that darn rabbit [o]

[duskfur]

DUSKFROST

The rabbit knew he was there.

The little bastard had probably known for a long while, too. Every time he put his paw down a few mouse-lengths closer, it would twitch its tall ears and take another innocent hop, keeping the space between them steady. It was too risky to finally bolt forward until he was sure he had almost closed the distance between him. He could be fast, slightly faster than the average cat of the swamplands, but his stamina was low, and there was no telling how quickly his chosen prey could move if it decided to show its awareness of the silently stalking predator.

The deputy of ShadowClan lifted his muzzle and sniffed, content that the scent of the rabbit was blowing toward him in the gusts of wind. His dark tabby fur was rumpled from the constant gales that gave the windswept moors their old name, or the cats that had lived here at any rate. It was a wonder that they were still alive in legends, some portraying them as felines with supernatural speed, others as wimps that couldn’t hold their own many, many moons ago. If not for the storytelling of the elders, WindClan would cease to exist in the memory of the other cats. And, Duskfrost thought, it would have been better that way.

The gorse around him was dry and dead, dusted lightly with snow. It crackled slightly when he moved through it, and at times like that he froze. Still the prey animal in front of him seemed oblivious to his pursuit; even if he knew that it knew better. Maybe it was waiting for the creatures that had owned the plains to return, and would gladly give up its life for them. At such folly, the tall tomcat uttered a muted snort and lowered himself against the cold grass. Step by step, he inched forward and kept his head blow the grass, relying on smell and judgment to tell where his quarry sat in front of him. Just another tail-length, perhaps, before he could make a run for it.

Duskfrost exploded out of the gorse and dashed toward the rabbit, which kicked up soil with its legs as it sprinted away. His paws hit the ground with thumps and crackles, putting all of his energy into speed and abandoning grace or silence. The rabbit ahead weaved from side to side before making a hairpin turn; he scrabbled in the snow and launched himself forward again, tongue hanging out as he tried to catch up.

Finally the bobbing white tail was right in front of him; he concentrated all energy in his hind legs and leaped forward, his claws catching tufts of fur in the rabbit’s haunches, before he lost balance and tumbled to the ground. Swearing profusely, the deputy shook his head and then looked up to see that the rabbit was long gone; in its place was another cat. His claws sunk into the ground and his hackles rose on his neck. It wasn’t ShadowClan.

---

ooc; open for anyone, of any clan. this could turn into a scuffle or just a hissing match. i would not like it to turn into a huge battle, though, so perhaps only two or three more participants at the most.

[/justify]

[Elkheart]

ELKSTAR

Elkstar fluffed up her fur and dug her claws into the ground as another dry wind blew by. Sniffing the air she detected the slightest scent of rabbit, the rain had washed away any other scents. It felt good to be out and about, the last few sunrises Elkstar had stayed in camp making sure everyone was okay. Since Whitecough was soon to come she had also helped Dawnheart with organizing her herbs. She wondered what it felt like to be medicine cat, having more knowledge about Starclan and healing other cats. It was a rank she was worthy of, but being Leader was probably equal to the superiority.

The Thunderclan Leader crouched into the hunting position and crept forward. She lifted her tail off the ground and curled it slightly inward. It gave her just enough balance to be able to launch herself at her prey. Suddenly she felt uneasy, like someone was watching her. She pushed the thought away, thinking that she was getting paranoid because of the open moors. Creeping forward again she scanned the grasses and spotted a small white tail. There it was, her mouth was already watering at the thought of devouring it. Right when she was about to pounce another scent drifted to her. It was the stench of Shadowclan. She straightened out of her crouch and let out a low growl. The rabbit took off at full speed and Elkstar started racing after it. After all, Thunderclan was the best Clan, they deserved this rabbit. Shadowclan could go back to eating their crow-food, you are what you eat. Shadowclan are crow-food eating rats.

The rabbit was long gone, Elkstar knew she could have gotten it if her legs weren't so stiff. She decided to show herself so she stepped out of the coverage of the long grass. In a crumpled heap before her was Duskfrost, Shadowclan's deputy.

[duskfur]

DUSKFROST

The proud reek of ThunderClan swarmed over him, and immediately he pushed himself out of his crouched position to stand at eye-level with the stranger, not wanting to be bent lower than the feline from the narcissistic colony. His eyes burned with suppressed agitation, knowing that—although all the cats fought over it—these were mostly neutral grounds since he had no intention of bringing along a party of warriors. This cat had also simply happened upon him; he doubted it had interfered that much with his hunt of the witty rabbit. Getting angry would solve absolutely nothing in this situation, and it just wasn’t his style.

And it was then he recognized the slight build of the grey she-cat, the way she carried herself beyond ThunderClan arrogance, at last putting a name with the scent.

“Elkstar,” the deputy said in surprise, though only a slight widening of his eyes betrayed his shock at having met up with the leader of the rival Clan. Politics commanded him to dip his head in acknowledgement of the other cat’s rank, but a sheer lack of respect won out. He remained in a comfortable stance, his slightly taller-than-average height all but towering over her very small stature. This female was a leader, yes, but she was also a full year younger than him. He didn’t know enough about her to tell if she deserved his respect.

He wanted to sit down to show her that he wasn’t a threat, but instead he took a small step back and flicked his tail casually. “What is a ThunderClan cat doing this far north?” he asked, expressionless other than a nearly imperceptible drop of contempt in his voice. His cold, washed-out golden eyes found her topaz ones and held them steadily without betraying a flicker of emotion other than a forced casualness. He might be awkward at small talk, but certain situations such as facing a cat from across the Thunderpath lent him a voice. Confidence, extremely rare for him, flooded through him from whiskers to tail-tip.

He wouldn’t think he was better than the ThunderClan she-cat if he didn’t know it was true.

[/justify]

[Elkheart]

elkstar

When Duskfrost stood up Elkstar straightened her posture to look bigger than she really was. She noted that he didn't dip his head, that made her raise her chin even higher. She was higher than him in the rankings, he should respect her. How ignorant, she thought to herself bitterly. But deep down she admired him for it. Seeing as she probably wouldn't have dipped her head to another Leader she let it go. She studied Duskfrost closely and saw scars that made his fur grow in tufts. No wonder he was named 'Dusk' he looked like the colors you'd see at dusk. He actually looked pretty charming. She bit her tongue to hold in a burst of laughter. How could she ever think he was decent? He's in Shadowclan for Starclan's sake! Elkstar shook her head to clear her mind.
"This is neutral land, I have a right to be here," she said, staring into his yellow eyes. She held his gaze, trying to make him flinch away from her. Oddly enough she found delight in scaring other cats. She was laughing at herself on the inside, and thought that he'd think she was psycho if she laughed out loud. She finally confirmed her insanity when she started memorizing his scent. She sat down, trying to relax and look casual.
"I suppose Shadowclan is hunting in the moors because prey is running scarce," she said, almost tauntingly. Finally, she was getting back to her old self. The old superior, harsh, but beautiful cat she knew well. She found herself still staring at him, she felt as if she was trying to see into his soul.

[duskfur]

DUSKFROST

The small she-cat attempted to make up for her height, but she wasn’t really getting anywhere. He expected to be chewed out for not showing a bit more respect, even if it was just an aspect of his personality that he wouldn’t think so highly of cats who were younger than him. However, other than an incline of her chin, she didn’t make any comment on his posture. And he was relieved. Already tension had fallen over his shoulders, causing his claws to near peek from their sheaths, as he wondered if this would come to a fight or not. Had this been a mere warrior, he wouldn’t have cared either way, but going home with news that he’d either beaten or been beaten by ThunderClan’s leader would present problems.

To his question, Elkstar defended herself by saying she had a right to be on the territory. Her eyes were attempting to pierce his, though of course he did not waver, having initiated the stare. Since she hadn’t hesitated in meeting his gaze, he supposed she was strong enough to be obstinate. She wasn’t going to back down so easily; he would give her that.

The gaunt tom flicked his tail and snorted. “That was hardly a proper answer,” he remarked dryly, swishing his tail along the grass.

She questioned his—no, all of ShadowClan’s—motives in attempting to hunt on the moorland, and his whiskers gave a swivel of frustration. Prey was indeed growing scarce back in the swamplands, but of course he was smart enough to not tell her that. Admitting weakness was an invitation to exploit those weaknesses. Instead, he allowed a tight, cold smile to pass over his face, a silently mocking one.

“And what does that say about ThunderClan, dear Elkstar?” he retorted, padding around her in a wide half-circle. The intensity of her topaz stare was unnerving, and perhaps he could escape it undetected by shifting position.

[/justify]

[Elkheart]

elkstar

"Hardly a proper answer?" she blinked, "What does that say about Thunderclan? Thunderclan hunts on the moors for our own likings." When Duskfrost started walked around Elkstar in circles she started getting a little claustrophobic. What if he attacked her? She wouldn't have space to leap or run or even aim an attack! She focused her eyes on the spot where Duskfrost's once was. Although, she kept her ears alert for any falter in his dance and tried to feel the vibrations of his paws through hers. "And I'm not your 'dear' and please tell me there was no pun intended?" she swiveled around to face him with a cold glare. How dare he make a pun out of her name! Just then the wind started to pick up and the drizzling rain started to fall faster and harder. Was Starclan mad at their conflicts? Elkstar searched frantically for some shelter to locate a bush big enough for three cats to hide. "I don't know about you but I'm getting out of here!" she yelled over the boom of thunder, the sudden adreneline rush gave her energy. She dashed to the bush, not caring if she wasn't being graceful or if her fur was getting wet. Finally, she made it to the safety of the bush just as another crash of thunder exploded. She hunched over while terror filled her topaz eyes. Then she remembered Duskfrost! She realized she must have looked like a frightened kit hiding from a badger so she straightened herself. She wouldn't let the Deputy of Shadowclan see one of her weaknesses. It could be fatal to her reputation and her Clan.

[duskfur]

DUSKFROST

“Hardly a proper answer?”

Elkstar’s confused blink told him multitudes about her ignorance, and he flexed his shoulders with barely suppressed annoyance. He had asked her why she was here on the moors so far from her home, not whether or not she had a right to be there. Her defensiveness was naïve. However, it didn’t aggravate him so much as when she said that her being there said that she wanted to hunt on the moors. This idiot was a complete and total hypocrite!

“And that is why ShadowClan hunts here,” Duskfrost growled, his voice deepening even further as he suppressed the anger and hatred building in it for this stupid she-cat. “Do not claim we are weak for hunting here then pretend there is no possibility that it is your own motive.” His eyes were like chips of frozen amber as he continued to stalk around her, pausing in incredulity when she mentioned something about a pun. A small sneer crossed his lips as he kept up the insulting, cold banter, the only kind he was apt to carry on. “You’re just like a kit.”

His point was proven once she scurried under a bush at the sound of thunder. His posture grew straighter as he kept his tail lifted, even as the wind blew it to the side. For once the rain he complained so much about wasn’t a problem as it drizzled down his whiskers, a flash of lightning illuminating his silhouette as he stalked toward the bush where the small grey cat cowered. Smirking at her weakness, he slipped calmly next to her in the leafy shelter and subtly pushed her out of his way as he made room for his tall frame. Luckily their difference in size kept some amount of distance between him; he didn’t want to be so close to this cat. She wasn’t worthy enough for him to call an enemy, and she hadn’t attacked yet—if she could attack. She might be agile, but he was one of the faster members of his Clan, and even if he was skinny his strength was more than enough to dispatch her quickly.

But the dark tabby was not a cold-hearted murderer. The code of the warriors stated that killing was not to be done unless there was no other way out, and he believed in that with all his heart. He hunkered down and sank his claws into the ground as he stared out at the rain, rasping water from his lips with a pink tongue. Once his eyes flicked to her.

“I suppose you aren’t used to being out in the open? It must be hard for a forest cat to get used to the expanse of the plains.”

This was stated in a matter-of-fact voice. It was nigh impossible for her Clan to get to this territory unless they managed to pass the entire Clan through Fourtrees; otherwise they would need to trespass on either Shadow- or RiverClan grounds to get to here. Despite that, he did want to put any ideas of fighting for the moorlands out of her head. Anticipation flooded through him as he looked at the fields again, this time as if surveying something that was already his. At the Gathering, Willowstar would make her announcement that they would fight for these grounds. How the others would react, only time would tell, but Duskfrost would be far from heartbroken if they returned the challenge…

[/justify]

[Elkheart]

Duskfrost was starting to get on Elkstar's last nerve. "I hunt her for my own pleasures, I can run and leap better in the open moors." she raised her chin high, and hoped Duskfrost would just shut up. But as irritating as he was she figured he'd keep on babbling about how she didn't feel welcome in the open moors of Windclan. She dug her claws into the ground to keep herself from drawing any of the deputy's blood.

“I suppose you aren’t used to being out in the open? It must be hard for a forest cat to get used to the expanse of the plains.”

She clenched her teeth together and said "The thunder simply startled me, I didn't know it was coming," she should have punished him at the beginning for not dipping his head. He didn't show any respect for the superior. What a mousebrain, she thought to herself. Without warning she stood and swiftly crawled out of the bush. Elkstar wasn't going to let the ignorant little crow-food eating cat get in her way. As she said before, she was her for her own pleasures. Padding along she fluffed out her fur and put each paw down lightly.

BOOM!

There was another crash of thunder. For Starclan's sake Elkstar was a Thunderclan cat! Therefore she shouldn't be frightened by the rumbling coming from the sky. Suddenly, realization took over her, maybe it was a sign from Starclan. Elkstar's eyes grew wider and she knew she needed to get out. She decided to run for it, Duskfrost couldn't possibly keep up with he quick gait. She would be back to her own territory in no time.