Misinterpretation [closed]

No one went out on hunting patrols alone anymore in WindClan - the foxes had attacked in the mornings and the evenings, and their yips could be heard all through the night. Cloverpaw had a patrol of a couple warriors nearby, but the warrior-aged apprentice had found a trail and, soon, a target. He was eager to prove himself, and so with the patrol's permission he began to stalk his prey. When he found it, he was rather disappointed to discover it was only a fat shrew, but still, he wanted to catch it. He sprinted off after it, towards the ShadowClan border. The stink of the nearby Thunderpath made his face twist with disgust, and he realized his prey was missing. "Oh, mouse-dung!" Cloverpaw spat, immediately scampering about trying to find it.

Flintpaw was on the hunt. His tail swished as he stalked through the mud. His pawsteps were light, already knowing how to carefully move his weight in such a way that he wasn't even making a sound with every pawstep. He could barely make out the harsh smell of the Thunderpath on the other side of some of loose undergrowth and spare trees. He had seen it a pawful of times on his patrols with his family and Lynxscar...And he knew he ought not to be on his own but he had to escape the noises of the camp and seek out the quietness of the territory - hunting was simple something so at least this small adventure was for something.

There was a tiny shrew that was resting on a root, nibbling at a small nut it had managed to savage and unaware of the tom that lurked closer and closer. He lowered his body, his fluffy chest fur barely grazing the surface of the mud...Before he leaped with paws outstretched toward the small rodent. The nut bounced off of the root and fell into a mud with a soft slop as Flintpaw tackled the small creature from its perch, pinning it down before he ended its life with a swift blow. His expression didn't change but there was a glimmer of pride in his chest...Before he raised his head at a soft scrambling sound. Another shrew came darting past - much bigger than the one he had managed to catch. For a second, he thought about leaping after it before he froze.

It had been running like it was being chased. He glanced off to the direction it had come from, realizing he had landed right next to the Thunderpath - the WindClan border and could see the racing shape of a WindClan cat approach...

The member 'Honey Bagel' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

The sound of a soft scuffling a short distance away immediately made Cloverpaw perk and freeze up. His first instinct was to scent for danger - foxes and dogs, namely - but, aside from the Thunderpath, he couldn't find anything dangerous. Then, though, he saw the dark shape moving, carrying its jaws a shrew. "Hey! Come on, that was mine!" Cloverpaw yowled. It had been so long since he'd been in battle - his first, and only real one, had been with a dog - but the cat couldn't help himself in the face of his instincts and his bubbling-over desire to prove himself.

The silver tom thundered toward the border and barreled blindly across (by sheer luck there were no monsters in sight), then jumped onto the ShadowClan tom. It felt... oddly like being a kit again playing with his den- and littermates. No one was being careful with him just 'cause he'd been hurt almost three moons ago.

Cloverpaw used Run-and-Tackle on Flintpaw, using 10 stamina and dealing 6 damage.

Cloverpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Flintpaw
14/20 HP
80/80 SP

At the voice and words, Flintpaw titled his head. "What?" was he simple response, and then he was being thrown to the ground by the warrior-sized tom. As he stared up at the tom, his expression remained as neutral as ever as he ran through his battle training in his head. The tom seemed older, but Flintpaw was a rather large cat thanks to his mother's blood. He lashed out with a foot, nailing the tom in the chest as he shoved him backwards and off of him. In a swift motion, he was on his paws and leaping at the WindClan cat, claws in his back as he moved to pin him down. "I didn't steal anything," he responded seriously. "That shrew was on my territory."

Flintpaw used Leap-and-Hold on Cloverpaw, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina. Lasts for 2 turns.

Flintpaw:
14/20
70/80 (-10)

Cloverpaw:
14/20 (-6)
70/80

The member 'Honey Bagel' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Effect Dice' : 5

Cloverpaw had only a moment to be proud of himself. Truthfully, he could tell the moment that his body hit the large ShadowClan tom that this fight wasn't going to turn out in his favor. Though he'd thrown the tom off his paws for a moment, the dark apprentice still had fresher training and faster reflexes. Cloverpaw felt his breath forced out of his with a huff as his opponent wormed a foot up between them and shoved him back. Cloverpaw flailed, feeling a slight twinge in his tail, and just that brief instant was enough for the ShadowClan cat to suddenly leap on top of him. The silver apprentice was pinned, he realized quickly as his paws scrambled uselessly at the ground.

Most shockingly, the ShadowClan cat didn't sound... angry. Cloverpaw tried to twist and get a glance over his shoulder, but a twinge of the cat's claws prevented him. "Well, yeah--ow!--the shrew was on your territory 'cause I chased it there!" Cloverpaw tried to explain, scrabbling a little more at the earth.

Cloverpaw is pinned for this turn and next.

Flintpaw:
14/20
70/80

Cloverpaw:
14/20
70/80

Flintpaw raised an eyebrow at the scrambling tom, watching quietly as he listened to his words. That wasn't right, his shrew had been sitting still and nibbling on a nut. This tom didn't know what he was talking about, he didn't... "Ah," he hummed, realizing it was going on. The running shrew, it had been running from him. But honestly, now that Flintpaw had the moment of confusion shorted out...Well, he wasn't planning on letting the tom go. He had crossed the border with an intent to attack after all, misunderstanding or not.

"I didn't steal your prey, but you have crossed the border. Tell me, do you really think such an action was worth a shrew?" He still wasn't angry, his voice almost slightly amused although he wore the same bored expression. The tom couldn't get him off, he may be older but Flintpaw had his natural size on his side... Of course, Flintpaw wasn't looking to hurt him either but perhaps a small lesson was in order.

Flintpaw continued to use Leap-and-Hold, dealing 6 additional damage. Cloverpaw is stunned for one more turn.

Flintpaw:
14/20
70/80

Cloverpaw:
8/20 (-6)
70/80

For a moment the ShadowClan tom's talons seemed to grasp tighter and Cloverpaw let out a hiss. After a sound of understanding from the cat, though, he then expressed that he hadn't stolen any prey and, in fact, Cloverpaw had crossed the border. Almost immediately the silver WindClan cat froze, as if calculating the situation now for the first instant. The ShadowClan cat went on, asking if crossing the border was worth a shrew, and Cloverpaw experimentally tried wriggling out from under the apprentice's claws. Though they didn't budge, they weren't exactly tearing at him... maybe the other guy wasn't that mad? "Well--Well no, especially not when the shrew's not even mine," Cloverpaw replied, "but I thought it was."

Cloverpaw is still pinned and will be free next turn.

Flintpaw:
14/20
70/80

Cloverpaw:
8/20
70/80

Hm, it seems the WindClan tom seemed to realize his mistake. For a quick second, Flintpaw pressed down with his weight, digging his claws into the tom's shoulder even more for a brief second before he leap away. He turned to the the now freed tom, tilting his head. "It seems you realized how idiotic your actions were, and so...You may leave. After all, this isn't worth a shrew." He then stepped back to give him more room to head back to his territory, although Flintpaw kept his muscles tensed in case the tom thought a clever attack was needed. "Please try not to get hit by a monster on your way."

Flintpaw continued to use Leap-and-Hold, dealing 6 damage. Cloverpaw is now freed.

Flintpaw:
14/20
70/80

Cloverpaw:
2/20 (-6)
70/80

Now that Cloverpaw was sprawled flat on his belly, pinned like a kit under his mother's incessant grooming, and being talked to like it was his first time out of camp, he really was feeling pretty humiliated and kittish about the whole ordeal. Mouse-dung, I really did act like an idiot, he thought, almost bewildered at himself. The true danger of the situation had only just hit him when suddenly the flexing claws disappeared, and the weight suddenly left Cloverpaw. He gasped in a breath and instantly scrambled to his feet, his kinked tail tucked in awkwardly near his body as it throbbed - he'd thrashed it while pinned. Cloverpaw turned to look at the tom, his pelt flushing embarrassment.

"You're right, I-I did, and I'm sorry for interrupting your hunt," he replied graciously, dipping his head slightly. Cloverpaw felt so flustered, yet the other tom was so.... stoic. So, blank? His pale yellow eyes were like dull moons full of intelligent thought, yet the WindClan cat could interpret nothing. Then the weight of the rest of the tom's words hit him. His head swung to stare wide-eyed at the Thunderpath, and he said, "Whoa - whoa, wait, I crossed the Thunderpath?" Of course he had - how else would he be in ShadowClan? His tail drooped ever so slightly and he muttered, "Finchstar's not gonna be happy I didn't let him show me how first."

Cloverpaw has accepted Flintpaw's mercy. The battle is over.

The tom really hadn't realized...? Flintpaw spared a glance toward the Thunderpath, rather confused on how the tom could have acted so rashly that he had somehow missed the fact that he had sprinted across the strange black path. "I'm afraid I am not sure I can be of help there," he mused as he turned his attention back onto the WindClan cat. He hadn't stepped foot on the Thunderpath despite patrolling it a few times, he was smarter than that...And he had grown to distaste the loud roars of the monsters - honestly it was amazing that he had decided to hunt so close but it had been a quiet day so far...

He paused, perking up his ears. Right, it had been a quiet day so far. He had slowly learned that he apparently was more...Noticeable of sounds than the others, recalling the Gathering in particular of being rather...Something that he liked not to think back on. "Perhaps...I can keep an ear out - Monsters tend to always be roaring and thundering. I don't hear any at the moment but I can give you a warning if I do while you cross. I'll even make a note of not mentioning this scuffle to Thornstar - this hasn't been worthy any of her time or worry." It wasn't really an offer out of the goodness of his heart - well, perhaps part of it was but also he didn't want the death of this cat due to his own stupid choices to be put on him.

Cloverpaw's ears flicked back slightly at the other tom's admission that he couldn't help. It had been so easy when he wasn't thinking about it - when he hadn't even realized yet - but now that he was staring at the expansive black surface he didn't understand how he'd ever made it over in the first place. Warily, the WindClan tom padded closer, staring across to the other side. His side. His patrol was in sight, and Cloverpaw's humiliation grew. Of course they were looking for him; there were foxes around, and he'd gone and gotten himself clawed up by a ShadowClan cat on their territory over a shrew he didn't even catch. He let out a sigh and stared listlessly for several long moments.

The tom's voice caused Cloverpaw to look aside again hopefully. The dark-furred apprentice was focused, ears twitching and flicking attentively. He instructed Cloverpaw that he could go if there was nothing coming - and judging by what he could hear, there wasn't. When he added that the scuffle wouldn't be mentioned to Thornstar, the WindClan cat was surprised by how relieved he felt to hear that. He let out a laugh and gave the odd flat-toned tom a final apologetic but friendly look and added brightly, "Well, you were definitely worthy of my time. Sorry about the tackle, again."

Then he turned back to the Thunderpath. Still silence; the ShadowClan still said nothing, and so Cloverpaw darted off anxiously, his kinked tail streaming behind him as he crossed the Thunderpath again. He heard his patrol shout to him; had they seen him cross? But now his wounds stung, and he reeked of ShadowClan. It was pretty obvious where he'd been and what had happened. Now he'd just have to tell his dad and mentor.

Hm. Flintpaw watched the tom race across the Thunderpath, getting an idea of the speed that WindClan was known for. He hadn't expected the fight to end on good terms but yet it had happened...Curious. He had actually failed to notice the tom's kinked tail until it was disappearing into the moor. Once he was certain that the apprentice was safe, hearing the faint sound of a name being carried on the breeze, he paused to give his shoulder a lick. The tom hadn't managed to get a good scratch on him before the stump had turned, noting that the wound wasn't anything terrible but perhaps was worth at least seeing Mothpaw about. Then he turned, picked up the shrew that had started this whole mess and padded into the territory without much more of a thought of the odd situation that had just transpired.

OOC: Annnd topic over~