Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss [CHALLENGE]

Dewlight froze as teeth sank into her scruff, as she went limp as Goldenfang shook her from side to side. The dogs had done the same... This opponent was not as big or terrifying as a dog though, she knew what she could do.

Dewlight is stunned and can not move for one more turn!

Dewlight:
58/80 HP
126/170 SP

Goldenfang:
37/65 HP
77/120 SP

The only word that raced through Ashfall's mind was idiot as Jayshriek kept on with his taunting. He had gone too far, and for a moment, wondered if that's how he treated those in his own clan. Maybe she'd be doing both clans a favor by putting him out on his tail. Swiftspirit had taken down her opponent and leaped into the fight, and for that, she was thankful. Maybe this idiot couldn't understand trust and friendship were, but Ashfall could. Once Jayshriek had spoken, Ashfall darted forward, stopping last second in a skid. For a short moment, she looked up at Jayshriek, before she moved again.

Gotcha.

Ashfall extended her good paw upward, claws outstretched, in an uppercut motion. She raised her whole body on her hind legs for a moment as bone hit bone, and claw tore through flesh. When she was done, she fell to the side awkwardly and had to scrabble back to three paws. Looking over with her seeing eye, Ashfall observed Jayshriek. Had she done it? Was he down for the count?

Ashfall used Frost Paw Strike, dealing 10 damage and using 7 (-1 Hentooth) stamina! Jayshriek is Pending KO!

Ashfall
34/55 HP
68/100 SP (-6)

Jayshriek (pending KO)
0/50 HP (-10)
81/120 SP

When Dewlight went limp, Goldenfang hesitated. She had expected more resistance. She wasn’t going to waste the time, though, and struck out against her opponent with claws extended. A quick glance to the side gave her reassurance about her battle patrol. Swiftspirit and Ashfall were finishing up the second tom and Hentooth had withdrawn to a safe distance. Good. I knew they were the right mollies for the job.

Goldenfang used Front Paw Strike, dealing 10 damage and using 6 stamina.

Dewlight:
48/80 HP (-10)
126/170 SP

Goldenfang:
37/65 HP
71/120 SP (-6)

The moment of hesitation was all that Dewlight needed to squirm free of Goldenfang's grip, turning to lash out with her claws at the she-cat's shoulder just as her claws met her own.

Dewlight used Random Recall, overcoming her final turn of being stunned for 5 SP. She paired it with Front Paw Strike, dealing 11 (-1 Moor Runner) damage and costing 7 SP.

Dewlight:
48/80 HP
114/170 SP (-12)

Goldenfang:
27/65 HP (-10)
71/120 SP

Swiftspirit grunted as claws flashed at her face, catching her cheek. Blood sprayed and she stumbled back, breathing hard. Ashfall was quicker to move than she was and lunged for the Riverclanner again. He seemed like he was done, but Swiftspirit would prefer to make absolutely sure of it. Her front paw shot forward, aiming to catch him upside the head just as he'd done to her.

Swiftspirit used Front Paw Blow on Jayshriek for -4 (5-1) sp, dealing -9 damage.
Disadvantaged stat reduction active.
Moor Runner active, damage reduced by -1.

Swiftspirit
9 / 65 hp
32 / 130 sp (36 - 4)

Jayshriek KO'd even if he dodges Ashfall
0 / 50 hp
81 / 120 sp

She’d managed to find some cobwebs and a few other whatnot misknacks. She’d also managed to get the two collapsed RiverClanners a few fox-lengths from the Gorge. In that time span they’d nearly won- but Swift was lookin’ quite raggled. Good thing she’d managed to find the webs, eh?

Hentooth bounded up to Swift and Ash, paying less attention to the RiverClanner than she did to the grass they walked on. “Ah, that’s better- moss does less than a fire in a river.” A few moments later- and there. Ash looked well enough for now and at least Swift wasn’t quite fallin’ over yet. Heh, she’d done a fair enough job. “You just keep gettin’ yourself hurt, eh?” She flicked an ear at the two mollies, then turned to see Golden and the RiverClanner still tusslin’.

“’Ey! RiverClanner!” She yowled in the direction of the deputies. “If you’re really havin’ prey problems, go hunt! You’ve lost!” The young medicine cat snorted and turned back to Ash and Swift. “Of course, she’ll pay less attention to me than I would a worm,” she huffed. “I guess I’ll sit here and wait for the RiverClanner to see sense.”

It was most likely Ash and Swift would hurry to help Goldenfang, which made sense. At any rate, Hentooth would have her paws full once this chaos subsided.

Hentooth used Major Heal on Ashfall, healing 7 damage and costing 12 SP!

Ashfall
41 / 55 hp (+7)
X / X sp (unchanged)

Hentooth
30/30 HP
54/80 SP

The next few occurring seconds, infinitesimal in origin, passed with such a lackluster vigor that every intrinsic pulse of Jayshriek's rapidly fluttering heart seemed to drag on for untold hours, concrete passage of time splintering under the roaring flood of adrenaline curling hot and low within his being. The hard crack of his forepaws colliding with a skull brought forth a memory, red edges tinged with the sour stench of discomfort and freshly-wrought pain; Eos was lunging once again, outstretched claws and bared fangs catching faintly upon the wan light of the dark evening, his splintered ribs howling under the force of the sudden collision, Ivystar screaming with the sheer force required to cleave through all the protective encasing offered up by the body and strike down to bone.

He could probably stand to continue fighting, he had certainly endured worse during the final standoff against Asylum, though the force of both mollies relying upon each other's presence to cement the final details of the fight had served to only worsen the sudden bought of nausea curling how and tight within the depths of his throat. The death rattle, eyes unfocused through the sheer force of blunt trauma. It seemed as though Bearspirit and Greypaw were both in dire need of assistance with their current standings, and it would do the entire patrol little good to allow himself to plummet into the same ailing state of disrepair. A bright trail of vivid blood curled hungrily across the soft earth below his paws, the singular marker left in his wake as he took off towards the bloodied shapes of his Clanmates, gait unsteady and favoring a certain side.  

"Refusal to speak doesn't miraculously equate to the inability to listen and retain," Jayshriek lamented behind a viscous red grin, teeth sharp and cruel within his mouth, "but I'm sure you understood well enough. Maybe next time, you won't rely on another cat to fight your battles for you, eh?"

---

Jayshriek is K.O.'D!

The final strike against her shoulder drew her attention back to Dewlight, but Goldenfang had seen enough. The black tom took off towards his defeated patrolmates and left Swiftspirit and Ashfall triumphant, complaining in unnecessary words about how he was upset they teamed up against him. Despite the dull pain in her head, the WindClan deputy managed an amused smile before stifling it completely. “Stop!” She yelled authoritatively at Dewlight before the queen struck again. “This fight had ended for you. Take your Clanmates home. We don’t want to cause harm, we just want the land.” Her tail was raised high in the air, an alert to her friends not to attack unless Dewlight refused to back down.

Goldenfang has not attacked this turn.

Dewlight:
48/80 HP
114/170 SP

Goldenfang:
27/65 HP
71/120 SP

A simple bearing of her own bloodied fangs was all her response was composed of as Jayshriek went down. He wasn't getting back up anytime soon, and Goldenfang looked like she was fading fast. Keeping her mouth shut was the only thing that was stopping her fangs from sinking into his throat. Hentooth was there faster than she had anticipated, with herbs that soothed her scratches and wounds. An exhausted, "Thanks", escaped her lips as she took a few deep breaths. Goldenfang had signaled to them to stop the fight.

She was right though, only the Riverclan deputy remained. The fight would be futile without her clanmates, despite any strength she still had. Windclan had practically won. She kept her eye on that tom that kept poking her with words... idiot. If he got up, she would be right there to knock him back to the ground.

Ashfall has held her attack this round, but will attack Dewlight if she attacks Goldenfang!

Dewlight had been trying to keep an eye on Jayshriek as he battle against two cats, and dismay roiled in her stomach as he dashed towards Bearspirit and Greypaw. Her eyes narrowed as she whipped her head back to Goldenfang. "You're a terrible liar. You knew what would happen as soon as you stepped your pretty little paws over our border." She flicked her tail to where the border had been set, several tail lengths behind all of the WindClan cats. "But sure, whatever helps all of you thieves to sleep at night. An experienced warrior and a medicine cat coming after an apprentice that hadn't lifted a claw to you.... I thought ShadowClan cats were the ones that fought dirty, apparently it's WindClan." She growled, tail lashing. She was far too outnumbered, some were weak, but she would be out of the fight before she even had a chance if she tried to go against all four of them. Regardless of what Goldenfang said, she knew her apprentice hadn't done anything to the medicine cat. He didn't like to fight, she would be astonished if he had. "RiverClan walks away today, but I suggest you keep a close eye on your borders. We will be back to claim what's rightfully ours." She hissed as she started to turn away before pausing. "Oh, and if any of your precious clanmates find themselves falling into the gorge and needing help navigating the treacherous waters below... Don't turn to a RiverClan cat. Perhaps try your own paw at jumping in after them. Who knows, you might just succeed... Or you might both drown. A tragedy, really." She mewed over her shoulder as she made her way to the rest of her clanmates, shouldering them the best she could. RiverClan would be back... And next time, they would be victorious.

RiverClan has retreated!

And so the battle ended. She was grateful that Dewlight saw sense and backed down. You’re pretty, too, Goldenfang considered remarking, but the other she-cat was already making her hasty retreat and the moment was lost anyway. She snorted and turned to her patrol. They seemed a bit roughed up, but they’d held up well. “Good job, everyone. Good thinking with the moss, Hentooth, that was a decent quick fix it seems. Ashfall, you alright? I saw you on your twisted paw now and then. And Swiftspirit—that tom? Was he heavy-pawed when he hit you?” Hentooth would be best at discerning their physical states, but that didn’t stop the deputy from wanting to make sure they were all okay.

She sat down with a tired sigh. “If no one’s in dire need of medicine, then we should finish remarking the territory before we head back to camp. Daystar will certainly be worried about us. I’ll rearrange the patrols. We shouldn’t have apprentices coming near this border… I think RiverClan may feel a little vengeful after that humiliating loss. I’ll stick to our more experienced warriors on this border, and I should start organizing advanced warrior training so our younger warriors can keep learning. I haven’t fought another cat in…” Tarot’s dark pelt flashed through her mind, his unnatural eyes glaring into her brain. Fawnstep’s mutilated body appeared briefly before she shoved it down. “…a long time. I need to remember what they did and set up some spars.”

The deputy’s rambling was mostly for her own gain at this point. She needed to say her lists out loud so she wouldn’t forget, and if she did, she could ask her friends for a reminder. The more items she listed, the heavier her shoulders felt. Goldenfang shook her head and smiled appreciatively at the mollies before her, pride blooming in her heart. But there was another important matter. Her usually smiling face was grim. “Hentooth, it’s important we straighten out what happened. I saw that apprentice approach you, but I don’t know what started your fight. Honestly, I don’t blame you. I don’t think you shouldn’t be able to defend yourself, your Clanmates, or you Clan’s best interests. Whatever that vixen thinks, you did what I expect you to have done. Tell me what exactly happened… but know that we need to tell everyone else that the apprentice went after you. I’ve seen RiverClan’s whinging in action. If they think there’s some injustice against them, they’ll bring down the stars at the next Gathering to try and get the other Clans to condemn us.”

The dark-furred she-cat conceded her defeat, but not without biting words. Hentooth had half a mind to yell after her that next time she wouldn’t drag her unconscious warriors away from the dangerous edge, but managed to keep her maw shut. A stretch, a yawn, a quick look at everyone, a nod as Golden spoke. “Everyone in my den once we get back ta camp. I don’t have the right stuff ‘ere and you all seem able to keep on your paws for a moment longer, eh?” Spars? Ooh, now she might just join in that every now and then, to keep her reflexes sharp and her claws sharper.

Goldenfang called her name, and Hentooth looked up quickly from where she’d been licking down her chest fur. ”Me? Oh, there was this poor apprentice. I feel kinda bad for him, actually. So what happened is the fight got underway, and I was hanging back, ya know? Then he runs up and says “Hey yeah so I have to attack you but please please don’t mutilate me?” And I was all “Duh I’m not goin’ to mutilate you that’d be terrible and you’re welcome to flee whenever, I won’t stop ya.” And he said “oh stars I wish I could but my Clan wouldn’t take kindly to it”. I pinned him to the ground like I was sparring with an apprentice, but he must’ve bit his tongue. Then Swift came up and hit ‘em just the wrong way- I guess the right way in this situation and he kinda just went “pfft” like a hare’s stomach. I don’t know what that molly thought she was doing bringing such an inexperienced apprentice to a border fight. He’s lucky it was me and Swift and not someone who would really give ‘em the what for.” She paused, flicked an ear. “Anythin’ else?”