A Shot to Remember!

[Yoko]

They had been walking for a while now. Snaketail's lower forelegs were thoroughly coated in mud, and not the watery kind. Unfortunately the rain, though heavy enough to thoroughly dampen their pelts, was too light to lessen the thickness of the mud. So like walking through dung, the octette continued to their destination.

The center of the marsh was muddy all around, yet it was nowhere near touching their bellies. As unstable and slippery as the ground may be, the assessment would press on. Even Snaketail knew that these conditions were precisely what Lizardeye had been hoping for. The darkness had even held out a while more. Not a glimmer of light rose above the shadowed figures of the trees. There was hardly any wind. The rain was merely pine-needle thin shards. No, Lizardeye would press on with their assessment for certain.

The tall tabby glanced at his cold brother who merely nodded in agreement. Snaketail stopped promptly and murmured to Fogpatch.

"We'll be stopping here."

He then turned to face the four apprentices trailing behind them.


"Your final assessment, will be taking place here, Honeypaw, Emberpaw and Eclipsepaw. Now although you, Brightpaw, have more assessments to come, we assure you that your participation is vital to our plans today."

Snaketail paused, glancing proudly over the four. The way they looked now, muddy, rain-soaked, it was completely fitting for the test today.

"Today, you will be simulating a battle patrol. As you know, Specklestar is quite set on her plans to strike against ThunderClan. We want you, our apprentices, to be as prepared as possible. And this is our last chance to glimpse at how well you will do"

Not to mention that if this session goes well, it will revolutionize training in ShadowClan.

Lizardeye contemplated this while Snaketail explained the more mundane aspects of the simulation.

1. Emberpaw will lead an attack on us, the "enemy patrol"

2. This will require stealth, speed, and accurancy.

3. Their goal is to take out four enemy cats as quickly and quietly as possible.

4. Teamwork is essential to any battle plan. Getting the agreement of the other three cats will be a true task for Emberpaw, while the others must struggle to follow orders and give their input where it is necessary.

5. Claws sheathed, though what would be a damaging hit with claws will be taken into account by the mentors.

Snaketail said all of this in a far more elegant and elaborate manner. If nothing else, Lizardeye was certain that Honeypaw at least would understand his wording, since she was so used to his speeches.

"We'll be giving them quite the run for their reward," Twistedclaw murmured to Fogpatch. "Now you have to remember, although we can never give them a perfect simulation because we are not willing to truly bring them harm. To not give them a good bat around the eats would be an injustice. You must look every bit as fierce as an enemy. And exploit their every mistake. We won't make it impossible for them to win."

Twistedclaw smirked maniacally.

"But it'll be close."

Eclipsepaw's eyes were wide with wonder. Their mentors had planned something so elaborate?! And to imitate a real battle at that! She wanted to lick all of their faces for this joyous occasion. Now she would know how she measured up to real warriors! She would know how it would feel to attack ThunderClan someday. But Snaketail was not yet done with his speech. Eclipsepaw glanced at Honeypaw.

Could he be more long-winded?

She caught her mentor eying her though and immediately straightened up, a slow sick grin crossing her face. Oh yes, there would be injuries!

Snaketail inhaled deeply and looked over the four of them again, his face more solemn than it had been all morning. He knew they were ready to go, but he had to have his final words.

"We want you to treat this as a real battle. It's your last chance at a practice for it. There's no preventing Specklestar's plans. They are for the good of ShadowClan. However, you have to brace yourselves for battle. In reality, you will hurt cats eventually, in this battle or in a border skirmish. And you will have to see your clanmates hurt. But we want to remind you that this is only a practice. And as much as you think you may harm us with your attacks...You will only harm us more in not giving this your all. Your warrior names hang in the balance! So keep your claws sheathed, and come at us with the strength and honor of True ShadowClan Warriors! "

He paused again, amber eyes bright.

"Off with you now. Go off into your planning. We will be making rounds about the Marsh as if we were a border patrol. Your mentors wish you luck. Your enemies wish you caution."

And with that, he motioned the other mentors away and began to leave with a stony expression.

ooc: For your benefit

Combat Techniques
www.warriorswish.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:2011-super-edition&catid=69:typography

Tail signals
warriors.wikia.com/wiki/Tail_Signals

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

As the large group of warriors and apprentices egressed from camp and made their way through the mud-choked swamp beyond, Emberpaw took a moment to consider what this day might mean for her and her sisters. Assuming that all went well and they passed their final assessment, the three of the would be warriors before the next sunrise. Eager as she was to finally earn her full name and status as a warrior of ShadowClan, the young she-cat recognized the changes that it would mean for her from now on. As a warrior, she would once again be able to patrol the borders. She would carry the same status as her mentors, and be able to speak to them as equals. And in the coming battle, she would have an even greater role to play as a full warrior. A warrior did not have the luxury of accepting defeat as an apprentice might. She was determined that her first act as a ShadowClan warrior would not be to dishonour herself in battle.

Cold, slick paws planted themselves firmly in the soggy peat as the group came to a stop. She peered through the gloom, cobalt eyes straining in the darkness to catch every weak trickle of sunlight. Though she didn't need her vision to know exactly where she was in their territory. The cloying scents of open swamp told her that they weren't next to any borders. Frogs and the occasional bird could be heard amongst the spatter of rain, and the vague sense of direction that she had noted since they left camp let her recall exactly how far, and in what direction, they had come. Emberpaw flicked a droplet of rain off of one ear, and listened to what her mentors were saying. She knew from experience that they would only say it once. Their task would be a hard one, made harder by the inequality of the two groups. Four seasoned warriors against three almost-warriors and one apprentice in the middle of training. Still, she acknowledged the task, accepted the challenge. She would be in charge of directing the group, so it was essential that she utilize everyone's abilities so that the four of them would come out on top despite the trials of their foes and the terrain.

Nodding curtly, the young tortoiseshell swept her eyes over the four warriors one last time before she turned and flicked her tail at her kin. They would travel a short distance away to a better position before discussing their plans. Ignoring the cold dampness of her own pelt sticking to her, Emberpaw stalked briskly through the minimal undergrowth and came to a rest in a small clearing where the ground was perhaps a little less squashy than the rest of the swamp. She climbed up on a root that thrust out of the ground and perched gingerly on it, digging her claws into the rain-slicked wood. Her gaze, piercing and sharp, leveled at the other three she-cats as they arranged themselves in the small space. "We don't have a great deal of time for discussion," Emberpaw mewed concisely, cutting straight to the chase. She twitched her tail in the direction that they had come from, and continued with deliberate clarity.

"Snaketail and the rest of the patrol will be making their way along the ThunderClan border now. All four of them are larger and more experienced than we are, but we have the advantage of surprise. The rain and darkness will be our cover, allowing us to approach undetected." Scanning the three faces that looked toward her, Emberpaw wondered if she could truly organize their group competently. Was she the one for the job? She didn't know for sure that she could do it, but shook the thoughts away. Knowing had nothing to do with it. If she burdened herself with useless doubts and reservations, she would fail. Concentrating once more on the task at hand, she smiled as a plan began to form in her mind.

"Eventually, the 'patrol' will reach the tunnel that leads under the Thunderpath to the portion of our territory near Fourtrees. When they arrive, we will already be there. For this we will need to move fast, but I believe there is time. Once there, the rain and the stench of the Thunderpath will hide us effectively. One cat wait inside of the tunnel, and act as a decoy when they arrive." Emberpaw paused, and flicked her gaze between the three other she-cats. "Honeypaw," she said finally. "I believe you can do this. Try to draw them in after you, but don't let yourself be seen clearly, or they may not pursue." Thinking, she elaborated onto her plan. "If the four of them all follow, the rest of us can catch them from behind just as they're exiting the tunnel. If they split up, even better. Honeypaw can keep one group hunting blue squirrels while Eclipseclaw, Brightpaw and I deal with the remainder."

Finally the small she-cat's eyes narrowed intensely at her companions. Anything could go wrong. Honeypaw could be caught in the tunnel. They could be found before their trap was sprung. They might not even make it in time to get organized. But that was what being a warrior was about; taking chances, and dealing with the consequences. Emberpaw waved her tail in a sweeping motion, signalling that she was finished. "Now would be the time to voice any questions or thoughts," she suggested. "We leave as soon as everyone has had their say."

[Amber]

Honeypaw traveled a bit behind the group, savoring these moments. If everything went well she would become a warrior with her sisters and this would be the last time she walked through the forest as an apprentice. She wanted to make sure she remembered everything, so that if she was given an apprentice of her own in the future, she could let them know what it was like for her. It was a good thing her memory was back, and not all crazy again, it would be awful to have to go through this without a completely clear head and mind.

The honey dappled she-cat still was in disbelief. This could be the last time she would train alongside her sisters, and have such excellent mentors...one that she trusted with her life. Sighing she caught up with the group, realizing she had fallen quite a bit behind.

When they had stopped she took another moment to glance around at her surroundings. So this would be the place of their final assessment. What did the three brothers have planned for them? When Snaketail began to talk she listened carefully, and nodded in confirmation that she understood. Training with her mentor for so long, the apprentice had become accustomed to what he was saying. It had taken her a moon or so, but Honeypaw had finally understood him. She actually enjoyed his way of speaking, it being so elaborate, but it explained everything perfectly and very clear. It was just knowing what he was saying.

The words Snaketail spoke next were words full of advice. She knew that part of the speech was directed to her. She didn't like hurting others, or even seeing others hurt. If they messed with her sisters, yes, but how could she fight the cats who had trained her? Somehow she would have to find the strength to do exactly that. With her sisters by her side, she knew they wouldn't let anything happen to her, and yet she wanted to be just as fierce. Honeypaw would try her best to impress her mentor. She owed it to Snaketail to do her best.

When the cats began to separate she followed after Emberpaw and sat down, listening to what her sister had come up with. So she would be the decoy? That would be the best for her, it meant that she wouldn't have to fight straight away. Hopefully she would lead several of them away so they would have a chance. "I understand. I won't let you down." she mewed in confirmation. Her only hope was that she could stay true to those words.

[☆ Y e l l o w ☆]

As the group of cats continued toward their destination, Brightpaw trudged on determinedly. A thick coating of mud heavily covered her legs and belly, and the rain dampened every other inch of her pelt that wasn't muddy. Overall the water and mud made her pelt twice as heavy as normal, and she was beginning to feel somewhat weary by the time they stopped. Perhaps she should have gotten a piece of fresh-kill before they'd left... ah well, it was too late to think about that now. As soon as the tall tabby warrior started to speak, Brightpaw was reminded of why she was here. She had been rather confused at the idea of accompanying the three older apprentices on their assessment, and wanted to know what the mentors had in mind. But either way, she was here for a reason, and would do her best to participate, or observe, whichever she would be required to do. This was a special day for the other apprentices but also for Brightpaw, because even if she wouldn't be getting her warrior name today, she would be getting valuable experience in preparation for her own assessment.

And as soon as Snaketail explained what they would be doing, Brightpaw's fur pricked with excitement. A chance to prove her skills was exactly what she needed. She had never heard of such a thing as battle simulation before; maybe it was a secret practice technique that only older apprentices knew. All Brightpaw had done so far was learn moves and some practice fighting against other apprentices, never an actual simulation. As the scenario and goal were explained in the eloquent words of Snaketail, the ginger apprentice listened eagerly. Although she might not rank up to the other three who were ready to become warriors, Brightpaw felt confident enough in what she had learned so far in her training and felt undaunted by the idea of working with them. If they were smart, they wouldn't judge her abilities until they'd seen her in action. The first step in proving to her Clan that she would be a great warrior was proving it to her denmates.

After some final inspirational words from Snaketail, Brightpaw gave a sharp nod and then turned to pad away with the rest of her group. Combat moves and strategies already ran through her head, and she reached into the deepest part of her memory to recall everything she'd learned so far. They reached a small clearing and the youngest she-cat sat down on the damp ground, listening as Emberpaw began to explain the plan for battle. Then once she'd finished, Brightpaw didn't have much to say. She only adopted a determined look on her face, awaiting the chance when the fighting would actually start. The mentors were obviously more experienced and wouldn't be going easy on them as if it were practice, but that just made it more interesting.

[Yoko]

Eclipsepaw walked with an easy vigor. Her muscles were rigid with excitement and she felt the blood pulse through all her veins. All senses heightened in preparation for battle, she had to restrain herself to listen to Emberpaw's orders. Lucky, her dwarf sister was brief in orders. Seemed simple enough, if they don't split it was an even (number-wise at least) four against four.

"If we split, should we break into Partner-Fighting? You know, me and Brightpaw, and You and Honeypaw? Isn't that more effective than one-on-one's?" Eclipsepaw mewed, the most she had spoken in half-a-moon.

It wasn't that she was afraid of facing a mentor herself. No in fact, she'd savor the experience, having only faced Twistedclaw and her own sisters. She would love to fight Snaketail, or Lizardeye, perhaps even Fogpatch. But she also wanted to pass. She wanted to be a warrior, able to do battle to her full capacity without being coddled like a young apprentice. If she proved herself now, then they would not be as concerned for her later.

Lizardeye skimmed the scene, taking in the area in detail. There was not a trace of black fur, not a single tawny tail, not a pawprint on the ground. If they were out here already, he would be impressed, but he doubted that even such bright young apprentices could move so quickly. Still, his nature was insistent on preparation. He was sure Emberpaw would pull some clever trick or another on him.

Snaketail, leading the patrol and occasionally chatting with Fogpatch as if they were on normal patrol, noticed his smaller brother's silence. Lizardeye was on full alert.

"Take it easy, Lizardeye, no ThunderClan cat is going to be that prepared for a full blown attack," he mewed with an amused smile, flicking Lizardeye's shoulder.

The Cold Tabby turned to him and blinked. After a few moments he seemed cooler, but no more likely to chat.

Twistedclaw was strutting along proudly. Had this been a real border or battle his every sense would have been alert and no moving creature would be safe from his glare, his mad smile, and his claws!

But as the situation required him to be an oblivious ThunderClan cat, all he could do was wait, utterly sure that whatever the apprentice's would throw at them, he was going to give them a fight they had never seen before.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

The plan had been outlined; now it was time to see if her fellow apprentices agreed. Mutual assent and cooperation would be key to their session running smoothly; if one member was hesitant, it could affect the entire team. Emberpaw surveyed her sisters and cousin; Honeypaw had no objections, and Brightpaw didn't say anything at all. But Eclipsepaw made a valid point, and it caused the small tortoiseshell to consider her idea carefully. It was true that the idea of sending Honeypaw off alone didn't sit well with her. She felt that one cat would be better than a pair at luring the patrol apart, however, if her sister was caught, she would be alone. And there could be advantages to going in pairs. One cat could only be in so many places at once, but if there were two...

"You have a point, Eclipsepaw," the she-cat decided. "I will go with Honeypaw to act as a decoy, while you and Brightpaw remain behind. Watch each others' backs, and make sure you aren't seen before you're ready. Now let's go. We have s schedule to keep." Getting to her paws, Emberpaw rose from the tree root where she sat and signaled for her sisters to follow her. She set off at a brisk pace, disregarding the fresh mud that clung to her legs and the spitting rain filtering between the dismal trees. Though she led the group on a wide arc around the border so that they wouldn't be seen or heard as they passed their mentors, she was certain that they would arrive at their destination first. Emberpaw ducked around a clump of bracken and cleared a fallen tree with a powerful leap. Mud squelched and splattered under her paws when she landed, but at that moment the young cat detected the roar of a distant monster. They were approaching the Thunderpath tunnel now, so she waved her tail for silence and slowed her pace somewhat. If they hadn't been as quick as she had intended, she didn't mean for them to stumble upon Snaketail's patrol because they were making too much noise to hear them.

But though she was cautious, the four she-cats emerged into the clearing by the tunnel alone. Emberpaw scented for traces of their mentors, but her initial assumtion had been correct; she couldn't smell anything but the Thunderpath. She saw no fresh pawprints though, and thought that they had probably arrived before Snakestar's patrol. They still had time, though they might not have much. A quick flick of the tail gestured Honeypaw towards the tunnel; she would go after her sister. Emberpaw signaled for the other two apprentices to make themselves hidden, and then followed the golden she-cat into the dark hollow beneath the Thunderpath.

[☆ Y e l l o w ☆]

Brightpaw glanced sideways at Eclipsepaw as she spoke, and wondered curiously about the dark she-cat's suggestion. Partner fighting was an option, but then it would be two mentors versus two apprentices, and that seemed like more of a disadvantage for their side instead of one-on-one fighting. But a challenge would allow them to show off their skills as best as possible, so perhaps it wasn't a bad idea. Emberpaw seemed to agree as well, and Brightpaw nodded in acceptance of the change of plan. Now, to put there plan into action would be when the real test would begin.

As they set off toward the place where they would ambush the patrol of mentors, Brightpaw kept up briskly. She was not oblivious to the wet conditions of their territory or the mud that clung to her pelt with each step, soaking her fur and giving her a chill. It was irritating, and she wished that this assessment could have been on a drier day, but she supposed she would forget all about the mud once things really started. And it should be able to hide their scents well, also, so they could more easily sneak up on the enemies. Keeping this in mind, she pressed onward until she could start to hear the roaring of the Thunderpath ahead. Almost there.

Slowing and making sure to keep silent, Brightpaw crept forward with the other apprentices as they neared the clearing by the Thunderpath. She kept her ears pricked and alert for any sounds of the toms, and scented the area but found it difficult to discern anything over the sour smell of the Thunderpath. So they would just have to wait and stay hidden. She glanced around the area quickly and motioned toward a patch of thorn bushes where she and Eclipsepaw could hide. Sidling around the clearing and sticking to the shadows, she made it to their hiding place and crouched underneath the bush, ignoring the squishing of mud beneath her in favor of keeping watch for any sign of the mentors. As Emberpaw and Honeypaw disappeared into the tunnel, she knew that at any moment it could begin.

[/justify]

[Yoko]

Eclipsepaw gave only a curt nod, as she knew that time was running short already. She watched her sisters slink away to hide beneath the gray stones of the ThunderClan Tunnel. It struck her, that it would be rather unfortunate if a real ThunderClan patrol were to come by and scent them, but hopefully the rain and wet earth would prevent that from happening.

Meanwhile, she nodded again to Emberpaw's signal to hide and padded after Brightpaw. Crawling under the thornbush was no trouble at all for such small cats, but there was the occasional tug at her fur. Once beneath the shadow of the bush, Eclipsepaw went to great lengths at silently checking herself to be certain none of her fur was caught. Then, she lay and wait, seeing only mud and sheets of silvery rain from their hiding place. She had no worries, for she was certain they would hear the patrol.

Snaketail went on chatting, pretending even to be a ThunderClan cat. He might as well have been considering all the gossip he knew from across the border. By no means could he reveal his sources no, but he could certainly inform his brothers and clanmate of it.

"And have you heard that the only kit in ThunderClan can't stand the kits that Ashstar stole from us? He's been throwing fits left and right, 'he's more chirpy than a trapped cricket', they say! From what I've heard its a miracle the Can has not simply built the spoiled one a separate den. But if you ask me, it serves the Clan right to have to deal with his whining for stealing the kits in the first place!"

In truth, he was honestly trying to distract himself. It was difficult, pretending to be an unsuspecting ThunderClan patrol when you knew that at any moment a team of soon-to-be ShadowClan Warriors were going to jump at your throats.

Lizardeye was listening idly to Snaketail's information. As useless as it seemed sometimes, there were also times when it could be quite useful. After all, kits grew into warriors and knowing your future enemies could hardly be a hindrance to progressing the Clan's future.

However hard Snaketail was trying to distract the patrol, Twistedclaw was hopelessly fidgety in anticipation, and Lizardeye could not stop analyzing his environment. Although, he did it less openly to avoid another warning. As they came up to the Thunderpath Tunnel, Lizardeye realized the perfection of surprise from such a place. But would a ThunderClan cat think that way? They probably did not even know about the tunnel. All the same, he could not stop himself from taking a deep whiff of the air, pushing beyond the rain and earth scent. What really forbade any scent detection was the acrid Thunderpath scent. Deciding that no ThunderClan cat he knew of would suspect an attack from there, he remained silent.

Twistedclaw snickered. Not all of Snaketail's gossip was boring. He would love to meet this spunky brat kit! That one will make one heck of a warrior. That's for sure! All the same, his claws dug almost viciously into the mud. He was by no means fearful of the attack, but he was impatient as always and ready for a good fight, sparring of course. Ironically, he hated ThunderClan more than any other, yet he was pretending to be a member of that weak arrogant Clan.

[Amber]

Honeypaw's weight shifted from paw to paw as she fidgeted and listened to her sisters discussion. She knew whatever the two of them could come up with would be a plan that would be excellent. They were the ones who could plan these battle strategies. Well, she could if she wanted to, she just liked to keep her intelligence to herself. Maybe one day she would grace the world with it. She did like the idea that she would no longer have to go alone. It wouldn't have bothered her too much, but at least now it won't be entirely on her to create the distraction. That put some pressure off.

The golden she-cat followed Emberpaw as she took off, keeping up with her sister, but not enjoying how muddy her paws were becoming. Soon enough she would be nothing but mud. That wouldn't be fun to get off if it dried. When they separated she wished she could have wished the other two she-cats good luck, but it was probably best she didn't. They didn't need luck, just skill. When the approached the tunnel she sighed, and so it began.

Leading the way inside, she stepped carefully, at least the mud wouldn't sling on her in here. Slipping into the hollow it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Glancing around to make sure Emberpaw was behind her, she went a few more pawsteps, until she was fairly certain they were far enough to be easily scented and the distraction could begin. Looking to her sister for confirmation, she hoped she would have a few moments to take a relaxing breath before being noticed.

[Yoko]

Snaketail stopped mid-sentence (a real miracle). He sniffed the air audibly, amber eyes glancing around. Then his long neck fur began to bristle and he snarled.

"Do you smell that?! It's ShadowClan!"

Twistedclaw chuckled at Snaketail's acting. He was very good actually, for a moment Twistedclaw could have sworn he was a ThunderClan Cat.

"What ever will we do?" he mewed frightfully, as a meek ThunderClan should in the face of a rival so fierce!

"We don't know how many of them there are," Snaketail hissed, glaring in the general direction of the scent, then focusing in on the dip and the ground where the ThunderClan tunnel. He whispered, "Lizardeye, go tell Ashstar. We'll investigate."

Snaketail jerked his head for Fogpatch and Twistedclaw to follow him as he slunk down the slope, bristling fiercely. Deep down, his heart jolted because as he drew nearer he recognized Honeypaw's scent. Had she made a mistake already? Why had she made it so easy for them to scent her? This was an excellent hiding place and now it was wasted.

"Alright, ShadowClan Filth! You have to the count of three to show yourselves! Or we're coming in!"

Behind him, Twistedclaw hissed for emphasis.

Lizardeye nodded. It was completely credible that the leader of a patrol would send a messenger immediately, just in case. Unfortunately, this could easily lead to the end of the Apprentice's assessment. If they were all holed up in that tunnel. then no cat could stop him from getting reinforcements.

He walked at a brisk pace, but not at a dead run. Any ThunderClan might just suppose it was an apprentice chasing prey along the border, not a full scale invasion. No rush.

Eclipsepaw's cloudy gaze fixed on the vanishing Lizardeye. This was not good. They had not split evenly. This meant that Honeypaw and Emberpaw would have to deal with three mentors instead of two. But if Lizardeye was not stopped, their mission might be failed. What they needed was to improvise.

Eclipsepaw leaned over to Brightpaw, "I'll go after Lizardeye. By the looks of it, Honeypaw and Emberpaw are going through with the plan, so go ahead and ambush the other three from behind once they're in the tunnel. If Emberpaw calls different orders, follow them."

Not really listening to whatever the small apprentice might say, Eclipsepaw wrestled her way out of the thorn bush and stalked the shadows through the mud, keeping the cold tabby just in sight. How was she supposed to stop him?

[Amber]

((Here is my crap post for Yoko. ))

Honeypaw's claws were clawing into the ground underneath, she was a bit on the nervous side. If they failed they would never be made warriors, and somehow it would all fall on her. She wasn't as clever as her sisters, or as great at fighting. What did she bring to their group? Absolutely nothing. Obviously her mentor saw something in her, but what? Shaking her thoughts, it wasn't the time to have a pity party, it was time to attempt to make her sisters and mentor proud.

Hearing her mentor's voice made the she-cat smile a little. He was quite amusing. They had found them so quick? This couldn't be good, could it? She hoped it was plenty of time for Brightpaw and Eclipsepaw to find a hiding spot. She heard his voice telling them to come out. Should they come out, or should them come a little closer? She glanced to her sister, wondering if Emberpaw had anything to say in the matter.

And then the scent hit her..they were outnumbered three to two. This would make it a bit more difficult, but she would give it her all. She kept her gaze on Emberpaw, hoping her sister had a plan that would work.

[Yoko]

ooc: Sorry for the posting skip. I just realized no one had anything to do until they went in. Anyway, it's Spore's post next, "Patrol Leader".

Snaketail raised his feathery fluff tail for the patrol to hold their position.

"One."

They're the enemy, Snaketail.

"Two"

It's for their own good that they face the realities of battle now.

"Three!"

He flicked his tail forward and swept down into the tunnel, yowling. Twistedclaw brushed his haunch on the left. Down into the darkness they plunged and even as they went a Two-leg monster rumbled overhead. His amber eyes adjusted quickly and he could make out the small forms of Emberpaw and Honeypaw ahead.

Enemy cats, Snaketail. They're the enemy.

He put on a rather ugly scar and glared at them with all the fury he could manage as he launched after them. Twistedclaw growled so loud he thought it might be a dog. Remembering his brother to be slightly unhinged he worried for a moment that the small tabby might hurt them and it was at that moment he saw Twistedclaw lash at Honeypaw's hindleg with his forepaw. The strike was vicious and seemed to be done with pure malevolent intent.

Thank StarClan his claws are sheathed!

They were all in the tunnel now, minus Lizardeye and with it being so small, he hoped there was more to the plan because at this rate the assessment would end quickly and poorly!

Eclipsepaw kept her eyes firmly fixed on her cold tabby mentor. He was still not moving as if he were in a hurry. She wondered if he was taking it easy on them because he figured that his telling "Ashstar" was not part of the plan.

Well, he had underestimated them then after all! And he would pay for it. She recognized the path that he was following as the way they had come, also the driest way back to camp. The small black apprentice made her mind quickly and veered into the thinnest most watery mud that she could to cut him off.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Waiting was often the hardest part of any plan. It was necessary, but it didn't stop Emberpaw from feeling like she wasn't doing anything. It didn't stop her from wanting to shoot out and take matters into her own paws, to truly do something. She could hear her mentors approaching the tunnel, getting steadily closer to their position. Would Eclipsepaw and Brightpaw be able to carry out their part of the plan correctly? What if the warriors detected their presence before they followed Honeypaw and Emberpaw in? Any number of things could go wrong. But there was nothing to be done about that now; her kin could take care of themselves, she had to trust them. Right now she and Honeypaw had a task to complete, and they had to do it well. There was no room for needless worry.

She could hear Snaketail outside the tunnel entrance, speaking to the other members of the "enemy" patrol. She couldn't hear what was being murmured between them, but when his shout rang out in the air, a smug grin spread over Emberpaw's face. He hadn't noticed that not all of them were in the tunnel, then. Perfect. She decided that there was no need to reply to her superior's warning; ShadowClan cats were like the night, all silence and stealth. Not like a blustering warrior of ThunderClan, who would rely on brute strength after blundering straight into battle. Sure enough, the "ThunderClan" patrol followed shortly up with a headlong charge into the small space, Snaketail at its head. Where all four of the toms inside? She couldn't tell, but there definitely weren't fewer than three warriors inside now. That was enough.

"Honeypaw, go! she hissed, shoving into her sister and forcing her faster away from the large cats swarming down the tunnel toward them. Emberpaw stopped for a breath to whirl around and aim a hard blow at the side of Twistedclaw's head, then she streaked after Honeypaw, making her way down the tunnel until both cats had reached the open air of the portion of ShadowClan territory that led to Fourtrees. The tiny she-cat spilled from the tunnel mouth and leaped to the side, watching for the heads of their pursuers to emerge behind them. In that brief second, Emberpaw glanced at her sun-coloured companion and kinked her tail in one of the signals that they had been tutored on back when they were still in the middle of training. Follow me, she instructed, jerking her head towards the tunnel, and when the first cat emerged fully from the tunnel she darted forward, going in low to unbalance one of the cat's front legs with a forepaw.

[Amber]

Honeypaw listened to her mentor's voice, trying her best to stay still. Emberpaw was the one with the plan, and the golden she-cat wasn't moving until her sister gave a signal. She would stand her ground if needed. And the countdown began. She swallowed hard, and hoped everything would be alright. Seeing her mentor's glare the she-cat wasn't going to back down, not now. Her sisters needed her and she would do anything for them.

When Twistedclaw launched an attack at her, Honeypaw had a slight flash of fear in her eyes. But the voice of her sister snapped her out of her trance. Nodding swiftly, she moved out of the tunnel, and hoped that Eclipsepaw and Brightpaw were doing alright. That they would be able to complete their part, it would be pointless for Emberpaw and herself to continue if the other two failed. Honeypaw just had to have hope.

A sigh of relief hit her as they exited the tunnel, this was much better having fresh air. Now the battle could really begin. Honeypaw was glad they had been taught signals earlier in their training, it made it so much easier and verbal words just gave it away. She nodded, indicating she understood and followed after Emberpaw.

Here goes nothing Honeypaw thought as she saw the first cat approaching. It looked as if Emberpaw had it under control. They couldn't both handle the same cat, that would leave the other two wide open. It could allow the the opportunity to escape and find Brightpaw and Eclipsepaw. So the she-cat waited patiently for the second cat to emerge. She hoped her fighting skill wouldn't fail her.

[☆ Y e l l o w ☆]

The two she-cats lied in wait, nestled carefully into their hiding places and staying silent as they watched for any sign of their enemies. They could appear at any moment, with their scents masked just as the apprentices had thought to do, so Brightpaw was on alert the entire time, even as the minutes seemed to stretch out. Any lapse in attentiveness could cost them the entire mission, as well as the chances for the three older apprentices to become warriors. Too much was at risk for there to be any slacking.

Eventually Brightpaw's ears picked up the sounds of the mentors approaching. Snaketail's loud voice boomed out, so painfully obvious that the ginger cat wondered whether he was being careless or whether he was trying his best to imitate a mousebrained ThunderClan cat. The group of toms approached the entrance to the tunnel, and Brightpaw noticeably tensed as she knew this was a critical moment. But things did not go according to their plan. Lizardeye split off and started to walk off, making the youngest apprentice realize that something had to be done about this. They had to keep an eye on every single one of the mentors, or they could be at a disadvantage.

Thankfully, Eclipsepaw volunteered to go after Lizardeye. Brightpaw nodded to her, grateful for the offer. As the older cat padded off in pursuit of the warrior, Brightpaw focused on the three remaining mentors. Three mentors and three apprentices, it looked like they were still evenly matched. And it also looked like the plan was working. As the toms launched their attack and ran into the tunnel, Brighpaw got up and quickly sprang into action. It didn't matter that she was now by herself, she still had to follow through with her part of the strategy.

As she got to the entrance of the tunnel she could see that the group was almost out the other end. She picked up her pace and ended up at a sprint toward the other side, unable to risk showing up too late. Within seconds she had burst out again into the sunlight and fresh air, her mind now in full battle mode. She may not have had as much battle training as the other apprentices, but she would not let that get in her way. With a full-out battle yowl she launched herself at the nearest tom, which happened to be Fogpatch. Brightpaw leaped up and landed squarely on the tom's back, holding on as she simply used the surprise of the attack to her advantage.

[/justify]