Through the Shadows

[*~[R]ose-[B]rennan~*]

Frostfur gave a small purr that was not able to be heard from under water, she stayed down there as long as she could, loving the rhythmic feeling of his tongue on her fur. FInally she popped up, slowly ang gracefully, giving him a warm smile and licking his cheek.

[>>[S]ilver]

Pantherstar smiled and laughed, swimming away and wanting for Frostfur to follow him. His black pelt shimmered wet in the moonlight. He turned, his yellow eyes glowing like small moons.

[*~[R]ose-[B]rennan~*]

Frostfur smiled and followed him trustingly, her tail moving her in the direction she wanted to go in. Her white pelt was slicked to her coat and she swam onwards, her cream paws churning the water gently so as not to make to much disturbance and her blue eyes watching like the stars that spotted the nights sky.

[>>[S]ilver]

Pantherstar pulled himself out of the water, and up onto the pebbly bank. He drew in a slow, long breath and roleld onto his back, looking up and the sky. "This's been great, Frostfur. I thank you." He smiled over at her, her wet pelt sticking out in the dark night.

[Featherpool]

Just then there was a shreak of pain as Trufflepaw flew out of the bushes rolling to the ground she quickly got up. Her eyes wide with terror as the badger made its way to her. she was tired but carried on leaping at the badgers side raking down watching its blood start to flow out of the scratches. The badger roared in pain as it sweept at her with its massive paw she nearly got out of the way and ducked. 'Saberpaw where are you' she thought helplessly she had a cut on her back from where the badger had bit her. She hissed as she slashed at its mussle hit it right on the target the badger flew to the ground as blood fell from its mussle it still tryed to swipe at her giving her a small cut on her leg. she quickly raced to it and jumped onto its back biting its neck. The badger hissed one last time before it layed there,stiff dead its eyes stared blankly to nothing all black and cold. Trufflepaw sighed as she got off and fell to the ground exhausted blood driping from her wounds.

[>>[S]ilver]

Pantherstar jerked his head up, and swiftly lifted himself off the ground. He saw the apprentice fighting the badger, surly she would lose. He hurteled himself over the river in almost one leap, though his back legs langed with a 'splash' in the black depths. He bounded to Trufflepaw's side, and saw the badger, dead infront of his eyes. "Did you...?" He meowed disbelivingly.

[Featherpool]

Trufflepaw slowly looked up seeing Pantherstar she winced as she sat up. "Yes i did." she replied softly the small creamy white apprentices fur was stained with the blood from her back. she looked into the Leaders eyes. "I was going for a small stroll when i saw the badger coming towards camp i had to stop it." she mewed.

[>>Sparrow<<]

Candle-

Ginger paws carried the cream colored tom as he bolted through the forest. Heavey padding followed him. He spun sharply left and bolted off. He was too afraid to look back, too afraid that it would be right behind him. Then suddenly he broke through the forest. He blinked, shocked at Pantherstar, Frostfur, and Trufflepaw. Then his eyes found the dead badger. There is more!? he thought horrified.

Suddenly the huge thing came pounding out behind him, it's eyes wild. Instinctive, he jumped away, his eyes full of fear. It stood there for a minute, staring at the cats, then the dead badger. Then it led a loud roar. Candlepaw suddered. Then the scents hit him...the dead one was a female...the other, male. They must have been mates... he thought. Does that mean they have kits? he wondered.

The badger's angry eyes traveled over the cats, wondering which one to kill first. Which one would be the easiest target. Candlepaw, still following instinct fell into a crouch. He bared his teeth at it, it looked like he was hissing, and he was, only no sound came out. The creature roared again and then pounced at him. He instantly jumped back again, dodging the predictable attack. He glanced at the cats around him, and instantly felt safer. Four on one...they could handle it.

[/left]

[Featherpool]

Trufflepaw groaned as the pain she got from one badger by herself but she was not one to watch others die. She raced up spitting in fury as she leapt at its back biting down hard. The badger roared as the blood trickled down its back it tryed to shake her but she held a firm grip scratching her claws down its back. with one massive paw the badger hit her off as she flew to the ground breathing heavily but got up and stared at the badger as it walked towards her.

[>>Sparrow<<]

A flash of ginger flew through the air, he landed short, digging his claws into the badger's rear, he spun his back legs around to claw at it's feet. It kicked back, hitting his gut. Candlepaw gasped as the air left him. He flew strait towards a tree and tried to spin around to put his feet on the tree. He neatly jumped off, but was still gasping for breath.

Slowly, his breath returned and he glared at the badger, sensing it's anger radiate off it in waves. His eyes narrowed, once again annoyed by the emotions of those around her. He could tell Trufflepaw was in pain, he could also tell until the badgers had come his leader and Frostfur had been happy. He shook off the emotions, he knew the annoyance would clearly show on his face. He cursed himself, his body language was much stronger than everyone else...and his eyes all the more emotional...but that was the only way he could talk.

He fell back into a crouch and darted under the badger, staying in the center, out of reach of the claws. He clawed at it's stomach and nipped at it's feet, distracting it. His eyes locked with Trufflepaws. Kill it... he thought, trying to tell her that with his eyes.

[/left]

[Featherpool]

Trufflepaw seemed to get the message and raced jumping on top of the badger. clawing at its sides hissing angrily. She held her grip as she bit into its neck feeling the blood run down its neck. it growled one last time as it fell to its side knocking off Trufflepaw as she was sent rolling she looked up as its breathing stoped and its eyes cold with death. she sighed as she got up and padded over to Candlepaw "You ok?" she mewed warmlydespite the pain of her wounds.

[*~[R]ose-[B]rennan~*]

Frostfur was drinking from the river and had not noticed Pantherstar's swift exit. She gave a small smile and mewed "I really enjoyed myself tonight" then she realised she had got no reply and turned her head just in time to see a badger slump to the floor and two wounded apprentices stagger toward each other, their coats ripped and bloodied from the badger's swift claws but their eyes warm.

She pelted toward them and regarded them with worried blue eyes "Are you alright?" she mewed softly, she looked at Candlepaw, they looked so alike apart from his coat was a shade darker than hers. It was quite odd really, she gave a small sigh and looked over to the badgers; the smell coming off them telling of male and female "Ah, love can sometimes end badly" she murmered softly and pawed the ground with a dark cream paw.

She looked back up and her gave had hardened slightly and she gave a low growl toward the badger. She walked tentativley up to it and sniffed it, "There's no milk scent about her just yet" then she saw the buldge in the badgers belly and felt sick "The kits were still to some" she gazed at the badger and felt a sickening sense of remorse, she couldn't imagine what the mate would have felt, seeing his mate and kits dead at his feet.

She wanted to retch or wander off on her own back to camp so she could try and pull it out of her mind but she tried not to show her feelings, swallowing back the bile that was rising in the throat with a wince and moving away from the badger All life is sacred she thought, but knowing her friends had not had a choice in the matter, it was kill or be killed in this world.

[Snowie]

^{A white blur flashed from behind a bush and a few moments later t burst through. Spiritcloud looked around, "Are you ok?" she mewed to Trufflepaw. She had been out hunting when she had heard a disturbance and followed the sound, only to see Trufflepaw figthing off a badger. "You'll need to tell Pantherstar" she mewed, looking up to spot the Leader nearby. "Oh, I guess you already have." She let out a purr. "But we will need to get a warrior group to get that badger off our territory." she mewed pointing out the obvious. Yet again she looked around, only to see the badger lying there covered in scratches. "Oh, I'm not being very observant today am I. My mind must be somewhere else..." she mewed, losing track of her words.}

[>>[S]ilver]

Pantherstar snarled and spat on the ground. "Spiritcloud, go back to Camp and gather a patrol to scout the territory for more Badgers. You can lead it. Tell the other warriors to gaurd the Camp, and no cat may leave the Camp on their own. Go!" He meowed, yellow eyes flashing like moons of fire.He turned to Frostfur, and his gaze suddenly softened. "I'm sorry..." He meowed.[/color]

[Featherpool]

Trufflepaw looked from Frostfur to Spiritcloud "Im fine i think just a little tired the wounds dont seem infected so maybe some comfrey and cobweb will do." she mewed feeling the same feeling that frostfur have she didnt like having to kill the badger but the badger was going to attack the camp and when she tryed to lure it away tryed to kill her. Her eyes wandered a little thinking of Saberpaw and how proud he would be of her her gaze then rested on Pantherstar. "Did i do ok?" she mewed to him.

Featherpool raced over to her leader "Is everyone ok i heard badgers?" she mewed sadly looking at Trufflepaw then to candlepaw and sighed thank starclan they were ok.