Tourny Time! (Open...I guess)

Goldenstorm looked away, knowing Birchpaw had gotten him by the throat. "Whatever." he grumbled, knowing he was defeated.

"Hah! I gotcha!"Birchpaw crowed,purring.

"At least I can fight better than you." Goldenstorm boasted, trying to shove it in Birchpaw's face.

"Yeah,but you like my sister!"Birchpaw retorted,grinning. Then he inched closer to Goldenstorm. "And I'll give ya a little hint;She likes you too!"he whispered,laughing.

Mosspaw looked up at Mintleaf, not surprised by her challenge to fight. "Alright, I'll fight." He limped over in front of Mintleaf, then went into a crooked 3 legged fighting stance, of which he also did on purpose. "Do you want to make the first move or should I?" He asked dully, glancing up at the much older she-cat. He saw the fierce look in her eyes, and added in his head, "I guess I should reveal my cover if she is as good as I'd guess, but only if she is good, I won't use my 'hurt' paw until I need a surprise attack, like if she pins me or something." Mosspaw being a more defensive cat, he stood, waiting for Mintleaf to strike. He knew how short her temper was by their battle earlier, and saw that she had thought this fight out before any cat got there. Now he was strategizing whether he should hit hard with a surprise attack or wait until later.

Goldenstorm was speechless, he refused to speak. He only looked away, smiling in his head. Yes! his mind screamed.

Mintleaf bubbly said, "This is going to be fun!" She stalked around him in a circle, her steps light and bouncy. The look he was giving said that he expected her to attack first, since eariler she was short-tempered. Well now she was joyful, bubby, and peppy but she was determined not to let that effect her fighting. She had a strategy in mind and a good one at that, well at least in her mind. Behind the playful, sweet smile she was showing was a deeper message of foreboding and danger.

Mosspaw followed Mintleaf's circle, still staying directly in front of her at all times. If she DOES strike, I'll be ready. He took another step back, giving his new plan room for mistakes.

Mintleaf adjusted her circle to match his step back, trying to keep it about the same distance. She was putting him under pressure, which can differ a way someone acts. She wasn't going to attack until he did, it was all part of her plan. It may lead to a slow start, but it could lead to a quick finish once it got started.

Mosspaw took a jump back, only to see Mintleaf match his step. He lept forward, only to leap back again, then forward, then left, then right. He stopped after the ninth rotation. "They have my plan too, this could be a problem."

Mintleaf watched and then matched Mosspaw's movements, waiting for when he would snap. After all of his jumping she joked, "Got a few ants in your pelt there?"

"Of course you do." Mosspaw said, laughing. "They're getting antsy from the mention of ants" He leapt forward, as if to attack, but landed a few fox-lengths away, then jumped back again.

Goldenstorm watched his future apprentice fight. He's really good at agility, a true WindClan cat. He'll make a fine warrior. He watched with serious eyes, taking his mind off Vixenstep for a while.

"He's quite the fighter,isn't he?"a soft voice murmured in Goldenstorm's ear. Vixenstep had padded silently up to him and sat beside him,her fur barely brushing his.

Mosspaw started moving his tail in a circular motion, attempting to take Mintleaf's mind off of his front. He continued to limp in circles, until he sprang again, once again landing in front of Mintleaf, but this time, he took another hop, this time to the right of Mintleaf, not immediately back. He started tightening the circle, trying to keep Mintleaf just under a fox-length away now. After about 5 minutes, Mosspaw launched himself at Mintleaf, paws outreached, but a rabbit-length away he lowered his three paws and skidded back to his spot. "If I can keep this up, I'll be able to hit them in the back, I've gotta keep going slow."

Mintleaf watched as Mosspaw jumped around everywhere. "I can see you can jump, how about attack?" she taunted, giving him a seemily sweet smile. She stopped and stared him straight in the eye, waiting for his next move.

Goldenstorm sighed. This play fight was taking forever. "Hey Mintleaf, if your so much better, why don't you attack?" he tempted.

Mintleaf gave him a look of utter shut up! You could almost image her saying it in a sassy tone, too. It was part of her plan, all in the plan. But a voice inside her seemed to scream forget the plan! She had a little argument in her head with herself and the opposite personalities. An idea sparked in her mind that started another plan. She started to stir her tail across the ground, along with her paws. Soon a film of dust, dead leaves, and any other things that were lying on the ground that could help cover her flew around in the air. She dashed around the clearing, making sure to kick up as much stuff as possible. Then she used her claws to dig up sand to add to her cover. Then when she thought it was suffecient she stalked silently towards Mosspas, her dotted golden pelt blending in nicely with the airbone cover that floated around the clearing. When she was about a tail length behind him she pushed off towards his back, aiming to land near his shoulders.

Mosspaw turned, alarmed by the smokescreen, but he expected a rear attack, he lied down flat, feeling one paw thwak him in the back, before he saw Mintleaf land in front of him. The moment that Mintleaf hit the ground, Mosspaw leaped at her hind legs, hoping to knock her off balance.

As soon as Mintleaf saw Mosspaw duck she started to plan another attack. Before her paws landed she scrunched up her midsection and tightened her muscles. When she landed she soon felt Mosspaw's paws trying to trip her over but she used it to her advantage. She thrust them quickly and powerfully at his head.

Mosspaw felt the she-cats paws hit, hard, he took this blow, the wind knocked out of him, he stood back up, gasping. He caught his breath quick, before thinking "I'll have to use it now." he sprang forward, aiming to hit her in the flank.

Mintleaf anchored herself into the ground with her claws as Mosspaw sprang forward. When he colided with her she only rocked a bit. "That tickled," she giggled and then jumped up. She twisted through the air above Mosspaw, aiming to land on his back. But as she spun she also thrust on of her paws out at Mosspaw's head.

Goldenstorm peered through the sandstorm and saw Mintleaf winning. He expected her to win, but he wanted to see how his apprentice would handle the warrior. He was doing well, for an apprentice with no previous training.

Mosspaw flipped onto his back and waited for Mintleaf to come down, he had all four paws outstretched, planning to hit the stomach of the airborne cat.

Mintleaf fell on Mosspaw's paws feeling their impact on her stomach. She streched her legs downwards and used her claws to help hold her down as she went to pin Mosspaw.