RISK IT ALL//p, coal
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As much as it pained him to concede, Coal had been forced to retreat to neutral territory. Muttered curses on the clan cats and their utterly grating superiority had dropped from his lips all the way to Fourtrees, perfectly audible to any cat within earshot. Good, let them hear. Let everyone.
Body and pride both scratched and stinging, he'd pressed himself angrily into the crook of a massive tree's roots, eyeing the well-worn land for easy prey. He'd been searching for songbirds and mice, but when his pale gaze caught sight of the little ThunderClanner -- carrying the same stink as that pair who had driven him out of their territory and sent him here in the first place -- he realized with a smirk that he'd found his quarry.
Heavy, arrogant paws carried the loner to the small mound of dirt where he'd watched Shadepaw bury his catch. With deliberate claws, he scraped away a layer of earth -- loudly, conspicuously, gaze focused on the apprentice. Looking for a challenge, to feed his precious ego with outrage of the weak. His addiction.
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
Shadepaw snapped his head around at the sound of claws scraping at the dirt, and he found himself glaring at an older tomcat, his eyes fixed upon the apprentice. This guy was clearly trying to get on his nerves, and Shadepaw was determined not to give him any satisfaction by blowing up in front of him. That would be difficult though - the little tom got angry easily, and this pathetic cat really did have some guts, coming in here and trying to grab Shadepaw's attention by digging up his catch of all things.
"Is there anything you need?" the ebony pelted feline growled, his deep voice as harsh and as cold as ice. "Or are you just going to stare at me?" He was prepared for any sudden attacks, keeping his eyes fixed on the stranger. He knew that his Dark Forest training was making him stronger, but this tom was an adult, and Shadepaw knew that it would be very difficult to beat him in a fight. After all, unless he was incredibly stupid, he wouldn't be trying to wind up Shadepaw unless he was fairly confident in his ability to beat him in a fight.
"that's just what gangsters do."
-
"Anything I need?" He chuckled humorlessly. His voice, accented and low, was neither quiet nor loud; his words meant only for Shadepaw. "I need what we all need, my dear boy." He hooked a claw into the mouse -- his mouse, now, noting for a moment how oddly bloodied it was. He'd run into another overzealous little hothead, it seemed, but fortunately this one had no army by his side to call on.
"Food's been dreadfully scarce, hasn't it, ThunderClanner?" He said slowly, toying cruelly with the poor apprentice. He reveled in this petty power, the knowledge that Shadepaw couldn't strike back. That Coal was so clearly punching down was not a concern to a cat of so little honor. "I suppose it's not a fair thing, to take what one hasn't earned -- but life's not fair, is it, little one?"
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
Shadepaw let out a low snarl as the intruder hooked a claw into the mouse, realising that the older tom intended to steal the prey. That was something he couldn't tolerate - that prey was meant for his Clanmates. Sure, Shadepaw couldn't care less about the majority of them, but he had his friends and family to feed, and he wasn't letting this guy take anything away from them.
"I'm sorry to hear that you're hungry," the small black tom slowly advanced closer to the intruder, keeping his claws sheathed for now, though he was slowly planning his attack. The apprentice didn't intend on letting this tom steal any prey, meaning that unless he gave up, there would have to be a fight. His 'apology' dripped with sarcasm, the words spoken by a cat who clearly couldn't care less about the suffering of this random loner. "But if you think you'll be stealing any prey from me, you're mistaken," tail swishing backwards and forwards, he questioned, "Some of my Clanmates reported some tom trying to steal prey not too long ago. Was that you?" Clanmates... the word got stuck in his throat. Pumpkinstrut had been amongst the cats who had reported the intruder loner, and she was more than a Clanmate. She was Shadepaw's mentor, and someone he genuinely cared about.
But then there was Pepperkit - he'd been a part of that group, too. And Shadepaw despised him, wished death upon him every day. He had attacked Shadepaw, left him terrified for his life, and left his mind darkened with hatred. He'd been demoted to a kit position after cussing out Flamestar and publicly attacking Briarheart, but Shadepaw suspected that Flamestar would soften sooner or later and allow Pepperkit to become an apprentice again. Shadepaw was already dreading that day. It was better for his safety, for Flamestar's safety, for the safety of the entire Clan, if Pepperkit was kicked out of ThunderClan right now. But ThunderClan didn't know what Pepperkit had done to Shadepaw - they couldn't protect him, and so he had to protect himself. To be tougher, to be stronger.
Perhaps that was partially the reason why he had asked the loner about the previous intrusion - he was curious as to whether it was him, curious at to whether he had encountered Pepperkit. He wondered what a loner like this would think of a cat like Pepperkit.
That doesn't matter right now. Shadepaw was still moving closer to the loner, paws itching, excited to leap at the intruder and dig his claws into his pelt. He had always been an angry kid, but training in the Dark Forest had pushed him over the edge completely, convinced that violence was almost always the answer.
"that's just what gangsters do."
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Snarl more, why don't you? He thought gleefully, casually standing his ground as Shadepaw advanced. He was right -- this one, like all clan apprentices, it seemed, was an arrogant little rat who needed to be taught his place (never mind that Coal had antagonized him). "Trust me, boy, anything you've heard is entirely true," he snarled back, a bitter satisfaction in his tone; he wanted to be renowned across this worthless forest. He wanted his name to command respect and fear, to make these pathetic clan cats toss and turn with nightmares of a black-and-white demon. He was a king, even if his miserable father had crushed Coal's crown to dust by way of dying; a final act of narcissism, hoarding greatness away from his own son. At least, that was how Coal saw it.
"Did you also hear what happened to that other spiky little dunghunter who tried to defend their Clan from Coal?" His eyes narrowed distastefully as he remembered Pepperpaw, wishing that he hadn't restrained himself quite so much. He'd given the apprentice a few hard blows, but in retrospect, the irritating thing had certainly deserved more. "Use your brain, if it's there. You might find that you're quite unequipped to oppose me." A haughty, blue gaze bore unblinkingly into Shadepaw's green, inviting the apprentice to make the next move.
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
So this was the same cat. Clearly he hadn't learned his lesson. But that wasn't what caught Shadepaw's interest - instead, it was the mentioning of a certain 'little dunghunter.' Perhaps he had meant one of ThunderClan warriors, but Shadepaw would bet every piece of prey on ThunderClan's freshkill pile that he meant Pepperkit. The name suited him perfectly, and the small tom made a mental note to refer to him by such a name in the future (only in his head, of course. He didn't want Pepperkit to beat him up again.)
"Trust me, I'm equipped enough." The black tom answered coldly, ears flat against his head. He suddenly stopped moving, bunching his muscles as if he was about to leap at the loner, when, surprised by his own actions, he instead opted to sit down. Perhaps it was partially out of the respect he had gained for this guy right off the bat as he had referred to Pepperkit as a dunghunter, maybe it was because Shadepaw was becoming increasingly certain that he couldn't beat him in a fight. This loner seemed quite sure of himself, speaking confidently about his level of power. From the way he was speaking, he made it seem as though he had been a good match against Pepperkit, perhaps even beating him. Shadepaw had his doubts he could go up against a cat of his skill. The ThunderClan apprentice wasn't the smartest cat, but he was far from the most foolish, and he knew there had to be a better option than just flat out attacking this guy.
And so, after his muscles bunched, he suddenly sat down, neatly wrapping his tail around his small front paws. His green eyes fixed on the mouse for a moment. He was determined to get that mouse back, but he would worry about that later.
"What exactly did you do to him?" Shadepaw asked, tipping his head to the side. He couldn't imagine someone beating Pepperkit in a fight, but then again, he was still a kid...
"that's just what gangsters do."
-
He took the sudden halting of Shadepaw's onslaught to be a victory. Despite Coal's overblown aggression, the apprentice's concession calmed him somewhat; at least the little shit knew when to stop, unlike that irritating red bengal he'd met at ThunderClan's border.
Now, their scuffle hadn't exactly been a crowd-awing victory for Coal. He'd been a bit too hesitant to hurt someone so young, and by the time that he'd realized Pepperkit fully deserved what he had coming, Pumpkinstrut had stepped in and threatened retaliation en masse. But the truth of their admittedly unimpressive encounter did not preclude a more glamorous lie.
"I put the vermin in his place," he beamed coldly, swiping a tongue over vampiric fangs. "What an uppity creature he was, in my most humble opinion. I only regret not relieving him of his consciousness. So don't tempt my claws in the same way, little shadow." His head tipped thoughtfully, an odd grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. Perhaps the boy, more agreeable to Coal's circumstantial superiority than any clan cat he'd met thus far, could be of some use. His ivory talons still formed a protective cage around the mouse, a bargaining chip in the strange game they now played.
"Of what interest was the bengal to you, boy? A littermate? One should think every one of you clan apprentices was born from the same nest of rats, if similarity in behavior is any indication." he sniffed poshly, regarding Shadepaw with a raised brow.
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
A low purr rumbled in Shadepaw's throat at the loner's response. Should have left him unconscious. Should have beaten him up worse. He'd given another new nickname to Pepperkit, this one being 'vermin.' Shadepaw knew he shouldn't be enjoying this, for this tom was attempting to steal ThunderClan prey, but hearing someone insult Pepperkit was always worth his time.
Again, his eyes flicked back to the mouse. The black and white tomcat still held it protectively, making the apprentice's ebony pelt bristle. He longed to snatch the prey right off the loner, but he forced his paws to stay still, snapping his bright eyes back in the direction of the loner's face.
At the tom's inquiry, Shadepaw gave a brisk shake of his head, the movement so rapid and aggressive it almost made him feel dizzy. Pepperkit - his littermate? Such a suggestion made the little tom want to vomit. He was glad that he didn't share the same blood as the bengal, surely unable to share even a drop of it as the tomcat had been born outside of ThunderClan. Shadepaw often wondered whether Pepperkit had family, whether they were alive or dead. If they had a single working braincell, they probably hadn't loved him. Or maybe his family nurtured him into thee cat he is today. Perhaps he has daddy issues. The idea clawed a little sympathy out of the black tom for a moment, but he quickly replaced the feeling with amusement. Pepperkit didn't deserve even a whisker of sympathy.
"No," he answered eventually. "I was just curious. He's one of ThunderClan's strongest apprentices," a smirk slipped onto the small apprentice's maw as he continued to speak. "You must be pretty strong, then. Is this how you always get your prey, stealing from other Clans and picking fights?" A third time, he looked back at the mouse, but this time his green glare... or gaze, for his expression was gradually softening, though anger still sparked in his eyes, returned to the loner much more quickly. Shadepaw hated him, of course he did, he was trying to steal ThunderClan prey, but at the same time, the shorthaired feline was intrigued by him. He was clearly quite strong, plus, the way he spoke amused the apprentice a little.
"that's just what gangsters do."
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"Don't patronize me, boy, I can hunt just fine," he purred coolly. "But in these times of scarcity, I'm not opposed to doing what must be done. That's called survival. If you were smart, you'd do the same." Although his words were nothing but debatable opinion, he spoke with a confidence that suggested these beliefs were utterly factual. Narcissism, that great flaw of cats of his creed, had a way of making one believe their own dogma.
"Strength comes from experience." He was quite enjoying talking to the apprentice, actually -- this one had some more brains than the rest of the Clan rabble he'd run into, and it was nothing short of gratifying to assume such a dominant persona. "It takes a cutthroat upbringing to make the most powerful of cats." His head tipped curiously for a moment before he spoke again. "Tell me your name, little shadow." A casually spoken command, not a request. It was a non-sequitur, but Coal thought that this one deserved a bit more cataloguing in his mind, identifying information to store for later. Just in case the boy would come to be of any notability -- which was doubtful, of course, he thought arrogantly.
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
Shadepaw hated prey stealers. He hated them because he feared they could indirectly hurt the cats he loved - if they stole too much prey, there might not be enough for Shadepaw's friends and family. Shadepaw was always looking out for those he cared about, always, whether they realised it or not. It didn't matter. He wasn't as good as the cats he loved anyway. They didn't train in the Dark Forest, they didn't get so angry, they didn't break rules constantly. Maybe his love wouldn't be good enough for them, but still, he had to look out for them. He would protect the cats he loved, if that was the last thing that he did. There was no other way that Shadepaw would rather die.
Another reason why he hated prey stealers was because of a personal experience he had gone through with a rogue who had stolen prey, with the thief almost killing Shadepaw back when he was just a kit. The experience still stuck with him, even to this day. How could it not? Nearly getting murdered wasn't exactly... the best thing to happen to anyone, especially not to a cat who hadn't even moved into the apprentices den yet.
But what this tom said, as much as he hated to admit it, made sense. "If I needed to, I would steal prey from another Clan, no hesitation," Shadepaw lacked any emotional attachment to any of the cats from other Clans - nothing against them, he just hadn't interacted with many cats outside of ThunderClan. SkyClan for example - they could burn for all he cared. Kits and elders, those were the only ones he felt anything for by default. His voice was rough and harsh as he spoke, and he straightened his back a little, refusing to break eye contact with the loner. "Cats like us do what we need to survive. For you, that's feeding yourself, and for me, that's feeding my Clan and I. That's why I can't let you take that mouse, I'm doing what has to be done." He doubted that the loner would be convinced, but still, perhaps they could come to some sort of mutual understanding. For all that Shadepaw despised this tom, he spoke sense, and he liked that, no matter how much he hated everything else.
At the loner's question, he answered simply, "Shadepaw," before giving the older cat a nod, tail tip twitching slightly. "And what about you, Oh Mysterious Prey Thief?" His tone was playful, mocking, curious and mildly aggressive all at the same time, his bright eyes gleaming, standing out against his black pelt. He wasn't entirely sure where this conversation was going, and honestly, Shadepaw really just wanted his mouse back, but he supposed that this was kinda interesting, and that he could just... carry on talking to this loner for now, or something.
"that's just what gangsters do."
-
"At least I can respect the honesty, kid," he huffed. Most of these do-good clanners would never admit what he felt was nakedly true; that any one of them was likely to drop the moralizing as soon it was their own tail on the line. It was easy to claim righteousness when one's virtues had never been put to the test.
"Shadepaw," he repeated. "This mysterious prey thief is called Coal. Tell all your clanmates, if it pleases you. I'd be happy for the name to be spread," he winked, chuckling darkly to himself. But he supposed the kid wouldn't be such a good messenger for his cause (whatever that cause even was) if he hated his guts. For all of Coal's venom, Shadepaw had proved himself both surprisingly intelligent and possibly of some value to the loner's schemes. That was worth at least one little mouse, he thought.
Hooking a claw into the hostage prey, he paused for a beat to catch the apprentice's emerald gaze with his own frost. Then he clicked his tongue dismissively, and suddenly the game was forfeit. The mouse landed with a barely audible thump before the belligerent apprentice, Coal's expression indicating no trickery. It was Shadepaw's.
"It's been a joy and a pleasure," he rasped, an inscrutable grin breaking across his features. "Someone like you has more potential than can be realized in the clans alone, little shadow. Please do let me know if you ever find the courage to take a different path." He stood, ready to leave, but would wait to see if Shadepaw would have an answer to this final proposition.
i want your gold
but you want my life
-
He'd finally gotten a name for the loner - Coal. And along with the name of the stranger, Shadepaw received something else, something he had wanted the entire time while talking to the older tom - his mouse. Undisguised surprised flickered in the apprentice's eyes as Coal dropped the mouse before Shadepaw. The black apprentice stared at it for a moment - a smile slipping onto his maw. Honestly, he hadn't really expected to get it back. Maybe StarClan was on his side for once, or maybe he had somehow earned Coal's approval through their rather unexpected conversation. At the very least, it seemed that they had achieved a slight mutual understanding of eachother. Shadepaw was still furious at this cat for even trying to steal ThunderClan prey, but he had to admit, this loner didn't seem as bad as he had originally thought, and his opinion on him had certainly become a little more positive now that Shadepaw's catch had been dropped at his paws. "Thank you." The small tom looked back up at Coal again, surprise creeping into his voice. This encounter really hadn't gone the way the young boy had expected, but he was both relieved and somewhat intrigued by the way it had turned out.
A joy and a pleasure. Amusement flickered in the apprentice's eyes at that. He was sure both of them knew that if things had gone slightly differently, their encounter would have resulted in a violent fight. But then came something even more unexpected - a compliment, a compliment that made his small ears prick up in surprise, his eyes, always bright, growing even more brighter than usual, alive with curiosity. Potential? Shadepaw knew he had some sort of potential, perhaps not the good kind, as he had recently started training in the Dark Forest under the belief that it was the only path that he could possibly take. He was very interested to find out what Coal meant, but assumed by the older cat's departure that now was not the time.
But after Coal stood, he didn't walk away, instead remaining still. It seemed that he was waiting to see what the ThunderClanner would say. Pleased to be given a chance to question the loner, Shadepaw asked, "What do you mean by... a different path?"
"that's just what gangsters do."