With tired eyes, Ashfur lurks among the reeds, between the cold, moist shore he lays upon and the continuous stain of his position ready to pounce, his muscles scream in pain and his joints ache. The third night of his guard and so far no trace still… Of the initial enthusiasm that drove the tom to start doing this, not too much is left. Maybe it is too early after the raid still, the intruder has no reason to be spying again so soon. Or maybe Hawkfrost lied to him and is currently having a hearty laugh with the other warriors of Riverclan. Closing his eyes and sighing quietly, the grey warrior reflects upon his endeavour. Maybe he was hasty in hopes of proving himself. He enjoyed Leafpool's kind words and maybe build a false hope upon them.
Opening his eyes again, he looks up at the sparkling beauty of a cloudless night sky, sliverpelt shimmering in all her glory. His warrior ancestors watching from above, would they condone his behaviour? Laying at the riverside, waiting for an intruder that might never show, just to impress the clan? To impress himself back into viewing himself with some amount of worth? To impress her? Perhaps Starclan has different plans for him, or none at all. In that case, does it even matter? He shakes his head slowly. Whitestorm and Brindleface are both among Starclan, so surely some of Starclan must care. If only he could ask them for a sign. Maybe he should ask Leafpool next time they speak, as a medicine cat she may be able to wring an answer out of Starclan. But perhaps that'd be presumptuous to ask. The she-cat is busy enough as is currently, and Starclan has better things to do than to pamper his need for answers. He'll need to find the answers for himself.
Thoughts still coursing through his mind, enough in weight and number to cause the tom a headache, he finds himself torn out of them as his ears swivel towards the other side of the reeds. Was there a noise? Eyes narrowing and fixing the other side of his river spot, he observes the tall grown plants vigilantly. It's minimal, if he wasn't looking for it, he'd have missed it, but the reeds clearly move, parting as something moves among them. Starclan might be sending him a sign after all tonight.
After a moment of waiting that felt like moons, Ashfur finally spots the cat he's been waiting for. First into vision comes a pair of red eyes, narrowed till barely visible, as the cat cautiously pauses, seeming to observe the scene. Ashfur doesn't move a single muscle as the Bloodclan warrior's gaze moves around the little clearing amid the reeds. A few heartbeats later, the Thunderclan warrior hears a relaxed sigh, shortly before the red eyed cat steps out from it's own hiding place, stepping over into the open to sit down by the river. So close… with a strong leap Ashfur could probably reach him. He observes the Bloodclan warrior, the open sky allowing enough light down to easily recognise details this close. A dark grey pelt, a large tom at that. A little larger than himself, certainly no less strong as his eyes observe the intruder's frame. A collar studded with teeth, no question about it, this is indeed a Bloodclan warrior, which means… Ashfur's eyes descend, with mild worry registering the reinforcing dogteeth on the intruder's paws. He will need to win quickly once he makes his move. He remembers all too well the time he spend in the medicine den after meeting such claws last time, and he got lucky then. This time, he'll have to face a Bloodclan cat alone.
But as his initial worry and anger at the dark grey warrior's presence fade, questions come up. The tom is just… sitting there, staring into the waves. As Ashfur looks at the intruder's face, he finds an expression he knows all too well from his own reflections in the waves. Deeply in thoughts, the Bloodclan cat sighs, raising his head up to Silverpelt, eyes loaded with questions. For a moment, Ashfur almost feels sympathy, knowing well the weight that one's own thoughts can have, before a realisation dawns on him. The Thunderclan warrior remembers thinking that all the times he'd been here, so deep in thought, he would have been easy prey for the Bloodclan cat. Now however, the roles are reversed. If he can surprise the red eyed warrior, he should be able to overpower him. Claws slowly extending, Ashfur readies himself. He will either win, or enter Starclan as a warrior.
His ear flicks as he registers something. With rapidly growing worry, Ashfur notices the reeds beginning to sway into a different direction. The wind is turning… With the wind now at Ashfur's back, his scent… His blue eyes widening, he sees the Bloodclan warrior's expression change, from his deep thoughtfulness, to a questioning uncertainty, before those red eyes widen every bit as far as Ashfur's. The Bloodclan cat's head snaps into his direction as he rises to his paws, fur on edge, eyes that at first were widened in shocked surprise quickly narrowing into slits.
Ashfur pounces forth with all his strength, growling in frustration as his entire plan unravels before him. He has to defeat this invader, that is all that matters now. Right before Ashfur's outstretched claws can reach the dark grey cat sidesteps and bounds backwards. As Ashfur lands and immediately turns to face the Bloodclan warrior, the two toms glare at each other for a moment, their eyes meeting. Ashfur narrows his, tail lashing in anger behind him. This intruder is all that stands between him and his life turning around for the better at long last. He hurt his clanmates, stole from Thunderclan, trespasses on their ground. A vicious snarl forms on Ashfur. He has to pay. Right as Ashfur gets ready to pounce again, the dark tom dashes forward. Leaping to the side instead of forward, Ashfur narrowly avoids a blow from the reinforced claws, before he stabilises himself and lunges for his foe. The anger that Ashfur suppresses every day, the pain and heartache, as he feels his blood pumping hot in his veins it all fuels the ash coloured warrior. Crashing straight into the Bloodclan cat, he knocks him off his paws, only to painfully find that the dark tom has hooked his claws into him, pulling Ashfur down with him. Trying to regain direction after crashing aground, Ashfur's eyes widen as a set of claws, glistening in the star and moonlight, descend upon him. He tries rolling out of the way, but just too late to avoid the blow, clenching his jaw as he feels a gash tearing open on his back, before he manages to get back on his paws. With barely a moment to miss, as the dark tom lunges at him, the terrifying reinforced claws outstretched for him. Getting out of the way in the very last moment, Ashfur finds an opening and with a furious growl rakes his claws across the Bloodclan warrior's shoulder. The invader hisses in pain, but does not flinch away from it as Ashfur had hoped, instead immediately barreling into Ashfur with his full force, knocking the Thunderclan warrior onto his back. The Thunderclan warrior's vision spins for a moment after going down, a pained hiss escaping him as he tries to rise back up again. Choking and coughing, Ashfur's head crashes right back down, weight pushing down on his throat. Wincing, the ash coloured warrior looks up as his vision slowly clears, a pair of red eyes glaring down upon him. The Bloodclan cat's paw pushes down on his neck, the sharp edges of his claws, natural and reinforced both stinging against his exposed throat.
As Ashfur struggles to for air between his rapid breath and the weight on his neck, he growls up at his foe. He had felt such strength surge in him, but even that has failed to help him. He was going to release every frustration, every humiliation he's experienced in the many moons he's been in the new territories on this enemy, but now even that chance has eluded him. There is no way out, any move he tries to make will end with his throat torn open. After such a short fight, he's already bested. The moment drags on for what feels like entire seasons to the defeated warrior, the frustration, the pain and sorrow all flowing into his glare.
„Well? What are you waiting for, Bloodclan filth? Go ahead! I'm not afraid!"
Ashfur's voice, though trying to sound brave, cracks with sadness several times. Even this was beyond him. After everything he endured, even his end is to be a humiliation it seems. Desperation and fury bubble up in the blue eyed cat
„Go on, you're taking nothing of worth from my clan."
The Bloodclan warrior's eyes return his stare, seeming to pierce into the warrior's very thoughts. The two cats remain like this for several more heartbeats, before the red eyed tom lets out a small sigh, shaking his head
„You shouldn't seek death so readily. It won't cure what's tormenting you"
Ashfur's eyes slowly widen once the words spoken to him finally sink in several moments later. He looks up at the warrior pinning him in disbelief. This doesn't make sense.
„Why…"
Ashfur shakes, all strength leaving him with each heartbeat more and more.
„Why? You are from Bloodclan, are you not? Why am I still alive? You're making no sense… nothing makes sense…"
Tears begin to well up in the Thunderclan warrior's blue eyes, his confusion only surpassed by the wave of anguish washing over him. The emotions he's been trying to bottle up and shut away from his clan and himself both are finally breaking though the facade. Seasons of trying to swallow his feelings, his heartache, trying his best to keep both his anger and despair in check, Squirrelflight, Lionpaw, Brambleclaw… it all comes crashing down upon him. The weight on his throat lightens a little as silent weeping descends into pitiful sobbing, the muscular warrior wailing his grief and rage into the night sky in almost frightening yowls.
He doesn't even notice when the paw holding him down is finally lifted, his strength too non-existent in this moment to get up anyway, let alone escape. The gaze of the red eyed warrior remains on him as Ashfur cries out what feels like a lifetime's worth of stress and self-pity.
A whole while passes before silence returns. Eyes burning after it all, Ashfur looks emptily up into the stars.
„… why let me live?"
His voice is partially hoarse and very quiet, hardly more than a whisper. Slowly he turns his head to see the Bloodclan warrior's eyes no longer on him, instead staring off into silverpelt
„Not sure. Foolish, isn't it?"
The dark grey tom hums thoughtfully
„I will probably not be able to return here if I let you live. A pity. I enjoyed this place"
„Why come here to begin with? What is there to gain here?"
With a grunt, Ashfur slowly rolls over onto his belly, wiping the remnants of a few last tears from his eyes, his voice no longer loaded with emotion
„The same thing you seek here, I think. A moment of peace, a place to think… we don't have such a place in twoleg place. None this tranquil… "
Ashfur looks from the sitting Bloodclan warrior over to the river. Grunting and with much effort, thee ash coloured warrior gets up to sit, the wound upon his back stinging severely as blood runs down his sides
„What you said… why did you say that? What do you know what might be fixed or not…"
The Bloodclan cat ponders his response for a moment, lowering his gaze
„Several things, I guess. Maybe I've seen too many cats die, seen their faces as they pass from starvation or sickness or injuries to believe in death as a relief. With how hard life can be, that'd seem a bit too… easy. Maybe those strange dreams are messing with my judgement. Or maybe my clanmates are simply right and I'm just growing soft"
Ashfur tilts his head, his torn ear flicking. Strange dreams? Does he speak of nightmares, or would Starclan for some reason choose to speak with a cat outside the clans? The dark grey warrior scoffs and shakes his head
„No matter. Run along now, forest cat. Tell your clan. I shouldn't have come anyway, it was foolish. I always knew it wouldn't last forever"
Ashfur observes the unmoving tom for a moment, conflicted as to what to do. First he expected to win, then he expected to die, now… he has no idea how to feel about this. His ears perk up as the Bloodclan warrior's head moves, looking up at the far horizon. The earliest rays indicating the sun's rise begin painting their colours in the sky.
„I have to leave now either way. It might make for a good story, depending on how you twist it, forest cat. Facing a Bloodclan warrior alone and living"
The red eyed warrior slowly rises to his paws and shakes out his pelt, before padding past Ashfur
„My name is Ashfur, not forest cat"
The Thunderclan warrior turns his head to see the intruder stop for a brief moment, a faint hopeful tone to his voice
„ I'm Talon. Does this mean I won't be ambushed if I were to return?"
Ashfur looks to the ground. He should report this, Firestar would want it so. The warrior code states that trespassers should be challenged. The choice should be easy, so why isn't it? Curiosity gains a foothold in Ashfur. A Bloodclan cat that spared him, that not only saw, but acknowledged his pain. This is contrary to everything the tom believed to know before tonight. This is something new, something outside the usual ever repeating life in Thunderclan. He was spared today, he would not do that only to kill him the next day surely.
„Not unless you run into a patrol"
The Bloodclan warrior, Talon, turns his head to return Ashfur's gaze over his still shoulder, the bleeding of the scratch Ashfur dealt him having stopped a while ago.
„You are aware how predictable most of your patrols are? Tomorrow night?"
Ashfur sighs to himself. Every single cat in his clan would advise against this, for good reason. But maybe he can learn something about why Thunderclan was raided or what this Bloodclan cat meant about his dreams. What if a new prophecy has arrived and they risk missing out on their ancestors words? The ash coloured tom finally nods.
„Tomorrow night"
Talon returns the nod, before pushing through the reeds, disappearing into the green, leaving Ashfur to ponder his choices, the song of the day's earliest birds slowly starting up as the sun begins it's climb.