Leopardrose & Kestralswipe (others may ask to join)
Sparring & Chatting
Directly outside ThunderClan Camp
25
Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
The clearing buzzed faintly with the low thud of paws striking cold hardened earth, the muffled crunch of movement as a sepia she-cat circled and tested the other. Leopardrose’s breath came in short bursts, misting in the chill air as she stretched her legs out after an advance.
Her rosetted pelt clung to her frame from effort, and her teal eyes burned...not with anger, but with tightly wound concern.
"You’re pulling your hits." She accused lightly, even if Kestralswipe may or might not have been. If rogues made themselves so comfortable on their own terriotry, there was no telling what else they could do. They couldn't afford to be soft, or empathetic, not when there was a killer on the loose.
She had only told the full story to Moosestar, but the size of the rogue she’d faced days ago lingered sharp in her memory. Calm, confident, and absolutely unapologetic. He hadn’t fought her, but it was clear he could’ve. And that chilled her more than a set of claws ever could.
Her claws flexed in the dirt, half tempted to lunge again, just to prove something to herself. Instead, she added with a low growl under her breath. "You should have seen him, Kestral...He was huge, maybe even as big as Bloodstar. Maybe even bigger."
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Kestrelswipe slowed his pacing as Leopardrose spoke. His whiskers twitched with the accusation. "Because you're my clanmate, not my enemy," was his excuse, half-uttered with the full knowledge that she was right. He could be pushing himself a bit more. He probably should be, if enemy cats were truly a threat.
But he scoffed at her description. "Now you're just trying to scare me with kit-tales." He lunged at her again, attempting to grapple at her shoulder. "All he is, is a cat, nothing more!"
Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
Leopardrose twisted away from the grapple, but not fast enough to fully avoid Kestrelswipe’s strike. His weight clipped her shoulder and sent her staggering back a few paces with a grunt.
She recovered quickly, a smirk flickering across her face before dissolving into something more serious. Her tail lashed once, sharply. "You think I’m making it up?" She challenged, breath hitching slightly from exertion. "I wish I was."
She paced a slow arc around him, her gaze never leaving his. She gave a short, sharp exhale, paw raking at the dirt. "If he ever does decide to fight one of us, I want to make sure we’re not caught mouse-footed. ThunderClan needs to be ready for more than border scuffles and rogue kits." With that, she made her next move known, a downwards slide aimed at his front paws. She hoped using her own weight could dislodge his footing.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Kestrelswipe didn't anticipate her dodge, stumbling a little as she ducked away from his paws. He got his footing on the ground in time to watch her tail lashing as she paced. He let himself take in a few breaths, feeling the exertion beginning to set in.
As she rushed forward, paws down, he found himself surprised. On instinct, he launched himself upwards, only just barely able to gain an angle to land beside his fellow warrior, and not on top of her. He aimed a quick swipe at her face, claws sheathed of course, and attempted to barrel into her again.
"I know, Leopardrose," he gasped, thrusting a shoulder against hers, "a cat's already been killed, these are more than just scuffles now."
Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
Leopardrose ducked her chin at the last moment, Kestrelswipe’s paw glancing off the edge of her ear. She felt his shoulder slam into hers, hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs as they collided. Her back paw dragged a furrow through the dirt struggling for traction, but she didn’t fall.
"I know you know..." She growled, teeth grit. "But knowing isn’t the same as being ready." The memory of the rogue’s golden eyes flashed in her mind. That calm. That confidence. She could still feel it like a ghost brushing her spine. She paused in her retalitory efforst, basking in the moment the two siblings shared. She could never be so candid with Savagefox. "Do you think the other Clans have seen him? I know Moosestar will mention it at the Gathering, but what more could we do?"
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
As she paused, Kestrelswipe let out a few tired breaths, grateful for the short break. He'd admit, he hadn't exactly tested his battle skills in a while...perhaps his sibling was more right than he'd realized.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "And from all the other reports of rogues in our area, I haven't heard of one like that."
His claws dug into the dirt as he tried to come up with answers on what they could do. He hated it--he was deputy, he should know better by now. "They're becoming so frequent, too...I want to keep a close eye on them all. It worries me to think it's not a coincidence."
Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
Leopardrose let her claws sheath as she listened, her breathing slowing, though tension still rippled under her pelt. Kestrelswipe’s honesty hit her harder than any of his blows had.
"They're too bold to be coincidences..." She murmured, casting a wary glance toward the camp entrance, where pine shadows stretched like claws across the forest floor. "They’re not just passing through - They could be testing us."
She didn’t say it aloud, but a deeper fear stirred beneath her words: what if ThunderClan looked weak from the outside? What if that rogue had already reported back to something bigger? Her tail flicked, uneasy.
"We need to do more than keep an eye on them. We should rotate more patrols near the Twolegplace… " Her jaw clenched as she met his gaze again. She didn’t want to scare any of them. But the truth had claws, and it was better to show the camp how to fight than to let it crumble under a threat it refused to see.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
