Beginning of The End (CLOSED)

Eagleheart growled lowly as he made his way through the undergrowth. Hollypaw's scent had lead him straight to the Shadowclan border. Not only that, but she had crossed as well. What in Starclan's name was she doing here? He though to himself angrily. The scent was fairly stale, but only by a day or so. Since then, he had seen his daughter. She had never mentioned being near the Shadowclan border at all. The warrior had been out hunting when her scent had filled his nostrils. It was pure curiosity that had driven him to follow. Unfortunately, nothing good had come of it. Memories of meeting Hazeflight here as a young warrior rushed back to him. There was a brief pang of sadness before the anger hit him. His relationship with the Shadowclan she-cat had been purely a mistake. Nothing good had come from it. Most of their children were no longer alive, exiled, or simply hated both of their parents. Now, it appeared his daughter was about to make the same mistake.

"I better not find another cat's scent here..." He hissed lowly, hesitating at the border. If he were caught, it could make things worse. But, all things considered, his family would be worse off if Hollypaw were to repeat the mistakes of her parents. His claws scuffed the ground as he padded over the border. Just over the border, his daughter's scent crossed with Shadowclan scent. A snarl rose up in his throat. Things were as he feared. Hollypaw was following in his footsteps. And not in the way he had hoped for.

Many things were on Shadewillow's mind as of late, and none of them were good. Lynxpaw was constantly out late- always off by himself, never showing an interest in she-cats in Shadowclan, always becoming incredibly defensive about his whereabouts, and always smelling as if he had spent his entire life living in a pile of foxdung. As if he was trying to hide something. He knew what it meant. The fact that he could so easily identify the path that Lynxpaw was traveling still made his fur bristle- Lynxpaw was one of the very few good things he had managed to produce in his life, and the thought of his son risking everything for a momentary rush of excitement made his heart ache in a way that he never thought was possible. These horrible, nagging suspicions are what drew Shadewillow away from camp on this fateful day- he just had to be sure that his kit wasn't off doing something he'd come to regret in time. He had slipped away from camp without many noticing, fully intent on discovering the truth of what his son had been up to over the past moon or so.

Lynxpaw's scent was strongest near the towering Pine tree that marked the often disputed border shared between Skyclan and Shadowclan, and it mingled heavily with that of a Skyclan she-cat's scent, but it wasn't one he had ever encountered before. Heart constricting painfully, his head bowed close to the ground as his fears began to rapidly mount. Shadewillow had come out here to try and desperately make sure nothing was wrong but it looks like it was everything but. 'Oh Starclan,' He reflected with a low sigh, 'What happened between Twistedtail and I was a mistake- a painful, painful mistake. Do not let my son fall into the same agonizing trap.' His long, hooked claws escaped their sheathes to rake furrows in the soft mud, a low snarl escaping his lips at the thought of their warrior ancestors subjecting his son to a similar fate. These thoughts and worries were absolutely nerve-wracking and consuming, preoccupying Shadewillow to the point that he almost missed the SkyClan warrior until he nearly walked into the other tom. Thankfully he noticed the strange cat early enough that he could slink into the uncomfortable shelter provided by a scraggly bramble bush, where he gladly settled down to observe Eagleheart with narrowed eyes.

Shadewillow observed Eagleheart for a few heartbeats with a wary curiosity, teeth grinding angrily at the way that the Skyclan warrior simply waltzed onto Shadowclan territory without a care in the world- who did he think he was? For the most part, he was more preoccupied with Eagleheart's trespassing over anything else, until something clicked in the back of his mind. Something that made his eyes stretch wide with disbelief. This Skyclan warrior smelled like the she-cat whom Lynxpaw had obviously encountered! The thought brought on an insurmountable amount of white-hot rage coursing through his veins to the point that his thick fur bristled as if he were faced with an entire hoard of foxes, and the large Shadowclan tom's muscles tensed up as he leaped from his sheltered spot and out into the other tom's path, clearly enraged beyond reason.

"You're a long way from home you half-bred, kitty-pet bastard scum!" Shadewillow snarled, teeth bared in rage at the blatant display of trespassing on the Skyclanner's behalf, "You should run back to your twolegs now before I make sure you drag your mutilated, half-dead corpse back to them!" He practically roared the final words, a furious challenge evident in both his eyes and words. The unfortunate Skyclan warrior had become the target of his wrath- a position he wouldn't escape from without serious harm.

He had not expected a confrontation. Eagleheart had not intended on starting anything. In fact, the warrior had promised himself he would simply apologize for any trespassing. But when Shadewillow spoke, something in him was set off. Instantly and instinctively, long claws slid out into the soft earth. He would not allow any cat to speak to him. Any thoughts of apologizing were gone in a moment, along with his original intentions for crossing the border. Instead, this was something personal now. This Shadowclan cat thought he could speak to Eagleheart in that manner, but he would quickly realize that was a mistake.

"No one talks to me that way, you piece of crowfood!" It came out as a half-yowl, half-snarl. Eagleheart did not care who heard him. Whoever this tom was had provoked the easily angered Skyclan warrior. Any attempts at conversation or peace were a lost cause. In an instant, he was leaping forwards onto Shadewillow. Huge paws crashed down on the top of his head, forcing his muzzle into the ground. If Shadewillow was going to start something, he would have to deal with the consequences.

Eagleheart used jumping strike, doing 12 damage and using 20 stamina.

Shadewillow
48/60
200/200

Eagleheart
60/60
180/200

Shadewillow let out an enraged growl as Eagleheart bowled into him, automatically catching the paw that the Skyclan tom used to try restrain him with his mouth, teeth violently seizing the apendage as he crunched into the muscle and bone. "Trespassing onto enemy territory? Starting a fight you know you'll lose on enemy territory? That's crass behavior for a supposed warrior!" Shadewillow snarled after spitting out Eagleheart's paw, lashing out with powerful hind legs to hurl Eagleheart away from him, allowing the Skyclan warrior to flounder in the mud for several heartbeats as he himself rose to his paws. Dropping down into a crouch that was so low his long belly fur brushed against the soft, churned up mud below the battling toms paws before he exploded forward towards the Skyclan warrior once more; a blur of bristling fur, glinting claws, and snapping teeth.

"And I say supposed warrior because everyone knows that Skyclan is nothing more than a ragtag collection of castaway kittypets and lowly rogues! You barely deserve to be called a 'cat', let alone a Warrior!" Shadewillow spat, rearing up on his hind legs to tower above Eagleheart, face twisted in an enraged snarl. Bringing his massive paws down in rapid, powerful succession against the Skyclan tom's face, his long claws brutally tearing at Eagleheart's vulnerable eyes, nose, and cheeks in the process. He felt no remorse as his claws shredded the delicate flesh around the other tom's eyes, even going as far as to feel a prick of satisfaction as he tore through the tender flesh of Eagleheart's eyelid- he was completely entranced with the adrenaline of the fight.


Shadewillow used Upright Front Paws, Dealing -13 In Damage, Costing -20 In Stamina.

Shadewillow
48/60 (HP)
180/200 (SP)

Eagleheart
47/60 (HP)
180/200 (SP)

A yowl tore from Eagleheart's throat as he felt muscle and bone break under Shadewillow's teeth. It quickly turned into an enraged snarl. No cat would take him down like this. The Shadowclan tom looked lighter than him and quickly an idea formed. The warrior launched himself over Shadewillow's head, wincing at the pain as he landed. He whirled around and leaped onto his opponent's back. His claws dug into the long fur and knotted to get a tight grip. He hoped his weight would drag down the other cat at least a bit. Both claws and teeth scored Shadewillow's back. Agony burned in the Skyclan tom's paw and from his eye, which he could now barely see out of, but regardless he attacked back relentlessly.

"I'll show you the power of Skyclan! No mud-brained, shadow-skulking, fox-heart will ever be allowed to defeat me in battle!" He roared, spittle spraying from the sides of his mouth.

Eagleheart used leap and hold, doing 11 damage and using 10 stamina

Shadewillow
37/60
180/200

Eagleheart
47/60
170/200

Padding through the marshy land, Mudfoot had caught the scent of a vole when a pain stricken yowl emitted into the air. Perking his ears and lifting his head, the warrior's shoulder fur started to bristle as he stalked forward, and soon enough, he caught the strange and unwelcome scent of SkyClan and could hear the muffled sound of fighting. What in StarClan's name was a SkyClan cat doing on their side of the territory?

Not wanting to waste any time wondering what could've been going on, Mudfoot ran around a small hump in the land and sure enough, just around the bend was Shadewillow and some SkyClan cat battling it out. Letting out a low growl from deep in his throat, the russet colored warrior raced towards the two cats. Preparing himself, he jumped into the air, claws extended, and knocked the intruder to the ground so that his clanmate could get up.

"SkyClan filth, what are you doing on our side of the border?" the older warrior hissed after quickly standing up and shaking his pelt to rid it of any moss. There had recently been stories of a crazy cat that had gone around and slaughtered cats from other clans, and although he doubted this was the case, he wasn't about to let this SkyClan scum get away with out learning what his motives were.

Mudfoot used Run and Tackle, causing 13 damage (+3) and costing 10 stamina.

Mudfoot:
HP: 100/100
SP: 270/280

Eagleheart:
HP: 31/60
SP: 170/200

If there was ever a time where Shadewillow had genuinely wanted to purr, it would of been now. The heavy Skyclan tom had nearly smushed him into the mud by leaping onto his back like that, but for whatever infinite reason, Starclan had sent Mudfoot in the battling pair's direction to aid him in this rather surprising skirmish. Immediately after Mudfoot sent Eagleheart sprawling, Shadewillow lurched to his paws and snarled, chin stained with an appalling mixture of blood and mud, swinging his head around to snatch a brief glance at Mudfoot. The large tom briefly shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears before glaring at Eagleheart- was this tom half mad? Honestly, he hardly even understood how quickly things had seemingly destructed. "Skyclan is nothing but a collection of loners," Shadewillow snapped in response to Mudfoot's words, the thick fur that lined his nape, spine, and tail bushing out to make him look even larger "It's no wonder that this one doesn't respect the Code!" He sneered out the words again, jaw quivering in anticipation of sinking his teeth into the arrogant tom once more.

Darting forward once more, Shadewillow slithered forward across the slick, adherent mud to leap in front of the rather startled Skyclan warrior again. Rearing up his hind legs with a grunt of effort, the Shadowclan tom brought his paws together as he raised them above his head in a menacing manner. "This shadow-sulking fox-heart is about to defeat you in battle!" He spat, throwing Eagleheart's words back into his face with venomous intensity, before slamming his forepaws down onto the Skyclan tom's head with such ferocity that it jarred his bones and made his muscles ache in protest before dropping back down onto all fours and springing away to return to a offensive position beside Mudfoot.


Shadewillow used Upright Lock, Dealing -14 In Damage, Costing -25 In Stamina.


Shadewillow
37/60 (HP)
155/200 (SP)

Eagleheart
17/60 (HP)
170/200 (SP)

Mudfoot
100/100 (HP)
170/200 (SP)

"I was just here looking for something until your clanmate started insulting me and my clan," Eagleheart hissed at the second Shadowclan cat as he regained his footing. While explaining the situation would have been the better option, the dark tabby was too prideful to want to justify himself to the Shadowclan cats. Already the open wounds that had begun to cut across his pelt stung. His eye was swollen shut and the fire in his paw only continued to get worse. Yet the strong warrior stood his ground, snarling in the face of his two opponents.

It wasn't long before Shadewillow's paws were crashing down on him once more. His head ducked backwards, spinning underneath the intensity of the blow. Despite the blurry vision and aching pain, Eagleheart stood back up. While his tail lashed behind him with agitation, the warrior lunged forwards once more. With unsheathed claws, he battered at Shadewillow's face. Fur and flesh was caught and ripped away by the rapid succession of the blows. Mudfoot had only knocked him off of the other tom. Eagleheart's intense anger was still directed at the obnoxious young warrior.

"Only because you have your grandfather here to defend you," He snarled, making a light jab at Mudfoot's age and Shadewillow's ability to defend himself. Addergaze was better at smart remarks, but Eagleheart always tried.

Eagleheart used front paw strike, doing 12 damage and using 25 stamina.

Shadewillow
25/60
155/200

Eagleheart
17/60
145/200

"Perhaps you'd better start looking in your own pathetic sliver of territory before my grandfather and I shred you into a bloody pulp!" Shadewillow spat, rearing his head back away from Eagleheart, dropping back into a low crouch. Rage ignited dangerous flames in the toms eyes as he shook away the blood that dripped into his eyes, nose, and mouth. Now he was really angry- after he was finished beating Eagleheart into a bloody pulp, he would make sure that Leopardstar gave Skyclan absolute hell for training such arrogant, simple-minded creatures. His teeth unintentionally bared as an idea struck him, and the Shadowclan tom lunged at Eagleheart once more.

Scooping up a pawful of mud, Shadewillow quickly hurled the cold, thick, bacteria-riddled sludge into Eagleheart's face before the Skyclan tom could react. It was a rather apprentice-like tactic, but if this tom's behavior was consistent with that of an apprentice, it was fine in his eyes. While Eagleheart was still reeling from the mud that coated his face, he quickly hurled himself at Skyclan tom, eyes gleaming with anger. Rearing up a forepaw, Shadewillow smashed his large, mud-coated paw as hard as he could into Eagleheart's throat, ignoring the soft 'crunch' and the way that the other tom gagged and gasped. "You talk to much for my liking- and unfortunately your speaking skills are almost as terrible as your fighting skills; which shouldn't truly be possible considering how terrible you already are when it comes to defending yourself." He spat, slipping away from the floundering SkyClan cat.


Shadewillow used 'Mud Slap', Dealing -6 In Damage, Costing -10 In Stamina.
Eagleheart is Stunned for One Turn.

Shadewillow
25/60 (HP)
143/200 (SP)

Eagleheart
11/60 (HP)
145/200 (SP)

Mudfoot
100/100 (HP)
170/200 (SP)

A gag broke from Eagleheart's throat. He tried to snarl, but it came out gurgled. There was a moment of panic as the warrior realized how hurt and out numbered he was. But it was quickly overshadowed by the anger he felt towards the self-righteous, Shadowclan tom. His head reeled from the intensity of Shadewillow's painful blows. Blood crusted over Eagleheart's swollen eye. His paw was broken and twitched from the excruciating pain whenever he tried to step. Now, his throat closed up with something that had obviously been severed. He was in bad shape. Very bad shape.

Struggling to stand up straight against the dizziness, he swayed slightly. The tom still managed to stand on all four paws, not wanting Shadewillow to see the damage done to his crushed one. Every inch of his pelt either ached or stung. Yet, he flexed his muscles and used his powerful hindlegs to launch himself forwards as his opponent. Due to the blood loss and lack of vision, his blows were slightly miscalculated. They hit, but now with as much intention as he wanted. Each strike cut across Shadewillow's face and chest. As he continued his relentless attack, furious yowls rang from his chest. The noise was slightly gurgled and broken under the pressure of his severed windpipe. But, none the less, Eagleheart gave it his all.

Eagleheart used front paw strike, doing 12 damage and using 25 stamina.

Shadewillow
13/60
155/200

Eagleheart
11/60
120/200

Mudfoot watched as the two cats continued to fight and from the looks of it, the SkyClan cat didn't have much energy left in him, so it was now or never.

Racing forward, the pair of claws and fury, Mudfoot pushed through the battle and sent a paw towards the tom's face. With a hard thud when his paw made contact against Eagleheart's cheek, Mudfoot stepped back, breathing heavily. "Go crawl back to your clan and stay off of our territory!" the warrior snapped.

Mudfoot used Front Paw Blow, causing 12 damage and costing 5 stamina.

Mudfoot:
HP: 100/100
SP: 270/280

Eagleheart:
Unable to fight.

"Shadowclan scum!" He spat with as much disdain as he could manage. The words were surprisingly clear despite the shape his throat was in. The Skyclan warrior would never allow for one of the marsh cats to completely take him out. They had certainly beaten him, but Eagleheart was not dead yet. With a choked his, the tabby warrior turned to limp across the border. Any anger he held was now directed at himself for losing to Shadowclan cats. Even though there was two of them, he wouldn't let that be an excuse for his failure.

Blood had crusted over the tom's right eye and it was now swollen shut. There was still a light, stabbing pain that constantly made him shift uncomfortably. His one front paw was almost entirely useless. It brushed the ground as he limped, attempting to avoid the feeling of crushed bone on the ground. The fresher wounds, from the end of the fight, that dotted his pelt still bled. A trail of scarlet drops followed Eagleheart as he hauled himself back to camp. His strength was quickly failing, and there was a creeping blackness at the edge of his vision. But, despite all that, he knew he had to make it back to camp.