development CAN YOU FACE YOUR TRUE FEELINGS? ✶ border skirmish

Cold, cold. And each day, it only grew colder. The sun hung tauntingly in the sky, tricking her with visions of heat and warmth with the real world was just a frozen husk of its former self. And of course, the forest reflects that. Newly a warrior and she barely has to chance to show off her stuff with how scarce things have become. Hibernation, or whatever. Something stupid prey did. And when did patrols come back empy-pawed? Practically never, not that she's seen, and not that she wants hers to be the first of the season.

Morningpaw shoots her a glance. Then another, and she knows she's itchin' to go home. So is she, but she couldn't in good conscience, not while their bellies are empy and cold. There's some hope though-! A flash of red first. It reminds her of her own first catch, and, swift, Finchcatcher dashes forward. "Ay, nice!" she chirps. She can revel in the hint of relief on Morningpaw's face for a sec.

Skyclan scent is near, and she knows that, but she doesn't expect the first inkling of them to be screeched from that dumbass apprentice from before. Wolfwind rolls her eyes, a retort on her tongue, and then the pounces on her apprentice. Wolfwind gapes, slack-jawed. She'd like to claw the ears off him but she's too busy looking like a dumbass to do so. A screech sounds behind the apprentice, and, thank the stars, she thinks. His mentor here to smack some sense into him, but her dismay- "What the hell is your problem?!" she shouts, suddenly furious. She'd thought it was a joke, outlandish declaration by the words of some shrimp, but they're serious. They're fucking serious.

She'd be gnawing on that apprentice's leg herself if Roepaw wasn't doing so already. "Watch eachother's backs!" she snaps to the pair of apprentices. A little less than whiplash, strain of her muscle, she leaps for @churrodream, claws outstretched. It's hardly elegent, but why would a bunch of kibble-chewing Skyclanners notice? "Like you need the damn squirrel while you're getting fat on pellets all leaf-bare!" she spits. She hopes, hopes, she can take some pressure off of Flamewhisker.​
 

"Oh, I'm your favorite? Good to kno-AGH-GHH!" Teeth latched down onto his foreleg and he returned the favor by lunging forward to try clamp his own teeth down onto her ear; while generally vicious he didn't want to actually rip it off so the clenching of his jaw was carefully balanced-if he got a grip he'd make it hurt, but she could keep her pretty ear.
Behind him he could Deersong shouting at him, but to his surprise she is just as angry and if she intended to scold him for bolting across the border it is all but forgotten them moment she saw why he was shouting to begin with. Suddenly there are more SkyClanners, pride surges in his chest for once because he always felt his clanmates to soft to offer much resistance to their enemies and while ThunderClan was far from some WindClan border patrol they deserved their punishment for trespassing as they had. If only they had been this vicious to defend when Coyotepaw was taken from them, he wondered if he'd ever forgive them, if he'd ever forgive himself.
Shaking his head he would try to pull away from @. Roepaw . , ripping his leg from her grasp with a sharp yelp before he's stepping back to brace himself to attack once more, his teeth visible in a snide smile; this wasn't supposed to be fun but he couldn't help but enjoy the thrill of it. Wasn't letting them keep that squirrel, but he'd let them keep their hides.
"Show me what you got, weird deer."
​
 

Lightpaw scratched his face, and even though it bled, he did not wince. This was nothing. Hooked at Lightpaw with no malice, for he had none. His smokey black pelt was not bristling yet.

He felt claws dig into his back. He turned his head to look at Nightbird, again with no malice.

"You'll have to do better than that, lass." He said, and with a burst of movement and energy, he began to buck like a stallion furious that someone had the gall to try and tame it.

And he was aiming to bash @nightbird against a tree. Not fatally, he wasn't here to kill. He was here to beat cats until they gave up. He knew going for the throat would cause even more trouble than just this.


​
 
( ♬ ) Deersong, despite her wispy appearance and soft features, was far from a novice when it came to fighting. Her eyes followed every movement her opponent made with deadly precision, every muscle twitch, every breath he took she counted.

Her gaze would flicker from his claws to his steps, to his tail movements; her father's instructions ringing in her mind as she moved. 'watch their movements. how they lean, where their gaze flickers; their bodies will always betray what their next moves are.' His claws slice the delicate flesh on her shoulder, but other than a quiet hiss of pain, she doesn't stop and doesn't hesitate as she continues to snap and nip in her attempts to drive him further back.

She subconsciously registers Foxgeckers' assistance, her body language changing like a switch as the tom was pushed away from her, falling and grunting from the impact of the hard earth beneath them. The deputy would fall into a crouch then, one guarded and expertly practiced as she faced Finchcatcher once more. A low growl of warning rips from her throat, but the tom launches himself at Foxgecker next, and the molly is right behind him.

His taunt only enrages her further. The lack of common sense, the audacity. Deersong was slowly morphing into a beast. Eyes usually half-lidded in peace were now narrowed in fury at the betrayal the Thunderclanners had shown. The praises they had sung to each other over stolen prey; made her stomach turn. The peace the two clans had known; was shattered because they could not be bothered to remember, or care about, where simple borderlines were. As Finchcatcher aims for her clanmate's form, Deersong lets out a screech of warning, before she takes the chance opening to try to sink her own fangs into the toms scruff and dig her claws into the his back while his jaws and claws were busy with Foxgecker.


//
@FINCHCATCHER @FOXGECKER
​

( LET YOU BREAK; MY HEART AGAIN )
 
A part of him didn't wish to spill this young warrior's blood, didn't feel quenched by the lines cut through her face. Her battle cry sings, like a lioness- he'd give her that respect. He was quiet, no yowl or caterwaul but a symphony of feral growls and hisses through teeth.

Wetness pours at his shoulders- pain worthy of staggering a bull, shoots through his arm where it meets the neck, pouring out hot red but freezing like ice lightning down his limbs. The Thunderclanner lashes through his skin and sinew alike and Thistleback growls out with each painful slice, but adrenaline blinds him. Anger that didn't all belong to Thunderclan fueling him like wildfire.

His wound was deep, angry and would definitely scar. Yet, he still does not find fault, does not focus this hatred he feels. It does not belong to Thunderclan, just as this squirrel does not. " Leave it to Thunderclanners to lie with such confidence." he finally grinds out, flinching strategically away from her frenzied claws before charging forward again. aiming to topple her over and attempting to draw his teeth around her lower forelimb. " My kits will eat tonight. " his voice is tired and tapers off with heavy breaths, his already aching shoulders beat like a heart singing with a deeper pain. He realizes the meals he had missed, how it both powered him and weakened him.

This battle was pointless. A straw had simply broken a camel's back. An alliance to be severed, at the paw of greed. He fights the urge to look away and make sure Deersong wasn't hurt.

​

OOC INFO REF
  • — @Flamewhisker
  • MqZ0nzd.png
    ✧ T H I S T L E B A C K
    thirty-three moons
    — warrior of Skyclan
    — taken by
    Deersong 9.29.22
    — mentoring quillpaw
    — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes. ･ﾟ✧​
  • bVBPWus.png
​
 
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I TOLD YOU ONCE, I CAN'T DO THIS AGAIN​
Morbid as it is, Roepaw cannot help but feel the small twinge of satisfaction when Snowpaw's words burst into a surprised cry, she sinks thorn-like teeth down further, but is stopped with an icy chill when something grips down onto her ear.
She winces from where she is pinned, feeling his own needle sharp fangs pool burning pain from where he had clamped down.
The sound of her own ragged breath blends together with his, and momentarily the screeches of battle are drowned out.
Her heart squeezes, and her ear begins to throb.
How long is he going to-
Her mouth goes cold, and teeth clash in on themselves when Snowpaw rips himself backwards.
Not missing a beat, Roepaw rolls to her stomach but remains crouched, tail whipping to and fro as her eyes glaze over his smile, she meets with her own defiant lift of her chin and a subtle narrowing of her eyes.
"Weird deer? And you call me unoriginal!" She scoffs, but not taking a moment to see if the ivory apprentice was able to hear her over all the screeching before she'd tense up as if she were about to lunge, but instead she'd use her forepaw to scoop up a generous amount of both mud and snow, blended together to make an unappetizing slush, and aim to fling it in the direction of Snowpaw, hoping for the wad of earth to smack him right in the face. Not exactly as violent of a move as her counterpart would have done, but Roepaw didn't have any interest in actually hurting him- if she even could.
Whether the mud hit her target or not, she'd take the opportunity of distraction and lunge towards him, claws outstretched she'd aim to grapple onto either his head or shoulders and dig her claws in
"I guess those paw-holding lessons didn't work out, huh frosty?" If her attack were to have worked, she'd make sure the tom heard that comment before she'd aim- impulsively she'd admit to use her own head to smash against his with a howl of exertion before the two could topple back down to the ground.
Her skills in combat are dull, and that much would show in her sloppy technique- but she didn't really care, as long as she could land a hit.

@Snowpaw
"speech."​

 
Thistleback appears and she feels relieved, if only for a moment. She swallows hard before she lands and she hisses in pain as her teeth knock in to a shoulder, but they dig in and blood floods her mouth. She wears guilt like a scarf, the blood choking out her senses until Flamewhisker retaliates. She drops off and claws tear at her cheek as she yanks bank, ears flattened as she hisses back. "You crossed the border and sung praises of it!" her voice is a growl in her throat. She seems to be focused on Thistleback so she slinks forth once more.

Until another caterwaul raises. Shes ambushed as she whips around to face it and a loud yelp rises from her throat as claws flash. Her bowtie doesn't save her this time, being too low from the lunge she had done earlier. Claws dig deep across her throat, a strangled whine leaving her mouth as she stumbles back. Theres blood in her mouth and Churro can't tell if its hers at this point, wide-eyed and staring at Wolfwind. The pain is agony, fire igniting in her bones, an itch she cannot get rid of and she coughs, blood flying from her mouth. Oh- Oh, oh, she's dying! The blood coats her chest and she feels a bit weak in her legs. She pants, gasps for air in her panic because she didn't think it'd end like this. No, no, she was supposed to go back home. She was supposed to return to camp, she was supposed to see Red. She was supposed to, supposed to- "You- You killed me! I'm gonna die. Vulture, I can't leave Vulture-"

She slightly stumbles with another cough, strained, panic in her chest. She didn't want to die. No, not like this. Shes on the edge of hyperventilation, staring as the blood coats her legs, stains the earth. Anger suddenly floods her face. She was supposed to finish Greenpaw's training. She was supposed to watch over Vulturekit, how would she be able to if she was dead? Blazestar had trusted her with both of them, she couldn't, no, can't let him down. She was supposed to return to her family. If she was going to die, she'd take this damn cat with her!

No, Vulturekit would not be left with another body. She'll make it home, even if the anger is fleeting faster than she bleeds. She swallows and just now does she realize everything sounds kinda distant and underwater. No worries, no worries, she'll just... Churro springs, attempting to slash her claws down the expanse of Wolf's flank, now only fueled by self-preservation.

This was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake and now she won't even get to see Red's face when she returns. Her stomach hurts and her strength is kind of fading. She just... Hopes a miracle happens. She'd let them have the damn squirrel at this point, but she guesses it was never truly about that after all.

// @WOLFWIND ​
"speech"​
 

Flamewhisker — I'll sleep when I'm dead

Blood dripped from her claws as some of her blows were successful. Taking a moment to glance at her alabaster paws that were now stained scarlet, she felt her stomach twist uneasily. This wasn't her blood, it was the blood of another. She had never heart another like this, and she did not like it, but she had to defend her clan. She wasn't a loner anymore, she was a warrior.

The wounds on her face burned, and her vision was starting to blur. Was it from the blood dripping down her eye, or was the adrenaline rush starting to take it's toll on her hunger weakened body? She swung another set of claws at the bigger tom, but he was able to dodge her ever growing weighted paw.

"Thunderclan kits will eat tonight." This was a father who was afraid for his kit's survival. She pushed back a wave of guilt. Just because he had kits, that didn't mean her clan's kits had to go hungry again. No...she needed to push back her emotions. If she kept thinking, she was bound to make a mis-

The wind was knocked from her, and she found herself underneath her attacker. Teeth pierced her forearm, and she immediately attempted to draw her other paw with exposed claws at his shoulder, while attempting to use her back legs to kick his belly hoping to get him off.

//
@ThistleBack
​
 
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to her satisfaction, she feels the weight of another falter beneath her own and her claws slice through skin. there's a garbled yelp from the other, and violetpaw laughs, her teeth bared into a snarling grin. every muscle is coiled, every nerve ablaze. adrenaline rushes through her veins, pounds in her skull. this is what a real battle is; the coppery scent of blood in her nose and the yowls of her enemies as she strikes. here, the spars in the sandy ravine seems like kiddie shit.

it's terrifying, and it's thrilling.

her opponent stumbles away from violetpaw's reach, growling that they're picking on the wrong clan. he doesn't sound any older than violetpaw, herself. good, she thinks. that means we're an even match! "you picked the wrong clan to steal prey from!" she bites back with another derisive laugh. skyclan'll teach them to keep their greedy paws on their side of the border!

there's sudden movement in front of her, the vibrations in the air reverberating through her perked whiskers. but violetpaw could not detect it fast enough to dodge; the young she-cat is brought down by the other's shove, grunting as her back connects with the ground painfully. before she could attempt to push him off, there's a sharp pain in her shoulder, piercing through her skin. she's never experienced this burning agony, nor has she felt the trickle of her own blood. it draws a scream from her lungs. "bastard!" violetpaw tries to pummel his underbelly with her hind paws, while she swings her free forearm at his head, hoping to dislodge his fangs from her shoulder.

@LIGHTPAW .​
 

a small grin made it's way onto her face as a pale paw swiped out and made contact with the large feline below her. she only was able to relish in the small victory for a moment, before the skyclanner spoke. taunting her. "please," nightbird scoffed venomously "i fully plan on it."

she wasn't worried as mountainheart began bouncing around, she had a tight grip on the tom. one she had no plans of releasing. the warrior sent a quick glance around for a way to get this back in her favor when she saw a fast approaching object. mountainheart was aiming to throw her right into the tree, something that would likely not end pretty for either of them. she made a split decision to abort her mount, rolling off the tom but leaving her front claws planted in an attempt to rake them down his flank. unfortunately for her, she wasn't quick enough to avoid all of the tree's wrath. her hind leg, already injured from long ago, was trapped. the force of the large cat's weight paired with the contact from the stationary object sent a familiar pain down to her paw.

the small feline landing in an awkward position, yanking her leg from it's wedged position with grit teeth and a frustrated hiss. although the adrenaline was running to high for her to feel the brunt of it's pain now, surely whenever this died down she would bare it's full force. despite it, she was back on her feet and trying not to let rage cloud her vision. nightbird forfeited her own recovery, to send a quick attack back to @Mountainheart. she lurched forward again, this time aiming her claws for anywhere she could reach on his head or face. the face bled fast and easily, if she could distort his vision for the duration of the fight, then there was one less skyclanner to worry about. whether or not she landed the attack, she would continue her assault by aiming a bite to his neck. by no means would it be deep enough to do much damage, but it would be sent as a silent warning. showing that she did not want his death on her paws, but was willing to do what she had to for her and thunderclan's safety.​
[ ☾✩ ]​

 
❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
That initial panic the other seemed to have been feeling subsided rapidly, the unexpected laughter bringing him to falter, if only a little. Lightpaw shook it off, snarling with renewed fury. The fighting around him is all but muffled to his ears, narrowed green stare for once locked on the opponent before him. "It's ThunderClan prey!" he spat back immediately. "Born in our territory! Find your own!"

Her screech upon the contact of his fangs with her flesh was nearly enough to make him let go as the tang of blood flooded his mouth and nose. No. This wasn't training. This was real. He was no killer, but he would make her think twice before challenging him!

The insult, coupled with aggressive pounding against his belly, earned a staggered snarl from Lightpaw, muffled by her fur. Although the kicking hurt, it was the whack to his face that finally got him to let go, jerking back with a shake of his head. He wouldn't let her get up so easily, not if he could help it.

She was heavier than him, but Lightpaw was willing to gamble with the possibility that he was stronger in a test of strength, once again trying to plant himself on top of her, claws sinking into her ashy pelt as a means of staying there and gripping as tightly as he could, trying to press her face into the cold dirt. "Give up!" he snarled. "Go home!"
[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]
———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​
​
 

Jay doesn't quite understand what's going on at first. One moment, he's out hunting for some dead grass to repack his nest and the next, there's an eruption of shouting that turns to shuffling and hissing. Jaypaw's first instinct is to squirrel away somewhere but instead he goes toward the noises, breaking through a grouping of withered bushes (vaguely aware it's into Skyclan territory) to catch sight of the cats drawing blood. His baby blues widen and desperately try to gather some sense of the situation but his instincts tell him that there's no time for that. Especially when he sees his own clanmates out there being harassed and he can't understand why and it pauses him. He notices one of the Skyclanners that had just visited them, the dark red one. Was it all just a ploy? Or maybe, maybe just some misunderstanding. Yet what breaks him from his trance is simple- he catches sight of his mentor.

Flame's face is bleeding as she's thrown to the ground by a gnarly looking tom (another he recognizes and much bigger than Flame) and heart pounding panic bristles its way from his scruff to his tail tip. His thoughts flash back to his mother. The dog, the blood in the garden. His heart wrenches to think of losing Flamewhisker too and an expression mostly alien on Jaypaw's usually cheerful face emerges: rage. The apprentice snarls and grits his teeth hard enough to hurt before launching himself past the thunking bodies. "Get the hell off of her!" Jaypaw's never fought before so he doesn't really know what to do and so he just seeks out whatever flesh he can hopefully get his claws into. The young cat leaps for @ThistleBack 's back leg, aiming to sink his claws and teeth into the tom's flesh and attempting to undermine his balance.​
[ I'M THE HERO THAT SAVES ME ]​
 
WE'VE BEEN DOIN' ALL THIS LATE NIGHT TALKIN' ✧​
Fireflypaw never thought that choosing to stay with his father this time would cause him to be so far from his siblings; he'd thought that because.. Because he wanted to be close to Mushroomkit, to Butterflypaw, to Blightpaw- that everything.. Everything would be okay. He's so wrong. He can hear the cries of battle not too far from where he was trying to hunt, eyes widening in shock. "Maggot-man, something's wrong- I need to.. I need-" ..to go protect my siblings. He doesn't get to finish this thought, eyes aching as he rushes through the forest as quick as he could. He stumbles over his big paws, barely managing to right himself just in time to keep running. Dirt is flung up behind him, and he gets to the scene long after the fighting has begun. He spots Burnpaw in the distance, sees his sisters- horror fills his body, making him go cold.

"Stop! Stop it!" He shouts at his clanmates, at all of his clanmates. But it all falls on deaf ears, swallowed by the yowls of pain and anger. They were starving, all of them were. Tears well up in his eyes, but he hears Jaypaw yell out at Thistleback. Thistle was going after Flamewhisker- confliction. Should he.. No, he couldn't. But he needed to. Thistleback had kits, too- not just Flamewhisker.

Running over to help Quillpaw's mentor, Fireflypaw uses his weight to attempt to bowl right into Jaypaw's side, attempting to entangle the two of them into a ball of spitting fur away from the greyscale tom. If successful, he'd then try to pin @JAYWISH to the ground. He sniffs, his own lack of training making him clumsy. "I don't want to fight you, Jaypaw-" His voice cracks, but I can't let you hurt Thistleback.

// currently fighting with jaypaw! mentioned @CRIMSONBITE ​
 

They were all cold, hungry, and starting to feel the tinge of starvation. The hunt was a simple one - it shouldn't have gone this bad.

Howlpaw knew as soon as they spotted the SkyClan patrol that things wouldn't go well. Any hopes that things might reach a peaceful conclusion were dashed when Snowpaw launched himself across the border. Howlpaw was too stunned by what happened next to react too much. Cats who were friends, supposedly allies, had flung themselves at each other. Claws raked against skin, drawing blood, sending fur flying. "Stop it! Stop it!" Howlpaw cried out to no one in particular. "We're supposed to be friends!"

But her pleas fall on deaf ears. She watches as her friends from both sides come together, spitting and hissing at each other. Her eyes dart around wildly, looking for someone to steady herself but it's all just a disaster. The world spins, the smell of blood stings her nose, and she's afraid. What she does spot is Lightpaw trying to pin Violetpaw. Regardless of whether he was successful, Howlpaw rushes over to try and intervene, trying to shove Lightpaw away from Violetpaw. "Lightpaw, stop!" She would snap at him. "It doesn't have to be this way!!"

// Mentioning @LIGHTPAW . and @VIOLETPAW ​
 

Claws are quick to whirl on him and he is trying his best not to inflict wounds upon those that held some high esteem in his eyes. Yet claws that tear and rip at his own flesh make him angry, seeing boiling rage as he is being attacked over something that he knows is not their's. His teeth snap then as he lashes out with his own claws, aiming to try and tear them across @FINCHCATCHER 's face. To try and force him back into Deersong charging attack. "Should have caught it?! Mon dieu! If it was actually on Thunderclan land then you should have stopped when it crossed the border onto ours! You can't just take something that rightfully belongs to us!" The squirrel is coming with them rather he likes it or not. They should have known better. His large frame moves then and aims to snap his teeth onto the male's shoulder and drag him to the ground after Deersong's attack.

It will be best if they leave, Skyclan needs this meal. More than they can understand. Not all of them are Daylight warriors and those that struggle will continue to do so until newleaf arrives. Something they don't seem to understand but that is fine. He will defend his home and what access to prey that they have despite everything. The large tom's hackles are raised. Blood pooling from multiple wounds and torn flesh but he stands like an imposing golem.​
 
Blood washed over his pallet as he pins down the Thunderclanner, but his grip on her loosens with her target on his wounded shoulder. It deals a thousand stings of a scorpion to his skin.

Thunderclan kits will eat tonight, the words fester for a moment and it gives Thistleback a chance to remember that Blazestar's kits were among the thrash. It made him pause, hesitate, just a moment. It was enough to draw his eyes up and around. Suddenly, the guardian devil is torn at the horns. What did this mean? Blazestar, he probably feared this day would come. Thistleback doesn't feel guilt nor sympathy, probably wasn't designed to but he did feel something. He didn't want Blazestar's family ripped apart like his.

A clamp of tiny needles and knives dig into his heel and Thistleback coils a fist of claws back and swings on spinal axis ready to drive nails into eyesockets but stops his arm mid-way. Kid, his mind chimes in time. He snarls and slams his paw viciously back down to the ground and yanks his hindleg from the Thunderclan apprentice's mouth with a growl. In time for Fireflypaw to whisk into the warfare toward Jaypaw.

The pressure of his shoulder, the hunger pitted under his ribs, it made her kicks feel like a horse's hooves to the stomach. Thistleback jostles and twists backward and away, aims a jack-rabbit kick with his apprentice-bitten leg toward her chest so he could right himself. Coughing hoarsely from bruised ribs, " Too much has been taken… too much lost. We've had enough. " he's shaking his head, grey eyes seeing through his opponent. Deeply lost to it all. He wanted to slaughter the rogues that killed Centipedepaw, to smother Sootstar and Coyotepaw's father in the soft grasses of the hillsides. This fight felt empty, and his cup of misplaced anger runneth over.

" You arrogant thieves…are just like those Windclan moles " he spits out, knowing now what he was feeling. proper grief, like a muzzled dog with the hand that beats him dangling in front of his caged maw.

​

OOC INFO REF
  • — @Flamewhisker / mentioned @JAYWISH
  • MqZ0nzd.png
    ✧ T H I S T L E B A C K
    thirty-three moons
    — warrior of Skyclan
    — taken by
    Deersong 9.29.22
    — mentoring quillpaw
    — very muscular piebald black and white tom with spiky fur and cold silver-grey eyes. ･ﾟ✧​
  • bVBPWus.png
​
 

She turns into a beast before him, gnashing teeth and narrowed eyes. A fearsome sight that had a chance to cause Finchcatcher to bolt, had something so important not been at play. He doesn't get the chance to dodge her strikes this time, teeth digging into the back of his neck, an all too familiar site of injury for him.

The tom shouts, twists back as claws drag down his back. He's losing. He can't lose this. Finchcatcher strikes back, claws reaching to dig into her sides. He isn't sure if his claws land, a force hitting him back almost immediately - a red paw, across his face. His head moves with the force, a ringing in his ears as blood begins to gather, to spill.

How much blood had already spilled? From him, from his clan? He can't help but to wonder, can't help to wonder if anyone else was struck down as bad as he was.

"It never... he starts, voice rough and labored, forced out in the throes of battle. Paws pushing at the red warrior, claws aiming to sink into the feline's chest in an effort to keep his opponents away from the squirrel, "It never belonged to you!"

His eyes catch sight of the Howlpaw, of her siblings. Half-clan kids, thrown into a battle between their parents' clans. SkyClan, he remembers. Cosmospaw. Had he... was he here too? Eyes dart around quickly as he hopes not to catch a glimpse of his snow-furred brother on the other side of the fight.

​
 

I AM THE DEVIL THAT YOU FORGOT​
The sound of a good scrap was all the invitation that Blackmoon needed in order to make it his business. The jet black tom wasn't willing to just roll over and let some SkyClan fucks tell 'em to drop some hard earned prey. It had come from their forest, yeah? Then it should go to feed their youngest. It wasn't like he had anything against kittypets and ex-kittypets, but he believed that SkyClan had enough access to food thanks to their lifestyle. Greedy gits!

Spying that Finchcatcher was getting ganged up on he decided to launch himself forth, aiming to slam into Deersong's side with the intentions of knocking her off-balance and away from his clanmate. "Eyes on me, sweetheart! Time I knocked some fucking sense inta ya!" He growled as he reared up and attempted to batter at Deersong's head with his heavy paws with claws drawn. He was fresh and clean to the fight, and he was more than willing to throw his weight around in order to even the odds. "Someone grab that fucking squirrel! Quick! Before these SkyClan rats steal it from the mouths of our kits!"

//Attacking @~Deersong~ , mentioning @FINCHCATCHER
​
 
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"You're the unoriginal one! Stop making snow jokes!" The dappled apprentice scoffed, voice breaking into a surprised yelp as he was briefly blinded by a flurry of white and in a few moments he was rolling across the ground once again, paws outstretched and latched onto the pale she-cat as she threw them both across the snow for the second time; he saw stars briefly-sharp black pinpricks in his vision from the crashing of skull to skull and the immediate disorientation that followed. His hindlegs kicked upward in an attempt to throw her back as far as he could, but even enough to wriggle his way out from under her would be enough.
"I failed my paw-holding lessons, I thought I told you that."
His nose was bleeding, he sneezed abruptly and gave a little hop side to side as he tried to get his focus back from the harsh blow to his head, this would be fun if he was not quite so furious at the loss of their prey but he would hold out for a rematch at a later time. Instead...his attention shifted to the ashen blur darting onto the field to join the battle on SkyClan's side and Snowpaw could not help but groan in dismay.

His golden eyes narrowed sharply as he spun and spotted Violetpaw there, while he was hardly going to hold his sister's disability against her he sure as hell wasn't alright letting her just run into battle without support. The ThunderClanners might not know she can't see, she could be hurt badly if she was just left there to her own devices. "I got bigger fish to fry." He spat at the pretty apprentice, spinning to break away from Roepaw and go charging in Lightpaw's direction with vicious intent, "Get off my SISTER you ThunderClan idiot!"
Snowpaw slowly skid to a stop at the golden apprentice's side, arm swung up and black claws unsheathed as he swung down to slice at the other tom with as much force as he could muster to get him off Violetpaw...

His claws would meet something else instead...

​
 
╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

She hadn't realized, as the rest of the patrol hadn't, that the squirrel had strayed into SkyClan's territory. She isn't even worried when she sees Deersong's patrol arrive on the scene -- she knows Deersong, Deersong is kind and gentle and patient and she likes Morningpaw, doesn't she? But the deputy's face is stark, eyes dark with betrayal. Snowpaw -- she knows Snowpaw, he's loud and mean sometimes but he isn't a bad cat -- he starts to yell. Oh, he says horrible things, things Morningpaw flinches from as though they are blows directed at her.

ThunderClan aren't traitors! Her mouth drops open at the accusations. The squirrel had been on their side of the forest; they hadn't stolen anything!

But some of what Snowpaw says rings true, doesn't it? Just because we're allies doesn't give you the right! Morningpaw knows her father wouldn't let her go hungry, nor her mother, nor her littermates -- but what about the rest of SkyClan, she wonders? On that note -- Howling Wind, Emberstar, they wouldn't feed her father's Clan when they have their own to take care of.

Confusion mixes with her desperation, but she has no time to try to explain to Snowpaw, just as no one else does. Snowpaw flings himself at Roepaw, and they begin to hiss and bite one another, claws unsheathed. Morningpaw jumps back nearly a foxlength to avoid them, blue eyes pools of anguish. "No!" She cries, horrified. She can see Howlpaw is, too, though her torbie sister is braver, flings herself into the fray to defend Lightpaw.

She squints against the yowls splitting the air, the claws reaching for the pelts of both of her Clanmates. Deersong fighting Finchcatcher, Churrodream fighting Wolfwind, Foxgekker and Thistleback and Blackmoon -- her denmates on both sides, hissing ugly curses toward one another -- Morningpaw's heart is torn into scraps. Burnpaw, Fireflypaw, Burnpaw, they're in danger too! "Please, stop it!" Her cry is thin with desperation, airy as the wind that batters their pelts. "It wasn't a SkyClan squirrel, it wasn't!"

Can anyone even hear her, over the spitting, the hissing, the shrieks of pain as claws split flesh and fur? Blood droplets begin to scatter in the snow, crimson and white making a surreal background to the madness.

Morningpaw wails helplessly, like an abandoned kit crying for her mother. She wants someone to stop it, she wants Howling Wind and Blazestar to come see what's happening and put an end to it.

But they don't. No one comes. More blood is spilled. Cats begin to stagger, exhausted and battered by their former allies' claws, teeth, punishing blows. Morningpaw is sick to her stomach, rooted to the spot, her tears big and wet and useless streaking down her mottled face.

And no one attacks her. She's invisible. She always is. The coward, more kittypet than Clan cat, a spotted shadow watching her two Clans tear each other apart.

Violetpaw is there, and she's so brave, thinking she's fighting for something that isn't true! Morningpaw stares in disbelief at Lightpaw and Violetpaw locked in battle, teeth bared as though at a badger rather than a friend. "Give up!" Her ThunderClan denmate snarls at her SkyClan one. "Go home!"

And then she sees Snowpaw again, disengaged from Roepaw. Shaking rage from his blue and white pelt as if it will fly off like snow. He sees his sister vulnerable, pressed into the snow and frozen earth by a ThunderClan cat. He's not seeing a friend or a Clanmate, as she is. He's seeing an enemy who's hurting his littermate.

Her breath catches as Snowpaw unsheathes his claws and flings himself toward Lightpaw.

Oh, she can't breathe.

She can't move.

It's almost startling, the whisper that tangles itself in her head, winding around and through her like a voice is breathing in her ear. Blazestar's voice, soft with speculation. "I don't think being a warrior means you have to hurt others."

She opens her eyes, trembling now. "I think it means you have to protect others. Your Clanmates, your territory. Whatever means the most to you."

Whatever means the most to me? She gazes around her, at Howlpaw, Fireflypaw and Burnpaw, at Wolfwind and Flamewhisker, at Deersong and Churrodream, Foxgekker and Thistleback, Blackmoon and Lightpaw, Nightbird and Roepaw, Snowpaw and Violetpaw... all of them, all of them, her Clanmates.

Her paws find steady ground, the scent of blood cloying in her nostrils, but she loses all of her invisibility. Becomes real, tangible, paws beating the earth and sending snow scattering in every direction. With a thrust of her hind legs, she lands squarely in front of Snowpaw, who has his claws unsheathed and aimed for Lightpaw. Just in the nick of time, Morningpaw takes the hit meant for another; his claws cleave into the plush fur, the soft flesh, at her neck.

Despite the immediate rush of pain, worse than any she's ever felt, she is mute. She does not cry out. She only looks up at Snowpaw with tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm s-sorry," she whispers. Oh, the pain is worse, it's making her a little fuzzy -- lightheaded -- she tries to step toward him, a gesture of apology -- "P-please... I'm sorry but I... you can't... hurt them. No more."

She can't see straight at all now; it seems her vision has flooded with the red fluid streaming from her neck. She collapses without ceremony, and the cold is a blessing. Oh, it's a blessing, and so is the darkness that follows.

- ,,​

ooc ; morningpaw is mortally wounded​
 
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