Not just the warriors, the queens and kits too. [RC Sunningrocks War Meeting]

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a clan meeting!" Ivystar's tail lashed from side to side as she yowled out to her clanmates to gather. She looked furious, her usually calm gaze was glinting with the embers of hate. The time had finally come, ThunderClan was out to get them and it was their chance to crush the shrub-dwelling fools. Her clan was ready for this, it's what they all trained for. Wars between clans was the natural state of things. Too long had they been complacent in the false peace that had been upheld.

It was time.

Smokepaw was startled awake by her leader's angry yowl. Obviously, this would be a serious meeting. The apprentice sat down, wincing slightly, and shuffled her position. Her wounds from the fox fight still hurt a tiny bit, but it didn't matter. She gazed up into Ivystar's eyes and saw hatred. What exactly was happening?

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Brightpaw scrambled from the den and sprinted to where the meeting was happening. He heard he urgency in his leader's voice, yet he was not scared. He was ready for whatever had happened now. He looked around for his siblings. One icy, shocking blue eye and one fiery, fierce amber eye gazed up at Ivystar.

Nutfur, being startled at the louder than usual summons, quickly trotted over to beneath the willow branch. The look of pure hatred on her leader's face sent a wave of fear down the she-cat's spine. Though Ivystar was a good leader, she had always been a bit too aggressive and prideful. But she was leader and her word was the code, so the brown warrior respected her orders if for only that reason. Tail twitching with worry, she sat down, bracing herself for whatever the angry leader had to say.

Spotpaw padded up next to Brightpaw. "What do you think is going on? Ivystar sounds... agitated." He sat down and gazed at the leader calmly, but the tip of his tail twitched. I have a bad feeling about this.

Ashpaw heard the call and padded towards the usual clan gathering area. Immediately upon landing her eyes on her mother, the silver she-cat was surprised to see that Ivystar looked so grim. The sheltered young apprentice had never seen her mother in a foul mood before. With a feeling of dread, she pricked her ears and kept her alert green gaze on her mother's tense form. She wondered what calamity had occurred.

Snowpaw had just gotten back into camp from a hunting patrol, placing a large trout in the fresh-kill pile before sitting under the Willow Branch at the leader's summons. The anger in Ivystar's eyes frightened the apprentice, who knew immediately that this couldn't be just another ceremony, although she knew that her ceremony wouldn't be too far away. What had happened? What was wrong? Had somecat declared war? Of course, with the temper that RiverClan's leader was known for, it was far more likely to be the other way around. They had been training for war as long as she could remember... but still, the fluffy white she-cat watched Ivystar with large, terrified green eyes as her Clanmates gathered around.

Lilytail stepped out of the warrior's den at the leader's call. Her eyes widened at Ivystar's expression. The leader looked thirsty for blood. She quickly sat down and looked up at her kin, waiting to hear the news Ivystar was bringing them. She sure hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn't put the whole clan in danger.

Finchstream tossed and turned in her nest of reeds and feathers, letting out piteous mewls of fear and sorrow.  In the world of nightmares, the shadowy figures of her clanmates surrounded her, gazing down at the small molly with wide jeering grins.  Their taunts echoed through the air around her, each remark causing her to twinge and press closer to the ground. 'You coward, you don't deserve to call yourself a warrior!'  'What clan cat is scared of blood?!  Why don't you just go run away and be a kittypet, little one. 'Look at her, she's cowering like a timid little mouse!'  A whimper rising in her throat, the silver tabby called out desperately; "N..no!  P..please, I..I'm not a coward!"  A rough paw pinned her by the shoulders, and she looked up to see the grave face of Ivystar staring back at her.  'You traitor!  Get out of my clan now, or I swear I will kill you, right here, right now.'  Hyperventilating, Finchstream whipped her head around; the disappointed face of Nutfur was standing aside, refusing to meet her gaze.  Her parents stood in the shadows; Fallowstripe's eyes were filled with tears, and despite Finchstream's heartbroken wails for help she burried her face into Fracturedhawk's chest, leaving only her father's cold eyes, that stared back at her with a mix of anger and dismay.  Finally, a brown and white dappled tom padded forward, and tearful yellow eyes met amber for a single moment, before Ospreypaw spat in her face, and walked away into the shadows.  "N..NO!  Please, please!  Come back, I didn't do anything wrong!"



Finchstream woke up.  Her heart racing, it took a long moment for the silver tabby she-cat to realize what had woken her.  Cats were gathering in the clearing.  Her paws still trembling, she rose slowly from her tousled nest and gave her pelt a few quick, comforting licks before she pushed her way out into the weak leaf-bare sunshine.  Ivystar balanced on the willow branch, her tail lashing; the look on the leader's face reminded her too much of how she had appeared in her dream, and she turned her gaze toward the ground.  She saw Nutfur sitting nearby, but the small she-cat knew that her friend would see in an instant how shaken she was, so she opted to sitting on a dry patch of soil, alone.  She faintly wondered what this meeting was about, but for the moment she was too preoccupied with trying to relax her mind.  Her burden was becoming too much to bare...one more crushing blow, and the tiny helpless bird would be crushed under the weight of her guilt and shame.

Duckpaw lifted her head up from where she had been sitting near the fresh-kill pile. Her brown ears instantly pricked in interest and her green eyes glimmered with curiosity. The she-cat padded over to join the group of cats that were beginning to gather underneath the willow branch like the leader has said to do. What really concerned the apprentice was Ivystar's tone. She knew that her mentor had a more aggressive personality, so maybe it wasn't something huge... but it still seemed oddly serious. A small shiver went through her spine as she sat down near the other apprentices and tilted her head while looking up at the leader.

Jaystream , who was resting from a hunting patrol, flicked his ears a bit surprised by the sudden and angry of his leader and mother. He stood up and rushed to reach her side, worried about her angry and fiery look. The deputy already knew about the short-tempered and usually aggressive personality of the leader but this time... it felt different.

He sat down not too far away from the willow branch and wrapped his tail around his trembling paws, hiding his anxious thoughts as he looked at the clan with a serious face. He was Ivystar's right-hand cat so he had to act strong for her and the clan, no matter what news was she going to give to them.

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Silverfang left the comfort of the den and padded closer to her great-grandmother. The silvery she-cat sat down and kept her eyes on her. She was angry, that was obvious, and the young warrior wondered why she was like that. Ivystar usually had good reasons to get mad and fiery, just like her mother, Thistleblaze, and she herself. Something happened, there was no doubt about that, and Silverfang would listen to the news and follow the leader's orders after that. Her loyalty would always be with the clan and she trusted Ivystar's judgement with all her heart.

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The small she-cat approached the meeting with curious eyes and she sat down next to her family, concerned about the expression and attitude of her leader. Tinytip made herself comfortable and looked at her mate with worried amber eyes. "This isn't going to be good, isn't it?" She whispered to Batfang, uncomfortable about all this situation.

Snailbelly was aroused from a nap by the thunderous summons for a meeting. Lazily, he slumped on over to the rest of his Clanmates. What was it now?

Sweetheart padded over to the gathering cats from the fresh-kill pile, looking up at her leader with apprehension. She knew whatever Ivystar had to say, it would not be good. Her short fur on her shoulders began to bristle uncomfortably.

Heronkit heard Ivystar's call out to the clan.  Is this my ceremony? he thought.  But no, Ivystar had a stern look on her face, like she was frustrated over something.  Maybe she missed a fish, Heronkit pondered.  Or maybe she is just in a grumpy mood today.

Reedpaw jumped up from his slumber when he heard Ivystar's call to gather.  He hauled tail out with the rest of the cats.  The tom found two of his brothers already waiting for the announcement.  "What do you think is happening?" He asked Spotpaw and Brightpaw.

Spotpaw glanced at Reedpaw, his eyes betraying fear. "I don't think this is a ceremony,
Reedpaw." He said. He gazed back up at Ivystar with a worried look on his face.