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Frogdung! Pinewhisker cursed, slipping on an ice patch buried beneath a few inches of snow. It was flurrying lightly in the dark, but the freezing temperatures lately had made the land in NightClan territory horribly slick. At least we could see the ice yesterday in the moonlight. Pinewhisker mused, her old bones aching slightly. The ginger she-cat’s tail flicked lightly in annoyance and embarrassment. It was late and she had already contributed a fair amount to the fresh-kill pile in camp tonight considering the weather, though a part of her enjoyed the crispness outside. Snow cleansed the world. It buried what the valley once knew with something pure and fresh, and this time of night was the most peaceful.

StarClan knows that’s what the valley needed.

The thin, elderly she-cat breathed in, pink nose dripping slightly. Snowflakes blurred before her eyes, tickling her fur and face with cold, wet taps. The war with TreeClan made a few more grey hairs sprout from her muzzle, her maw almost completely white with age. Pinewhisker sat back on her haunches, nose searching the air. Nothing, just as she had expected. The TreeClanners were likely all holed up in their dens, sleeping away a beautiful night. Her tail curled up around her paws. Pinewhisker’s green eyes closed and her lungs filled with gelid air.

What a season. She thought, ears twitching as the chill of snow melted against her skin.

“What are you doing?”

A small voice nearly made Pinewhisker jump out of her skin. She ginger senior’s pelt fluffed up, hiding her thin figure. Baypaw bounced backwards, shocked at her elder’s reaction.

“S-sorry!” Baypaw squeaked, eyes wide and ears flat against her head.

“What are you doing out here all alone?” Pinewhisker snapped angrily, swatting out at Baypaw with a hiss.

“I was with the other apprentices but I saw…” Baypaw scrunched up her nose. “Well, I can’t remember what I saw, but next thing I know I’m here with you!”

The small brown she-cat hopped over towards Pinewhisker. StarClan help me. The ginger she-cat thought, glaring at the apprentice, tail snapping in agitation. So much for a peaceful night. To share my precious time with a loner’s kitten?

Pinewhisker huffed. The last time that happened she felt senile. Compassion wasn't for her.

“Run off back to Hollystorm…” Pinewhisker growled. “Or whoever you’re supposed to be with.”

The snow was getting thicker.

“Take this to Rookshade and the elders too why don’t you.” Pinewhisker wiped a thin layer of snow off of a turtle’s shell. “Fill it with water on your way back if you can find any.”

“Yes ma'am! That’s so smart!” Baypaw barked in awe, snagging the turtle’s shell awkwardly in her jaws. “Fank eewww!” The apprentice garbled, darting off back towards camp.

There was no use in sitting back down. Her heart was still racing.

Pinewhisker lurked closer towards the TreeClan border, curiosity alight in her gaze. How did it feel, to be attacked in their own camp? They deserved it. So did any murderous clan, especially one who took an apprentice captive after killing his clanmate in cold blood.

Pinewhisker never liked Jaystep, but the tom never took a life. He didn’t have it in him in the end. She heard the story, how Jaystep had played with Gorsetail’s honor for a few moments, only to be struck down mercilessly by Lionstar. Pinewhisker shivered, feeling the weight of TreeClan’s leader crash down on her again.

No. Pinewhisker thought firmly. Gorsetail reminded Jaystep too much of his own useless son. Pinewhisker didn’t think he would take a life so lightly, for even though enmity had burned under Jaystep’s skin towards the weak, he was ultimately weak himself.

A coward to the end. Pinewhisker mused bitterly. But that made TreeClan killers and cripplers more times than she cared to count.

Rookshade didn’t seem to react to the news, to his father’s lifeless body being drug into the clearing for vigil. He just drug himself away, back to the elders den. To his nest. Baypaw had followed after him to comfort her fellow outcast. Snakeflower cries had filled the caverns of NightClan with dread.

It wasn’t the first time, and probably wouldn’t be the last. Rookshade's mind seemed as ill as his body.

Pinewhisker swallowed hoarsely. Was it her who set NightClan off on this trail of tears? Did her failure as leader entail a fate of death and hate? The energy rushed out of her limbs, but her legs still carried her closer to TreeClan, until the scent marker was at her paws in front, and unmarked territory was a step to her left. This wasn’t the first time she looked off into the distance and wondered if the world would have been better without her, but to this day, she didn't think that to be true.

Doubt killed more dreams than failure ever did, she could attest to that.

“Who’s there?” Pinewhisker hissed, nape ruffling slightly.

The ginger she-cat felt eyes bore into her pelt. The snowfall grew heavier, and dawn was not far off. She should be going back. Pinewhisker turned around, but hesitated. Part of her hoped it was TreeClan. She wasn’t dead yet, and she didn’t plan on going anytime soon. Part of her wanted to make them pay.

"Come out, whoever you are, so I can give you the death you deserve." She let out a guttural growl, slinking back towards the border.

She was left out of the last fight. There was no way she was going to back out of this one.

Abyss Fawn @zen

[Abyss]

Eyes narrowed as a voice called out into the snowy wind, yelling for the creature which was stalking her to reveal themselves. Who did this old sack of bone and fur think they were, demanding for their hunter to show themselves to her? What would this elder do if it turned out to be a wolf or a coyote watching her? What would she do when she discovered that it was truly a fox that was watching her? A fox of some sort, at least.

The creature that lurked in the shadows of the trees watched in anticipation as the grayed cat turned to leave, but stopped, apparently gaining back a little bit of pride as they came back towards the border. The death I deserve? This cat must have a sense of humor.

Orange eyes bore down on the ginger she-cat, watching her as she moved. She was old, that much was clear. Her movements were slower, her fur was largely tinted with gray, and, just based on what had been said, she seemed to have the same grumpy attitude as your typical elder. Though, why would an elder be out on the edge of enemy territory on their own? What kind of game was she playing at?

Nightclan had launched a night attack on Treeclan’s camp only a few days previous. They had snuck through the territory and to the camp, throwing themselves in with a battle cry. In that whole attack, one of their Warriors had nearly killed a cat that they had already crippled moons ago, some of their Warriors went after the nursery, at least one of them targeted Apprentices, one of their own Apprentices had snuck into the battle, and in the end they lost one of their Warriors and nearly lost their Leader. Did these idiots really consider that a win? Did they think that attacking another clan’s camp gave them the right to wander around that clan’s border as well?

How foolish. If anything, Treeclan had every right to kill any Nightclan cat that was spotted anywhere near their territory. Their attack on the camp had only fueled the desire to get rid of them. The valley would be perfectly fine without a clan of rogues taking up one of the corners. Treeclan, and probably the other clans, would gain more territory. All of them would have more food, though, frogs and toads and lizards were hardly worth the effort that would be put in to claiming that land. Perhaps the swamps would just be better empty.

Even though the ever peace-loving Lionstar would probably never go for that idea, that didn’t mean that some of his Warriors couldn’t take these matters into their own hands. He trusted them to do what was right, didn’t he? To do what they thought was best for the clan? It was time to test that theory.

Snow crunched under paw as a creature stalked through the shadows towards the old she-cat. As it came closer, all that could really be seen was a dark red shadow, the push of the growing snowstorm providing cover that hid what this hunter looked like in detail.

“You must be kidding if you believe that you will be the one to take my life away from me, ” growled a low voice, claws unsheathing as the shadow got closer. Narrowed orange eyes flared in the snow, staring down the older she-cat as she pictured what it would be like to tear into the elder’s pelt. Unlike the clan which this cat came from, she would be at least somewhat honorable and give the elder one chance.

“You have no business being anywhere near our territory. Now leave, before you get the same treatment that your dead clanmate received.”

Made by Aqua || Tagged: @jet || Words: 628

[Deleted]

Pinewhisker summed up the TreeClanner unenthusiastically. Back in my day I could have torn this she-cat to shreds. The old ginger warrior mused, a dangerous smile creasing her lips. She felt the fires of adrenaline and arrogance burn under her skin. She never liked Jaystep. He was a terrible listener and an even worse father, but she had begun to hate TreeClan more than anything. Even more than foxes, the beasts who stole her father from her. It was a gift to see him at her nine lives ceremony, but she had failed him, and all the lives she had been granted from those most important in her life were rescinded. Voluntarily, though what choice did she have?

TreeClan had taken too much from NightClan. It was a new feeling to her, enmity, but since she was crippled herself, only more chaos was ensued by TreeClan's existence. Their rogueish acts flared dangerously before her eyes. Pinestar. Blackwolf. Rookshade. Jaystep.

Rookshade was blessed by StarClan to escape with his life, or was he? Pinewhisker's tail lashed and her fur fluffed up angrily. His father wasn't so lucky, and neither were many before them, including herself. For a clan who had always boasted loyalty to the warrior code, they seemed pretty murderous as of late. Pinewhisker's eyes narrowed and her battle-hungry smile melted into a grimace. What was she doing, lingering along the border in the middle of leafbare after one of the most tense battle exchanges in her lifetime?

I'm just having a little fun. She blinked.

"I have to say," Pinewhisker meowed casually, shifting even closer to the border. "For a clan who preaches honor, you all have pretty stingy morals."

The ginger she-cat's whiskers twitched amusingly. There wasn't anything funny about TreeClan's homicidal tendencies, but she had to admit it was pretty ironic. Their valor and nobility was all just a lie, a facade. They may have the rest of the valley convinced, but NightClan knew better. They had the bodies to prove it. It was just painful to see the valley trapped, believing in their pretense of virtue. She laughed inside, and cried out to StarClan quietly.

"Are you here to add another NightClan body to your list, TreeClanner?"

Abyss

[Abyss]

Watching the older she-cat, grayed muzzle changing emotion a few times quite visibly, even through the snow, the younger Warrior felt the urge to laugh. A poor old elder lost in a snow storm. Surely Nightclan kept a better eye on their young, since it didn’t seem to matter if the oldest of the clan suddenly disappeared?

When the rival feline spoke, she found the fur along her spine begin to spike and her tail lashed behind her. Orange eyes narrowed further, also taking a step towards the border and the cat that stood before her.

“Honor? Morals?” An audible chuckle, close to a laugh, fell from her jaws, eyes remaining locked on the older she-cat. “What would you and your clan know of honor or morals? You have stolen prey, you have attacked our Medicine Cat. You have attacked both of our most recent Deputies at least once. You even allowed the rogue that crippled and ruined the life of our previous Deputy to become your Leader. You come barging into our camp at night and begin attacking our Queens, Elders, Kits, and Apprentices.” Her ears began to pin back against her head, her eyes beginning to lace with a presence of danger and fury.

“You and your disgusting band of fox-hearts have no morals.” A low growl rumbled through her throat, tail lashing wildly behind her. Momentarily, Lionstar appeared in her mind, telling her to stop while she was ahead of herself. Spare this elder, don’t be the same way that Nightclan was. She had been battling against two of Nightclan’s Warriors merely nights before and still felt the soreness in her muscles and a slight sting from the scratches she received. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to attack this cat.

But she couldn’t help it. Opportunity had walked into her claws, and she wasn’t about to let it go.

“Learn your place Nightclan trash!” As the words left her mouth, she made one bound forward before she leaped, claws unsheathing in front of her and jaws opening. She aimed to knock this elder right off her feet and maybe get a good hold with her claws. If she was lucky, she’d even snap her jaws around this she-cat’s face. She could only hope.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: @jet || Words: 378

[Deleted]

Pinewhisker felt a weight crash into her after a roar of fury from the depths of the wintry storm, the TreeClanner sending her sprawling across the snow. What? Pinewhisker gasped to herself. The air was driven from the senior's lungs. For a moment, Pinewhisker didn't know which way was up and which way was down, but when she stopped rolling, she felt cold, hard ground pressing against her back. Hind legs lunged upward, an attempt to dislodge the TreeClanner from atop her violent perch. Fangs bore down towards her face. Pinewhisker swatted out with her front paws ferociously. The NightClan warrior released an angry cry as teeth dug into the side of her head, flailing and yanking herself free with a hiss. Fury burned hot in her green gaze.

I won't be bested by a TreeClanner! Pinewhisker thought furiously, feeling claws scorch through her pelt like fire.

Pinewhisker ultimately responded to Foxfire's initial attack with a powerful roll to the side, lurching to her paws despite the she-cat's onslaughts. She braced herself, pelt fluffing up angrily as she faced her enemy. Blood dripped down the side of her face into her eyes, grey snow and crimson blurring her already failing vision.

"I guess we're at an impasse then." Pinewhisker meowed, summing up her rival indifferently through the intensifying storm, tail twitching casually. The night seemed to grow colder.

It was her turn now.

Pinewhisker leaped towards Foxfire, though purposefully dropped short at the last minute, lashing out at the she-cat's haunches from the side. There is no glory in violence. She thought, attempting to position herself on top, snapping out in an effort to latch onto her opponents spine. In violence, we forget who we are. Pinewhisker felt adrenaline rush through her veins, but her eyes found purchase in the amber depths of her opponents gaze.

It was the only way she could hold onto her will in the heat of battle, to know there was a soul trapped inside the body she made bleed.

One of Pinewhisker's hind legs jerked to the side, an ice patch forcing her to the ground with a thud. She inhaled sharply. The snow whipped against the landscape in a blinding grey haze despite the darkness of night, winds driving the flakes against the valley. The old ginger she-cat tried to pull herself to her paws, though her hind right leg cramped beneath her weight.

"Come and get what you deserve, foxheart!" Pinewhisker yowled, voice drowned out by the wind.

If a fight was what this TreeClanner wanted, she wouldn't disappoint.

Abyss

[Abyss]

Contact. The satisfaction of feeling one's claws dig into the skin of another was thrilling, adrenaline flowing into the she-cat's chest. Even more satisfying was the blood that very briefly found it's way onto her tongue as her jaws closed around the older cat's cheek. As much as she wished for the taste and the feeling to remain, she felt a sudden pressure slam into her chest and stomach, throwing the red cat from her prey. She aimed to land on her feet, but found a sudden gusts of the snowy wind jerking her sideways, causing her to lose her footing.

She was quick to stand and face the Nightclan cat, watching as the older she-cat got to her paws. Foxfire felt a stinging on her chest and across her shoulder, likely where her opponent's own claws had hit their mark. But the energy that coursed through her blocked out the pain, and her bright orange eyes didn't leave her target.

She heard the muffled words of her rival through the wind, causing a smile to form on her face. "It seems that way."

Before she could hardly finish her short statement, she watched as the dark figure of the other cat came flying towards her, going to the side at the last moment. The red she-cat felt claws rake across nearly the same position on her shoulder before she could jump out of the way, causing an angry yowl to escape her maw. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the jaws of her opponent going for her, and was unsure of the target, but still ducked out of it. Good thing, too, for if it had landed, which it nearly did, she would have been in a lot more pain.

Unfortunately, just as the other had done, she felt her paws slip out from under her, a patch of hidden ice below causing them both to lose footing. Her shoulder, opposite of the one that had been taking all the blows, hit the hard ground with a thud, causing her to wince with jaws clenched.

No. I will not let ice be what stops me from winning this. With a determined growl and a quick jolt of pain, she got to her feet once more, claws digging at the ice below to get a better hold. When her eyes turned, she found that the other cat hadn't recovered from her own slip-up, one leg still bent awkwardly at her side. A smirk crossed the she-cat's face at this.

Old age will be your downfall. She took only a single step forward when she heard the voice call out once more, words hazy but still recognizable. When hearing what the senior stated, she stopped moving, eyes staring hard at her opponent.

What I deserve? Her muscles tensed, sending pains through either shoulder, but she hardly noticed. I do deserve this. I deserve to get rid of a Nightclan cat. I've faced the judgement of my own family. I've been neglected from a position that I was good enough to get. I've been left out of nearly every battle Treeclan has launched against them. I was ordered not to kill when these fools attacked our camp. I do deserve this. And Lionstar isn't here to deny me this right.

Fury flashed in those orange orbs as the she-cat launched herself forward, her claws dug into the ice giving better traction. She felt her body slightly shift as she sailed through the storm, the wind pushing her further to the side than she wanted. But she was still going towards her target, and that was all that mattered.

With a loud hiss, she felt her body make contact with the fallen senior. Without even caring where it was that she hit, her claws slashed wildly as her shoulder once again hit the ground, her back legs unable to find a hold in the icy snow.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: @jet || Words: 656