Points of Authority

[Gatoimp13]

"You get off first." The two apprentices told each other simultaneously. Before Ivypaw could argue, Lotuspaw kicked her off of the fox. He jumped down once he saw Ivypaw was on the ground. The two apprentices slowly and carefully made their way over to stand by Ashstar and Whitestone.

The fox continued shaking until the apprentices were standing next to their leader. Once it stopped it rounded on the four cats, snarling.

[☮Roux]

Whitestone remained perfectly still, standing protectively a few pawsteps in front the apprentices and Ashstar. Although he looked calm, he was digging his claws in and out into the ground, and shaking nervously. The fox was rounding on the four cats, and was looking towards Ashstar, ready to pounce. When it flung itself into the air, Whitestone jumped forward. The fox turned on him, pinning him down to the center of the clearing.

[Gatoimp13]

Ivypaw let out a yowl. She wasn't about to let this stupid fox kill a valuable warrior like Whitestone. Without really thinking about it, she flung herself back at the fox, locking herself onto its face. She dug her claws into its face to keep her grip. In the process, she scratched both of the fox's eyes, rendering it sightless. Ivypaw clung tightly with her paws and claws, knowing she was the only thing keeping this beast from clawing Whitestone to bits.

"IVYPAW!" Lotuspaw yowled. He was about to lunge forward but he knew that Ashstar would stop him. He stood with his whole body tensed as his best friend took on a fox. What is she thinking?! That compulsive mouse-brained she-cat!

[Amber]

Ashstar couldn't believe it. She was completely frozen. Her paws would not move. She had to face her fears sometime. At least the apprentices were safe..
But Whitestone! Not him. Not after what had just happened. No. The leader looked at Lotuspaw. "Whatever you do, do not move from this spot. I'm going to try and get Ivypaw free. I want you to keep her with you, no matter how hard she kicks and screams." she murmered, trying to keep her voice low.

Ashstar charged toward the fox, it wasn't going to hurt anyone. She lept on the fox's back, sinking her teeth into its fur. "Ivypaw, go get beside Lotuspaw NOW!" she yowled through the fur. She wasn't about to let this creature hurt anyone.

[Gatoimp13]

Ivypaw contemplated it for a moment stubbornly. Ashstar has things under control, she's the leader for Starclan's sake! She nodded once as she flipped backwards off of the fox's face. She stepped backwards quickly and carefully, never taking her eyes off of the russet beast, until she was standing next to Lotuspaw.

Lotuspaw rested his tail protectively on Ivypaw's back. "What were you thinking?!" He demanded. "Ashstar told you to stay put!"

"I wasn't going to let the beast kill Whitestone!" Ivypaw spat as if it was obvious.

"Oh, so instead you just let it go ahead and kill you?!" Lotuspaw growled back.

"I'm not dead, am I?" Ivypaw countered.

Lotuspaw shook his head in angry frustration. She just doesn't get it! What would I do without her?

[☮Roux]

Whitestone rose to his paws, given a small shoulder wound due to the fox. He backed away slowly, standing in front of the three other cats. They need to get away, he thought. I don't want to lose Ashstar. Not after what just happened… Once again, the fox circled the four cats.

[Amber]

Ashstar's green gaze turned to Whitestone. He was injured and it was her fault. Why did she have to freeze up like that? And now, he was trying to protect her. She should be protecting him. Her gaze turned back to the apprentices, at least they were keeping put.
The gray she-cat let out a hiss of frustration. Why a fox? Why not something else? "Keep them safe." she whispered to Whitestone, charging at the beast.
The leader was quick, yes, but the fox was faster. It grazed its teeth into her back. She soon realized that this was just like last time. She was trying to protect someone, and she was failing. Just when her doubts began to overwhelm her, she suddenly felt the fox's teeth off of her pelt. What was going on?

Frostwind burst into the battle, knocking the fox off his sister. Nothing was going to hurt her. Not when he was around. Especially this creature. "You just had to try and take it on alone again, didn't you?" he asked, green eyes glaring into her own. His claws raked deep into the fox's side. "Never mess with her." he hissed to the fox. "Your kind has taken too much from me already, no more." he added.

Ashstar stumbled to get onto her paws. Her brother had saved her from a fox...again. She helped her brother hold the thing down and glanced to the apprentices. "Would you two like to finish it off?" she asked. After all, they were the ones to discover it, and the ones who survived the attack on their own.

[Gatoimp13]

Ivypaw nodded slowly, slightly awed by the warrior's display of combat. And that thing almost killed me and Lotuspaw....

Before Ivypaw could step forward and strike the fox, Lotuspaw unsheathed his claws and swiped them across the fox's neck, leaving a fatal wound. That will teach you for messing with Ivypaw! He hated the creature for trying to hurt his friend. He started to calm down a bit now that the fox was dead.

Ivypaw was stunned at her friend's sudden attack. He seemed be enraged by the fox. Lotuspaw's usually calmer than this. What's wrong with him?

Applepaw had been a few foxlengths behind Frostwind. She dashed into the clearing and over to her sister. "Are you guys okay?" She asked with a worried tone.

"Yeah...we're fine now." Ivypaw answered slowly.

[Amber]

Frostwind let up on the fox and glared at Ashstar. "We need to talk, now." he hissed going into a nearby bush. He wasn't going to let her get off this easy.

Ashstar glanced to Whitestone and faked a smile. "I'll be back in a moment." she murmered. "Lotuspaw, Applepaw, and Ivypaw, go ahead and grab your fresh-kill you caught and bring it back to camp. We will have another game like this some other time." The gray leader followed her brother into the bush. She knew exactly what was about to happen.

Frostwind waited impatiently for Ashstar and when she finally entered he paced around. "What were you thinking? No, you weren't thinking. Are you trying to have a repeat of when we were kits? Have you forgotten that a fox is what killed our mother? You really have gone insane. If I wasn't there to save you, it would have ended up like last time. Think, Ashstar, don't get into something like this again. I don't want to have to save your butt. Mom died saving you from the fox, and you were seriously hurt. I almost lost you too! Your apprentice ceremony was delayed from it. Do you not remember? I swear, if you weren't my sister I would have knocked you senseless by now. You have to be more careful. You are all I have left. I won't lose you." the tom was raging, yowling at his sister. He was the one cat who didn't care that she was the leader. To him, it was his little sister.

Ashstar sat down staring at Frostwind, when he mentioned their mother her eyes fell to the ground where they stayed the rest of his outburst. "Sorry." she murmered, managing to at least say one word.

Frostwind sighed and licked Ashstar on the head. "You really do have to be more careful. I'm going to bury this thing, you go get that back of yours looked at or something." he murmered, trotting out of the bush and grabbing the fox. The tom drug it out of the clearing, nodding to Whitestone as he walked by.

Ashstar made her way out of the bushes and padded to Whitestone. "Thank you for your help." she said, still a bit overwhelmed by her brother's statement. "Your shoulder looks bad." she added, sitting down beside him and reaching over to lick the wound.

[Gatoimp13]

The three apprentices collected their prey and returned to camp. Ivypaw had caught four pieces of prey, not counting her huge fish. Lotuspaw had caught three and Applepaw had caught two. "I'm glad this competition got cut short, I would have lost." Applepaw mewed jokingly.

"Well, I was attacked by a fox, so I have an excuse." Lotuspaw defended jokingly.

Ivypaw rolled her eyes. "If you had won you wouldn't be saying that." She countered with a grin. She was just glad that her friend was okay.

[☮Roux]

Whitestone looked up. He had been sitting still, his eyes closed – he was aware that the fox was dead, and he was happy because of that, but a wave of grief washed over him. It was amazing how much he could have lost, after what had happened between Whitestone and the leader. I…

His thoughts were cut off as Ashstar came over and licked his shoulder wound. "Thanks," he rasped. "Is everyone okay?"

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[Amber]

Ashstar smiled and nodded. "No problem, everyone is fine. The apprentices are probably in camp by now, and my brother is burying the fox. And I'll be fine after I know you are better." she said in between licks.
"This looks nasty." she commented on the wound. "I can't believe I let it hurt you." her eyes were full of sadness. She could have possibly lost Whitestone in this battle. That would have been horrible. "Why did you ask me of all cats to be your mate? There are plenty of she-cats everywhere." Well it was bound to come out of her mouth sometime. Ashstar couldn't keep something bottled up for too long or she would explode.

[☮Roux]

"You're not like other she-cats." Whitestone replied. "You're different. And I think you understand me better than any other she-cat ever will…and I…I've always loved you, Ashstar. But I've been scared to say that." His voice, which sounded nervous at the beginning, turned to sadness. "And I was sure I was going to lose you," he said after a moment. "So I had to ask you. I was afraid by about sundown it would be too late." He paused for a moment. There were so many things he needed to say that were obviously going to be left unsaid.

"Are you…are you sure you want to be my mate? Because if you don't I'll understand. If you don't love me like I do…" His voice trailed off. His wounds were deep, but the medicine cat just needed to see to them. It wasn't going to affect him very badly, from what he could tell, but he was no medicine cat. However, the fox had caught him on his bad shoulder, the one that had been broken from a monster on the Thunderpath, that caused him to be made a warrior two moons later than he should have.

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[Amber]

Ashstar couldn't believe it, she felt the exact same way about him, that he felt about her. This was new for her. The words he was saying actually did make sense. But losing her? The exact opposite is what she thought the outcome would be.

"Oh stop it!" she finally said. His talk was starting to depress her. "Of course I want you as my mate. Why else would I have said yes? I love you!" Did she seriously just say the three words she thought would never come out of her mouth?

Ashstar purred as she rubbed up against Whitestone. "I really do love you." she murmered.

[☮Roux]

"I love you, too." Whitestone managed to say. "But I couldn't believe it when you said yes. I thought I…I…" There weren't any more words to say. Whitestone was sure he had said everything, so he stopped talking – he was positive Ashstar understood.

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