streets on fire / red coal carpet [closed]

Thick tendrils of steam hung heavily in the twisting rapids of the Gorge, a pale blanket of dampness that effectively concealed the snowflakes and half-frozen ice that had previously pelted down from the dreary grey sky. The somber atmosphere of the falls was plagued with the constant low-rumbling of high-flowing currents; the roar and howl of quick-moving waters ringing out sharply, dark waters spilling and frothing hungrily at the ice encrusted mud of its crumbling riverbanks. Although the rest of the river was continuously plagued with a blanket of ice during this time of the season, the several tail-lengths of river just before the Gorge was much too turbulent and quick-moving to ever freeze over entirely. It was highly unlikely that any particularly brave WindClan cats would've suddenly sparked the fire to press at the borders, all unfortunate circumstances considered, especially factoring in how effective the river was when it came to deescalating any sort of conflict, but perhaps there would be a select brave few. It was integral that there was at least a single WindClanner, or else he would have to flee like a startled bird and await a secondary opportunity.

The highly-desired encounter with Kitefire had revealed an interesting caveat to the otherwise iron-grasp of Asylum's crushing fangs- their dedicated overseers couldn't care less to moderate fights. It was as though they simply turned a blind eye to any potential tussles they happened upon, content to just enjoy the spectacle or simply chat with their fellow chaperones. The whispers traded between Jayshriek and Kitefire had seemingly gone entirely unnoted, the guise of their spiteless fight provided the perfect cover.

Brushing through the prickly and decaying grasses that congregated together in pitiful little clumps, Jayshriek made certain to keep several tail-lengths of distance between himself and the sharp slope of the riverbank, unfortunately aware of the risk of concealed ice and snow. The last way he was hoping to spend his afternoon was to find himself floundering in the current just before the sharp drop of the Gorge. Resisting a shiver at the thought of plunging over the Gorge and to a watery grave below, the willowy tom simply continued on his little stroll, dark gaze fixed upon the hills in desperate search for a potential target. The steady, yet unbearably heavy, sound of pawsteps clodding close behind his haunches was a perpetual reminder of the Asylum guard idly tailing after him, setting his heart aflame with a nervous pulse. This would only work if they didn't suspect anything; not a singular strand of fur or whisker could be out of place.

The uneven, partially frozen mess of mud below Jayshriek's paws occasionally grew wet, rogue ripples or bursts of the fast-moving current shuddering its way atop the lip of the river, the chilly froth bubbling up eagerly. The stiff breeze, made choppy and weak by the scraggly collection of wilting foliage that clung to the cold ground, only served to intensify the cloying scent of mixed Clan markers and damp plants. The unpleasant mixture of broken pieces of neighboring ice and stones overturned by the constant flow of the river stuck up from the ground, sending the occasional pinprick of discomfort radiating in his paws. The sound of pawsteps against the ice, while nearly silent against the rancorous backdrop of the Gorge, quickly caught his attention.

Just across the jagged length of the Gorge, a lone cat seemed to be idling in the company of an Asylum guard- the distinction evident in the heavy crown of a predator pelt wreathed around the second, muscular shape of the trailing cat. Dark pupils constricting before violently blowing out in a blatant sign of interest and excitement, a violent flutter seized the ever-tightening confines of his narrow chest. Pacing forward a step, Jayshriek couldn't help but let his teeth chatter in a physical display of interest - though it earned him a curious stare from the Asylum attendee drifting a tail-length or two behind - as a instinctive, icy flood of adrenaline reared its head somewhere low and hidden within his being. This was it, the opportunity he had been agonizing over ever since the accidental encounter with Kitefire. Perhaps there was a chance for him to test the theory after all.

Pretending as though he caught wind of some invisible transgression, Jayshriek was quick to puff and rear as though slighted by some great offense, the dark-furred tom suddenly hurled himself across the cavernous wound in the earth with a great, ear-splitting bellow that resonated heavily atop the unbearably sodden afternoon sun. A sharp spray of ice, partially-frozen mud, and stones went lurching into the air all around his sudden landing as he easily cleared the disputed border, lunging for the likely stunned WindClanner. "Miserable sodden fox-whelp!" He snarled out with the entirety of his chest, purposefully projecting his voice so that both onlookers were able to clearly catch wind of his words, "Tell me, why is it that RiverClan's border is doused with your foul stentch several pawsteps past the Gorge?"

The lingering alarm bells continued their relentless drilling within the fathoms of his chest, the continuous mindset of something inevitably going wrong wreathing around him. It was an odd position to be in; being so wary of something and realizing that this was likely a horrible idea, but for some reason you couldn't even properly name. "I need you to be quiet and listen to my words closely," Jayshriek seethed out softly, muzzle unbearably close to the rounded curve of Hayglow's twitching ear, the ferocious roar of the river easily drowning out the incredibly quiet exchange. Suddenly, two long forelimbs neatly hooked around the narrow expanse of the WindClan cat's nape and violently jerked, dragging her down with a surprising amount of strength, "are you able to do such a thing?"

-

Jayshriek used Jumping Strike, Dealing -10 in Damage & Costing -20 in Stamina.

Jayshriek
45/45 [HP]
140/160 [SP]

Hayglow
30/40 [HP]
120/120 [SP]

Hayglow sighed as she walked along the side of the gorge, ears slicked back as she was painfully aware of the presence of the Asylum cat watching her. She had planned to come out and hunt, but being watched - unable to truly run and feel free had nearly stolen that desire from her. So, she had turned her blotched hunting patrol into a border patrol instead. Her tail swished as she glanced up across the border, a sinking feeling catching her heart as she wondered how the other Clans were faring. Were they dealing with as many deaths as WindClan was? ...Had they had any cats go missing like Olivestar and Morningdove had?

A soft whimper escaped her as her gaze fell back to the ground beneath her, carefully straying near enough to the gorge's end to see the water below - but far enough that she didn't have to worry about a misplaced paw spelling her doom. Despite the eyes watching her, she felt things were actually going...Rather nicely. That was until a shrike caused her to jump. Her eyes widen as paws thudded next to her and a voice spat insults. Her eyes widen as she snapped her head up to stare at a RiverClan tom who had crossed the border just to...Yell at her? Her tail fluffed as she started to stumble away as the tom went on. "Wh-What? No! I-I didn't mean anythi- I don't want to...!" she tried to back up, away but she was in such fear that she kept stumbling as he approached, head jerking toward hers. She flinched, only there was no attack as he hissed for her to be quiet and to listen. ...What?

She opened her mouth to say something but all that escaped her was a shrike as he wrapped his paws around her neck and threw her to the ground. 'Are you able to do such a thing?' She groaned as she tried to right herself, before she saw that he was looming over her. In instinct, she swiped out towards him but there was no real fight in it - she had always been sickened by the idea of fighting another cat. Perhaps if she felt in danger she would have tried harder but this situation it...She felt confused, but she also wasn't sure she was in danger. She blinked as she recalled his words, the order to listen. She... "I..." she swallowed before she gave a sheepish nod as her tail lashed back and forth, eyes glancing around and the Asylum cats who had been tracking each of the cats... Blinking when she realized that they were doing nothing. Simply...Watching.

Hayglow used Front Paw Blow on Jayshrike, dealing 6 damage and costing 5 stamina.

Hayglow:
30/40 HP
115/120 SP (-5)

Jayshriek
39/45 HP (-6)
140/160 SP

The rough collision of Hayglow's defensive blow set the angular confines of Jayshriek's skull rattling with an unpleasant recourse, the lackluster heat sparking behind the instinctive movement shaking his vision for a few brief, tension-wrought, heartbeats. The frigid chill of adrenaline and fright coiled tightly within the base of his spine, a gossamer webbing of apprehension and tension knotting and entrenching itself within the sinewy tendrils of nerves; hair instinctively prickling into a great mane of sun-bleached dark fur at the subconscious knowledge of the watchful eyes mirroring across the Gorge. There was little signaling that the Asylum overseers had realized anything was amiss in the current engagement happening before them, but what if he was making a miscalculation? What if the need to test a simple, silly little notion would result in both of them getting their throats torn out? StarClan only knew what they did to those who rebelled, but whispers were cruel and cold. Pitching his superior weight forward and continuing to bear Hayglow down into the dirt, the constriction within his heart eased slightly at the glimmer of reluctant acceptance and curiosity within the WindClan molly's wide gaze, his own distorted and frantic reflection glaring back at him.

It felt rather unpleasant and grating to attempt to combat an opponent who lacked heat and fire, or perhaps even the will to properly defend herself, but Jayshriek simply couldn't risk the possibility of arousing any suspicion on behalf of the stubbornly lingering Asylum onlookers. It wasn't like Kitefire, where the familiarity with the she-cat granted him the comfortability and tact of easily navigating her responses and body language- this was an entirely new face, an entirely new subverbal language, an entirely new set of potential complications arising from this encounter. I'm sorry, he couldn't but profess the mental apology as he lurched his weight around in a violent jolt that sent the pair rolling across the spindly Gorge grasses, practiced movements displaying a false sense of aggression that easily belayed a fraudulent message.

Lashing upwards at Hayglow's undefended, seasonally scrawny belly with a powerful set of hindlegs, Jayshriek attempted to keep his claws relatively sheathed and incapable of inflicting any true damage, instead roughly battering at the unfamiliar WindClanner as though he was a kit playing a touch too roughly while confined to the Nursery. Peering over at Hayglow as they roiled and twisted in the wilting grasses, he could feel his heartbeat racing within his throat as he attempted to discretely continue in his hushed messages, heartbeat throbbing with an agonizing speed at the realization that they had rolled a pace or two closer to the WindClan-bound Asylum guard. "I don't know why, but it seems as though Asylum cats do not care about border skirmishes- they don't interfere, nor do they actively participate. It's as though they just have to sit by and idly watch, or do little other than occasionally chat with any fellow Asylum members they happen to encounter while the skirmishes go down."

"But it's as though they don't exclusively pay attention to anything said during the skirmish, regardless of what is said," Jayshriek whispered out between tightly curled lips, hushed breath curling out from his tongue in a steaming cloud of pale vapor, "As long as they see fighting occur, they are content. It could be the only way to safely communicate with other Clan cats, without fear of anything being intercepted by onlookers."

-

Jayshriek used Half-Turn Belly Rake, Dealing -11 in Damage & Costing -20 in Stamina.

Jayshriek
39/45 [HP]
120/160 [SP]

Hayglow
19/40 [HP]
115/120 [SP]

Hayglow let out a startled screech as the tom yanked her to the side, sending the two rolling down a slope. Panic flared in her chest as she struggled even harder to escape - terrified that they were getting close to the edge of the gorge. This entire thing felt so overwhelming, struggling to put together why this tom was attacking her when she had done nothing! She winced as she felt claws rake against her stomach and with a soft hiss, she started to bunny kick the tom in an effort to get him to let her go. That was until he spoke up once again, still a hushed whisper as he pointed out that the Asylum guards were doing nothing - in fact seemed to be keeping their distance just to watch the show. The hostility of her kicks lessened slightly - although she kept it up if only because it provided some credence that she was fighting back as finally everything fell into place.

Asylum didn't care that they were whispering. She titled her head, glancing up at the tom as she tried to figure out...Why? Why was he telling her this? She paused as she stared at her paw, took in a deep breath...And whacked Jayshriek in the face as hard as she could - without claws, of course with both of her paws in quick succession. "And...And what are you purposing?" she hissed back, her eyes flickering not with fear...But perhaps, deep down, hope. "You seem to be right but do you think..." she drifted off, ears slicking back as she finally stopped trying to kick Jayshriek as she cowered at the thoughts of what would happened if they... Cats had already died at Asylum's claws. If they had a chance to do...Something, anything did she have the courage to fight? There was a long pause before a hiss - quiet and breathless as her eyes met the RiverClan tom's gaze.

"...What should I do?"

Hayglow used bunny kick Front Paw Strike and Swift Strike on Jayshrike, dealing 11 (8+3) costing 20 (10+10) stamina

Hayglow
19/40 HP
95/120 SP (-20)

Jayshriek
28/45 HP (-11)
120/160 SP

A sharp twinge, deep and unsettling in the way it sleuthed through the tightly bound musculature of his prominent ribs, resonated through Jayshriek's disheveled shape, Hayglow's persistent barrage of kicks easily stealing away the instinctive heaving of his lungs. Teeth clinching together with enough force to splinter bone, and certainly enough to inflict irreparable damage upon himself, the dark-furred RiverClanner attempted to remain fixated upon the proposition offered up by his unwilling opponent, quick-moving brain desperately attempting to gather enough thought to establish a valid answer. What could they do? The haste in which he had originally thrown himself into the conflict, solely intent on solving his own inquiries with an irrefutable finality, was now weighing heavily upon his shoulders, circling with the grace and malice of a predatory hawk. The ability to communicate was hardly enough by its lonesome, hardly a singular claw raised against the bared fangs of Asylum.

Center of balance carefully shifting low on the spine, weight smoothly gathering down in the fathoms of his belly and pelvis, Jayshriek pulled himself upright again, muscles tensing under the sudden shift to a more upright position atop his haunches. A cursory glance at his surroundings revealed little of use; the Asylum overseers had hardly flinched or moved beyond a few miniscule pawsteps or two, while Hayglow's wide gaze seemed shaded with a similar feeling of confusion, a similar disparaging emotion of hopelessness at the face of an insurmountable obstacle. Foreclaws retracting, seemingly without his realization or intent, Jayshriek lashed out with both forepaws, intending to keep the lackluster swipes against the softer portion of Hayglow's cheek as he desperately attempted to feign an imagery of intense fury, furiously attempting to disguise the transpiring conversation.

What could they do? What would Kitefire do?

"I don't know," Jayshriek admitted, honest words searing into his tongue with all the fire and rage of a wasp caught between his teeth, muscles further tensing at the unpleasant revelation. It wasn't as though he anticipated or depended upon the sudden strike of inspiration from all those ghostly figures above, but their intervention would certainly be highly regarded- perhaps placing his hopes in the stars was a bit too naïve, especially when it seemed as though they had reigned silent upon the transgressions of Asylum thus far. "Try to speak to others, cats you think you can trust. Perhaps if there's enough of us, we might stand a chance at forming a plan? For now, it seems as though the ability to communicate with others outside of our Clans might be all we have."

-

Jayshriek used Upright Front Paws, Dealing -11 in Damage & Costing -20 in Stamina.

Jayshriek
28/45 [HP]
100/160 [SP]

Hayglow
8/40 [HP]
95/120 [SP]

Hayglow couldn't help but wince as Jayshriek's claws came for her face, drawing back against the false blows as the tom finally spoke...And admitted that he didn't know. He didn't...? Her ears slicked back as her eyes widen, shocked to her core that he had 'attacked' her without even a semblance of a plan in that head of his. This was all they had, huh? She...She wasn't sure who she could trust or - no, that was a lie. There were plenty of cats in WindClan who hated Asylum with every bit of their being but if she was the one to pull them in...So many cats had died already and it was her fault.

It had to be. She had been the one on guard duty the night Asylum invaded. She had failed to warn WindClan in time... Every death was because she had failed in her duties. She wasn't sure if she could imagine any more on her shoulders. It already felt so heavy - to the point where she tried not to think about it but it was hard to miss the ache in her heart for her deceased mentor. "...Right," she finally murmured, tail lashing before she let herself go limp against his paws for a moment as she let her gaze shift off to the sky above. "...I...I'll keep an eye out on the border. Wait for...I dunno, more? At least try to keep the line of communication...Uh, open. And hope that is enough," she admitted before she threw all of her weight upwards to send Jayshriek tumbling off of her. She scrambled to her paws, tail curling around her leg as she stumbled away and hissed - back arched as her fur stood on edge. "F-Fine! You win, you...You mangy fi-fishface!" she spat as she stumbled away and worked to smooth her fur. "I didn't even do anything but fine! M-Message received, I guess. ...Stupid RiverClan cat..."

Hayglow used Disengage, retreating from the fight and costing 95 stamina.

Hayglow
8/40 HP
0/120 SP (-95)

Jayshriek
28/45 HP
100/160 SP