Smoking Flames {Closed}

It was sometime in the afternoon. The sun had dipped to a lower position than it had been in at noon, but the heat had not abated in the least. As newleaf progressed, the weather had steadily become warmer. Stepping out of the stream, Scorchclaw thoroughly shook out his brown tabby pelt. Water droplets scattered everywhere as a result. While his thick fur helped to keep him warm in leafbare, it became a disadvantage when the warmer seasons rolled around. Greenleaf's arrival was an incredibly unpleasant thought. At least RiverClanners had the river to keep cool; the large deputy couldn't imagine what it would be like for the cats of the other clans.

He was alone today. A breeze stirred nearby, causing the reeds to whisper softly. Scorchclaw was in no rush to return to camp; since he was already out here, he might as well hunt a bit before returning to camp. With a twitch of his ear, the tabby tom lifted his head to scent the air. In the next moment, he stiffened. Although it was faint, he could detect the scent of blood drifting in the air. Mingled with it was a harsher, fouler scent that he also recognized. Fox. Who's blood was it? The fox's or...someone else's? Gritting his teeth, he dashed in the direction the scents were coming from.

Smokewish just fancied a walk that day.

She had needed to clear her mind for a long time. Sweetheart was gone, Nightshade was gone, Mudpaw was gone, half her sight had gone and Ivystar had gone. So many cats disappearing so fast. She had always wanted a family, right from the moment she knew her parents were dead and she never had any siblings. Now she finally had one, and StarClan had ripped away half of them. Now it was Mistpaw, Chillpaw and Spotfur. Three cats left. Their starry ancestors couldn’t be so cruel as to take them away from her. Could they?

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t recognise the smell of fox until it was too late. Next thing she knew, one of the filthy beasts had charged at her, knocking her over before she could unsheathe her claws. Terror gripped at her chest. This was how Nightshade was killed. Because she couldn’t save her daughter. Smokewish struggled to free herself as claws raked down her chest and across her cheek, drawing blood. She didn’t even make a sound as the monster pinned her down. She felt hot, greedy breath at her throat. This was it. She let out a pitiful whimper, back paws pressing desperately at its belly as she tried in vain to get it off.

The closer Scorchclaw drew, the stronger the scent of fox became. The sharp odor caused his maw to twist in a grimace of disgust, but he did not slow down. From the smell of blood in the air, someone was likely injured. If it was a wounded fox, he would probably be running into great danger, but he had no way of knowing that for sure. What if it was one of the patrols he had sent out earlier? Before long, the low growling of a hostile fox reached his ears. He was close. Picking up his pace, he dived past the long grass and into the clearing.

What was reflected in the fluffy tom's tea green eyes was the flame-furred beast who had Smokewish pinned to the ground. To make matters worse, there was no other cat in sight. The gray warrior was struggling, but her efforts were visibly to no avail. Blood stained her chest and face. At such a sight, images of a broken, blue-furred body suddenly flashed through his mind. I'll be a warrior soon. Darkpaw's words rang in his ears again. Before he knew it, Scorchclaw was already charging towards the two of them. A snarl of rage cut through the air as he hurled himself at the fox. Combining his weight and momentum, he rammed into the beast's side. With a surprised yelp, it staggered to the side. The deputy planted himself firmly between the cat and the fox. "Leave her alone." He hissed, unsheathing his claws. His madly bristling fur caused him to appear almost twice his normal size. He would not lose another clanmate to these filthy creatures. "Smokewish, can you stand? I need your help."

A little gasp of surprise left her as the fox was swept away from her. What?! She scrambled to her paws, her working eye darting around to find her saviour. It was none other than the deputy, Scorchclaw. She made a little sound of relief, thankful that there wasn’t fangs sinking into her neck at that very moment. She stood a little taller and unsheathed her claws, giving the deputy a little nod and blinking her thanks.

The fox in question was surprised, too, to find that this would not be such an easy meal. It bared its teeth, snarling at the newfound saviour. It would leave with one of these cats or it would die trying.


ooc: short reply

Scorchclaw didn't dare fully take his eyes off the fox before him and its wickedly pointed teeth. Instead, he glanced at Smokewish out of the corner of his vision. He gave an internal sigh of relief when he saw the gray warrior standing again. Fortunately, her injuries did not look too serious. The fluffy deputy had made it just in time. He didn't want to think about what could have happened had he not happened to detect the scents earlier. RiverClan would have lost another warrior. He responded to Smokewish's gratitude with silent swish of his tail. That could wait; for now, they had to deal with the snarling fox. Not allowing it to make the first move, Scorchclaw darted forward.

Wide-open jaws lunged at him. Sidestepping, Scorchclaw felt the whoosh of air as they snapped shut to his left, barely missing him. Adrenaline rushed through his body at the close shave. He moved forward and slashed his claws across the fox's flank. Satisfaction sparked within his chest as he glimpsed the fox's blood spattering unto the ground. Without slowing his pace, he slipped behind the predator. Its bushy, red tail danced before him, and he bit down hard on it.

OOC: I'm so sorry for the delay! ;;

ooc: ee, i’m sorry too ;;

Smokewish reared up on her hind legs and slashed wildly at the fox's head and muzzle, trying to land a hit that would disarm it. The deputy she fought alongside was certainly a good fighter - why wouldn’t he be? Jaystar had seen him fit, and so did most of the Clan. There was no reason for Smokewish not to either. She landed back on all fours with a kind of thump sound, and stumbled a little as she regained her balance.

The fox growled at the attacks. It was certainly growing weaker. The she-cat’s claws ripped open its ear, and it felt blood drip down the side of it’s face. It’s tail felt sore and it’s side screamed from the he-cat’s attacks, but it refused to give up. It charged at the grey one again, swiping one heavy paw at her head in an attempt to disarm her. Maybe it could drag her away fast enough once she was down. Doubtful, considering the fox’s condition, but maybe. Although it would have preferred the slightly larger brown one, it couldn’t seem to land a hit on him. He was too good a fighter.

The two cats were slowly but surely weakening the fox. They worked well together, attacking the foul creature from different directions at once. The collection of wounds that cut through its fiery pelt was gradually increasing. It was beginning to grow desperate, and that desperation showed. Hope that they would be able to drive it away without either suffering any more injuries was rising within Scorchclaw. Barely dodging a well-aimed swipe at his throat, the fluffy brown tom retaliated by sending his sharp claws flying across the fox's muzzle.

He had been careful to stay out of the fox's attack range, occasionally darting in when he saw an opportunity. As he leaped back to safety again, he saw the red beast charge at Smokewish. There was no time to think. His legs propelled him over the grassy ground. Once the fox was within reach, he bunched his muscles and leaped forward. His sharp claws sunk into matted red fur. The world lurched as the fox staggered beneath him. The deputy was quick to sink his fangs into one of the large black ears. Flesh tore between his jaws and he grimaced, knowing that he had probably just ripped off half a ear. It was Smokewish's chance while the fox was distracted by its unwanted rider.