TW: Sensitive Content Open Territory at last, i know just how you felt ──✩°｡⋆⸜ beast hunt

[loonstar loonstar]

{$title} fox hunt turned dog ambush [cw for gore and animal violence!]

juniper

"and this time, she won't be forgiving"​​

cw; descriptions of gore, animal violence

too many roam between the tall, sturdy trunks of the barren trees... they are shades of fear made manifest, with sharpened teeth and hungry eyes. it could've been called poor luck, the first time... a stray dog let loose to chase what it only saw as prey. and then again... and then again... until slowly all her soldiers came marching home stained in sanguine. sometimes... those soldiers would not march again.

the lack of their paw-steps today weigh heavily on their shoulders... a reminder of their failure. had they been there, even once, maybe something could've been spared. a trade could've been made. even in the silvery, thin veil one called good fortune, they found frail reason for hope. Boarthorn had not died... Owlbark had carried himself home without aid... Tenebrouspaw had not lost her spark.... Copperstorm had not left his children without a father... and Briarpaw had truly placed herself in the seat of worth. five souls permitted another chance.

"Owlbark said they last spotted it in this area... keep your senses sharp. We can't afford to be caught off guard..." the woods thin here, a clearing that opens wide and obscured at its edges by what bushes have not become naked in the cold. still... even if tonight they scoured the land for a ruddy enemy, there had been more than just its wily fangs sunk into kin and clan-mate alike. ever looming remained the threat that maybe... just maybe... a perfect storm brewed. a twist of fate that found them as unlikely allies against cat-kind.

*fate is not so devious... though it is cruel. they can hear the stampeding of paws as it trembles under-paw.. a sharp yip, an excited whine, and then... shredding. not of the bark of trees, the caterwauls of pain promise that much. despite what damage it had wrought, not even Loonstar can find satisfaction in the wailing screams of a fox. between the flicker of wind-swept leaves they can make out the silhouette of a beast.. one with ears set forward as it snaps again and again at the nape of a weakened foe... the fox cannot run... not with the way one of its legs pours blood like it is the source of a great waterfall. and soon it cannot protest either... where a jaw wraps around its neck and squeezes until there's not a sound left to pry from its lips.

they stare... frozen by what brutality they have witnessed. a hunger for cat blood... and more... it is a ravenous thing... left to run wild in their forest. and she had led them to its theater of carnage. the spotted tabby thinks to call for a retreat, quickly, back into the brush before they are seen... but the hound is not the only one of its kind... and though what draws itself snarling from the bushes is still smaller than the joyous murderer beyond the break in the clearing, it is still imposing enough a threat knowing that any second now its malicious counterpart could join in.

──✩°｡⋆⸜ ✮

• // two stray dogs have run rampant in the woods and though they've taken care of our fox problem, they've caught sight of us too...!!
  
  OPTIONAL FUN:
  fox killer [ must take 10 damage to flee! ]
  tiny tyrant [ must take 5 damage to flee! ]
  
  attacking:
  you may roll 2d20 for claw-attacks or 1d20+5 for bite attacks!
  rolling a 10+ is a guaranteed hit of ONE damage. if you roll a 20, you do a critical THREE damage!
  
  defensively, it is up for you to decide if a 1-9 means you take damage yourself or not, I don't want to force anyone into injuries they dont want! this is open to ANYONE who is not injured as of the time of this thread ic [december 1st]
  requested tags: @TORRIDPAW @Daisynose @Gracepaw @Briarpaw.
• loonstar
  leader of thunderclan
  six lives remain
  

 

[Briarpaw. Briarpaw.]

BRIARPAW, 12 moons / THUNDERCLAN APPRENTICE
A long-furred chocolate tortie with white tail tip.
Brother to Brick, Gracepaw, Echokit, Frecklekit, Victorykit
SPEECH || THOUGHTS
Rolled 2d20 for claw attacks with a result of 17 & 4! If I'm understanding correctly, this is one hit for 1 damage, and 1 miss? Regardless, Briarpaw's focus is on the fox killer!

---

The familiar scent of fox-blood hit his nose, rousing his latent anger at the beast. He padded alongside his Clanmates with icy determination, muscles tensed and claws ready.

The fox would not escape them this time. Not if he had anything to say about it.

The screams of its death hit his ears, however, and he realized his kill had been stolen. A massive, slobbering beast had taken the death that belonged to the ThunderClan warriors, and he snarled under his breath.

Bastard, he thought.

A second dog appeared in the brush, smalled than the first, and Briarpaw knew where his focus would lie. He darted forward, leaping at the fox-killer, fangs bared and claws outstretched.

One paw connected, scoring a mark across the creature's muzzle, and he landed before it, long fur fluffed out. The dog would pay.

 

[TORRIDPAW TORRIDPAW]

x

That fox could have killed their sister. It could have also very well killed Owlbark, or any of their other clanmates, but after they'd heard what had happened, Torridpaw's panicked mind could only replay the vision of their littermate meeting an awful fate. So of course they are a part of Loonstar's patrol, seeking to sweep the forest, locate the fox, and drive it from their lands with its tail between its legs… or, preferably, clutched unmoving between Torridpaw's teeth. They have brought enough falsified trophies home to the clan's kits that a real and true fox tail would likely be a much more appreciated artifact. So they pad along after the leader, ears perked and listening for any hint of foxcry—and they hear it, they do, but it comes much more alarming than any of them had expected. The clearing they happen upon is lined with brush in which to hunker and hide, but there is no hiding from the scene occurring before their very eyes.

A dog, the same beast that their parent had warned them of when they had all stumbled upon Mulberry out in the woods, has found the fox first. The tortoiseshell can only look on in horror as the canine takes the life of the very creature they're here to fight, and suddenly the patrol's fates have changed. This is no longer a matter of driving a predator out—a much larger foe has now slotted into its place, leaving them with one remaining option. Survive. And the dog… isn't alone. From out of seemingly nowhere crashes a second dog, heading straight for Torridpaw. They stare for only a moment, fear locking each of their joints into a pantomime of the way dry leaves stand frozen, glued to the ground by the early morning frost. They have told many a tale of their feats of boldness and might, paraded themself around as an apprentice capable of taking down beasts of myth and legend. Yet, they have never truly battled against any creature larger than themself. And though this slobbering hound may stand smaller than its bloodsoaked counterpart, it still beats out Torridpaw by a head-height at the very least. And in frame, it is broader and clearly carries so much more power. How are any of them to beat this creature, much less its gigantic partner?

Briarpaw leaps, and Torridpaw seems to snap out of their daze, golden eyes darting toward the other apprentice as he manages to claw at the fox killer's face. Aiming for the eyes and nose, those soft and squishy and delicate, painful parts, is a strategy that Torridpaw would discourage in battle between equals on a battlefield—but even all of their patrol put together is no match for a dog of such size. And this, the site where the towering canine has so effortlessly dealt with the predator that could have killed their clanmates, is no battlefield. It is a bloodbath, a potential massacre if allowed to spiral out of their control. There is no room for fairness, not when it is life or death. And Briarpaw, he fights like a warrior should, standing courageously before the dog who could rip him to shreds if he isn't cautious.

Unfortunately, the other apprentice's attack is all the distraction that's needed for the canine's jaws to clamp around Torridpaw's foreleg, as they fail to yank it backward in time. A yelp escapes them, and they bare their teeth right back at the beast. Something red-hot pumps through their veins, anger normally suppressed bubbling up underneath the surface, and Torridpaw lashes out with a claw at the dog's face, now so close to their body that they can feel its hot, putrid breath against their skin. It feels hopeless, like trying to dig a hole in frozen soil, but they grit their teeth and aim another swipe, this time at the dog's eye, only to swing wide when the canine suddenly lets go of their limb. A hiss leaves their mouth and they scramble backward, lashing out with their injured limb in an attempt to fend off the creature even as they steadily back away from it.

OOC rolled a 10 & 5 for claw attack, dealing 1 damage to the tiny tyrant

also this got kinda long so TLDR; Torridpaw panics, gets bitten on the leg by the smaller dog, & is now free and backing away from it

✧✧✧

TORRIDPAW

HE/SHE/THEY, THUNDERCLAN APPRENTICE
✧ longhaired tortoiseshell with high white & golden eyes
✧ loud & bright, eager to be the best they can be at every task
✧ peaceful powerplay allowed ; enjoys physical contact
✧ played by foxlore

 

[Copperstorm]

You walk along the edge of danger
AND IT WILL CHANGE YOU

.

Torridpaw, Briarpaw, Gracepaw, apprentices, all of them. Young, eager, and tasked with a mission far beyond what their paws had faced before... Tracking the fox that had brutally harmed his son, the same fox that had wounded Tenebrouspaw. Copperstorm had already congratulated Briarpaw on his victory, but pride mingled uneasily with worry. Three apprentices on a patrol like this... It was bold. Loonstar had placed faith in them, and he would try to do the same, but his ears flicked back and every muscle in his body remained tense, stalking low to the ground as he listened to every whisper of wind, every rustle of the undergrowth. Loonstar was with them, she was a capable warrior too. That much he had figured out during the time they had tag-teamed the bulking figure of Skyclan.

They would find the fox... He knew they would... But fate rarely made things simple. A scream split the air, sharp, wild, terrified. The fox, already wounded, had drawn the attention of something far more dangerous. Hackles rose along Copperstorm's spine as realization struck. A hound. Its presence was immediate, a predator that dwarfed them in size and strength. Relief that the fox might be dead clashed with the immediate, harrowing thought... They were now in the hound's sights. Calls in the distance warned of more... Another hound closing in. Copperstorm's heart pounded painfully, adrenaline surging through every vein. Without hesitation, he sprang forward with a snarl, instincts sharpened to a razor's edge.

His eyes locked on the smaller dog first, the one closest to Torridpaw, who had already been hurt. Teeth sank into the hound's flesh with a wet, satisfying bite, and a low, angry rumble rolled through his throat. The tiny terror yipped and snapped, struggling against his jaws, but he held fast, baring every ounce of strength and fury to protect the apprentices. Then, just as quickly, he leapt back, hackles bristling and teeth bared, putting himself between the apprentice and the predator. Let this one focus on him, he thought, let it take its anger out on me and away from the injured. The forest seemed to hold its breath around them, the tension almost tangible, every heartbeat echoing in Copperstorm's ears as he prepared for whatever would come next and prayed that Briarpaw, Loonstar, Daisynose and Gracepaw focused on the large hound.

Speech, thoughts/emphasis

37 MOONS

𖧧

THUNDERCLAN

𖧧

SONG

𖧧

bio

Went for a bite attack! Rolled a 12, got 1 hitpoint off the tiny tyrant!! down to 3 !!

 

[hazelheart hazelheart]

(🜲) the burly woman strides purposefully after her leader, golden eyes narrowed, jaw clenched. hazelheart, ever the attentive soldier, tastes the air, placing herself at the edge of the patrol, as she and copperstorm surround the apprentices. this is a bad idea, she feels, but loonstar's word is worth everything. these 'paws had volunteered, and so towards the jaws of the beast they go. hazelheart will do her best to keep them from the veil of death. as her leader halts, the storm guard does as well, scanning her surroundings. the stench of canine is overwhelming, the sight horrific as the russet fur of the fox scatters on the wind, droplets of blood staining the early leaf-bare snow. hazelheart finds herself stepping closer to snapdragonpaw, a growl rumbling in her throat as the hound lifts its head from the brutal scene and finds the patrol of cats.

briarpaw moves first, leaping to lash at the hound as its friend emerges from the undergrowth. hazelheart snarls, darting after the mottled apprentice to slam into the hound's side, scoring claws across its flesh. the beast writhes, lashing out with heavy paws that slam into the storm guard's chest, knocking the air from her lungs. she chokes, stance wobbling slightly as she catches her breath again, hatred burning deep in her golden gaze. leaping again, she strikes out, aiming to shred the beast's flanks.

I NEED MY GOLDEN CROWN OF SORROW 🜲 MY BLOODY SWORD TO SWING

• // " #8f4a00" ppentice tag @Snapdragonpaw ++ hazelheart rolled a 2 and an 8 for claw attacks, so i don't think the fox takes any damage from her.
• 
• 
  HAZELHEART 🜲 tags / toyhouse
  
  🜲 trans molly (she / her) / bisexual, widow of BRACKEN
  🜲 63 moons old, ages realistically
  🜲 storm guard of thunderclan
  🜲 mother to MAGNOLIAPEAK, HONEYSUCKLECRY, HYACINTHRAIN
  🜲 mentoring SNAPDRAGONPAW / mentored GRIZZLYPURR
  🜲 penned by LAVS / message lavendes on discord for plots!
  
  a stocky, medium-haired brown tabby with hazel eyes. this is a large cat with a rippling musculature. hazel's frame is wide and tall, shoulders broad, muzzle and eyes heavy in her skull. chestnut and chocolate fur swirl across her pelt, sliced through with tabby stripes of shadow. her eyes invoke images of a sweet summer's day, honey and brown mingling into a soft amber gold

​

​

 

[Snapdragonpaw Snapdragonpaw]

————————————— Everything must come to an end ✦

It saw the ravaged state of the cats brought into camp, for a cat unflinching to violence, Snapdragon had to turn her head away from the bloodied, marred state of that gentle giant and Tenebrous' shattered ankle. A bitter taste in her maw, one of her few friends in this place, hurt. Snapdragon tried to keep cats at a tails length, especially when Cardinal had vanished like a plume of breath in leafbare air.

Revenge isn't something Snapdragonpaw took lightly. It was something she had mulled on, seeking the bastard foxes themself, but they knew they would be nothing but a warm meal. But when Hazelheart stepped forward to help, she looked to Snapdragon to be at her side for the fight. For once, she was seen for her strengths. And without a moment's hesitation, she agreed.

It wasn't as if she shrugged off Hazelheart's requests to join her on patrols, but, aside from revenge, there was a level of respect she had for her mentor. Something she refused to admit, as much as she tried, she found herself growing fond of some of these cats. Even if Tenebrouspaw had gotten out of the fight unharmed, for the sake of the others injured, she would have stepped up.

There was still a rumbling frustration beneath her pelt; she longed for power, for strength and a legacy to leave. But even more so, if she were to remain in this forsaken clan, she was going to make it a hell of a lot better than it was now, and letting some mangy animals maul her clanmates was nothing she could stand idly about.

As the rabble ended up within the territory, the catterwaul of agony struck the air. It was no scream of a cat, but rather- "Foxdung." They snapped, a low growl curling from their lips. Just as they thought, some foul, loose dogs got their terrible fangs on her prey first. Dark pelt stood on end as their growl curled into a snarl, stance lowering as she prepared herself to strike.

But it faltered. As the beasts came to view, and other cats shrieked as they lunged for the two bloodied awful beasts, Hazelheart moved herself across Snapdragon's vision. For a heartbeat, she found something snarky hung on her tongue, but Hazel was not looking at her dismissively, rather eyes were set on the dogs, head ahead. She hadn't body blocked her to stop her from launching herself into the fight, but rather protectively.

The tortie's snarl faultered, while she held her stand for a heartbeat or so; she didn't move. Not even when the storm guard launched ahead. Snaprdragon had been raised to protect herself. A brazen young Soldier under the Warden. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and it had been hammered into her that no one would look out for her. It's partially why she was adamant about the fight club, giving cats who wanted to protect themselves a better chance when no one else would look out for them.

She thought she should have felt demeaned, like she was weak or pitiful, but it wasn't like Hazelheart thought she was weak; she was asked to be there. Her mentor protected her... The realisation settled on her expression as her fury settled into something of a furrowed brow. She held little respect for these cats, but perhaps Hazelheart was a cat she could truly look to with a respectful gaze.

Snapdragon shook her head as blood-scent clung to the air. No one was hurt. Yet. So she shouldn't stand idle. Instead, following her mentor with ears pinned back as she watched the thing flail, striking Hazelheart, who launched her own attack. The tortie followed in suit, unsheathing her claws, she leapt towards the thing, sinking her claws into the flesh of the slaughterer of the fox. They were meant to put the beast in the ground, not this foul, slobbering animal.

Only one paw managed a good hold on flesh, raking through pelt as it snarled, snapping in her direction, but Snapdragonpaw managed to dart away from its jaws. Any slower and it would have done serious damage; her chest heaved as the scent of blood only strengthened in the air, the young cat's heart racing as a snide grin crossed her maw.

For once, this felt like a fight they could win.

————— You've already died twice,

you can still be replaced. —————

• Rolled 2d20 -> 11,4 (15 damage); 1 point away from the fox killer
• 
  Snapdragonpaw
  ✦—Thunderclan Apprentice | 11 moons
  ✦—She/It/They
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A long-haired tortoiseshell with orange eyes.
  #c41515

 

[Daisynose]

DAISYNOSE

——————————​

Daisynose padded through the forest with the rest of the patrol, her ears swiveling towards every little sound. Her heart was pounding in her chest. When Loonstar had called for cats to join her patrol, Daisynose had hesitated. She thought about her fathers, slain by dogs in their own territory. She thought about young Pineconekit, the only kin she had left. She thought about Boarthorn, blood oozing from his pelt. She thought about her own anxieties, the ones that had kept her paws nimble and her attention piqued at all times. It was her blessing as well as her curse. It was worse, since her fathers' deaths. She found herself jumping at shadows, flinching at every sound, struggling to sleep. She was tired. She thought maybe, just maybe, if she could face the nameless thing haunting her, she would feel... better. Safer. It wouldn't bring her dads back - nothing could do that - but making their territory safer for herself and her fellow clanmates would surely help.

So, she found herself following Loonstar, blood roaring in her ears, surrounded by a strange mishmash of her clanmates. She was grateful. They had to have a fighting chance with so many paws fighting together. It isn't until the ear-splitting screech of the dying fox hit her ears that the gravity of their situation washed over her. She could only see bits and pieces of the violence, but it was enough to turn her blood to ice in her veins. They were hunting a beast, and instead they were coming face to face with a bigger beast, a worse beast. Two dogs, snarling and yapping their way towards them.

She watched with wide eyes as her companions threw themselves into battle one after another. She felt frozen, taking in the sight of the dogs, wondering if these were the creatures who had killed her parents. It wasn't unitl Torridpaw's leg was clamped between sharp teeth that she snapped to action. She put herself between the apprentice and the dogs, waiting for her moment to strike. Snapdragonpaw got in a good hit, and as the fox killer recoiled, she saw her opening. Baring her fangs, she darted forward and managed to sink her claws into the cheek of the beast. It shook her off, pulling away from her razor-sharp claws, only opening itself up to another slash across the soft, wet flesh of its nose. It yelped loudly, and she felt a surge of satisfaction pulse through her. She could smell the dog's blood, feel its fur in her claws. Perhaps she couldn't avenge the damage the fox had done to her clan, but she could protect them from the dogs.

ooc - rolled a 19 and 13, dealing two damage to the fox killer!

dreamers dream until they don't

seal point she-cat with low white and blue eyes
she/her
warrior of Thunderclan
18 moons, ages every 30th
"speech", thoughts, attempted action, "other character's speech"