.winter.rush.[thunder/river]

[Roxie !]

All seemed to fall heavily silent as anticipation crackled in the air. Or maybe it had always been this quiet, and she hadn't taken the time to notice before. But it seemed as if the whole forest were preparing for the battle to come; for there'd surely be one. Badgerstar had never known ThunderClan to go down without a fight. The last time her Clan had battled for this piece of territory--one she believed belonged rightfully to her Clan--she'd been a mere apprentice. But now, as she slipped into the hostile territory a new leader, she'd fight harder. Whatever her own misgivings about her leadership were, Badgerstar knew she had to stay strong for her Clan. And when leaf-bare gripped the land as it did now, and the river was frozen over, they needed all the prey they could get. And what better time to strike than when ThunderClan was unusually quiet, and rumored to be without leader or even deputy? Without order, they'd surely be in disarray. And she'd be ready.

Loyalty to her Clan made her intentions merciless, her expression grim as she leaped onto the nearest rock, an obvious challenge and a take on higher ground. Badgerstar's black tail whipped behind her sharply her claws flexing with tense apprehension. Her sapphire gaze passed over the land before her, taking it all in silently. Sunningrocks was certainly warm, and judging by the scents in the air it had a reasonable supply of prey, even at this time of year. It would be invaluable to RiverClan's needs, and she was determined to seize it now, even if it meant battle with ThunderClan.

The two Clans had never exactly been fond of each other, mostly because of the dispute over the place she stood now. When Clans allied against each other in the occasional war, you'd never find ThunderClan and RiverClan on the same side, perhaps because of pride alone. Badgerstar herself had no love for the forest cats, and even if she did, she'd have to put these hesitations aside. That was what being a leader was about...wasn't it? Doing what was best for your Clan, regardless of the other ones? She shook her pelt and sighed. Well, today she'd find out. Today, she pledged to StarClan, she'd show everyone that she could be the worthy and formidable leader that RiverClan needed right now. She'd earn ThunderClan's respect by showing them the loyalty that bound her Clan together and kept them strong in battle.

Turning slightly, Badgerstar narrowed her eyes as she surveyed her Clanmates, a few of which had already begun to creep up beside her, forming a line of defiance against the forest. Jitterpaw was tense and excited, every one of her fire-colored hairs on end, her tail fluffed out. This would be the apprentice's first battle, and a chance to prove her worth to her Clan. The ginger she-cat gazed up at her leader, brown eyes sparkling with excitement and a tinge of fear. Badgerstar stared back at her, her whiskers twitching in an attempt to reassure Jitterpaw, before turning to face the black warrior who also lurked nearby.

"Brighteyes," she murmured under her breath. "Keep an eye on the apprentices. This'll be their first battle." She turned to stare straight ahead again. "If they do well, their warrior ceremonies won't be too far off."

At this, Jitterpaw suppressed an excited squeal, but Brighteyes merely nodded coolly. He turned to face ThunderClan territory with wary eyes. There was one warrior here that he knew he'd never be able to raise a claw against, and he hoped to dear StarClan that it wouldn't come to that. What would he do if he had to fight his best friend? He knew that he was bound to the warrior code, and that his Clan had to come first. But how much pain would it cause him? Brighteyes stiffened grimly, but kept his expression emotionless as always. There were plenty of other cats in ThunderClan. He'd just have to...avoid Hazelstripe.

There was a moment of tense silence before slowly, Badgerstar raised her head and let out a loud, challenging yowl that she hoped would bring a ThunderClan patrol to the scene. This was it.

[{ tessa }]

Fleetfoot pads quietly across the frozen river. The ice tingles at his paws, but there are bigger things on his mind. His silver eyes are fixed surely on the shore where a few members of his Clan have already gathered. His pale tabby fur bristles with anticipation. He has only recently become a warrior; a few days ago you would have been calling him Fleetpaw. His expression, usually void of emotion, now shows a rare excitement and a determination to prove himself. Sunningrocks is RiverClan's territory, and it always has been. Fleetfoot remembers the elders' tales of the days when his Clan used to own it, long ago. His tail fluffs out aggresively. ThunderClan, he'd show those thieves.

He reaches the bank of the enemy territory and follows suit of his leader, leaping up onto one of the rocks beside Jitterpaw. He spares a glance at the ginger apprentice, knowing from the determination that she shows that she will do well in this battle. He flicks an ear at her and then crouches low on the rock, his mottled silver pelt blending well with the rocks. Even his silver eyes don't stand out against them, and he steps back so that he is half encased by shadows. When the rest of RiverClan attacked, he'd choose a ThunderClan warrior and take them by surprise.

Fleetfoot is completely still, surpressing the urge to flick his tail tip impatiently. His silver eyes miss nothing, but there is nothing to miss. The forest is silent. "Where are they?" He hisses aloud softly. "Are they so weak that they cannot keep up with their own border patrols?"

[Roxie !]

Brighteyes gave a short grunt that didn't signify much opinion on the matter, while Jitterpaw purred in amusement at this, while Badgerstar turned to give her warrior a long, thoughtful look through narrowed blue eyes. ThunderClan's lack of border patrols was unimpressive to say the least, especially when Sunningrocks would be one of the best places to hunt during Leaf-Bare. It seemed that the enemy Clan had all but dissapeared. Still, she knew that it would be unwise to underestimate them just yet. They had to be prepared. "Patience." She murmured in a soft growl. And then Badgerstar returned her gaze to the forest, waiting tensely. All senses were alert and straining for any signs of a ThunderClan warrior. She would not be taken by surprise. Rosebloom, Honeypaw, and Sleetghost were do to be here as well. Hopefully they'd outnumber the ThunderClan cats, when they actually arrived.

And then--they all scented it at the same time. Brighteyes stiffened so that he was as motionless as the shadow of a stone. His orange eyes darted through the shadows warily. Jitterpaw's fiery fur immediately began to bristle, and she unsheathed her claws, while Badgerstar waited in tense silence, the tip of her tail twitching. ThunderClan scent was in the air.


Somewhat wearily, Foxtail had sent himself off to hunt. The fresh-kill pile seemed constantly empty, and some of the Clan seemed half-starved. For him, and for the rest of ThunderClan, newleaf couldn't come sooner. But perhaps, he thought, some prey would be taking shelter in the warmth of the Sunningrocks. He'd start there and hope to StarClan for luck. He gave a long yawn and continued to pad through the forest toward the familiar land.

As he neared, he noticed a strange silence lingering in the air. It took him a moment to place it: but then, yes, the river had frozen. Foxtail remembered the time when this had happened last Leaf-bare when he'd been a newly made warrior, curious about it. But there was something more forboding about this silence than usual, something that made his fur tingle. Foxtail's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Great, now he was imagining things. With a soft snort, he parted his jaw slightly to taste the air for scents or prey. What he found, however, was anything but expected.

RiverClan scent. For a heartbeat, the warrior froze, his breath catching in his throat. Had Rosebloom come looking for him? They hadn't planned anything...what if another warrior found her? But no, this wasn't his mate's scent...he didn't have each RiverClan warrior's scent memorized, so he couldn't tell who was invading, but he knew for sure that it wasn't Rosebloom. Foxtail's tail lashed as his fur began to bristle. Hadn't they made it clear that RiverClan couldn't hunt here? Well, he'd just have to chase the intruder off. They'd picked the wrong cat to mess with. With a loud hiss, Foxtail leaped through the ferns with the intention at flinging himself at his intruder. Only he hadn't figured on facing half of RiverClan.

This wasn't just a matter of prey being stolen or borders being crossed...this was an invasion. And Foxtail could guess what it was for. RiverClan were making another claim on Sunningrocks! Fury boiled the tom's blood as his brown ears flattened to his head. His head swung from side to side as he surveyed the intruders. From what he could see, there was a ginger apprentice, a black tom, and the leader herself. He didn't see Rosebloom among them, but it was only a matter of time...what if he had to fight her?

"What business does RiverClan have at Sunningrocks?!" Foxtail snarled, though he knew the answer perfectly well.


OOC//Lol Tessa, Foxy doesn't see Fleetfoot by the way. I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. And Dawnie, does Badger know about Rose and Foxy?

[le Dawnz]

Why now? Why did this have to happen now? However many times she asked herself that, Rosebloom knew exactly why. As RiverClan's deputy, she knew as well as anyone else that it was best to lay claim to Sunningrocks while ThunderClan was so weak. But for StarClan's sake, why was this so hard?! The black she-cat knew that no cat in either clans could find out about her and Foxtail, and the pair had never had problems when it came to battle between their clans before, but this time it was different. This time something held her back. Why oh why now?

ThunderClan appeared to be without a leader. It was as if they were deteriorating one by one. Foxtail had never mentioned what was going on in his clan, but Rosebloom knew he couldn't betray their secrets even if he wanted to. He was still loyal to his clan. But she was getting ahead of herself. Maybe, just maybe he wouldn't be there. Maybe it would be some other cat who came across them. Rosebloom hoped with all her heart that whoever they met, Foxtail wouldn't be one of them. The deputy flicked her black tail, turning back to look over her shoulder at the apprentice and warrior behind her. "We must hurry." she told them quietly. "Badgerstar is expecting us."

Honeypaw nodded in acknowledgment to her deputy's orders. Her light-colored pelt rippled in the cool breeze and she swiftly followed Rosebloom and Sleetghost to join Badgerstar and her patrol at Sunningrocks. The battle should be interesting, especially since ThunderClan have been so quiet lately. The apprentice would have to put all her energy and training into today if ThunderClan put up a fight.

As they neared the river, Honeypaw kept a look out for her sister, Jitterpaw. Where was she? Then the she-cat saw her standing near the warrior, Brighteyes. Honeypaw was a very quiet, down-to-earth and sort of bitter cat, but the one thing in life that she cared about most was her sister. She'd do anything to make sure Jitterpaw would be around the next day, and the next. Leaving her spot beside Sleetghost, Honeypaw joined the flame-colored apprentice.

Sleetghost treaded lightly across the ice-covered river, feeling the cold snow prick at the pads of her paws (well that's a tongue twister). Her gaze floated around the clearing over the RiverClan cats gathered together and settled on Badgerstar. The leader seemed anxious. The warrior knew she must be impatient for some ThunderClan cat to appear. As she looked from one clanmate to the next, she was again reminded how lucky she was to be seeing anything at all.

When Sleetghost was a kit, she'd opened her eyes for the first time, only to realize she was blind! After she was made an apprentice, it became painfully obvious to everyone else as well. It had been hard at first. Everyone babied her, and no one seriously thought she could ever be a warrior. Her siblings and her parents had been very supportive, but there was only so much they could do. The she-cat had been ready to give up when she'd recieved a dream from StarClan. The next morning when she woke, she could see! Sleetghost was still as grateful now as she had been then. She knew she would never take her sight for granted as many cats do.

Leaves rustled near the edge of Sunningrocks and ThunderClan scent drifted around them. Sleetghost narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her claws, digging them into the snowy drift. Honeypaw's fur bristled along her spine as she watched a cat step through the brambles. Rosebloom's heart jumped into her throat when she realized that the warrior standing before them... was non other than Foxtail. He was adressing the RiverClanners as her patrol joined Badgerstar. "What business does RiverClan have at Sunningrocks?!" he snarled at them.

Foxtail! Rosebloom willed him to look at her, pleading with StarClan as she sent a silent plea to him. After a minute, she realized he didn't see Fleetfoot behind him. Erasing any possible sign of affection for her mate, she slunk around the cats and prowled toward the RiverClan warrior, hoping to bring the mottled tom's attention to his attacker without making it obvious to her denmates. "As if you don't know!" she yowled, her unusually pink eyes flashing.

* * *

As Foxtail's scent grew stronger, Hazelstripe realized he wasn't alone. The brown tabby's ears twitched, listening for anything unusual, before turning back to the little gray apprentice padding behind her. "Rabbitpaw." she called softly but sharply. He leapt to her side, his black stripes shining under the sun that streamed through the treetops. "Tell me, what do you smell?" Hazelstripe wasn't Rabbitpaw's mentor, but she'd been asked to take him on a patrol for the experience. Testing his abilities would only increase it.

Rabbitpaw nodded enthusiastically and parted his jaw to taste the air. He could smell Foxtail clearly, and knew he had been there recently. He could also smell the stale scent of mouse. But beyond that, he could have sworn he could smell... "RiverClan!" he hissed. The tabby tom shivered with aprehension at the thought of his first battle. Where was Smokepaw? He needed to be here at a time like this! Maybe they'd fight great and be made into warriors!

"What did you say?" came a voice from behind them. The pair turned to see Gentleheart padding toward them. "I smell RiverClan!" Rabbitpaw repeated. "They must be after Sunningrocks again. Rabbitpaw, run back to camp and gather as many warriors as you can. Tell them to hurry because I don't think RiverClan will hesitate to attack!" Hazelstripe ordered the apprentice. He looked back and forth between the two she-cats in disappointment before racing into the forest.

"Let's hurry." Gentleheart meowed, bounding toward Sunningrocks with Hazelstripe right behind her. They burst through the ferns to find themselves faced with what looked like the whole of RiverClan! Gentleheart stared around in amazement before spotting Foxtail. In a flash, both she-cats were beside him, but not before seeing the warrior behind Foxtail that he obviously hadn't noticed.

"Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan!" Gentleheart snarled, leaving all her current worries and woes behind so she could focus all her strength on defending her clan. Hazelstripe's hackles raised as she hissed at Fleetfoot menacingly. "Leave now and maybe we won't make crowfood out of each and every one of you." the tabby yowled angrily.

[Roxie !]

Foxtail lowered his head and let out a menacing snarl that was directed at the RiverClan leader, the fur along his neck bristling dangerously. Behind him, his bushy tail lashed furiously as he waited for Badgerstar's judgement. No matter what happened, he couldn't leave Sunningrocks undefended. To back off now would be to give it to them...but he couldn't take all of these cats. If they attacked now, he'd be crowfood! And then, out of the corner of his eye, a sudden black shape caught his attention. Tensing, Foxtail whipped around to stare at the feline, and felt his blood turned to ice when he found himself face-to-face with his mate. Would she really attack him? If she did, Foxtail knew he wouldn't be able to fight her back.

But then...no...Rosebloom wasn't threatening him. She'd stalked right past something, something he realized now was more than just a shadow. A tom was lurking there, concealed by shadow and the color of his fur, and he'd have probably attacked Foxtail once the battle had started if it hadn't been for his mate. He blinked, realizing what Rosebloom was trying to tell him, but didn't dare show any signs of gratitude that could and would give them both away. Foxtail narrowed his eyes in a would-be hostile gesture, though still painfully aware of the other RiverClan cats waiting behind him. But before he could speak, a yowl rang out, and the warriors Gentleheart and Hazelstripe bounded to his side. Foxtail felt a sudden rush of relief run through him as they hissed a challenge at the RiverClan cats. Painfully, he forced himself to turn away from his mate and shoot a snarl at Fleetfoot, who'd been about to attack him before. Now he'd be able to return the challenge.

Still, he knew, there were many, many RiverClan cats here, and ThunderClan's numbers had lessened lately. Could they really take all of these cats? Well, Foxtail knew he would go down fighting. He had to.


Badgerstar's eyes narrowed as she faced the three ThunderClan warriors. They were viciously hostile, just as she'd expected them to be, though she couldn't help but think something was wrong. If these cats were smart, they'd have sent at least one member of their patrol back to their camp. She could guess that re-enforcements would arrive soon, but hopefully her Clan would outnumber them still then. She could glance around at her warriors and be filled with a sense of pride; know that they were capable of giving RiverClan a victory.

Her gaze flashed to the place where Fleetfoot had hidden himself, and her eyes widened slightly. Rosebloom was stalking right past him, obviously drawing a ThunderClan warrior's attention to him. What was she doing? Surely she had to realize...well, it couldn't be helped now. Rosebloom's loyalty was something Badgerstar trusted above anything else, and she counted on the fact that her sister would never betray RiverClan. Besides, their advantage hadn't relied on the hiding spot of one warrior, anyway. The black-and-white she-cat whipped around to face the warriors who had hissed threats at her Clan, and her eyes narrowed at them dangerously.

"Crowfood?" She spat, her eyes narrowed scornfully. Gone was she calm, kind-hearted she-cat she'd been around her Clan-mates. Now she was Badgerstar, leader of RiverClan, and she swore by StarClan that if these cats harmed any one member of her Clan, she'd tear them to pieces or lose her nine lives trying. "You're hardly in a position to make such threats," It was true, at this point the ThunderClan cats were badly outnumbered. But she doubted that this would stop them from defending their territory...or trying to. "Sunningrocks does not belong to ThunderClan." Badgerstar went on with a furious lash of her tail. "Or have your flea-bitten elders conveniently forgotten to mention the time long ago when ThunderClan stole this territory?"

The challenge was obvious. There was no more time to talk. If the battle began now, they could possibly weaken these warriors considerably before re-enforcements arrived. Badgerstar drew herself up, growling the last few words. "And StarClan is not kind to thieves." With that, she flicked her tail, a signal for her Clan to attack.

Brighteyes let out a yowl, his signature battle cry, and tore down the slope to fling himself at Gentleheart. He gave every appearance of being about to leap at her, but at the last moment he landed at her side and aimed a large, powerful swipe at her, attempting to knock the she-cat off her feet(wow that sounded odd lol).

Badgerstar didn't hesitate to leap from the rock, aiming to come down clawing on Hazelstripe's back, and hoping that the young warrior would be distraced enough by Fleetfoot not to see her coming. The battle had begun.

[{ tessa }]

Fleetfoot digs his claws into the ground, his expression dark and grim. He stares at the warriors with the cold hatred a cat would have for his enemies, though he appears unmoved like a statue. He can't wait to tear these cats apart. His eyes dart to Badgerstar expectantly. He waits silently for the leader's signal, and finally breaks his solitary silence when she mentions ThunderClan being thieves, and yowls his approval to the skies. He can feel the tension crackle in the air; feel a fire burning inside him. Today the young warrior will prove that he makes a dangerous and formiddable enemy.

The sign from Badgerstar is just what he is waiting for. He sees her flick her tail with one last challenge to the ThunderClan cats. The signal for RiverClan to attack, and Fleetfoot will gladly obey it. His eyes blaze with a wild, fiery rage. He doesn't intend to give the ThunderClan cats any time to think before he attacks. He signals out his previous target, Foxtail, and throws himself at the other warrior. He is a screeching, clawing blur of silver fur, and in his attempt to tackle the ThunderClan tom he hopes to inflict some serious damage to begin with. But he doesn't underestimate the tom, expecting that he'll probably be ready. Well that's alright, Fleetfoot is ready too. The familiar pounding of blood in his ears, the adreniline rushing through him, they tell it all.

[Roxie !]

Foxtail dug his own claws into the ground to steady himself for Fleetfoot's attack. His eyes had never left the warrior, narrowed in a silent challenge. When Badgerstar ordered the attack, a pang of fear chilled deep within the warrior's heart, not for himself, but for his Clan-mates, and Rosebloom. This battle would bring bloodshed, whatever happened. Foxtail knew he could never fight Rosebloom herself, or even Badgerstar, because he knew how close the two she-cats were, but this was a one-on-one battle he'd participate in willingly. His snarled at Fleetfoot and crouched, waiting for the other tom's approach. When he drew close enough, the ThunderClan warrior suddenly sprang to his paws without warning, rearing up on his hindlegs and attempting to batter Fleetfoot with unsheathed claws, and hopefully bring the leaping cat to the ground. From that point on, he knew, it'd be a mess of biting and scratching and kicking, and he wouldn't have much time to think. He'd need to let instinct and adreniline lead him then.

OOC//Okay, I think we can be excused from making long posts at this point, since there isn't much to say in a battle other than attacks and counterattacks, and what not, plus graphic violence isn't allowed, so it isn't as if we can go into that much detail anyway.

And okay, Tessa, this is how the battle'll go down. Foxy can be all like "I hope you're not dragging us back there for Rosebloom! Because I was standing right there when she told you NOT to come back, and now that you've ruined her chance of getting off the island, (Rosebloom: Wtf? I can swim!)--", And Fleety'll flip out and attack him again. They'll fight for awhile, and then Fleetfoot will leap at Foxtail or something and Foxtail will try to slip under him but get pinned to the ground. Then Fleety'll be all "ARE YOU DONE?! ARE YOU DONE?!" And shift accidentally so that he presses his weight into Foxtail's shoulder, dislocating it, and Foxy'll yowl reaaaally loud for dramatic effect and Fleety'll be all "Sorry! Omg sorry! I didn't mean to HURT you while we were FIGHTING." And then suddenly, they hear this giant roar in the distance and Foxy'll be all "What the hell was that?!" and Fleety'll be all "RUN!!" And they'll go running through the forest to try to escape the smoke monster. -tries to keep a straight face- Oh yeah. Am I random or am I random?

[{ tessa }]

OOC: Oh snap, LMAO!! I was reading that like "WTF Roxie has finally lost it", and then I realized that you were making fun of Kate and Juliet on LOST. Omg we should sooo do a lost parody typed thing with our warriors charries.

IC: At the last minute, Fleetfoot sees Foxtail spring off the ground, rearing up with claws outstretched. His eyes widened, knowing that he shouldn't have put something like this past his opponent. Still, he tries to twist in the air so that his face won't get the worst of the damage, but there realistically isn't enough time. The ThunderClan tom's claws snag in is shoulder fur, and Fleetfoot grits his teeth to wear off the sharp pain. But he refuses to give Foxtail the satisfaction of yowling in it. Instead he fights back as they go tumbling to the ground, kicking out with his hind legs and attempting to rake his back claws over Foxtail's chest and belly. Fleetfoot is twisting and turning all the time, attempting to break free of his enemie's grip but using it to his advantage while he can.

[Roxie !]

OOC// xDDD I knew you'd get it. I'm not crazy, really I'm not! -bats eyelashes and smooths non-existant dress- And LMAO! That'd be hilarious. We so should. There are sooo many characters that would fit those parts...omg especially the love quadrangle thing! xDDD

IC// For a moment, satisfaction coursed through him as his claws raked successfully over Fleetfoot's shoulder. He tensed his muscles forward, attempting to put more power and thus more damage into the blow, but before he knew what was happening, they were both going down again, and Fleetfoot was raking his claws painfully down Foxtail's stomache. The ThunderClan warrior led out a hiss of rage and pain, and was left with no choice but to let go and spring away from Fleetfoot. Blood splattered the grass slightly, but Foxtail's eyes glowed bright with fierce determination. Since he'd leaped away, he'd landed on his feet, but hopefully the same would not happen for his opponent. At any rate, Foxtail was going to take advantage of it. Bunching his muscles, he leaped forward and attempted to land on Fleetfoot's back and cling there, aiming a bite at the tom's already-injured shoulder as well.

At that moment, however, a sudden weight followed by a sharp pain rammed into his back. Foxtail stumbled with the force of it, but clutched at the ground in a fierce attempt to keep his balance. He ripped and twisted in an attempt to throw his attacker off, but the ginger she-cat kept a firm grip. Jitterpaw had leaped upon him, her brown eyes glittering with the light of her first battle. She clung to Foxtail's shoulders for dear life, and raked her back claws along his back. Then the apprentice lowered her head and sunk her teeth into the back of his neck. The blow hit close to his spine, sending a shiver through him, and he hissed and flipped over so that Jitterpaw would be crushed to the ground. The apprentice squeaked and wringled, attempting to squirm away, but she couldn't manage to claw the warrior again.

[{ tessa }]

Fleetfoot falls to the ground hin a slump. He knows that at that moment, he is vunerable, so he struggles to get to his paws. Too late, he realizes that Foxtail has regained balance sooner than he and is already leaping at him. Fleetfoot hisses and braces himself for the pain of the blow, but it never comes. The fire-colored apprentice Jitterpaw has leaped onto Foxtail's back. It is a dangerous feat, an apprentice attacking a warrior, but she has successfully intercepted Foxtail's potentially very harmful attack. Fleetfoot takes a minute to regain his strength and breath, watching the two fight. Jitterpaw seems to have taken Foxtail by surprise, and there is a moment when she gains the advantage.

But Foxtail is a trained, seasoned warrior, and soon his skills return to him. He flips over onto his back, and Jitterpaw seems unable to escape. Fleetfoot hisses in fury, fully ready to re-join the battle now. He charges over and lunges with all his strength at the other tom's exposed underbelly, trying to both claw ferociously at him and knock him off Jitterpaw with the force of the attack.

[Roxie !]

Of course. He cursed himself silently, he should have known to be more guarded when fighting two opponents. Foxtail hissed and spat with fresh pain as Fleetfoot raked his claws over his belly a second time. If this went on, he'd lose too much blood. He needed a new strategy, and fast. But there wasn't much to do with Fleetfoot nearly pinning him to the ground, clawing and biting so quickly that all Foxtail could do was counter some of the attacks. But that was doing him no good. He needed to be able to attack, too. Suddenly, Foxtail lunged upward with a surge of strength, snapping aggressively at Fleetfoot's face. But the attack wasn't timed right-- in fact, he put himself right in the way of one of the tom's paw-swipes. It raked across his forhead and sent blood streaming down his face, temporarily blinding him. However, Foxtail knew that letting this hinder him could in this case, cost him the battle. So, trusting his other instincts, he whipped out his forepaws and tried to sink his claws into Fleetfoot's sides. At the same time, his hind-legs kicked forward. If this worked properly, the two would flip, and Foxtail could gain the advantage instead.

Though the battle raged all around them, a writhing mass of cats, nothing else seemed to matter except the battle at hand. Foxtail fought with the strength and fury of StarClan, though he was still blinded. And all the time, the pair were rolling closer and closer to the river. It was iced over, of course, but the ice wasn't thick enough to withstand the sudden weight of two fighting cats. Jitterpaw crouched nearby, her eyes tracking the battle. Even she did not dare to near the two cats just yet, though she waited for the perfect opportunity to leap in. Her gaze darted to the river and back, and then widened as she realized what Foxtail had missed.

"Fleetfoot, watch out!" She yowled, praying to StarClan that her warning would come in time. Leaping forward, Jitterpaw raced after the fighting pair, and attempted to grab hold of her clan-mate's scruff. Of course, she didn't have enough strength to pull a full-grown warrior away, but perhaps she could slow him down enough to give him a chance to get his balance.

[{ tessa }]

Fleetfoot yowls in pain when Foxtail's attack sends him reeling to the ground, leaving him to be pinned istead. Fleetfoot struggles, clawing and biting, but it seems that the ThunderClan cat has gained the advantage. A sudden fury has over-taken Foxtail, and it's almost scary. Fleetfoot too is so caught up in this battle that he does not notice them rolling straight for the river. A drench in that icy water in this weather could mean death, especially in their already weakened state. When Jitterpaw's warning sounds out, Fleetfoot lifts his head as best he can, bleeding from multiple scratches, his injured shoulder, and a nick on his ear. He seems puzzled for a moment until he sees the river. His eyes widen and he tries to rip himself away from Foxtail, but it's too late. They're already out on the ice. Fleetfoot scrambles desperately for the bank even as the ice cracks beneath his paws. He probably wouldn't have made it if weren't for Jitterpaw. She sinks her teeth into his scruff and drags him away in the nick of time.

Fleetfoot stands there, panting, and looks at the ginger apprentice. "Thanks." He says softly. Then he turns to see if Foxtail has made it out, his muscles tense.