We need to Talk [Open to Shadowclan]

Crowstar was mad for what had occurred to his apprentice Pansypaw, but he wasn't going to handle this with violence. He was sure Thrushstar was a rational leader and would deal with his warrior accordingly. The Shadowclan leader was wise in his moons. The skyclan leader was still young but he only wanted what was best for his clan and the same for Thrushstar and his own clan. This is why Crowstar only brought a couple warriors with him to Shadowclan camp. Not involving the ones that were in the incident, and ones that would create an outburst while they were in the camp.

The leader stood in the entrance of camp. Breezewhisker and Cherrymist with him. He left Vixenheart in charge of Skyclan while he was gone. It wouldn't take long for Shadowclan to notice the three Skyclan warriors. "I'm here to speak to Thrushstar." The leader called calmly and clearly into the camp.

Larksong had been resting outside of the warrior den, her eyes closed even if she was wide awake due to how cold it was. She blinked when a scent washed over her and a voice called out. She jumped to her paws despite the voice - one she quickly recognized as Crowstar - was calm and showed no sign of hostility. She blinked as she gazed at the leader, flanked by a warrior on each side. First Ashstar now Crowstar? She swore, next thing she knew both Darkstar and Fishstar would be asking to meet with Thrushstar.

"What is going on?" Larksong had started to move forward but paused when Smokestripe spoke up behind her, pulling himself out of the warrior den. The much younger warrior blinked in confusion when he spotted the leader, frowning as he padded up next to the tortoiseshell.

"He wants to speak with Thrushstar. Go get him," she ordered the younger tom. Smokestripe blinked in surprise at the order but nodded his head, quickly turning as he headed toward the leader's den. Larksong turned, strolling up to the leader as she glanced between Crowstar and the two warriors he had with him. "Thrushstar is being fetched but may I inquire why you wish to speak to him?" She knew as a newly named warrior she shouldn't have been the one confronting the leader but seeing how Crowstar simply wanted to speak to Thrushstar, she didn't see a problem with it.



Smokestripe had darted off the moment he had gotten the order from Larksong. It was easy for him to forget that they were made warriors together when she was much older then him. He didn't even think about that fact until he reached Thrushstar's den and poked his head inside. "Thrushstar? Crowstar is here and he has requested to speak with you." It felt odd - why would Crowstar be here? He knew Ashstar had visited not long ago requesting to be allies but why Crowstar when they were already allies with RiverClan? He feared that this wasn't a simple request to be allies - there was something else behind this visit.

Cherrymist kept her posture straight, despite not being able to see. She was proud to be chosen by Crowstar to go on a trip to talk to the one whose warrior mauled her little sister. Let them see I'm blind, let them be surprised and laugh, but I'm only here on behalf of Crowstar. she thought, tilting her chin up and following her grandfather by the scent.

It was the scent of foreign cats that startled her out of her sleep. There was no call of alarm, however, the sentry hadn't alerted the whole of the clan to rise in hostility. It was only once she'd followed Smokestripe out of the den with a large yawn that she'd truly realized what was going on. As the tom went off to find their leader, she settled next to Larksong, a weary look on her face.

"SkyClan?" Her green eyes glazed over their visitors. "Jee, we've been popular lately." Ravenclaw joked dryly, offering her friend a small smile. What in StarClan's name could they want? Hopefully they didn't carry any alliance offers of their own. Of course, there was no way of telling until Thrushstar came out.

Breezewhisker followed his father, yellow eyes dark and impassioned. These were the cats who had thrown out Webtail and Lightningstrike in cold blood. While he knew he should be honored to go with his father, the Clan leader, on such an important mission, all he could think of was that Antdrop really ought to be here instead. He had probably only been chosen because Rippedpaw wasn't a warrior yet. But he stood silent, ignoring the cats rushing around him. He wasn't going to mess anything up- no, the leader would do that himself.

Shimmerheart started out of her den at the scent of SkyClan. But when she looked outside, it wasn't Webtail- it was SkyClan's leader himself. Along with him were a blind she-cat and a strong young tom. Huh- that's odd. I doubt this is a peace mission. She came out of the elder's den to watch, hazel eyes wary.

Honeydrop came into the ShadowClan camp entrance, carrying a few sprigs of lavender and a smidge of honey- a lucky find- when she saw Crowstar and two of his warriors standing in the middle of camp. Not Rabbitpaw, though. They couldn't be here for an alliance, could they? First WindClan, now SkyClan- can't leaders give us a heads up before they come to call? She sat near the SkyClanners.

Scenting the Skyclan cats, Flamepaw raced out into the Shadowclan clearing. His first thought was that camp was being attacked. No matter what the others thought of him, he would defend his adoptive clan with his life. However, the warrior aged apprentice quickly realized that wasn't what was happening. The Skyclan leader, Crowstar, strode in with a couple other cats at his heels. His ears pricked in interest. Windclan and now this... what does Skyclan want with us? He sighed and clawed at the ground. There was always something going on in the clan. With the rest of his clanmates, he waited patiently for something to happen, ready in case he was needed for something.

Thrushstar poked his head up as soon as Smokestripe's voice echoed through his den. "Crowstar? What is going on with the clans this leafbare?" With a huff of annoyance alongside stretching out and shaking out his fur, he prepared himself for what was to come. Padding out, he glanced at Crowstar and his group of warriors. "What is it, Crowstar? Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm here on well not so peaceful terms, but I have no intention to take action against your clan for the act of one cat." Crowstar said sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws, showing that he wan't going to leap at anyone or anything. "A sunrise or two ago, I was surprised to find two of my apprentice's were both badly injured. One was passed out and barely holding onto life, while the other managed to stay up right. What was even more surprising that I came to find out it was your warrior Mudfoot who had attacked my apprentices, and to my knowledge they didn't even cross the border. And if they had I think an out right beating the two received was way pass the punishment for crossing the border." The black fluffy leader said.

"I don't want this to end up the way it had between Riverclan and Windclan seeing how we have been on peaceful terms for a long time. We both don't need the fight seeing how it is leaf bare." What Skyclan didn't need was a conflict at the moment especially in leaf bare. He trusted Thrushstar to take action, but he waited for the leader's reply.

Larksong watched as her Clanmates came into the clearing, watching the SkyClan leader with a bit of distrust but smiled softly at Ravenclaw as the she-cat stood next to her. She opened her mouth to reply to the black warrior but paused she heard the pawstep of Thrushstar strolling up behind her. It seems it was time for answers as Thrushstar questioned the presence of Crowstar. She had a soft frown on her face which turned to one of shock as Crowstar explained the state of his two apprentices. Her ears fell flat, her claws digging into the ground as she wondered what fox-hearted cat would ever do something like that. But when she got her answer, her eyes widen.

"No!" she growled the moment Crowstar was finished speaking. "Mudfoot would never..." but she quickly grew quiet as her gaze lowered to the ground. It wasn't her place to speak. She couldn't believe that her brother would attack apprentices like that but who was she to doubt Crowstar's words? She shut her eyes, shaking her head as she tried to make sense of this all. She had already lost Amberclaw to the darkness, she didn't want to lose Mudfoot as well. Why would he have done something like that?


Smokestripe stepped out of Thrushstar's way as the leader left the den, padding after him as he glanced to see a good bit of his Clanmates had come out at the scent of SkyClan. Why had SkyClan come? Seeing that Ravenclaw was in the clearing, he quickly broke off of his path to stand next to her and Larksong as the two leaders started to speak. His eyes widen with shock as Crowstar explained that two of his apprentices had almost been killed by a warrior. But who? When the name was dropped, Smokestripe's eyes narrowed as his fur bristled. No! That had to be wrong! His gaze flashed over to Larksong as the older she-cat cried out in objections before silencing herself. He had looked up to Mudfoot since he was a kit, he didn't believe that Mudfoot would do something like that! A look of worried flashed on his face as he glanced around his Clanmates, trying to see how they were taking the news of this accusation of Mudfoot.

Thrushstar narrowed his eyes at what Crowstar said but quickly held his tongue. This was, in fact, a very strong accusation toward one of his own warriors, particularly against one that he actually trusted. However, he was slightly startled at the sound of Larksong's outburst and turned to look at the warrior for just a moment before he drew his attention back to the Skyclan leader. "I would have to agree with... my warrior on this one, Crowstar. I see no reason as to why one of my warriors would attack cats in your clan, much... less, apprentices. There must have been good reason for it. Younger cats like them do have... a tendency of causing trouble, no?" He paused a moment, studying the leader carefully before continuing. "I am relieved to hear that you want to settle things peacefully. I do not doubt that the event occurred, but I am questioning the motive behind it and... the damage done. Mainly because you are accusing one of my finest, most experienced and most behaved warriors for something rather... atrocious." The leader thought deeply about what he was going to say. "May we hear both sides of this story, Crowstar? I would like to hear Mudfoot's before we make any conclusions."

Cherrymist listened to the leader of ShadowClan with her expression being filled with more and more disgust. 'Finest and most experienced'!? Yeah right, and I am Cherrymist, blessed with brilliant eyesight! she thought bitterly, longing for justice to be made. The blind warrior would not stand for the mauling of her apprentice and you ger sister, Pansypaw, and the she-cat was lucky to be alive after all of that. Cherrymist kept her mouth shut, tho, standing a bit behind her leadre, in a gesture of respect. She must have looked odd, blind and sitting like a statue behind her grandfather, maybe some wondered whether she was not a limp body brought by Crowstar just to look tough. Only a ShadowClanner could come up with something like that. she snorted inwardly.

Breezewhisker listened intently to Thrushstar's explanation, nodding inwardly. Apprentices were often stupid, and the incident with Pansypaw and the WindClan traitor- he refused to call Rippedpaw by his warrior name, at least in his thoughts- had been milked for all it was worth. From what he understood the she-cat had crossed the ShadowClan border and then been attacked by this Mudfoot, a senior warrior. He had only been defending his terterritory, and probably hadn't meant to cause any harm. But as such thoughts would have been considered traitorous by his biased father, he kept his mouth shut.

Leopardfang listened intently to the leaders speak back and forth. He had been starting up a patrol near the fresh-kill pile when the SkyClan cats came in, and assumed his regular position at Thrushstar's shoulder when he came out to meet Crowstar. Mudfoot hadn't mentioned a serious fight at any of the borders to Leopardfang recently, only a few light scuffles here and there. The warrior himself had come home with a few clawmarks up his belly and around his face, however, and the deputy began wondering if he had acquired those injuries in this particular encounter. Mudfoot was fiercely loyal and would defend ShadowClan at all costs, so it didn't surprise Leopardfang that it was him who had gotten into trouble. Still, the senior warrior's goal was usually only to get the message across and never to kill. The deputy had witnessed him fight in border skirmishes many times and knew it to be true. So, news of two apprentices barely making home alive drew a sense of suspicion that he hid behind a mask of polite interest in Crowstar's words.

Mousefang had been speaking with the deputy about the patrol that he had been on earlier and which areas that trace scents of badger had been picked up around. He turned to look at the incoming SkyClan cats with confusion and remembered seeing Mudfoot's battle wounds for himself, as he had been very impressed with them. His green eyes landed on the white she-cat that stood with Crowstar, and a feeling of recognition came over him. His eyes narrowed as he looked closer and realized that it was that blind she-cat at the border that he had almost attacked a long time ago. But now they were both warriors, and it looked like they both had a bit more control. She must have been decently important, or reliable, or perhaps least likely to start a fight if she was chosen to accompany the leader here. The brown tom just sat a ways behind the leader and deputy and almost laughed outright at her expression of disgust at hearing about Mudfoot's side of the story. Maybe being blind has made her forget that other cats can see her emotions as plain as daylight.

Padding into the camp from a hunting patrol, the sudden scent and sight of SkyClan in the camp smacked him in the face like a paw. What were they doing here? Fur standing on end and trying not to show his anger for the patrol coming into the marshy camp, he made his way slowly over to Leopardfang. "What are they doing here?" the warrior meowed softly to the deputy, although it was quite clear why they'd dropped by for a visit. They'd come for him and it was pretty obvious that the SkyClan cats weren't very happy.

Hazeflight shuffled out of the nursery as the smell of SkyClan wafted up her nose. Oh, no... Her ice blue eyes widened in fear as she anxiously emerged into the dim Leafbare light. A slight wave of relief surged through her as she realised it wasn't Eagleheart, but it was quickly replaced with a new fear. The queen hoped her fear scent wasn't strong as new possibilities for the Skyclanners being here rushed through her mind.

Hazeflight relaxed as it wasn't about her or her kits. So Eagleheart did keep his mouth shut. At least he's done one thing right, which is incredibly surprising seeing as he has the brain of a frog. Hazeflight's blue eyes narrowed at the leader. Her mentor was incredibly loyal and fiercely protective of his clan. Mudfoot would never of done it on purpose would he? The silver She-cat shot a nervous glance at her mentor before returning her gaze to the black fluffy leader.