if only to shatter the silence [seer/kj/mamen]

The sun was high in the sky when Crowcaller led Shrikesong and Badgerpaw away from ThunderClan's camp. It had rained in the morning, a cold, dreary downpour that only amplified the cold fingers of leafbare that stroked the dark tom's spine as he shouldered through the bramble tunnel. "Let's head towards the SkyClan border," he suggested. "They're not as good at catching squirrels and mice as us, so they probably chase them right over the border!" The young warrior was confident, with a spring in his step that wasn't dampened (except literally) by the weather nor the lingering gazes of the Asylum cats.

Together, the threesome meandered across the territory, eventually nearing the aforementioned border. Crowcaller paused, tilting his head this way and that. Finally, he turned to the others. "Okay, I'll go this way-" he pointed with his tail. "Let's meet back here once we have something?"

Bouncing away, Crowcaller slunk through the wet foliage. His pawsteps were muffled by the soft, pliant leaves, and the mouse never saw him coming. He landed with his paws squarely on top of it, but failed to take into account the pile of leaves it had been sitting on. They scattered, he stumbled, and the mouse slipped right under the warrior's paws. "Darn!" he scowled. Not deterred, he shook the clinging scraps of leaf from his dark fur and started to hunt again. As he neared the border, the scent of SkyClan - fresh, though, not border-scent - caught his nose, and Crowcaller tilted his head. He'd wondered if the other clans were fighting the Asylum, or accepting them. In the end, that didn't really matter for ThunderClan, but he was still curious.

The member 'Jingle J (JJ)' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

Effect dice herbs:

Beechface padded through the forest, grateful that she'd been able to tag along with the hunting patrol. Having a pair of her own clanmates with her was comforting, she didn't like going out of camp with only the Asylum rogues watching over her.

The patrol had set off towards the Thunderclan border, the warriors in search of prey, and Beechface in search of herbs that weren't usually found around the great ridge. The medicine cat remained quiet, as she'd been since the argument in camp with her siblings, but also to let her patrolmates hunt. Maybe after she'd gathered what she needed, she'd help add to the fresh-kill pile. She hadn't been able to hunt properly in moons thanks to being a medicine cat, and while she had no need to do so, she'd feel better not letting the skills that Wolfstar had taught her go to waste.

Beechface paused, checking on both Tigersong's and Vulturepaw's positions, making sure she wouldn't disturb them in their pursuit of prey as she searched for her own. A cluster of yellow flowers was quick to catch her attention, and the medicine cat padded towards them, sniffing.

Celandine, she noted. The more rational part of her knew that nothing could be done for Primroselight's eyes, but it was better to have the herbs on-paw rather than not. The large medicine cat carefully harvested a few of the flowers, leaving several behind to regrow once leafbare had eased its' grip on the forest.

The scent of Thunderclan was strong on the breeze, though it wasn't a border marking. Beechface swept her gaze around the area, though for the moment saw nothing aside from her own clanmates, who she tried to stick close to while giving them the space to hunt. Asylum had her on edge, the last thing they needed was more cats to add to the tension.

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

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'Effect Dice' : 4

Gossamer tendrils of damp chill webbed firmly between the spindly outline of relatively barren trees, a bitter reminder of the stubbornly remaining traces of the downpour which had occurred several hours prior. The cold air felt sticky upon the tongue and throat, a stifling presence that felt unfortunately familiar to the undoubtedly lingering eyes of their captors somewhere several tail-lengths behind. Speckled coat softly dusted with unpleasantly cold droplets and flecks of iridescent frost, Vulturepaw was only several paces away from the familiar shape of Beechface- their little trio carefully revolving around each other out of fear of the carefully hidden specters, each unwilling to stray too far from the safety of familiarity.

Weaving low beneath a heavy brooklet of foliage, the young she-cat was doing her best to remain focused upon the watery traces of a nearby bird, unruly mane prickling due to the nagging threat of the cold and the unrelenting undercurrent of adrenaline. Paying little mind to the gently persisting length of the border shared between SkyClan and ThunderClan, Vulturepaw was quick to drop into a somewhat skilled mimicry of a crouch as she came within sight of the idly foraging robin. However, an unforeseen stick, carefully hidden well beneath the unbroken surface of the muddy slurry of rain-sodden snow, had other plans for the young molly- instantly revealing her rapid approach with a sharp crack! The unpleasantly empty woods was briefly laden with the heavy drum of wings and the frantic, flighty call of a panicked bird, leaving her behind to nothing but numb toes and a sour pit low in the belly.

"Great!" Vulturepaw huffed out, seething complaint escaping her twisted maw in a steaming cloud of breath.

-

Vulturepaw has unsuccessfully attempted to catch a bird, costing -5 in Stamina.

Vulturepaw
20/20 [HP]
75/80 [SP]

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

Shrikesong followed her brother and her former apprentice into ThunderClan territory. The brown she-cat wasn't nearly as upbeat as Crowcaller, mostly because of the Asylum arriving. It eventually got to a point where it felt normal, and at least they weren't attacking her family, but she was by no means accepting by them.

Eventually, the three cats arrived at the SkyClan border. The brown she-cat didn't visit the border since meeting Dawnhawk a while ago. She liked Dawnhawk, and he seemed like a good cat from the outside. Still, she had a bad feeling about him, one that shook her to her core, which didn't make any sense. And she didn't get any chance to go see him again after Asylum took over ThunderClan and the rest of the clans. I hope he's alright.

As Crowcaller pointed to where he was going to go, Shrikesong nodded. "That sounds good to me," she said, pointing her tail in the opposite direction to her brother's. "I'll go this way." Splitting up from her clanmates, the brown she-cat saw a grouse on ThunderClan's side of the territory. Unlike the rest of ThunderClan, Shrikesong preferred to hunt birds like grouse or sparrows instead of mice and squirrels. She enjoyed the challenge of trying to catch prey that flew away easily, and she was good at being able to calibrate her jump to catch them.

The brown she-cat got into her hunter's crouch, getting closer to the large bird. The grouse wasn't even looking at her. Pouncing at the bird, Shrikesong was able to bite its neck and immediately killed it. Padding back to the place where she would meet up with the rest of the patrol, she carried the bird in her mouth, being careful not to drop it into the soggy puddles nearby. She dug a hole to put her catch in and immediately buried it again. Well, that was a good catch, she thought.

note to self: when the "new post" notification appears the chosen dice isn't saved

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 1

The startling of a small flock of birds nearby made Crowcaller's head snap upwards, his ears forward, pricked curiously. Had it been his sister, or Badgerpaw? No, probably not... it seemed really close to the border, maybe even on the SkyClan side. Hunting forgotten, and eager to make sure his clanmates hadn't accidentally crossed over, Crowcaller headed for the source. He broke into a smooth, relaxed run, WindClan-long legs pulling him expertly across the terrain.

As he neared the border, a squirrel to his right caught his attention, and Crowcaller glanced sideways at it. He was distracted for only a second, but it was enough to miss the blur of dappled gray that raced across his path - or, would have, had he not crashed into it at full speed. An angry yowl split the air, and Crowcaller tripped, smacking the other, smaller cat.

Badgerpaw rolled, end-over-end, for several fox-lengths before she skidded to a stop, fur muddy and sticking out in untidy, mud-spiked clumps. The apprenticed hissed, leaping to her paws with her tail sticking straight up in the air. "Crowcaller you bonehead, I could have had that squirrel!!"

Untangling his long limbs, the warrior leaped to his feet, laughing almost maniacally. "Are you okay, Badgerpaw? I didn't mean it, honest. I didn't even see you!"

"Yeah, that's the point of hunting!" she hissed in reply. "You're supposed to be hidden, not galloping around like a fox-bitten hare!" Shaking what mud she could manage to get off her fur, Badgerpaw scowled at him, not even caring that she'd been sassing off at a warrior. Crowcaller was a relaxed cat, he would never flaunt his position over her, anyway. The tom took a few steps towards her, and then faltered, the grin almost, but not quite entirely, fading from his face.

"Hey, you're on the other side of the border, you know - you should get back over here," he suggested with a flick of his tail.

---

Tigersong had volunteered to go on the herb hunt with Beechface just to get out of camp. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy being there, but there were so many bodies there now, both SkyClan and Asylum, that it seemed like he couldn't go anywhere without stepping on paws or tails or bumping into someone. It was just more relaxing to be out under the trees - even if they didn't provide much shelter in leafbare. He watched Vulturepaw veer away from he and Beechface, a cawing of startled birds following, and he flicked his tail thoughtfully. She had the right idea, it was probably smart to hunt prey, too, while they were out here scavenging for herbs.

But as he started to move away in search of his own, Tigersong heard voices. He paused, glancing towards Beechface. "Do you hear that?" he asked her.

Beechface's head turned at the sound of the startled birds, though she remained close to Tigersong for the moment, eyes turning back to scan the leafbare-sparse vegetation for her own quarry.

Tigersong's voice brought her up short, however. Tufted ears pricked forward, straining to hear. Beechface's jaws parted slightly, taking in the chilly air as well. Her eyes landed on Tigersong's ginger tabby and white form, unease making her pelt prickle.

"I scent Thunderclan, and not a border marking." She murmured in response. "I thought their scent was oddly strong... Trespassing?" Beechface turned, edging toward where both scent and sound were coming from. They sounded a bit too close for where she and her patrol were for her comfort. Having the rogues on their territory and stalking their every move was bad enough. They didn't need Thunderclan on their territory as well.

The medicine cat's lips curled as a pair of Thunderclanners came into view. One was definitely on the wrong side of the border, and had a bird in her jaws. She looked to be an apprentice. The other... Warrior, though not one she'd seen at gatherings before.

Beechface gritted her teeth, glancing back at Vulturepaw and Tigersong. She was no diplomat, the talking would be better left to Tigersong. For now, she'd stay hidden in the trees, watching.

The flock of birds dispersing surprised Shrikesong, as they weren't caused by her and came from a direction that only she went. That probably means that it came from SkyClan's side of the border. She noticed a SkyClan apprentice near the Fallen Oak, and immediately ducked down. The last time she had met a SkyClan apprentice, she was an apprentice herself, and SkyClan was still in RiverClan's territory. The apprentice, named Honeypaw, had attacked her on Sunningrocks, and the she-cat had to resort to using brute force to pin the smaller apprentice down. It wasn't pretty, but at least I was able to convince her to stop.

She had no idea on what to expect of this apprentice, though. She didn't even know the apprentice's name. Maybe it would be good for the brown she-cat to get back to where Crowcaller and Badgerpaw was and tell them about what she saw. The only problem was that Shrikesong didn't know where they were, and she just noticed two other SkyClan cats not far behind the apprentice, both of them warrior-sized. I think I'm trapped here. So I better prepare for a fight. She unsheathed her claws, preparing to fight the apprentice just in case.

The clans were most likely very tense due to Asylum being in their camps - and definitely in their patrols, since there was an Asylum cat right behind her. Another Asylum cat followed Crowcaller, and was probably with him and Badgerpaw at this very moment. But Shrikesong needed to stay calm and collected, preparing for a fight to break out where she would be outmatched. It could happen. And I need to be prepared.

Weight pitching back into the intricate bands of muscles in the haunches, the carefully concealed blanket of decaying leaflitter folded and shifted with a faint crunch, heavy against the thin silence left in the wake of the fleeing birds. Steamy exhales pooled against Vulturepaw's flaring nostrils, the sharp puffing the singular indicator of her now purposefully concealed disappointment cresting against her tongue. Though the soft flicker of movement in her peripheral vision quietly relayed the arrival of Beechface and Tigersong's presence, the soft crunching and murmur of neighboring voices seemed much more prominent, the young molly twisting away from her clanmates to instead peer in the general direction of the discordant backdrop of noise.

Pale gaze, shaded with the faintest undercurrents of a brewing frown, drifted against the invisible torrent of the normally well-marked border, skipping over the carefully concealed Shrikesong with little thought- focus perching against the unfamiliar shapes of Crowcaller and Badgerpaw, the latter of which was idling a few paces inward of the border markings. Softly feathered ears twitching to a pert state of alarm and interest, Vulturepaw did little but gaze at the opposing pair for a few heartbeats, suddenly a bit unsure of how to proceed. Although the tedious concern of her training was often broken up to a variety of disposable onlookers, she had found herself fortunate enough to avoid any sort of conflict during her occasional advents.

Straightening up further against the chilly backdrop of barren trees, the terse air was littered with the faint brush of ice-laden fur folding against itself as Vulturepaw twisted to gaze over at her sister and companion. "Beechface, Tigersong!" Vulturepaw trilled out, soft voice rising to an uncharacteristic pitch and resonance as she attempted to catch their complete attention, unknowing that the pair had likely caught sight of Crowcaller and Badgerpaw as well, "ThunderClan crossed the border!"

Crowcaller's laughter infuriated Badgerpaw, and she popped up almost comically, every hair on end, hissing and spitting angrily at the young warrior who thought her misfortune was amusing. "Next time you can do your stupid patrol by yourself," she grumbled. "Since you're gonna just mess up all the hunts, anyway!" The apprentice sulked, her eyes narrowed, and she'd just begun to step towards the border when a voice behind her captured her attention. She couldn't hear what Vulturepaw said, but she snarled at her, too, "Oh, you think it's funny too?"

With an angry spit, Badgerpaw took off running before Crowcaller could stop her. She bowled into the other apprentice-sized cat, the two of them tumbling along on the soft, muddy ground.

Badgerpaw used Run-and-Tackle on Vulturepaw, costing 10 stamina and doing 6 damage.

Badgerpaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10)

Crowcaller:
45/45 HP
155/160 SP

Tigersong:
45/45 HP
160/160 SP

Vulturepaw:
14/20 HP (-6)
75/80 SP

When the SkyClan apprentice called out ThunderClan for crossing the border, the brown she-cat blinked. I didn't cross the border, she thought. Really, the only cats who could have done so were her brother and her apprentice, who were on the other side of the clearing. But if that's the case, then that must mean-

Her train of thought was interrupted by a gray blur crashing into the SkyClan apprentice. Realizing that it was Badgerpaw, the brown she-cat had to react accordingly. If she didn't fight, SkyClan would defeat her brother and her apprentice easily, and she had to attack them from her hiding spot to catch them off guard. Choosing the tom over the bulky she-cat, Shrikesong burst out of the bushes and crashed into the SkyClan warrior. She didn't like the thought of attacking the other clans, knowing that she was in the wrong, but she justified it by telling herself that she didn't cause the fight, and that she had to defend her brother and apprentice.

Shrikesong used Run-and-Tackle on Tigersong, dealing 9 damage (6+3 for catching off guard) and costing 10 stamina.

Shrikesong:
HP: 45/45
SP: 145/160

Tigersong:
HP: 36/45
SP: 160/160