Facing Your Fears

[Greenlily//Topaz]

Greenlily drew closer to the edge of the trees and looked around at the Barren Fields nervously. Her ears were pressed back, her tail fluffed up, and she was certain that she could smell her own fear scent. But that's why she was here, of course. After the hawk attacked her when she was a kit, she'd been afraid of open areas where she'd be easy access to their sharp talons if they ever dived down. Though she was bigger now and could no doubt take down any hawk that tried to attack her, she was still afraid. Steeling herself, she reached out with one slow, tentative paw, only to draw it back quickly at the sound of a cat brushing through the undergrowth behind her.

[Jet$tar]

Out of the undergrowth came the SunClan deputy, Batflight. She padded over and stood next to the queen, '' Hello Greenlily, '' she meowed, '' what are you doing here? '' The black she-cat asked her. Batflight knew that the nursing queen had been deathly afraid of open areas ever since she was attacked by a hawk as a kit, so why was she at the Barren Fields?

[Greenlily//Topaz]

It was common knowledge that Greenlily had been afraid of open areas since her encounter with a hawk as a kit; she only felt safe when there was a thick canopy of leaves above her head to shield her from their sight. Because of that, it was only natural that Batflight would be curious as to what Greenlily was doing out here. Heaving a sigh, Greenlily sat down and draped her tail across her paws. "Well, Batflight, lately I haven't been able to get this place"--she flicked her tail to indicate the open field in front of them--"out of my head. It's been haunting my dreams. My usual terror of the open sky has been growing, and I thought that maybe if I could set paw out there the fear might go away once and for all."

[Jet$tar]

Batflight rubbed her muzzle against Greenlily's, '' That is very brave of you, Greenlily. '' she meowed, '' Fear is simple, facing it is the heard part... '' The black she-cat was silent for a moment, '' Greenlily, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. You are a warrior, you can take down any hawk that even tried to get near you. All you need is confidence and courge and I believe you have both of those. ''

[Greenlily//Topaz]

Greenlily was touched by Batflight's confidence in her. "Do you really think so?" she mewed, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders. Only the way her whiskers twitched and her tail twitched showed how nervous she really was. "I was thinking of going for a walk directly through the field. But..." she paused, shuffling her paws in embarrassment. "Well... I wouldn't mind having some company."

[Wolfy//June]

Wolfstar skidded furiously through the forest. Once again, his mate had left the camp. That was one duty of a queen. He was becoming extremely irritated with her disappearances. He slowed down as her scent brought him to the Barren fields in their territory. Hesitently, he stepped out of the brush. Ahead of him, he could see Greenlily and Batflight. He quickly caught up to them. "Having fun?" he growled at Greenlily.

[Greenlily//Topaz]

Greenlily spun around to face her mate, her eyes wide. "Wolfstar!" she meowed, shocked. "Wh-what... whate are you doing out here?" The anger in his eyes made her fur prickle uneasily, and she ducked her head, afraid of the rebuking he was no doubt about to dole out.

[Wolfy//June]

"You shouldn't alw-" Wolfstar began, but he was cut off by an ear-splitting screech. An eagle dived towards them, it's talon extended. But, innstead of fleeing, Wolfstar took the bird head on. Bunching his muscles, he lept as high as he could, managing to get a claw hooked on the bird's wing. As best he could, he pulled himself up farther so he could get a solid grip. The bird faltured, slowly making it's way to the ground. He reached out his paw and aimed to score at the beak, but the bird turned it's head and he only got the side of the neck. Still, satisfaction burned through Wolfstar when blood welled up between his claws. Too late, he realized, that the bird was going to retaliate. It raked it's sharp beak across his shoulder. He screeched in pain, but he couldn't let go, for when he looked down, he found that the bird had risen alot higher into the air, though the bird was in reach for the cats below to jump on if they had a strong enough jump.

[Greenlily//Topaz]

Greenlily had flattened herself to the ground when the eagle had swooped in on them; hawks of course were much smaller than eagles, but they were still related. Her horror-filled eyes had turned to Wolfstar as he hurled himself towards the bird-of-prey without preamble. Trembling, she watched as Wolfstar clawed the eagle's neck. In response, the eagle spun it's head around and slashed Wolfstar's shoulder with it's beak. He yowled in pain, and that yowl was what brought Greenlily back to the present. She stopped trembling. These hunting birds may have gotten the better of her, but there was no way she was going to sit there and watch as they did the same thing to him. Bunching her muscled, she locked her eyes on the airbourne quarrell and prepared to spring.

[Jet$tar]

Batflight watched in wide-eyed horror as the tom took on the huge bird, her shock keeping her paws locked to the ground. Her leader and friend's cry of pain knocked her back into reality, What am I doing, standing here like a frightened kit! The deputy screamed angrily at herself in her mind and then sprang up at the bird, paws out stretched and claws unsheathed. Batflight's claws grazed the bird's stomach but she couldn't get a good enough grip as the bird flailed in retaliation to her attack, sending the black and gray she-cat plummeting back toward the ground. She landed with a loud thud, one of her hind legs twisted at an odd angle and all of the breath knocked out of her, '' Jump! Now! '' she gasped at Greenlily as she struggled back to her paws.

[Greenlily//Topaz]

At Batflight's yowl, Greenlily launched herself into the air, her determination lending her winds. She latched on to the eagle, and for a brief moment her's and Wolfstar's combined weight dragged the bird down. But then with an almighty lurch the eagle thrust itself higher into the air. Greenlily hissed in alarm. She was too high up now to drop down without risking serious injury. The eagle began raking her belly with his talons, and Greenlily shrieked and writhed in pain. With a swift movement that she didn't see coming, the eagle bucked it's head forward and sliced open her forehead. Blood in her eyes, she couldn't see and her grip loosened. She felt herself beging to fall and dug her claws deeper into the eagle in a hopeless attempt to avoid plummeting down to earth.

[Wolfy//June]

Wolfstar shook off the attack as Greenlily shruggled to keep her grip on the bird. But, instead of helping her directly, he clawed up the bird with all his strength and stood on it's shoulders. The bird shieked, but it couldn't reach him. In one swift movement, he bent his head down and tore at the bird's shoulder. It shieked in agony and began to lose air. He clawed at it's wings and finally got a grip on the neck, ripping it backwards and causing a horrible snap. The bird landed on the ground with a thud and he climbed down off of it. He looked at it for a moment and meowed "This will make nice prey." calmly.

[Jet$tar]

Batflight couldn't tear her eyes away from the horrid scene is the two cats and the bird struggled. She willed herself to jump up again, but every time she moved her back leg pain seared through it. Come on you stupid leg! She yowled in her mind as the struggle got fiercer and fiercer until finally Wolfstar broke the bird's neck and they went plummeting to the ground. '' Oh StarClan... '' the she-cat whispered as the cats didn't get up, but then sighed with relief as Wolfstar got up, '' This will make nice prey. '' he meowed calmly, not seriously injured. Teeth gritted against the pain, Batflight made her way over to the cats, hoping on three legs because it hurt to much to pressure on the injured one. '' Are you ok? '' she asked Greenlily and her mate.

[Wolfy//June]

"I'm fine and I think we should get Greenlily back to camp. She got bad cuts."

[Greenlily//Topaz]

Greenlily struggled to get to her paws, cringing as her wounds flared. She tried to reassure them by acting like she wasn't in pain, her kits on her mind. "I'm fine," she replied with a smile that looked more like a grimace. She looked at Wolfstar's wounds and then glanced over at Batflight's twisted back leg. "Batflight needs to see Doveheart more than I do," she pointed out.