[KARAZHAL]

Crowface remembered her little tangle with that even littler she-cat here. As she sat at the edge of LightningClan territory, licking her chops in delight, the slender warrior looked over at the cats accompanying her. Birchspots and Briarpaw were far younger than her, which gave Crowface the belief that she could order them around and they'd just have to take it. After all, she was the patrol leader for this. Younger cats needed to have respect for older ones. At fifty-two moons, Crowface fancied herself in her prime. She was strong, cunning, and fast. Now she needed an achievement that would put her name in the minds of LightningClan leadership.

"You and Briarpaw, go that way and mark these stones," she ordered Birchspots. Her acid-green eyes glinted at Briarpaw; she didn't have a high opinion of the apprentice so this would be a good moment for her to change Crowface's mind.

With a whip-like flick of her skinny tail, Crowface left Birchspots and Briarpaw to do her bidding while the sinuous she-cat slithered off to the south. She marked along the way with brazen affectation. Reaching up to a large mossy stone, she unsheathed her claws and dragged them down the sides, leaving white scratches. She leapt up to the top of the rock and it was then that she saw them, StoneClanners coming toward the border. Crowface's eyes went aflame. Hungry for battle, she lay flat, hoping that the StoneClan cats would become attracted by the fresh LightningClan marks and not pay attention from above.

She did not spy Smokestorm--Smokestar, now--among them. The closest to her was a big brown tom, and her jaws parted to show a toothy smile. The big ones were just as funny to taunt as the small ones. They had something more to prove, especially the boys. "Come on, pebble-heads, let miss Crowface teach you a lesson about hogging all the terrain," she whispered with a soft "fu-fu-fu" laugh. If the StoneClan cats were going to challenge their border, she was going to give them something to remember, a little souvenir to take back to Smokestar.

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OUT OF CHARACTER
#57f069 - tagged for Ginger and backdated to newleaf 8. since we're doing four rounds, i figured round 1 - intro, round 2 and 3 trading blows, round 4 wrap-up?

[Ginger]

Cold grey eyes scoured the terrain as Alderfrost, Cobrashadow, and Frostpaw made their way to StoneClan's border with LightningClan. 

StoneClan's border.

Despite the fact that this area belonged to StoneClan, a certain smell made its way to Alderfrost's nose. A certain smell that revolted him to his very core. That smell was not supposed to reach him while he was still at this part of StoneClan's territory. That putrid scent was meant to be on the other side of the border, where scoundrels and traitors lived.

So why was it here?

"Be vigilant," the massive tom stated, mostly for Frostpaw, who likely didn't know when scents were supposed to be changing. Alderfrost had no doubt that Cobrashadow had sensed this disturbance. Frostpaw nodded and swiveled her head around, looking for trouble. Alderfrost simply opened his ears, listening for the slightest sound of LightningClan rats.

And there it was. A soft voice, barely even there, made Alderfrost look to a moss-covered rock. Upon seeing that there were new markings on it, a silent rage brewed inside the dark tom, coursing through his muscles and causing his claws to unsheathe. 

He looked straight up and made eye contact with wild green eyes looking menacingly down at him. "Typical LightningClan, hiding from the real warriors" he said, his voice calm and even, a perfect mask for the hatred seething inside of him. His hard eyes stared her down intensely, and he slightly raised his voice for the other StoneClanners to hear. "And here I thought that LightningClan was beginning to grow out of its cowardice."

His words were meant to incite rage in not only the black she-cat staring him down, but the two other StoneClanners beside him. This was a perfect opportunity to teach little Frostpaw about the pestilence of LightningClan. A pestilence that needed to be stopped.

---

306 words
#419bc5
KARAZHAL Ghost the Undead Goddess for Cobrashadow mention

[KARAZHAL]

It was him.

Crowface's heartrate quickened, and her pupils dilated in anticipation. Her claws ached to be unsheathed. The sleek black-furred she-cat grinned down at him. Her eyes flashed hungrily down at her target: Alderfrost. "The word you're looking for is stalking, for you are our prey," the she-cat cackled. StoneClan liked to think they had more than just rocks for brains, but the truth was that power was the best teacher. She was going to teach that little dungbeetle Smokestar that LightningClan wasn't afraid to fight for what was theirs.

"Tsk tsk, the real surprise is you having any thoughts at all, Alderfrost," she replied saccharinely. Still, her lips contorted in a sneer, and she flung herself off the mossy boulder like a striking snake. "Claw their pelts!" she yowled. A loud hiss broke the air as her patrol came around the stones with claws flying. Crowface focused only on Alderfrost; with her skinny paws splayed like duck feet, she attempted to land right on top of him with claws digging in.

The skinny cat was known more for her speed, so she did not expect Alderfrost to fall just like that. She wanted to shear his fur right off his back and make him buck. She struck out at his tail and shot forward with teeth bared, ready for repeated bites like a relentless woodpecker drilling away. So infuriated and invigorated by the sight of her rival did she spare the usual taunts. Crowface felt the fight would humiliate him more than her words could. She wanted to send him back to Smokestar with his coat in tatters!

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OUT OF CHARACTER
#57f069 - tagged for Ginger permission granted to give crowface a wicked facial scar or wherever alderfrost wants to land his big hit!!

[Ginger]

Hard eyes narrowed at Crowface's comment. Did this vermin from LightningClan really think that she was his predator? A clan full of scrawny little nothings could not possibly measure up to the might of StoneClan.

She yowled an order and other rats appeared. Of course they were all hiding. Alderfrost would have ripped each one of them to shreds had they not been. The battle seemed evenly matched, and even Frostpaw had a cat close to her size to fight. 

"There's nothing I enjoy more than pest control," he sneered, a cold fire blazing behind his stoney eyes. 

Crowface landed directly on Alderfrost's back, claws digging in. However, the she-cat was much smaller than he was, and the pain was nothing more than a nuisance. In a classic move, the massive brown tom reared up on his hind legs and fell backwards, smashing his the parasite latching onto him between his mass and the rocks below. That would easily serve to get her off of him. 

Now time to teach a lesson. "Weak. You were born weak. You have lived weak. You will die weak." Per usual, Alderfrost's tone had not changed in the slightest despite the droplets of blood dripping from his back to the ground.

Without warning, the tom leaped forwards and a large paw with unsheathed black claws crashed down upon the LightningClanner's face. He could feel the blood soaking his paw before he even drew it away. Now this was something that gave the solemn tom joy. The corners of his usually downturned lips began to edge up ever so slightly. 

The StoneClan warrior backed off a little, giving his victim some time to recover before he would attack again. This was how he fought, letting his victims think they had a chance, giving them as much of a "fair fight" as possible. But it was never fair. Never had Alderfrost lost a battle against vermin. They were all too weak, all too stupid. They fell for his little games so quickly. Alderfrost would say he was disappointed by them, but he expected no better.

And just like with Crowface, Alderfrost expected a decisive victory -- after he dragged on her suffering of course.

---

367 words
KARAZHAL
Full permission to hit him where it hurts

[KARAZHAL]

Crowface let out a shrill yowl overhead. Her claws, clogged with fur, were rather useless in holding onto him, and she tried to leap away, but his move caught her hips down on the rocks. The she-cat's acid-green eyes bulged in pain. It rocked from her legs all the way up her spine. Thankfully, she didn't break anything, but Crowface felt the bruises forming already. Breathing heavily, she turned her narrow face on him. With each spittled word of his, Crowface's lips peeled back further and further. Weak?! How dare he?

Perhaps it was that defiant face that caused her to be smote across it. Instinctively, her eyes closed to the blow, but she felt it tear across her silky fur and flesh. Were she anything but an Oriental, it would have blinded her, but Crowface's wedge-shaped head was beaky and the claws ripped a jagged stroke from her long brow to her narrow nose. Crowface threw her head back. Blood rained an arc across the stones. "Ahh! You fool! You ingrate! You bastard, you blinded me!" she lied, and it was easy to sell it when the pain was genuine and searing right through her. Pulling her legs up into a sinuous crouch, while her face scrunched up in her hateful curse-filled snarls, she began to slowly circle, hoping to fool him into thinking she was crawling in submission like a helpless earthworm before him. His calm demeanor was the most infuriating thing about it all. He spoke as if it were fact, not some heated drivel. She really hated toms sometimes!

That sparked an idea. Her nose wrinkled as she smelled the source of his stench. With a burst of lightning-like speed, she shot for his hindquarters, her jaw slipping open. She felt blood coating the fur and tight skin around her eyes, so she didn't dare open them; she had to go strictly on scent and where a tom sourced his marks was their biggest identifier. She cared little for the pretenses of a "fair fight"; she would do whatever it took to beat her opponent and show her dominance over them. This place, this target, this is what made a tom manly, right? Crowface went straight for them with fangs unleashed. Her claws came after as she tried batting relentlessly toward his shanks.

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OUT OF CHARACTER
#57f069 - tagged for Ginger crowface is going for the neuter + assault on the base of the tail/hips.

INJURIES
crowface landed hard on the left side of her pelvis so she'll be limping for a time.
crowface has a claw injury going down her bony brows (which protected her eyes but are dripping blood rn) proceeding with a long diagonal mark down her long snout

[Ginger]

Disgust was showing in the tom's expression as he slightly pulled his upper lip back. These LightningClanners were disgusting and weak. Her complaining did nothing to alleviate that disgust, but now there was the slightest hint of excitement as he watched her suffer.

But something seemed off. Was she-

"Oof-" was all that came out of the large tom, who had been too slow to avoid Crowface's advance, as she bit down hard on an area that Alderfrost had never been attacked yet. Blinding pain shot through his body, even worse as the black she-cat clawed at his back legs. He couldn't fall. He couldn't let her win.

"Get off, you snake!" The words were hissed through clenched teeth as the tom strained to keep his grip on reality. His vision was going awfully dark. This pest had won, but by deceitful means. How disgusting. 

A pained yowl tore Alderfrost's attention away from the parasite on him to Frostpaw, who had just been struck by the LightningClan apprentice. He had to leave. He had to get this she-cat off of him and...retreat. 

"Your tricks won you this battle. But you will see me again," the tom breathed out between pained gasps. Mustering up all the strength he had left, Alderfrost gave one final shake to get Crowface off of him. Luckily for him, it worked.

The entire back half of his body burned, and Alderfrost felt an immense need to retch, but he had to get Frostpaw back to camp. She was bleeding profusely and needed medical attention. 

Alderfrost would never forget this loss. He would destroy Crowface.

---

269 words
KARAZHAL
I'm cool with calling this one done, but if you want Crow to get the final word, that works too

[KARAZHAL]

A harsh laugh bubbled around her clenched jaws. She let him shake her off, and from her place on the ground, Crowface laughed and laughed, cawing with red teeth shaking in her skull. "Snakey bit you where the sun don't shine. Hurts, don't it?" she taunted, opening her mouth wide to show him the gory saliva collecting there. She spat after his retreating feet. "Of course, darling, you are my faaaaavorite," Crowface called after him.

Only when his back was turned did she favor pain over pride. She began cursing as she struggled upright, trying to hold her head up so that she didn't blind herself in her blood. "That bastard made me ugly," she hissed. Stalking across the pebbles, she limped over to where Birchspots and Briarpaw were. Alderfrost had whisked his clanmates back to the wasteland they hailed from.

"As for you...," She began in her usual cold sneer. "You held your own in a confrontation. That takes guts," she remarked, looking at the two of them both alive, and with a pregnant pause, Crowface gave them both a rare nod of approval. Her acid-green eyes lingered over Birchspots almost suspiciously before she moved over to Briarpaw. She would not allow them to ruin this moment for any righteous nonsense. StoneClan had it coming! "Our Clan has won the Sunstones rightfully through victory in combat. Go on ahead to Ebonyheart. I'll have to report to Redstar and Owlmind." Crowface indicated with her tail and fell in behind them, closing her eyes as she focused on moving one foot after the other. Her leg and hip hurt considerably from where Alderfrost had hurled her to the ground, and each step across the pebbly terrain jostled the injured she-cat.

Still, pride curled her upper lip.


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OUT OF CHARACTER
#57f069 - tagging Ginger Katara for birch + briar mentions, but this is just a wrap-up post!