Lost in the shadows... {OPEN}

[Deleted]

Echo padded through the silent forest. Moonlight sliced through the trees, lighting the way. A rustle came from beneath a leaf. Dropping to a crouch, she stalked forward. Slowly but surely,  she neared the mouse. Echo pounced neatly onto the plump piece of prey, dispatching it quickly.  As she lay down and munched on her prey, she recalled her past.

Her father's pelt, cold as snow, flung against the side of the road like a ball of moss. Her sister and brother huddled against her in the forest, hoping to live another day. Her sister, dying, twitching on ground, and there was nothing she could do. The heart wrenching argument with her brother, leaving her. Being alone. 

Echo was finishing up when she heard a growl. She stayed silent as the attacker came forward. 

Great.

[Redpaw ◂]

Surely enough, being confined to camp was a thing. It kept happening to her, after all. And after a while, the stubborn apprentice didn't have much choice but to listen to the older warriors' wishes. But was an order still an order when there was nobody there to enforce? Not really, the she-cat had thought, before slipping through the dirtplace tunnel and wandering out into the forest, the moon glowing bright above her head. Greypaw will be jealous once she finds out what I've been doing all night. Picking her way confidently through the tall grass, she made a beeline straight for the border with TempestClan. Surely enough, all of those mange-pelts would be fast asleep by now. Redpaw could do as she pleased, even after leaving her own territory. Perhaps Lionwhisker will stop underestimating me if I do this right, she thought cockily, crouching lower and beginning to slide stealthily through the undergrowth as as the rival clan's scent began to grow sharper. Red eyes unblinking, tail quivering, she crossed the scent-line, an odd feeling of satisfaction surging through her. Nothing was stopping her now. Several steps inside TempestClan's territory, the apprentice had to bite back a yelp of surprise as a tiny, shrill sound cut through the air. It was silenced immediately, and Redpaw could guess that it was the cry of prey before the killing blow was delivered. I'm not alone after all, the blue she-cat thought as she braced herself to spin around. If she was going to face a cat from another clan, she might as well have the element of surprise to her advantage. They were supposed to run into her, and not the opposite. But before she had moved a fox-length, a low growl sounded behind her. Freezing to the spot, Redpaw rapidly considered her options. She could flee, and give a TempestClan cat the satisfaction of knowing they'd chased off an intruder without lifting a single claw, or she could stay put and face them. Though she couldn't be certain, she had already convinced herself that she would be dealing with one cat. Even if it comes to a fight, I can beat them. Rising to her paws, she shook dirt that clung to her belly fur before staring straight at the shadow of another cat through a pair of blazing slits. "So you're the sort of cat we're told to stay away from," she spat, her voice dry, though it still took effort to stop it from quivering with the slightest hint of fear. "You don't look like much, honestly." what even is this omg tags // @echostep

[Deleted]

A pair of glowing eyes stared straight back at her. Wait, a pair of red eyes stared back at her. Was this puny cat part of that "Clan" every cat was talking about? Huh. so much for that. Echo was a little taller than her. You've fought plenty of rogues before, Echo, you can take on this mouse. "So you're the sort of cat we're told to stay away from,"  the young she-cat spat. "You don't look like much, honestly." 


Echo slowly stood up, eyeing her. "Funny, rogues usually just attack me. But, " she mused. She crouched down quickly. "Take a shot anyways. It's always entertaining to see such a little cat like you to size up to me." She stayed crouched, eyes narrowed and tail lashing waiting for that first strike to come at her. Nervousness pricked at her pelt, she had never actually provoked someone to fighting her.

That's what you get for being tough.

[Redpaw ◂]

The strange cat didn't appear very surprised to be confronting her in her own territory, though Redpaw didn't miss the momentary spooked expression that flashed through the she-cat's face. Her movements were slow, and while that was comforting for the timg being, the apprentice weren't certain if it was out of confidence or fear. "Funny, rogues usually just attack me. But," Well, definitely not fear. "Take a shot anyways. It's always entertaining to see such a little cat like you to size up to me." Before she'd finished her sentence she was crouching down, poised to spring. But Redpaw was already occupied enough, focusing on the cat's words. "Me? A rogue?" she spat viciously, rounding on the TempestClan warrior. "You're right, I probably would attack you if I was one. But then, your own actions suggest you care little about whether a cat belongs to a clan or not." Her words were picked carefully, and once finished she crouched down a fox-length away from the other she-cat, mimicking her position. She stalked forward a couple of paces, teeth bared, tail lashing, her body language clearly suggesting that she was about to attack. She was genuinely impressed another cat would have the nerve to call her a rogue, when her pelt should be reeking with VertigoClan's scent. But, surprisingly enough, Redpaw wasn't as ruffled as she should have been. What difference does it make? You will be a rogue eventually. Isn't that what you want? Shaking her head, the blue she-cat continued to creep on, her paws sliding slowly but steadily across the forest floor. And yet at the last moment, Redpaw stood tall again, her feet still carrying her forward, until her face was a breath away from the rival cat's. "You wouldn't really attack a helpless apprentice like me, would you?" she asked innocently, her eyes widening in mock shock. "Surely you should already know you're stronger than me. Have you nothing better to do than stroke your own ego?" what even is this omg tags // @echostep