The Siblings’ Sad Destiny [Closed]

There was a gentle breeze that rustled the WindClan moor - cold and chilly as Leafbare had yet to release its grip on the Clans. But still, it was warmer than the last few sunrises had promised and a good enough day for hunting...And two shapes on the moor agreed. The Nightstriker twins glanced at each other, a fox pelt pulled over each of their bulky forms and barely hide the grin on both of their muzzles. Tensions were high among the Clans - while it had always been this way for WindClan...The semblance of keeping up appearances seemed to be fading away with every cat stolen. The two had longed for a hunt - spurred by the stories that Theron would tell of her old pack's attacks on the Clans. With a nod, the two fell into a crouch and slowly started their own hunt.

It was time for history to repeat once more.

Despite being far from the eldest cat on their patrol, Fawnstep sought to dash near the head of the group. His long and limber legs made the strides easy. Once upon a time the slenderness of his own frame had been awkward and troublesome but as he grow with both strength and pride, the brown and white tom had molded himself into a fine warrior. Whatever unsteady gait had given him the prefix he own was no more. The tom's grace was now better compared to that of a buck. After a few moments, he stopped to turn with a rather smug look to the cat nearest him, "Keep up now! The rabbits are going to outrun us at this rate!" His tail flickered lazily behind him.

The ever-present and prying looks of Asylum cats did little to bother him. Instead any time he caught a glimpse of the strangely pelted creatures, the young warrior would shoot them a confident stare and the mild tip of his head. Fawnstep felt more himself than he ever had in his life. Matters such as a lack of direction hardly kept him down - surely the eternal search would find him a purpose someday and put his strength to good use. All that truly pestered him was the way that Dayspring now stood as the deputy of their clan. No other cat portrayed the drive or strength he did. An unyielding and youthful energy had only seemed to grow as he aged. This fact was often dashed but his blunt or snarky behavior that came out at times, yet he never paid much mind to it.

There was no need for pondering such things as they soared over the moors. In fact, just ahead, there was a flash of brown fur against the patches of snow. Wasting little more than a breath, the tom kicked off the earth and strained after his target. Fawnstep leaped in an effort to close the distance but his paws skidded on ice and snow. While the warrior managed to keep his balance, the prey had managed to dash away. His eyes crossed sourly down the bridge of his nose for a moment before he turned back towards the rest of the patrol, "It was far too scrawny. I'm sure there is much better prey further down."

Fawnstep attempted to catch a rabbit. It was unsuccessful. -5 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

"Scrawny or not, it would've fed a cat or two." Downtuft grunted loudly, tail lashing. "Honestly, Fawnstep, Brookpaw even knows to watch for icy patches in leaf-bare." He flashed a green gaze towards Brookpaw, memories of the predator attack fresh on his mind. Glancing over his shoulder at Zinnia and Brookpaw, he nodded to the elder she-cat. "At least it's starting to warm up, huh?"

Lately it had been too uneventful since Gingertalon's death, and the thought unnerved the tom.  After Raventail's death silence had followed...and then Gingertalon's own demise. Downtuft couldn't help but feel something was going to go terribly wrong sooner than later. A hare caught his attention and as he began stalking it, something caught his eye. He stiffened. A flash of ginger. Fox. He paused and scented the air, realizing with an eye roll it was simply an Asylum cat.

Despite having looked away for only a few seconds, the hare promptly hopped away, diving back into it's burrow, content with the meal it had eaten. Stupid Asylum.. I would've caught it if I hadn't got distracted by their pelts.

Due to the unforeseen geese attack on him and Brookpaw, he'd definitely been more defensive when around her.

Downtuft tried to catch a hare. -5 SP
235/240 (-5)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 8

Zinnia trailed along after her Clanmates; content to watch their failed attempts to catch their quarry before ever attempting to do so. Normally she would be right alongside them, but she'd felt a little like she was drifting in recent times. Simply blown about by the ever-changing winds, following only in the steps of others. Still, she hadn't quite lost her love for life, and she laughed softly at Fawnstep and Downtuft's exchange. "I don't suppose that one was too scrawny as well?"

Well, it seemed her own chance to show off had arrived, and on another day she might have taken it. For now she simply kept a careful eye, trying to spot the tracks and shuffling snow that was bound to surround their moving prey.

Brookpaw bristled defensively at Zinnia, "Downtuft saw somethin' and got distracted, that's all, he's just trying to keep us all safe! What if it had been a predator, huh? And he could've caught it! At least he's trying to catch something." Brookpaw hissed, narrowing her eyes at the older she-cat. How dare she talk to Downtuft like that! He'd saved her life, and she'd defend his honor. You're not even a real warrior! She thought sourly.

Turning on her heel, she flashed Downtuft a supportive nod. Spotting a rabbit a foxlength from a burrow hole, she nodded at her mentor. Crouching, she made sure she was downwind and slowly crept forward until she was close enough to launch herself at the rabbit, just as Downtuft had taught her.

"Look, Downtuft! I did just like you taught and it worked! You really are a great Warrior!"

-5
75/80

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 7

The Asylum guards had been tracking the stalking foxes, muttering softly to themselves about what it was about...Until they caught sight of a tail wave and with a shared glance, slowly started to retreat backwards - leaving the hunting Clan cats to fend for themselves.

"Ready, brother?" a hiss escape from Lexine, her eyes glimmering as she turned her head to look at her brother. She had seen much of WindClan from when she was forced to watch over Roe, growing tired of their attitude toward Asylum. Enough hadn't been done to put them in their places - it was time to remind them what they were up against.

Alois let out a chuckle, ears slicking back as he leaned forward to look over the cusp of the hill they were crouched on. "Born ready, Lexine," he replied, tail lashing as his claws dug into the ground. He had been aching for some action, being forced to remain with Theron as his sister was busy watching over the traitorous Roe. But no longer - she was free to be at his side once again and he was thrilled at the idea of getting to cause mayhem with her.

With a shared nod, the two leapt forward and charged down the hill...And with yowls of battle, threw themselves at the unexpecting WindClan cats. Lexine's eyes were set on the oldest of the cats - one who had seemed rather close with the previously cowardly WindClan leader. A she-cat that no doubt had poisoned Roe's head - causing the need for drastic actions. Lexine would remind her to watch her tongue. She threw all of her weight at Zinnia, bowling the warrior over with a hiss of joy - the thrill of battle spiking her fur.

Alois, however, had chosen a more...Less skilled target. While he was certain the youngest of the cats could have been dealt with a swipe of his paw - he still wanted some challenge. So, he chose the second youngest - a white and brown tom. The bulky Nightstriker wasn't one to care for 'fair' fights, he preferred fights he could win but it was also no fun if there wasn't a little dueling. Hopefully this tom would give him a good enough fight to make this interesting.

Lexine used Jumping Strike on Zinnia, dealing 14 damage and costing 20 stamina .

Alois used Run-and-tackle on Fawnstep, dealing 14 (11+3) damage and costing 10 stamina.

Lexine:
75/75 HP
180/200 SP (-20)

Zinnia:
86/100 HP (-14)
280/280 SP

Alois:
75/75 HP
190/200 SP (-10)

Fawnstep:
26/40 HP (-14)
115/120 SP

With the most restraint he could manage, Fawnstep caught a hiss in the back of his throat. Downtuft sure seemed to think that he knew better than ever cat. Surely it wasn't productive for an elder warrior to call out the flaws of another on hunting. The tom fluffed out his coat and shook it softly without a word. As much as he long to snap back with some self-assured quip, instead, his eyes trained on the other tom and watched the hunting skills of his patrol mate. It was with a sly smile that he watched Downtuft pause suddenly and the prey rushed away. There was only a moment of air between them and a remark from Zinnia before Fawnstep piped up once more.

"Yeah, Downtuft, avoiding the ice seemed to do you some good in catching prey." Satisfaction bubbled in his chest and his whiskers twitched in a good humored fashion. Admittedly, it did make him feel tremendously better about his own miss. Perhaps this tiny boost could give the brown and white warrior what he needed to successful capture something to bring back. His brilliant blue eyes scanned the horizon, writing off the familiar presence of pelts over the horizon. It was ridiculous to him that an elder cat could find such fear from Asylum rather than awe; such sentiments only slowed down one's skill. Flicking his ear, he caught the spirited retort from Brookpaw. He must have put burrs in that young cat's coat to make her so prickly.

Before he could say anything on the matter, the she-cat was streaking off in pursuit of her own catch. Brookpaw was lucky it was an easy catch, nothing to alert the rabbit to danger. He scoffed slightly and offered a mere nod of acknowledgement for the catch. Downtuft need only be praised for his own skills and Fawnstep had yet to see them. The rabbit-brained attitude of some of his clanmates had leant itself to making the tom perhaps a tad more sympathetic towards Asylum; well, that coupled with his idolization of the strength and powered they exercised over this land and those beyond. He was, ironically enough, entertaining these thoughts when a weight slammed into his side. Fawnstep's balance was thrown off and he stumbled a few steps as a growl rumbled in his chest. Not long ago such a blow would have further faltered his paws but Fawnstep was a warrior now.

"Either you're daft or bold to mess with me but either way I'll show you the power of a true warrior." There was a snarl as the memory of fighting Nerio flashed through his head. This time he was better trained and vastly more prepared for a confrontation, no distractions of some stupid competition. Claws flexed from their sheathes as Fawnstep rose, and impressively so, onto his long hindlegs. Wild slashes raked at the maw and neck of his opponent before he landed back on all fours. There was a flash of teeth that doubled as both a warning and a satisfied smile. Regardless of the intentions of his attacker, Fawnstep was prepared for a fight.

Fawnstep used Rear-Up to Slash on Alois, dealing 9 damage and using 15 stamina.

Fawnstep
HP: 26/40
SP: 100/120

Alois
HP: 66/75
SP: 190/200

"No,in fact, that rabbit actually had some fat on it. I though I sa---" he broke off as Brookpaw turned on Zinnia, blinking twice before shaking his head. "Sorry about that, Zinnia. Brookpaw's, er, mouthy, to put it kindly. She only recently began to like me, now I think she likes me a bit too much." Downtuft laughed, shaking his head.

"Yes, that was a good catch, Brookpaw. You even stayed downwind. Clean catch, the Clan needs good hunters, make sure that goes straight to the nursery!" Downtuft mewed, though he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was.. off. He turned to Fawnstep, irritated by the young tom's cockiness. "I only paused because I saw something... Weird. Wasn't the Asylum cat with us a Pelt Ward? They don't have fox pel--"

Downtuft wasn't able to finish his sentence as suddenly two fox pelted cats slammed into the patrol, one attacking Zinnia and the other attacking Fawnstep. "Brookpaw! Help Fawnstep!" He yowled, then charged at the cat on Zinnia, knocking her over before running behind her and clawing her, "You're a might big harebrain to attack a patrol with two senior warriors and two other cats," He growled, pausing only to give a brief glance at Zinnia to make sure she was okay.

Downtuft used Run-and-Tackle dealing FOURTEEN (11 + 3) and COSTING TEN SP. Downtuft used Swift Strike dealing SIX DAMAGE and COSTING TEN SP.

Downtuft:
80/80 HP
215/240 ( - 20 ) SP

Zinnia:
86/100 HP
280/280 SP

Lexine:
55/75 ( - 20 [11 + 3 + 6])
180/200 SP

Fawnstep:
26/40 HP
100/120 SP

Alois:
66/75 HO
190/200 SP

Zinnia shrugged off the apprentice's words, nodding to Downtuft. There was only a hint of teasing to her voice when she replied, "Oh, she'll be just fine with you as an influence, I'm sure."

In a single breath, though, a lovely day amidst a shadowed world was interrupted by Downtuft's cry and the arrival of the fox-wearing Asylum cats; and she herself was attacked. She didn't even try to catch her breath. "Are you ashamed of your faces? Is that why you insist on hiding behind all this savagery? You shouldn't be, you know. You should be ashamed of what you are, what you have become - look at yourselves, wearing the skin of dead things! This shameful disgrace you've made of the gift of life we share... Can you see it yet?"

She had come to tolerate Asylum's presence, despite all they had taken from her. But they had attacked, and she would not let that slight go unaddressed. They had taken her lover, they had taken several her friends; and she could, in some twisted sense, say that the Nightstrikers of her once upon a time, the cats who had sent led her to WindClan's side, had given her this life - but they had taken more from her since, and she would take it back with honor and pride.

For Goldengale, and Dappleshine, and Raventail, and Olivestar, and Morningdove, and Gingertalon. She would fight for them, and for herself and all of the WindClan cats that still remained - there was still something left to save, and it was with a renewed energy that she chose to finally strike back. Seasons of training amidst her fellow warriors would serve her well now.

Zinnia used Upright Front Paws on Lexine, dealing 16 damage and costing 20 SP!

Downtuft:
80/80 HP
215/240

Zinnia:
86/100 HP
260/280 SP (-20)

Lexine:
39/75 (-16)
180/200 SP

Fawnstep:
26/40 HP
100/120 SP

Alois:
66/75 HO
190/200 SP

Brookpaw stood in shock as two cats attacked them, eyes narrowing. As Downtuft raced to assist Zinnia, Brookpaw was about to follow until he told her to help Fawnstep. "Uh, right!" She called, then changed directions. Launching herself at the Asylum rat, she ran behind him and attacked him with her claws, scratching at his sides.

Maybe she'd be of more use during this battle than she had been during the goose battle.

Brook used front paw strike.

Down:
80/80 HP
215/240

Zinnia:
86/100 HP
260/280 SP

Lexine:
39/75
180/200 SP

Fawn:
26/40 HP
100/120 SP

Alois:
60/75 HO -6
190/200 SP

Brook:
20/20 HP
65/80 SP -10

Edit: ignore the dice roll pls

A crackling laugh escaped Lexine as the WindClan cats struggled to figure out what to do - teaming up against the cats. She grinned from beneath her pelt, letting it shoulder the blow as she stalked toward Zinnia. "Ashamed? Oh no, I embrace our savagery. You are the fools, thinking that your soft ways will carry your forth. You hunt prey, only to be hunted by predators. You embrace this circle yet you don't see that you can be more - we wear the pelts to show that we are more than our primal fears of the bigger claws. We are not prey - no, we are the predators of all. Everybody fights when backed in a corner yet you shame us for making the first move. We will never let ourselves be cowered - not by you, not by 'predators.' But take heart - we are not here to kill. Simply remind you to know your place in this cycle if you will not step up with us to be more." As she taunted, she dropped into a crouch and leapt once more at Zinnia with a yowl of thrill - claws aching for blood to be spilled as she thrived from the energy coursing through her veins. These cats, they were fools. They acted like the pelts were just to hide themselves but no, they were more. They were protection, a symbol of how they were more than cowardly cats. She would strike fear in the weak-hearted cats the moment they laid eyes on her, and she would weather more blows than they could. She had to have been powerful to take the pelt in the first place - but now she was even stronger.

Alois grinned as he locked claws with Fawnstep, happily trading blows. He could hear his sister making some sort of speech but that was far beyond him - he didn't care about converting these cats. That wasn't his job - he was a Nightstriker. He spoke with his claws, his action. All he knew was the thrill of the hunt and he would simply serve to be a reminder of Lexine's words and warning. He raised a claw, ready to bring it down on Fawnstep's head when suddenly the youngest cat was suddenly on his back. He hissed in surprised, rearing backwards as he tried to shake her off. He knew he could roll away but he couldn't risk losing his fox pelt - it was his protection, his defense. So he reared backwards as he lifted his head to snap at her - unknowingly sealing his fate as he left his throat and underbelly - both unprotected by the pelt - exposed.

Lexine used Jumping Strike on Zinnia, dealing 14 damage and costing 20 stamina.
Alois is stunned for one more turn.

Lexine:
39/75 SP
160/200 SP (-20)

Alois:
60/75 HP
190/200 SP

Zinnia:
62/100 HP (-14)
260/280 SP

Downtuft:
80/80 HP
215/240

Fawnstep:
26/40 HP
100/120 SP

Brookpaw:
20/20 HP
65/80 SP

The tom he was trading blows with seemed contented to silence and that was entirely fine by him. Fawnstep had been trained in battle, not speech. Downtuft's apprentice, Brookpaw, joined the brawl quickly. A Windclan cat's natural speed was an impressive thing and he was grateful for it in this moment. Growling lowly, he lunged forward once again but this time with his teeth. No apprentice would out do him in battle - he was a warrior now - and there was no cat who could match his unyielding drive. Teeth met flesh with a wet tearing sound. Blood pooled at the white and brown tom's lips and bubbled out into the earth. Alois' throat was a horrific sight, one that made obvious the untested skill of the warrior.

As the fox-pelted frame of his foe went limp into the earth, Fawnstep took a pace back and spit out the fur and blood that seemed to saturate his mouth. Eyes still blazed with the heat of the moment, an unrelenting fury obvious in them. The realization that his target was dead did little to stir any feeling of guilt; this cat had attacked him and his patrol mates, earning him such a fate. Perhaps it's companion would take the hint. He faced Zinnia and her opponent, spitting furiously as he called out a warning, "Back off! Unless you want to end up like you companion here!"

Fawnstep used killing bite on Alois; Alois is no more.

Fawnstep
HP: 26/40
SP: 90/120

Alois
KO