Warriors RPG (V2)

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"That one," Firestreak began, stopping just inside the tunnel to look at Shadowsoul, "you might want to keep from the apprentices."

As the two emerged on the other side of the tunnel, Shortear was already disappearing up the ravine. That's definitely one way to get the blood flowing, the tom thought with a soft smile. With another shrug at Shadowsoul, he gave chase, hoping the irritable she-cat would at least give them a chance to catch up.

[Hopeflower]

Watching the dawn patrol leave, Shadowstar couldn't help but flex her shoulders with the urge to follow. There was hunting to be done, but the Clan was still slowly waking up. She could go and visit Swanfeather while she waited, but she wasn't sure how her sister would take to being woken. Pride rushed through the young leader as she remembered again that she was to be an aunt - Swanfeather had broken the news to her a moon and a half ago, and Mistpool said it wouldn't be much longer until the kits were born. Swanfeather had never named their father, not even to Shadowstar, and the tabby she-cat suspected it was a secret her sister would keep until she was ready to tell.

Her musings were distracted by more movement in the camp - Falconflight was emerging from the warriors' den. "Ah, good," Shadowstar murmured to herself, moving to greet him. The dark tom dipped his head and mewed, "Good morning" as she approached. "Mapleleaf will be out soon," he added, seeming to sense her restlessness. Shadowstar nodded and sat down to wait with her deputy, conversing quietly about the previous days patrols.


Not all that far from ThunderClan's border, a dark gray tabby she-cat stretched and yawned, blinking open eyes as pale blue as robin eggs. Raven had managed to survive the past few seasons, and keep her son alive as well, though she wasn't quite sure how she'd managed. Tiger had grown into a young, energetic tom, hardly losing any of his youthful energy as he bounced from place to place. Speaking of...where had the little brat gotten to this time? Raven sighed as she realized her son was nowhere in sight, yet again having wandered off before his mother woke up.

The young tom himself had crossed the Thunderpath without incident and was weaving along the Clan's border, sometimes crossing it, happily unaware that he was trespassing as he did so. His amber eyes were locked on a bright-winged butterfly as he followed it, occasionally leaping upward in an attempt to catch it.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul sighed as Firestreak pressed on, shaking his head. "Such sheltered kits we raise....It's a wonder they ever grow strong enough to fight" he mused under his breath, before bolting after the two other cats, careful to keep his senses on his surroundings...

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Shortear slowed to a trot a short distance from the ravine, her mouth open and her ears pricked. So far into ThunderClan territory, the she-cat was less checking for intruders and more searching for something to eat. Since they were on patrol, the three cats were free to hunt for themselves if they were hungry; one of the few perks of the job, according to her. Stale prey-scent was all that reached her, though, much to her disappointment. She had hoped to score something before her clanmates caught up.

"Are we done charging through the forest?" Firestreak asked as he approached, only slightly joking. "It's not a race, you know. I can't imagine Shadowstar would be pleased if we finished the patrol in record time," he continued, cuffing the she-cat's ear. Shortear's tail flicked in mild annoyance, but said nothing. Despite the earlier burst of energy, she still seemed unhappy to be awake.

[The Kingpin]

"Our enemies would be thrilled, however. Oh, that's right. That's precisely what we DON'T want" growled Shadowsoul as he stepped out between the bushes close behind Firestreak. Unlike the more lenient ginger tom, the black former Shadowclan Warrior was quite a bit more prone to using mockery, sarcasm and taunting to get his point across. The memories of the incident three seasons ago were still fresh in his mind, and it was difficult not to think about what could have been behind the catastrophe that robbed him of his only family...

[Hopeflower]

Tiger abandoned the butterfly as a far more tempting scent reached his nose, coming from deeper in the forest. Mouse! He turned, tail twitching excitedly, and fell into a somewhat unbalanced hunting crouch. Wouldn't his mother be pleased if he caught his meals today? He crept forward, ears pricked, trying to control the excitement rising in his chest. "When you're hunting mice, step lightly," he remembered Raven telling him. "They'll always hear you long before you see them."

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

"You two realize I've been a warrior for two moons now, right?" Shortear mewed irritably. Firestreak could remember the time when Shortear was Shortpaw; the young she-cat had been impulsive, but also undeniably strong and loyal to her clan.

Firestreak rolled his eyes and took the lead, heading further into the forest. The tabby-and-white tom lead the group in the direction of the Thunderpath and, beyond that, ShadowClan territory - and did so with purpose. He did not favor the area by any means, but wanted to spend as much time as possible away from the RiverClan border - and Sunningrocks - as he could. Although he was frequently a part of the dawn patrol, he had often found excuses to keep away from that part of the patrol route; hunting, bellyaches, and the like. So far, no cat had called him out on his obvious reluctance to go to the site of his parents' demise, and he was thankful for that.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul merely chuckled at the response, half tempted to retort, though he resisted the urge. She'd learn in time. Not too far away, the Thunderpath could be heard, the undeniable roars of monsters passing on occasion, the very ground resonating with their passing as they approached. The rumbling, deadly barrier between the two clans was one he had patrolled from both ends. He knew it well. For a brief time, he had even used it as his shelter, the fear other cats had of it becoming the perfect protection for him and his sibling. It was no surprise his movements became deathly silent and equally wary as they approached. Anything here would be there intentionally. Few ventured here willingly, and those that did were almost always seasoned fighters and explorers; ones well informed enough to know how Monsters behaved and how to avoid becoming a victim of one...

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Shortear and Firestreak diligently kept all their senses on high alert as they approached the border between clans. If there had been any intrusion, whatever proof left behind would begin there. But before they could even get close enough to see the Thunderpath, both cats stopped.

"Do you smell that?" Firestreak asked aloud to either of his companions, his mouth hanging open to taste the air. Shortear glanced in his direction and gave a short nod.

They weren't alone. Another cat - one that lacked any sort of Clan scent - had been there. And the scent was fresh.

[Hopeflower]

Tiger cursed as he missed his mouse by a whisker's breadth. He lashed his tail in frustration as he stood debating whether to keep hunting or to head back. Surely his mother had noticed he was missing by now, which meant he was already going to get a stern talking to...unless he brought something back. With that, he pricked his ears and scented the air, naively focusing only on the prey scents near him - and not the scents of approaching cats, which should have had him alarmed.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul's amber eyes narrowed suspiciously. Loner. Young, by the smell of it. Interestingly, it smelled familiar. "You keep moving. I'll see if I can't find a better view" murred the dark pelted Warrior as he leapt at a tree, practically running up the trunk before stopping when he reached a satisfyingly high branch, out of sight of the cats below, moving forward to track down the young trespasser...

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Firestreak opened his jaws to speak, but the other tom was already hidden among the branches. Shadwsoul's reaction seemed...off, and Firestreak wondered if the dark cat knew more about the scent than he was willing to reveal. He did have quite the connections during his time outside the clans, at least compared to Firestreak.

With a wary glance at Shortear, the orange and white tom began to follow the scent from below, creeping low as if he were stalking prey. His she-cat companion was following him from a distance and moved in the same direction - though from a different angle - in the hopes that they could to the trespasser between them. The wind was not favorable to either side, however, and Firestreak was forced to track the trail rather than the cat that it belonged to.

[Hopeflower]

The young tom had walked on, searching for more prey, and was creeping toward a squirrel, his target unaware of its surroundings as it busily gnawed away at the shell of a nut. Tiger, in turn, was unaware he was no longer alone; his attention was solely on his prey. He held his breath as he carefully stepped over a twig. This one wouldn't escape him.

[The Kingpin]

Shadowsoul, meanwhile, was keeping track of the scents from above, keeping as low as possible without being too visible to those below. The scent was fainter up here, but still detectable, especially to the tom who had spent his entire life using trees and shadows to hunt. While the situation was hardly ideal for the black tom, it was far from impossible, and before long, the scent trail had led him to his target; The young tabby tom hunting on Thunderclan's side of the border. The Warrior's eyes narrowed, recognising the scent and the pattern, though the cat wearing it was much larger than he remembered. Carefully, the black bengal moved through the branches overhead, lining himself up for a drop, noting the animal that had drawn the cat's attention, bracing to adjust his attack angle at a moment's notice...He hoped to intercept the tom before his Clanmates did...He preferred not to have to seriously harm the youngling...

[Hopeflower]

Tiger gathered his haunches under him when he thought he was close enough, rocking gently from side to side. The squirrel chose that moment to look up and froze for just a moment; with a frustrated hiss, Tiger threw himself forward, his claws only just snagging in a furry tail as the animal bolted. It chittered in panic as the young tom dragged it backwards, and for a few seconds it was a contest of strength. The squirrel desperately trying to scramble away and up the nearest tree, the hungry cat determined not to lose his meal. The smaller of the two had no hope; a sharp tug and a swift bite to the neck ended its life. Almost surprised at his catch, Tiger puffed out his chest as he pictured the proud look on Raven's face. Wait until she saw this!

[The Kingpin]

And just like that, the Black Bengal dropped from the trees, utterly silent until he landed directly on top of the smaller tom, pinning him down under his paws. "Hello Tiger. Long time no see" purred the Tom with a broad smirk, looking almost malevolent as his claws barely grazed the smaller cat's throat, just to remind him it was unwise to move...

[Hopeflower]

Tiger, winded from the impact, stared up at his attacker with wide eyes, his jaws half-open to release a shocked yowl that had died in his throat. There was no mistaking the cat pinning him, though he'd been just a kit when he'd first met him. "I can't say I thought I'd ever see you again," he mewed, stunned.

[The Kingpin]

"Oh, I don't know. The way it looked to me, crossing paths was inevitable" purred the tom with a smirk. "I seem to remember telling you once that to be reckless is to be lost. Well, right now, it seems you are in precisely that predicament" growled Shadowsoul through narrowed eyes...

[Turbo Tyrannophonic]

Firestreak looked on, frowning. His assumption wasn't far from the truth after all; clearly, his dark-pelted companion knew the intruder. A flash of doubt raced through his mind, and immediately he felt ashamed. Shadowsoul was a loyal ThunderClan warrior, just as he was. He had no reason to believe the other tom would forsake his duties for old acquaintances - especially given how the two struggling cats interacted. Firestreak was tempted to reveal himself and ensure the trespasser was chased off, but forced himself to hang back.

He could only hope Shortear would do the same...

[Hopeflower]

Tiger flicked an ear self-consciously and meowed, sounding defensive even to himself, "I'm not as far from home as I was last time, Wraith." But, he added silently to himself, it looks like I'm in just as much trouble, if not more. Had he accidentally wandered into one of the territories Raven had warned him about?