fighting the good fight; [CLOSED]

Why he needed to go on a patrol alone, he had no idea. Maybe Brindlestar and Swiftstep wanted to test him, to see how his training was going. Or maybe just no other cat wanted to do it. Elmpaw sighed heavily to himself as he neared the Gorge, picking his way carefully to the edge. There was a RiverClan stench in the air, saturating it and filling his nostrils. It seemed to only be coming from the other side in their territory and not in WindClan territory, which is what he hoped. He didn't feel like fighting anyone today. The more he thought about it, however, the more he figured it would be good for him. He needed the experience, it would be good practice for the war that was stirring.

The three-legged apprentice shook his short fur out and limped along the edge of the Gorge, carefully sniffing and marking to make sure the border stayed strong. He came to a shorter area of the Gorge where the drop wasn't nearly as drastic, perhaps only a couple foxlengths down to the water. Elmpaw sat down, his front paws just barely touching the edge. The border to RiverClan was fairly close now. Green eyes stared off into the distance, into RiverClan territory. I could probably jump across if I wanted to, he thought, blinking. Not that he particularly wanted to.

Maybe he would just sit here and rest for a moment and enjoy the cool weather. He doubted the Clan really needed him back anyway. If that band of Exiles found him and killed him, then so be it.

"Just because WindClan stole the border back doesn't mean you're welcome to hang about." Adderfeather's clipped voice was nearly lost to the tumultuous roaring of the swiftly moving falls, the sharp undercurrent of her voice drifting through the chilly air. A misty curtain of vapor bled upwards from the Gorge, thick tendrils of partially solid fog twisting and curling high into the dark sky before the pair, partially obscuring the three-legged tom before her. Singular eye slipping into a narrowed point, the molly's thick fur lifted slightly. Truth be told, unlike the rest of RiverClan, she didn't mind the presence of the fretful little moor-dwellers- what irked her was the fact that they had the nerve to merely move the disputed scent markers as they pleased, without doing anything to earn the right to do such.

He flinched at the sharp voice that rose out of the fog. How did he not notice her? He must have been really distracted. He stood up quickly, tail lashing as he tried to keep his balance on the edge of the small slope he was on. Elmpaw peered through the mist at the gray molly, his hackles rising a little. "I'm not hanging around," he called back, a tinge of uncertainty in his voice. "I'm making sure cats like you don't cross into our territory." And also because it was his job, he mused to himself, bitter. He didn't think he was good enough at this to actually do any good. "So...So don't get any ideas!" he yowled awkwardly, immediately regretting that as soon as it came out of his mouth. He didn't think he could leap across without potentially hurting himself, so if she wanted to fight she could come to him. Besides, he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Cross the border?" Adderfeather echoed indignantly, singular pupil dilating in dismay at Elmpaw's suggestion. Every cat with half a brain knew it was always WindClan that went frolicking across the border whenever they pleased- just ask Viperstorm! Thick mane-like fur shifting further, the grey molly's tail thumped against the earth in agitation. Three legs and less than half a working brain! "And do what? Hang about on those three barren hills that you call territory? You couldn't drag me over there for all the stars in the sky!" Promptly turning her muzzle upwards and away from the tortoiseshell tom, her lips curled downwards into a displeased scowl. "Besides, every cat knows it's WindClan that can't even tell what a border is- judging by how often you're caught straying where you don't belong."

(OOC: on mobileee)

This she-cat was starting to piss him off. He hadn't even done anything wrong and here she was, yelling at him for things he's never done before. His tail lashed again in growing agitation, his eyes narrowing. "I don't know who you think you are, but I've never once done any of the things you're accusing me for. And it's not like your territory is better! You water-logged furballs have to learn to swim. I wouldn't be caught dead in water, let alone dirty river water. No wonder you all smell like fish. I'm honestly so glad you don't want to come over here, because we would never want you anyway! I see you're missing an eye, is it fun not being able to see all the foxdung spilling out of your mouth right now?" He unsheathed his claws, hackles bristling. She could come get him. Now he was ready for her. He would make Brindlestar proud.

"Even with one eye, I still know a failure when I see one! I see that you're missing a leg, is it fun knowing that you'll never amount to anything more than a half-trained, scrawny waste of space that should've just been left out for the vermin to devour?" The venom that curdled Adderfeather's jeering response was palpable, even among the storming tendrils of water vapor. It went against every last fiber within every last thread of her being to contemplate violence, especially after what had been inflicted upon her, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the little runt clearly believed himself to find whatever he was searching for in the form of a fight. Trust WindClan to pick fights that they could never win! Bracing herself down against the ragged edge of the cliff-face, the dark grey molly's thick tail swung in a wide arc as her balance was neatly gathered in the way that Scorchclaw had shown her, memories of the last time she had ventured to the moorland roiling within her mind. I bet they didn't even take the time to develop specialized training for him- it'll be like fighting a scrawny Kittypet. Giving herself a rigorous shake to flush away the pitiful realization, the molly's muscles coiled neatly beneath her fur. A slight exhale echoed through the air as the RiverClanner plunged into the thick curtain of fog, fully embracing the blood of Ivystar, Rainstorm, and Otterleap as she did so.

Ears flicking back against the mental image of Scorchclaw's disappointment, Adderfeather's movements were surprisingly graceful as she cleared the Gorge and sent Elmpaw sprawling, all within mere seconds.

Adderfeather used Jumping Strike, Dealing -10 in Damage & Costing -20 in Stamina.

Adderfeather
40/40 [HP]
110/130 [SP]

Elmpaw
5/15 [HP]
50/50 [SP]