelt. In reality, the situation kinda made him want to whine like an apprentice. come onnnn. Fight meeeeeeee. ;_;

It was right about then he tilted he couldn't help but feel a chord strike in his head. The tom tilted his head slightly in sudden curiosity. Did he know this cat?

Smokepaw composed himself a bit, his voice returning to the normal dull tone as he did his best to ignore the sting. "I was hoping you'd come to your senses and stop being such a kit." Smokepaw replied back, a little bit of irritation shining in his emerald eyes along with his eyebrows arched in a scolding matter. Though the cat was obviously at a strikingly similar age, Smokepaw decided on that insult anyways. He felt the warm stream of blood starting to run down his foreleg and onto the dirt.

This cat seemed awfully familiar somehow.

No Smokepaw. Stop being a mouse-brain.

No. you're a mouse-brain.

Shut up.

No you.

He then wondered who he was arguing with inside his head.

It was probably no one.

Yeah, probably no one.

Shut up already, for StarClan's sake.

Pondpaw was quite tempted to bat at the cat like a kit. Why won't he attack meeeeeee? ;n; She wanted to actually fight someone. Pondpaw wasn't quite fond of all this talking. She preferred action. *hinthintsage* She looked at the two, trying to see what they were mind-fighting about. She didn't really see anything that struck her as odd. Besides, they were from different clans. Maybe they talked at a gathering or something? Whutevur. Smoke just better fight back. Or Pond will get bored. That won't be fun. Well, won't be fun for you. It'll be fun for meee. ;u;

Sagewhisker sniffed, fight back the urge to roll his eyes. He ignored the cat's wry comment and moved on, "Are you going to stay here and stare at us all night or do we really have to chase you out?" He questioned, the hiss still in his voice. The tom glanced aside at Pondpaw once more, who was looking about as anxious as she was, before turning his direction back to the RiverClan cat. And then it finally clicked. because someone had to figure it out sooner or later or they'd be standing there all day.

The warrior slit his green eyes, much the same shade as the other's. "Smokekit?" He questioned lowly.

"What-?"

He didn't get to finish it before he narrowed his eyes at the ShadowClan tom.

Smokepaw's mind began to race on and on about who this cat was. This confirmed it. That scent was familiar. Smokepaw had met this cat before. The apprentice felt his heart beginning to race as he stared at the two, his mind completely off of the pain and off of his current mission.

Don't listen.

It was a soft hiss in his ear, the voice unidentifiable and rather ghastly. Perhaps it was the RiverClan cat's better judgement taking over. Smokepaw's expression changed to one of suspicion. He couldn't trust these cats. No doubt they were trying to get to him. No, they couldn't fool him. He wouldn't play along with this.

Smokepaw decided to try his own scare tactics. He took a glance at the piece of fresh kill discarded on the ground and turned to Sagewhisker and Pondpaw, a fiery glare ignited.

"What will the other Clans think if poor ShadowClan has to hunt at Fourtrees?" Smokepaw asked rhetorically. He looked to the prideful young warrior in front of him dead on. The topic of his name completely dropped now. "And they assaulted a lone lost apprentice?" With the sun steadily going up, the shadows began to dissapate. "This is your last chance."