Warriors RPG (V2)

[C S]

Ferallion rolled with the hit, slipping out from underneath his attacker and righting himself with practiced efficiency. He was back up no sooner afterwards, ears flattened. "If you insist on making this an encounter with a rogue, then so be it," Ferallion growled ominously.

Tiberium only smiled politely to the cat, a gesture which clashed with the intense stare he looked up at him with. "Certainly," he replied, hearing a disturbance in the brush in the distance. He had a gut feeling that his brother was in need, and he was going to be there for him, whatever the cost. Thus was the nature of their bond over the years.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

The two WindClan cats moved much like the elemental force that embodied their clan, flowing through the moorland with incredible grace. The tom darted around one side, while the she-cat took to the other; the former halted and sprung, while the latter arced around to snatch at the loner's paws.

[C S]

Ferallion jumped forwards out of the way of the two cats, landing and adjusting his footing so he was sidelong to the two cats, primed to move again. With his stamina regained during his "debate", he was more than able to stay paw-to-paw with these cats.

Meanwhile, Tiberium threw concern and consequences to the wind, literally and somewhat figuratively. "Thunderclan be damned," he thought, "this is for my brother!" Like the crack of a whip, his hind leg shot up into the stomach of the cat pinning him, a blow with such strength behind it that it could have probably left a large dog winded.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

The she-cat ran with the loner as he moved, pouncing onto him from only a few tail-lengths away almost as soon as her turned to face her. Claws unsheathed, she adhered herself to his pelt as they were bowled over, hissing and spitting in a violent release of agitation. The tom recovered quickly from his failed attack, darting around the writhing bodies, primed to pounce on the intruder should he manage to get away from the other WindClan warrior.

"Fool!" the tom wheezed as he was struck. The force of the blow scored his claws across the lower reaches of Tiberium's throat, while his other paw cut deeply into his chest, almost without intention. The warrior lay sprawled over the loner's lower body, his grip on Tiberium's pelt keeping him from moving too far. The apprentice, Jadepaw, immediately lashed the loner's head with an outstretched paw, drawing blood from his forehead to his ear.

[C S]

Ferallion rolled when the she-cat crashed into him, sending a precise kick to the bottom of her jaw that sent her head shooting up, straining her neck.

Tiberium let out a deep, rumbling growl as he weathered the pain. His claws dug into the cat's underbelly and without mercy, the white tom dragged his daggers down the length of the warrior's abdomen. At the same time, his forelegs shot up, his paws slamming onto either side of the cat's head, claws boring into his skull.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Before the she-cat lost her hold, her claws gouged fur and flesh alike as they were pulled free. With a yowl of protest she stumbled to the side, but was swiftly replaced by her clanmate. The tom wrapped his claws around Ferallion's head, standing behind the loner to keep well out of striking distance.

As the mottled tom howled in protest, Jadepaw darted forward and latched onto Tiberium's throat, pinning his head back against the moorland grass. Her grip was firm enough to make breathing a struggle, and streaks of blood began to stain the loner's fur, but she did not make any move to end the fight then and there. "Are you both so eager to die?!" the apprentice's mentor snarled, his eyes alight with both anger and alarm.

[C S]

Ferallion snarled angrily, rearing up and slashing the Windclan cat's paws in a bid to break his hold.


"Death... is no stranger to me," Tiberium growled with some effort. "If I am to die here... then I die. But with my last breath I fight for my brother!" He pulled back his rear leg and kicked out with his other, sending the full focus of the blow into the ragged wound he caused. He sent his front paws into the sides of Jadepaw's neck, claws sinking in. It all hurt so bad, but the most he could wish for now was to make them hurt even worse.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Hissing and spitting but refusing to relinquish his hold, the tom attacking Ferallion pushed on through the pain. A moment later, his she-cat ally landed squarely on the loner's stomach, her claws, oddly, sheathed. The force of the blow ripped the air from Ferallion's lungs, and the WindClan warrior used the opportunity to pin all four legs with her own limbs.

The mottled tom breathed out sharply, his eyes wide as he recoiled from the blow. Jadepaw increased the pressure on Tiberium's throat with a whimper, further cutting off his air supply, but refused to plunge her fangs in to end the loner's life. "Stop this!" the tom snarled, emotions churning. "I have never seen...such mouse-brained, suicidal, crowfood-eating pieces of fox-dung in my life!" The tom's voice went from a breathless, desperate plea to a yowl of rage. His eyes, however, were not on his enemy; they were, instead, on his apprentice. He looked terrified.

[C S]

Tiberium's lips curled. He felt stinging pain spreading across his body from his neck and chest. His lungs began their plea for air. The warrior's shouting made him wish he was deaf, if only for a little while. But he could not help but hear something more than just the furious words. He heard himself, as he would have said something with such passion had he been given the chance. Just as he fought for his brother, this Windclan cat fought for... how many more cats? One of which was the apprentice whose eyes he was considering clawing out. The apprentice who by some thin strand of mercy, did not kill him.

He had his reasons to fight. So did the warrior. Whose reason was more justified? He had to get to his brother, the last of his family. This cat had to protect an entire clan. The white tom let out one last growl as he begrudgingly lowered his paws, his heart beating away as lack of oxygen and stress started to claim him."See with more than your eyes," he heard a cat say, though he could not identify the voice on the brink of unconsciousness. He fought to stay awake. He could not go over this black threshold.


Ferallion only stared up at the she-cat, unmoving. He focused on working past the pain in his center and regaining his breath. To try to fight now would simply amount to pathetic squirming underneath his opponent, and he refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing such a thing. So he only stared at her with his leveled expression, doing his best to appear unaffected by his many aches.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Almost immediately after Tiberium lowered his guard, Jadepaw relinquished her hold and took a step back. The young she-cat was breathing hard as though she had run the entire length of the moorland. She looked from the weathered loner to her mentor, her initial horror clouded with guilt, as though she had done something wrong.

"An honorable warrior does not need to kill her foes to win her battles," the battered tom meowed, as if reading her mind. Jadepaw's eyes brightened a moment, but still looked stricken. Her mentor turned to gaze down at Tiberium, and pain churned in his amber eyes. "Go on. Get out of here," he rumbled, his expression unreadable.

"You could have prevented all this," the warrior holding Ferallion down hissed, but there was no spite to her words, only frustration. "WindClan will not defy the Warrior Code even if you choose to abandon it." She glanced over her shoulder at the rest of the patrol, noting that Jadepaw had released her foe and the apprentice's mentor had taken a step back. "You're lucky, this time. The other clans might not be so willing to forgive your crimes," she growled darkly, stepping off the loner. Her ally, who had been holding Ferallion's head between his claws, took a step back, glaring.

[C S]

"The crime of fighting for my family. For defending myself when two cats attacked me as one. Do not speak down to me as if you walk a path of honor," Ferallion said flatly. He got off of the ground and looked past the she-cat to his brother. He was shakily getting back to his paws, clearly shaken by whatever the cats he was contending with did. Disregarding the others and whatever their reactions may be, he started to walk to him, paying no mind to his own injuries.

Tiberium's jaw hung open as he drew ragged breaths. For a moment he simply stood, his back to the mentor and the apprentice to his side. His head hung as he pulled in air. It was not the extent of his wounds that left him in such a state, but what he was about to do. His coat was streaked with red and it was not only his blood, and the fact was a grave truth. A truth that only became apparent after his life was spared. Words, in this case, would have been more effective than any tooth or claw.

And with truth came shame. In a breathless voice, Tiberium mewed, "A lesson... a Wise-Cat would have taught." He swallowed hard and turned his head to look at the cats. "I'm... sorry."

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"I'm sorry too!" Jadepaw blurted out. The apprentice immediately studied her paws with her head bowed, knowing she had said the wrong thing.

Her mentor gave her a disapproving glance and, to the loners, an exasperated sigh. "I'll be cleaning dirt and blood out of my fur for moons," he grumbled, finally allowing for his pelt to lie flat. He gave Ferallion and Tiberium an even, if not icy, stare. "It is clear we both have our reasons for what we did," he meowed diplomatically. "But the next time you go traipsing around the forest, you remember what happened here today. If you truly mean us, or any other clan, no harm, then you better act like it."

"We'll see them to the border, Hollowclaw." The she-cat and the lean tom who had fought beside her padded over to them. The former had flecks of blood across her muzzle, and the latter's paws were scarlet with the stuff, but neither seemed too worse for wear. "You need to see Sharpsight as soon as you get back to camp."

"Yeah, yeah," the seasoned tom replied with a flick of his tail. Jadepaw watched them with a haunted look, but the apprentice's spirits seemed to rise at the sound of them all talking without tearing each other apart.

[C S]

Ferallion stopped beside Tiberium, inspecting his brother for any signs of serious damage and finding nothing that should have proved too problematic. The biggest issue would be getting his pelt clean again, but it could have been far worse. Tiberium nodded to the one that was apparently Hollowclaw. He heard Ferallion snarl quietly at the arrival of the two other cats.

"We need not be escorted when we were leaving-"

Tiberium put his tail on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't dwell on it... they were only doing their duty. Just as we were doing ours."

Ferallion stopped speaking, assuming his role as silent company and standing beside his brother.

"You will not be seeing us again if fortune will be so kind," the white tom said to the group. His eyes fell on Hollowclaw and he mentally apologized one last time before turning away to the trees. He started walking, tail low, Ferallion a few paces behind as usual. There was far less urgency to their pace now.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

The she-cat and younger tom trailed after the two loners, keeping a respectful distance behind them as they made for the border.

Hollowclaw touched noses with his apprentice as the others left. "You did well," he meowed quietly. His eyes suddenly clouded with grief. "I'm...sorry." Although Jadepaw had been in battles before, this experience had been something else entirely. Because of him, the young she-cat had been forced to make a decision even seasoned warriors struggled with. Taking the lives of other cats was inevitable, but it was something no honorable warrior of the clans took lightly. If he had been in her place - and he wasn't sure if he would have done anything differently - he would have shouldered the burden of his decision no matter the outcome. But it wasn't the sort of thing a young apprentice should deal with.

"It's alright," Jadepaw mewed, blinking up at him. The young cat still looked stiff and harrowed, but her strong spirit had returned. Although she wasn't yet ready for her ceremony, this experience had proven her worth many times over, and Hollowclaw was certain she would make a fantastic warrior.

"Let's go home," he meowed at last, giving her ear a swift lick before bounding off in the direction of the camp. His underbelly burned like a hot greenleaf day, and his muscles ached from the struggle, but he would not let it deter him.

[C S]

The walk to Thunderclan from Windclan's borders was a trek made with heightened caution. Mindful of the air blowing through the trees, Tiberium and Ferallion went through the underbrush, rubbing their pelts against plants and ferns to help mask the otherwise prominent smell of blood that followed them. They did not speak much at all since leaving the moor, either because they were too tired or because they had nothing more to say to each other, so the sounds of birdsong and other woodland ambiance filled the silence.

Entering the outer fringes of Thunderclan's territory, they picked up an aged yet unmistakable scent trail. Another bloodsoaked cat had passed near where they were, accompanied by a group that the two loners assumed was the Thunderclan patrol.

"Are we a part of some trend?" Tiberium said finally as he chose his heading for the gorse tunnel.

"Loners do not trend," Ferallion replied.

Tiberium grunted in response. That was the end of that and they resumed the silence as they went on their way.

[The Kingpin]

Meanwhile, Shadowsoul had grown bored of lounging around, the tom rising to his feet and heading for the Medicine Den, intending on retrieving some supplies should they be needed. If there was one thing he hadn't enjoyed since his return to Clan life, it was the lack of things to preoccupy him. As a Loner, every moment of every day was occupied by his roaming and exploring, and he knew most of the area like the back of his paws. It reached a point where he could tell precisely what moment a Clan Patrol would be passing by a certain part of a border, and weaved around them without ever coming into direct contact with them. Now, it seemed a fair portion of his day was spent lounging around the camp...

[Hopeflower]

It was in that moment that Mapleleaf tore through the camp entrance as quickly as she could, cursing as thorns snagged her pelt and ears, but not slowing her pace until she neared the medicine den. Ignoring the startled questions from other warriors, Mapleleaf slid inside, spotting Mistpool and her young apprentice, Silverpaw, crouched over a few different herbs, though both cats looked up in alarm as she entered. Taking a few deep breaths, nearly choking on them in her haste to speak, the warrior gasped out, "S-sorry to interrupt. Shadowstar sent me...she needs you to be ready for an emergency." "What happened?" Mistpool asked, her blue eyes widening further. "We found a cat on...our way home. A stranger. Badly hurt." Exhausted, Mapleleaf backed away a few paces and sat down, her flanks still heaving. "How badly? Where are they?" Mistpool asked urgently, but Mapleleaf shook her head. "Hard to tell. It was covered in blood."

Falconflight was just ahead of Shadowstar and the young stranger, glancing back over his shoulder now and then as he checked to make sure he wasn't losing them. The tabby she-cat padded on with a confident, purposeful stride, her posture speaking of her familiarity with the place she called home even as she kept a watchful eye on the injured tom.

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Eli felt as though he were drifting through a dream. His head swayed unsteadily from side to side, and he felt like each step would throw him into unconsciousness, but still he plodded on. Occasionally, in his delirium, he would step using his injured leg; if nothing else, the resulting jolt of pain kept him grounded in reality.

Firestreak sat up suddenly as Mapleleaf rushed into the ravine. The young warrior was situated not far from the path to the camp, and had seen numerous cats coming and going, but Mapleleaf flashed by with incredible urgency. Confused and a little uneasy, he dropped from his perch and padded back to camp.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul hopped sideways in alarm as Mapleleaf practically soared past and disappeared in a puff of dust, leaves and grass into the Medicine Den. "That can't be good" he purred with a raised brow, his fur laying flat as he calmed, the tom soon following, eager to find out what was going on. It was partway through the cat's explanation that he started picking up what she was saying, intrigued. "If it would help, I'd be willing to retrieve anything you're short on" he quipped as he poked his head round the edge of the Medicine Den...

[Hopeflower]

"Oh would you?" Mistpool mewed, her shoulders sinking in a sigh of relief. "We're going to need cobwebs. A lot of them, from the sound of it. I'm not sure I'll have enough. Look everywhere - fallen logs, under bushes..." She glanced over her shoulder and added, "You can take Silverpaw with you."

A short while later, though a considerably longer amount of time than it would've taken to get back under normal circumstances, the small band of cats reached the entrance to ThunderClan's camp. Falconflight leaped down the ravine first, leaving Shadowstar to attempt to guide the stranger down safely, without further injuring him. She shifted uneasily, then put a paw in front of the tom to stop him from stumbling down the steep slope. "I'm going to have to carry you down," she meowed, an apologetic note to her tone. "This is a tricky climb if you don't know where you're putting your paws, and you wouldn't want to fall down there."

Falconflight shouldered his way through the gorse tunnel, dropping what he'd managed to carry of their catch and calling to the crowd of curious onlookers, "Keep back. Give us room and don't spook the youngster. We'll explain what we know later." Which isn't much, he thought dryly, nosing an excited apprentice out of the way gently. Shadowstar's heart is in the right place, but just who is the stranger we've brought to the heart of our territory?

Hearing Falconflight's voice, Mistpool pushed her way through the tunnel of ferns and stood at the entrance of her den, shifting from paw to paw anxiously and working her claws in the grass to vent her frustration that it had taken the rest of the patrol so long to get to her.