Family Means No One Is Left Behind...[CLOSED]

Mistwalker nudged Rainstrike. Recently, with the whole Night Guard thing, he wasn't able to spend time with his family as much. And she was a warrior already! Today, he woke up early- or, late, for everyone else. Late afternoon, with enough light for a nice hunting or bonding patrol. "Would you like to go hunting with me? I like to spend some quality time with my daughter, and I kinda... haven't."

After a long night out hunting, Rainstrike had gone right to sleep. And she'd slept through the morning and past noon, and likely would have slept longer if it hadn't been for Mistwalker's prodding that drew her from her slumber. Rainstrike lifted her head, blinking away the last of the sleep that she'd been so enjoying. "Yeah, I-" her words were punctuated by a massive yawn, "-can go." She lifted from her nest, not quite yet melded to her form the way the one in the apprentices' den had been, and touched Mistwalker's nose with her own affectionately. "Lead the way."

Mistwalker nodded. I find a good walk will wake me up." He began to walk, in no particular direction, not too close to any border.

ooc: this can't really take place then, bc that's before bear is found and I've already posted in that thing, and this intends to end in Mistwalker being so severely injured he'll have to be in Moss's den for a while. Paradoxes yaaay

"Yeah," Rainstrike agreed with a short purr. "I do this sometimes too, alone. It's relaxing." Together they walked through the tunnel and into the forest. Rainstrike stuck close to Mistwalker, her tail brushing his form. He seemed... off. A little sad, maybe. Was it because of Beartooth? Maybe. The deputy's death had seemed to dampen spirits quite a bit throughout the clan. "Are you okay?" she asked quietly, tilting her head and glancing sideways at him.

Mistwalker nodded. The silence was long. Despite his wanting to chat, he found nothing to talk about. He lifted his head at Rainstrike's voice. "Oh- yes, of course. I just find that I simply cannot find anything to talk about today! Erm. How's life as a warrior? Much freer than as an apprentice, I hope?"


ooc: i was thinking maybe one more post and then my next one is the encounter?

"It's..." Rainstrike hesitated, one ear flicking back. "Different." The word was flat, spoken almost reluctantly, but if there was one person that the young warrior knew she could confide in, it was her father. "It's a little lonely. I miss going out all the time with Ferretnose." Almost embarrassed, Rainstrike lifted her nose, pretending to scent the air to distract herself.

[OOC: Sounds good to me!]

Mistwalker nodded, a little bit saddened. "I see. That can indeed be a-" He stopped cold in his tracks midsentence, ears and tail pricking up in alarm. He scented something... Something bad. He turned around, looking for the animal, and saw something large on the other side of Rainstrike. Black-furred, beady-eyed, and a white stripe in the center of its face and down its back. He leapt over Rainstrike and promptly slashed his claws over its face. "Stay AWAY from my family!" He snarled. The badger whacked him with a claw. Mistwalker stumbled, but he was determined.

Mistwalker used Jumping Strike on Badger, dealing 12 damage and using 20 stamina!
Badger used Heavy Blow on Mistwalker, dealing 25 damage and using 20 stamina!

mist
35/60 HP
180/200 SP

badger
108/120 HP
300/320 SP

While she was pretending to scent the air, she did actually catch a scent. But it was one that she didn't recognize, and one that smelled... wrong. Not of prey. She turned to Mistwalker, oblivious of the danger behind her, to ask if he knew what it was... but from the way he stopped mid-sentence, and the look in his eye, Rainstrike knew that he knew. And his expression sent an involuntary shiver of fear down her spine. Before she had time to react, Mistwalker was vaulting overtop her, and she flattened to the ground, darting forward as she sensed movement behind her. Once at a safe enough distance, she whipped around, fur on end, to finally eye the beast that had nearly snuck up on her.

It was enormous, bigger than her father, and nearly pitch black with a white blaze. Badger, she'd never seen one, but the tales she'd heard about the vicious creatures in the nursery were enough to brand its description into her brain. And there was no doubt that this was a badger. Its wicked claws and striped face were all too telling. "Don't-" she started, but Mistwalker was already on the creature, slashing his claws across its broad, ugly face. The scent of blood filled the immediate area, exacerbated when the badger retaliated and rent Mistwalker with its talons.

Rainstrike screeched in rage and desperation at how severely her father was injured with just a single blow. And he was feeling it now, obvious in the way he stumbled as splattered red stained the snow beneath the battling creatures like a macabre display of art. Without thinking, she rushed forward to aid him, unsure of what tactic to use on such a large and vicious opponent, but unwilling to let Mistwalker continue to face it alone. She circled behind it and then darted in, digging her fangs into the short tuft of a tail and jerking backwards.

Used Tail-Yank on Badger, dealing 3 damage and costing 10 stamina. Badger is stunned for one round.

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
110/120 SP [-10]

Mistwalker
35/60 HP
180/200 SP

Badger
105/120 HP [-3]
300/320 SP

Mistwalker needed to keep the Badger's attention on him. If Rainstrike was injured by the badger, well, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Despite the pain, he reared up on his hind legs, clawing at the badger's face again. The badger, stunned, let out a terrifying growl.

Mistwalker used Rear Up To Slash on Badger, dealing 13 damage and using 15 stamina!

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
110/120 SP

Mistwalker
35/60 HP
165/200 SP (-15)

Badger
92/120 HP (-13)
300/320 SP

Despite the ferocity with which Mistwalker fought, Rainstrike wasn't sure that this beast was something they could beat. She was rarely one to give up, or run from a fight, but there was a difference here than there was fighting another cat... the badger had no mercy, no warrior code, and it viewed them as negligible as the clan cats viewed birds and squirrels and mice: prey. Just prey.

The badger's rank scent filled her nostrils, its bitter taste on her tongue as she buried her fangs in its stubby tail. She wouldn't give up. No. If her father was going to stay and fight, so was she. He stood no chance against the badger alone, but together, maybe they could make it think twice about assuming they were an easy meal. With a fearsome yowl, the she-cat kicked off the ground and reared up, coming down with both paws filled with thorn-sharp claws raking against the badger's flank.

Used Rear-up-to-Slash on Badger, dealing 9 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
95/120 SP [-15]

Mistwalker
35/60 HP
165/200 SP

Badger
83/120 HP [-9]
300/320 SP

Mistwalker saw the badger recover. He didn't even need to kill it, just drive it off... Something he planned on doing. He clawed at the badger once again. It regained its strength and hit his other side. Five long claws and a hard hit sent him stumbling again, this time with five long claw-marks in his side. It didn't matter what it took. This badger would be the loser.

Mistwalker used Rear Up To Slash on Badger, dealing 13 damage and using 15 stamina!
Badger used Heavy Blow on Mistwalker, dealing 25 damage and using 20 stamina!

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
95/120 SP

Mistwalker
10/60 HP (-25)
150/200 SP (-15)

Badger
70/120 HP (-13)
280/320 SP (-20)

ooc: just need to get it down to 60 to drive it off

Another massive blow to Mistwalker had tears of rage sparking in the corner of Rainstrike's eyes. "LEAVE! HIM! ALONE!" Each shrieked word was punctuated by a swipe of her claws, and each one doing next to nothing against the badger's thick-furred rear. Still, the creature remained fixated on her father, refusing to even see her as a threat. In one swift movement, she whipped around, crouched, and bucked her back legs back out at the badger, raking his side and attempting to knock him off balance long enough to spare Mistwalker another wound.

Used Back Kick on Badger, dealing 10 damage and costing 15 stamina.

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
80/120 SP

Mistwalker
10/60 HP
150/200 SP

Badger
60/120 HP (-10)
280/320 SP

Mistwalker hissed, continuing to stare into the beady, dark eyes of the badger. He ran at it again, intending to attack- instead, he tripped, and the badger managed to attack first. It clamped its jaws around his shoulder and ribs. Terrified, Mistwalker made eye contact with Rainstrike in the long, almost slow-motion moment before the badger's jaws clamped down. The jolt of pain came with a sickening crunch. Mistwalker wasn't even able to yowl his hurt before the badger dropped him on the ground, where he got very dizzy.

No, no! He had to fight, he had to protect Rainstrike! If he didn't, the badger would attack again and attack his daughter! No, he couldn't pass out, he couldn't-! Mistwalker tried to pull himself up, but the wave of pain hit him again and when he shut his eyes to hold back tears, he passed out.

He had failed.

Badger used Iron Bite, dealing 30 damage and using 25 stamina! Mistwalker can no longer fight!

Rainstrike
40/40 HP
80/120 SP

Mistwalker
KO/60 HP (-30)
150/200 SP

Badger
60/120 HP
255/320 SP (-25)

Ooc: badger runs away after next attack so you can put that in your post if you want

It hadn't worked. The badger shrugged Rainstrike off like she was a bothersome fly. And then, before she even had time to react, it had Mistwalker in its jaws. The young warrior met her father's eyes, her horror and confusion shining in wet blue orbs.

Crunch.

The sound was almost deafening in her ears, the sound of bone breaking and blood dripping and the forced exhale from Mistwalker's lungs as the badger clamped down. No, no no no no no no. This was it. The badger had won and once it was done with her father it would come for her. Part of Rainstrike wanted to run - to seek safety and shelter on the other side of the gorse tunnel and never leave it again.

But the other part of her refused.

This monster may have killed her father... but she wasn't going to let it profit from its savagery. She wasn't going to let it drag him away to its lair and... and... "NO" she screeched. As Mistwalker's body hit the ground, Rainstrike was leaping forward, forelegs outstretched. She hit the badger in the face with every ounce of power she could put behind her body, scratching and clawing and yowling her discord. Blood spurted from the badger's face as her claws pierced its eye, and the creature bellowed in pain. It reared up as Rainstrike's teeth latched in its ear, shredding the short, furry appendage as it shook wildly trying to dislodge her. "NO! NO! NO! NO!"

Whether it was a culmination of the wounds given by the two cats, or the deafening shrieks in its ears, the badger finally gave up. It shook again, ridding itself of the warrior's weight, and then lumbered off with a cry of defeat. Rainstrike's body thudded to the ground a fox-length from Mistwalker's, and she didn't even give herself time to breathe before she was crawling towards her father's body, sobs choking their way out of her chest. "Mistwalker... dad..." she reached him finally, and pressed herself into his ruined body, blood soaking into the pale fur. He was gone and she couldn't save him. "Please... please don't go." Another sob choked her. "Please don't leave me."

But then...

A soft, faint rattle.

Rainstrike froze, daring not to move or even breathe lest she miss it if it happened again. ...And it did. Mistwalker's chest rose and fell, barely but it was there. "You're alive," her words were barely above a whisper, and Rainstrike was instantly on her paws, tears streaming down her face. "You're gonna be okay," she told him, though it was her that needed convincing. "You're gonna be okay." she repeated, sobbing and choking through the words. "You're gonna be okay." As gingerly as she could, Rainstrike fastened her teeth into Mistwalker's scruff and started dragging. She would make it back - they would make it back - if it killed her.