Daybreak [closed]

Redfall's russet tail wanted to twitch. He forced it to stay straight, edging along the sturdy branch he was balancing on. It draped over the creek, and he was careful not to fall. His eyes, ears, and nose were fixed on the blackbird at the edge of the branch. He wasn't sure how to get to the end of the branch without it snapping, and he'd be in for an icy swim if that happened. He edged out closer, wincing as the branch swayed beneath him. He reached out a paw for the bird when a rustle sounded beneath him. The blackbird cawed and flew away. Swearing, Redfall glared down, trying to see what - or who - had made him lose his prey. A flash of a bushy ginger tail near the creek was all he saw before he attacked. He leapt from the branch, gaining momentum with a thrust from his powerful hind legs, and tackled his enemy to the ground, pinning her. Now that he could see better, the intruder was a beautiful ginger-pointed she-cat, a loner, by the scent. Redfall kept pressure on her. "You're trespassing, and you made me lose my catch," he hissed.

---

This part of the forest was close to the upwalker settlement, but Summer had hardly ventured here thanks to being drawn to so many other places further out - or deeper within the settlement. Today Summer was enjoying a different part of the forest with tall trees and thick bark. Birds and squirrels wove among the branches, and Summer watched them with intent blue eyes and a rapidly flicking tail. She was full from an earlier hunt and knew better than to try hunting where the prey might be on Clan land, but that didn't stop her from looking. She heard a bird cry out and flutter above her and thought nothing of it, still gazing into further out treetops. A moment later, however, she realized that the bird had not necessarily fled because of her.

Summer let out a shocked yowl as she was suddenly flung off her paws, crumpling beneath another creature's weight and rolling to the earth. The ginger-cream she-cat wriggled and sucked in a breath, trying to get her bearings and her footing. The cat that pinned her hissed an irritated warning, and Summer couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh despite the thorny paws pinning her shoulders. "Oh, darling, I do... apologize," she grunted, still trying to wrestle her paws into a position to free herself. "I didn't realize... where I'd wandered!" she huffed.

Summer is pinned and can't attack.

Redfall
45/45
150/160

Summer [pinned]
48/55
170/170

Was the loner trying too... apologize to him? Well, after the Righteous Few and the many loner encounters he'd had recently, Redfall was in no mood to be nice. Especially since he'd lost a good bit of prey. He released her, flipping over onto his back and digging his claws in the dirt. He slid under the loner, slashing at her belly with unsheathed claws, before scrambling out under her. "Well, we've been scenting a lot of loners around the Clans lately. Maybe you should watch where you're going a little more carefully." All the anger he'd felt lately was pouring out onto Summer, who didn't deserve it all. Redfall didn't care. He longed to feel his claws raking an intruder's face, and Summer was just an outlet for all that.

It seemed that, unfortunately, Summer's attacker would be in no mood for an apology or a chat. She took the opportunity to scrabble to her feet as she was spontaneously released, but it seemed she'd played right into the Clan cat's plan. She was faced with her attacker, a vibrant red and ginger-striped tom with a furious expression, a moment before he darted towards her. Her sky-blue eyes flashed as she watched him twisting towards her, and she recognized that he was preparing to rake his claws across her belly. Summer leaped skillfully into the air, twisting just out of his reach. She thrust one hind leg out in mid-air as she began coming down, kicking the tom in the head and shoving him away from her. She kept her claws sheathed, feeling her paw push against his skull sharply. The drifter landed nimbly on her toes, ginger tail lashing. "Come on darling, don't be so angry."

Summer used Dodge-and-Fight, using 15 stamina and negating the 11 damage from the previous attack. Summer succeeded in a counter-attack, dealing 6 damage.

Redfall
39/45 (-6)
130/160

Summer
48/55 (+11)
155/170 (-15)

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 4

Much as he hated to admit it, Redfall knew the loner was more skilled than him. He watched her dodge gracefully out of his way, and didn't see the kick come until it was too late. His head jerked backwards unnaturally, sending him staggering back a few paces. He'd most likely lose the fight if he didn't stop soon, but swallowing his pride was not something he was capable of. The ginger tabby leapt onto the loner's back, digging his claws in. He held out his tail to balance, hissing at the loner beneath him. "Seriously! Do borders mean nothing to you?" He raked his claws down her back a few times, though nothing too major.

---

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

---

'Effect Dice' : 1

Summer saw the look of fury on the tom's face a moment before she recognized the coiling of his muscles. She couldn't duck him this time, and she spat with irritation as the vibrant tom leaped skillfully onto her shoulders, digging his claws in much more fiercely this time. Once again her legs crumpled beneath her, and her breath left her in a huff and a growl. She grimaced both at his irritated snapping and the painful claws raking down her back. She retorted, trying to wriggle free again, "Do apologies mean nothing to you?" Her bushy tail lashed, thumping against the earth as she struggled. "It's hard to avoid a place you don't know to avoid, darling!" she pointed out tartly, giving away no hint that she'd had any semblance of knowledge that she'd been on Clan land.

Summer is pinned and can't attack.

Redfall
39/45
130/160

Summer [pinned]
39/55
155/170

Summer's words had no more effect on Redfall then a bird's caws would. He simply dug in his claws harder before rolling off of her back, flipping over to land on his feet. His claws dug into the hard-packed ground, and he tensed. "So you can't scent, then? 'Cause we mark the borders all the time, so that's the only explanation." The young warrior reared up on his hind legs. Red tinged his vision, and he stretched his tail out for balance. His front paws raked Summer's upper body, pummeling whatever they could find. When satisfied, Redfall dropped to the ground, panting. "Well, if you don't know anything about the Clans, you won't understand that I have a duty to chase off trespassers." He flicked his ears pointedly. "And you're a trespasser."

---

The drifter winced and spat in protest as the tom responded to her by digging his claws in coldly. Summer jerked, and in a moment the Clan cat had leapt nimbly away from her. Summer scrambled to her feet again, ruffled and frustrated, and she whirled to face the tom with a look of annoyance on her face. He growled that she couldn't scent, and Summer hissed at his "logic" that he seemed to think was so clever. She couldn't duck him as he reared up to smack at her, but between his blows she growled, "Oh, and I'm certain you always understand a scent marking and what it's there for, hm?" Any cat who had never met a raccoon might be curious and stupid enough to wander into its path if they detected its unfamiliar scent - maybe this Clan cat was just going to have to be Summer's raccoon.

She rolled beneath him as he began to lower, taking the opportunity to slash at his belly the way he'd slashed at hers before scrambling swiftly away again and up to her paws. Perhaps the tom had given her her last opportunity to try to end this battle, though; he mentioned the Clans and trespassers (ugh, it was getting a bit repetitive now, truthfully) and Summer widened her gaze with shock, replying innocently, "Oh! Why, hold on, darling, did you say Clan territory? Why, I thought the Clans were just out on the moor! Are you not WindClan?" She stood at the ready, hoping he might buy into her shock and stop messing up her fur.

Summer used Half-Turn Belly Rake, using 20 stamina and dealing 13 damage.

Redfall
26/45 (-13)
115/160

Summer
28/55
135/170 (-20)

ooc: haha redfall thinks he's so smart, I declare redfall a raccoon. he is officially now a raccoon.

---

The russet warrior hissed in more annoyance than pain as his belly was raked. He rolled away as the loner spoke. Redfall made an effort to flatten his fur and sheathe his claws, though his face still held anger. When he spoke, his tone was one he might've used while talking to a kit. "This is SkyClan territory. WindClan lives on the moor. There is also ShadowClan, who lives in the pine forest, ThunderClan, who lives in the forest next to us, and RiverClan, who lives on an island with a bunch of streams." She's probably going to ask what a Clan is, too? Well, if she does, I'll answer with my claws. Hopefully she's not stupid enough that she can't tell from my tone that I don't want her here. The russet warrior still itched to sink his claws into the cream loner's pelt. Swallowing his pride wasn't a thing that came easy to him, but he didn't want to fight. Still, if the loner didn't go away after this, he would continue to fight, until either she left or he was knocked out (or killed).

Perfect. There was clear disdain and annoyance on the red tom's face, but Summer watched as he restrained himself, lowering his fur as he answered her condescendingly. He had believed her. The drifter could still feel the tension in the air, and she knew she was still in a precarious situation, but the SkyClan tom's claws had sheathed with effort and he had bought into her feigned ignorance. She knew this was Clan territory, but it was true she hadn't been quite sure who it belonged to. Summer's ginger tail was still lashing, though she tried to keep it tight and controlled. Her ears angled back and she lowered her head with a shameful display of subservience, meowing, "I apologize again, darling - I had no intention of encroaching on any Clan cats, especially not ones hunting in their own territory. I simply hadn't realized I'd crossed a border." The wounds in her back and shoulders throbbed, and she raised her head slowly to ask, smirking faintly, "I don't suppose you might accept my apology and let me leave with a lesson and the rest of my fur, hm, darling?"

Redfall lifted his chin in a slight gesture of pride (and arrogance, though he didn't think so) as the loner apologized again. What he didn't know wouldn't kill him, and for now, he was pleased to believe he'd won, even after playing right into Summer's plan. One ear twitched as she spoke again, asking to him to let her go. The wounds on his belly stung, and Redfall definitely wanted to be spared further injury. He still wanted to act superior, so the ginger tabby simply nodded and meowed, "Very well. But I will be training harder, so watch where you're going a bit more carefully next time." He sat down, licking a paw over his ear, eyes trained on her. He waited for her to leave, intending not to leave until she was gone.

Sometimes the aggressive types were just as easy to manipulate as the overly friendly types; Summer never utilized them for fun and freedom because they were so much more volatile, but she was more than willing to use their self-importance and her tactful submission and apparent shame to obtain retain the freedom she had. The SkyClan cat bought into it beautifully, looking smug and satisfied with her practical groveling. He nodded sternly, and Summer's ears slowly perked up, a look of plain relief on her face. "If I run into you again, darling, I hope it will be where you won't need to use your training," Summer replied charmingly, ducking her head one more time before turning towards the direction she'd come - the upwalker settlement. She glanced back at him where he groomed himself, smirked, and mrrowed, "Take care - I hope you can find another catch." Her tail-tip flicked, a last farewell before she disappeared from the Clan cat's sight. She continued on towards the houses in the distance, perfectly content to avoid being in another fight.