Battle of the Border

[carmen]

@TheNyanCatMinecart

Stupid, stupid Shadowclan. They had lost agin. SIlentstorm hissed at the retreating forms of the villains and spun around. "Wolffang!" She trotted over to the bloodied tom, "Tell me what I need to do." She had been so careless, coming late. Someone was bound to be dead because of her mistake. If she had been fighting when she was supposed maybe they could have won. It wasn't really possible, but she couldn't change the past, only hiss at it. The blood on her pelt wasn't hers. She was injured less than the others and willing to do whatever it took to make up for her absence.

[WinterMara]

| Stonemask of Windclan |

He shouldn't feel this but, he felt relief that the battle was over. Sure they lost but, at least the pain he was going through would end soon, whether by death on the way home, or recovery in the medicine den. Stonemask couldn't help but be mad as well though, not at the mutts, but himself.

Maybe, if he'd put in just a bit more effort, the apprentice would be dead, and Windclan could've stood a chance. It didn't matter right now, he just went over to Wolffang, stumbling over, it was a shock he had yet to collapse.

[gs29513]

OUCH! While he had managed to land a few more hits on the deputy of Windclan, he had also been rolled over. Twice. Which hURT! All in all Shrewstep was relieved when Dawnstar called a cease, although he was surprised that the deputy actually honored it. After all, she wasn't HIS leader. But he wasn't about to complain, it gave him a chance to get off of, no, PEEL himself off of, the ground. Everything was sore, and probably would be for a while, ESPECIALLY his tail. Which was probably full of mud now, hopefully Bouncepaw would be able to help him clean it out. He wasn't sure he could even reach it now!

He wasn't particularly proud of how wobbly he was as he made his way towards the rest of the clan, sneaking a quick look at Rookpaw. At least she was walking alright, he didn't need to go over and let her lean on him or anything. Honestly he wasn't sure he could handle that, but he wasn't about to ask for help. He was going to get back to camp, get cleaned up, and then sleep until he didn't feel as though he had been run over by a monster multiple times.

[spade]

Watching as the batch of ShadowClan cats begin to gather around Dawnstar, Featherlight glared daggers towards their retreating pelts. Nothing new with that, still the same slimy toads that the WindClan warrior remembered. A snort of disgust came from as the gray flecked tom turned to glance at Snowypaw. ”Are you alright?” he asked, voice a bit sore.

Glancing up from where they had gotten to their paws, their heart hammering rapidly in their chest, Snowypaw gulped but nodded their head. ”Y-Yeah. Thank you...” It was then they realized they weren’t familiar with who this was. He looked sort of familiar, but Snowypaw couldn’t quite place a paw on it...

With a nod, Featherlight offered his side for the apprentice to lean on, which Snowypaw took and both cats headed over to where Wolffang was. The tom recognized him, though was unaware of his position. Despite this, he appeared to be the leader of this patrol. ”Wolffang,” he called, preparing himself for whatever reaction he would get. He’d been missing from WindClan for quite some time, but hopefully his presence and help in the battle would prove him with enough good intent. ”If it’s alright, I’d like to head back with you guys. It’s... time I came home.”

// @TheNyanCatMinecart

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ WOLFFANG ~

Rage burned through the large gray tom as he thought about the defeat. Right now, it was time for WindClan to go home. His lip was curled and his ears flattened against his broad head while he thought of how much more ShadowClan blood he could've shed. The bulky dark gray tabby, the tall black she-cat, and the small brown warrior had lived. A growl rumbled in his throat as he thought of the defeat. His own wounds burned and stung; that shoulder was bad off, although at least the bleeding had slowed down to just a trickle. The blood loss made him a little light-headed, but that was forgotten the instant he thought of how little he'd injured the cat who had given it to him.

A cat was hurrying up to him and Wolffang turned his head to see Deadpaw. She was his younger half-sister, one who he'd previously snapped at and neglected because she'd been born with a twisted paw. But recently, he'd been realizing how harsh his old self had been, and had apologized to her for his actions. Both of them had promised to be better cats. She'd been an apprentice for so long; he'd trusted her to have good fighting skills when it came to this battle. Deadpaw had some wounds, but otherwise wasn't too bad off.

"I'm fine," he replied with a flick of one of his big notched ears. His yellow gaze darkened. "But we lost the battle to Dawnstar's wretched ShadowClanners. We should've won and shown them that we aren't the pathetic bunnies they thin k we are." Those last words deepened into a growl. How humiliating. And after everything they'd done to them... maiming the bodies of their Clanmates, stripping them of their pelts... they deserved to be beaten, and die. Yet that hadn't happened.

At Deadpaw's question, Wolffang simply nodded. She had probably noticed how beaten up the black-furred apprentice had been, and perhaps seen part of the fight. "Yes. That featherbrain was skirting the fighting, trying not to be noticed. She was fast, but I was much stronger. I got in plenty of good blows - I would've done my best to kill her if it hadn't been for that other warrior showing up." A growl rumbled in his throat. "ShadowClan didn't spare our innocent, so we shouldn't, either. Either way, they could've done without that coward."

Wolffang saw another cat approaching him and turned, recognizing Silentstorm. Even though she was deaf, she still seemed to be able to understand everything that the cats were saying around her. It was admirable, really, although of course not being able to hear brought its disadvantages. At one point in time, Wolffang would've scorned the fact that she could be a warrior; however, now he'd seen that Silentstorm could be a warrior just like her Clanmates. Even though a disability affects a cat, it doesn't make them completely useless. They can work around it. Of course, he was still struggling with morals, but he felt as though he could understand Twilightstar's point of view more and more.

"We're retreating. Get with your group. We're heading home," Wolffang replied, flexing his long, curved claws at the ground. Hatred for ShadowClan swarmed through him and filled his chest. It was terrible. Wolffang began heading back in the direction of the camp when a voice piping up shocked him. Was it...? No, the apprentice hadn't been told to come to the fight. But they were there.

Snowypaw!

Wolffang spun around - and saw his half-sibling leaning on the shoulder of a cat who he hadn't seen in WindClan for a long time. It was Featherlight. He was supposed to be missing, but here he was, helping Snowypaw, who looked exhausted. Neither of them should've been in this fight. He hesitated for a moment at Featherlight's question. Rage was still burning within him, as well as a humiliating sense of defeat. But eventually, he just gave a nod.

"Yes. You can talk to Twilightstar - after I give her the message Dawnstar sent." His thick, dappled fur bristled at the thought of the dark brown tabby. She hadn't even fought in the battle. She'd just lurked in the shadows, watching them fight until she'd found that playtime was over. Then his gaze fell on Snowypaw.

"You shouldn't be here. Why weren't you back at camp?" he asked them. "Well, let's go back now. This battle is over." Limping due to his badly wounded shoulder and the paw that both the apprentice and the warrior had assaulted, Wolffang continued the trek back to camp.

ShadowClan had won again.

And they were going to pay for that.

@gs29513 @Pheasantflight @spade

[Rani]

Crowtooth had waited lingered, staring down shadowclan as his beaten and bloodied clanmates limped and padded their was despondently out of the land that once (was rightfully) theirs. He was in worse shape then most of them Crowtooth was aware but he'd always found himself to be resilient to pain and determined to shield the rest of windclan so he gave his current state little mind. He'd stand back and make sure those foxhearts didnt attack windclan from the back like they were known to happily do and be a guard until the most vulnerable got out clear. Then he could leave, then he could feel the pain he was barley suppressing, then he could collapse into the weakness that came after fighting so hard. The tunneler was very wounded and yet refused to cave until there were no shadowclan to see it and they were as safe as they could be.


Eventually most of the clan got clear and the murderer clan had pulled back showing no sign of their usual tricks so the warrior on the end of his rope pulled away and followed. It was hard, so hard and Crowtooth felt weaker then he'd ever had, even more then when he lay dying as a kit in the medicine cat choking on breath. At least then he didnt have the monsters they were leaving behind as a looming threat while he was weak. But now he was. Crowtooth limped after the battle patrol a deep cut to lower right shin, face is covered in small bleeding wounds only barley missed his eyes and nose. His ears were shredded horribly the tips are lost and tattered, and finally his shoulders were basically stripped of fur. He'd been hit so much and so badly that while shallow enough to not be life threatening would never grow fur again. Oh also because that wasnt enough already the tom was light headed and weak from bloodless and asphyxiation throat is raw and painful.


It really was no surprise and quite frankly amazing he got that far that as soon as they crossed the border and were out of sight of their foes the large injured tom collapsed to the ground only barley conscious and no longer able to even lift his head. Sure the shredded warrior would live with healing but he was only hanging onto conscious by his claws and would need to be dragged home. Unable to even call for assistance Crowtooth let out a low pained and broken moan hoping someone would notice.

[spade]

Understanding the circumstances surrounding them, Featherlight wasn't shocked to find anger and grief written all over Wolffang's face. Something told him this wasn't the first bloody battle that had happened on the moorland since he had left... and it felt like a claw tearing his heart open. Bleeding, aching for his home that he had abandoned.

There was definitely work to be done.

"Thank you for your help, but I'm gonna follow my brother back home," came the timid voice of Snowypaw. The fluffy white apprentice glanced up at Featherlight, hoping he wouldn't be mad.

A weak smile stretched across his face as he gave a flick of his tail. "Of course." With a dip of his head, the tom watched as they hobbled after Wolffang, feeling a pang of grief strike his heart. What had become of Mothsnow and Mudpuddle while he'd been away? His brother and sister, his kin... had ShadowClan slaughtered them as well?

There wasn't much time to dwell on it as a wail caught his attention. Blue eyes shifted around to locate Crowtooth - the tunneler had been part of this?? Bounding over, thanking StarClan he was in the shape to help the more injured of his Clanmates, he sunk down, nose touching the tom's shoulder. "You fought well, friend," he spoke softly, lowering himself onto the ground and attempting to scoot under the tom to hoist him onto his back.

// @Rani

[Rani]

Crowtooth had lain there floating in a haze of pain and exhaustion just trying to hang on when a voice finally came. It was a voice he knew, one he hadnt heard in a long time now and for a moment the tom just cracked his eyes open to do nothing more then blearily look up at his old friend one of the few he'd ever had in confusion as it refused to click. When he did finally connect the dots he let out a sad yet bitterly amused huff and weakly spoke "Ah I must have died then, bleed out over the moor without realising it because Im seeing Featherlight and its been many moons since Ive seen him last. Even someone as stubborn as me knows after that long theres little hope so starclan this has to be." His eyes rolled shut again not bothering to put in the effort if he had indeed already slipped away. But he hadnt and the tom let out a grunt groan of pain as Featherlights nose touched the open wound of his shoulder.

"On second though I would've thought I'd finally be free of pain and at peace in starclan and I still feel half dying so this has to be life." He let out another slightly bitten down noise of pain as he was shifted into the other warriors back to be carried home going limp once properly balanced head sinking into the grey shoulder. "Hello then old friend, at least this hellish day had as bit of good too it in the end. Welcome back." Little dregs of energy spent Crowtooth fell silent a tad involuntarily given he'd much rather bask in the face that now at least he had one friend in windclan once more and wasnt totally alone. But he'd given all he had today and there was nothing left so the tunneler was forced to fall silent and dip into a different kind of haze that blurred his thoughts and turned the world sluggish and distant around him.


@spade (feel free to have feather toss him at peach in the med cat den whenever you want)

[gs29513]

Her brother's safety was some small, good thing from this battle. Deadpaw dipped her head quickly before moving in the direction of her group, not that it likely mattered. They were all headed for Peachfrost's den anyway, and while she wasn't the worst off a selfish part of her did want to get there and get treated before everyone else. That selfish bit was admonished, however, as she passed a warrior she didn't really recognize carrying Crowtooth. He seemed to be speaking, so alive, but really not looking good. She continued on, mulling over everything her brother had told her. It didn't.......it didn't sit right.

Rookpaw had been trying to stay out of the fighting by the sounds of it, probably only there in the first place to placate Dawnstar. And Wolffang had gone after her with the intent to kill? This didn't quite fit with any notion of nobility and honor, going after a nonagressor and trying to take their life. She wondered who had stepped in, Rookpaw had seemed under the impression no one liked her. Obviously not the case, at least two cats did. Hopefully she would be alright. If her brother killed her best friend........how did one deal with that? HOW? She supposed she had to hope for the best, hope Rookpaw wouldn't hate her.

[Raven~]

Foxstorm jumped up, hissing at the beaten apprentice. "Thank you, little cat, for this fine battle. I look forward to our next meeting." Then she raced to Dawnstar, smiling. They had won. As expected, but it still filled her with thrill.
@Nixey