Can't Weasel Out of Family Time! [closed]

The newleaf sun shone down through a break in the rain clouds. It had been a damp night and a damp morning, but it was reasonably warm compared to the last few moons, and when the sun peered through it was almost pleasant. Clovertwist smiled into the sunshine as he made his way across camp in search of his great nice, Speckledpaw - his sister's son's daughter. Clovertwist had been around her here and there, but they'd never really gotten to know each other. Raventail had assigned them to the same border patrol, so this would be a lovely opportunity. He spotted Speckledpaw's pale cream and spotted pelt and his kinked, scarred tail raised in greeting. "Hiya, Speckledpaw, did Spotlake talk to you about going on patrol with me today?" he asked, pale amber eyes shining.

The she-cat was sitting in the sun. Speckledpaw looked at Clovertwist and smiled in a greeting. “No she didn’t.” She said with a small mew. “But I’m ready to go whenever.” She stood up, her fur clean with very little dirt or grass on it.

Clovertwist laughed and nodded, answering, "Alright, no problem - we just got assigned to check the border near Fourtrees a bit ago. I'm sure Raventail will let her know where we are." The apprentice stood and Clovertwist smiled, quickly turning to begin to stride out of the entrance tunnel to camp. The silver tabby meowed, "It should be easy since Fourtrees doesn't belong to any Clan. I think if we go fast enough we might even make it back to camp before it rains again!" He peeked up at the sky, chuckled, and looked to Speckledpaw to see if she was amused by the thought. This would be a great chance to get to know her.

“This will be fun!” She padded behind the warrior. She didn’t know him very well, but she was willing to get to know him a bit. The last thing she had done with her mother was her training and the last thing with her siblings and father we’re a hunting trip. She was excited to be leaving camp and going on a patrol. She had never been to four trees before so she’s excited to go. “I’ve never been to fourtrees!” The she-cat purred.

The apprentice seemed enthusiastic enough about their adventure to come, so Clovertwist pressed on, slipping out of the tunnels and out onto the moors. The grasses were heavy with rain, and the ground with slick with mud. It squished underpaw as Clovertwist and his companion walked. "Fourtrees looks a lot different during the day than it does at night, especially on Gathering night," Clovertwist mused. "I don't see it often, but it's pretty neat. It always makes me feel special to see it empty." He looked at Speckledpaw brightly as they walked along, and he offered, "If you want, we could take a peak into the clearing when we get to the border."

“That sounds delightful!” She bounces around a bit as they walk. She was quite excited. Her fur absorbing the sun. She grinned. This was exciting.

Clovertwist decided that he liked Speckledpaw; the pale peachy-cream color of her pelt reminded him a bit of Barleytuft, as did her optimistic attitude. He chatted idly with her as they made their way across the moor, pointing out birds here and there or gesturing to rain off on the horizon. It was a pleasant trip, though more clouds began to cover the sun occasionally. After they had been walking for a while, Clovertwist scented something strange in the breeze that was flitting in their faces. Though he didn't recognize it, he slowed his pace a bit, ears perked and eyes narrowing slightly. A few fox-lengths ahead in the grasses there was a faint rustling, like something moving. "Speckledpaw - do you recognize that scent?" Clovertwist asked in a low voice, stopping his steps completely and motioning for the apprentice to do the same.

She enjoyed this, it was fun to be out of camp and on a patrol. She normally was in the apprentice den. She looked at clovertwist. “I don’t know that scent.” She had never smelt weasel before. She guessed there was a first for everything and stood beside clovertwist, ready to leap if she needed too.

The she-cat's response made Clovertwist's face furrow with concerned thoughtfulness. "Yeah, me neither," he muttered back. That wasn't typically a good sign. His tail-tip twitched, and he took a few steps forward, motioning for Speckledpaw to wait a second as he investigated. "There's only one, whatever it is," Clovertwist told Speckledpaw quietly as he discerned the scent in the breeze. Just ahead of him, the grass suddenly parted, and a long, silver-and-white bodied creature darted out with a shriek of fury. Clovertwist, startled, jumped back with a hiss, bumping back into Speckledpaw as he retreated.

The weasel stood on all four of its legs, its body rigid and eyes glittering with malice. It had found a good source of grubs, but now these cats had stumbled upon its feast. Clovertwist's ears flattened. "I think that's a weasel - my father told me about them. They're nasty, like rat-snakes," the warrior said in a warning voice. No sooner had the words left his mouth than did the little creature dart forward at him again, bounding and leaping and spiraling stunningly fast through the grasses. "Watch out!" he warned his kin. The weasel lunged at Clovertwist in the same moment that he reached out lightning fast with one paw, swatting the thing hard back down to the earth.

Clovertwist used Front Paw Strike, using 10 stamina and dealing 11 damage.

Clovertwist
60/60 HP
190/200 SP (-10)

Weasel
49/60 HP (-11)
200/200 SP

However, the creature was barely even stunned; what seemed like writhing on the earth was simply it righting itself in the blink of an eye. Soon as the weasel had its footing again, it let out a tiny shrieking hiss and lunged at Clovertwist again. It bit hard onto his foreleg before he could jolt back. Clovertwist yowled and flung his leg about, thrashing the weasel before it dislodged and landed easily in the grass, blood staining around its mouth. It stamped its front feet threateningly at the cats despite its somewhat significantly smaller size.

The weasel used Bite on Clovertwist, using 30 stamina and dealing 20 damage.

Weasel
49/60 HP
170/200 SP (-30)

Clovertwist
40/60 HP (-20)
190/200 SP

Speckledpaw looked at the weasel and gasped in shock. She didn’t know what the chances were of them running into a weasel, but she knew she would never get the smell out of her nose or fur. She didn’t know what to do, so while Clovertwist was battling she tried to see what she could possibly do to help. Speckledpaw decided to bombard the weasel, and she raked her claws at its stomach, trying to hurt it as much as possible.

Speckledpaw used belly rake, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Clovertwist gasped with surprise as Speckledpaw rushed forward, charging the threateningly-looming weasel. "Careful!" he warned, but he was certainly the weasel had let go thanks to her rapidly-flashing claws. The warrior noticed a spattering of blood on the grass beneath the weasel's belly. Clovertwist growled and stomped his own paw back at the weasel's challenge. He darted forward then, taking another lash at the weasel. He rose up on his forepaws to batter its head hard. The silver-white creature slunk back with progressively louder and more angry hissing shrieks. It ducked out from under his blows at last. However, a moment later Clovertwist used the speed granted to him by his ancestors, raking one paw out in another final flash across the weasel's face.

Clovertwist used Rear-Up To Slash, using 15 stamina and dealing 13 damage.
Clovertwist also used Swift Strike, using 10 stamina and dealing 5 damage. [18 damage total]

Clovertwist
40/60 HP
165/200 SP (-25)

Weasel
25/60 HP (-18)
170/200 SP

Speckledpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

The weasel let out a squeal and writhed, for Clovertwist's claws had struck its eye and the world was pain and half-redness. It spat with fury and flung itself at Clovertwist again, biting him hard on his neck. The tom's response was a yowl of pain and fury as he lurched away, clawing uselessly at his attacker. The weasel dropped to the ground, still writhing and darting and spitting little predator curses.

The weasel used War Dance on Clovertwist, using 40 stamina and dealing 10 damage. The weasel cannot be hit until after its next attack!

Weasel [can't be hit]
25/60 HP
130/200 SP (-40)

Clovertwist
30/60 HP (-10)
165/200 SP

Speckledpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Speckledpaw hissed and looked over at Clovertwist who didn’t look to good. She went and stood by the warrior. She looked gittery and kind of Shifted from paw to paw she waited to see what Clovertwist said before anything else. She didn’t want to make things any worse then they could be.

The pulsing wound in his neck was already beginning to ache more by the second with the way his heart was racing, but it only made Clovertwist more determined to chase the stupid creature off. He hissed at the weasel; it hissed back and stamped again. Clovertwist didn't bother stomping back. Instead, he just leaped at it, lashing his paws madly with a caterwaul behind them. Though the weasel nimbly ducked and dodged each and every one of the warrior's blows, it was being overpowered, and Speckledpaw waiting threateningly in the background ready to pounce was not lost on the furry monster. Clovertwist's paws swiped just over its ears one last time.

Clovertwist used Rending Front Paws on the Weasel, using 25 stamina and dealing 0 damage (due to War Dance).

Clovertwist
30/60 HP
140/200 SP (-25)

Weasel [can't be hit]
25/60 HP (-0)
130/200 SP

Speckledpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

That final near-blow was at last enough to convince it. With a succession of squeaks and spits, the weasel scrabbled backwards into the underbrush, hobbling at a racing speed away from its assailants. The grasses parted and split where it disappeared, and, panting, Clovertwist watched as the path went further away, towards the ShadowClan border. The warrior grunted. "Stars... I get why they call them rat-snakes," he muttered, and he looked down at the glittering wound on his foreleg.

The weasel has fled the battle.

Soeckledpaw nodded. “We should get you back to camp.“ Speckledpaw was worried and didn’t want it to get infected and make Clovertwist sick. She walked over to the warrior. “You did good, but it’s time to head back now.”

Clovertwist blinked away some of his discomfort, having almost forgotten Speckledpaw's presence, but he was immediately immensely grateful for her. Still, he let out a big, dramatic groan and rolled his eyes at the unfairness of it. "Aww, rabbit-dung," the warrior cursed at the patrol being cut short, and then suddenly his eyes flew wide and he looked at Speckledpaw like a kit caught taking from the fresh-kill pile. "Oh - er, is Spotlake going to be mad I said that in front of you?" he asked sheepishly. His foreleg was stinging, so he lifted his paw to relieve some of the pressure. It didn't help much. Aspenheart was going to tease him for being weasel-food.