[RP] Chasing Bear

Beartooth | MossClan Guard

The ever looming presence of war weighed heavily on Beartooth. MossClan had just finished its bout with TideClan- and although MossClan was strong, she had been hoping for a time of peace, not to be thrown into another war so soon. StarClan above, the whole forest probably hated them now.  

She let out a heavy sigh, letting her pawsteps fall where they may on her patrol. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hardly noticed the scent of Hawthorn starting to creep into her nose- she was pushing the boundaries of their border quite a bit. Any self-respecting Hawthorn cat would deem this a breach on their territory; especially in times like these. If only Beartooth was more aware of her surroundings......

--

Chasingsky | HawthornClan Guard

The newly named Chasingsky wandered the fields of HawthornClan territory aimlessly. She was a new warrior and she should be proud of it, but instead she felt a prickle of guilt. She was a guard. Her parents were proud, yes, but she could see the disappointment in their eyes. 

Scorchthorn had been named a warrior three moons before her, but she knew that they wished their positions were switched. How had her burly, brave brother become a hunter while short, slender, impulsive and sometimes reckless Chasingsky become a guard? What was Tuftstar thinking? 

The opinions of her parents were weighing heavily on her, as she didn't realize she was wondering into the thin strip of woodland that bordered on MossClan territory. Her silver-white fur became a patchwork of storm clouds, dark grey and light, under the branches.  

Suddenly a twig breaking catches her ear and she freezes, realizing where she was. She takes a deep breath in through her nose. The border is still several fox lengths away, but the sickly sweet scent of MossClan cloys in her nose stronger than any border marking. 

A cat is near. 

She lowers herself into the brush and stares out, her grass green eyes wide and sharp in alertness.

--

If Lycanstar knew how distracted Beartooth was in that moment, he would have likely called her a disgrace. Unaware of the noise her lumbering paws were making, she continued through the undergrowth, only noticing that she had strayed too far when the sky opened up in front of her. She hesitated; without the cover of the trees, Beartooth felt naked and vulnerable despite her size. She straightened her broad shoulders and looked around, sniffing the air for any Hawthorn cats that might be nearby. 

By luck or virtue, Chasingsky was downwind- she couldn't smell a thing. The only thing Beartooth could smell were the borders- borders she now very clearly crossed. Taking a deep breath, she pretended as if she were doing some very important business on this side; nudging the line just a tad. She would be in, mark the last trees right here and be out. No one would see her. No fight needed to happen. The other guards back home would say it was the obvious option- MossClan did want more territory after all. 

She turned her back to where Chasingsky was, unaware of how dangerous the move was. Just a few moments, and then she could go home.............

--

Movement catches Chasingsky’s eyes as the largest cat she has ever seen rolls out of the bush as though they own the place. Hot anger matches the dread in her stomach in an instant. Is this an ambush? Is MossClan turning on HawthornClan after they did nothing in the war with TideClan? 

Holy great StarClan that’s a big cat, Chasingsky thinks, her heart pounding. She switches her position from a passive crouch to a pounce ready one. She bunches her hind legs underneath her body and tries to wrack her brain for any moves her mentor might have taught her. Despite her being a guard, she was in trouble more often than not and forced to hunt as punishment. She couldn’t remember anything besides the basics. This cat could destroy her in a single swipe if they wanted to. 

But... 

As she took in the air again, she realized she had the advantage. The hot stench of this cat was flowing towards her on the wind, not away, which mean she had an advantage. 

Oh well. If I die today in a MossClan attack, then I die with honour, protecting my clan. 

With a screech that made her sound like a bat out of hell, Chasingsky hardened her resolve and sprinted at the warrior who was easily twice or three times her size. She would make everyone see that she was not a hunter, she was a guard!  

She leapt with paws outstretched.

--

Beartooth's blood went cold as a yowl tore through the air like a knife. With everyone training, the guard had been stretched thin; Beartooth was alone out here. StarClan above, if there was a Hawthorn patrol out here.... 

There was no time to curse herself and think the worst. She had to move: now. She spun her massive frame around a moment too late- the sting of claws raking across her back caused her adrenaline to get pumping. With a hiss of pain, her first instinct was to back away, to ram her back into a nearby tree and knock the wind out of the cat on top of her. She did just that, hurling herself into the hard bark with a grunt. One way or another, it would get her opponent off of her, unless she was a stubborn thing. 

She braced herself for their next move; this Hawthorn cat would not get the jump on her twice.

--

Chasingsky tried to leap onto Beartooth's back but missed, sailing over the stranger's back while slicing. She managed to snag a claw full of the long thick fur on the other cat's rump just as Beartooth reared up and threw herself into a tree. 

Well, this isn't going to be good, Chasingsky thought, a heartbeat before she was slammed into the tree, getting squished between a tree and a hard place. All the breath huffed out of her and her opponent's fur pressed into her nose and mouth, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe.

 She let out a small grown and dug her claws in hard, fastening her teeth onto a bunch of long fur to hold onto the massive cat while black dots flashed before her vision. 

She would hold on, she would not fail her mentor or her clan.  

"Get off the tree, furball!" She wheezed, mostly to herself, in frustration as her efforts to hold onto the cat began failing. Her paws were shaking and trying to breathe was proving more and more difficult. She slammed a hind paw into the flank of this cat in a vain attempt to push them off the tree.

--

Despite Chasingsky taking the brunt of the impact, Beartooth was still slamming herself into something tall and hard. Her bones rattled and her head spun, but it would be worth it when her opponent fell off- 

Ohstarclanaboveshewasstillthere. 

Hot pain like needles seared into her skin as claws dug themselves deeper into her back, and she staggered away from the tree in a huff. Well, that wasn't going to work. 

She remembered her training with Skybreeze; how he taught her to use her weight to her advantage. Taking a quick breath, she tucked her head into her neck, and she tried a second attempt to dislodge the stubborn cat: this time with a roll. 

She was smart enough to barrel roll rather than go ass over teakettle, shifting her weight to her right side as she dropped and rolled. She hoped beyond all hopes that this would dislodge the cat- she really didn't want to crush the poor thing twice, even though the cat was attacking her.

--

For half a heartbeat, Chasingsky let out a sigh of relief. The stranger got off the damn tree. And suddenly that relief turned to alarm as she was suddenly barreling towards the earth. She let out a screech as her stomach dropped from under her and then she was once again crushed under the weight of the giant.  

Is this how I die?! she thought to herself. Suddenly, she realized what she had to do. She relaxed her hold on Beartooth, taking two chunks of fur with her as payback for smothering her to death. 

"For StarClan's sake get off of me," she bellowed as best she could, her voice squeaking and breaking due to lack of oxygen. If this was how she was going to die, she was livid. Smothered to death? No one would be able to be silent in her vigil, instead they'd be guffawing and laughing at her all night. Especially Scorchthorn. What a guard she made. Unable to shake off one enemy. Even though she was dwarfed by the large cat.

--

Stars danced in front of Beartooth's vision as dizziness started to take a hold- she wasn't built to move this quickly, and her attempt at nimbleness was a mockery of even her namesake. She realized, with horror, the wheeze in her opponent's voice, and the hulking giant's training went out the figurative window. She ambled to her paws immediately, careful to roll back the way she came rather than following through. Her pelt felt wet and bare where this stranger had clung to her, and as she turned to look at them, she opened her mouth to say- 

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She had words in her head, of course, but the moment her eyes fell on the she-cat before her, they were lost in a confusion of emotions. A wash of heat and shame would have flushed her face visibly red were it not for the fur in the way. This was no longer just a Hawthorn attacker- this was a fellow cat. A fellow cat with fur like moonlight and Beartooth, in all her grace and intellect, nearly crushed her. 

She lay there and stared, rather dumbly, at this she-cat who was now righting herself, too stunned to make a move, to apologize, to say anything.

--

Chasingsky lay on the ground for a couple of heartbeats, taking in unadulterated oxygen as her brain stopped flashing visions of her life and death. She blinked, her pine green eyes focusing on the cat just... staring at her.  

The giant was grey with lighter patches. And she realized with a jolt that she was a she-cat. In another life had they met under different circumstances, she would've been pleasant to look at. But after nearly killing her by smothering, Chasingsky felt no such attraction. 

Her lip peeled back from her teeth and she scrambled to her feet, her black-tipped tail lashing and her fur fluffed up from the tussle.  

"Who are you, stranger?" She growled lowly, her voice rumbling in her chest in an effort to make her seem more intimidating. "And why are you on HawthornClan territory?"

--

As if a jolt of lightning had hit her, Beartooth came to her senses all at once. Despite Chasingsky's (understandable) hostility, Beartooth did not rally herself; instead laying prone, looking more concerned about the cat in front of her than a resuming of any attack. "Are you alright?" she asked, pinning her ears flat against her head sheepishly. The Hawthorner certainly had spunk (good, thought Beartooth, I hadn't crushed her too badly.). 

Shaking her pelt, she finally straightened herself into a sitting position, shaking a few pieces of grass from her pelt that had stubbornly clung to it during the scuffle. Her back stung bitterly, but she didn't dare pay it any heed in front of a rival Clan. StarClan, Lycanstar would have her head if he ever caught her showing weakness! 

"Beartooth," she replied evenly. "And I.... it wasn't intentional. I apologize." The she-cat bowed her great head at that, the fight having completely left her at this point. If Chasingsky were to resume an attack she certainly wouldn't be expecting it.

--

Chasingsky's snarl faltered as she was asked if she was alright. The surprise shown on her face for a moment before she scowled more fiercely and flattened her ears to her skull. "What does it matter to you?" She hissed, thinking, MossClan are always starting unjust fights. Why should it matter if your enemy is downed? 

She relaxed slightly, hearing the warrior's name. She felt like she had an advantage. 

"Beartooth," she murmured, testing the name. She snorted and shook her silver head. "What kinds of names is MossClan coming up with these days? Your teeth aren't larger than normal." 

Hearing the apology, suspicion rose in Chase's belly and she tensed again. It could be an ambush, and she could be walking blindly right into it. She was too close to the border still to smell anything but the musk of MossClan. Instead of saying anything, she grabbed the larger cat by the lowered scruff and attempted (being the key word here) to haul her into the open.  

In one paw, should MossClan warriors be hiding in the bushes ready to ambush, then Chasingsky would know right away. In the other, if she dragged Beartooth into the open air, she would be able to interrogate her for information and keep her defenses up. And should any of her clanmates come by on a patrol... she would say that this giant was her prisoner. 

She tried to move her "prisoner" towards the light of the wide open field, but grunted in dismay when she couldn't even take one step. She was too big and heavy. How embarrassing. She let go of her scruff before the warrior could think she was attacking again--she was debating it--and nudged her roughly. "Get to your paws, you insufferable giant. We can't talk here."

--

Despite Chasingsky's snarling, Beartooth did not flinch; nor did she fully rise to her paws. Spending time guarding the kits recently made her more aware of her size than ever- she found cats tended to be less intimidated by her if she wasn't ominously looming in front of them all the time, even if it wasn't on purpose. 

But then the validity of Beartooth's name was called into question, and her ears pressed flat against her skull. A defensive burst rose up in her as she said, "It's a normal warrior name." Isn't it? None of her Clan mates' names stuck out as odd to her... she narrowed her eyes, not in suspicion, but in confusion. "What's considered normal in Hawthorn, then?" 

Before she received an answer, however, Chasingsky had already planned her next course of action. Beartooth felt a tug on her scruff- the smaller cat was practically lifting herself onto her back legs to get to it- and, despite offering little resistance, didn't even budge. Confusion furrowed her brows as let Chasingsky continue her antics for a moment, before the Hawthorn cat finally gave up. Instead of mocking Chasingsky, she simply tilted her head to one side, not understanding the urgency and frustration in the other cat's voice.  

"Why not? It's perfectly fine here," she meowed plainly. She wasn't exactly keen on moving deeper into Hawthorn territory. There weren't any cats hiding about that she could see, but she'd gotten herself into enough damn trouble already, thank you very much. She wasn't keen on having her hide clawed a second time if she could avoid it.

--

"Because there could be more of you!" Chasingsky snapped, impatience in her voice as her eyes darted around. She had only been a kit when the war ended between MossClan and TideClan, but she heard the stories. "I dont want to be the first victim of another war." She sniffed proudly and stepped back from the she-cat, her eyes darting furtively into the shadows. Having been out in the open field her whole life, any and all shadows in the forest terrified her, and she was losing her nerve being surrounded by trees this whole time. It shown in her eyes. 

After a moment of not looking at Beartooth, her grey-striped ear twitched and she mewed, "And Hawthorn gives our cats normal names like Chasingsky, thank you very much." She puffed out her chest in pride. 

It was quite visible by this small action that she was young, only a moon out of the apprentice den. To her, her name was the best of any and she wouldn't be convinced otherwise.

--

Beartooth blinked once, twice, as if refreshing her eyes would somehow make her brain process anything faster. A pang of sympathy hit her as Chasingsky's words hit home; of course this cat didn't trust her. Of course a Hawthorn cat would think a cat from MossClan of all places would harm her. Their reputation really did proceed them. A stone felt like it had lodged itself in Beartooth's stomach, leaving this heavy, aching feeling in her gut. The first victim of another war. StarClan above, she could feel another war brewing in her bones, but if she had anything to say about it, it wouldn't be today. Not at long as there was breath in her lungs. 

"I understand," she said quietly. "But I cannot walk further into another Clan's territory. I can promise you I'm alone; and if you don't hurt me, I won't hurt you. Does that sound fair to you?" 

The corner of Beartooth's lip curled into a lopsided smile as the Hawthorn cat defended her Clan. Her age was apparent to her in that moment; not that Beartooth was one to judge. She only had one year of full warriorhood under her pelt, after all, but Chasingsky's demeanor was endearing nevertheless. "Is your name Chasingsky?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

--

Chasingsky thought about Beartooth's offer before she nodded hesitantly and sat back down. "I am... also alone," she admitted with a flick of her ear. Her body posture was wary. "I dont think anyone is going to be looking for me anytime soon." 

As her name left Beartooth's name, she was oddly surprised that she liked the sound of it. She sat up straight and fluffed her fur a bit, looking prouder still, and relaxing out of her wariness. "Yes, yes it is!"  

When she saw Beartooth's smile, her own faltered a bit and her shining eyes became slightly guarded. She liked her smile. She was... not as intimidating as she thought a mossclan cat would be. But she needed to interrogate her "prisoner" for information that her clan could use against Moss. Unfortunately, her kind nature was forcing her to draw a freakin' blank on interrogation tactics or questions. Her eyes found the scars that dappled her flanks. "Were you... in the war?" She asks quietly, still not quite grown out of her apprentice-like curiosity.

--

There was pause in Chasingsky's voice, but Beartooth couldn't pinpoint why. Chasingsky's last words especially gave her pause. Why wouldn't anyone come looking for her? Wasn't she on patrol? Or was Hawthorn really so heartless that they abandon their own without a second thought?

 ....come to think of it, Lycanstar did claim that Twistedstar, Hawthorn's old leader, traded sun touched cats for protection. But surely Hawthorn wasn't completely apathetic to their own.... right?

Chasingsky's pride pulled Beartooth out of her own thoughts, and a chuckle escaped the cat'a lips before she even realized it. "Well, Chasingsky, it's nice to meet you. But... I wish we had met on more friendly terms."  

Friendly- ha! This was already too cozy; she was chit-chatting with a rival clanmate. She should just get up and return to camp. She should report this attack to one of her deputies. But instead of doing what she should do, she found herself settling into the long moor grass, watching her supposed enemy with curiosity. 

She let out a small sigh, rolling the shoulder that bore one of her nastier looking scars. "A fight or two. It was.... well, I'm sure even Hawthorn knows how difficult it was."

--

Chasingsky, despite herself, finally let her hackles lay flat. "I'm sorry," she mewed, picking clumps of Beartooth's fur from her claws. "I kinda acted before I thought. It's a bad habit." She laughs self-depricatingly. "Although I gotta say that was smart what you did with the tree. I thought I was a goner." 

As she mentions fighting, the silver tabby's eyes go round. As she mentions that the clan would know how hard the fighting was the she-cat nodding solemnly. "It was hard for sure. I was just a kit then. I remember..." she trailed off and then remembered she wasn't talking to a clanmate. She shook her head. "Well. It wasn't great. I hope that I get scars like those some day. That'll shut Scorchthorn up."  

She snorted and stretched her sore muscles, wincing a bit at the bruise that was surely forming on her shoulders. She paused for a moment and looked Beartooth up and down. "So whats a giant like you doing all by yourself so close to the border anyway?"

--

"You defended your borders from a potential enemy. You did nothing wrong," Beartooth replied, trying not to notice just how much of her fur had come loose during the scuffle. Thank StarClan for her dense pelt and tall stature, or else she might have some explaining to do back at camp. She cracked a crooked smile at Chasingsky's compliment. "Thanks. You were rather strong- most cats I use that on don't hold on past the first hit." 

If she could be fully be herself, she might tell the Hawthorn cat something different, but MossClan had a reputation to uphold- and Beartooth certainly didn't want to be the one to damage it. "Perhaps one day you'll get your wish." 

At the mention of a giant, Beartooth shuffled her paws sheepishly. "Patrolling the borders. A guard's work is never finished." She tilted her head slightly as she asked, "And what about you?"

--

"Oh, you're a guard too?!" Her ears pricked up and her green eyes shown brightly. "So am I! Everyone thought my brother would be but Tuftstar chose him to be a hunter instead. My mother was furious." She snorted in laughter and her face glowed in pride at Beartooth's compliment. "Thanks! I'm a thorn in everyone's side so I know how to take a hit and keep on going! Did you always want to be a guard?" 

She knew she should stay on her guard. Beartooth was MossClan after all, but she just seemed so different from what everyone told her about the forest clan. She just wanted to know more! For her clan of course. No other reason.

--

Beartooth couldn't fail to hide her surprise in time- she would have pegged the smaller she-cat for a hunter, not a guard. MossClan's strategy was to pick the largest of the litter to train for guardship; she couldn't help but wonder if Hawthorn focused more on spirit than size, given Chasingsky's tenacity. "For what it's worth, Tuftstar chose well. You fight like a lion." 

Now there was a difficult question. She frowned, thinking over her words carefully before answering. "I always wanted to serve my Clan. As a guard, I can protect it. That's good enough for me." Liar. Said a voice inside Beartooth's head. She had never been satisfied with her role in the Clan, no matter how many times she tried to convince herself otherwise. Something was always missing; an ache in her chest that would wax and wane, but never quite disappear.

--

She felt her face heat up at the compliment and she turned away, ears twitching. “I wish my family would see it,” she muttered softly. Then she shook her head and looked back at Beartooth. She could see the thoughtfulness as Beartooth considered her answer, and she knew it wasn’t the truth, at least not all of it. She blinks at the other she-cat, a knowing glint in her eye.  

“It’s like you’re always chasing something that isn’t there, isn’t it?” She says softly. She didn’t know what possessed her to relate to this cat but something did. “It’s like someone laid out your life for you and you’re just plodding along trying to keep your head above water.”

--

The comment was spoken so softly, Beartooth almost didn't hear it. Her ears fell flat against her skull, a look of sympathy in her golden eyes. Had they not been strangers, Beartooth would have reached out, encouraged her, comforted her, something.... but it wasn't her place. Not here. Not now. So instead she stayed respectfully silent, letting the other she-cat have her moment of longing without interruption. 

It was the next statement that caught her off guard. She thought of her brother, who disappeared so soon after warriorhood. She thought of her mother, so worried sick at the loss of her son that she sought to follow him into the unknown. She thought of Nala; such a fierce, beautiful soul that left her here, just like everyone else. Always left behind; waiting for an uncertainty that might never come. She sighed, averting her gaze to the ground. "I.... yes," she murmured. "Life is.... complicated. We don't always meet the expectations we are given- no matter how much we may want to." At least, I don't. she added silently.

--

Chasingsky nodded and then shook her fur out. She glanced behind her as if she was expecting her clanmates to jump on her for talking to their enemy, but honestly, Beartooth wasn't so bad. She seemed to get her.

--

A twig snapping in the distance brought Beartooth back to reality- StarClan, how long had she been sitting here. She got to her paws quickly, a worried expression marring her face. "Anyways- we should part ways. I have to finish my patrol. Enjoy your day, Chasingsky." she said with a respectful dip of her head, before disappearing into the underbrush.

--

Chasingsky nods and smiles charmingly at the taller cat.  "It was surprisingly lovely to chat with you, Beartooth. Perhaps I'll see you around." She winks at her before turning and running back to her territory.