Red Like Roses

A vicious hiss tore from Thornbriar's throat as a large fox launched into their group, snapping Marshpaw up off of the ground and flinging him aside like crowfood. If the red pelted beast thought it would win this battle, it was wrong. Thornbriar prepared to hurl herself forward into the fray, only to hesitate at the sight of a familiar blue-gray pelt.

Asterspark?

She almost wanted to groan at the sight of the tom. This was the second time he tried to be heroic.

Though, in this situation she had to admit they might need it.

As the tom retreated to her side, she looked away from him to look for an opening. She was growing more livid by the second, the fur along her spine and shoulders standing on end as she growled. The tom spoke, but it only half registered in her brain.

With the familiar fury building in her belly and setting fire to her blood, she could bring herself to care in the moment whether the exiled tom stuck around or not. After all, she had apprentices to defend and a clan to fight for.

And so, only two words left her mouth in response to the tom's hushed warning, the she-cat's tone low and gravelly.

"Keep up."

With that, she dashed into the growing shadows of the yawning twilight, vanishing from sight for a moment before silently reappearing a moment later in a different location and rushing forward. A war cry ripped from the deputy's jaws as she sprung forward into action with outstretched claws at the smaller of the two foxes, viciously raking her claws through it's shoulder and chest. Lynxpaw was in a very dangerous situation.

She wasn't about to let him get hurt too.

---

Thornbriar used Night Ambush on Dark Fox, dealing 17 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Dark Fox
61/90 HP (-17)
280/280 SP

Thornbriar
95/95 HP
235/250 SP (-15)

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Marshpaw
0/20 HP
70/80 SP

Well, the cats didn't take the hint. The darker-furred fox really knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but it didn't hurt to have an easy kill every once in a while - an unharried night maybe. One of the smaller cats launched forward, and the fox staggered back in surprise, immediately letting out a yipping cry of fury. Almost immediately the youngling's assailant was sent flying; the fox's mother had arrived with a vengeance.

It didn't matter, though; a second cat came flying from the growing darkness, and the fox stumbled and fell awkwardly towards one side. More weight was added - more claws scratched furiously, and the fox was yelping and snarling with its thick tail lashing and battering the nearby attackers.

Dark Fox is pinned for one more turn!

Dark Fox
61/90 HP
280/280 SP

Thornbriar
95/95 HP
235/250 SP

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

---

The sounds of a fight struck the air, and the pale fox's already agitated face twisted with discomfort and growing anxiety as it lay on its side on the ground. The slender creature was panting. It had been injured by one of the strange fast-moving lights on the rugged path, side-swiped. Its upward facing side was glittering with raw skin and debris, but deep inside was where it hurt worst. It had lost use of it's back leg the day before, and somehow it feared the other was not long after. The sounds of a fight drew the injured yuengling to its paws, though.

Its family was fighting... it would fight, too. What sort of fox didn't? When it burst unevenly through the opening, gasping and foaming from the effort of dragging its hind leg, its mother and kin were both engaged in battle. While they had not been getting along so splendidly, the paler injured fox felt a bloom of loyalty and let out a shriek and launched at a thick, dark she-cat, grasping at her neck with its slobbering mouth.

Pale Fox used Iron Bite on Thornbriar, using 20 SP and dealing 30 HP.

Pale Fox
50/90 HP (-40 from previous injury)
160/280 SP (-100 from previous injury)(-20)

Thornbriar
65/95 HP
235/250 SP

The young apprentice hissed beneath his breath when everyone went straight to the larger fox, including that stranger that just showed up. However, he kept holding over the dark fox because deep inside... his more cocky side thought it was because his clanmates trusted in his abilities. With that hope in mind, the brown tabby forced himself to keep the animal pinned down and he bit harder, sinking his claws even deeper as the predator struggled under him. That was when Thornbriar appeared to help him and a small spark of happiness and hope flourished in his eyes. The deputy was there to help him! He was fighting with the deputy of Shadowclan by his side! But that moment didn't last long as a third fox joined the fight.

Lynxpaw continued using Leap-and-Hold, dealing 6 damage on Dark Fox.
Dark Fox
55/90 HP
280/280 SP

Thornbriar
65/95 HP
235/250 SP

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Mother fox snarled as another cat jumped in from the edge of her vision. The tom cat yowled some strange words before spinning onto his front legs and kicking the fox in the jaw. Angry, mother fox recoiled and licked her lips, feeling the tang of blood that was this time her own. A squeal from her cub signaled that it had been hurt as well. The fur on her hackles rose, knowing that these cats would pay for threatening her young. But yet her second cub, injured, joined the battle. He was brave and yet fear for him tinged the mother's eyes as she watched him fight. More cats swarmed around her, claws ripping her russet fur, scouring deep red marks into her pelt. Her ears rang and suddenly she lashed out at the first ginger and white tom, taking his spine in her jaws and shaking with all the ferocity she held inside. This cat would die, and she would taste his meat with glee.

Mother Fox used Thrash on Daisyflame, dealing 20 damage and costing 20 stamina. Daisyflame is stunned for 1 turn.

Mother Fox
HP: 62/90
SP: 240/280 (-20)

Daisyflame
HP: 25/45 (-20)
SP: 145/160

---

Growls sounded from farther up the clearing, along with the scent of blood. Mother would oftentimes smell like this when she would return with prey. But this time, she had brought the hunt to them. Running alongside his siblings, the young cub jumped into battle to find crimson coating his paws. Chaos rang everywhere, teeth flashed and claws split. But the fox felt no fear, only a fierce drive to bring down what belonged to them. Prey. A hunger glowed in its eyes as he charged the nearest cat, picking the large scarred one as an easy target. Angry, it clamped its jaws around the throat of its victim, catching her off-guard as it slammed her into the ground. Saliva dripped from the fox's maw as he thrashed his prey into the dirt, they would eat well tonight.

Russet Fox used Iron Bite on Thornbriar, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Russet Fox
HP: 90/90
SP: 260/280 (-20)

Thornbriar
HP: 35/95 (-30)
SP: 235/250

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 1

Soon enough, Asterspark, or whatever his name was, joined in the fight, but Daisyflame didn't pay much attention to him. Right now, he had something far greater to focus on than Scorchstar's delinquent son.

Unfortunately, allowing himself to even become that much distracted had been a huge mistake on his part. Within seconds, the large tom was being thrashed around in the fox's jaws. His sight grew hazy as he was tossed around. Was this the end? It was a pretty pathetic end, if he had anything to say about it, but he couldn't seem to break free of the beast's tight grip around his waist.

Daisyflame is stunned.

Daisyflame
HP: 25/45
SP: 145/160

Mother Fox
HP: 62/90
SP: 240/280

Mothpaw shrunk back as the chaos unfolded, broken only by the appearance of her elder brother. His name was on the tip of her tongue, but there wasn't any time to cry out when she saw Thornbriar. She was... Well, not quite gone, but she wasn't going to call them back. Not that Mothpaw had expected her to do so, admittedly. Even when they were clearly fighting a losing battle, Thornbriar was the type to keep pushing the limits... And the consequences of letting that happen could be devastating. She had to stop this, had to prevent a massacre... But how? What could she do?

She did the only think she could think of. A desperate plea. "Mom! This has to stop!" The name slipped out without thinking, but it was true that she had come to think of Thornbriar as her mother - she'd been there to comfort her, after all, when they'd found Minnowcall's body washed ashore at the lake, and she'd been there since. Even when ShadowClan had fallen apart... And besides all that, she didn't have the time to correct it, and she didn't really care. It wasn't like there was any other cat she could be addressing. "We're not going to win this! Can't you see that? You need to know the time to step back... And that time is now." It wasn't a request. It was a demand. But it was followed by something much softer. "I already lost one mom... I can't watch that happen again. I won't let that happen again."

Eyes narrowing in concentration, Sans had finally found the opening he had been searching for. Streaking back into battle, weaving through the battling cats and foxes, he reached the mother fox and yowled at the brute, trying to distract her from his now stunned former mentor. "hey, fox-breath, that cat ain't for munchin' on. but if you're really hungry, you can eat this!" He leaped at the predator with claws outstretched, bowling her over and away from Daisyflame, making sure to rake his claws down her sides as she went down.

Sans used Rear-Up to Strike on Mother Fox, dealing 15 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Sans
95/95 HP
215/250 SP

Mother Fox
HP: 47/90
SP: 240/280

---

Ever since Thornbriar led the patrol out of camp to track down the family of foxes hiding in the territory, Scorchstar had been trying to fight back a gnawing fear in the back of his head. So many young cats were going with his deputy, as well as his best friend and their only medicine cat. He knew Thornbriar would make sure the job got done ... but at what cost? He was too afraid to find out what would happen when -- or if -- the patrol came back. Anything could happen between now and then.

Despite feeling sick in the head, the onslaught of different thoughts and emotions really wearing down his mentality, Scorchstar had finally decided to follow after his Clanmates to help them fight the foxes. And it seemed he hadn't arrived a moment too soon. After scanning the battlefield briefly to take in all that was happening, he quickly realized ShadowClan was losing to these savage beasts. Fur bushing up in protective aggression, Scorchstar unsheathed his claws and leaped into battle, spotting Thornbriar getting tag-teamed by two adolescent foxes.

He bunched up his muscles before springing in front of the more vibrant-colored fox just before it could bear its fangs down into Thornbriar's side, crying out as the blunt, sharp fangs dug deep into his own. He twisted himself swiftly out of the fox's grip and snarled at him, making sure its attention was directed at him now instead of his deputy.

Scorchstar used Blocking Leap for Thornbriar, taking 30 damage and costing 30 stamina.

Scorchstar
90/120 HP
270/300 SP

Russet Fox
90/90 HP
260/280 SP

Thornbriar
65/95 HP
235/250 SP

Chaos ripped through the battlegrounds around the darkest fox, and it let out several successive shrieks of pain and fury as it continued to struggle beneath the brown tabby tom-cat that was clawing at it. The fox youngling was livid, scrambling at the ground in its trapped state, and it was starting to grow a bit more concerned as well - had it heard its wounded sibling appear, the one he was trying to keep the stupid cats away from? The youngling rolled in a fury, and sure enough it spotted its paler kin in the fray grabbing and shaking a large dark she-cat. The dark fox let out a crackling snarl towards the direction of its idiot injured sibling. It didn't get the opportunity to spit any more insults at its foolish kin, for the darker she-cat had reappeared quite startlingly.

The fox's vision flashed with red, white, and black, and suddenly much of its fury was replaced with terror and horrible pain. The cat had raked at his eyes like a twisting gorse bush, and the dark fox was suddenly thrashing with a vengeance. With a practically audible tear, the fox ripped the small tom from its back and flung it aside. The dark fox's claws scrambled desperately, and it shook its head madly, foaming slobber frothing out as it regained its footing and tried to regain its full vision. It fled for the brush, yelping partly to call its family away but partly to say "you idiots, it's a good thing I'm moving out soon". He vanished into the night.

The Dark Fox has been released from the pin. Dark Fox has fled the battle.

Dark Fox
44/90 HP (-17)
280/280 SP

Pale Fox
50/90 HP
160/280 SP

Russet Fox
90/90 HP
260/280 SP

Thornbriar
65/95 HP
220/250 SP

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Scorchstar
90/120 HP
270/300 SP

---

The palest of the foxes clamped down hard onto the thick fur around the neck and shoulders of the dark cat, but it only had the opportunity to clamp down and thrash once before a stabbing pain in its ribs caused it to let go again with a gurgling howl. The she-cat went crashing down into the earth a few pawsteps away, vulnerable. The youngling was too crippled with pain of fractured ribs to even consider going for its victim again; the fox itself nearly collapsed as it staggered, gritting its teeth and crying out desperately for a release from the pain. The world swam for a moment, and then the pains started to ebb and everything became a little clearer.

By the time the pale fox had receoved, the scene had shifted a little; the darkest of the siblings was tearing away from the battle with baleful screams, his battle clearly lost. This one's mother and siblings, however, were tearing it up quite literally. Cat fur was flinging, and the fox's eyes landed up the dark she-cat with one eye it had attacked earlier. It had chased off the darkest fox, and for that it would pay. The pale creature lunged forward, forgetting itself and its vulnerability for a moment as it crashed its fangs again down on whatever part of the dark she-cat it could.

Pale Fox used Iront Bite on Thornbriar, using 20 SP and dealing 30 HP.

Pale Fox
50/90 HP
140/280 SP (-20)

Russet Fox
90/90 HP
260/280 SP

Thornbriar
35/95 HP (-30)
220/250 SP

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Scorchstar
90/120 HP
270/300 SP

When he reached the floor, the apprentice hissed at the fleeing fox, his tail up and his claws ready to keep attacking the dark fox. "Come back, you filthy coward!" He shouted readh to chase it but something else caught his attention. When the blood came out from the deputy's fur, a spark of fury started in the young Lynxpaw, who rushed to the Pale Fox and tackled it by surprise. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Lynxpaw used run and tackle, dealing 6 + 3 damage and costing 10 stamina

Lynxpaw
20/20 HP
60/80 SP

Pale Fox
41/90 HP
140/280 SP

Before its jaws could form around the dark tabby she-cat, another, larger tom plummeted before the russet fox and took the bite instead. It was a shocking surprise, however blood was drawn all the same, it didn't matter to the fox who would fall first. The chaos roared around them, cats flailing in all directions, yowls of pain mixed with those of terror. However a yimp from the far side of the battlefield marked that of the fox's sibling, face bloody, pelt torn. The words he spoke back made the cubmate growl, but at least its sibling would be safe. He was never a strong one, and mother was much more likely to be fond of the russet fox instead, he would draw the most blood, he would be the best hunter. However fear was an interesting thing indeed. The russet fox gazed around and saw the flashing of teeth and the gnashing of gums. His own mother was bathed in crimson, and his injured sibling looked worse for wear. Wanting to win the hunt and yet not take a scar, the russet fox dodged around the new perpetrator and clamped his jaws down hard on the tabby she-cat, knowing she'd fall soon. With his blows done and dues paid, he scampered off into the forest, terrified.

Russet Fox used Iron Bite on Thornbriar, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina. Russet Fox has fled the battle.

Russet Fox
HP: 90/90
SP: 240/280 (-20)

Thornbriar
HP: 5/95 (-30)
SP: 220/250

---

The yip of her cubs leaving only seemed to further the mother fox's drive. How dare these mange-ridden cats hurt her children? Another blow landed on the mother's side as she was bowled over by a gray tom. What a silly little thing he was. She would not allow these beasts to destroy her family. They would win, and they would eat. Another new tom joined the battle, scaring away her russet son along with the darker one. The mother fox yowled in anger, wanting to tear the dark tabby tom from the face of the earth. Ripping herself from the gray warrior, she launched through the chaos, snatching up an orange and white tom along the way and flinging him into the midst. Nothing would stand in her path. These cats would die by her fangs, and the dark tabby would no longer scare her cubs so. A darker she-cat was responsible for wounding her darker son, blood pouring from wounds in her pelt as she still remained standing on the battle-field. She would be an easy kill. Charging toward her, the mother fox bore her teeth and launched herself at the perpetrator.

Mother Fox used Iron Bite on Daisyflame, dealing 30 damage and costing 20 stamina. Mother Fox charges at Thornbriar.

Mother Fox
HP: 47/90
SP: 220/280 (-20)

Daisyflame K.O.'d
HP: 0/45 (-25)
SP: 145/160

Letting out a yowl of surprise and pain, Daisyflame was flung to the side without warning. Having been distracted by Scorchstar's appearance, the sudden rush of pain was like none he'd felt before and rolling from his landing, the warrior laid where he was for a few moments, praying that the fox wouldn't dare try and finish him off.

Daisyflame has been K.O.'d

To his luck, the fox decided to turn it's attention to another cat, one of which happened to have her own attention focused on something else. Trying his best to see through the blood that streamed down his face, Daisyflame pushed himself up as far as he could into a hunched sort of position. Letting out a few gasps for air, seeing as though the wind had been knocked out of him, he snapped his amber graze towards the angry fox and then towards the deputy, who was in grave danger.

"Thornbriar!" Daisyflame yowled through clenched teeth. "Look out!"

Coughing, he looked around and found where Mothpaw was. Dragging himself over to her and trying to avoid the battle, Daisyflame collapsed at the apprentice's paws, too exhausted to stand any longer. His back was on fire from being flung around in the fox's jaws, but even so, knew he couldn't possibly close his eyes, not at a time like this.

"We can't do this right now," Mothpaw repeated to herself desperately, over and over again, as Daisyflame landed at her paws. Patching up what little she could at present, knowing other cats were still in the fight - just enough to make sure he'd be okay, that they could get him back to camp when this was over, that if nothing else he would survive. She wasn't sure what a world where Daisyflame wasn't present would look like, and she didn't want to find out for a long time. And with that silent observation, her attention turned back to Thornbriar once more, with renewed conviction in her words. "Please... We can't win this if you refuse to listen. You have to see that! I can help... Or at least I can try... But there's nothing I can do if you're trying to get yourself killed! We can do this, but you have to listen to me so I can help you!"

”Daisyflame!” Sans stared at his fallen former mentor, stunned that such a strong ShadowClanner could have been so easily defeated by a creature just a little bigger than themselves. With a furious snarl, he raced up to the mother fox and twisted onto his back to slide underneath her. With claws unsheathed as far out as they would go, he slashed mercilessly at the brute’s underbelly.

Sans used Half-Turn Belly Rake on Mother Fox, dealing 16 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Sans
95/95 HP
195/250 SP

Mother Fox
31/90 HP
220/280 SP

---

Seeing the fox he had just protected Thornbriar from lash out at her again simply out of spite really stroked Scorchstar‘s ire. He leaped at the fox and shoved it away from his deputy, claws piercing into its skin, and stood in between them with hackles raised, appearing nearly as large as the beast he was fighting. ”Thornbriar, go to Mothpaw!” he snapped at the stubborn molly behind him. ”That is a direct order!”

Scorchstar used Jumping Strike on Russet Fox, dealing 16 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Scorchstar
90/120 HP
250/300 SP

Russet Fox
74/90 HP
240/280 SP