you speak//i don't listen [HarexFire]

[Pyro]

Harepaw hadn't trained with Shrikewhisker in who knew how long. She didn't complain about it--Leaf bare was turning out to be a real pain this year and keeping up at least a semblance of a prey-pile took up most of the all the warriors' time. Apprentices were left to learn a bit on their own, but most chose to wait for a time when their mentor was available and instead went out on hunting patrols.

But Harepaw?

Well, it wasn't like she didn't have a sense of duty...But like her uncle, Rabbitheart, she found hunting during leaf bare very hard. Her general lack of skill in the hunting department only added to this difficulty. And the small apprentice knew that she'd never be made a warrior if she couldn't prove she could provide for her clan just as well as one. So, she had taken it upon herself to practice. Alone. It might have been better to go out with a warrior, if only so they could point out her mistakes, but her prideful nature wouldn't let anyone other than Shrikewhisker see her failure.

Unfortunately all that seemed to be getting practice were her already fine-tuned tracking abilities. She hadn't seen a scrape of prey all day and she was still following the same damn rabbit. She could practically taste the silly thing, but it was no where to be found.

So lost in her thoughts of not seeing it, she truly did not see it when it chose to hop along the path in front of her. Only when she practically trod over the animal, who had frozen in fear, did it register that she had found prey. The rabbit was small...but it would do. Both creatures broke from their states of shock. The rabbit was first to race off, with Harepaw mere seconds behind it. The two sped across the ground, each in a race to save their lives. The rabbit fought to resist instant death; Harepaw to protect her clan from the slower death of starvation.

The longer they ran the more desperate each became. The rabbit wondered if it would escape. Little did it know that this was the exact same thought in Harepaw's mind. One in their thoughts, one in their trespass. Without realizing it they crossed the FogClan border. Prey that went over such a border was usually safe, but it wasn't long before the rabbit realized that the cat chasing it didn't know the wrong it had just committed.

It was too late for them both. Harepaw pounced, wrenching the rabbit from its fleet-footed escape. A swift bite ended its life and sealed Harepaw's fate.

She was over the border. And she had killed prey.

Panting the apprentice, gazed around her. Shrikewhisker had never showed her this part of the territory before. And yet the smell was familiar. Where had she...memories flashed as she remembered her first gathering. Shrikewhisker had been talking to a FogClan cat.

FogClan.

An uneasiness crept over her as she looked back from where she'd came. She could barely see the border. Gingerly picking up her kill she glanced around her. The trees seemed to close in, looming threateningly over her, their shadows casting her in darkness. She sighed, the harsh exhalation of breath disrupted by the mounds of fur in her mouth. One step, two. She could do this. No one need know she crossed the border. The rabbit was a PineClan rabbit anyway. She had every right to it.

Those thoughts in her mind, she paced forward.

[Whiskers]

The forest was a big place. It stretched tall, up to the sky, and it stretched wide. Covered in snow, it looked smaller. But it was still a big place and it still made Firepaw feel small. It made him feel lonely, especially without any clanmate by his side this time.

But hey, no patrols had taken him with them. Owlstar was still being a grumpy ol' badger toward him and Firepaw was sick of camp. So here he was, meandering through the forest, going this way, turning that way, his eyes looking up toward the trees instead of down by his feet. Why watch where he was going, after all, if he really didn't care? He didn't even bother to try to hunt. That made him feel a little guilty... his clan needed the prey...but he wasn't in the mood.

"Well get in the mood," he told himself grumpily and he wiggled his aching toes. Stupid snow. It always made his paws hurt, especially when it got stuck between his toes. He wished the snow would melt already, he wished that the sun would return! Maybe he'd start feeling better then.

But whatever, enough complaining and enough angst. He was nearly a warrior for Starclan's sake! Time to start acting like it and provide his clan with some prey. With that thought, Firepaw sought out a scent, any scent at all-- he would find it, follow it, capture it and kill it.

It wasn't long until he did locate a scent and it was the scent of a rabbit. Firepaw grinned and thanked Starclan for this stroke of good luck. It usually took him forever to track down a piece of prey and this one had practically hopped into his path. Firepaw took off in the direction of the scent, his pawsteps as quiet as he could possibly make them. But he was no Finchpaw; he didn't have dainty she-cat paws, so he kicked up snow and made quite a racket despite his best efforts not to. He thought that maybe he had chased the thing off, when the scent got ...mysteriously stronger.

"Uh, what?" Firepaw muttered with a hiss and then he stopped in his tracks.

There it was. A rabbit, nice and plump (it looked mouthwatering) bouncing across the terrain, its legs propelling its body onward. Firepaw always found rabbits and hares to be the most beautiful and tantalizing of all prey, not to mention the most powerful and most challenging to catch. He braced himself for the chase, but once again stopped when he saw a cat streak by as well, carrying the distinctive scent of Pineclan and she-cat on her pelt. Firepaw watched in awe as she took a final leap and struck down the rabbit. A vicious bite to the neck sealed its fate.

Firepaw's first thought? That was wicked awesome.

His second? Hey! That was MY rabbit!

He found his tongue again a few moments later, as the she-cat began to drag the rabbit back toward Pineclan. He let out a rough growl, "Hey, where the hell do you think you're going with my prey?"

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[Pyro]

Harepaw froze as a voice snagged her from the silence. So much for getting over the line un-noticed. An icy shadow of panic began to work its way across her mind. How could she get out of this one? What manner of trouble had she just caused for her clan? Well. Her eyes grew hard as she pushed back the shadow with the light of confidence and determination. She'd just have to make sure the trouble never reached them. Full of purpose the small she cat slowly turned around, ready to fight to keep her prey.

But when she finally set eyes on who had addressed her she almost laughed with relief. It was only an apprentice, like her. He did look like he was older...and larger...but the latter was true of many she met and the young she cat did not pay it too much thought. After all, it might not even come to fighting. And now that she was composed and had obtained a good look of her enemy...she couldn't help but feel a bit outraged. Who was this shrew to be trying to yowl up her tree? Who did he think he was? Deputy? Leader? Her senior yes, but they were from completely different clans. As different as different gets, actually.

Harepaw placed the rabbit on the ground, keeping a paw on it so that the tom wouldn't think she was giving it up.

"You listen t'me, boy. I don' know or 'que[care] who you think awh, but you won' be talkin' t'me like yous somebodeh special. Cause Imma tell you righ' now, that's gone be yoo-aw last mee-stake." She shot him a cold glare that could have made made frost pale in comparison. "Now this here rabbih ain't yours an' never was. It's prey that I caught, so you best be givin' me two steps. 'Specially seein' as it was a PineClan rabbih in the first place. "

[Whiskers]

Great-- a snotty Pineclan brat who thought the sun revolved around her. Firepaw so did not need a cat with attitude right now. All he wanted was to provide his clan with some food; he hardly deserved this piece of fox-dung cramping up his style. With a angry snort, Firepaw stalked forward to the little Pineclan kitty, determined to either get her off his land or tear her to shreds while doing so. He didn't know when he didn't just attack now. Though he would never admit it, it was probably because he had never actually been in a real border fight, and lo and behold, Firepaw was feeling kind of afraid of that sort of thing right now.

But no-- he couldn't have any fear if he was ever to be a warrior, or a cat worth something. He would just have to ignore the tiny shred of nervousness that clutched at his brain. Hopefully, this smart mouth would make him mad enough that he'd see red and he wouldn't have a choice about his actions, his body would just react for him.

"It became a Fogclan rabbit a couple of fox-lengths ago and you know the rules. You should have stopped chasing it the second its furry tail crossed the border. So, since you've broken the rules, it's only right that you pay for it. Hand over the rabbit and I won't report this to my clan leader, okay?" Firepaw sneered at the she-cat. He wasn't expecting her to give in; she was the type to fight. And he would just have to be ready when that time came.

So he warned her one more time by letting his claws tickle the soil beneath his feet.

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[Pyro]

She should have. Might have if she had noticed the border. Stop chasing the rabbit, that is. But she hadn't, and moreover she had caught it. And she was damned if she was going to let any cat, let alone a FogClan cat, take away prey that PineClan needed, even if it had been caught in their territory.

Tiny though she was, the she-cat stood firm as the larger tom stalked a few more paces closer. She had to. Revealing any weakness at this point was not an option. A fight was almost imminent and she'd rather not have it start with her running away. Harepaw glanced at Firepaw's claws as they dug into the ground before him. The young apprentice supposed it was meant as a warning...Of course, it looked more like he was trying to dig rows to make some kind of mini two leg farm. If that didn't give her enough reason to have a turn at sneering, than his words certainly did.

"Ha! You think I give a rat's tail if you go cryin' to your leader? And as if I'd let some twobit fogclanner trot back with my hard work jus' so they can play at bein' some hero." Harepaw obstinately shoved the rabbit behind her. The motion was half defiance, half a precaution to make sure it didn't get trampled if anything started.

"So before you continue diggin' a hole with your petty claws you daft curmudgeon, ask yourself this: Are yeh feelin' lucky, laddybuck?"

In a flash the she-cat darted around Firepaw, as though she was going to dash past him, only to whirl around and pounce in a leap near as powerful as the one she used to bring down the rabbit. Already the Harepaw knew she'd have to rely on speed. Hit him hard and quick, stun or confuse him long enough for her to grab the rabbit and skip back over the 'all too important' border. Given the circumstances, she probably shouldn't have attacked...But there was no way she could take the rabbit unless she could prove beyond words that the fogclanner couldn't.

[Whiskers]

This she-cat was like no other she-cat that he knew off. She had bits of Frostpaw, and bits of...of... other things. She had this weird characteristic that Firepaw just found so annoying. Maybe it was the accent. Firepaw pondered that it might not be as irritatingly stupid if she was speaking to him like he was a friend-- he could imagine her purring the accent and he would like it just fine. But with her spitting in his face, it just served to make him angrier and angrier.

And it wasn't just the accent. She was also rude and sassy and really stupid. And she had the gall to insult him. Him. He was Fogclan, Starclan's chosen cats, and he was the son of Rowanheart. She obviously did not know who she was messing with, or she wouldn't be insulting him. What type of insults were they anyway? Daft curmun-what? Laddybuck huh? Firepaw let out another low warning hiss, as his eyes slanted in anger.

"Excuse me, who are you calling a--"

Before Firepaw could even spit out his own sentence, the she-cat dashed away. What's going on? Is she trying to escape? He whirled around, his eyes trailing on her form, and he let out a tiny little gasp as he saw her launch her body at him. She was attacking!

He hadn't even made the first move this time! This was a first for Firepaw. He always attacked first, always was on the offensive and now...?!

Firepaw got hit. Hard. He was thrown onto his back and he did a somersault backwards, bringing Harepaw with him. There was no way he was going to be defending. No, no, no. This was his territory, that was his rabbit, and this chick was going to eat some dust!

Firepaw was on his back, Harepaw on top. She was light, lighter then Finchpaw, so Firepaw felt a surge of confidence. He smirked confidently before he kicked at Harepaw's stomach as hard as he could. Once he got her off, he'd concentrate on pinning her down.

Then he'd rip her to pieces with his claws.

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[Pyro]

Firepaw's paws sent Harepaw flying off of him. But true to the nature of cats she landed on her paws, albeit shakingly. The apprentice let out a small hiss of pain. Firepaw definitely had more power. It was safe to say that in a contest of strength, he had her beat. But what about endurance and speed? If she could outlast him, then she might be able to make a hasty advance in the opposite direction...or 'retreat' as some would say.

But outlasting him would take a while...not that the she-cat really minded. This was the first time she'd fought with anyone other than Shrikewhisker or the other apprentices with more than just words. Mentally, she smiled wryly as Firepaw realized his advantage. He seemed a little overconfident for her tastes...But she could probably use his chutzpah against him. Flatter the tom. Make his head bigger...not that it needed to gain anything in size. The FogClanner obviously thought he was 'hot stuff'.

Harepaw laughed a little, using the same dark honey chuckle that had given her the attention of another FogClanner at the gathering. "I guess that extra weight on you ain't fat. But you know...strength is ugly if you don't have a bit of...debonair."

The she-cat slid over to Firepaw, close enough to dare him to make the next move, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

[Whiskers]

Two things raced through Firepaw's mind as the Pineclan cat spoke to him.

1. Was she...coming onto him?

2. Was she calling up ugly?!

These two thoughts battled it out for a minute as he stared at his opponent, utterly baffled. What was she saying...what did debonair mean? He was not familiar with the word, and since he did not recognize it, he felt automatically stupid. And that just made him even angrier and prone to temper tantrums. Clearly she was making fun of him, probably trying to get him off his game. It was working too, since Firepaw was much too ruffled by comments like these. The littlest things could set him off. And this time, it was debonair.

Finchpaw would know what debonair means, a voice in his head hissed with a tiny mocking giggle.

"Shut up!" He roared-- at the voice, at Harepaw, who knew. Firepaw was just very, very angry now, and so he jumped at the Pineclan cat, with no planned strategy, nothing. He was a wild rocket; he would hit where he hit and he would pay the price for all his rashness and anger later.

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[Pyro]

Harepaw easily sidestepped the blind attack, but she could not help but feel a bit awed by the sheer raw power that coursed through the tom...If only she had such strength. Maybe then she wouldn't have to worry about close combat that much. Her wish erased the admiration she had for the tom. Here he had the very thing she strove to have and yet he wielded it with all the skill of a spoiled kit having a temper tantrum. Was this really what other FogClan apprentices were like? Had Blackpaw just been some fluke? At the very least Harepaw could see part of the reason Gingerstar held these cats in such contempt. This was hardly a battle so much as confronting some immature brat with no more control over his emotions than a tree over rain.

She summed up her thoughts out-loud with a snort. "Yeesh. Calm down and have some manners. It's as if you've never talked to a lady before. Didn't your parents raise you better?"

Harepaw realized she probably could have said what she did a little nicer herself. The poke could send him further into his rage. But if it did, it'd probably be a cinch to beat him. After all, a battle had to be fought using the logic of the mind, not just the brute strength of the body.

[Whiskers]

All physical fight flew out of Firepaw's body. Now he just felt like ranting, spitting, howling, until the she-cat fell to her knees and whimpered how sorry she was, how she wished she had never mean so rude to him. Usually, Firepaw was all for sticking his claws into the flesh of those who made him angry. But there was something about this cat that made everything different.

"Oh who said I was talking to you! I mean--" Firepaw cut himself off, after he realized how utterly stupid that sounded. There was no one else around so of course he was talking to her, unless he had been commanding the dead rabbit to shut its trap. "And y'know, what YOU shouldn't be talking! You are no 'lady.'" He hissed and rolled his eyes at the word, as he stalked around Harepaw. Yet he did not attack.

"YOU were the one who crossed the border. YOU were the one who refused to back off and give up prey! And then YOU-- not me, YOU-- attacked me first. So no, you're no lady, you don't deserve any kindness, politeness or respect, and my father taught me everything that I needed to know, so back off and go home!"

Ah. Now didn't that feel just....so nice. Oh so nice. Firepaw was already feeling better, not as hot under the collar, certainly more satisfied. He stopped circling the Pineclan she-cat, swung his head around and glared at her fiercely, daring her-- oh yes, daring her-- to say something.

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