Dishonor on You! Dishonor on Your Cow! [closed]

When the offer had come up to assist Amberdawn on her herb patrol, Beanpaw was ecstatic to accept. It was new and interesting, and having never done it before, he was more than happy to tag along. He wouldn’t show such excitement, however. On the outside he was sure to remain calm, maintaining his cool facade. Mistyrain had evidently overlooked his experience with the older medicine cat as a kit, an incident that could have ended much worse then it had it if weren’t for Spottedleap. It was something that he tended to ignore, an embarrassment that greatly damaged his ego. Tossing his long fur as they finally reached the Fallen Oak, Beanpaw looked to Amberdawn for further instruction. ”So, um... What’re you looking for?” He asked, wary of his surroundings. He knew that his job would be to protect the she-cat given any situations that might arise. For that reason, he kept his eyes open as he gazed around at the beautiful trees surrounding them.

The medicine cat had been surprised when she learned who offered to join the herb patrol: Beanpaw, the tom who, as a kit, had snuck into the medicine cat's den and found the deathberries and intended to eat one. She still regretted the incident, but it had been when he was still young. He had been caught and seemed thoroughly chastised and, more importantly, educated. Amberdawn was glad to accept his help once the initial surprise had worn off, and she made no mention of the incident - it was possible he wouldn't remember it, anyways, and if he did it likely wasn't with fondness. They walked out towards the thick parts of the forest, for some poppies she had noticed a few days ago and some borage she'd been unable to collect.

Beanpaw asked her a question, and Amberdawn replied with a gentle smile, "Borage and poppies. If I see something else I won't turn my nose from it, either. You'd be able to find poppies easiest; they're tall with fuzzy pale green stems and leaves, and bright red flowers that go black in the middle. They're a little closer to that hill over there, if you want to check." The she-cat, herself, went to search for the borage, sniffing intently.

Exploring the territory had been exactly the amount of entertainment he had been seeking. Houndpaw had waited his entire kithood to see the outside of the camp and race through the forest. It was truly a miracle that he had managed to tame himself enough to no slip out early. Perhaps that was simply because so many eyes had bore into his pelt since he had been merely a day old. The sensation was like ants crawling through his fur. Cats of all ranks and ages had heard the whispers about circumstances of his birth. They knew his father; they knew how the deputy had chosen not to speak to him outside of the apprentice ceremony not long ago. That wasn't what bothered the apprentice, it was more due to the pity of discomfort in their gazes. He hated it with every fur of his coat. Far too many expectations as the son of a deputy, no matter how badger-headed that cat, and by being adopted by the great Oakstar himself and his mate.

He scoffed aloud. Did cats really expect him to grow up like either tom? Houndpaw was proving to be otherwise in this particular moment. His paws had slipped away from the warriors who accompanied him through the forest. Getting lost during a hunting patrol was all to easy of a cover, especially given that patrols would usually split up to spread out and find prey. So, the limber legs of Thunderclan's most infamous apprentice lead him towards Skyclan territory. Even if he was fresh into the new role bestowed upon him, the sandy-coated tabby knew of the borders, of course. There was an unfamiliar stench as he padded up to a fallen oak tree. Had he better control over his lanky frame, leaping up would have been an easier task but it seemed he was destined to claw his way up for now. Much to his surprise, Houndpaw found himself looking down at two cats. He blinked once in a slight surprise as he recognized the coat of one of the Skyclanners.

"It's you!" He exclaimed, purely in acknowledgement of the recognition before his massive ears pressed back against his head as he remembered exactly where he knew this cat from. This medicine cat had been alongside Mosspaw at the gathering. Houndpaw certainly didn't remember the interaction fondly, and he was sure she didn't either. Glancing between the pair, he considered how sure he was that he did not know what to do. Meeting cats in the border usually ended in a scuffle, at least that was what he had been told. Battle training with Harefoot was on the agenda for another sunrise he was sure, but the Thunderclan apprentice possessed exactly zero battle skill. Entirely instinctively, his claws slid into the bark as he stared down at them, "You're too close to Thunderclan territory and you have no right to be here! Even you medicine cat. I'll get my father and he'll chase you both away!"

Listening intently to what Amberdawn had to say about the herbs Beanpaw was to look for, he titled his head at the mention of the names. He had heard of poppies before- though he wasn't sure what they were used for- but he had no clue what borage was. "I'll be honest, Amberdawn. I'll be about as useless as a dead fox when it comes to searching for these poppies. But I'll try my hardest, I promise." He snickered lightly as he headed up the hill that she had pointed him towards. He'd already set his sights upon a small patch of red flowers, assuming that they were the plant that the SkyClan medicine cat had been looking for. The fuzz on the leaves tickled his nose slightly as he nipped the stalk towards the bottle, nearly causing him to sneeze.

He was on the way to show Amberdawn what he had managed to collect when the sound of claws scraping against wood caused him to turn his ears towards the fallen oak tree behind him. Just as he turned to face the log, another cat's head popped up from the other side, the rest of his body following. Immediately, Beanpaw dropped the poppies and crouched into a defensive position, ready at any moment if this cat that reeked of ThunderClan happened to attack. He risked a quick glance back at Amberdawn to make sure that she was alright, stepping forward slightly to get closer to the stranger. Staring up at him in awe, Beanpaw could tell that this apprentice must be new. They were perfectly within the boundaries that the borders confined them to, and no warrior would threaten to call their father upon medicine cat and her guard. "Actually," The large, fluffy tom mewed, "you are straying onto SkyClan lands." Beanpaw's claws unsheathed, and he leaped up onto the Fallen Oak awkwardly, still not having mastered jumping to such heights.

Having jumped a fox length or two's distance from the other tom, Beanpaw was able to spring onto his back swiftly afterlanding the first time. He dug his claws into the shoulder of the other tom, clawing at his back with his hind legs as he clung on. "We have every right to be here, kit. Where we stand now is a border, and we were perfectly far away from it. So after I'm done with you, run on back to dear old dad and tell him about how you nearly trespassed on SkyClan land." Hissing into the ear of the younger tom, Beanpaw gripped onto his back as he continued to shred both fur and skin.

Beanpaw used Leap-and-Hold, dealing -6 Health Points and using -10 Stamina Points. Houndpaw is pinned for two turns.

Beanpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Houndpaw:
14/20 HP
80/80 SP[/i]

The member 'Maple' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Amberdawn chuckled slightly at Beanpaw's admission that he didn't think he'd be overly useful. She'd heard that from many cats before in her short life as medicine cat, but it truly didn't take a visit to the Moonstone and a deep connection with StarClan to be able to identify some of the herbs. She couldn't blame any cat for having not faith in themselves anyways, not when she struggled with it herself. The apprentice promised to try his best and Amberdawn replied genuinely, "I know you will, Beanpaw; you'll do wonderfully." Then they had parted ways, and Amberdawn was left near the Fallen Oak examining borage. It was thriving this season, and Amberdawn began to pinch some of the abundant leaves away with her teeth.

After a short while, the medicine cat heard pawsteps behind her and looked up over her shoulder to see that Beanpaw had returned. Before she could say anything, however, the sound of scrabbling claws on bark caught her attention and Amberdawn immediately turned the other way to the source of the sound. Her dark gaze landed upon a large-eared pale-coated tabby tom. Amberdawn's eyes widened with surprise when she realized she recognized him. "It's you!" he cried intelligently, and Amberdawn responded, "Yes, I suppose it is. Hello, Houndpaw."

A short distance away from her Beanpaw, already on alert at the first sounds of noise, was crouched defensively, watching the apprentice carefully. The tip of Amberdawn's tail flicked with annoyance as she watched the ThunderClan tom yowl down to her, stating that they were too close to the border and that he was going to fetch his father. The medicine cat shot the bold young tom a disgruntled, quizzical look, racking her brain for who the father might be. She recalled his "boast" at the Gathering. Ah, yes, Beartooth. The ThunderClan deputy. Amberdawn took in a breath to respond, but Beanpaw had already launched into his medicine cat's defense. His leap onto the Fallen Oak was not masterful but his ancestry showed clearly in  his mighty launch, and he grappled onto the ThunderClan cat.

Amberdawn's fur bristled, and she yowled up, "Beanpaw, be careful up there!" Her heart was thudding as she gazed up at the two toms wrestling atop the oak. It really wasn't so high that it could cause lasting damage, but the fall wouldn't be pleasant. She didn't really want to know what Houndpaw would go home telling Pricklebush and Mosspaw.

'Actually you're straying onto Skyclan lands. Immediately, Houndpaw let out an indignant snort, "Last time I checked, mousebrain, this tree here is the border and I'm not beyond it!" His words were cut short and likely fell on deaf ears as Beanpaw scrambled up the tree ungracefully, and leaped on top of him. Now, that was something the Thunderclan tom had not been expecting. He had heard of border skirmishes before but he never expected the other apprentice to launch himself up here for standing on the border. As the other cat wrestled him to the bark and tore at his coat, the sandy tom fell with a sharp hiss. Inexperience was doing him a great disservice. As he was pinned, his eyes met Amberdawn's with something akin to accusation. He couldn't move, he couldn't fight back, and all this medicine cat was going to do was stare on and encouraging him to stay safe?

"You were on it but now your stench is here clear as mine, flea pelt. No borders were crossed and I'm sure that my clan won't want to hear about how some foxheart attacked the deputy's son for no reason!" Houndpaw proclaimed his displeasure as he writhed underneath his attacker, looking for a way to escape. But it seemed Beanpaw had him pinned. Not yet had the willowy frame of the apprentice been supported with muscle. He was little more than a lanky silhouette of a cat. A barrage of hisses continued to escape from his maw, insults and curses flew as he tried to dispel the other cat and free himself from the tearing of flesh and fur. Teeth gritted at the pain, a new sensation to the inexperienced apprentice. Was this how Beartooth had gotten all of his scars? It certainly wasn't pleasant. As he attempted another shake to no avail, he locked yes with Amberdawn and set forth an accusatory yowl, which hid his plea for help, "I thought medicine cats were supposed to heal!"

Houndpaw is PO'd and held for 1 more turn.

Ignoring Houndpaw's attempt at escape, Beanpaw kept his claws firmly latched into the ThunderCLan tom's shoulders. If he let go, that would give him a chance to toss him off the fallen log... Not that it mattered! He wasn't going to let go, so it would all be okay! "Yeah... You run right on back to ThunderClan with your tail between your legs, see what they think of you then, mouse-heart!" It was clear to Beanpaw that he hadn't been trained to fight yet, and though he did feel a little bad about attacking someone so inexperienced, he raked his claws into the younger tom's back, sending fur flying behind them.

Beanpaw continued to use Leap-and-Hold, dealing -6 Health Points. Houndpaw remains pinned.

Beanpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Houndpaw:
8/20 HP
80/80 SP

Amberdawn could clearly see that Houndpaw was distressed and outmatched as Beanpaw forced the ThunderClan tom down against the bark of the Fallen Oak. No matter how the tabby struggled, Beanpaw continued to grip him and claw at the smaller tom's pelt. Amberdawn's tail lashed from side to side with agitation as Houndpaw spewed out threats and insults; judging by the tang of blood in the air he wouldn't be going home without some visible wounds, but he wasn't too badly hurt yet. Houndpaw spat something more about Beanpaw attacking the deputy's son "for no reason", and Amberdawn felt her fur prickle. How insolent could he be? The SkyClan apprentice was not amused and pushed harder, spitting back about how cowardly he'd look.

The medicine cat grimmaced, wondering if she should intervene. Houndpaw caught her eye then, and in the depths she saw fury - and fear. "I thought medicine cats were supposed to heal!" Houndpaw spat. Amberdawn's heart sank, and her stomach immediately turned sour. I do! some part of her protested, but the rest latched onto the losing tom's words with a vengeance. Was he right? He couldn't be.

Feeling uneasy, Amberdawn called up, "I can't heal anyone when they're actively clawing at cats within reach!" She looked helplessly to Beanpaw. "Is it so bad to let him run away?"

Frustration welled up in the tom's chest, furthering the writhing as he fought back against pain and the worse sensation of helplessness. Houndpaw did not like the feeling, nor would he allow it to win, welcoming in it again in the future. Such lack of control, out of his paws, made him want to tear away into the forest never to be found again. It was the stupid medicine cat's fault and dumb luck that had allowed his opponent to get such a good grip. His massive ears were flat against his head and a barrage of discontented hisses left his maw as he tried to block out the stinging sensation that pricked his pelt with each of the Skyclan apprentice's claws. It seemed like an eternity before he found just the right position to slip out from that grasp. Houndpaw's sides heaved and every ounce of his being demanded he run straight for home and into the safety of his nest. Instead of following such a logical and sensible sensation, the bold apprentice snarled at his opponent as he stumbled, seeking out his footing, "I'd never run from some down-brained Skyclan cat! You just got lucky with your pin this time. Once I'm done with my training, you'll see how great Thunderclan is! Better yet, fight my father! We'll see who wins that one." The words that feel from his maw, he hardly registered himself, they came from spite and indignation and he let his frustrations speak through him. Although this was the perfect chance to flee, he was honor bound to stay put, even if it meant prolonging the inevitable.

Houndpaw is no longer pinned. But Houndpaw is still a loser. Do not be sad for Houndpaw. He is a loser.

"I didn't get lucky, you were just too feather-brained to stop me from pinning you down!" Beanpaw yowled as the ThunderClan apprentice slipped away from his grasp, scampering to the other side of the rock. Though he would portray it as, "giving Houndpaw a chance to catch his breath," Beanpaw really needed a moment as well. His thick fur was already matted and he was panting hard, the effort of lugging around all his weight getting to him. After a few seconds, though, he shot back across the rock quickly, crashing into Houndpaw and knocking him onto his back. He had him pinned again- though this time, it wouldn't be enough to send him sprawling as it had last time. It was, however, a perfect opportunity for the young SkyClanner to claw at the soft flesh of Houndpaw's belly. It was an opportunity that he seized immediately, sending more fur flying as he shredded more flesh and coated his hind paws in blood. Leaping off of the tom, he allowed him a chance to regain his bearings before looking at him with narrowed eyes. "If you'd stop talking about how you're going to go tattle to your mouse-hearted father for two seconds, maybe Amberdawn can give you a nice little patch up before you run back home to dear old dad!" He shouted, shifting his gaze momentarily to the ginger medicine cat below.

Beanpaw used Belly Rake, dealing -7 Health Points and using -10 Stamina Points.

Beanpaw:
20/20 HP
60/80 SP

Houndpaw:
01/20 HP
80/80 SP

The medicine cat winced as she realized that her words, intended to stop the battle, only incited Houndpaw's fury more. The tabby tom-cat at last ripped free from Beanpaw's grip, panting and shaking with the effort as he stood defensively atop the fallen tree. He yowled idignantly about how he would never run from a "down-brained SkyClan cat" and Amberdawn frowned a little more. As he continued, however, the she-cat found herself pursing her lips slightly, a dark light of almost boredom or annoyance shining in the depths; Houndpaw was yowling, for the third time now, about how his father would fight them for him. She thought of the Gathering and her short interaction with Beartooth. Houndpaw hadn't even been mentioned.

Beanpaw's voice was spitting again, too, even going so far as to refer to Beartooth as mouse-hearted. Amberdawn's exasperation suddenly spilled over then, and she let out a loud huff of disapproval. "Beartooth is a deputy, and an honored and respected cat as well as my friend," Amberdawn informed them both sternly, her chide aimed at Beanpaw for his unnecessary insult, "and I know for a fact he won't be fighting with me or anyone over this nonsense." She directed the last piece at Houndpaw. Her tail thrashed behind her, and she called up, "Would you boys please stop being reckless up there? Someone's going to end up with a broken paw!"