Too Much Fighting [CLOSED]

OOC: (Patrol will come after Icepaw has gotten maimed)

The large white apprentice padded along the border to sunning rocks, refreshing the scent markers and searching for any intruders. His father and uncle were both also on the patrol but were farther behind. Probably talking about the battle that had taken place a few short sunrises ago. A strong wafting of Thunderclan scent and a flash of a pelt did alert him to another cat's presence, however. He approached the border, looking over it. Where was that cat? "Hey! Whoever you are, I hope you're not planning on crossing the border!" His pelt bristled with annoyance as he stood there. Would he have to fight? He wouldn't mind a good fight, even though he had participated in the battle a little while ago.

With the sun newly restored, light bathed the forest in a fascinating manner. Ridgepaw padded dazedly through paths and trails worn in by cats throughout the seasons. Each and every rustling leaf demanded her attention. The scuffling of prey in the undergrowth enticing her closer to the thin wall of bushes that seemed to grow as a natural blockade to deny sunningrocks from the rest of the forest. Her head lifted to the sound of a voice. It was nearby, moreso than she liked as her fur tufted up. Her first thought was to pad up and greet them cheerfully... but... why do that when there was an opportunity for a prank? She smirked, laying low an crawling through a hole in the bushes up and behind Icepaw.

Now that she saw him, the large white apprentice didn't seem like the best cat to prank. She shifted with nervous tension on the stones before she made a lunge at him. Her claws carefully dug in only to fur as she tackled him.
"Surprise!" She yowled with great cheer. The expression on her face far from a vicious attacker.

Ridgepaw used Run-and-Tackle on Icepaw.

Ridgepaw:
20/20
80/80 (-10)

Icepaw:
14/20 (-6)
80/80

Icepaw was knocked over from the force and surprise of the blow. Had he known where Ridgepaw had been coming from, he might've been able to keep his ground. With a loud hiss and a "thump", Icepaw had been knocked to the ground. With a soul-piercing glare, he quickly rounded on the other apprentice and yanked her tail. Hard. "Should've known a Thunder-clanner would attack me. I'm not on your side of the border mouse-brain!" He really should wait for the other two warriors that he was on patrol with to show up, but he was impatient today. He had seen the cheerful look on her face. She was... happy to attack him? What in the name of Starclan? Icepaw, unfortunately, didn't take jokes very well.

Icepaw used "Tail Yank", dealing +2 damage and using -10 stamina. Ridgepaw is stunned for one turn!

Icepaw
HP: 14
SP: 70(-10)

Ridgepaw
HP: 18(-2)
SP: 70

"Oof!" Ridgepaw grunted as she fell from her tail being pulled. She blinked back tears of pain as she turned to Icepaw with a betrayed look. "Oooow what was that for? I was just saying Hi." She bemoaned as she tried to stared at him. Her expression morphing to a confident smirk. So this tom wanted a fight? She could deliver on that. "But if you want a fight... fine."

Ridgepaw is no longer stunned

He glared at Ridgepaw quietly, waiting for her to get up. She was good at distractions, she had managed to stand while she was talking to him. No Thunderclanner was going to get the better of him though! "You could just get on your side of the border and not attack random cats!" He quickly struck at her with an unsheathed paw, scratching her shoulder. He didn't want to hurt hurt the apprentice, but he would if she didn't just leave!

Icepaw used "Front Paw Strike", dealing +6 damage and using -10 stamina!

Icepaw
HP: 14
SP: 60(-10)

Ridgepaw
HP: 12(-6)
SP: 70

It was a total coincidence that Hailpaw came to the riverside that morning. It felt good to be out of camp, stretching her legs in the vast expense of ThunderClan territory. She was supposedly on a hunting patrol, but her boundless energy had quickly gotten her separated from the others. It seemed that her clanmates were mostly used to such an occurrence by now, for they did not chase after her. The breeze was in her face, playing with her whiskers. Even with the onset of leaf bare, she could not think of the weather as anything but good. The sun was shining, and the clouds were bare wisps in the sky. It was the perfect day for a battle! Of course, she had not forgotten that she was supposed to be hunting. Feeding the clan was important too. She would get to it after she had skirmished around for a bit. Skipping along as she hummed a carefree tune, the fluffy apprentice eventually found herself at the RiverClan border--that was, the river. As she cheerfully scanned the opposing shore, her sharp gaze quickly made out the form of two other cats. Oh? She tilted her head, surprised. They appeared to be engaged in a skirmish. Had one of her clanmates beat her to a fight? In the next instance, she realized the identity of the ThunderClan apprentice, and her glee was swiftly blown away.

Ridgepaw. There she was, right across the river, sprawled out on the gravelled shore. Her opponent was a white-pelted RiverClan tom. The calico molly was well-known for poking her head into places it wasn't supposed to be in, so it shouldn't have been surprising that she would get into trouble like this. However, the only thing Hailpaw could think of at that moment was Ridgepaw getting hurt. Beepaw's waterlogged corpse flashed hrough her mind. It was unlikely that the other apprentice would actually kill a cat over a simple tresspassing issue, but this was a RiverClanner. She had grown up hearing tales of their atrocity. As she watched, Ridgepaw stumbled to her paws, only to catch a blow against her shoulder. Blood seeped out of the wound, dying the surrounding fur. With that scene, something snapped within Hailpaw.

The next thing she knew, she was already halfway across the path of stepping stones. Her fear of slipping into the water did nothing to stop her from flying across their surface. As her paws made contact with solid ground again, a furious screech pierced through the air. "Don't. Touch. Her!" She bounded straight for the RiverClan apprentice, her bristling pelt making her look almost twice her size. Claws ripped furiously through fur and flesh. It only took one swipe--one swipe, and the right side of the tom's face was suddenly marked with deep, bloody furrows. She had torn right across his eye.

He had been in a defensive stance, ready to take whatever blow he was sure would come his way from the molly in front of him. Though from his right he sharply heard a screech, and couldn't even look over before seeing a white blur, red, then nothing. At least on the right side of his head of course. At first, he was stunned. The last thing he had expected was for a real fight. A cat to really try to hurt him. This was merely a border skirmish. Next came the pain, that brought him crashing back down to reality. A loud screech came from him as he rounded on the other Thunderclan apprentice. He hissed at his paws at the pain, trying not to show much weakness to these apprentices, but the pain was too much. The white tom was brought to his knees. All he could do was stare at his paws, watching the blood drip down his fur, staining it. He wondered if he would continue to be attacked, his patrol would be here any minute now, he assumed they had heard the screeches.

A paw came up, trying to scratch the cat who had attacked him, it didn't come close. A growl warned her to come no closer, but if she wanted to attack him more it would happen, and he'd be defenseless to it.

OOC(the patrol will be coming after you both post next)

"Attack?" Ridgepaw looked up at the white tom with confusion. Her head tilted as she realised what was happening... her will to fight faded in the light of this realisation. "W-wait!" A flash of white fur interrupted her words. Suddenly, it was a flurry of white fur... then red. Deep red, unnatural, frightening. The stench of blood filled the air as Ridgepaw stared in horror at one of the white cats, at Icepaw who looked to be bleeding badly. She looked at Hailpaw's white paws, one dyed an unsightly red.

"H-Hailpaw what have you..." Her stomach twisted violently. This wasn't right. It had simply been a playful greeting... now it had turned into this. She stared at the tom's bloodied eye, then turned as her stomach clenched and forced her to focus on not losing her lunch. Though she would happily have given it up to never witness this. She focused on breathing, on getting her senses back together. The wounds on her pelt felt like nothing in comparison to that.

"Hailpaw, that's enough!" The sharpness of her yowl surprised even her as she stared at her green eyed sister. "H-How could you do that!?" Slowly, Ridgepaw stepped towards Icepaw. Her tail and head low, apologetic. "Hold on... do you need help?"

Everything happened all too quickly. Hailpaw had not meant to aim for Icepaw's eye. Or had she? Whatever she had intended, it was lost in that moment. She saw the terrible wounds that she had inflicted, and she barely flinched at the sight. Icepaw screeched in pain, the dreadful cry ringing within her ears. Somewhere, sometime, Ridgepaw yowled for her to stop. She heard her name being called. "Hold on... do you need help?" What in StarClan's name was Ridgepaw doing? The RiverClan apprentice wasn't even fighting back now. Blood ran red down his face, clouding out his ruined eye. So what if he had been rendered unable to even lift a claw against her? Hailpaw wasn't done. There was so much more she could do. Stay back, Ridgepaw. The words sounded within her mind, but her tongue did not move to voice them. Her vision seemed to be filled with a haze, keeping her from seeing anything other than Icepaw. Anger prickled across her skin like a current of electricity.

This was fine, wasn't it? He had hurt her sister, hadn't he? He was a RiverClanner, wasn't he? RiverClan was ThunderClan's enemy. Then she wasn't doing anything wrong.

As soon as her mind settled upon that conclusion, she shouldered past Ridgepaw. Powerful hind legs kicked off against the ground as she sprung forward. She caught Icepaw in a tackle, slamming him down on the gravel. For a split-second, her yellow eyes met his one remaining amber. If he could still see anything in that instance, he would know that she had no intention of showing mercy. A cold, vicious flame blazed within the depths of her eyes. She raised a paw, and unsheathed claws glinted faintly under the sunlight. Forcefully, she slashed downwards.

Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. Again. Hailpaw didn't bother to count the number of times she cut him, and she soon lost count. His exposed underside, his ears--she tore into whatever she could reach. Tufts of white fur danced before her. Blood splattered unto the gravel, quickly trickling down between the tiny pieces of stone. Icepaw might have screamed out, but she couldn't hear his cries. She couldn't hear anything through the roaring in her ears. Warmth soaked her forelegs--it was a familiar warmth, one that she reveled in. Red was a startling, vivid color--the whole world ought to be dyed in it. This was not one of the fights that she enjoyed; it was a one-sided pummeling. Still, the corners of her maw twisted up in a wide, maniacal grin.

This was more fun than she had expected it to be.

Hailpaw knew that Icepaw was suffering, and she delighted in that knowledge. Anyone who dared to touch something so precious of hers would pay the price in blood.

The Great Battle was still fresh on Lightstep's mind, as it likely was in everyone's; it had only happened a few short days ago. Lichenmask and his followers had been defeated and Shade chased off once again. RiverClan was one cat closer to being safe within its own borders again, or so they believed. As Lightstep walked through the forest at Aspenstrike's side, Icepaw bounding tirelessly ahead, the newly appointed warrior couldn't help but think of all the blood that had been shed on that fateful night. So many of the Exiles had been killed, perhaps because the Clans were afraid of retaliation. It seemed like needless murder, but the warrior code had demanded it. Hadn't it?

Lightstep was deep in those thoughts, trying to come up with how to discuss it with his brother, when there was suddenly a blood-curdling screech following by the sounds of a fight. The RiverClan warrior's fur immediately bristled with alarm, an he shot his brother a terrified look before plunging forward, yowling, "Icepaw!" The apprentice had gotten even farther ahead than Lightstep had realized. There was a break in the fighting sounds, and then suddenly it became so much worse. Someone is losing - and badly, Lightstep thought, his stomach knotting with fear as he raced through the foliage.

After an agonizing wait, Lightstep burst through the underbrush to a horrifying scene: a bulky ThunderClan apprentice was clawing mercilessly at Icepaw - his nephew - who had wound upon wound criss-crossing his ears, face, neck, and belly, and the she-cat seemed to have no intention of stopping. She had a disturbing look on her face, and upon seeing it Lightstep snarled, "That! Is! Enough!" The RiverClan warrior slammed into the ThunderClan apprentice with all his might, sending the significantly smaller cat sprawling over the dirt. Now Lightstep noticed the other ThunderClan apprentice, gazing on with an expression of horror that mirrored his own.

Standing protectively over Icepaw, Lightstep hissed at the frightened apprentice, who had a wound or two of her own, "For your own sakes, get that monster's flea-bitten pelt out of my sight. Trust me that Leopardstar will be hearing about what has happened here." The white tom's yellow eyes were shining with a ferocity he didn't even know he had, and his furious gaze slid past Ridgepaw to eye the white she-cat whose coat was soaked with blood - Icepaw's.

Ridgepaw watched her sister in revulsion. The white she-cat, now matted and speckled with the blood of the enemy. A cat barely any bigger then themselves, yet... So sorely beaten. So bloodied and wounded that she wondered briefly if Hailpaw would stop. Was this even Hailpaw anymore? Ridgepaw's hazel eyes looked at her sister, the horror fading to a grim realisation. She wasn't her sister.

The molly she looked upon now was a murderer in the making. The cries of the enemy tom rang in her ears, even as Lightstep tore between her sister and the victim. She swallowed, her throat unusually tight as she gazed at her sister, posture lowered. What if Hailpaw didn't recognise her? She grit her teeth, then stood tall. She had to recognise her. There was no option in this. A quick glance to Lightstep, and she padded towards her sister.

Her shoulder pushed into Hailpaw harshly as she attempted to drag her sister from the state she had become submerged in.
"Hailpaw, stop! You won!" her voice rose to be heard over Icepaw's cries. Her eyes stared into Hailpaw's as she shouldered her again out of the way and broke eye contact only to shove her once more towards home. The steadiness in her limbs fading fast as each blow was remembered. The eye... She whimpered next to Hailpaw. "Please, don't go that far ever again... I ... I can't..." her voice broke in a whisper that was muddled by tears. A cold uncertainty gripping her chest.

Paws clattered across the gravel. At the last moment, Hailpaw's gaze jerked up. Looming over her was an unfamiliar RiverClan warrior, his features twisted in a ferocious snarl. He had white fur—white, like Hailpaw and the RiverClan apprentice had once had. Blood was splashed over the latter two, dyeing both of their pelts now a sticky crimson. Eyes widening, she had no time to react before she was sent flying by a powerful blow. Lightstep certainly had not spared any effort in the attempt to save his nephew. The well-built molly let out a grunt of pain as her body connected with the ground. Her thick fur did little to cushion the impact. For a second, she simply wheezed for breath, all the wind knocked out of her lungs. Rust-colored claws scrabbling against the ground, she staggered back up. Flames almost seemed to leap within her burning yellow eyes, and she glared at the RiverClan warrior who had interfered. Her sides rose and fell in an uneven pattern, adrenaline surged through her blood. "Get out of the way!" She spat. In that instance, her expression was one of unmistakable hatred and fury. She wasn't done yet. Not yet. She didn't want anyone to interfere.

Hailpaw took one step forward and was promptly shoved backwards. All of a sudden, Ridgepaw's frightened visage was reflected within her widened gaze. As she froze, her sister's shoulder made contact with hers a second time, and the larger apprentice staggered. Blood coated her paws, making it hard for her to get into a firm stance. "Ridgepaw..." She whispered, and her voice was hoarse. Directing her gaze past her sister, Hailpaw took in the terrible sight. Lightstep stood protectively by Icepaw's prone body, intense aggression roiling from every strand of fur on his pelt. Blood streaked the ground of the battle. By the end, it could no longer be considered a simple skirmish. Was the smaller tom dead? The thought flashed through her mind in a disconnected manner, as she tried to register everything. No, he was alive, but very much wounded. She saw the twitch of his foreleg and knew that much. Turning back to Ridgepaw, the haze of violence slowly began to clear from her mind. Ridgepaw was shaking badly. She could barely speak. Were those tears clouding her eyes? This time, the nonphysical strike sunk into her. Just... what kind of sight had she shown her sister? A cold pit seemed to open up within the depths of her stomach. With a sinking feeling in her heart, Hailpaw forced out, "I get it. I get it, Ridgepaw. Let's—let's go home." Home. ThunderClan camp. What would Leopardstar think? Blizzardshine. Oh, she did not even want to think about her mother. Yet, as she took the first step back towards the river, the portion of her heart that should have been filled with remorse was only half full. The calm, impassive side within her whispered that she had done nothing wrong.

I'm sorry, Pricklepaw. It looks like I've already broken our promise.

Lightstep watched the other blood-spattered white she-cat with his pale yellow eyes flaming with anger, fear, and vengeance. She wasn't even ready to stop fighting; she practically spat venom as she told him to move, eyeing the half-unconscious apprentice beneath himself with a look of maniacal fury. She's like a wild dog with a rabbit, the RiverClan warrior thought, his belly twisting with worry. What kind of cat does Leopardstar have in his Clan? Lightstep readied himself for another attack as the she-cat, Hailpaw, took a step towards him.

To Lightstep's relief and surprise, the second ThunderClan apprentice intervened. She shoved Hailpaw once, and then a second time, and only after the second shove did the white ThunderClan apprentice seem to realize what was happening. Ridgepaw had yelled, "You won!" to get Hailpaw's attention, and that only made Lightstep's blood boil further. He gritted his teeth and instead let out a low, deep growl from within his chest, his fur bristling all along his spine. This isn't a win, this is an assault! he thought, barely hearing the thought through the blood pounding in his ears. It didn't matter; Hailpaw was eyeing Icepaw, and her features were sagging and shrinking as she seemingly began to realize what had happened.

"Get out of here," Lightstep snarled again, but Hailpaw and Ridgepaw were already retreating, leaving him standing over Icepaw's weak and battered body. The RiverClan warrior watched them leave, his heart pounding. What were they doing on our side of the river? What could possibly have warranted such a gruesome attack? he wondered, and after several moments the apprentices were gone completely. Lightstep stood for several more moments before drawing back to examine Icepaw. "Icepaw? Oh, StarClan, what did she do to you?" The tom couldn't imagine what Aspenstrike would do when he saw...

Icepaw was covered in wounds from his head to his belly. Deep, merciless gouges ran through his chest and neck, head and face, shoulders, ears... His eyes were bloodied and already swollen shut, and Lightstep felt his stomach turning sour at the sight. "Oh, Icepaw, no..." he breathed, and then he wailed. The apprentice was alive, but horribly wounded, and needed help... I hate to hurt him more, but I have to carry him, Lightstep thought, already shouldering his way under to bad touch the scrap of fur over his back. StarClan, let him survive the trip, he thought fearfully, the apprentice's gushing wounds already soaking his own pelt.