honk honk (c)

It still surprised Dovetail, sometimes, how little he knew so many of his Clanmates. He'd always stuck pretty close to his siblings. He'd loved his mentor fiercely with a passion unrealized until her death. He'd had a few acquaintances here and there, and one animosity-filled rivalry that had cooled to a strangely tepid and yet still tense... acquaintanceship? He still had no clue how to think of the relationship between himself and Larkspring. Then... there was Murkyriver. Nest-mate. The term replayed unbidden in his mind. He dismissed it with a single flick of his ear, though it remained buzzing around his head like a bee. Still, outside of those cats... he did not know many of his Clanmates, especially the older warriors. Kitespring was one of these. She was old enough to be a senior warrior, and yet he'd never really spoken with her. Not on purpose--it had just never happened. Perhaps he instinctively stayed silent when around any cats he didn't know out of some long-buried fear of being cast out for his differentness, or causing some kind of backlash upon his siblings. But that kithood worry was foolish and he'd been doing his best to dispel it. So Dovetail squared his shoulders and decided he'd start trying to make small talk with these Clanmates who were as good as strangers to him. Maybe in a minute, when he'd gathered his strength. But he didn't get the chance.

Before he could untie his tongue and put together some kind of words about how nice the weather was today or the warmth of the sun or something banal like that, he heard a loud hissing sound. From a nearby clump of reeds, a large gray goose emerged, its sharp beak-teeth bared in a gesture of warning or aggression. Had they stumbled upon its nest? Did it feel challenged for the fish nearby? Maybe it simply wanted them to go away. But either way, Dovetail had little time to do anything other than bristle his fur and dart between the goose and Kitespring before it lunged. Large wings flapped, stirring a breeze in his face, and it struck snakelike with its long neck to batter the top of his head. He gritted his teeth. What should he say--"look out?" They already knew the goose was here. "Attack it?" He didn't want to tell her what to do; she probably knew better than him how to fight a goose. The warrior unsheathed his claws. One dark paw slashed forward, catching some feathers in his heavy strike. The goose hissed again in response. Well, say something! Anything! Don't just stand here like a fish-brain. Dovetail's head glanced over his shoulder with narrowed blue eyes, shoulders tense and ready for action. "Be careful," he said to Kitespring.

Goose used Beaked Thrust, dealing 10 damage and costing 15 stamina.
Dovetail used Claw, dealing 8 damage and costing 5 EP.

Dovetail:
40/50 HP
125/130 EP

Goose:
47/55 HP
155/170 SP

Kitespring:
50/50 HP
130/130 EP