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dm me if you want to listen to me ramble about the interstellar soundtrack
2,314 posts
Post by achromatic on Nov 8, 2021 16:33:05 GMT -5
Sunpaw nodded, feeling the tears in her eyes beginning to well up. Gods, this was all becoming so complicated. "It's complicated," she mumbled as they continued to run towards the sea. How could she even explain this in the first place? Even she didn't understand what had happened, why they were separated and how he had ended up in another clan. Did that mean her father was there? Or had he disappeared the same way he did when she had gotten sick? She didn't know what to feel, anger? confusion? sadness? joy? Everything felt so foreign she almost felt like she wasn't in her own body, lost in another world as she ran towards the sea.
She ducked through the legs of the humans gathered before dashing towards the water. It was freezing, she thought, as she wallowed towards Crowpaw. "Do you think they'll really come all the way here?" Whitemuzzle
Moonblight stared at Sagebristle for a moment, but he was interrupted by the sound of cats running past him. Right. They still had a mission to do, and he'd be damned if he failed another because of some incompetence. "You're right," he replied quietly, "let's talk about this later." He nodded to her words and ran towards the seas, wondering whether Canarynight had caught that other cat yet. He wasn't going to go emptyhanded lest the other warrior decided to make another sassy comment about it later. "Let's catch the rest of them first." sunlight
Post by Whitemuzzle on Nov 8, 2021 19:43:33 GMT -5
Looking about, Crowpaw spotted several cats farther down the shoreline. "Are you talking about the ones chasing us? I hope they do. But there's a bunch of cats over there." He waved his tail in their direction. Because of the distance and the darkness, it was hard to tell who those cats were. The twolegs' campfires helped give some light but not enough. "We need to join them." Moving now at half speed because of fatigue, he splashed along in the wet sand following the shoreline toward the others he'd spotted. It was hard going since the sand was soft and shifting as the waves rhythmically lapped gently around his feet. Halfway there he stopped. "Hey look!" he meowed to Sunpaw. "I can see Sunpetal! Whatever she's got planned is probably going to happen soon. I don't want to miss it." achromatic
Howlingheart followed her scent to the beach - of course that was where she had taken him. It had been the plan the whole time. His gaze scanned around the clearing with a fever that was quite atypical of the tom. Where was she, where was she? The longer it took to find her, the longer she would be targeted by Phantomfox, and since she was part of the inception of the rebellion, who knows what he would do to her. In a moment when he wasn't verging on panic in desperation to find his friend, Howlingheart would have examined why he felt like Rosethorn wasn't capable of protecting herself. She was, in normal circumstances. Somehow, Howlingheart implicitly knew that these were not circumstances, and if he did not find her soon, there was a chance it would already be too late.
His gaze scowered the sea once more, but trying to find a particular form in the swirling of cats was becoming near impossible as more and more SummerClan cats entered the sea. Was it already too late? Was her fate already sealed?
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of her head when she popped up. Howlingheart let out a noise, before he found himself running into the sea. "Rosethorn, I'm coming for you," he called as waves passed his frame. "Hold on, I'm coming for you." There was a hint of desperation in his voice, one that drove his paws to move faster and faster. First, it was three yards, then two, then one...
Howlingheart dove under the water, using muscles that he hadn't used since he had trained as a warrior what seemed like lifetimes ago. He approached the duo from the back, before diving under the water. He slammed his body against Phantomfox's, taking in a gulp of water to sink his teeth into his shoulder. Anything to get him to let go...
- The she-cat wasn't wrong. Eventually, he knew he would have to stop. Eventually, his chests would cave in. But, this time, he wasn't going to go down as easily as the last. While the others trained to fight, Foxpaw had trained his endurance. There was no way to master asthma, to end up completely on top of the symptoms, but he was able to control his breathing for longer now. He just needed to stay in control, focus on his breathing. This is just like you practiced, he thought to himself...
Then, her claws raked the side of his pelt. He let out a snarl of pain, the first time the tom cat actually sounded like a full grown cat and not a little boy. He felt his body jolt forward, before he refocused himself. No, you can't go any faster. If you do, there's no way you'll make it to the ocean. And if he didn't make it to the ocean, well, it wasn't like there was a lot of hope left to him. He'd have to stop running before he collapsed, and then he would have to use what little energy he had to fight to the death. It was a suicide mission, the tom intrinsically knew this. So, it was best to not let that happen.
Yet, the longer he ran, the harder it was to control his breathing. His gaze scanned the fields around him, looking for anything he could find to at least give him a fighting chance to evade her. It was then that he saw Fallenredemption. Relief flashed in his silver eyes, and the tom stopped running completely, instead dodging to the side to leave the NightClan cat skittering to a stop. The stars had sent him the gift of a partner. Although he knew he couldn't take her down alone, with a partner, he would come out victorious. After all, he had trained his entire life in partner combat; he, like all NightClan apprentices, knew how to become one with the other cat you fight alongside, how to measure the strengths and weaknesses of a team in a near instant, fall into an easy rhythm. Maybe he would survive today after all.
"Fallenredemption, help me! She's going to kill me. If we work together, I know we can defeat her, or at least get her to the ocean with the others," he meowed, sparring as much detail as possible to catch the tom up to speed as the other cat was undoubtably getting her barrings about her to attack again. His silver eyes caught the other tom's gaze. "Trust me, please," he meowed. Trust was the fairy dust that made the NightClan training magical; one partner had to fully trust their life in the other's hand. They must trust that together, they would come out alive.
He then turned back to the other, his gaze cold. "Come and get me, you traitorous ugly crow," he challenged, bracing himself with what he knew would undoubtably the fight of his life.
NIGHTCLAN "You oughta ask a lady to dinner before you do that," she purred, a little bit obsessed with the fact that the tom reacted in such an absolutely unexpected way. It made the chase all that much more exhilarating, the idea that she was chasing someone who was a little off in the head. You see, Lynxfreeze loved the cats who seemed a little off in the head; they were her people, the ones who seemed to have nothing to lose. Of course, this was a mischaracterization of Weevilspike: in fact, the tom had a lot to lose. But, for the moment, she could pretend he didn't, and she was hurtling towards mutually assured destruction. Those were the only fights worth having in her mind: the one where both of you went down swinging.
They reached the beach, and Lynxfreeze let out a chirp of amusement. "Ah, you must have heard the rumor that NightClan can't swim," she meowed through her pants, although she did not slow down. For every sharp turn he made to dodge the two-legs, she made the same a moment later, an elaborate game of monkey see monkey do. It didn't take her long to realize they were headed into the water - it was a little chilly for a dip, but she'd never let temperature stop her before. She dove into the water right after him, her body surprisngly agile in the water, agile enough that she was soon close enough to attack....
Or she would have been, had Sunpetal not intervened at just the right moment.
"Oh, no fair! You're cheating," she complained as her body was jolted through the water - probably not the ... most normal reaction. She let her gaze shift from the tom to Sunpetal, a ravenous look in her eyes. "Whatdya think you're doing, twerp?" she growled before letting her body sink into the water. This allowed her to swim forward, getting out of Sunpetal's grip more easily in the water than she would have on hand. Out of all places to fight, the sea was probably the worst place, Lynxfreeze thought. Attacks are weaker, it's easier to defend oneself, accuracy reduces. Best shot is to just drown 'um. Lynxfreeze frowned; dammit, she was in an impossible position. A two-on-one, especially in the water, was not going to go her way. She let out a string of profanities, before turning to face the other two. She was backed into a corner. With no offensive moves possible (she knew that if she attacked the one, the other would just attack her), and retreat undesirable (she was having too much fun to just call it quits now ), all she could do was prepare for defense.
Post by simplylight on Nov 9, 2021 18:57:49 GMT -5
Canarynight watched with wide eyes as Sunfreckle crossed the water. He stopped at the edge of the shore and lashed his tail in irritation. "What good is it to drown out there?!" His voice rose to carry over the sound of the waves and seagulls. Did this cat have a death wish? He stepped gingerly into the water but backed away as the sand began to sweep away underneath his paws and the water started to drag him forward. He paced along the shore in frustration, keeping a close eye on the speck that was Sunfreckle. His own legs ached with the effort it took to catch up to her and the sand was grainy and uncomfortable beneath his paws. He glanced behind him to see if there were any other Nightclan cats nearby and to make sure he was out of the way of the two-legs. goldcrest (does he need to go into the water? c'x)
The second Weevilspike splashed like a dog into the fire-lit ocean, he was weighed down and drenched; for once his wild pelt was tamed, slicking over his eyes until he had to sweep a paw over his head to push it back. He gasped in an open-mouthed breath past his grin, blind to Rosethorn’s plight not far from him. “Nah, I was just hopin’ your fur might get see-through when it’s wet,” he joked back unhurriedly at the NightClan she-cat, wading back a little and letting out a little “whoo!” when Sunpetal launched herself at her and sent sea water splashing over him. He slicked his fur back again. “Yeah, twerp, what ya doing?” he agreed jovially, hopping languidly on the sea floor with his hind paws to keep himself afloat amid the waves like he was just chilling on Spring Break and letting out a laugh when Lynxfreeze freed herself of Sunpetal’s grip. Not taking his eyes off his sister across the dark water, he asked with a lazy smile that disguised the clarity and resolve of what he meant, “hey - remember that game of capture the castle we used to play?” One went high; one went low. One went for the drawbridge of the castle (the entrance to their dad’s den); one went for the turrets (the branches).
NightClan cats weren’t the only ones who could work as a team; they had never met Sunpetal and Weevilspike. Without waiting for another heartbeat and trusting his sister to back him up, he suddenly disappeared beneath the waves and, with a few powerful kicks, found Lynxfreeze’s tail in the black, calm silence broken only by the muffled shouts of Howlingheart and twolegs — and bit into it. With it clamped firmly in his jaws, he broke the surface — the sounds came rushing back, but they didn’t bother him — and dragged her backwards by her tail, trusting her hind legs to the heavy slowness of the water and her front to Sunpetal. It was inelegant, and it was vaguely funny, and it was Ratstar’s children for one last swan song. He drew closer, and closer, and closer to the twolegs by the bonfire — until he was dragging her across the wet sand.
“Swap,” he panted quickly to Sunpetal; hopping around before Lynxfreeze had time to retaliate, he grabbed her by the scruff, trusting his sister to keep her claws busy and swat them away from him, and hauled her closer to the bonfire — until, finally, he was within the circle of twolegs, braving their startled cries and laughter. “Here,” he greeted them with cheerful fearlessness, dropping Lynxfreeze right in the middle, close enough to the bonfire to burn, and looking around at them with the openness of a kittypet. “One drowned rodent. Enjoy! Call me!” With that, he sprinted out of the circle that closed behind them, shouldering his sister as a rambunctious brother should, and ran laughing back to the sea—
NIGHTCLAN
— Suddenly a black shape plowed into Sunpetal, knocking her over with such ferocity that the two she-cats went rolling across the sand, landing in an agonising skid. “You’re really starting to piss me off,” the black tabby she-cat snarled in Sunpetal’s ear, holding her head still with one, wide-spread paw. Her sleek fur was still covered in dust and spiderwebs and bloody gashes from the rabbit warren caving in. She looked like hell and she felt like it, and she was going to kill this uppity little twat.
Weevilspike, eyes wide, hesitated for a moment in confusion before he rushed over to help his sister — but the black she-cat, done playing games, whipped around and flattened herself over Sunpetal, digging a pawful of claws into her throat threateningly. “Back off,” she hissed; and her eyes were so black, so deadly, so able to kill his sister, that he did, backing away with slow, reluctant steps and never taking his wide-eyed gaze from her. Ocean water dripped from his fur onto the dark sand, leaving little black indentations.
“Come on,” she snarled, sinking her teeth deep into Sunpetal’s back leg and dragging her tail-first into the ocean; it would make not choking to death on water that much more difficult. “Princess.” The NightClan she-cat hardly felt the icy waves. She continued to drag her until eventually Sunpetal would have to scrabble at the water to keep afloat and the water out of her mouth, deeper and deeper, two black shapes silhouetted against the huge silver moon, far away from where anyone could help her.
sun can kill her if you want some blood baptism for our majesty <3
SUMMERCLAN
“Okay, time to go,” Doefreckle chirped, the sudden decisiveness of it vaguely comedic. He was so panicked that he’d reached calm - the dissociative, drunken kind. The beach was now filled with cats barreling into the water, both NightClan and SummerClan; he could see two silhouetted against the moon, one pacing anxiously on the shore in front of them, another three in the sea enfolded in the darkness of the sky to their right, but he couldn’t pick out the features of any beyond the prior knowledge that two of the latter were Phantomfox and Rosethorn.
Picking up one of Orchiddrop’s kits with enough swiftness that it was a miracle it was still gentle, he raised his head and darted his eyes around one last time, the kit bumping softly against his throat. Then, brushing his side against Shaded’s to orient him and mumbling a quiet “c’mon” around the kit’s scruff, he glanced back at Orchiddrop, making sure she was okay, and, eyes wide and almost unblinking to drink in as much moonlight as possible, hesitated for a second longer before furtively scuttling down the shore to the water. He bounded the last few paces, conscious of the kit in his jaws, and waded in, confusing himself with the inopportune rush of memory of being here with Hywel that he quickly shook away, and waited with fearful, buzzing impatience for the kit’s mother, Cinderflower, and Nebulous-sight to follow, eyes flicking anxiously along the beach. If anyone came for them now, they would be sitting ducks. Any minute now, more NightClan warriors would come pouring down the cliffs and then it would be a mad, blind dash for the water, the question of who can get there first? Who can run faster between us? hissing up to the moon.
And it was then that Doe knew, completely and utterly, which Clan his heart lay with. With danger all around them, his only fear was for the Clan who had taken him in and made him someone. The terrified rush of love he felt for SummerClan was indescribable; he almost whimpered where he stood.
"I don't know!" There was a new strain in his voice, driven by the sudden burst of anxiety at the prospect of having to leave their safe little place near the cliff and go out there, towards the fighting and the sea. He couldn't tell who the new cat was — there was so much more he was worrying about. Doefreckle. The kits. Their mother. He was relieved when Doe skipped over him while assigning the kits, even if that ever-present pride inside of him told him to argue that he could do it, that he wasn't weak, that they didn't have to think that. But it was easy to push down.
Okay, time to go. It was like everything unfroze. Shadedsun wasn't thinking, his head clouded with worries and what-ifs that he nearly forgot to move, only doing so after Doe's soft, less than comforting words. He blinked, swallowed, and moved forward towards the shore, picking up pace as it got louder. He paused sharply before his paws fully hit the water, felt the wave of the sea against the tips of his toes. It wasn't as cold as he thought. Oh, he didn't want to die again — didn't want to see that same terrible, horrible, empty place, because he wasn't sure if he would wake up. But the plan was set in stone, and he would probably draw attention to himself standing there like an idiot and he wasn't a fighter. The moment the waves engulfed his paws, he walked in deeper until the water was wading around his belly. He could feel the heaviness on his fur, how it felt like chains, like his legs couldn't support him any longer.
"Doe!" He called, like a small helpless child, before remembering that he was holding a kid. "Damnit," he muttered, "nevermind! It's fine, it's all good!" He looked around wildly, as if it would help his vision at all.
SUNFRECKLE
She was growing weaker, she couldn't swim much longer. She had, probably stupidly so, assumed the Nightclanner had busied himself with someone else, that she was safer, that she could make it to the designated bank, fall to the sand and wait and settle herself. She just fell short, waddling where the water was more shallow, enough to stand, enough that she might be able to lift her head or muster the energy to get up if she fell beneath the water. Her ears rang, she was struggling to tell what was going on. She coughed, a mix of water and spit dripping back into the sea. It splashed around her legs, and suddenly she felt much weaker, like all the energy had been ripped from her body — and, to be fair, that was just the case. She squinted, trying to make out the things in front of her, saw the way the fire flicked on the water, though it was much more subtle. The sounds of others entering the water was slightly more distant. What felt like forever of swimming had only really gotten her a few tail-lengths away, and she wasn't sure if she could do any more.
She sat down before she could fall, panting, trying to get her breath back. For those few moments, she had almost forgotten about everyone else, but the sounds of yelling and splashing brought her back, made her jump, whip her head to the chaos. Her eyes found various figures in the water a little ways off, nearly got back to her paws just to do something, but she wasn't sure what. She noticed more figures plunging into the depths of the sea, wanting to help but at a loss as to how. She looked around — there was nothing she could use, her body burned like the water was fire instead. She would take advantage of her moments of quiet, she decided, and try to think of something soon.
(simplylight anything is fine as long as it isn't murder :D!)
Post by ashestoashes on Nov 11, 2021 17:45:37 GMT -5
FALLENREDEMPTION
The warrior watched as Foxpaw came to him out of breath and bleeding profusely. Hearing his plea and realizing the apprentice was being chased down by a Nightclan cat was more than enough for him to finally find redemption in everything that had occurred. He would protect his fellow Summerclan mate from whomever was chasing him. Even if it meant his demise. "I will help you take down whomever is chasing you. I won't allow any Nightclan cat to kill anyone if I can help it." With that he looked towards the direction of where Foxpaw had yelled he braced himself. "Come and fight someone your own size you coward! How dare you attack a Summerclan apprentice! I'll show you what a Red Guard can do for once!" The tom spat out the words with venom and malice, everything that had built up to now finally making its way out from the tom's heart. He had stayed quiet for too long not having done anything...but now...now was his chance. @ian fox
(sorry if i skip over any details- i have quite a bit to reply to, a killer headache, and a mission in mind)
NIGHTCLAN
Only a little longer... Against the desperate scream in his chest- air, go up, I need air- Phantomfox kept both himself and Rosethorn utterly submerged in the sea. He could feel her fight begin to fade, her determination dwindling as her strength seeped out her body, and the thought of her last breath bubbling up to the surface was enough to drive him into a watery grave. He had no forethought to what this was doing to his own body, only murder on his mind. She'll be so proud of me. It'll just be me and Aspen and our son...
That's when the tides changed.
Phantomfox was propelled away from Rosethorn, his ex mate slipping from his grasp. His head broke the surface, a furied breath restoring his vitality enough to glare across the water until the culprit appeared, hoisting Rosethorn above the currents. "You," he shrieked, hateful and infuriated. He waded close enough where he could find purchase in the shifting seabed sand, which allowed him to gain stability while Howlingheatt floundered under the added weight and would give him momentum when he pounced. It also let him get a full visual of the scene before him and who exactly he was beholding. "How sweet," he sneered, "my little brother being my ex mate's knight in shivering armor. I hate to be the one to tell you this-" He didn't; he was overjoyed by it, weaponizing the one thing that neither himself nor Howlingheart ever reconciled, "you couldn't save Foxpaw then and you can't save Rosethorn now, Ravenpaw." @ian sunlight
SUMMERCLAN
Of course, leave it to Weevilspike to make a war sound fun. Sunpetal leveled her gaze to her brother's as the understanding passed between them, the siblings leaping motion. There was no pair in SummerClan as in sync as Ratstar's eldest children, spitting and clawing and spiraling and plunging and ripping through water and flesh and fur, and now it showed; they were each other's perfect half, moving in tandem and beautiful synchronicity. Invigorated, she let out am lln echoing woot! that never flourished before she felt herself tumbling back through the sand.
You’re really starting to piss me off. "I could say the same about you," she retaliated hotly, helplessly digging her claws into the ground in a vain attempt to free herself or slow her plight but all she was doing was clumping sand more and more into the undersides of her claws. It was gritty, thickening.
The water once again enveloped her. The embrace sent cold, probing shards through her veins as she floundered, the panic threatening to submerge her faster than the water would in her lungs. She wanted to scream; she wanted to fight; she wanted to-- It dawned on her in that final, futile moment between clarity and the beginnings of her periphery fuzzing as gray, noisy static seeped in. She could fight. She could live. She would.
Her body went limp. The previously writhing mop of her golden tail stilled, her paws floated towards the surface, and the desperate fight for breath ceased- just long enough to feel the grip loosen on her, and then suddenly Sunpetal was a whirlwind of movements in the inky depths. She lashed out at her attacker and slashed across the she-cat's face, the sand ground into her claws making a new home in the incisions she left behind. Seizing the opportunity, she reached for the surface just as the obsidian void grew darker, a burst of color erasing the darkness. Her opposition followed suit. "Oh, no you don't," she growled, cutting through the tide. Sunpetal placed her paws on top her now blinded foe and pressed all of her sodden weight down, "This is premium air; you have to pay extra for it- and we're closed."
When Sunpetal emerged from the sea, she dragged with her a body. It slumped as she released it.
"Bubbie," she exhaled breathlessly, eyes shining and lips trembling and a quiet tremor awakening in her, nuzzling into her brother, her best friend, for comfort. There were a lot of things she wanted to do but the night still dragged on; she muted the vulnerability as she pulled away. "Take them to the other shore. They need a guide- it has to be you. Take them and, whatever happens, keep them safe until it's time to come home, okay?" This wasn't part of the plan... at least, not the plan Sunpetal explained hours before.
Without an explanation, she shoved her nose to her brother's and then took off across the shoreline, streaking back into the wilderness towards camp... Cleaver
Pinned beneath Juniperdust was not the most dignified posture, but she seemed to be enjoying it, so the leader remained idle beneath her paws. With the battle surging around them and moving back toward the Sea, few cats seemed interested in his actions, but he tapped his captor half-heartedly on the nose with one paw just for appearances. She could hold him down if she wanted, whisper secrets in his ear to show him her loyalty, but he wasn't fully in the game today, and frankly, he did not care which clan she truly wanted to fight.
His ears pricked at the sound of approaching paws, and Stormreign reached up to Juniperdust. His muzzle brushed the tip of her ear as he murmured, "- and now it's my turn." As Sunpetal's golden fur camp into sight, he surged upward with true strength, abandoning the soft gestures of their playfight. His jaws clamped down on the soft fur of her neck, firm but not drawing blood; dragged her back down to the earth and held her beneath him.
"Stay," Stormstar told her, then looked up at Sunpetal with a bright smile. "Sunpetal, you're back. I was worried you were going to leave your father entirely undefended. I warned you about those fickle NightClan cats."
Rosethorn's feet stumbled onto the sandbar, her body leaned against a familiar frame. For a moment, it was all she could do just to breathe, to inhale oxygen into the fiery caverns of her lungs. Her throat was scorched, her legs shook, and she did nothing but vomit water back into the sea for a few seconds.
"-my little brother being my ex mate's knight in shivering armor." When her ears were clear again, she remembered where she was, what had happened, and who was speaking. It took a heartbeat and a half for the sentence to make sense, and her eyes turned in horror to Howlingheart, putting two and two together like she should've done a long time ago.
"No-" she tried to say, but her voice couldn't push past the fire in her throat. She coughed viciously, a hiss of pain in her chest, and she knew she could do nothing more. Every part of her soaked body was weak. woof @ian
Orchiddrop and Cinderflower took the two remaining kits, following Doefreckle into the water. Cinderflower drifted to Shadedsun's side, pressing against him firmly. "I'm here-" she grumbled around the scruff in her mouth. "Stay wif me- swim straight ahead. You're fine."
Her mother took the hint and circled to Shadedsun's other side, the two acting as guides for the tom to cross the water safely. In the chaos and hell unfolding around them, it was vital to leave no one behind. foxgoldcrest
Juniperdust relaxed under Stormstar's hold, debating her options in her head. She was still betting on Nightclan to be the winners of all this, so she followed the tom instead of a loyalty to her birth clan. Without much effort, she squirmed, trying to appear as if she were putting up a fight. "Sunpetal- help, please!" She called, modulating her tone to include the right amount of fear.
Sunpetal's jaw was set, an intensity in the glare that met Stormstar's smile. There was something about the fight between him and Juniperdust that didn't sit right with her- but that was an observation reserved for a future time, ironed out by the steel in her weary bones.
"You did warn me," she agreed, the brass of the tom linking with the metallic bitterness in her mouth. She swallowed it back; she couldn't afford to be sick right now, despite how her stomach rolled and toiled and turned, like a body crashing in the swells of the Southern Sea. "They're all becoming quite taken by the sea," she remarked, "though your cats don't seem to be such good swimmers. It looks to me like Aspenstar underestimated her opposition, so I'd like you to send her a message for me."
Sunpetal moved closer to the tom, that insane victorious glow in her sapphire eyes. Aspenstar was her real target, but Stormstar was collateral in this whole fiasco, a victim of a luckless gamble. "SummerClan is no longer in need of your services. Feel free to release my clanmate now and take what remains of your clan- or I'll be forced to get violent." This tom was older than her, a former commander, the years of his life written across his body and in his lazy arrogance, and Sunpetal was drained and exhausted from her mad break through the territory, the fight for her life in the ocean, and the new weight on her conscience; but where all Stormstar had to lose was his counterfeit throne, she had much greater stakes in this war.
She wasn't going to back down until one of them was dead.
The ruddy she-cat slowed when Foxpaw found a partner; but, instead of stopping, she trotted a wide circle around the two of them, her gaze picking apart the apprentice’s wheezing chest, Fallenredemption’s guilty, anxious glare, their legs, ears, whiskers. So, Foxpaw had fallen back on NightClan training — bravo for him, four gold stars to little Foxpaw; he just made one little error in judgement, one tiny little slip. As excellently as he might have been trained to slip into synchronicity with another cat, Fallenredemption hadn’t. One-sided military pre-eminence could only go so far before they fell out of step, before eight limbs became six became four, before the Red Guard warrior was a burden or the apprentice was. Oh, but he was such a clever little boy, to be thinking like daddy had taught him.
“More blood on your paws, Foxpaw?” she asked cheerily. “First your dad gets so mad about you leaving him that he and your new mom invade a Clan — and now you’re going to get this warrior killed, too?” She was quiet for a moment, looking at Foxpaw with a strange, thin, dimpled smile, a sighing smile, one corner of her lips scrunching her cheek up. Then, finally, she shrugged. “Alright.”
With that, she launched herself at Fallenredemption, catching him around the neck and swinging around to land atop his back like a nightmare spider. Pausing only to flash a provocative grin at Foxpaw, she tilted her head back and plunged her teeth into the back of the Red Guard’s neck. “Protect your new Clanmate!” she invited Foxpaw, her eyes snapping to the side to grin at him and her voice muffled by Fallenredemption’s fur and blood. @ian ashestoashes
(i’ll kill him next reply so foxpaw can get to the sea, if that’s what you’re aiming for ian and if that’s okay with you ashes! <3 i’ll give him a good, brave send-off <3)
SUMMERCLAN
Doe! He whipped his head around from where he’d been anxiously staring sidewards across the sea, towards the silhouette of Rosethorn. “Yes,” he answered immediately, voice soft and anxious and muffled by the kit’s scruff in his mouth. His brows pushed together at the sight of Shaded’s fear and, with his own fear rushing out of him at the all-consuming need to be there for him, he waded back through the waves to stop in front of him, his eyes so focused on Shaded that he hardly registered Cinderflower and Orchiddrop on either side of him. “You’re okay,” he assured him, quiet and gentle, leaning up to slowly touch his nose to Shaded’s to ground and orient him, careful with the kit still held in his jaws. Its little paws kneaded at his throat. “Just follow me.” Staying facing him, Doe moved backwards through the water, holding Shaded’s blind gaze even if he couldn’t see him. Around them the confused, screaming battle still raged; but he hardly heard it, his world narrowed in and his heart slowing to beat serenely in his chest. Even his breathing slowed.
When finally they reached the edge of the sand back, where it suddenly dropped into cold, open water, he stopped and told him quietly, “you’re going to have to swim now. Your fur won’t weigh you down; you’re strong; you’ll be fine. Which one of us has the broken limb?” He grinned at that, his voice warm with faint laughter and his eyes soft as he looked up at him. “Just keep your head up.” With that, and careful to crane his neck up to keep the kit safely above the water, Doe dropped back into the open sea, shivering at the sudden flood of cold; it had been warmer in the shelter of the cove, but now it was black and icy.
“Cinderflower, do you know where we’re going?” he asked, slightly shaky and out of breath from the cold, drifting his tail through the water to touch Shaded’s shoulder as he spoke. He wasn’t as familiar with the beaches and coves as they were; when he’d first been alive, SummerClan’s borders hadn’t stretched to the sea. He let the she-cat take the lead and fell back to swim with Shaded, hoping too that a mission would distract Cinderflower from thoughts of Sunpetal. goldcrestsunlight
Weevilspike had been pacing back and forth on the beach, terrified, watching as his sister and the NightClan she-cat grappled in the waves; each time Sunpetal disappeared beneath them, he held his breath, claws curling into the sand and his body growing still, until she reappeared, when his breath would burst from him on the edge of a cry. And when, finally, she dragged the body out to him, he exploded into a beaming, relieved grin and raced to meet her, letting out happy bursts of laughter as he pulled his smaller sister into a crushing hug, burying his nose in her dripping fur.
And then, suddenly, she was pulling back and speaking, staring into his eyes with a look of steel that he’d never seen before NightClan had invaded. But he knew her better than anyone, and beneath all the steel he saw something else: fear. He wanted to argue - desperately wanted to argue - but he knew better. He didn’t even need to ask where she was going; he didn’t need to know — he trusted her without speaking. Nodding frantically, he turned to watch her go in tight, buzzing silence. Only when she had almost vanished from sight up the cliffs did he suddenly break his silence and call out plaintively, like a kit in the dark, “come back.” Come back alive. Come back safe. Come back to us. Brother and sister held each other’s gaze, one on the towering cliff, one on the beach in the rising tide. And then she was gone.
Turning, Weevilspike let out a shuddering breath, gathering himself together, and shook out his fur. Then, he splashed back into the sea. With Rosethorn fighting for her life and his sister gone, he was in charge. These were his people now. “Come on,” he called to Sunfreckle, looking lost in the waves. His voice was filled with teasing, drill-sergeant irritation at her slacking. Swimming over to her, he nudged her with warm roughness, unfreezing her, and, plastering on a cheery smile, like this was just a swim at the beach, jerked his head towards the other SummerClan cats heading for the hidden shore. “Quit napping on the job, soldier. Showtime, round three.” He looked out at Canarynight bristling on the shore. “You mind if I borrow her?” he called, then clicked his tongue and gave him a wink. “C’mon, girlie,” he added to Sunfreckle with the familial fondness of a Clanmate, shoving her along. simplylight
"I'm fine. I'm fine." He repeated, hesitantly moving ahead. "Thank you," he breathed. It was difficult to tell where he was, and though he knew his surroundings were nothing but water, it felt like a million unknowns. You’re okay. He nodded, followed behind, and with more steps it became a little easier. The sand felt strange under his paws, firm but flowing, and the waves left a peculiar texture on it. Then they stopped, and the calm feeling washed away. Which one of us has the broken limb? Despite that, he let out a humourless laugh at the words. Though he did feel bad — he wasn't the only one struggling, and certainly there were more important cats to worry about.
"I can do that." He said, voice still unsteady. He moved forward until he had no option other than to swim. He took in a large, gulping breath, like he would go under any minute, but he paddled anyway, head tilted up so that his nose was almost pointing at the stars above him. He hated the feel of it, the coldness, the uncertainty, the way he felt it on his skin, how it pulled at his fur. sunlightfox
SUNFRECKLE
She blinked again, vision still slightly clouded from both the water and her exhaustion. She shook her head, cringing at the clogged feeling in her ears, but it made her realize how much of her had actually been submerged underwater — just enough above to keep her breathing, going, until she hit land again. Come on. Sunfreckle looked towards the voice, eyes narrowing, trying to comprehend the words. At the touch, she startled slightly, blinked like everything just clicked.
"Right — sorry!" She stood up, swaying slightly. "I don't —" She cut herself off, lips thinning, simply nodded and splashed back into action, trying to shake off her weariness. Looking towards the shore, her eyes found Canarynight still on her trail. You mind if I borrow her? She offered a small laugh.
"He's been following me pretty much the whole time. Someone must be bored." She let out a deep exhale, moved towards the hidden shore. It was a little easier with company, she noticed, the energy of another keeping her own up.
SUMMERCLAN Netherpaw was out of breath from leading a very persistent Nightclan cat towards a trap and heading to their rendezvous part, but he had made it and lost the warrior following him in a particularly nasty trap. He wondered if they had been terribly injured but did not dwell on it, right now it was everyone for themselves. He was relatively unscathed with only a nasty cut along his shoulder blade and a few scrapes here and there, the cool water stung as he walked into it. He was a pretty strong swimmer and could find refuge in the waters if necessary, but was close enough to help his clanmates if needed.
Post by Shadowbladeღ on Nov 13, 2021 0:29:48 GMT -5
/ "you," he gently tapped Nebulous-sight's foreleg with his paw / Nebulous-sight tried to follow along with whatever tense situation may or may not be underway, and at the touch of another, he even looked down at his leg. Partly out of surprise since well he couldn't see it coming, and as he looked back up and vaguely in Doefreckle's direction, he took the note he was being addressed in the plan. He shuffled closer and prepared to be handed a kit. Personally, he didn't care for swimming anymore, just because the waves moved him without any sense of direction or how fast, so he simply kept it to a minimum so long as he was with at least one friend for guidance.
/ “Okay, time to go,” / He gently picked up a designed kit and tuned in to his clanmates as he tried to swiftly follow along from a tail-lenghts distance to avoid accidental bumping. From here on out he may be completely reliant on only their scents and subtle sounds. At least his long legs should be useful for something: more efficient and strong enough that it erased the fear of tiring out and getting lost. He long perfected swimming quietly in strides to keep an ear out and the combination keep him calm and focused as unnerving the scents of Nightclan had made him.
"Doe!" The tabby tom slowed, turning his ear and half turned his head in the other's direction confused as to what was wrong and concerned but as he considered the risk of changing direction and getting 'turned around' he heard Cinderflower's muffled voice and then Doefreckle's over the splashing and something about the prolonged heartfelt scene he could only hear was worth a smile. He purred to himself with an embolden spirit; he couldn't be any more prouder to be a SummerClan cat! They all deserved a fresh flower crown after this waterlogged adventure.
He spared a single glance down at the warrior beneath him. He couldn't let her go without giving up their ruse, but holding her too long was going to be a burden.
"Sorry, I'm confused," Stormstar replied mildly, looking back up at Sunpetal. "Is that the message for Aspenstar? It felt like you were talking to me."
He cast a long, appraising look over the surrounding camp. It was nearly empty of warriors; if anything, he felt more relaxed now that they were alone. Stormstar stepped off of Juniperdust and moved halfway to Sunpetal, looking her up and down with a critical eye. She had always been shorter than him, but sodden to the bone now, she looked hardly older than an apprentice, diminutive, a kit playing at a warrior's game.
"- or I'll be forced to get violent."
"Yeah, you do that." Stormstar crooked one brow as he turned away from her, from the enemy at his back, and strolled toward his den. Every step was laden with arrogance and condescension; he knew the measure of these cats, their weakness and inexperience, and neither of them posed a true threat to him.
Even a SummerClan kit, green to the world and sheltered from hardship, was taught to do better than turn their back to their foe. It was always better to take your strikes from the front, rather than look like a coward fleeing a fight. Sunpetal gritted her teeth at the insult. "Fine- let's get violent."
Her candor summoned the last recesses of her strength, propelling her toward Stormstar, her anger an almost visible wreath of flames scintillating around her. The first blow was the warning- her claws grazed his flank, only nicking the skin beneath his coarse fur- and she dashed out of reach of his ensuing strike, surprisingly nimble despite her drowned appearance and single moon of training. She crouched down as he faced her again, a taunting smirk splitting her features like a great chasm would fracture the earth. Cleaver
Post by ashestoashes on Nov 13, 2021 17:05:00 GMT -5
FALLENREDEMPTION The she cat had climbed onto him in a flash and just as quickly sank her teeth deep into the back of his neck. He felt as warm blood streamed down onto his shoulders to drip on the floor. Fallenredemption yowled in rage and pain as he attempted to land hard on his back. Two could play this game and he would stall her as long as he could. "Foxpaw flee! I will do my best to deal with her but you need to go. Run as fast and as far as you can. Find more help if you can but don't let her goading get to you. FLEE!" He landed with a ooomf as he swiped his unsheathed claws around hoping to snag her hard. Perhaps leave a good reminder of whom he was onto her. He would go down swinging. This was what he could do at the very least for his clan, even if only one cat was saved that was all that mattered to him. @ian fox (Go for it! Time to let this good ol boy go down)
Juniperdust took the opportunity to run as Sunpetal and Stormstar sparred. Later, she could always blame it on fear or something- but in reality, she was seeking out other ways to turn the battle in Nightclan's favor. Stormstar could handle Sunpetal without her help.
Orchiddrop and Cinderflower stuck close to the others, until their paws found purchase on the safety of sand on the other side. They crowded together, among the other cats who had made it to the rendezvous point, and Orchiddrop counted her kits. All four, safe and sound- though three of them were mewling and squirming in protest.
Concerned, Orchiddrop sniffed Daylightkit, who was still laying rather quietly. To her alarm, she felt the heat of fever rolling off her ears, and a growing smell of sickness on her weak and feeble form. "Doefreckle! Daylightkit is sick. Can you find Vulturemalice?" Her first litter had had their own bouts of sickness, but Daylightkit was very young still, and the runt of the litter to boot- not to mention that this was an incredibly inconvenient time. foxbaewolf
