Private Thread Plot Thread Drums of War

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙• ☾ •∙∙

Greypebbles shrieked as all senses were overtaken at once, he squinted his eyes to try and block out the brown spores that stung his eyes, scent glands and tongue, every breath, every blink, every panicked squeal was met with only pain. He could hardly hear the broken call of Moosestar as he skidded backward in an attempt to get away from the painful brown cloud.

When his senses returned, her saw no cat he recognised from RiverClan, not even Coldstar was there, not even a trace of RiverClan scent anywhere, this wasn't a RiverClan ambush. These were rogues. 

The grey tom's irritated eyes locked onto a younger tom, his fur black his posture held in confidence. He was prepared to fight RiverClan, not rogues, but he wasn't entirely unprepared, he had fought with rogues once before, but this tactic seemed different then the times before, this was more tactical warfare than brute strength.

Greypebbles came in low, attempting to ram himself into the black tom Jasper's legs. If he could manage to unbalance the younger cat, he might have a chance to walk away with a few scratches... that's if others didn't come to his side.

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

Basilisk didn't speak, there wasn't time, nor did he care for anything his current assailant had to say of RiverClan. When the bicolored tom aimed to charge at him from the from, he whipped around and jumped to the side, a dodge, and a misguide to the thunderclanner's momentum.

Claws were quick to fly when the tom had been sure that Shadefrost missed him, he aimed claws at the tom's hind legs while simultaneously launching his teeth at the black tail. 

He was sure that the cinnamon would have been a clever misguide to the cats of ThunderClan, and from what he saw and heard, it was a worth distraction to weaken their senses. Basilisk had to give it to Kosmo, he knew how to get the upper paw in a situations such as this. 

Basilisk's claws kept slashing wildly, even when hitting fur, his jaw tightened as he intended to clasp Shadefrost's tail in his teeth and not release until he swallowed blood, or worse.

I don’t need them. Not anymore.
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Magedalen followed Kosmo silently. She still was uncertain of his plan or belief in his bird friends, but she had a debt to repay and she was certain to see it through. The tabico was extremely glad that Kosmo had taken the time before this planned attack to ensure she knew at least some battle moves. Never having been taught before, Magdalen had always felt unskilled in battle and had thus made a point to avoid fighting where possible. Now though, she felt more reassured but was under no illusion that her skill would be even near that of the cats that they were attacking today. Still, the sleek she-cat was aware that the element of surprise could make a huge difference in such battles. Not to mention the cloud of dust helped add to the confusion for the unsuspecting clan cats.

As Kosmo picked his target, Magdalen turned her slitted gaze to seek her own target. Unused to combat, the multi-coloured she-cat found herself letting out a screech of surprise and fury as something, somecat, knocked into her with the force of intention. Twisting and wriggling her lithe form, Magdalen managed to barely keep her paws and turn to face the she-cat who had attacked her. Instinct swelled in her heart more than the training that Kosmo had given her, and she pinned her ears back, letting out a vicious hiss. The she-cat was unfamiliar, but that was to be expected. Magdalen had never taken the time to learn the clan cats’ identities, never mind actually meeting them. It mattered not. Kosmo had a plan, and if she wished to repay the debt she owed and live a peaceful life after, then she had to fight with all her strength now.

No sooner had the tabico’s hiss subsided than she was darting toward the stranger, growling menacingly as she reared slightly and swiped her paws toward the she-cat’s face. Magdalen was fully intending to cause stinging wounds to nose or above eyes that would hamper her opponents ability to see through tears or blood respectively. Never having been raised with the guidance to learn honourable battle, the ginger, gray, black and white she-cat cared not a wit for how dirty or dishonourable her fighting techniques might appear to be. All she cared about was living through this battle, and hopefully fulfilling her debt.

I can't hear you, I don't fear you

₊˚ ⏾. ⋅

Jasper bounded into the fray the moment the noxious brown haze began to thin around the ThunderClanners. Finally, he had come to his first real battle. All the tedium of preparation for this moment fell away into the past, and he dove into it with relish, brimming with kittenish enthusiasm he wouldn't dare indulge in on any less deserving occasion than the opening battle of a war. 

Greypebbles hit him mid-run, and momentum nearly threw him into the ground as he stumbled. Somehow, he found his balance before being swept off his feet entirely, and he launched himself after the grey blur in his peripheral. If his aim didn't fail him, he might still be able to catch the warrior in a grapple before he slipped away. 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
⋆｡°✩ ⭒ ──● 𓄿 ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°✩

Moosestar's recoil was all Kosmo needed and he watched as the leader gagged. He would be fighting against his own instincts now that his body no longer would be able to cooperate. His forepaw shot forward, hooking hard behind Moosestar's foreleg as he twisted his own weight into the motion. Already off balance from the collision and now fighting the sudden sickness creeping through him Moosestar folded awkwardly where he crashed into the sand.

Eyes sharpened with the precision of a cat who treated injuries and tended to weak spots, Kosmo's claws drove into his shoulder, pinning him just long enough for his jaws to find the leader's exposed belly. The short fur gave way then the skin beneath as fresh blood welled up into his muzzle. His body kept moving, straight into a grapple as he forced Moosestar to turn.

Kosmo pivoted around Moosestar's flank where his jaws snapped toward the side of his neck to furrow fangs into his neck as he slipped passed once more, never grappling - only quick precise strikes honed by his craft. Around them the battle erupted in action but Kosmo heard none of it as he simply waited for the next stumble that would let him carve away another piece of ThunderClan's leader.

The best are often found in midst of thunderous chaos.

‹‹‹‹ ★ ››››

The world would not stop moving as Moosestar tried to force himself upright, his paws swiping uselessly in the loose sand beneath him. The edges of his vision warped and refused to stay still. Kosmo's cinnamon pelt seemed to split into multples...

Before he could steady himself, a sharp yank caught his foreleg and a strangled cry tore from Moosestar's throat as fangs ripped across him. He kicked instinctively, hind paws lashing out toward Kosmo's chest, but the movement lacked strength.

Fresh teeth found flesh before disappearing just as quickly leaving a wound on his neck that pulsed through his head with every frantic, erratic heartbeat. He staggered sideways, coughing flecks of blood from his muzzle, breath uneven. The tingling that had begun in his tongue had spread through his jaw and down his neck, leaving parts of his face numb.

Somewhere just beyond his vision he knew Kosmo was still circling and waiting for his next opening.

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

Shadefrost's pivot was expected of him, Basilisk welcomed it, releasing a paw from the carved marks in the tuxedo warrior's hind legs and flashed it up to meet Shadefrost's fierce face, tail still gripped tightly in his teeth as the warm blood seeped through the puncture holes. Basilisk growled through his teeth, but it wasn't in frustration or anything of the like, a crooked smirk gathered on his wrinkled muzzle as he attempted his claws to meet fur, eyes, muzzle, flesh, anything. 

Now that Shadefrost had closed the distance, his face was Basilisk's to play with.

With tail still clamped firmly in his teeth, Basilisk attempted to pull his head back, trying his best to hear a snap or any sign of dislocation. Anything to knock the warrior off balance or at least weaken him enough to Basilisk to move for his throat. But with this position and Shadefrost desperately trying to make his face symmetrical, he was fine to use his paws to make claw strikes, attempts at Shadefrost's sight, at his senses. This was never a fair fight, not for ThunderClan.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙• ☾ •∙∙

Greypebbles saw the black tom stumble, it wasn't as effective as he had hoped but it was something, shock value at the very least. Greypebbles feigned a weak sense of submission when the back tom hit his back. But when claws would meet his sides for grip, Greypebbles burst upwards and flipped onto his back, an attempt to wind the young black cat to the best of his ability.

It was a risky task, if the younger cat darted away, he would just find himself with a bruised back, but if Jasper was too bloodthirsty to focus on his own surrounding now, Greypebbles might have a chance at an advantage.

While the grey tom rolled, he didn't flail, just simply kept his weight and refused to shift it, how little he really had that wasn't just thick fur that he could afford to be tugged out by the little rogue. If he believed there was a way out of this alive, there might be, but for now, Greypebbles would have to hold his own. There were no reinforcements to come after them. They were the reinforcement, but they were lead into a cleverly placed ambush. He couldn't have believed that Stormfall had lied to them, so he had to believe that the rogues had planned this.

Oh StarClan... He might die today...

But Greypebbles narrowed his eyes. If he was going to die today, he wasn't going to die without a good fight. If he was going to die today, he would die as a warrior, not as a coward.

I don’t need them. Not anymore.
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Magdalen felt a ripple of shock and surprise when her claws successfully caught on the other she-cat’s skin. The young she-cat had almost never been in a fight and truth be told, she had only ever fought defensively until she could find an opportunity to leave the battle. This fight was different, however. Instead of seeking to defend herself and then relocate, she was working with other cats to drive off an enemy in order to claim some space for themselves. The tabico she-cat still wasn’t certain of this plan, and the slimy, sticky feeling of where Kosmo had insisted on having toad venom smeared into her fur made her feel a little squeamish and grossed out.

The sound of a furious hiss pulled Magdalen out of her shock and thoughts and she refocused on the battle. This wasn’t a training session. Her life may very well be in real danger, although these clan cats supposedly had some sort of honour code that ought to prevent them from outright killing her. Still, the ginger and gray tabby she-cat didn’t trust her chances. As the clan she-cat started moving around her, Magdalen twisted, watching for an attack. She was instinctively returning to a defensive mode for the time being. Even so, when the attack came, the she-cat was caught by surprise. Seeing her opponent move toward her belly, Magdalen had instantly tensed her legs to leap back, only to have one of them pulled out from beneath her as the she-cat drove into her.

Magdalen yowled in shock and pain as the Thunderclan warrior knocked her sideways and down into the sand beneath their paws. Magdalen growled furiously, trying not to gasp at the pain in shoulder that indicated a guaranteed bruise later on. Fury had the tabico no longer wanting to be on the defensive. Worried that her opponent might try to pin her, Magdalen rolled over to put distance between the two of them, and regain her paws. The now furious she-cat’s crouched low, lashing her tail as she watched the cat who had knocked her over. Magdalen’s yellow eyes glared as they flicked over the Thunderclan warrior. She needed to disable this cat before she did further damage to her.

Letting out a drawn out hiss, Magdalen threw herself forward. She aimed low, hoping to use a move that she had seen one of the more combative kittypets use. Her plan, and aim, was to dart under her opponent’s belly and then to flick herself upside down, exposing her own stomach, in order to grab at the she-cat’s belly with all four paws. If she was successful she would be able to tear at the soft underside before the she-cat could react. If not… well Magdalen hoped that she wouldn’t die trying this.

I can't hear you, I don't fear you

₊˚ ⏾. ⋅

Got ‘im!

“Woah-!” Jasper cried as Greypebbles rolled over and knocked the air out of him. What sort of strategy was this? Jasper didn’t have time to think about it. He wrapped his paws around Greypebbles’ middle as tight as he could and dug his claws in.

He was about the same size if not larger than this opponent, he realized. If Jasper got him into a proper grapple, his size might make up for his lack of experience. With Kosmo’s weird goop smeared all over his soft spots, he wasn’t too worried about exposing them. He just had to find a way to get on top of Greypebbles.

Jasper attempted to inch out from under the warrior while keeping a grip on him, but he couldn’t see what he was doing with grey fur obscuring his vision. If he could just get his left legs across Greypebbles’ torso, he would be in a good position slip out from under his weight.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
⋆｡°✩ ⭒ ──● 𓄿 ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°✩

Kosmo watched as the ThunderClan's leader's movements grew less coordinated until his legs gave way beneath him. He let the poison do its work and Moosestar went still. Then with a surge of motion, seized all his limbs. Kosmo stood over him and counting the rise and fall of Moosestar's chest.

Before the cat could replace the life it was losing, Kosmo darted forward againt, forepaws planted against Moosestar's shoulders as claws found their mark. His jaws sought the vunerable angle of his throat and tore the flesh loose, a splatter of blood rushing onto the sand.

Where one life left, another rushed into the cat's chest - but just as quickly, the gurgle of life stuttered and failed to find purchase. Kosmo's mismatched eyes solely remained fixed on his prey - a clinical glee in them in knowing that nine lives were not one death.

He hoped Moosestar had more to give him, and a second was lost.

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

When Shadefrost aimed a set of fangs at his neck, Basilisk released his tail from his grip, he wasn't afraid of a bite to the neck, not here and now. In fact, he welcomed it, not openly, he feigned an attempt as closing the opening before the teeth slammed into the space just beneath his throat.

"Idiot." Was all Basilisk ended up saying to the tom in a rasp, his tail flicked in amusement despite the burning in his neck. "You'll meet the same fate as the rest of your clan. You voluntarily made an example of yourself." he didn't need to wait long for the violent recoil to come, the gaging coming shortly after. Basilisk now had much more options. But would he rather end the suffering a lot faster? Or could a lesson be learned from making an example of him. Chemical warfare was an interesting tactic, he commended Kosmo for it.

Basilisk soon decided he would take action, darting around the bicolored tom, aiming claw strikes to carve red, bleeding stripes into Shadefrost's pelt, he doubted the tom could come to and fight back, but speed would have left him almost invisible and the quick strikes would wear Shadefrost down, at last in theory. 

[OOC: Recieved permission from Faux to have Shadefrost recoil from the toad venom]

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

∙∙• ☾ •∙∙

The sounds of Shadefrost's violent and visceral gags made Greypebbles pin his ears. It was the second time he had heard his clanmates gagging at something these cats had on their fur... most likely anyway. He didn't know what he was but he wouldn't take any chances. 

As Jasper tried to crawl down his back, Greypebbles rolled onto his belly, arching his back forward as if he were stretching to prevent the active crawling down his back, he wasn't keep keen on having this cat dislodge his claws yet, not get away to have a better opening on him. He'd rather have his flank scratched to nothing than let him get as his throat or face.

And suddenly, Greypebbles acted faint, rolling with all his weight onto his back again, his main goal was to become a deadweight to the cat and squish him into the ground, if that didn't work Greypebbles had not choice but to force into thinking of something else entirely. But for now, he wasn't going to allow the rogue to get to advantage that easily.

I don’t need them. Not anymore.
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Delight lit Magdalen’s yellow eyes gleefully as the move partially worked. She wasn’t doing as poorly as she had expected and gratitude filled her heart. It truly was a good thing that Kosmo had taken the time to practice some battle moves with her before this fight, although she was slightly dismayed that this meant, in her mind anyway, that her debt to him had deepened. Still, the orange, gray, black and white she-cat couldn’t get distracted like this. Her opponent was still standing to some degree and that meant that the battle was far from over. Even so, the former kittypet took a moment to glance around her and felt comforted by what she saw. The rogues were holding their own and Kosmo seemed to have complete power over his target.

Before Magdalen could reflect further, the she-cat she was supposed to be focused on came flying at her once more. Distracted as she had been, the rogue didn’t have time to dodge one way or another and wound up taking the full brunt of the warrior’s attack. Magdalen screeched loudly in shock and fury as she was knocked into the sand again, this time obtaining a deep gash where the warrior’s claws had struck her. Pain throbbed through the tabico’s body and instinct tore at itself as the desire to flee and fight more fiercely fought within her. The internal battle lasted no more than a heartbeat, and despite the pain, Magdalen was once more throwing herself at her enemy.

The pain from her new injury slowed the she-cat somewhat, but anger seemed to make up for it as Magdalen entered a rage. She thought nothing more of her safety or tactics as she swiped furiously at the Thunderclan warrior. She was determined to land at least one strike that made the she-cat cry out the same as she had. Growling furiously, Magdalen squirmed and pivoted, pressing forward in an attempt to grapple her opponent with all four paws. If she could just do that and get a proper grip like she had tried to before, then she could batter the wretched warrior until she wailed like a kit and gave up.

I can’t hear you, I don’t fear you

₊˚ ⏾. ⋅

Jasper let out a bark of laughter and held fast onto Greypebbles as he bucked, sure would go flying if he loosened his grip. And then down Greypebbles went on top of him again. He would end up with some bruising after this, that was for sure. Alright, if he was going to be trapped under the warrior, he would make the most of it.

Jasper’s hindclaws scrabbled at Greypebbles’ flank as he tightened his grip on his opponent. At the same time, he sank his teeth into Greypebbles’ most accessible shoulder.