No Darkness Alone [solo]

Another day and Barleytuft had slept through dawn again. He woke with a start when he realized that he could feel the full, dull light of the leafbare sun shining down on him from over the top of the gorse wall that surrounded WindClan's camp. He felt oddly groggy, though as he awakened he slowly remembered the barest remnants of a dream and realized his weariness perhaps wasn't so unwarranted. Thoughts of musky darkness and crumbling dirt walls lingered on the edge of his imagination. Tunneling. Had it been a nightmare again, or had Featherfall visited him? Judging by how his muscles ached, Barleytuft suspected that the starry she-cat had come to him and sent him on with his training again. Perhaps she knew what truth he had been desperately trying to avoid: that the tunnels needed tunnelers, and whether he was afraid or not, he was a tunneler. If he didn't do his duty, who else might be lost?

Barleytuft would tunnel again soon, but not yet. This day the senior warrior had promised to his eldest son - his only remaining son from his first litter. StarClan would understand that, surely. The pale tabby warrior rolled to his paws, feeling his hips aching slightly with protest as he straightened his legs for the first time since nightfall. He arched his spine to the sky, tail curling in as he stretched his legs and back. His ears flicked as he heard pawsteps approaching, and Barleytuft straightened his head out to look at the source. "Clovertwist! Good, you're up, I was about to come looking for you," he called brightly, his tail lifting into the air.

A few tail-lengths away, Clovertwist made his approach, his own kinked silver tail with dark tabby rings lifted high over his back. The young warrior laughed and replied teasingly, "Yes, of course I'm up - we agreed on an early morning hunt, and here you are sleeping until the sun's over the wall!" He stopped just a mouse-length in front of his father, smirking a toothy smile at the older warrior who was shaking his head.

Barleytuft scoffed and rolled his eyes, replying matter-of-factly, "It's still early morning, feather-brain; I was just letting the dawn patrol get a head start." That wasn't true, and both toms knew it; Clovertwist simply shouldered his father, who returned it jovially. For a moment the two warriors pushed their shoulders together hard, battling playfully against each other to gain footing and ground, and after several scuffles and chuckles, the younger tom felt his paws slip slightly. Immediately Clovertwist took the chance to edge away, and Barleytuft relented his own pushing - though not without gently smacking his son's hind end as an attack of opportunity for retreating. "Well, come on, are we going to kit around camp all day or would you like to go and get some hunting done?" the senior warrior demanded jovially.

"Hungry bellies can't feed themselves," Clovertwist relented, and with a twitch of his crumpled tail he beckoned his father towards the entrance of camp. The silver warrior set off at a happy trot, glancing around to see Spotlake or Crowpaw or maybe one of his younger siblings to give them a farewell wave.

Barleytuft hesitated for only a moment, glancing towards the medicine den. His expression darkened as he thought of all his loved ones wounded in the battle with the best-cats and the aftermath. Goldengale... Grousefrost... Crowpaw and Spotlake. Graybriar... Everything had come down so hard on WindClan in the last two seasons, and the forest itself had suffered so much for seasons before that. Barleytuft let out a sigh and took his gaze away from the medicine den, following his son swiftly and trying to leave the storm cloud of thought brewing in the camp behind them as they reached the entrance tunnel and slipped out as they had so many times before.

The leafbare weather had been milder for the past few sunrises, but the night before had been bitterly cold and precipitous. No snow from days before had been given the chance to melt; it was all solid and cold, almost difficult to crunch underpaw, with a layer of jagged frost blanketing it. In places it could feel as rough and uneven as the Thunderpath, but both WindClan warriors were quick to adapt to the crackling terrain on which the sunlight glittered erratically. Camp was far behind as Barleytuft's eyes scanned the surface of the moors, eyeing the rolling hills and flatlands each with an intense focus. He sought not only prey but also the uneven displacement of snow which might be indicative of a land shift or tunnel collapse. His dark hazel gaze saw nothing, yet he couldn't shake the feelings of dismal discomfort that clung to his pelt like frost.

Clovertwist, however, had spotted some prey. Shuffling in the frosted wheat grasses that had long since dried up and dropped all their grains was a fat, hoary brown hare. The young warrior's pale amber gaze took in its position, and for a time he considered his own. It was a fairly open space, which meant a tactic or good chase was needed. Fortunately, both he and Barleytuft were downwind; the creature would have a hard time smelling them through the icy air and would give him time to decide. Clovertwist let out a low mrrow, and when Barleytuft looked his way he jerked his chin meaningfully towards the hare. Barleytuft examined it and its surroundings, though his son didn't miss the glazed look in his eyes. After a moment Barleytuft nodded, signaling his son to go after it. The senior warrior began to prepare himself to assist.

The silver tabby nodded in response, turning back towards the prey. It wasn't too fat, unfortunately, but in leafbare any prey was a boon for WindClan. Clovertwist focused himself on it and began to prowl after it. In the cold, it was difficult to ignore how his tail wasn't the way it used to be. As an apprentice he had been mauled by a dog while defending Aspenheart on an herb patrol, and though his ribs seemed to have healed sufficiently his tail had been crumpled by the beast that attacked him. The medicine cat could only do so much, but Clovertwist was grateful enough simply to have his life. He might never have a straight tail again, but he had healed. The cold, however, had been making the appendage ache, sometimes even sharply. As always, Aspenheart told him to just stretch more regluarly.

Hunting was likely a good enough stretch, and so Clovertwist edged closer and closer to the hare. He lengthed his tail straight out behind him to the best of his ability, trying to ignore the little jolts of pain with every bounce his tail made. His eyes focused on the hare, who seemed to have slowed as if considering whether to check its surroundings. Don't mind me, Clovertwist thought, I'm just out on the moor, not after you at all. Whether projecting that thought helped or not, the creature went back to sifting through the grasses, and with a smirk of satisfaction Clovertwist bunched up his muscles and then exploded forward, rocketing over the snowy terrain and towards the hare.

Barleytuft, watching intently, readied himself as he saw his son prepare to spring. The senior warrior himself had begun to angle slightly away, rounding his route to cut off any escapes that the hare might try to make. When Clovertwist burst into action, Barleytuft raced off as well, his eyes glancing back and forth between his son and their prey as the silver tom closed the distance between them. The hare had noticed him by then, and with a squeak it dove off; however, as it realized Barleytuft was closing in from the other angle, it scrambled and hesitated, and Clovertwist swiftly overtook it, catching the creature by the throat and slamming its writhing body to the ground to give it a killing blow.

Clovertwist attempted to catch a hare and succeeded, using 5 stamina.

Clovertwist
45/45 HP
155/160 SP (-5)

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

---

'Hunting Dice' : 1

Barleytuft had prepared to lunge as the hare scrabbled towards him, but it swiftly raced back into Clovertwist's paws, and the senior warrior slowed to an easy-going approach as he watched his son dispatch the creature with a skilled bite. From a few fox-lengths away, Barleytuft purred, "Well done, Clovertwist; that was flawless. I'm sure your mother will appreciate it, or Aspenheart and his patients."

Clovertwist raised his head, silver ears perking at his father's praise. He licked the hare's blood from his lips and replied, "It was nothing - it must've been old to have hardly noticed us before we were that close." The young tom felt invigorate by the quick run and successful catch, the sting of the cold air only serving to give him energy and a bit of spring in his step to avoid standing on the jagged, uncomfortable ice for long.

Barleytuft chuckled. "Be that as it may, prey is prey," he answered, and as he surveyed the otherwise seemingly abandoned moor he added softly, "and StarClan knows we need to stay as strong as we can." The senior warrior went quiet, his dark hazel eyes misting thoughtfully.

His son bit his lip slightly, glancing at the hare he'd taken down. After a moment, Clovertwist picked the grizzled corpse up and padded over to a tunnel entrance that smelled like nothing but dirt; no rabbits lived there, and no predators seemed to dwell there either. It would be a good enough place to hide his catch until he and his father could come back for it later. The silver tabby lowered his front half into the burrow, dragging the fresh-kill awkwardly beneath his belly to deposit it at the bottom of the opening. As Clovertwist emerged, he made sure to rub his chin and cheeks on the dirt near the opening of the tunnel to leave his scent, and he brushed against a few grasses as well before turning back to his father. To his surprise, Barleytuft was still standing in the same place some distance away, lost in his thoughts.

"Dad?" Clovertwist questioned. Barleytuft's gaze immediately cleared and he looked in his son's direction, their eyes meeting. "Hm?" "Are you doing okay? You aren't getting sick or anything, are you?"

The senior warrior let out a half-hearted laugh and waved his tail dismissively. "No - No, I'm fine, Clovertwist, I'm sorry for being distracted," Barleytuft answered. "I didn't sleep well. I had a tunnel dream, for the first time in a moon and a half. A real dream; it wasn't a nightmare this time." Clovertwist's ears perked with interest. Barleytuft continued, "I just... I can't remember it. I know Featherfall was there, but I can't remember anything she told me or anything that we practiced. It's all just... hazy."

Clovertwist's kinked tail twitched. He replied sympathetically, "Well, hey, I know uncle Aspenheart doesn't even remember all of his dreams. If it's been a while, maybe it was hard to reach you - o-or maybe you're out of practice, you know?" At his suggestion, he looked excitedly at Barleytuft, hoping for some agreement.

Instead, Barleytuft chuckled again and looked away, waving his tail once more. "Could be, kit," he conceded. He went on, "Whatever I dreamed, it won't help me to catch any prey today. Shall we look for something else?" The pale tabby tom looked back at Clovertwist for a second, giving him a reassuring smile before turning and beginning to pad out away from their recent hunting spot. Clovertwist returned the comforting look, though he wasn't entirely convinced by the display as Barleytuft lead the way towards new hunting; his father was always easy to read as rabbit tracks in mud, and it would only be a matter of time before the older tom revealed his true feelings if he was going to reveal them at all. With a deep breath, Clovertwist began to pad after his father, tail twitching behind him as he listened for signs - either from Barleytuft or from stirrings on the moor.

The two toms made their way across WindClan's snowy landscape, stopping here and there as they investigated rabbit trails or the scuttlings of small, hungry rodents searching hopefully for seeds or grains to fill their bellies and their storages. Barleytuft had caught a small bird near a heather bush not far from where they'd caught their first hare, and Clovertwist had surprised a field mouse which had found a tantalizing meal and failed to notice its hunter's presence. Barleytuft had chosen to carry his bird once he'd caught it; now that his son had caught something as well, the pair chose to make their way back to the hare Clovertwist killed to deposit their new catches and assess the future of their little patrol.

As Clovertwist strode around the base of the broad hill nearest the fresh-kill's resting place, his pale eyes landed on a startling and disheartening sight that caused him to gasp before he could silence himself. Rather painfully, the young warrior slammed his kinked tail against his father's chest, and Barleytuft immediately drew to a halt as he spotted the source of Clovertwist's sudden fear: A fox's hind end stuck out from the tunnel where the hare had been hidden. Its bushy tail waved from side to side intently as it rummaged around, and both toms' hackles began to raise with both fear and fury as the russet beast emerged, withdrawing the hoary corpse from its resting place.

"That was my catch!" Clovertwist snarled, his fury suddenly exploding forth as he dug his claws in and lunged. The fox's pointed muzzle, stuffed with the slender hare, immediately swung towards the source of the challenging cry. The predator let out a muffled screech and whirled around, claws scrambling against the earth as it tried to flee. "No you don't!" he spat.

Meanwhile, Barleytuft gasped, crying out, "Clover, no! It's not worth it!" It was impossible to believe that his son - his own flesh and blood - would give up the chase, not after what Barleytuft himself had done in the final battle with the beast-cats. The beast-cats. Barleytuft's stomach churned with dread and horror as he, too, threw himself after Clovertwist and the fox, remembering the pale viscera-spattered she-beast cat who had escaped his claws. Could this be it, returning? In the broad daylight, stealing prey, it seemed unlikely, yet the horrific vision of this beast peeling back its pelt to reveal a feline beneath filled Barleytuft with a feeling of disgust and malice. Gathering his resolve, he dug his claws in further to help close the gap.

Clovertwist could hear his father catching up swiftly behind him, and the distance between he and the fox was closing swiftly. The predator made the mistake of glancing back over its shoulder; the loss of momentum was more than enough for the silver warrior to capitalize on. With a snarl of vengeance, he threw himself across the space between them, flinging his claws into the creature's hamhocks and grappling them with digging, hooked claws.

The predator let out a startled scream of pain and protest, stumbling against the stinging pain. Clovertwist grasped harder, and suddenly he and the fox were tumbling, falling against the earth. The fox had dropped the hare, and with a repeated series of shrieks it tried recovering its footing to scrabble towards it again. Clovertwist, however, recovered first, racing forward to throw himself between the fox and the hare with his fur bristling like a porcupine. With a spit of fury and surprise, the young warrior found his claws lashing forward, raking the fox over its grasping muzzle with lightning speed. It jolted back, blood spraying into the cold winter light.

Clovertwist used Run-and-Tackle on the fox, using 10 stamina and dealing 9 damage.
Clovertwist also used Swift Strike, using 10 stamina and dealing 4 damage.

Clovertwist
45/45 HP
145/160 SP (-20 [10+10])

Fox
77/90 HP (-13 [9+4])
280/280 SP

Barleytuft cleared the distance as well; he was stunned and horrified, and only a little amazed, at his son's speed and determination. Over a hare of all things - he'd never seen his son act in such a way. "Flea-bitten mange-pelt," Barleytuft snarled at the fox as he slammed his body full force into it, throwing it away from his son as the young warrior stood defensively in front of the slobber-crusted fresh-kill. This time the fox was half ready, and it reached for Barleytuft with its own thorny claws as the pair were flung to the hard, cold earth, flinging up chips of ice and frost as they hit the ground. Barleytuft was breathless for a moment as the fox rolled, twisting its muzzle towards him.

A realization of horror struck him immediately as Barleytuft realized the fox was twisting to clamp its teeth on him. Not an instant later the jagged fangs sunk into his shoulder, and it burned with pain as the senior warrior let out a yowl of protest, struggling in the monster's grip. Of course they would find a fox. Of course. Judging by its reeking breath and salivating maw, though, he at least felt somewhat certain that he was being throttled by a genuine fox and not some nightmarish beast-cat.

Barleytuft used Jumping Strike on the fox, using 20 stamina and dealing 15 damage.

The fox used Iron Bite on Barleytuft, using 20 stamina and dealing 30 damage.

Barleytuft
70/100 HP (-30)
260/280 SP (-20)

Fox
62/90 HP (-15)
260/280 SP (-20)

Clovertwist could only gasp with horror as he saw his father come flying in and throw himself down with the fox. The young warrior recovered his sense as he watched the fox and his father grappling on the ground, and when Barleytuft let out of pain Clovertwist was racing forward. The silver tabby tom leaped towards the fox where it was crumpled biting at Barleytuft. With a cry of fury, he reared up and began battering his paws down fiercely on the ruddy creature's head, raking at its face. He yowled, "Leave him alone - let him go!"

Clovertwist used Upright Front Paws on the fox, using 20 stamina and dealing 11 damage.

Clovertwist
45/45 HP
145/160 SP (-20)

Fox
62/90 HP (-11)
260/280 SP

Whether it understood the young warrior or not, the fox suddenly jerked back, pulling away from Clovertwist's thrashing paws and, consequently, releasing Barleytuft from its teeth. Barleytuft jerked away, and as the predator was busy once again scrambling to its paws the senior warrior twisted himself towards its exposed belly and began to raked his hind legs hard against its soft flesh. At first he felt only thick fur resisting his paws, but as the fox began to cry out in pain Barleytuft knew with grim satisfaction that his claws had found their mark. He kicked over and over until the fox had scrambled out of his reach, and then he leapt swiftly to his paws, recovering his footing to prepare for the next attack.

Unfortunately for the senior warrior, the fox was swifter than he anticipated; before Barleytuft could duck, the fox let out a shrieking snarl and darted forward, grasping him around his scruff and suddenly yanking him off the ground. Barleytuft's paws flailed around, trying to find some purchase, but then as quickly as he was lifted he was shaking painfully in the fox's teeth. He felt another wail of pain escape him, despite his best efforts to suppress it and focus - just focus! He just wanted to screech like a kit and hide from all that was hurting him. Why was everything always hurting him and his loved ones?!

Barleytuft used Half-Turn Belly Rake on the Fox, using 20 stamina and dealing 16 damage.

The fox used Thrash on Barleytuft, using 20 stamina and dealing 20 damage. Barleytuft is stunned for 1 turn.

Barleytuft stunned
50/100 HP (-20)
240/280 SP (-20)

Fox
46/90 HP (-16)
240/280 SP (-20)

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 1

As the fox reared away, releasing Barleytuft, Clovertwist himself scrambled backwards, trying to keep himself out of range of its furious thrashing. "Dad!" he cried, his eyes widening as he watched his father twist in for another attack despite the opening to retreat he was given. Clovertwist knew right away that Barleytuft had thrown away the opportunity to avoid the fox's next attack; as soon as the senior warrior scrambled to his paws the fox was lunging forward. "No!" Clovertwist yowled again, and with a spit of fury the silver tom began to charge. He threw himself at the ruddy monster with claws extended, slamming the weight of his body into the dagger-like points.

Right away Clovertwist knew he had met his mark effectively; immediately he and the fox were falling to the ground, and a spray of blood on the warrior's paws and chest accompanied the wail of pain that assured him he'd dug to the skin. The fox hit the ground first with Clovertwist's full weight slamming down on its neck. He sprang away from the fox again as it gagged for air, staggering once again for its paws. As it finally got enough breath to begin screeching again, it whirled around - this time not making another dash for the rabbit - as it began to scramble away.

Clovertwist used Jumping Strike on the fox, using 20 stamina and dealing 11 damage.

Clovertwist
45/45 HP
125/160 SP (-20)

Fox
35/90 HP (-11)
240/280 SP

For the senior warrior, it was hard to tell which was worse: being shaken half to death or being released from the stinking fox's maw to hit the ground. It was only the instant before he hit the earth that Barleytuft was able to fully piece together that the fox had not just dropped but thrown him and that he was about to land. Knowing it didn't change how much it hurt. Barleytuft landed shoulder first, his hinds legs twisted up into the air as he'd been spun; the length of his spine seemed to crack as the rest of him hit, and his head was ringing with the solid impacting to the half-frozen earth. He was breathless for several moments before he was able to take in a shuddering gasp. His claws flexed as he strained against the pain lancing through his body.

Slowly the world began to come into focus again as the initial pain of the impact quickly dulled. Still half dazed, Barleytuft's eyes sought the predator which had injured him. They landed on Clovertwist, standing with his back to his father, kinked tail bushed out and lashing as the young silver warrior glowered loathingly after a fleeing red shape. The fox - it was retreating. Barleytuft let out a shaking breath as it disappeared over the crest of the hill, towards the Thunderpath. I hope it meets a monster on the way, he thought bitterly.

Barleytuft is stunned and can't attack.
The fox has fled the battle.

Barleytuft
50/100 HP
240/280 SP

Fox fled the battle
35/90 HP
240/280 SP

As the creature finally disappeared from Clovertwist's sight, he could feel his heartbeat slowing. The young tom turned, then, his eyes immediately landing on Barleytuft's form curled on the ground. The tom's head was raised, fortunately, and as Clovertwist hurriedly made his way to his father's side he realized with much relief that his father didn't seem to be bleeding too badly. "Dad - I-I'm so sorry, are you hurt?" Clovertwist asked, nosing his father gently and with great concern on his face.

Barleytuft shook his head slowly, answering in a husky voice that was tight with pain, "Not as badly as I could be. I think, anyways." Groaning, the senior warrior began to shift. The shoulder he'd slammed down on practically creaked as he rolled it back to put his paws beneath him, and it was clear that putting weight on it for the moment wasn't an option as a zing of pain shot through his spine when he tried to put it down. Still, he could already feel some of the pain lessesning. Taking in another shaking breath, Barleytuft put his weight on the less aching leg and then turned his head to stare hard at his son. "What in StarClan's name did you pick a fight with a fox for?" he demanded, the tip of his tail twitching.

Clovertwist blinked, taken aback slightly. As he took in the sight of his father's bleeding, ragged wounds on his scruff and a large, gritty scrape on the tom's shoulder, Clovertwist felt a twinge of guilt twist his stomach. He answered defensively, "It was stealing our hare!"

"We could have gotten another," Barleytuft retorted tersely. "We'd already caught other prey that would have been enough on its own."

"Wh--I--D-Do you really think I should've just let it go?" Clovertwist asked with shock and indignance. His kinked tail lashed; he spotted the sternness in his father's eyes, and he was stunned. "Barleytuft, come on, it was a whole hare! It's leaf-bare! You're the one always telling me that sorry won't feed an empty belly, and that in leaf-bare every bit of prey matters! That hare is going to feed two cats, maybe three if they're apprentices!" he argued. "How could that have been not worth it?" Quickly the silver tabby swung, his pale amber eyes scanning for the fresh-kill that he had successfully rescued from the predator's thieving. He trotted over to it and stared at it hard, trying not to feel disgusted by the fox slobber which had crusted the hare's fur in some places.

As he spoke, Barleytuft let out an exasperated sigh and answered, "Clovertwist, I don't care how many cats it could've fed. It was dangerous and reckless to pick a fight with a fox alone!" He began to trot towards Clovertwist.

The silver tom swung his head, shooting his father a hot look as he shot back, "I wasn't alone; you were right there!" The guilty weight of Clovertwist's choice to engage in the fight only seemed to grow heavier with those words as he saw a droplet of blood spatter onto a grassy chunk of ice on the earth below. He turned away guiltily, lowering his head to begin to pick up the hare.

"Yes, I was, and that still might not have been enough." Still, even as Barleytuft argued, his eyes softened ever so slightly. Yes - he had been there for Clovertwist. He had been able to protect his son. The warrior added meaningfully, "Clovertwist, I'll always be there for you... every time I can. But for StarClan's sake, how can I be here for you when you're running into danger away from me?" He watched his son's silver frame hesitate slightly as it loomed over the fresh-kill; Clovertwist seemed to be thinking to himself as he grasped the hare and lifted it, turning a now less resolute gaze to meet his father's. Barleytuft meowed, "Clovertwist, I care about you so much. You can't just..." His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "You can't just run into danger because you think it's best for the Clan. You're no... You're no good to your Clan if you're dead."

Suddenly all the weight of the world felt as though it fell on Barleytuft's aching shoulders. The senior warrior sat heavily then, ignoring the hot, painful protest in all his bones as he jolted. Clovertwist's face softened with worry, and he immediately padded over, setting the hare down again at his father's paws.

"Dad...?" Clovertwist questioned softly, moving to sit at his father's side as the senior warrior gazed painfully at the earth. "Dad... Barleytuft. Something's wrong. More than this fox attack - more than this stupid hare. What's wrong?" His pale amber eyes searched his father's face with a look of concern.

"It's... Oh, Clovertwist, it's everything," Barleytuft admitted heavily, and before he knew it there were tears forming in his eyes and already threatening to slip down his nose. "Everything has been so hard, and so dangerous, and all I want is to be here for my kin and Clanmates and keep them safe. StarClan, it just feels like they're all always running away from me. I-It feels like they run right out of my paws to where I can't protect them anymore. You and the fox, Grousefrost and Goldengale and the tunnels, Finchstar and the beast-cats, Raventail and the barn. Every time I tr-try to show anyone I'm here, they run away again. I-I'm always left behind to watch them get hurt."

Clovertwist's ears flattened ever so slightly as he listened to his father speak, the guilt bubbling up practically into his throat. Was Barleytuft right? Was the hare worth what Barleytuft had gone through the keep it? The fresh-kill was partly mangled by being jolted around by the fox, but much of the meat had kept and would be able to feed hungry bellies once they brought it back to camp. If they hadn't managed to defend the hare, though - if Clovertwist had been injured, or if worse has happened to Barleytuft - then would the skirmish have been worth it? The perspective stung; Clovertwist hated it, feeling now as though he had caused his father harm with his own claws with his careless actions. Hesitantly, Clovertwist murmured, "I... I never thought of it like that."

Barleytuft's eyes were beginning to become glassy with pain - physical pain, as his muscles became more aware of the straining fight they underwent - and he he sighed. "It took me moons to understand... I didn't realize it on my own. It took a warrior of StarClan to tell me I was endangering my Clan by endangering myself to be able to realize it," he admitted. "Some days I still haven't learned my lesson. I'm trying to learn it before it's too late..." Barleytuft turned his dark hazel eyes to his son. "I wish I could help my loved ones learn the same. We don't have to fight all the time... and we don't have to do it alone."