Desperate Measures [c]

He was trying hard to provide for his group, but with prey so scarce, Aether had to turn to new territory. Well, not fully new, he had been here before. At least now he had come alone so he could deal with situations his own way.

The terrain had not become any easier to cross, even though he had grown a bit older. The snow hid any obstacles that laid in his path, and he hissed as brambles clawed at his fur. It was a miracle he had not scared any prey away.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, perhaps a miracle, but he could have sworn he saw a squirrel among the trees. Looked like it was coming down for a meal. It must have been as desperate as he was. Crouching down, he knew all he had to do was wait. Let the squirrel come down, right into his claws.

If only he had remembered to pay attention to his surroundings.

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

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'Invasion Dice' :

Eyes raked the trees for any sight of something to catch. Stoatfur had pulled away from the rest of the patrol, needing some space to breath. Being around others was becoming a much more convoluted thing. On one paw, he was beginning to realize that being open to the cats around him was helpful and almost made him feel better; on the other paw, every fiber of his being wanted to curl into itself and never say anything meaningful again. He wrestled it, like a mass of writhing snakes, but those were far easier to pin beneath his paws.

Somehow his shoulders felt lighter, even if the worried that twisted in the back of his mind never faded. Each pawstep hardly brushed the ground or stirred the snow as he set off in search of something, anything, to bring back to camp. He saw the squirrel first, cat second. Stoatfur's fur bristled slightly along his back. The foreign tom looked young - likely mousebrained as well. It was easy to creep up on the enemy from behind, especially since it seemed his foe was determined to catch the prey that called Thunderclan territory its home.

The little deputy leaped, bowling over the rogue and pinning it under his paws. There was a brief hiss but he felt the hold was rather decent so instead of snarling, his eyes narrowed, and he spoke, "I suppose you thought that you'd just ignore the borders and steal prey? I hate to break it to you, kit, but that's not the way things work around here. You can start by telling me your name and why you think you even deserved to look at that squirrel."

Stoatfur used leap and hold on Aether, dealing 10 damage and using 15 stamina. Aether is pinned for 2 turns.

Stoatfur [disadvantaged stats active]
HP: 65/65
SP: 115/130

Aether
HP: 30/40
SP: 100/100

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6

A squeal escaped the young tom's as a weight barreled into him, crushing him. At least he had landed in a position that he could see the brown cat that was towering over him, eyes narrowed, a look that Aether probably had on his face too.

"Why should I tell you anything? Acting like you own the forest. If that is how things work, I think it is time for a change. Not all of us are willing to accept starvation."

There was a scurrying sound, and he watched the squirrel scurry back into the safety of the trees. "Great, now neither of us get it"

Hissing, the tom clawed at his opponent, trying to squirm out of his grasp. If he could get free, maybe they could get on even ground.

Feeling the weight give slightly, Aether manage to get to his paws. Now he crouched down, ready for a real battle. No more surprises.

Aether successfully used Duck and Twist, dealing 7 HP and costing 5 SP.

Stoatfur [disadvantaged stats active]
58?/65
115/130

Aether
30/40
95/100

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

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'Effect Dice' : 6

"Hate to break it to you, rogue, but I do in fact own this part of the forest! A whole clan to feed here, so I don't think I'll be letting it change paws anytime soon." He snorted as he claws lightly pierced the younger tom's skin. Stoatfur had thought little of the squirrel. It would run off into the safety of some tree or nest and reemerge later in a desperate search of food. When his opponent called attention to it, the deputy let out a short laugh but refused to comment - it wasn't work the waste of breath.

And then Aether had twisted out from under him. Stoatfur leaped back, paws skidding slightly on the ice and snow. Rogues were desperate beasts, that much was true. But he was smarter, stronger. He bared his teeth and launched forward to strike once more. One forepaw, with sharp claws unsheathed, sought to slash at the side of the other cat's head. And then he pulled away, "So do you have any answers for me or just a uselessly sharp tongue? That'll determine how this fight goes."

Stoatfur used front paw strike, dealing 10 damage and using 7 stamina.

Stoatfur
HP: 58/65
SP: 108/130

Aether
HP: 20/40
SP: 100/100