Prompt Event Territory TC I SAID "THAT'S THE LAST SONG YOU'LL EVER SING!" // owl attack

[rowanpaw]

☆ The forest is still full of sounds and life, the long claws of leaf bare not yet reaching the undergrowth nor the tree tops, the canopy lush and giving plenty of shade. There's still time for them to stock up on herbs before the leaves start to wither. Rowanpaw is wandering without any particular destination in mind, listening instead to the forest and her paws whims, keeping an eye out for anything useful. She preferred to look for herbs on her own, mostly because it meant she didn't need to hurry and it was less likely that her old injury would flare up. Though it's rather late, she's never felt unsafe in the forest at night. The presence of Thunderclan had driven most if not all predators to search for less occupied hunting grounds. And besides, it wasn't even night yet. The sun is just barely kissing the horizon.

She's so caught up in her own thoughts that she doesn't notice she's stumbled right into the owl tree clearing. And as she notices a cluster of ragwort growing near it, she doesn't even think to look up to check if the owl is home, as she is entirely unaware of what tree she's approaching.

Before she's even reached the ragwort plant, a sharp pain tears through the soft spot between neck and shoulder– she yowls, and as tries to roll away she sees a flurry of wings above her, stretched so far she can barely see the sky anymore. She bares her teeth, flashes claws that haven't met flesh since the colony.

"Get away from me!" She shouts. "Get off!"

☆ ROWANPAW. 14 moons
mentored by serpentberry,
adopted daughter of serpentberry and thornstar
peaceful powerplay allowed
ooc - this thread can be used to fill either bingo slot 45 or 81!

 

[Boarpaw Boarpaw]

————————————— The melody sings what the words can't say. ✦

With a bad habit of wandering around, Boarpaw found his thumping steps tailing those of Rowanpaw. She was always kind, taking her duties to heart, and even if Serpentberry scared them a little, Rowan was always a kind face he could turn to when he inevitably tumbled over his paws again or lodged a thorn in them when not paying attention to where he walked.

He assumed she was looking for herbs; he had come to help her once, and he wasn't very much help... Maybe that's why he ended up out there, too, wanting to make up for being absent-minded then and not being too much help. This time, he stared at the plants intently, trying his damndest to remember what they were called.

And, try as he might, he couldn't remember what they were. Boarpaw had tried to maintain some distance, not chatter her ears off when she was so focused, but a quick question wouldn't hurt, right? The oversized apprentice trotted ahead in search of the molly; she had been close by, so why couldn't he find her....

It wasn't until he heard a wail from not far, one that made his blood run cold just as it had moons before at the gathering. His paws moved before his mind did, eyes widening in horror as he turned to an opening that poor, kind Rowanpaw was wrapped under the claws of a shrieking owl.

Boarpaw hesitated for just a heartbeat, where his morality still clung desperately to his heart. Hurting something felt so foreign, he still felt guilty for every last hunt, but Juniperstar reminded him as always, it was necessary. Without the blood of their prey spilt, they would never have survived. It was a part of life.

Seeing Juniperstar's crumpled body was the first thing to challenge his apprehension of hurting things. Like a jolt of lightning striking a lone tree, the pain and fear turned to something else. Maybe it was necessary to protect those he cared about.

And now? Seeing Rowanpaw clawed like a mouse under furious talons, his instinct to protect those around him made his mind kickstart all over again. Without fear clung to his pelt as it often did, he thundered ahead, eyes narrowed as he launched towards the owl.

A huge paw held up high, he clawed at the thing, trying desperately to avoid hurting the other apprentice. Even as his unsheathed claws sunk into the flesh of the thing, it refused to let go. Enormous wings battered both of them as it tried to launch Boarpaw from his desperate attempt to defend Rowanpaw. The bitter scent of blood clung to the air and Boarpaw had no idea whose it was between the flashes of feathers and claws.

——— You keep on grinnin'

and this world keeps nagging. ———

• Rolled a 9... Not a very good hit, but he's trying :(((
• 
  Boarpaw
  ✦—Thunderclan apprentice | 10 moons
  ✦—He/They
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A long-haired, dark grey tom with a prominent underbite and blue eyes.
  #a4bac1

 

[FLICKERDANCE]

Flickerpaw does not understand why anyone would want to spend their time cooped up in a den, fur taking on the sharp smell of herbs. Being a medicine cat must be boring, she thinks—you wait for others to get injured before you can do anything. Sure, even warriors have downtime on occasion, forcing them to clean out their dens or reinforce them... but there are always borders to be checked or prey to be caught. It's entirely different.

She trudges after Rowanpaw out of necessity. At least it gives her a sense of importance; medicine cats lack the skill to protect themselves, so the presence of cats like Flickerpaw are a must. That, too, is something she can't wrap her head around. Isn't it embarrassing to rely on others so much?

Flickerpaw stares at the back of Rowanpaw's head while the apprentice gathers some yucky herbs. At least Serpentberry has a sharp tongue; there are cats who would not dare mess with her despite her rank.

For once, her staring actually proves to be useful. The shadows that dapple Rowanpaw's pelt seem to move—shadow of an owl, instead of the canopy.

"Watch out!"

Her call comes way too late. Those sharp talons grip the soft flesh of feline, and with it, the air dances with the iron-tang of blood. For a split second, Flickerpaw has the chance to seize Rowanpaw up from the corner of her eyes; the apprentice that Flickerpaw had thought to be incapable of combat now bares her teeth in an act of defiance. Of course, Rowanpaw had fought in the battle, just like Flickerpaw... but she had thought that those days had been forgotten in order to make space for memorizing herb names and usage. How curious.

There is no more time to waste. Boarpaw is already backing Rowanpaw up, though his attacks appear rather uncoordinated. Flickerpaw moves out of a sense of duty rather than attachment, striking upward with her claws until they find purchase in the bird's breast.

Rolled a 16.
@Magnoliapeak

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

I WONT SMILE, BUT I'LL SHOW YOU MY TEETH

___________________________________________________________________​

He was leaning too far forward again.

Weight placed wrong, tail absent-mindedly twitching like it did whenever they were excited about something. The rest wasn't bad, though– all things considered.

"Again. And watch that worm you call a tail, this time." he ordered, voice gruff but lacking any real bite. These drills were nothing new by now. Whether they were out running, climbing, tracking, or working on stances, there was plenty Ghost managed to work in between chores, lessons, border patrols, and hunting. Most of the time they were left to their work unbothered– but tonight was not one of those nights.

The peace of the forest in the fading light of dusk was broken by a sudden cry– high and sharp. Not close, but not far, either.

His head snapped in the direction of the frantic shouting, ear angling toward the sound as the fur along his shoulders bristled in that age-old instinct that told you something horrible was happening. That something worth fearing was nearby. But that was Rowanpaws voice, he was almost certain of it. If one of their own was in trouble..

"With me!" he ordered, already starting forward, breaking into a run.

They reached the clearing fast, but not fast enough to spare the girl of those claws, or to see Boarpaws arrival. The younger tom was already locked in battle by the time Ghost– and hopefully his apprentice, assuming they hadn't froze up– arrived. Feathers were flying, the smell of blood filled the air, and forest was filled with the sound of pained cries and frantically beating wings as they pummelled against Boarpaw and Flickerpaw.

"Wait for an opening and pull her out once it lets go!" he ordered.

Then, he lunged.

He didn't go for the body, too armored by muscle and beating wings. Instead, he went low, toward the owls legs clutching at Serpentberrys apprentice. Powerful jaws aimed to snap shut and sink his teeth in deep to one, while the hooked weapons on his paws slashed at the other.

​

OOC NOTES . ◭ . CHARACTER INFO

• ooc : — With @Rattlepaw​
• mentoring Rattlepaw
  no living relations
  unwelcomed/uninvited/unexpected physical contact may result in hostility/retaliation
  thunderclan stormguard- male - a sh black smoke tabby with low white and dark amber eyes. has a white mask and 'bone' markings on the knuckles of his paws. known for his towering size and multitude of scars

  ​

 

[serpentberry serpentberry]

Rowanpaw had left without her. Without her. They're drifting further and further apart, and in truth, Serpentberry doesn't quite understand why! Sure, she and her daughter seem to agree on less and less as the days pass, but Serpentberry seems to never agree to anything, and that's not scared away others! (How painfully unaware she is to how the Clan views her, with her venom green eyes and sharp tongue. How few know the desperation of her fangs and claws yet cannot help assume their existence.) The tortoiseshell molly doesn't like being brushed aside and so, after waiting for her apprentice to return for morsels of time too long, she stands upright on her paws and sends herself, alone, into the woodlands.

Good enough timing, she supposes, when she hears the cut of a sharp cry too close to her heart. Pale paws batter the ground as she rushes towards the noise, only in time to see a trio of apprentices battered with large, feathered wings, and Ghoststrike launching towards the beast. Her fur ruffles and she prays that not a drop of blood has been stolen from her daughter - though she knows with the scene she's stumbled into, that it's unlikely that Rowanpaw hasn't been hurt. Her tail lashes as she comes up beside her son, almost demanding that he not join the fray. But this... this is what he's training for, is he not?

"Go," she demands instead of Rattlepaw, her own vulnerability showing with a rare glimmer of her eye, "You can do it - it's okay," it's terrifying, and suddenly she sees a world where she loses two children to one predator. Her claws sink into the ground, "You'll make someone proud today, Rattlepaw. Go!"