Surprise Attack!

OOC: Waitin' on those ShadowClan slackers.

Ooc: Well, I have a life. D8<

Ic:

The sky slowly turned to an angry shade of red as the sun set farther, matching the trees of autumn. The colors seemed fitting, matching Nightstar's mood as the RiverClan leader appeared. Her mask was dropped and she shifted her icy gaze toward Reedstar. However, somewhere deep within her, fear sparked. 'Racoonstar doesn't want do do things diplomatically, does she?' The ShadowClan leader took a deep breath, glaring at the RiverClan leader. "What business do you have so far away from your territory, Reedstar?"

"Honor." Reedstar answered flatly with a dangerous glare. "We haven't the time for this. I'll give you and your warriors one last chance to leave peacefully. Think carefully on your odds before you do anything foolish." Leafbare was approaching soon, and any fight Nightstar gave would be futile. If she put her Clan before her pride, she would save her strength and herbs for the oncoming cold... but ShadowClan were nothing if not prideful to the point of stupidity. He unsheathed his claws and got ready to battle.

Sandwhisker couldn't help but gasp at the way his leader spoke to the other leader. It didn't seem like something Reedstar would do, but maybe now was the time to put as much pressure on the ShadowClan cats as possible.

Raccoonstar just watched as Reedstar took over for here in her time of empty mindedness. She would have done the same as Reedstar, give a fair warning before any attack was made.

Ooc: Oh, looks like Sleepy is dead. Well, I won't have to post then. </3

Ic:

Nightstar frowned and glanced at the hidden cats in the background. She could make out a few in the trees, which completely baffled the leader on a subconscious level. RiverClan cats have never been around trees too much in their entire lives, how can they climb trees? >_> *cough* Shaking her head, the solemn leader looked up at Reedstar. "I wouldn't preach honor if I were you."

Nightstar straightened her head. Her blue eyes looking on at the other leaders. "Both of you gang up on one clan. WindClan, doesn't need all this territory. Then, RiverClan doesn't have any thing to gain from joining WindClan on this attack." The leader let out a long sigh, and tilted her head towards where her warriors waited. "You both are truly pitiful." The ShadowClan let her words sink in. She then turned towards her clan and walked calmly back.

Nightstar wasn't stupid, she knew that if she walked into the battle, her clan would be out numbered. Perhaps even killed, the leader couldn't take that. That would be suicide. Giving one last head turn towards the RiverClan leader, her blue eyes narrowed and she tossed over her shoulder the words; "Froststar would be disappointed in you." Taking her clan with her, the ShadowClan leader disappeared into the growing shadows.

'I am sorry my clan. I couldn't lead you into this battle, I wouldn't want any of you to perish under my command... This isn't a fair battle. All it would be is useless blood shed. We will get our proper territory back in time, I can promise you that...'

The light of the sun slowly died out. The navy sky inched its way towards the other side of the sky, reaching with all of its might to take control of the bright glow. Thus began night.

Reedstar tried his hardest to keep his composure as Nightstar talked, but it became more and more difficult with each word. RiverClan were not the ones that stole another Clan's rightful place in the forest out of greed. But just when he thought he might leap forward and dig his claws into her pelt, she turned and left. It seemed she had some sense after all. The RiverClan leader gave a small sigh and lashed his tail before turning to face the two Clans. Now came the hard part.

"This territory has been regained from ShadowClan's clutches without any blood spilled, by StarClan's mercy." he started, looking over each and every WindClan cat, trying to make out their pelt colors in the gloom. "But know that I did not bring my Clan into this mess for your sake. This alliance was forged many moons ago now without any terms being set, and when Froststar still ruled RiverClan. If this friendship and collaboration between us is to continue, you must agree to what I say. I will make no compromises."

After seeing that he caught each cat's attention, he started. "First is the issue of crossing RiverClan territory to reach this place." he mewed. WindClan was the farthest away from SkyClan territory, and before their relations with ShadowClan had iced over they had to cross into SkyClan territory by following the Thunderpath. Going through RiverClan was a much shorter and straightforward route, and probably kinder to WindClan's paws. "WindClan may only pass on the Sunningrocks side of the riverbank. No warrior may hunt any of our prey while on our land, and must not linger. If any WindClan cats are caught trespassing on the other side of the river or stealing, this alliance is over and the offending cats will be held as prisoners until reparations are made. Consider this generosity."

Reedstar paused before starting again, not waiting for any cat to argue. Doubtless, some would not like the harshness or bluntness of his words, but he had risked the safety of RiverClan warriors for this, and his own Clan did not get much in return. They could listen or get driven out. "Next, RiverClan will help patrol SkyClan territory and assist you in defending it from the aggression of our rivals. However, in return, you must help in defending Sunningrocks if we call you on it. If the rocks are lost, you will also lose your crossing into SkyClan."

He stopped again. The leader was sure that those terms would be tolerable enough, but his last one... he couldn't back down now, though. It was his whole point of being here, and he'd fight WindClan to the death if they refused. My duty. Reedstar looked around for the notorious she-cat, a living relic. His eyes passed over her before he turned to face Raccoonstar. "Finally, and most foremost... RiverClan will only support you as long as Silentstar's descendants live on in WindClan. I swear, that as long as SkyClan lives on in your ranks, I will fight tooth and claw to keep this territory out of ShadowClan and ThunderClan's paws."

"However...If her line dies out, or Silentstar is alive and returns, you must leave, or we will drive you out." he mewed. "Our alliance may continue, but not if you resist. This is SkyClan's land, as it always has been, not yours."

"Those are my terms." he said. "Accept now, or this alliance comes to an end and there may be a battle here after all." Reedstar unsheathed his claws and gave Raccoonstar a sharp dismissive glare, already half-knowing her answer, before walking up to Lavenderheart. It didn't matter how extreme his demands were, she would have to accept if she had half a brain. "Do not be afraid of seizing your birthright if you choose it." he whispered softly in her ear. "If you, or any of your kits if you have any, wish to make SkyClan live again, you need only come to RiverClan for help."

Well, it seemed the adrenaline was pumping all for nothing. After watching the barbed quips from ShadowClan to RiverClan and WindClan, and then back in kind, all that preparation was for nothing: ShadowClan was just going to slink away back to their swamps with their tails tucked between their legs… So perhaps that training did mean something, then. The deputy hadn't expected this to go down so easily, but it was for the best. After all, they had ShadowClan easily outnumbered, so maybe Nightstar wasn't as dense or prideful as her predecessor. Still, he didn't appreciate the words she had for her leader. After all, which clan was the one who bred distrust throughout the forest? His deep blue eyes hardened as he watched the dark leader turn around and take her clan home. The battle, or what passed as one, had been won. But it wasn't yet over, it seemed.

Falconfang turned towards Reedstar, listening to what the RiverClan leader had to say. After such a heated exchange with a rival clan, his words, while fair, were not too pleasing. He had no fantasy that RiverClan was here merely for their benefit, but was now truly the time to be making demands, when a readiness for battle ran through all of their blood? True, they weren't that unfair of terms. After all, the deputy understood that RiverClan would want to protect themselves, and he in particular had no qualms about going to battle with ThunderClan should it come to that: their deputy was someone whom he did not trust. However, there was that final notice, that last mention that gave Falconfang pause. All of this, the former SkyClan territory, would only belong to WindClan should Lavenderheart and her descendants remain in the clan. If SkyClan was to reform, then WindClan would have to leave… by force, if necessary. Despite his attempts to keep calm, the fur along his spine began to rise as a hint of teeth became visible. SkyClan was gone. This territory belonged to WindClan now, and Falconfang had no plans of returning the territory. Should SkyClan attempt to reform… Well then, that wouldn't last for long. When he became the leader, there was no way he would give an inch of territory away. If RiverClan wanted to get involved in a fight that was officially no longer theirs, then he would be sure to give it to them. There was one caveat, though: he was not the leader. Raccoonstar was. Still, if he knew his leader, she wouldn't give up this land so easily. Even if she were to agree to the demand, the future was not so clear for Reedstar to know.

Before there was any chance for his leader to answer, Reedstar walked away from them and towards Lavenderheart. They were a bit too far away and a bit too quiet for Falconfang to catch their conversation, but considering that Lavenderheart was the descendent in question, he did not like this one bit. In fact, he was starting to grow uneasy about many things: this alliance with RiverClan, these demands Reedstar, well, demanded, and even the mixing of WindClan and SkyClan blood that had happened right before their eyes. Lavenderheart had kits in this clan, and a feeling of unease ran through the deputy's body at the thought of his clan becoming a full mixture of the two clans. There was no room in the forest for the clans to intermingle like this. He had to push all those feelings aside, though: turning Lavenderheart against this clan would only serve to cause more trouble than it was worth. No matter what his feelings were at this moment, she was a member of WindClan, and she would always be. He would have to have a talk with her when they returned to camp, just in case whatever words Reedstar spoke were damaging. WindClan was not quite strong enough to fight a war on multiple fronts. No clan was.

"We should accept his terms, at least for now," he whispered to Raccoonstar, making sure to keep her and his words out of earshot from Reedstar and his own deputy. "We can accept the terms and get stronger. Then, if the time comes where SkyClan attempts to regain their territory, we shall fight both them and RiverClan to keep what is now ours. It would be no good to fight here." Falconfang hoped his words didn't seem like he was attempting to usurp his leader's powers - far from it. As the deputy though, it was his job to help his leader and his clan survive, and this was the best thing for them to do right now. He didn't like the RiverClan leader's demands - and he knew his own leader would loathe them - but a battle would be dangerous, especially out here. The clan was getting stronger. They had a horde of apprentices ready to become warriors now. Sometimes it seemed as if the clans forgot just how powerful WindClan could be. That perception would not last.

There was silence from Mapleclaw as she watched Nightstar disappear, letting out a small snort. Of course ShadowClan had given up without a fight; there was no way that they could beat them! The deputy paused as she listened to Reedstar started to speak, and listened to his demands. A sly smile appeared on her face, nodding along as Reedstar finished each of the demands. Yes; that sound perfect. No way was RiverClan just going to help WindClan without getting anything in return.

However, he sly smile appeared at the end of the last demand. Her gaze shifted to the cats that stood behind her; all ready for the fight that wouldn't happen now. She attempted to find that single she-cat; that...Lavenderheart; who was going to kept this alliance alive. She had forgotten that SkyClan now lived in WindClan thanks to that one she-cat, but she wondered what was Reedstar's reason for this demand. SkyClan was dead, that much was clear. There should be no reason for them to return to the forest; they had died out, and it was their fault! There was no place in this forest for weak Clans...


Twistedfoot sighed softly as he saw Nightstar leave, relief flooding his body. He hadn't wanted to have a fight; afraid that his twisted paw would cause him trouble in the midst of battle. He stood up, stepping from his hiding place as he heard Reedstar started to speak. His ears flickered, not very surprised at the demands. He hadn't expected RiverClan to just help them, and he had been expecting this moment for a while now. However, at the last demand; the one that claimed that if Lavenderheart's line died out, they would lose this land, he blinked in surprise. He let out a soft sigh, nodding slowly as he came to realize the truth behind it. If his line died out, so would SkyClan. This land did rightfully belong to the lost Clan, and WindClan had no right to claim it other than for the fact that they had Lavenderheart in their Clan. He did pause when Reedstar went to talk to his mate, wondering what was being said between the two.

Badgerpaw lifted himself from the bushes with a sigh as he watched ShadowClan disappear, frowning. Drat, he had been waiting for his first battle! He stumbled out of the bushes and stood next to his father as he listened to Reedstar's demands, zoning out for most of them. However, the final one did reach his ears. He had heard stories about SkyClan and how they had disappeared; mostly from his mother but never did he realized she was apart of SkyClan! He was sure she mentioned it a few times, but he never must of been listening... However, when he saw Reedstar head toward his Lavenderheart, he let out a small, worried gasp and raced across the undergrowth, reaching his mother as soon as Reedstar finished speaking to her. The mostly white and black apprentice pressed himself to his mother's body as he glanced up at the RiverClan leader, a bit worried about what he had said to her. What things could Reedstar have said that he felt that only Lavanderheart should hear? Ah, whatever. He gently nuzzled his mother, happy that she was still safe. I guess that was one good thing that came out of the fact there wasn't a battle; everybody got to stay safe.

Although he couldn't stand to give the land up so easily, Thrushstripe knew that Nightstar had made the right decision. It wasn't like they really used the land for too much anyway; hunting was almost impossible with the minimal ground coverage and the rocky terrain didn't make things easy for paws that were used to soft, marshy earth. But to give it up just like that... It hurt his heart to know that the pride of Shadowclan just fell downhill, but he wasn't going to argue with the odds. Two full clans against one. Windclan and Riverclan was going to be impossible to beat, especially with the numbers. Taking a deep breath, Thrushstripe silently straightened himself up and held his head high as he began following Nightstar back to the camp. Thankfully this ended only in words and not in injuries, but the pride... He wasn't going to let it show just how much he really wanted just to rip out their fur, so instead he remained calm, cool, and collected until he was out of sight of the rival clans.

Gingerheart on the other hand, was absolutely furious. As soon as she saw Nightstar turn away and walk off from the battle, she hissed in anger. They were giving up just like that? They weren't even going to try to defend what was rightfully theirs? It didn't really matter to her that the land wasn't particularly useful much-- she was more concerned about how the other clans would react to them from now on. Showing such cowardice. It wasn't right! But... no matter how much she wanted to shred each and every other clan cat, she couldn't go against Nightstar. It would not be what Starclan would want. Although, it also didn't matter how loyal she was to Nightstar, she was boiling with fury at the Shadowclan leader. Shadowclan was going to be a laughing stock now thanks to her. Tightening her jaw to keep her from saying anything and letting herself calm down enough to move, she straightened herself up but it was obvious she was still ready for action and her face wore complete disgust as she looked at the Windclan and Riverclan leader, although most of her focus was on Reedstar. That little fish face. She still remembered the times when Riverclan took Shadowclan in, and although that was a hard time for the clan, Riverclan was rather helpful, and for Reedstar to just turn his back on any sort of alliance the two clans had... and to work for Windclan. That's what made her the most angry. But even so, she still followed Nightstar back, but not without a warning. "Don't think this is over," She spat at the other clans. "We will get this land back." Without even wanting to listen to another word, the she-cat stormed off.

While watching the Shadowclan cats disappear, Cinderfur only watched quietly from her small hiding spot (even though it wasn't needed by the time that Reedstar spoke up). She didn't want to get in the middle of this if she didn't need to, but as soon as all of them left, she got up and walked behind Reedstar as he began talking of conditions upon the alliance. It still didn't make much sense to her, but as the Riverclan leader spoke, she slowly began to see that he seemed to want Skyclan to come back. Granted, with only one descendant left, it wasn't much of a possibility, but the thought was what counted in her mind. Unfortunately, it just had to deal with Windclan. Flicking her tail in response to some of the words that were passed around, she continued to listen intently as the adrenaline in her body began to wear off and relief flooded through her about not having to battle.

Fawnstep, though she was a bit ready to fit, she knew that they couldn't win, but kept her mouth shut. It'd damage ShadowClan pride if she said such a thing. As she listened on with the debating leaders on the claim of the land, her ears pricked up at the mention of SkyClan, the lost clan from long ago. After the revelation that Lavenderheart was the final SkyClan member, leaving a shock to all the clans, it only meant that Raccoonstar had more motive to take all of SkyClan's land. As she took a look, she realized that ShadowClan was forfeiting from the battle.

Selfconsciously letting out a sigh of reief, she stared back at the two clans for a little way, her eyes angered. Letting out a hiss of annoyance, the cinnamon colored she-cat followed ShadowClan back, having the thought that, This isn't over yet... Just wait, you'll lose once RiverClan is no longer your ally.

The blue gaze of the silver tabby was slightly shocked when she heard Nightstar retreat. ShadowClan... backing out from a fight? That was something she never imagined before. Shaking her head, Mintcloud knew that the leader was wise to retreat from a battle she was outnumbered in.

Yet, what would happen if ShadowClan chose to attack when RiverClan was unable to help? Such as in a fight for Sunningrocks? Then blood would be shed and the WindClan RiverClan alliance could be severed. It was already enough deaing with ShadowClan and ThunderClan, but if WindClan was their enemy, it'd only make things worse.

As she stood by Reedstar in his explanations and conditions, it almost seemed as if he thought SkyClan could come back. It wouldn't work, not that way. Were their ancestors watching them that night?

Snowpaw slowly looked up from where she was, listening to everything she could. It made sense... slightly. Moreover, she was relieved that she didn't have to fight. Though, because she stood by Bristlepaw at the moment, the white she-cat tried her best to keep herself from trembling or show any signs of fear.

Looking over, she saw that Reedstar had started to be speaking to Lavenderheart, but what for? Turning her glance to Bristlepaw, she whispered quietly into his ear, "It may be different for others, but I'm happy we didn't have to fight for this land... What if ShadowClan got aide from ThunderClan?"

At the current moment, Ravenpaw stayed where she was with Shadeheart, but hatred slowly started to cloud her eyes. The medicine cat apprentice wasn't sure what was causing it, but it was something dark. Narrowing them, she had the intention to unsheathe her claws if needed.

Without realizing it, her claws had shredded all of the herbs she had been holding. In an attempt to hide the misdeed, Ravenpaw slowly shuffled each of them into the bush and hid the scent. Pleading that Shadeheart hadn't seen any of it, she turned her attention back to the retreating ShadowClan cats.

Now, after all conditions were set, the black she-cat turned her heterochromic eyes to her family before heading back to camp without a word's notice.

Lavenderheart shrank back slightly when the RiverClan leader spoke of her birth clan. It had been so long since she was referred that way, as the only living descendant of SkyClan. She shrank back even further when he came over and told her that RiverClan would help.

Feeling Badgerpaw right beside her made it a bit more comforted, but there would always be eyes watching. Even the thought that her leader and deputy had suspicions about her weren't quite relaxing.

The only thing the blue she-cat did was nod, not too sure about what to say, but she added, "I understand, but... I'm WindClan now, through and through. I wouldn't deny my birth, but I cannot betray the clan that raised me."