In Stone, We Trust [Open for SKC]

"Yeah!" Squeaked Sparrowpaw, her voice going unheard. Even though she knew her opinion wouldn't matter, she was proud that she was able to share her views. After all, this cat was a queen. Perhaps she'd listen to a kit.

Wildheart could taste the tension and anger between the clan cats and tribe cats. Standing up from the place he had been lounging, casually listening, he padded closer to the center, hoping to put his word in. "I believe these Tribe cats have a noble purpose in their intentions. However, they are not going about it the right way. Rippedsky is right; he was the one who was chosen to lead after Crowstar. Swoop, I know you mean well, as do the rest of you Tribe Cats, but you have no idea how a clan is run. You haven't been around us long enough. I'm sorry, but that's just what I think," Wildheart explained, rambling for most of it.

"I'm with Addergaze, you wish Stoneteller to lead yet you've all never known what it'd be like to fight one of your own kind. You don't know the true wrath of foxes and badgers, you all still struggle with hunting in our trees and our prey! You all may be seasoned by freezing leaf-bares and steep cliffs but you must adapt, you came here of your own will. You all must admit that Stoneteller is not your leader here anymore, you all did not grow up here, you did not train here, you did not live here." Lilyheart meowed, a frown on her face as she spoke.

"Leave Rippedsky as leader of Skyclan, what he says goes. After all, the leaders word is law." Lilyheart's tail gave a lash as she reminded them of one of the warrior codes, her paws digging into the dirt with apprehension. Turning to Wildheart with a nod of acknowledgement she looked to Swoop with passive eyes, of course all the clan cats and Tribe cats would be divided over this matter. It was only natural.

Lion's Eye listened to his mother's pleas intently, his expression becoming lighter and more interested with each word. He, for one, was very supportive of Teller of the Pointed Stones and his authority and hoped the clan cats would accept Swoop's proposition. It seemed like a very logical thing to do, although his childish logic was rather undeveloped. The young tribe cat thought for a single foolish moment that the clan cats might agree, seeing absolutely no reason for them to object, but he was quite clearly wrong. Some of them seemed even hostile to the idea, and the cream fur on Lion's Eye's spine began to raise defensively; not out of his own hostility, but because he was raised to be wary of danger.

The important clan tom, Ripped Skies, was immediately against the idea, but he seemed to handle it graciously. It was a large tabby she-cat's angered outburst that made the cream tom stand to his paws in nervousness and glance around for Stoneteller. Dandelionpaw's own words rubbed Lion's Eye the wrong way as well, although she must have meant them in a good way; she couldn't have actually been so cruel as to suggest that the tribe's way of life was not as important as the clan's. When another she-cat called out that Stoneteller was no longer their leader, Lion's Eye's ears flattened against his head. The healer would always be his most important authority figure, except for maybe Swoop. And since when did this 'StarClan' become so much better than the Tribe of Endless Stars? He wasn't so sure he liked these clan cats if they would treat his tribe and family like they didn't matter...

"I-I think it makes sense..." Eye of the Prowling Lion dared to meow aloud, although his young voice was rather shaky. "Stoneteller was appointed by our ancestors... my mother told me our ancestors brought us here, maybe he is supposed to help you?" The words us and you plainly separated the tribe and clan in his mind. There would have to be quite a change in attitude in both groups' minds before they would ever be considered one clan... or tribe. Whichever way of life won this battle, it seemed.

"Why must we admit Stoneteller isn't our leader?" Swoop snarled, the queen was feeling reasonable, calming down but listening to other but Lily of Hearts' words set her on edge. "We didn't choose to come here! We were sent by Star Clan and there was no discussion of Stoneteller not being our leader. You decided that. Don't act like you are committing charity by accepting us, this was our land before yours. It is our right to live here. We are the true claimants of this land, perhaps Star Clan sent us to take back our true home."

Her blue eyes flashed with a hot rage, and her fur stood on end.

Storm remained silent, letting the cats bicker with one another as he watched with little emotion, already having said what he needed but then the she-cat known was Lilyheart spoke up. He pulled himself to his paws, his tail swishing as he narrowed his eyes at the she-cat. "You don't think we had predators up in our mountain?"he questioned sharply, his voice heated. "We may not know the wrath of foxes and badgers but we had to deal with eagles stalking us the moment we set foot from our cavern - we didn't have the coverage of trees to protect us, only each other." He took in a deep breath as he strolled across the clearing, coming to a stop next to the queen as he turned to look at the other cats. "And I stand with Swoop - we may be living in your camp and I will respect the authority that Rippedsky holds here but my loyalty is with my Tribe and Stoneteller over everything. Stoneteller helped us survive in a time when our Tribemates were going hunting and never returning! He kept the hope alive of us seeing another sunrise and led us here on the Tribe of Endless Star's will when most of us were ready to give up. You can say what you want but he is my leader...Forever and always."

Sparrowkit sighed as the camp erupted. "H-hey! Everyone! Why are we fighting about this?" She squeaked. She looked around for support desperately. "Why don't we just... uh..."
She watched as the clan cats stood apart from the Skyclan cats.
"Why don't you both lead? A-a-as equals? You could work together and make decisions at the same time!"

Moth that Floats on the Breeze had picked the wrong time to go hunting, it seemed.

By the time she walked back into SkyClan's camp, all hell had broken loose, it seemed. She froze momentarily as she watched Swoop speak, keeping a tense hold on the bird she had between her jaws. By the stars, she was challenging SkyClan's lordship over the Tribe? Moth couldn't have agreed more with anything, but this had been quite sudden. Before she could move forwards to say her piece, several other cats spoke up.

Rippedsky was among them, of course, and Moth found her ears flattening against her head in fury. She couldn't believe her ears. What was this mangy fleabag saying about Stoneteller? A sudden flurry of anger began to burn in the pit of her stomach, and she dropped her fresh-kill to the ground and began shouldering the gathered cats in front of her aside to get to the deputy and his supporters.

"Forgotten our manners?" she spat, the fur along her spine bristling. She looked first to Lilyheart. "How dare you. No one forced you to take us in, and we came here on the words of out ancestors. You invited us in here on your own volition, and now you want us to stop following the cat that had led us justly and wisely for more moons than I can count? No one is more qualified to have dominion over these lands - or any lands -  than he is." Moth swept her icy gaze over the rest of the SkyClan cats, her disgust radiating off of her. "What makes you think you have any more right to this land than we do? The only reason we haven't already been here for generations is because the other Clans chased us out. Us - the ones who have the untainted blood of those who originally lived here. Stoneteller was appointed by the stars just as your Crowstar was, so what makes him less worthy than your leader? Because he wasn't crammed into this little plot of land? Because he doesn't follow your archaic Clan ways? You know nothing of the real world."

ooc: aight wait for shad now

OOC: I’ll just slip this here cuz I couldn’t post with them earlier thanks to work. I’ll wait for Shadow now, plz don't kill me.


Moonlight’s usually calm gaze turned into a slight frown at the words and tension that were being exchanged between the Tribe and the clan. Though she could kind of understand why Swoop would make that kind of suggestion, even she wouldn’t be willing to just step back and let Stoneteller take Crowstar’s spot as the clan’s leader. While she had nothing against the healer of the tribe, seeing him as the clan’s leader instead of Crowstar or, in case the fears of the clan became a reality and he was indeed dead or gone forever, Rippedsky would feel wrong in so many ways. Maybe for the tribe it wouldn’t be that way, but for the clan it would be the closest thing to a usurper that there could be.

Taking a deep breath to not let the tension get to her as well, she finally decided to speak up “I’m sorry Swoop, but you won’t get the support of anyone in the clan with your proposition. You may see Stoneteller as your leader, but the rest of us will never see him that way unless he earns the spot through the clan’s laws. He is no deputy, and because of that the spot won’t be granted to him” She was trying to be as polite as possible, though she could feel the fur on her tail and neck standing on end. If things escalated to a fight she knew who she was going to support, but she really hoped there was no need to keep unsheathe her claws.

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Hawkstrike let out a loud hiss with Swoop’s proposition. He never had liked the tribe cats before, and this wasn’t helping with his situation. He could only see Crowstar as the legitimate leader of SkyClan, and though deep inside he had some doubts thanks to his own ideals and loyalties he had decided to trust the black leader with his choice of Rippedsky as deputy ad would respect him as such if he never came back. But if Stoneteller dared to place a single paw on the rock the Crowstar used to call for gathering and call himself leader the rest of the clan would need to hold him back, or else he would make sure to throw him off with his own claws.

“Are you deaf or what? Can’t you understand that your cause was lost before you even spoke? We don’t care if in your eyes Stoneteller is still your leader or not, we won’t accept him as such, and if anyone needs to fill the leader spot if Crowstar doesn’t return to take it back it will be Rippedsky” He hissed, claws half unsheathed as he glared daggers at Swoop. He was making use of all his self-control just to not try and give her a couple good slashes across her muzzle so she would think twice before daring to make such a mouse-brained proposition again.

His eyes went from the queen to the other two tribe members that spoke up, his glare turning darker “I can think on many other cats just as qualified if not more than Stoneteller to lead SkyClan. He may led you here, but he knows nearly nothing about clan traditions and our laws, just like you. The way you constantly mispronounce our names being more than enough proof of that. Having him lead out clan would be the same as appointing a newly named apprentice as our leader with the only wish that doing won’t bring chaos to us” His tail was lashing angrily as the words left his mouth “Your ancestors may had owned these lands, but you are not them and will never be”.

Poppysong had only come out into the clearing after the commotion became unsaleable for the already irritable she-cat. The words Swoop spoke barely hit her ears, but it was clear what her suggestion was. Logical retorts were made in Rippedsky's but there seemed to be no solid agreement between the two sides. Without hesitation, her brow furrowed and she pushed towards the center of the crowd.

The past sunrises without Crowstar had been nearly unbearable. The tri-coloured warrior had found herself padding around the territory aimlessly. All day, every day. He had to be somewhere. Crowstar may have been an emotionally distant tom but he would never abandon his clan. They were his family. She was his family.

With an already confused mind, the senior warrior raised her voice. "Thank you for your concern, Swoop of Fierce Doves. I'm pleased to see you care for our clan, even if we are distant cousins." She nodded to the queen, understanding full well where she came from. Mothers were always to most compassionate. Poppysong then turned to the deputy. "You are a strong, worthy tom, Rippedsky. But... I agree with Swoop."

"Crowstar is not dead. I refuse to believe so. Wouldn't Oceanlight or Rabbitfoot have received a message from StarClan if this was so?" she meowed, addressing the clan. "My father, Breezestar had gone missing during his leadership. His deputy Rockfall went to Highstones, only to be refused his nine lives. Rockfall was not meant to lead with Breezestar still alive, despite his lack of presence." With a sharp breath, she continued on. "You are deputy, that is true, but it is not your time to lead. Leadership is more than just ceremonies and gatherings and laws. There are hardships and lessons you have not gone through, that none of us have gone through. Stoneteller is seasoned. He was appointed by the stars as any other leader in the forest has. He must know what costs a cat must take for the good of the plenty. What right do we have to say he isn't fit as a leader when we know nothing of their struggles and pains?" Poppysong argued. "He may not know our customs fully yet but he knows what is required of a leader if StarClan has blessed him so. The Tribe would not suggest this if they did not believe in his abilities."

"I believe he can help keep us together while we search for our rightful leader. This isn't an overhaul. SkyClan will not become a whisper next to the Tribe. They are our family, not our conquerors."

Part of her wondered if it was right siding with the Tribe. They were newcomers, no one could deny they had much to learn in terms of clan... but her belief in her distant kin was much stronger than it was in Rippedsky. He had proven himself as a loyal warrior to Crowstar and the clan. It was Crowstar's divine right to choose the tom as deputy, yet it never sat well with the SkyClan she-cat. The Tribe, on the other hand, were of the same blood. They were SkyClan cats through and through who had simply become lost in time. Perhaps it was this blood connection, something she hadn't felt since her sister left, that pushed her to stand beside Swoop and the rest of the tribe.

ooc: same ink

The chaos that suddenly ensued brought heaviness upon the Healer's heart. He was flattered at Swoop's opinion about him leading and was very well prepared to deny his leading. Ripped Skies was right in that regard. They were in clan territory and naturally it would only be right to have their deputy step up as leader. It certainly made more sense initially. However, everything became twisted and sat like a stone in his stomach as others joined in, creating a massive argument over his own title and position, spitting insults at not only him but his entire tribe's being and existence. Some said it with harsher tones than others, but it seemed that most of them felt the same way -- that the tribe was a hindrance. Some even going so far as to saying that he himself held no power, comparing him to a mere apprentice in leadership. How could these cats know this? The tribe had been around for only a moon. Yes, learning their ways was difficult, but certainly they were better than that!

"Enough!" Stoneteller suddenly yowled, his voice bellowing through the camp, trying to get both sides to shut up long enough for him to speak. Once they were quiet for the most part, the tom stood up and looked over the clan cats, meeting with a cold gaze each pair of eyes that locked on him. "After everything that has been said, I am shocked to hear that the ones with the most sense in this clan and my tribe are the young ones and a warrior who has experienced the outside world. Thank you, Heart of the Wild, Lion's Eye and... Sparrow's Kit?" Gritting his teeth, the Healer tried his best to keep his cool. The insults had cut deep, but he wasn't going to show it. "I would like to think that both myself and Ripped Skies could do a very good job combining our resources and knowledge to lead this combination of clan and tribe to the best of its abilities. I believe that if we weren't meant to share skills and abilities with each other, the tribe would never have come. Maybe we can look into combining training, Ripped Skies. Your clan teaches the tribe your ways, and my tribe teaches the clan our ways. Maybe we can create a better understanding that way," He meowed, glancing at the deputy.

His claws digging into the hard earth, Stoneteller then turned to his tribe mates, particularly Swoop and now.. a clan cat?. "I am grateful that you are still willing to stick up for me through everything that has happened to us in these tragic moons, and thank you as well, Song of the Poppies. The Tribe of Endless Stars will forever be grateful to all of you for your strength, courage, and perseverance, but this is not how we treat those who have taken us in and given us all that we needed in our most desperate time. Ripped Skies and I have talked out some issues and we will continue to do so on matters like these."

Breathing in deeply, the Healer continued to think on his thoughts. After a few moments, he slowly but surely moved to his tribe mates' side, staring down the clan cats who seemed so ready for a fight. Hackles were raised, claws were digging into the earth, fangs were bared, insults were lashed. It certainly didn't make them look good. "At the same time, however, as Healer of the Tribe of Endless Skies, I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from this Skyclan. I thought we were joining good company when coming back to the land that our ancestors brought us to, calling us Old Skyclan, but obviously I was wrong. We will continue to stay as our ancestors have told us," Stoneteller paused in his speech for a moment, taking the time to walk up to the clan cats, his cold harsh amber gaze staring down both Hawkstrike and Addergaze. "but if you so much as touch a single hair on any of my tribes' pelts, I will personally see to it that you will share the same fate. We might not have clan training, but I can assure you we are more than you're prepared to handle." A low growl escaped the tom's throat as a matched expression of pure fury revealed itself on his face, but only for a moment. In heartbeats, all hostility within him was gone as he stood in front of his tribe with a neutral face, awaiting a response.

Bubblepaw padded into camp some prey in her mouth just to hear the last of the arguing. She dumped her prey on the prey pile and padded over to Danelionpaw. "Whats going on?" She meowed in her sisters ear giving everybody a quizzical look.

Dandelionpaw turned to her, giving a disgusted look, "One of those Tribe cats, Doveswoop, demanded us to replace Rippedsky with that Stoneteller cat! Stoneteller is nice and all, but how dare they tell us to do that!"

Then Stoneteller gave his address and Dandelionpaw turned to face him. She suddenly felt small and shy again.

Bubblepaw nodded. She flicked her tail in nervousness and pressed against her sister her ears flattened.

Swanpaw gave a small little glare to her sisters Dandilionpaw. "Hush, sister! Just because you think that way doesn't mean you should say it in front of them, okay?" she whispered, giving a small nudge to the she-cat. She gave a small shake of her head. "As your big sister, I thought you would be nicer than that. Now, if there's any chance the Tribe cats heard you, I want to see you personally going up to them and apologize. Okay?" she scolded.