You Feel Your Sins Crawling Down Your Back (OPEN - Ivystar needed)

Viperstorm turned around snarled. "You forget apprentice, that how can Thunderclan make any moves, they are in worse shape than we are? How do you expect them to attack again? Ivystar made a promise and I bet she will keep it if Thunderclan was mouse brained enough to make another move."

"So tell me apprentice." The warrior hissed out the word. "What experience do you have to back up your words? Do you see Starclan behind you? Did they give you nine lives? How many battles have you fought? If any of these match Ivystar, then I will be so inclined to listen to your words." The warrior wasn't afraid of showing her claws now. "This so called behavior is keeping your skin alive. Worry about your own Spotpaw. If you are so worried about Thunderclan why don't you go join them?"

"Oh wait. You won't." Viperstorm snarled. "Cause I'm so sure Thunderclan will welcome you with open arms. They totally won't hate your guts even if you are defending them now. You want justice so bad? Fight for them. Just know I will not give you a chance to leave this camp without a scar." The warrior growled her claws ready to lash out at this apprentice any chance she got.

Up until now, Scorchpaw had listened silently to the conversation, but now he felt the need to interject. "I do think that Thistlepaw should not have been killed, but Otterleap is probably already paying for that. The guilt will haunt him for the rest of his life. As for the ThunderClan hostages, if keeping them will protect our Clan, then I don't think they should be released. RiverClan should come first before we start thinking about other clans."

Spotpaw hissed at Viperstorm. "I have one life, but am I not allowed to express my opinion? I do not defend Thunderclan, I defend my own with my claws. I will not lash my claws at you if you attack me, he glanced at Viperstorm's unsheathed claws as he said this. "I might stand alone and you may hate me, and I have nothing against Otterleap.
I've heard stories, I memorized the warrior code, and I have forged my opinion from what I've heard and seen. Do what you like to me. I will not physically harm a Clanmate, unlike some bloodthirsty cats I seem to know."

Viperstorm let out one last hiss before she grabbed the apprentice by the scruff and tossed him into the water just outside of the camp. She stood up on the dry land looking down on the apprentice. "If you protect your own, then stop acting like your own is Thunderclan. Your opinion has turned into a fight to support Thunderclan. Stupid scum like you shouldn't even be able to talk to Ivystar in that tone let alone a warrior. You are going to be picking ticks off the elders for the next six moons, Apprentice." Viperstorm growled.

The young warrior turned away from the apprentice finally done with this conversation. Letting the apprentice sit in the freezing water as a punishment for his back talk. Hopefully he would act on his words and leave to Thunderclan. He clearly wasn't wanted here. The gray blue warrior trotted away from the scene joining Snailbelly, in his hesitance to leave the camp.

Heronpaw got outraged.  That was the last straw!  "Viperstorm!" Heronpaw snarled to the young warrior.  "Yes, the clan comes before other clans!  Yes, following the warrior code is very important!  But that is not all to a warrior!  A warrior should have the option to challenge the leader's decisions.  Otherwise, they will just be empty shells - pawns for the leader to use!  Is that what you want!?  Do you want to be used!?  Or do you want to think before acting instead of blindly following the leader's instructions? Heronpaw said to the warrior.  His words were not directed at the leader, but they were indirectly talking about her.

OOC: No Fear; just RPing; R.I.P. Heronpaw's reputation

Viperstorm turned on Heronpaw, her teeth glinting in the light of the day as she let out a snarl of her own. "There is an opinion and then there is straight out disrespecting. Which is what you are doing right now little apprentice. The code says your leader's word is law, and Ivystar had already made her final choice on the matter, and this persistence arguing with her is getting you nothing. Now you better shut your mouth before you end up with Spotpaw." The warrior growled her tail lashing. She wouldn't tolerate another apprentice speaking out like this. It was one thing to state your opinion but it was another to keep arguing it. If this apprentice wanted to keep it up he would end up more than just wet, he would have a scratch to worry about.


ooc: Sttttoooooppppp let Holly post and stuff please, this topic was meant to focus on Swanpaw.

OOC: Actually, Swanpaw was meant to be the catalyst for all this, but thank you <3

Swanpaw laughed at the warrior - something seemed familiar. She had known Viperstorm as... A kit, yes. For some reason, she found that thought incredibly amusing. "A warrior I last knew as a kit herself looking down on apprentices, when she herself must have been one not long ago," she mused. "Is that how you treat power, then? The title of an apprentice isn't something to be scorned, you should know as much. Apprentice I may be, but I have age and experience that surpasses yours by far, I'm sure." She acknowledged Heronpaw next, seeing the truth in his words. "You're right. An honorable cat is nobody's pawn."

IC: Spotpaw lay in the water, stunned for a few moments. He sat up out of the water angrily. He glared over at where Viperstorm was now. He heard Heronpaw and Swanpaw and his face softened. At least I have some cats with me, he thought. "I suppose there are always cats like that." He said waveringly as if he had lost much confidence. "Most cats seem to think that a ceremony automatically makes you better and smarter than every other cat who hasn't had his or hers yet."

OOC: I edited it so that he isn't bleeding and such

Brightpaw’s eyes widened as he saw Spotpaw get dragged into the river, but he didn’t do anything out of fear. When he returned, however, he could see the patch of blood. He gently licked the spot, trying to cleanse it of the disgustingly warm liquid. He wanted to be there, to calm his brother, but Clan loyalty held him from speaking his mind about Ivystar and the death of a ThunderClan apprentice. He listened with one ear to the other cats as they discussed, while he focused on cleaning Spotpaw.

ooc: Dude chill the water isn't deep enough for him to drown or get hurt from it, she didn't toss him into the gorge.

ic:
Viperstorm's tail lashed. "I'm still a warrior. I proved myself enough to earn my name, which these apprentice's have yet to do, and all they are proving right now is what cowards they are. You stand here and speak, like your experience is far more than Ivystar, or any other warrior for that matter, but you don't. All you have experience for is the two leg place Swanpaw, not war. Why don't you see any warrior speaking up for you? All you have is some apprentices on your side. Once again, Ivystar has made her choice. All you are doing now is pointless arguing." The warrior growled. "You want to follow the code so badly, follow it now. Her word is law." The warrior was done with this pointless arguing. These apprentices were getting no where. The warrior sat down next to Snailbelly rubbing her head against him trying to calm herself down.

Spotpaw turned to look at Brightpaw and, giving his brother a cold look, padded a few steps away from Brightpaw. Lies. Acting like you're my mother. If Silverfang wants to lick me she may, but you,
I will not let you touch me. He thought this bitterly, as Viperstorm spoke. Just because we were born at different times. Pathetic. He scowled. Nearly the whole Clan is against me. They can do what they may.

The silvery she-cat was enjoying the sun when she suddenly saw all the cats gathering around Swanpaw, an apprentice that got lost a long time ago. She still remembered when she was an apprentice but she never was too close to her and actually, she didn't mind too much about her arrival. That's why she preferred to stay there and just watch.

However, her fur started to bristle when her own clanmates started to talk bad about her leader's actions. How dare they? Ivystar was trying to protect them all from future attack and that's how they thanked her? She hissed on her spot, giving an angry look to all those apprentices and to those young warriors called Nutfur and Sweetheart. Ivystar was their leader too and she never punished anyone for speaking their minds and she NEVER praised Otterleap for what he did. It was ridiculous.

However, what really finished her patience was seeing her own son, Spotpaw, joining those traitors. When she was about to stand up and talk to him, her younger sister, Viperstorm, argued with him. Silverfang still disliked the newly appointed warrior because inside her heart she still blamed her for Thistleblaze's death but... she had to admit that she was a loyal cat and she agreed her stand. However, when she picked her son by the scruff and then left him on the water, Silverfang trotted to her a bit pissed off. But she didn't fight her at all. Instead, she turned her gaze to the smaller tom and hissed. "Okay Spotpaw, that's enough. What you are saying is nonsense and I'm very disappointed. You talk of Ivystar like she's a monster that desires the destruction of an entire clan when what she's doing only proves that she wants to protect her own! We fought for the Sunningrocks to have prey for this leafbare, the same prey you eat every day! Every warrior should be smart enough to see that. And she already told you that Honeyspark will return to her clan in the next Gathering. Is that what a blood-thirsty leader would do? Of course not! Stop acting like a kit already and show some respect." She snarled, approaching her son with an intimidating look in her odd eyes. She was done of his disobedience and disrespect. Spotpaw was acting like a traitor talking like that.

She looked from the corner of her narrowed eyes at the blue-furred she-cat before continuing. "Viperstorm is my sister and she had earned her warrior name with hard work. That's why you should respect her as well as your leader. I may be angry at her for throwing you into the water but trust me... I'm only angry because I wanted to do it. Quit being a stubborn kit or I will treat you like one." She finished her scolding, giving Spotpaw an angered look. At least Brightpaw was being better than his brother.

Brightpaw watched, heartbroken, as his own brother walked away from him. He returned the glare, his oddly coloured eyes gazing into the depths of his brother’s. If he wants to be that way, he can be. After all I did for him. He hates me still. ”Go ahead. Be that way then, brother.” Brightpaw spoke the last word with such hostility that anyone would think the two were enemies. He knew he was probably overreacting, but that small gesture had latched onto his deepest insecurity: the Clan hated him. It made it ten times worse when it was Spotpaw, because he had expected his family to support him, and to at least allow him to comfort them. The grey tabby tom gave Spotpaw one last pointed glare, before stepping away to stand with Viperstorm. ”Viperstorm is right. Ivystar’s word is law.” he spoke, managing to keep his voice steady and level. He looked to Silverfang for reassurance, now convinced he was doing the right thing.

Spotpaw was nearly done already when his mother- his own mother- talked to him like he was a newborn acting like the leader of the Clan. "So Viperstorm has nine lives like Ivystar then? I was born later, and that isn't MY fault. And anyway, everyone else is acting like Sunningrocks is the only place on the territory that has prey! Everyone but Swanpaw and Heronpaw seem to be against me, and they're batting me around like I'M the monster, or just some plaything! If I think it's wrong, I should be able to think that. Are you telling me what my opinion should be? I really am nothing to anyone, am I? I'm supposed to be just another cat going through life doing what everyone else says. I'm supposed to be a pawn, doing and thinking whatever the others want me to." He shook his head in disbelief. Then he heard Brightpaw. His family hated him most. "Funny how you call me brother, but you don't act like I am. All I did was express my opinion and what did you and Goldenpaw do? You both hit me! As if I was some Thunderclan cat here to attack you all!" He could no longer hold back the emotions of anger, the feeling of being betrayed, and the sadness that he was alone. "I admit it; the way I spoke was as if I wanted to join Thunderclan, and I did some things wrong! But at least I won't force anyone to share my opinion! In such a way as this! I thought my Clan was more civil than this!"

OOC: Was the river completely frozen?  I don't think so, because Heronpaw and his mentor, Jaystream, caught fish in his hunting assessment.  They also brought an eagle home, so RiverClan will be sustained for at least a week.

Heronpaw was frustrated at this.  We can catch enough prey to survive leaf-bare! he thought to himself, ripping a piece of the eagle that he and his mentor caught. After Spotpaw's words, Heronpaw got a volcano of energy ready to erupt.