Border Kerfuffling [closed]

ooc: This thread takes place before the July Gathering 

Sandpaw, having grown more comfortable in his patrolling, was assigned to a border check without the guidance of his mentor. This greatly pleased him. He and his two brothers were together at last, out in the territory, guided by Sunflower and Leaftwirl. The two warriors had a little bit of a handful to deal with, and Sandpaw was reprimanded twice for intentionally stepping on Swallowpaw's tail. 

It was a good day to be out and about, with the sun shining high in the sky. It was dry heat, warm on the cream tom's pelt as he passed under bare spots in the trees. The group travelled along the branches, but prepared to dismount to put fresh scent on the ThunderClan border.  When they reached the Fallen Oak, however, the tom coughed loudly to alert the other SkyClan patrollers. He smelled someone else. Someone foreign. At the sight of a ThunderClan patrol below them, the rowdy tom couldn't help but let his tail sweep in big, thrashing motions. Excitement filled his blood, and perhaps he was a bit ahead of himself when he called out to them: "Getting a little close there, huh guys? Do you usually put your paws over the line with another patrol standing right in front of you? You, with the black fur!"

---

Ferretpaw lagged at the end of the patrol, letting herself take in the sights of the territory. It amazed her how quickly nature recovered from tragedy, even now, nearly a season after the flood swept her Clan away. She had an odd feeling about that day, even though the beautiful sunhigh weather betrayed no such bad omen. All the sweet scents of prey and flowers did not shake her anxiety. 

Of course, she was right. As the patrol passed by the SkyClan border, a voice yelled out at them. Her fur stood up as she turned to face the treetops. A SkyClan patrol had materialized on a few low-hanging branches, and an obviously young apprentice had spoken out of turn. She winced in pity for him, knowing what kind of duties awaited him back at camp for speaking to another Clan like that. He spoke directly to Batbite, but she clearly hadn't stepped over the border. He couldn't possibly smell it from up there. She turned to the warriors for guidance. SkyClan was not a very strong enemy, though they were a secretive bunch all the same... should they respond?

Batbite, as quick with her tongue as she was on her paws, didn't bother to pause for a moment before responding, her pleasantly calm voice masking irritation. "Do you always go around picking fights you don't know you can win, pipsqueak?" They were more or less even in size as far as she could tell from down below (a viewpoint she'd gotten used to with time), but the way he was talking to them she'd be willing to bet all her catches for a moon that he was a recent apprentice. "Or are we special?"

A part of her itched to continue, to ask the cats leading the other patrol if they let all their apprentices act like that, but she knew better. As rarely as she used the knowledge, Batbite did know when to hold her tongue - she just rarely cared enough about the consequences of her words to do so. Instead, she looked up into the trees, at the rest of the SkyClan cats, the same calm tone to her voice. "By the way, tree-dwellers... In the future, you might want to teach your apprentices where the borders actually are."

Lynxtail sighed. If his sudden illness wasn't enough, some foolhardy apprentice with something to prove just had to ruffle some feathers. The golden-brown warrior wasn't in the mood for the Skyclanner's antics, and if pushed, he'd be willing to unsheath his claws and teach the tom a lesson. "Listen-" He was quickly cut off by Batbite, and he had to cough to disguise the laughter that bubbled up out of his throat. She was always better with words than he. Hopefully, the apprentice would take his sister's sharp words to heart and back down before he started something that he wouldn't be able to finish.
He was sure that Batbite's words had met their mark, but he couldn't resist piping up once she was finished speaking. "Put a muzzle on your apprentice." He mewed irritably, directing his words at the older looking cats in the Skyclan patrol. "He's far too cocky for a newly-weaned kit, and not every patrol will be as lenient as we are."

Lightpaw was already acutely aware of the struggles that came with patrolling. Keeping pace with his tree-bound Clanmates was difficult; though he’d grown considerably since beginning his apprenticeship, every leap they took still equaled several pawsteps to him. With all the running he was doing, he’d be as fast as a WindClanner by warriorhood. The thought sat cold in his stomach, but he had no time to worry now. By a twist of fortune, he’d finally been assigned to a patrol with both of his brothers; between that and the fact that it was, well, a patrol, he couldn’t afford to let his mind wander.

By the time he emerged to stand on the ground below the others, the air had gone thick with tension and insults, making the short fur on his back rise. The pale tabby’s gaze skated across the opposing group. Big enough to match SkyClan, all of them older than him and his brothers…but they were only cats, just like him. He’d faced worse in the mountains. Though he merely narrowed his eyes, tail swinging back and forth (as usual, he'd chosen to leave the witty comments to Sandpaw and Swallowpaw), a thought flashed through his head: I think we can win against a bunch of kittypets. Even so, he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Having been on a simple and much needed normal patrol, the sudden appearance of ThunderClanners sent his thinly pelted fur on edge. He of all cats was not one for conflict and if it were just him, he would've already hightailed his way back home. But alas, that wasn't necessarily an option in this case.

Not bothering to say anything in return to the she-cat's crude comment, the abnormally tall tom stood near the edge of the SkyClanners, towering over them with his lengthy legs, while his long tail was tucked firmly under his rump. With his large ears pinned back against his head, the tom swallowed the lump that had taken place in his throat. He was the absolute worst at remarks and knew it was best to just stay quiet, unless he wanted an earful of laughter.

Walking through the territory had been soothing, and she was glad to finally come to better terms with Firflower's litter. They had been born during a difficult time in Leaftwirl's life, and she had found that in her grief, the four kittens shot up before she could say "Tigerleaf." And now, three of those four stood on the border to ThunderClan, Sunflower bringing up the rear. Sandpaw was certainly spunky, along with Swallowpaw as well. Their brother, Lightpaw stood more reserved, but held the same aura as the rest. It had been good to finally bond with them, and it felt wrong being so closed off from a part of her clan. Leaftwirl was glad things had finally come to fruition. Her relationship with the more elusive part of the patrol was interesting. Sunflower had made for a good friend, and he stayed that way. His cowardice was not appealing nor was it the trait of a good warrior, but it was constant, and Leaftwirl found she liked the sense of stability. She wouldn't be the one to judge the white tom however, that was up to StarClan to decide, but for now, he made a good friend, and that was something to smile about.

They had leapt down from their perch at the ThunderClan border, preparing to lay a scent down once more, but a call that sounded farther down the line had Leaftwirl's fur standing on end. Sandpaw had started to scathe a ThunderClan patrol as they passed by, and what's worse; the ThunderClan patrol fired back. It was a strange feeling to be at the head of a group, one that Leaftwirl had never expereinced before. Sunflower didn't seem to be taking any action to intervene, so the brown tabby stepped up instead, her drive to prove her worth as a warrior pulsing in her heart. But it would not be done via battle, instead it would be done by preventing one. "Sandpaw please, they haven't made a move into the territory, let's be kind here." But even the ThunderClan cats began to carry on the argument. It was escalating to a high level, and Leaftwirl felt almost helpless. The young apprentice took no mind to her words, and the last thing she wanted was a fight. "Sandpaw, come on now, leave them be. There's no reason to try and start something serious." It drifted off his fur like sleet snow. But maybe he was right, maybe a real warrior would defend their clan with this adamancy, this bold reckless bravery, but Leaftwirl doubted that would be the case. She had vowed -more like cursed- at StarClan that she would make them proud, that she would be a good warrior. But the dilemma of Leaftwirl's life was not having any knowledge of what that entailed. Sighing in exasperation, the brown tabby changed her mind and flipped the switch, rounding on the tailless ThunderClan warrior to give him a scolding. "He's cocky because he cares for his clan, Lynxtail. Now please, let's all be civil and walk away from this. There's no need for unnecessary bloodshed."

Swallowpaw was getting restless from staying in camp all day, tending to the elders' den or fetching wet moss for thirsty queens. So when he was finally asked to join a patrol, he wasted no time in abandoning his apprentice duties and joining them. Since he was always living in the fast lane (or so he called it), the cream tabby never properly had time to actually soak in the beauty of Skyclan territory. And as the patrol moved deeper and deeper into the territory, he had really begun to appreciate it. After the fourth or fifth time Sandpaw purposely stepped onto his tail, though, the bold apprentice had decided to spend to bound through the trees. The view was much better from up there, anyway; even though the warriors accompanying them tried to persuade him to come down, he continued leaping through the trees. He sprung through the canopy with ease, his powerful legs carrying him from branch to branch. Overconfidence quickly caught up to him, and he began pushing himself to go faster, until the patrol probably saw him as nothing but a cream blur darting between the branches. He almost let out a laugh of delight until the other cats stopped abruptly to leave another scent mark. The slightly lanky, but large tom nearly flew off his branch but caught himself last minute before tumbling below. 

"Hey..Why'd you stop?" he said in between breaths, looking down at the cats in bewilderment. What on earth could they be talking to? He looked over at the notorious Fallen Oak, and realized there were only a few mouse tails away from it. Beyond the ancient tree was a group of Thunderclan cats, and they appeared to be exchanging not-so-friendly words judging by their expressions. From what he caught on, Sandpaw had probably riled one up on accident. Amber eyes rolled as he thought of his brother; he was young and dashing like himself, but often let his cockiness get the best of him. "Typical dumb brother. Serves you right for stepping on my tail," he leaped down from the tree gracefully, leaving little to no sound behind. He padded over to the rest of the Skyclan patrol, and nudged his brother's shoulder before standing next to him. "Dude, cool it. We're supposed to catch she-cats, not fights," he mewed quietly, only loud enough for his littermate to hear.

The last to emerge from behind the rest of the patrol was Mosspaw, trailing behind as she checked on the growth of some herbs that she had been monitoring. They were getting close to being able to collect, but she wanted to give the juniper berries as well as the comfrey a little bit more time to grow and develop, if she gathered it too soon it might ruin the bunch. The sounds of an argument reached her ears, and she recognized Batbite and Lynxtail's voices. Were they quarreling for some reason? It was unlike them, they always seemed so close. Concern clouded her eyes before she heard another voice, one she recognized immediately. "Leafpaw?.." She stated, more a question than a statement, staring at the friend she hadn't seen in quite some time. She then cast her gaze to the rest of both of their groups, starting to piece together what was going on.

Come on everyone, there's no need for all of this bickering. We're well within our border, and you are within yours, so let's just leave things be, alright? Besides, I'm sure we all have things we want to do when we get back to our camps. So why waste time arguing?" She looked at Leaftwirl, a sense of longing in her eyes. It had been far too long since they had seen or gotten to speak to each other, and she desperately wanted to change that... But with all that was going on, now didn't seem like the best time.

Sandpaw hissed indignantly. Pipsqueak? He was barely smaller than her! He felt his ears heat up with embarrassment as he was scolded from all sides for a harmless joke. He looked at Swallowpaw, who tried to calm Sandpaw's fire to no avail. With ears pulled back and haunches bunched, he spoke to his brother through gritted teeth. "Catching she-cats?" he shouted, "That's what you want me to do? Oh, just watch me catch this kittypet loving, rogue blooded, squirrel chasing son of a-!"

He didn't finish his sentence before taking a running start and leaping out of the branches, landing on the black she-cat and shredding her flanks with his claws. He spat and yowled as the battle started around him and he held onto his opponent for dear life.

Sandpaw used Sky Drop on Batbite, dealing 7 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Sandpaw:
20/20 HP
65/80 SP (-15)

Batbite:
33/40 HP (-7)
120/120 SP

---

Ferretpaw's eyes went wide as her clanmate was attacked. Her fur stood straight up as every cat in the clearing realized what this overzealous child has started.

"Don't touch her, you barbarians!" she howled at the patrol. The fight was unavoidable now. Everybody raced to defend Batbite at once, and she locked her good eye on a cream cat. He was accessible. The insults that this random, unimportant apprentice had hurled towards her friend and clan boiled her blood and wounded her pride. Ferretpaw came crashing out of the bushes and as she tackled her opponent, the tabby-and-white she-cat said nothing. Be the bigger cat, her subconscious begged, show them the consequences of opening their stinking mouths.

Ferretpaw used Run-and-Tackle on Swallowpaw, dealing 6 damage (+3) and costing 10 stamina.

Ferretpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10)

Swallowpaw:
11/20 HP (-9)
80/80 SP

Leaftwirl tried to defuse the situation; from ThunderClan’s side, a calico she-cat voiced her agreement. For a fragile moment, it seemed as if it might work. Then a yowl came from above, and Sandpaw (it had to be Sandpaw) landed squarely on top of the black she-cat who had called him a pipsqueak. The tension broke. Suddenly, everyone was in motion. A brown-and-white cat launched herself at Swallowpaw; Lightpaw whirled with a hiss, intending to face her…but he had to leave this battle to Swallowpaw, and he knew it. They weren’t all kits anymore. His brothers could defend themselves.

Whatever his quiet nature made others think, he wasn't a coward; if his Clan was fighting, Lightpaw wanted to be part of it. The pale tabby charged through the crowd, dodging the scuffles unfolding around him, and sprang for the calico she-cat who had spoken up. As his claws raked through her fur, something sharp and white-hot cut into him, along with an inexplicable sense of dread. Struck breathless, shaking his head furiously, he reeled back.

Lightpaw used Front Paw Strike on Mosspaw, dealing 6 damage and using 10 stamina.
Lightpaw (unknowingly) took 5 damage from StarClan’s Judgment.

Lightpaw
15/20 HP (-5)
70/80 SP (-10)

Mosspaw
29/35 HP (-6)
90/90 SP

A look of horror crossed her expression as the SkyClan apprentice leapt down from the branches of the tree, crossing the border in the process. He landed on the back of Batbite, and she winced seeing the claws raking through the warriors pelt. Maybe she would have to prematurely pick those herbs after all, depending on what happened with this.... As she was distracted, she didn't even notice the other apprentice approaching on the ground. It wasn't until he was right in front of her that her green eyes focused on him, and widened as she watched his paw raise in the air. Was this tom about to attack her? The answer came as pain rattled her, his claws raking through the fur at her shoulder and she gasped, looking down at the open wound as it started to bleed before looking back to the apprentice horrified.

"You mousebrain! What were you thinking? Are you okay?" Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, she tried to look at the apprentice who had struck her. He was young, but surely he was informed of the consequences of striking at a medicine cat or their apprentice, right?... There were no external wounds she could see, but it was clear the tom was rattled. Taking a couple of steps backwards towards the foliage to further get herself away from the battle, her eyes never left the apprentice's, clouded with concern and worry. If he continued to press the attack, then she woul fight back, but... She hoped he realized his mistake sooner rather than later.

Mosspaw refuses to raise a claw to the apprentice, yet.

Lightpaw
15/20 HP
70/80 SP

Mosspaw
29/35 HP
90/90 SP

"Mosspaw?" Leaftwirl mewed in shock as the calico appeared through the undergrowth. She hadn't wanted a fight earlier, and now that desire had tripled. The brown tabby wouldn't bear to face her good friend in battle, and she prayed the situation would defuse. "Mosspaw's right. Let's just all go home... there's no need for this." But it seemed that they were the only two cats who possessed even the slightest hint of calm. Further down the line, SkyClan's apprentices were shooting remarks toward the ThunderClanners, hissing and spitting, as if they were trying to get hurt. Alarm blared in Leaftwirl's mind as her green eyes darted between Mosspaw and Sandpaw, flickering between peace and war. A good warrior did not instigate fights, but if one was to occur, she'd have no choice but to fight for her clan. The line broke as Sandpaw flung himself at Batbite, launching from the higher branches onto her back, drops of crimson spraying onto the leaf mulch. Great StarClan, no! It seemed it would be war, then. But Leaftwirl wouldn't allow herself to hurt her friend.

Another ThunderClan apprentice jumped over the border and onto Swallowpaw's back, and they rolled in the grass alongside Sandpaw. Soon the clearing was filled with yowls of pain and anger, hissing and shredding amongst the trees. Turning to Mosspaw, ears roaring, she mouthed an "I'm sorry," before jumping into the fray. Lynxtail was the closest target, and Leaftwirl rounded on him, letting the memory of his scathing words to Sandpaw distill in her mind. Battles would always be inevitable, as much as Leaftwirl despised them. This was her chance. This was her chance to prove her worth as a warrior once again. The drive pulsed through her heart, closing in her tunnel vision until all she could see was Lynxtail's pelt through the chaos. Paws pounded over the dirt, launching Leaftwirl from her spot and into the tabby's side, bowling him over into the leaves. "Tell your patrol to back off!" Leaftwirl squeaked, pinning his head to the ground with a paw before removing it and stepping back, her white chest flecked with crimson. Long ago, she had fought with a RiverClan warrior and lost, and after that, she had fought with dogs. Both times were for valor, to protect SkyClan, and this time was no different, however she prayed Mosspaw would stay away from the fighting. It was too much to ask, however, as out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed Lightpaw swipe at ThunderClan's medicine cat, and then taking a hit himself. Not from Mosspaw, but from some ethereal force, the protection of StarClan. "Lightpaw, no! Never hurt a medicine cat!" However Leaftwirl was pulled away from watching as the fight continued on. Hopefully they'd all make it out with their pelts intact.

Leaftwirl used Run-and-Tackle on Lynxtail, dealing 8 (+3) damage and costing 10 stamina.

Leaftwirl:
HP: 40/40
SP: 110/120

Lynxtail:
HP: 34/45
SP: 150/160

Batbite hissed as the SkyClan apprentice's words as he launched himself at her, and prepared herself to fight back. If he wouldn't listen to reason, as it seemed SkyClan cats simply refused to do, then she'd just have to teach him a lesson. This time, however, she didn't bother to acknowledge his intended insult. Actions spoke louder than words.

Batbite Rear-Up to Slash on Sandpaw, dealing 9 damage and costing 15 stamina

Sandpaw:
11/20 HP (-9)
65/80 SP

Batbite:
33/40 HP
105/120 SP (-15)

One moment, Swallowpaw was trying to get his brother to calm down. Next, his littermate was charging up a tree and when he went to retrieve him, a blur of brown and white came flying out of the underbrush and knocked him into the ground. The Skyclan apprentice hissed in pain as his body made contact with the hard forest floor. Oh, she wanted to play that game, huh? Fine, they could both play dirty. He rolled himself over onto his paws, springing up with menace glinting in his amber eyes. He shook off the pain, dropping into a crouch as he assessed her for a moment. "Nice hit.." he chuckled as he noticed the blank look in one of her eyes. There. He would strike from that side; it would be harder for her to expect him and counter it with another attack. His eyes glanced between her and the side he intended to attack from as he waited for his chance to strike. 

"But can you top this, you mangy forest-dweller!" As soon as the words left his maw, the cream tabby darted towards her blind side, sliding underneath her and clawing at her exposed underbelly. Just as quickly, he scrambled away and whipped around to face her, a scowl forming on his face.

Swallowpaw used Belly Rake, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Swallowpaw:
11/20 HP
70/80 SP

Ferretpaw:
13/20 HP
70/80 SP

Ah, Lynx is actually a tier 2 warrior, so his HP is at 34 and his SP is 160~

IC:
Lynxtail snarled as the fight began, his hackles raising. It had been too long since he'd been in a battle. He looked across the border at the Skyclanners, sizing up his opponents, but before he had the chance to attack, an apprentice threw himself directly at "Mosspaw!" The warrior cried. He turned to go to her aid, but just at that moment, a Skyclan warrior drove her shoulder into his flank and sent him crashing to the ground. Lynxtail blinked, his head spinning. "Tell your patrol to back off!"

The large warrior could tell that she was far lighter than he- after all, Skyclanners were built to climb trees and tended to be lithe. He could use that to his advantage.
Lynxtail waited until the she-cat was distracted, calling to one of her clanmates, then jumped to his feet and retreated a few paces. After a beat, he ran towards her, faked a swipe with one paw, and threw himself onto her back. As he'd hoped, his weight made her legs buckle, and she fell. "I couldn't stop them if I tried." He mewed, digging his claws into her shoulders so he didn't fall. "Besides, your side started this fight."

Lynxtail used Leap-And-Hold, dealing 9 damage and using 10 SP. Leaftwirl is stunned for one turn!

Leaftwirl:
HP: 31/40
SP: 110/120

Lynxtail:
HP: 34/45
SP: 150/160