Shadow-stripes {closed}

The tug of the wind was enough to pull on Duskpaw's heartstrings. The leaves rustling seemed to spark a fire in her heart. Her white paws kneaded the ground with most interest as she stared out of the entrance to camp. Out there, dozens of mice must roam. Beasts, probably. The night would be sickeningly boring if Duskpaw had to fall asleep in her moss nest like any other sundown. However the sky was still light, while evening was fast approaching, the promise of adventure still sat on the horizon. Beartooth had taken the she-cat out of camp earlier in the day. They reviewed the borders, which Duskpaw still imagined silly. And they practiced hunting. She returned and nibbled on a squirrel, determining it was very much different than mouse and therefore her favorite. A chat with Hazelpaw had been in order. And then the she-cat picked the thorns from her nest, flicking them into a stray direction - probably onto Houndpaw's nest. However sleep would not come to the she-cat. Duskpaw wasn't tired in the slightest. Her claws had been sharped on the bark, her eyes were wide with adventure, and her tail flicked back and fourth wildly as she thought of all the things to come. Like a predator hunting its prey, she waited by the entrance to throw her questions to some unsuspecting soul. A warrior just had to take her out into the forest. If not, she'd journey out there herself. But before the cat could make a rash decision, Harefoot padded by. Duskpaw's opinions on this tom were scarce. He had been seen around camp, often with her mentor. And his russet pelt reminded her of the sun. A long scar traced his back, but it still wasn't as impressive as Beartooth's. It was no matter though, as Duskpaw had already cut him off and meant his eyes. Trapped. "It's not night yet! Take me out into the forest please! I really really want to hunt a squirrel, or maybe find a beast!" A grin grew on Duskpaw's maw as she knew he couldn't possibly refuse. It was a warrior's duty!

Greenleaf was still in full swing, but Harefoot had been around for a while and knew that leaf-fall would come swiftly and leafbare would not be far behind. With this in mind, the dusty warrior prepared for an outing and decided an evening of quiet hunting and contemplation would be the perfect end to his busy day. Houndpaw had been sufficiently exercised and was off somewhere, probably with Dacepaw, hopefully not causing too much trouble. Beartooth and Ferretnose were... somewhere. Together, probably. Harefoot didn't have any option besides being alone, it seemed, but that didn't bother him. He headed for the camp exit and was promptly startled by Duskpaw stepping directly into his path out.

"Well... if you're sure you want to go, I guess I'll take you." He meowed, a bit unnerved by the apprentice's bold demand. He didn't know much about Duskpaw save that she was Hazelpaw's sister and Flintfang's daughter. He recalled a distant memory of snow and trees, of Flintfang's dark pelt and the taste of fresh-kill on his tongue. They'd gossiped briefly. But it was a distant memory and the details were lost to the daydreaming tom. He snapped back into focus and addressed Duskpaw again. "I don't know if we'll see any beasts tonight, but I hope not. Those blasted raccoons have been causing a lot of trouble lately." He meowed, brow furrowing slightly.

OOC: basically I guess the patrol will gather and they'll catch the scent of badger really close to the camp entrance

"Do you mind if I tag along? I'm running low on chickweed and tansy, and with the weather getting colder it would be wise to stock up now." A voice mewed from the ferns that led to the medicine cat den. Mossbloom emerged, holding a large oak leaf between her jaws. She stopped next to the two, setting the oak leaf at her feet. "I'll stay out of your way, promise." She purred with a small smile as she waited for their answer.

The sound of several voices mingling together caught Dustcloud's ear, tail twitching slightly as she listened to the talk about a patrol going out. Mossbloom, Duskpaw, and Harefoot were all gathered in the middle of camp, and her features softened into a gentle smile as she looked on. "I s-suppose you all w... wouldn't mind it I ch-chipped in, as well?" She spoke, voice crackling as she approached Mossbloom's left side. Her tail curled around her paws as she sat, looking to both Harefoot and Duskpaw for an answer.

"Oh yeah! You can come explore too!" Harefoot, while reluctant, agreed to take Duskpaw out of camp. She wondered if the lanky tom hesitated because of the thing she carried. What this thing was, Duskpaw had no idea. However oftentimes her clanmates would stare at her warily, whispering to themselves about her father, or her pelt. Duskpaw thought this silly because she couldn't find anything wrong with herself on the surface. Her claws were sharp and her fur was shiny, save for thoroughly messy. But the little she-cat decided that perhaps they stared at her for an invisible reason. And this became the birth of the thing. Unknown and untouched, yet very much present as she was watched everywhere she went. But Duskpaw didn't dwell on it for too long. She was leaving camp, and no longer needed to occupy herself with what took place inside of the location she was now exiting. A simple system, and yet effective.

Mossbloom appeared and noted the need to find some weird herbs Duskpaw didn't know. And Dustcloud as well. The apprentice nodded eagerly at their request to join their escapade, and bounded out of the thorn tunnel without a second peep. Mossbloom smelled of greens and flowers, reminding the she-cat of a forest glade. With this, the apprentice decided she liked the calico. Dustcloud was mates with Oakstar, the large brown tom that led the clan. She was strong and yet looked old like Emberheart. Duskpaw began to wonder if she should ask when the she-cat would find her way to the elder's den as well. But she held her tongue. If Dustcloud was in the elder's den, then she couldn't adventure with Duskpaw. "Let's go this way!" Duskpaw squeaked as the orange sun cut through the leaves. The air was beginning to chill and often times the undergrowth would grow dry and rustle. It was a nice sound and Duskpaw purred. She wove her way through the ferns, tail high in contentment and head swinging from side to side, taking note of all the happenings. She had learned squirrel scent from Beartooth and decided she would catch one today. However opening her maw to taste the air, the apprentice caught smell of something strange, different.

The scent was dark, a bold thing that carried with it blood and peat soil under the ground. It made her want to sneeze and yet the adrenaline from such a thing kept her on edge. "Beast..." Duskpaw whispered to herself quietly, determined that if a beast must smell like something, it would be this. Ever curious, she cut through the bracken and emerged into a dry clearing, twigs and sticks strewn about, and an open hole in the earth. A massive striped thing pawed at the soil, long infatuating claws digging out streaks of mud. It grunted with each effort, breath heavy and low in a rumble. Back turned, stump tail wiggling, it grew its den in the forest. Duskpaw's green eyes widened as she took sight of the great thing, amazed and yet horrified. It enamored her that such large animals existed in their forest, and yet she was frustrated with herself, lacking the bravery to strike it. It seemed the thing to do, beasts weren't welcome on ThunderClan territory as Oakstar had said, and she wished to conquer many monsters, perhaps someday killing the owl that took her father away. But as the first time seeing such a creature, the shock and excitement seemed to quell the desire to hunt and kill. Duskpaw simply sat in awe, watching.

"Why are you digging?" She asked in a fearless voice, head cocked in curiosity. But the badger did not answer. Instead it turned slowly, black beady eyes scanning Duskpaw's small frame, low grunts escalating into a deafeningly loud growl. Adrenaline coursed through the she-cat as she realized her mistake, pushing herself backwards into some leaf mulch as the massive creature lunged for her. She rolled away and crouched into a patch of ferns, breath heavy in awe. And yet there were other targets to dot the battlefield. Harefoot remained in close proximity to the beast slammed its massive paw down on his lanky frame. Duskpaw gasped as he crumpled into the undergrowth, the smell of blood tainting the air. The fight had begun.

Badger used Heavy Blow on Harefoot, dealing 25 damage and costing 20 stamina.

Badger
HP: 120/120
SP: 300/320 (-20)

Harefoot
HP: 35/60 (-25)
SP: 200/200

Ah. Yes. It seemed a full patrol was forming, and Harefoot nodded to both Mossbloom and Dustcloud as they approached. "Oh, I'd never consider a medicine cat doing her job in the way, Mossbloom." He meowed, thinking that her task of finding herbs was more important than a stroll through the woods. She was practically StarClan's chosen, anyway, and he couldn't imagine turning her down for anything. And of course, it was an honor to have a venerated warrior like Dustcloud along for the patrol. "Certainly, Dustcloud, you're more than welcome to join!" The words were barely off his tongue when Duskpaw had bolted off into the forest with the kind of energy only a young cat could conjure up.

With a bewildered expression, the tom glanced between the other patrol members and followed after her. Harefoot caught up in no time, but as soon as he did, the apprentice swerved off in a new direction with a squeak of excitement, and he found himself barreling through bushes to avoid losing track of Duskpaw. He hoped Mossbloom and Dustcloud weren't too far behind, but they were secondary in his mind as he internally panicked about losing Ferretnose's apprentice somewhere in the territory. 'Oh, StarClan, she'll skin me alive if I lose Duskpaw!' His attention was brought back to the task at hand - tracking down the apprentice - by the painful stinging of branches and thorns dragging across his face and chest. It seemed that Duskpaw was the patrol leader this evening.

Harefoot crashed into the clearing, blinking leaves out of his eyes, when the gentle breeze shifted and his nose was filled with the sour, earthy scent of badger. Duskpaw had just rolled clear of a wild lunge by the creature. As fast as he was, Harefoot had not been able to clear the area quick enough to avoid the enraged attack of the badger and took the full blow to his side with a sharp yelp. He had twisted to turn and flee, but when the badger made contact with his side, he was sent sprawling a few tail-lengths away. The dusty warrior's thin fur had offered no protection; a sharp crack had sounded from his ribcage and fur and skin had been stripped away by the badger's wicked claws, still hanging loosely at his side. As terribly as the whole ordeal pained him, Harefoot knew he had no time to lose. Predators rarely allowed their targets to recover if they could help it. Still in some shock and with ragged, choppy breaths, he rolled onto his back and kicked wildly with hind legs at the badger's stomach as it stood up to attack. It would strike him again, and he would not survive if he couldn't escape.

Harefoot used Belly Rake on the badger, dealing 12 damage and using 10 stamina.

Badger
HP: 108/120
SP: 300/320

Harefoot
HP: 35/60
SP: 190/200

Mossbloom purred as the two cats agreed, and as Dustcloud approached she lowered her head respectfully. She had once helped birth the she-cat's kits, and it had been a honor to be able to do so. Before much else could be said, Duskpaw had led the way out of camp, and she quickly followed behind Harefoot, rushing through the forest foliage as quickly as she could, occasionally glancing back for Dustcloud. They burst into a clearing, and her eyes searched for where the two ahead might have gone when they landed on the huge black and white creature. The size of it stole away her breath, and she froze as Harefoot moved too late to avoid the paw that came towards him. She winced at the sound of the impact, trying to gauge how bad his wound was before looking for Duskpaw. The warrior struck out at the badger's belly, and Mossbloom watched in mild horror as the severity of his wound came into view.

Naturally, in defense of her clanmates, her claws unsheathed. It had been several moons since she last had to fight, but she had always remembered her warrior training. There was no way she could forget. As she let out a furious hiss and charged at the badger, she bunched her legs to leap as high as she could, landing on the badger's back firmly. Hopefully she would be out of the reach of it's claws here, and she could get a good hold... Harefoot's life depended on it.

Mossbloom used Leap-and-Hold, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina. Badger is held for 1 turn.

Mossbloom
HP: 45/45
SP: 90/100

Badger
HP: 102/120
SP: 300/320

Harefoot
HP: 35/60
SP: 190/200

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

A slight cringe erupted on Dustcloud's maw as Duskpaw began to run off, but her paws were immediately tracing the apprentice's steps as they ventured out into ThunderClan territory. Remaining right on Mossbloom's heels, her WindClan heritage showed through as she raced to catch Duskpaw before she got too far. However, when they arrived in the small clearing, her heart skipped a beat. A badger? No, not again. ThunderClan was in no position to lose another cat, especially not a young, strong-willed apprentice such as Duskpaw. A strangled yowl passed her lips as Mossbloom leaped into the fray- The last thing ThunderClan needed was an injured medicine cat. Despite the fact that she hardly had time to catch her breath, she followed after Mossbloom's lead, with quite a different approach. Running the opposite way, the old she-cat scrambled into the nearest tree, using it to push herself closer to the badger and have a stronger impact as her small body slammed into the black and white creature's side. With a slight grunt, she scrambled to her paws and readied herself to strike again.

Dustcloud used Tree Spring, dealing -15 Health Points and using -10 Stamina Points.

Dustcloud:
95/95 HP
240/250 SP

Mossbloom:
45/45 HP
90/100 SP

Badger:
HP: 87/120
SP: 300/320

Harefoot:
35/60 HP
190/200 SP

Grunts and roars echoed from the clearing as Duskpaw sat up from her tumble in the ferns. A funny scent filled the air, and for a moment, time slowed. The apprentice badly wanted to put her nose on it, and decided a scent such as this one couldn't come from a beast. This beast smelled of soil and the worms she used to bring Emberheart. But the smell that filled the air now reminded her of bitter stones. Blood. Harefoot was bleeding, streaks of red running down his pelt as he rolled under the badger and swiped at it with long extended claws. Duskpaw's eyes widened at the sight, finding such a taboo thing interesting. Never had she seen so much blood before. It was meant to be inside their bodies, but maybe there was something special about it when it came out. All the great warriors let their blood come out when they fought. Emberheart had told her lots of stories about battles. Duskpaw's curiosity only grew as Mossbloom the pretty calico lashed at the badger as well, leaping onto its back to strip ribbons into its stripped fur. The color crimson was pretty and yet seemed as if it should remain a secret. It was held between a fighter and their beast. Duskpaw wanted to have her secret as well. She wanted to make stories like Emberheart. Dustcloud dropped from above as the apprentice sprinted out of her ferns. The older warrior slashed at the badger's side. The apprentice chuckled at the move, a wide grin on her face as she watched the warriors before her fight. But she badly wanted to try. In a haze, Duskpaw gazed down at her own claws, flashing in the light. Her green eyes remained wide with curiosity as she contemplated some unknown feat, trying to understand all of the world's happenings. She wondered why the beasts fought. Maybe they liked the challenge. Maybe this beast thought Duskpaw was strong, and stopped its digging to try and understand. I want to understand. The small she-cat thought to herself, gazing at the beast once more as it bucked and kicked under Mossbloom's weight. Determined now, she tore a wide circle around the badger, looking rather silly in her long fur. Quickly, she lashed out a claw into its thick fur, tearing out strands of black and white. And then small droplets of crimson stained her white paw, curious. Grinning, Duskpaw squeaked her satisfaction and jumped back to avoid another swipe, eyes wide as the badger rolled Mossbloom off. The apprentice hissed at the beast in a shot of adrenaline, liking the fight much more than a squirrel hunt. She'd tell Emberheart about this someday, when she found the elder again.

Duskpaw used Front Paw Strike on Badger, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.
Badger is no longer held.

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

Badger
HP: 81/120 (-6)
SP: 300/320

Harefoot's gratefulness for Mossbloom and Dustcloud's intervention was only rivaled by the crippling, fiery pain that shot through his side and into the very tips of his toes. It felt like his own rib cage was closing in on him, forcing him to gasp for air, and in a vicious cycle, caused more pain to ripple through the thin tom. Gritting his teeth against the blood and fear, Harefoot scrambled to his paws and dashed out of range of the badger's heavy paws. He refused to look at his injury, fearing he might pass out if he saw more than he bargained for. Mossbloom lost her grip on the creature, and out of a pure flash of panic, he sprang at it with outstretched claws in a wild hope of making it lose its balance.

Harefoot used Jumping Strike on the badger, dealing 12 damage and using 20 stamina.

Duskpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Badger:
69/120 HP
300/320 SP

Dustcloud:
95/95 HP
240/250 SP

Mossbloom:
45/45 HP
90/100 SP

Harefoot:
35/60 HP
170/200 SP

She hadn't been keeping up with her battle training, a fact that Mossbloom quickly regretted. The badger rolled, and the medicine cat lost her grip. Looking around quickly, she saw Harefoot lunge at the creature as Duskpaw swiped with razor sharp claws at it's legs and sides. Seeing what she thought was an opening, she hesitated only a moment before darting in, slashing under it's belly and popping up on the far side, darting away from it. Harefoot was slowing down, he would need looked at first. One wrong swipe of the paw would certainly mean Duskpaw's end in the fight. Her green eyes searched their surrounding for herbs, anything and everything that she might be able to use.

Mossbloom used Belly Rake on the badger, dealing 7 damage and using 10 stamina.

Duskpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Badger:
62/120 HP
300/320 SP

Dustcloud:
95/95 HP
240/250 SP

Mossbloom:
45/45 HP
80/100 SP

Harefoot:
35/60 HP
170/200 SP

A sheer sense of panic filled Dustcloud's stomach when Mossbloom was tossed from the badger's back, taking a deep breath when the medicine cat made a quick recovery and managed a beautiful counter-attack. Once again, her motherly instincts caused her breath to catch in her throat when Duskpaw leaped into the fray, tearing circles around herself, Mossbloom, Harefoot, and the badger. Thankfully, she seemed to have gotten out without getting hit, first. Looking around to her Clanmates, she tried to absorb the fact that Harefoot had gotten injured, a sharp pang ringing within her heart for the younger tom. Mossbloom seemed to be looking for herbs, which Harefoot would need after this was over... Which needed to be soon, if everyone wanted to make it back to camp with their lives. Making a split-second decision, the senior warrior darted towards the badger and grabbed onto the skin of its neck. Though it took much strength and she had to grit her teeth through the pain in her muscles, the tabby she-cat managed to throw the creature off guard without causing injury to herself.

Dustcloud used Scruff Shake on Badger, dealing -8 Health Points and using -25 Stamina Points. Badger is stunned for 2 turns.

Duskpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Badger:
54/120 HP
300/320 SP

Dustcloud:
95/95 HP
225/250 SP

Mossbloom:
45/45 HP
80/100 SP

Harefoot:
35/60 HP
170/200 SP

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 6

As Duskpaw stepped back from the beast, watching as it rolled Mossbloom off the side, Harefoot found his paws again. The lanky warrior flashed his paws at the badger, throwing his weight onto the side, pushing the massive striped beast over the soil in rage. The blood still flowed from his pelt, as it did on Duskpaw's claws. She took a moment to examine them, only to find herself jump back as Mossbloom tore the badger from below. She cocked her head to watch the scene, a small smile on her maw at the fearsome medicine cat. Duskpaw wished to ask her why she knew how to fight, but perhaps now was not the time. Dustcloud in her prowess grasped onto the badger's flank, desperately pulling it from the ground in an effort to wound the thing. It stood dazed, black eyes darting in all directions. Duskpaw felt a chill run down her spine as they meant her face. She decided that the badger was scary. She was not scared of it, no. But it would be best if the thing would leave. Harefoot had a lot of blood, but it was on the leaves now, and Duskpaw didn't think they wanted to share. "Leave!" She demanded, hissing at the badger's wounded frame. It barked in response, groaning as crimson cut through its shadow stripes. The she-cat batted at his face with a careful paw, wanting to send the creature away. She didn't want it to dig here anymore. "Please go away!" She mewed, fur raised with adrenaline. Wildly the badger swung its paws, catching on stray ferns and moss. But it was slow and hurt, like Emberheart. In a mad burst, it turned and ran into the forest, wobbly on its injured legs.

Duskpaw watched with large green eyes, wondering where the beast would go. There was a lot of mud in a lot of places. Perhaps it could find a home elsewhere. But it was meant to dig soil, not blood. The apprentice turned toward Harefoot and gazed at his wounds, the panting warrior obviously in immense pain. Duskpaw padded to his side and whispered; "thank you." She licked her paw and nodded, standing in the background as the warriors converged. She had fought a beast today. What a wonderful thing. A strange giggle rose in her throat, eyes creasing in a wide smile. And then she laughed, she laughed with all the youthful energy of the forest. "Hahaha! Hahahahaha! A beas-hahaha! Beast! Hahahhh..." She was glad she got to share her adventure.

Duskpaw used Front Paw Strike on Badger, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina. Badger has fled the battle.

Duskpaw
HP: 20/20
SP: 60/80 (-10)

Badger (fled)
HP: 48/120 (-6)
SP: 300/320