wings of fury [c]

It had taken some amount of convincing, but by some miracle, she'd been able to sneak away on her own for a patrol. It was a simple mission, one with minimal risk all things considered: Check the Outcropping, ensure that the border markers where there, and return right to camp. She had trained enough in battle anyways that on the extremely unlikely event that something were to happen, she would be able to handle herself just fine. It had filled her with particularly giddy excitement to be allowed to go on her own, even just for this small trip. Half-prancing, half walking as she went to the border, her entire muzzle wrinkled as the scent of marsh and toad hit her nose. She had no clue why any cat would want to eat those slimy things, but she figured it could be worse. At least toads were mostly edible. Birds, on the other hand, may as well have just been all feathers and nothing remotely resembling a useful meal. It was why she had a strong liking of hare, or even a vole. They had meat.

Rubbing her body up against the markers that bore the strongest Windclan scent, Crakepaw checked about to ensure there were no other cats. Well, no other Shadowclan cats. She could care less if one of her clanmates came by.

The moons away from the marshes had left not only the camp being in a state of disrepair, but their borders as well. Scent markers had long since faded and would need to be renewed. Normally Sablestrike would have left this duty to other capable warriors and their new apprentices, but with a shortage of prey on their fresh-kill pile he had thought it only right to take up the task. What he hadn't been expecting to stumble upon was the greedy scent of Windclan. It seemed they had taken it upon themselves to poach the hidden outcropping from Shadowclan, at least that's what the heavy scents along the path told him.

Breaching the bushes and entering the stone ring, Sablestrike was surprised to see a young solitary molly renewing Windclan's scent. "Funny," the tom started, "you'd think that Windclan would know better than to trespass on land that is rightfully Shadowclan's." The deputy stuck the Windclanner with a harsh stare. He wasn't above pushing her out of the territory with force, but diplomacy was something his late leader was poor in. Perhaps he'd give that a try. It couldn't be as hard as Nightstalker had made it out to be. "Run along now, little one. It's going to take a while to remove this stench from the rocks. I wouldn't want to have to speak to your deputy about this, consider this a mercy."

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

---

'Invasion Dice' :

Crakepaw's gaze immediately snapped to attention amidst the rustling of bushes, narrowing into defense as the strong scent of marsh singed her nose further. She could feel her claws already wanting to flex into the ground, but for the sake of at least allowing some modicum of peace, the apprentice didn't let them slide forth. Instead, she simply held her ground, tail lashing... while also being sure it brushed up against several of the stones around her, marking her scent against them. "Funny..." She echoed back, almost with a mocking note to her voice. "...if Shadowclan wanted this territory they supposedly rightfully owned, they wouldn't have left it unmarked for sunrises for Windclan to simply obtain. I think that means it's not nearly as important to you as that may imply," She rose a brow, and a toothy grin appeared at the mention of the deputy. Her father.

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure he was also the one to lead the patrol here upon our return. You know. To ensure the borders were properly covered. Not my fault Shadowclan can't keep their own borders marked. You snooze, you loose." Crakepaw shrugged, keeping the side of her body turned towards the tom as she moved to rub her cheek against another one of the scent-markers. It was quite a brazen statement to be making, all things considered, but she wasn't exactly wrong.

"You lot were gone from the moors for more than just a couple of sunrises, does that mean I could have invaded your camp? Maybe I'll lead a patrol straight into the moors because I haven't seen you patrol during the night. That makes sense!" Stars, why was he arguing with a child? She clearly had no clue how things worked in the forest. Perhaps she was one of the unfortunate kits to be born out in the lakes. Sablestrike felt sad for her, new to the forest and trying to make her clan proud by poaching land that wasn't hers. Actually, that only infuriated him.

An eyebrow raised as the Windclanner spoke of the patrol. Sootstorm had seemed like a reasonable enough cat the first time they had met, would he really try to steal from Shadowclan so soon after arriving at the forest? "Tell Sootstorm that he can come talk to me if he thinks Windclan has any real claim to these rocks, but until then it remains Shadowclan's. Got that?" Sablestrike strode over to the molly, forcefully shoving her from the rock that she was currently scenting. He really didn't want to send one of Sootstorm's home with injuries, but if the impudent little rabbit-chaser didn't push on he'd had no other choice but to use force.

"These rocks have been marked as Windclan's!" She hissed in retaliation the moment his body hit her own to shove her away. Claws dug into the earth in order to stop the smaller molly's movement. If this was what Shadowclan's cats were like, it was absolutely no wonder that they had become well-known as the terroristic faces that lurked in the shadows. She was just a singular apprentice!

Even then, there was still pride that ran through her own veins. As she was pushed up against a set of rocks that undoubtedly cornered her, instead of feeling the fear to flee, the boiling urge to fight threatened to singe her from the inside-out. To stars if her father had told her to not cause any trouble. She wasn't the one to cause it, after all-this tom was! Recoiling back, it was only a heartbeat later that she shot forward. Claws extended to the farthest that they could go, she slashed, aiming to strike right across the tom's face as she leapt up to get a better angle.


Crakepaw used Jumping Strike! She dealt 9 damage and used 7 stamina.
Crakepaw
20 / 20 HP
53 / 60 SP (-7)

Sablestrike
61 / 70 HP (-9)
160 / 160 SP

Sablestrike disregarded the molly as she hissed back, busying himself with removing the stench she had put on the rocks.

Claws ripped their way across the unsuspecting tom's face, sending a spray of blood over the stone he had pressed up against and forcing one of his eyes closed. He didn't hiss at the apprentice, nor did he growl. The tom was eerily quiet as he pounced at her, sharp claws finally getting a chance to sink themselves into something bigger than a toad. Sablestrike didn't hold back as he raked the young apprentice's shoulder repeatedly. He'd send her back to Sootstorm limping for what she'd done and for the disrespect she'd shown him.

Sablestrike used Front Paw Strike, Dealing 10 HP and Costing 7 SP

Crakepaw:
10 / 20 HP (-10)
53 / 60 SP

Sablestrike:
61 / 70 HP
153 / 160 SP (-7)

A piercing shriek came out of the apprentice's chest as the tom's claws struck, tearing away precious bits of flesh that were nowhere near done growing. This was far different than any of the spats she had with her siblings, even the too-far-gone ones that had forced her to absorb the guilt that came with it. There was simply no mercy in his strikes as he tore at her, and it took the apprentice a too-long moment to move away, even as the sticky heat of her blood ran down the side of her leg in a particularly distracting fervor.

But she was still Windclan, and Windclan was fast. For though he tore at her shoulder, all it took was one sharp twist of her body to be able to sink her teeth into his body as well, and her claws kept raking themselves towards any part of him that they could get ahold of.

Crakepaw used Snap + Swift Strike! Dealt 11 (6+5) damage and used 17 (10+7) stamina.

Crakepaw:
10 / 20 HP
36 / 60 SP (-17)

Sablestrike:
50 / 70 HP (-11)
153 / 160 SP

Wincing as claws and teeth found their way into his pelt once more, Sablestrike embedded his own claws into the molly's stomach and pushed her away from him. The scents of the outcropping meant nothing to him anymore, all he wanted was blood. In one fluid motion the tom slipped behind Crakepaw and sunk his teeth into her neck, hesitating for only a moment before tossing her out of the ring. His teeth yearned to sink deeper into that insufferable apprentice's flesh, but he was no murderer. "Come back and I'll gut you!"

Sablestrike waited for what felt like an eternity, the thumping in his ears refusing to die down. Still, he stared at where he had tossed the apprentice waiting for a foolish counterattack, but when none came he felt the beats start to fade. Only when he was absolutely certain she was too far to hear did the deputy let out a pained howl.

Sablestrike used Front Paw Strike, Dealing 10 HP and Costing 7 SP

Crakepaw:
K.O [pending?] / 20 HP (-10)
36 / 60 SP

Sablestrike:
50 / 70 HP
146 / 160 SP (-7)

Nothing brought a surge of panic quite like a bite that promised death. Even Crakepaw herself, the one who had gone for her siblings' necks hundreds of time in play and had gotten them in turn, was not immune to the bone-chilling fear that it brought. She was suddenly paralyzed, every ounce of fight that had been in her suddenly sucked away. No, no no no... I can't die... I can't die, I need to be there for Windclan! I need my name!

Her mind spun as she was suddenly tossed to the side like little more than a mossball. It didn't take much more than that to get the message, and the molly took her cue to leave. Shock aided her muscles as she fled, but her tail wasn't between her legs... and in one final slander, she shoved her good side against one of the scent-markers, marring it with some of the blood that the both of them had exchanged.

Crakepaw has fled!