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Post by Jay on Aug 21, 2015 1:55:08 GMT -6
Tawnypaw trailed closely behind the others, right behind their mentor, Blackpelt. Their fur stung, a constant reminder of the battle just two sunrises ago. It was annoying. It had been their first real battle and they'd given as good as they'd gotten, but having so many scratches was a new experience, and one they didn't like at all.
Blackpelt noticed their discomfort. "Don't worry," he mewed, amused. "The stinging will go away eventually. Besides, it's a reminder of how well you did."
Of course it was! Tawnypaw had done amazingly. Though the battle between CliffClan and BrushClan had ended in a draw, Tawnypaw was smug in knowing BrushClan had been the real winners. And they had helped. Tawnypaw themself had faced off against a brown CliffClan apprentice. She hadn't caught his name. It didn't matter, anyway. They'd been fighting hard and only broken apart when Gullstar had called the battle off. Tawnypaw had been so close to making that tom run yowling away, with his tail between his legs, too.
If only Gullstar and Hawthornstar had waited longer before declaring the battle over! They could have finally gotten their first battle victory. Instead it was a draw, and Tawnypaw, for some reason, couldn't get him out of their head. His battle skills had been impressive. Not as impressive as theirs, of course. Tawnypaw was the best fighter of all BrushClan apprentices so far. And their hunting skills weren't lacking, either, they thought smugly. No way would that tom have gotten the best of them had they been able to see their fight through to the end.
That would haunt them for ages, probably. Maybe BrushClan and CliffClan would fight again soon, then Tawnypaw could really prove that. For now, though, they were on a border patrol, carefully remarking the site of the scuffle. They could see evidence of the fight, still dotted along the border. It had been a great battle, and no one had been seriously injured, which made it better.
Tawnypaw sighed as Blackpelt marked the border, and scuffed their paw against the dusty ground. Clan life seemed so boring after the battle.
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Post by willow on Aug 21, 2015 2:35:44 GMT -6
Hawkpaw closed his eyes to take a deep, steadying breath. He angled his ears forward, trying to focus on the lizard scuttling almost silently across the rock in front of him. He opened his eyes, saw a flicker of movement and froze, waiting for the cold-blooded prey to show itself again. He unsheathed his claws, scraping the ground in anticipation. At the sound, the flickers of movement stopped and all was silent once more.
"That is the third time today." His mentor, Dustface, growled as she lashed her tail in frustration. "Did you lose your sense in battle the other day?"
Her harsh comment made Hawkpaw wince, but mainly because he knew what was distracting him so much. Them. The BrushClan apprentice, the one thing that had ever distracted him for any of his duties.
When he arrived in CliffClan as a loner, Hawkpaw had finally felt like he belonged somewhere. He remembered how he fit so easily into Clan life, and how he had earned the respect of every one of his clanmates. He remembered the thrill of fighting alongside them in battle, the battle that CliffClan had so obviously won. He knew that if Gullstar hadn't called the battle off, CliffClan would have shown them not to mess with them again. In the battle, adrenaline had been coursing through him as he proved himself a talented fighter. But when he had turned to attack the tabby that had appeared in front of him, he had been distracted completely by the colour of their eyes.
He leaped onto a boulder, watching Dustface track a piece of prey several fox lengths away. He hissed in determination, no more distractions. |
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Post by Jay on Aug 21, 2015 2:52:30 GMT -6
Tawnypaw wanted to do something. Hunting would be better than a border patrol. Unless the patrol turned into a fight. Then the border patrol would be better. ..Maybe it was best to just stick with what they were assigned. They sighed again.
"What's twitching your whiskers?" Blackpelt asked his apprentice, flicking them across the ear with his tail.
"Nothing, I just have a lot of energy," Tawnypaw told him, to avoid discussing the real reason. That's what the elders always said. Full of energy. It wasn't too far off the mark, anyway.
"Well, put that energy into patrolling," Blackpelt said to them sternly. "You're jumpier than a hare."
It was true, at least. Tawnypaw had kept looking around, frustrated by a past enemy. They would have to get over it soon; it was unbecoming of an apprentice to behave like that.
Tawnypaw kept their nose to the air, sniffing for any trouble. Just a bunch of dirt.. then they smelled something familiar. Very familiar. The same scent they had been obsessing over for two days.
They leapt forward, scrambling on top of a rock. "You!" they snarled without thinking. Just across the border, fully visible, was the brown apprentice from the battle.
"Tawnypaw!" Blackpelt admonished.
"But- That's-" Tawnypaw tried, stumbling over their words. The other cats in the patrol tittered amongst themselves, and Tawnypaw's ears laid back.
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Post by willow on Aug 24, 2015 2:39:37 GMT -6
The sun was beaming down upon the Badlands, its warmth leaking into the rock on which Hawkpaw sat. The scent of his mentor announced her arrival, heartbeats before he heard her jump onto the boulder beside him. Dustface crouched as if she was poised to strike, staring intently at a place just inside the BrushClan border. Hawkpaw swivelled his ears, focusing until he picked up the faint sound of a border patrol. Instinctively, the fur along his spine began to rise and he unsheathed his claws.
The BrushClan cats were in sight now, and Hawkpaw drew his lips back in a snarl, his tail lashing in anticipation.
"One... Wrong... Move..." Hawkpaw heard his mentor whisper as she watched the rival Clan cats closely. He knew Dustface well enough to know that she hadn't forgiven BrushClan for the wounds she bore down her tan flank, and that she was silently hoping that they would somehow accidentally cross the border so she could finish what they had started.
He tasted the air as the patrol neared them, wondering if Dustface would say anything to get herself into trouble. A purr of amusement rumbled in his throat, his fur along his spine now laying flat. He thought that she probably would, Dustface wasn't exactly the nicest cat. The BrushClanners had slowed down now so Hawkpaw angled his ears toward them.
He froze instantly as a yowl split the air. He recognised that! Hawkpaw looked down at the cats, trying to find the tawny pelt that he knew. His golden eyes lit up as he caught sight of them, and purred in amusement again at the disapproving looks their clanmates were shooting at them.
"Hey." Hawkpaw called casually. |
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Post by Jay on Aug 24, 2015 3:31:59 GMT -6
"Don't you 'hey' me!" Tawnypaw spluttered.
"Tawnypaw," Blackpelt said again, the warning in his voice thicker. He hooked a paw around their leg and pulled them down. Tawnypaw's claws caught the surface of the boulder and left scratches.
"But- That- Blackpelt, that's the cat I fought in the battle!"
"And that battle is over," Blackpelt said firmly. "Let the past lie in the past. We're on a border patrol and I doubt Gullstar would appreciate us starting another fight so soon after the last. We haven't full recovered yet in the first place."
Ears laid back, Tawnypaw looked away from him and back toward the apprentice they had fought. "Fine," they spat. "I understand."
"Good. Keep it that way." Blackpelt's tail swiped across their back in what was probably a consoling gesture, but just made Tawnypaw feel more like a kit than they had.
They sighed as Blackpelt ushered the rest of the group along and hesitated. The battle was over, yes, but that didn't mean.. That didn't mean Tawnypaw never wanted to see that apprentice again.
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Post by willow on Aug 24, 2015 3:52:41 GMT -6
Dustface spat at the border patrol as they neared, unsheathing her claws and scraping them against the rocks. When they left, she shot a look at Hawkpaw that made him feel like all the warmth had been sucked from his body. Hawkpaw shrank back slightly as she stalked past him, flinging hunting orders over her shoulder as she went.
"Five pieces of fresh-kill and no eating until the Clan had been fed."
Hawkpaw hissed- whenever Dustface was angry at him, she seemed to quote the warrior code repeatedly. It made Hawkpaw furious, because he knew as well as she did that it didn't matter if he wasn't Clan born. He took a deep breath, then released it, reminding himself that Dustface was just that kind of cat. A pure warrior, she liked to call herself.
Hawkpaw sighed, his good mood from before had gone and he needed something to cheer him up. He could hear the faint sounds of the patrol padding along the border, and that gave Hawkpaw an idea. He unsheathed his claws and studied the rocks along the cliff, judging the quickest route. He bounded forward, jumping and leaping across the rocks after the BrushClan cats.
As he neared them, Hawkpaw jumped onto a ledge jutting out of the cliff, ducking behind a rock to hide himself. He pressed his belly against the ground and slid forward slightly, trying to spot Tawnypaw. They were moving faster than he expected, so Hawkpaw tried to think of something he could to do to catch the other apprentices attention.
Thinking quickly, he rolled a rock from the side of the ledge with his paws and then gave it a hard shove. It clattered down the side of the cliff and Hawkpaw hoped he had been noticed by Tawnypaw. His fur prickled with unease- rocks fell down the cliffs all the time, how would they know it was him? |
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Post by Jay on Aug 24, 2015 4:16:02 GMT -6
The border patrol was uneventful after that, much to Tawnypaw's disappointment, and chagrin that they hadn't gotten the chance to face off with the CliffClan cats over the border. But that would be against the rules and disappoint Gullstar.
Just wait until I'm Clan leader, Tawnypaw thought sullenly. They paused, surprised. Yeah.. Yeah! I'm gonna be Clan leader! I just have to work really hard to become deputy.. I can do it! The thought reinvorgated them. They'd never considered being leader before-- not seriously, because what kit never boasted that they'd be leader?-- but if Tawnypaw worked their fur off they could do it. They could! There was no reason they didn't have the strength.
Behind them, rocks clattered suddenly to the ground. Blackpelt hadn't noticed, too far away to hear. Tawnypaw barely heard it as it was. It was probably just a natural occurrence.. but being leader meant going above and beyond and they might as well start now. "Blackpelt!" they called. "I heard something- I'm going to check it out, alright?"
"Yowl if you need us," Blackpelt told them sternly. Tawnypaw rolled their eyes and called an agreement.
They bounded back, nose lifted to scent any danger. It was probably nothing. Rocks, especially around the CliffClan border, were always falling. Still, it might be something, and that's what mattered.
Imagine their surprise when they ducked behind a rock and came face to face with the CliffClan apprentice.
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Post by willow on Aug 24, 2015 4:42:14 GMT -6
The time seemed to stretch out forever, and Hawkpaws tail began to flick impatiently. Heartbeats after, a scent that was now becoming familiar to him came drifting into his hiding place. Tawnypaw! He listened to them pad towards him and right up to the rock he was behind. Hawkpaw watched the surprise glitter in the BrushClans apprentices eyes as they turned the corner and came nose to nose with him. His chocolate fur blended in to the shadows on the rocks here, and he was happy for the easy camouflage.
"H-hey." He meowed, almost inaudibly.
He knew he was breaking the warrior code, but he didn't to his surprise- he didn't really care. When he had broken the warrior code before, he had felt terrible. He agreed with his punishment of going to bed without any fresh-kill. But talking to Tawnypaw didn't feel wrong. How could something be against the warrior code if it didn't feel wrong? He dismissed the thoughts with a flick of his ear and a flicker of amusement now entered his golden eyes.
"Hey." He repeated, this time confidently. |
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Post by Jay on Aug 24, 2015 4:51:07 GMT -6
"You!" Tawnypaw snarled, mimicking their earlier outburst. "What are you doing on our side of the border? That's against the code, you know! I should-" They could yowl, let Blackpelt and the others know they had found something, but they stopped. They didn't want Blackpelt to know. He'd just chase them off.. and then Tawnypaw wouldn't get to talk to them.
"What are you doing here?" they asked firmly. "Did you think we wouldn't catch you? Wait.. did you cause the rock fall? Why would you do that?" They paused, puzzled. The other apprentice seemed pleased to see them. Amusement had sparked in his eyes and he had greeted them so casually. Tawnypaw eyed him suspiciously. "What is it you want?"
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Post by willow on Aug 28, 2015 19:52:59 GMT -6
The sun had begun to sink in the sky, throwing a layer of orange light upon the Badlands, making the rocks look like they had burst into flame. The chocolate tom twitched his ears, suddenly concerned. He was sure his absence from camp had been noted by Dustface by now, and she would no doubt make him clean out the elders den for a moon if he came home empty pawed. He let out a sigh, he would have to hunt before he returned.
But that was the difficulty about CliffClans territory, once the warmth from the sun had drained out of the rocks and cliffs- the prey stayed hidden until the next day. Hawkpaw shrugged, he'd find prey. Somewhere.
As the BrushClan apprentice fired a seemingly endless amount of questions at him, Hawkpaw let out another rumble of amusement. His large golden eyes seemed to glitter as he gazed at the mottled cat in front of him. They wanted to know everything. Why he was here, if the rock fall had been him...
Hawkpaw flicked the tip of his tail along Tawnypaws muzzle for silence.
"How about we start with formalities." He chuckled, "My name is Hawkpaw." |
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Post by Jay on Aug 28, 2015 20:05:31 GMT -6
Tawnypaw stiffened in shock and embarrassment. Hawkpaw, that was his name, was so casual, so unworried. The fur on their spine stood up. The sun cast a glow behind Hawkpaw and drizzled the tips of his fur with a shine that glinted in Tawnypaw's eyes.
They had never met anyone so casual, especially while trespassing on another Clan's territory. He was so confident, so sure of himself.
Too confident. Their lip curled and Tawnypaw did the first thing that came to mind. They bit Hawkpaw's tail.
Not too hard, and only briefly. Immediately after, they spit it out and slammed it on the ground with a paw. Head raised, back as straight as it could be, they said, "Tawnypaw," with as much venom as possible.
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Post by willow on Aug 30, 2015 7:36:35 GMT -6
Hawkpaw hissed fiercely as Tawnypaw slammed his tail to the ground. The fur along his spine bristled only to lay flat again as his anger dissolved as fast as it had appeared. He chuckled, they were so touchy.
"Shall we bump into each other again?" He asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. This couldn't be the end of this conversation. He wouldn't allow it, but he had to take some fresh-kill to the Clan. And in order to do that he had to hunt. A pang of guilt shot through Hawkpaw, he'd been away for too long.
"Your patrol will be missing you.' |
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Post by Jay on Aug 30, 2015 23:15:57 GMT -6
Tawnypaw could already hear Blackpelt's annoyed mew, carried by the wind. "You're right," the muttered, lashing their tail. "You, get off our territory." They paused for a long heartbeat and lifted their paw off Hawkpaw's tail.
"..Meet me here in two nights," they said finally, nervously. They shifted on their paws. "But you stay on your side of the border, you got that? Not even a whisker over or I'll shred you!" The threat was fierce and solid. "I mean it." They turned, flicked their tail across Hawkpaw's face, and disappeared back around the boulder.
Tawnypaw had a lot of explaining to do to Blackpelt when they caught up.
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