A Fox's Pelt, Pretty Please[C]

Tawnyshadow followed Thalia into the deepest parts of the Shadowclan territory, her paws trembling with both excitement and fear. They were chasing after a fox that patrols had scented around the area a few times, along with the dead remains of birds, rabbits and rodents. Shadowclan would no accept a competitor for their food and their own lands, which is what led them here.

Thalia's conflicted feelings about sending warriors to hunt down predators on their own had, by now, mostly subsided. That was in part due to the precautions they'd taken- she did her best to be personally present for as many rites as possible, waiting just in case the skills she kept carefully tucked away in the back of her mind were needed once again.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, vaguely recalling the fox she'd chased with Katana. They had been barely the age of apprentices, then, but she remembered that she'd been far more nervous asking her partner to hunt with her than she had been about the fox itself.

But that had been a very different sort of circumstance, she supposed. It crossed her mind more and more often, the more rites passed by, how ShadowClan had taken the traditions she'd carried with her and made them their own. It made her happy, that they would survive whether or not she stayed- she'd worked to make sure of that.

Tawnyshadow shook her head at Thalia's question. "You're here if anything goes wrong, and I've been trained to handle foxes," She pointed out calmly. They walked on in silence for a little while longer, before the stench of fox brought them to a stop. Tawnyshadow tasted the air, her ears pricked for the slightest of sounds. One paw after another, she stalked towards the fox's den, hidden by bramble bushes. A sudden snarl rumbled from deep within the den, which grew louder into a growl. A long, dark ginger snout poked out of the den, followed by a pair of beetle-like eyes and thorn-sharp fangs.

The fox emerged from it's den, patchy ginger fur bristling as it sized up the warrior. Tawnyshadow unseathed her claws, and with a snarl, flung herself at the beast. The fox creeched as claws ripped at it's face, and instantly lunged forward and snapped it's fangs at the tortoiseshell's leg.

Tawnyshadow used Jumping Strike, dealing 8(+3+1)dmg and -7SP
Fox used Iron Bite, dealing 17dmg and -30SP

Tawnyshadow
33/50 HP(-17)
113/120 SP(-7)

Fox
48/60 HP(-12)
150/180 SP(-30)

Thalia stood by, ready to step in if needed, and watched as Tawnyshadow leapt for the fox- wincing slightly as its teeth sank into her leg. Still, she was holding her own so far, and the older warrior was eager to see her succeed.

Tawnyshadow hissed as fangs dug into her leg. This fox was a strong one. She twisted her body to face the fox and covered the beast's face with a series of blows. Take that, you crow-food-eating mutt! The fox howled as claws dug into its face, and snapped its jaws at the cat again.

Tawnyshadow used Front Paw Strike and Desperate Blows, dealing 8(+5+1)dmg and -7(-7)SP
Fox used Iron Bite, dealing 17dmg and -30SP

Tawnyshadow
16/50 HP(-17)
99/120 SP(-14)

Fox
34/60 HP(-14)
120/180 SP(-30)

Thalia observed the fight carefully, keeping an eye out for whether she would need to step in- so far Tawnyshadow was holding her own, but how long could she hold out? She held her tongue, resisting the urge to give advice; that wouldn't be in the spirit of the rite.

Tawnyshadow twisted as fangs dug into her fur once more. Mouse dung... her leg hurt so badly. The silver tortoiseshell hissed as she flipped the ginger creature over and sank her teeth into the foxe's scruff. As the beast struggled to free itself, she shook it violently before tossing it aside. Patches of red fur was ripped off, and the fox stumbled away, howling with pain.

Tawnyshadow used Scruff Shake, dealing 8(+1)dmg and -20SP
Fox is stunned for 1/1 round

Tawnyshadow
16/50 HP
79/120 SP(-20)

Fox
25/60 HP(-9)
120/180 SP

rolling the dice because I forgot :>

The member 'Copperbeans' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Effect Dice' : 1

Thalia suppressed a cheer as Tawnyshadow shook the fox's scruff, swallowing it back as the inconvenience wasn't particularly long-lived. And, of course, because it wouldn't do to be a distraction- to either of them. She was starting to worry, though; would the warrior be able to pull through, or would she have to step in after all?

Tawnyshadow lunged towards the stunned body of the fox, yellow eyes intent on the creature's throat. It wasn't a move she practiced often, but surely it was no more difficult than killing prey? Her teeth sank into the fox's throat, resisting a gag when blood flooded out into her mouth. The beast screeched, thrashing desperately in an attempt to save it's life. But it was too late, and before long the fox laid limp in her jaws.

Tawnyshadow used Killing Strike, dealing 25dmg and -10SP
Fox is KO'ed

Tawnyshadow
16/50 HP
69/120 SP(-10)

Fox
0/60 HP(-25)
120/180 SP

Tawnyshadow let the body drop onto the ground, instead turning to face Thalia. "Well, we've finished what we set out to do, so let's return to camp, shall we?" She asked politely, though she couldn't of a way Thalia could refuse. What else was there for them to do? Besides, her wounds hurt really bad, and she needs a medicine cat to check on them as soon as possible.

"Right. Let's get this back to camp, and make sure you can visit the medicine den," Thalia agreed, still feeling more than a bit concerned about the young warrior's well-being. She had won, yes, but it was clear that it had been a close thing. "This is definitely a success, but... Are you alright to walk back on your own? If you need some support, don't hesitate to ask for it."

The point of the rite of passage was to prove a warrior could stand on their own, but the point of a Clan was to stand together and support one another- balancing the line between those things was difficult, sometimes.

"I'll be fine," Tawnyshadow dismissed the older warrior's concern with a flick of her tail. She had to carry the fox back herself, and she would only accept help once she got back to camp. How else was she to prove that she was worthy of a fox's pelt? The she-cat turned to haul the corpse over her back, then began heading back to camp.