connections at claw-moon [gale/orchid border]

Who knows what time it was, definitely not Applecrisp. Her mind was lost to its own devices, the stars that were starting to peek their way into the darkened sky were not there, at least not to her. She was surrounded by a a gentle breeze as the dawn came to, painting the earth with it's warm tones. The brook bubbled and splashed against the rocks as she lazily lay her paw in the cool water. There were no worries, no threats - just small critters scampering about, hurrying to feed their own young.

However as peaceful as it was, she was suddenly thrust from her daydream, a groan snapped her mind back to the twilight skies. Her eyes widened as her head turned, jaw parting to taste the air. Immediately her claws extended, she knew she had wandered from camp, but she was still safe within the Galeclan borders, but this was Orchidclan stink! Dropping into a crouch, her form moved quickly and silently as she narrowed in on her target. There he was, and hunting on their land. She hesitated a moment, she really didn't want to get into a fight - that really wasn't her cup of tea. But she couldn't exactly let this slide either. She needed to tell Basilstar about this when she got back,

"Hey! That's a Galeclan mouse y'know!" she shouted, keeping close to one of the few trees in the area.

Cypresswish whipped his head around, eyes widened. Not a single cat in sight, but his ears told him otherwise and gave him enough clues as to where he’d face. He couldn’t yet identify the source of the voice, squinting off into the general direction of Galeclan’s greenery, but he wouldn’t submit this easily. He puffed out his chest, white fur on display, tail twitching in anticipation. He wasn’t gonna just let this random cat boss him around-- he had stomachs to feed!

“Says who?” He dared, his voice muffled by the mouse carried between his jaws. He put it down at his paws as if to protect it from the invisible force, justifying with a small huff, “I followed it from Orchidclan territory. It was always ours, wasn’t it?” Cypresswish was careful not to shout or growl-- he didn’t know if it was only one Galeclan cat in the vicinity and raising his voice would attract more-- but he didn’t want to take any chances. Not in this state. His claws unsheathed, still holding his guard for his kill.

His eyes scanned right past her, and the young she-cat could feel her heart racing in her chest. She was no stranger to heated moments at the border, but she was always in a patrol and it was always some other cat instigating the altercation. Her tail twitched, he had not managed to locate her just yet - maybe she could bluff her way through this and not have to worry about much more then a near heart attack. He was clearly watching and proceeding with caution, uncertain if she was alone or not.

"I know kits who understand that once it crosses the border you lost you chance. You are4 now taking fresh-kill from another clan," she shot, keeping her voice sharp. "Orchidclan will have problems with Galeclan if you wish to continue this foolishness." she snarled, her claws digging into the dirt. Her anxiety rising, she didn't want him to turn on her. Couldn't he just give up quietly and leave without things getting messy? Was that too much to ask for?

Cypresswish could sense the nervousness in her meow-- at least, that’s what he thought. If this she-cat wasn’t alone, why would she hide? If it really were a patrol, it would make sense for them to intimidate him with their numbers, not hide their lack thereof. This cat wasn’t all she cracked herself up to be, her threats now feeling like nothing but words spewed from a kit during a play fight.

He still hadn’t been able to properly scan for her location, but now, sniffing the air, he could begin to zero in on her scent. And that was the only cat’s scent he was able to trace beyond the cacophony of forest creatures and plants that filled his nostrils otherwise.

It took a moment of careful consideration. Continuing to stay on his guard, he began to lightly tread from the fresh-kill, letting it sit unattended. Cypresswish sat a few pawsteps away with his bad paw lifted slightly off the ground, his gaze refusing to move from the bushes where he suspected the Galeclan warrior to be hiding. “Come on out and take it, then. It’s Galeclan’s prey.” He flicked the end of his tail, annoyed that he’d now have to hunt down another prey if he wanted anything more than wasted time to come from his late-night escapade. “I won’t fight you for it.” But it was better than the alternative: being shredded to mousedust.

Her earth brown optics refused to move from the tom. While it had taken him a moment to find her, she had never once let him out of her sight. Maybe she should try and pay attention to where she is going, but then again - it was late and she shouldn't have run into any problems. So it wasn't actually her fault, this time.

Her whiskers twitched nervously as she parted her jaw to taste the air, confirming that this tom was in fact alone and she hadn't stumbled into some form of trap. Noting the paw he lifted his weight from she noted he was not at a hundred percent. Surely he was foolish to dare hunt over the border if he wasn't in the most ideal condition to protect himself and his lack of caution to the rules. She snorted in disdain at the information she had gathered now. Maybe she could hide he lack of confidence in the situation.

"You think I want to return to camp with a mouse stinking of Galeclan," she sneered as she made her way through the bushes, keeping her shoulder square and her pawsteps well thought out. Stalking out into the star light her eyes narrowed as she finally appeared. Eyes glued to the tom in front of her. "They would think I was the one with wrong doings."

The sudden, hushed rustling of the bushes was enough to make the fur rise along his spine, but Cypresswish quickly relaxed his fur and muscles, not allowing a single part of himself to appear afraid as the Galeclan cat revealed herself. He wasn’t-- he knew by the she-cat’s shorter stature that he held a fighting chance without a single doubt, even with his limp-- but her piercing gaze was enough to keep him sat still and unmoving.

“You could tell them the truth, couldn’t you? That you fended off an Orchidclan cat who was…” He looked for the right words, his tail motioning to the fresh-kill before settling on: “stealing your prey from your territory.”

He eyed her with his own green pair, his head tilting. “Or does your clan have such little trust in your word that such a story would seem impossible?” He dared to half-tease, half-prod, even in this tense situation. Besides, what was this she-cat doing out here at night all alone? Maybe he’d come across her before she had a chance to break a rule of some kind. They’d both edged close to the neighbouring clan’s borders, yes, but Cypresswish had a good reason to! He just got carried away, wandering a little further than expected to… but what about her? His eyes narrowed, glowing with a strange mix of suspicion and curiosity.

It was clear he did not trust her at all, and rightfully so - she didn't trust him in the slightest. She might not have been fast but she could at least out run him, with his current limp anyways. He wasn't up to snuff and that was clear, but she wasn't foolish to think she was stronger then him - by no means. She might have her head in the clouds a majority of the time, but she knew how to pick her battles.

His comment made her lips curl back in a snarl, "No, I just don't need the fame and glory that would come from such boasting. Besides we can catch our own prey just fine. I would rather bring back a proper hunt then a measly mouse." she sniffed at him, "Besides Orchidclan was be pretty desperate if they are sending wounded warriors out to hunt for them."

She did not budge from her defensive stance. Her tail flicked behind her as she watched him. Her claws still extended and her eyes never moving. It was clear he was trying to get a rise from her, but two could play at that game. She might not be the best at it, but there was no reason for him to know that.

Wounded warriors? His tail lightly thumped in a slow repetition against the ground, a low growl releasing from his throat. “So what’s all the trouble for this fresh-kill if you won’t take it?” He still refused to move a muscle— really, he wanted to see what the she-cat would do next. Would she even dare step closer…? Or would he swoop in before she had a chance, giving her either a reason to let him slip through her paws, or to give chase?

“You wouldn’t allow me to run off Galeclan territory with it if your clan needed it more, would you?” His paw pads prickled with an unidentifiable anticipation. Tension was growing, it had been since the start— Cypresswish could even feel it in the tips of his whiskers— but the she-cat still refused to make a move. Would it be so worth it to battle over a measly mouse? He eyed the prey from the corner of his eyes, and then stared back at the she-cat. If she refused to take his offering, one that was quite humble if he said so himself, then… what would the harm be in taking it back?

For a moment, his mind wandered to pacifism— the idea of sharing the fresh-kill… but the idea of such forbidden action made a chill run down his spine. No. He couldn’t do such a thing. He stiffened in the face of his mind’s deviant suggestion.

Applecrisp's tail lashed slightly, she was at a standstill. She really did not want this to escalate, but she also felt the pride of being a Galeclan warrior. Oh Starclan, why did she have to be the one to run into this tom. She wasn't the best in situations like this, nor did she have the mental capacity to play the mind games. Her eyes wavered slightly as she found herself in though, her body slowly relaxing as she started to drift from reality again.

A heavy sigh escaped the she-cat as her rump landed with a soft 'thump' on the ground. Shutting her eyes she shook her head. Her clanmates would have her hide if they found out she did what she was about to do. But she just didn't have it in her to press this matter much further.

"Just take the mouse. Our clan is plentiful and well off. A measly mouse won't matter, and if it does I will hunt one on my way back." she sighed again, lifting her earthy gaze she shrugged at Cypresswish, "I don't have it in me to fight you on the matter. But don't let me catch you on our side of the border again - otherwise I will get Basilstar involved." she warned, her tail flicking towards the border, motioning for the Orchidclan warriors' clear escape. She could catch up easily, but he would most likely over power her - and then what was it all for?

Cypresswish looked over the cat’s body with a slight suspicion, her dappled pelt blending into the wilderness behind her. Still, the tom mirrored the she-cats body language, re-sheathing his claws and releasing the earth from his grasp as he slowly lifted himself to his paws. After all, he was no threat to her if she wasn’t one to him. Her submission was not made in solitary, as he agreed to follow suit. It didn’t stop him from eyeing the she-cat cautiously, tail twitching against the grass all while stalking towards the mouse as though it were still alive. He looked over his shoulder. No movement from her. It wasn’t a trick.

“Thank you.” That mew was the softest he’d allowed since the beginning of the encounter. His spine tingled uncomfortably with instinctual guilt— Look at him. Thanking another clan’s warrior for their forgiveness. It was nothing less of allowing himself to lay belly-up to the enemy. If his clanmates could see him now…

Before his jaws could clamp around on the mouse, the tom suddenly found himself fixated on the smaller Galeclan warrior, ears twitching as he allowed a curiosity he’d held since the beginning to slip.

“Before I go,” He paused, but dared to continue on with a deep breath in, "What were you… doing out here alone in the first place?” It didn’t feel entirely real that he was allowing himself to converse with another clan’s warrior, but the feeling of disbelief quickly sifted into nothingness. Cypresswish knew it wasn’t standard practice for clans to send their warriors into the night for the sole purpose of territorial defence, at least not individually. It couldn’t be that, could it?