I Won't Hurt You, Unless You Cheat [closed, PLOT]

After witnessing the truly horrid events that had transpired as a result of Wildfire and Sharptooth's crimes, Lichenmask had hoped to never have to set a single paw back inside that dreadful forest. Yet, fate was cruel and his ambitions were much more demanding that something as meaningless as his own unpleasant memories. The forest, lush and filled to the brim with countless variations of greenery, felt alien and unwelcoming to the young tom. Judgmental eyes bore sharply into him from within twisted faces that held residence within the unsightly bark of the trees that loomed high above him. It was almost poetic, he couldn't help but muse, such a strangely beautiful place held an undeniable presence of death and destruction, cleverly hidden from the untrained eye. It was certainly fitting no less. Resisting the urge to shudder, the tabby's pace quickened slightly. The foul scent of blood and exposed flesh, wrought with the stench of anger and fear, seemed to ghost after him with every single step taken.

However, his rather uncomfortable nature would not be mistaken for weakness. If he could survive handling Brindlestar, then Leopardstar would be like handling a rambunctious kit.

Sending forth a spray of sharp stones deep into the ravine that loomed before him, Lichenmask was hardly able to take a single step forward before he was greeted with the undeniably unpleasant sight of a bristling patrol. Clearly, the fanned out trio didn't see him as too much of a threat, as their only immediate response was confusion, soured with the slightest notes of hostility. Swallowing down the urge to bristle in return at the sight of the blatantly unhappy patrol of ThunderClanners, the young tom only lifted his pale chin defiantly in response. Apparently all ThunderClanners were like Snowdrop after all. Feathery tail sweeping out behind him in smooth, unadulterated arcs that practically radiated a smug sense of righteous confidence, the dark-furred tabby finally spoke.

"I'd like to speak with Leopardstar," Lichenmask drawled out smoothly, "It's imperative."

It had been a chaotic moon for Leopardstar - and ThunderClan in general; thus this small moment of serenity was deeply appreciated.  It was a lovely afternoon and the sandy clearing was dappled with many warm patches of late Green-leaf sunlight.  One of these spots was claimed by the golden spotted tabby leader himself, sprawled on his side, eyes half-closed.  Just as it seemed he was about to drift off though, the clattering of falling pebbles caused his ears to prick.  Instantly alert, he rolled onto his belly and looked up at the cliff edge where the stones had fallen from, hazel eyes narrowing to slits.  What's made it's way so deep into the forest?  It could be prey...  His suspicions proved though to be wrong; to his surprise, he saw the silhouette of a cat standing, framed by the sun.  A growl beginning to rise in his throat, Leopardstar stood up and began to jog towards the camp exit.  He could hear the sounds of a perplexed patrol nearby; good, at least it's not running free.  It took a few minutes for Leopardstar to arrive; he had to scale the steep walls of the Gorge and find his way through the undergrowth towards where he had seen the stranger.  Soon enough though, he pushed through a patch of ferns and the scene revealed itself; a patrol had cornered the cat...who scented of RiverClan.  The tom's nerves instantly heightened, Leopardstar pushed through his warriors so that he could stand face-to-face with this tom, his golden spotted fur bristling.  As he met the young tom's gaze though...something clicked.  He knew this cat.


"What is your business here, RiverClanner?  I'm growing tired of your clanmates marching onto our territory without permission, so this better be good."  Leopardstar did not dismiss the patrol; he simply waved his tail for them to assemble behind him, a blockade to block the pathway to the camp.  He met Lichenpaw's - probably with a different name by now - gaze severely; hazel clashed on amber, and his mind swirled with a million questions.  What are they trying to warn me about you?

Practically radiating an air of unperturbed patience, Lichenmask appeared to be perfectly content with awaiting Leopardstar's inevitable approach with an infuriating tranquil display. For many painfully long moments, the only subtle display of movement on the young tom's behalf was the occasional sporadic twitch of his feathery tail, which was faintly riddled with a cleverly concealed dwindling patience. Even as the long-awaited Leopardstar finally made his appearance at the rocky crest of the ravine, the young Warrior's only immediate response was a slight quirk of his invisible feline brows- almost as though he was non-verbally insinuating that the golden Leader had kept him waiting for a time period that yawned beyond the reaches of politeness. Blinking curiously as the riled up tom chose to refrain from dismissing the blatantly bewildered patrol, Lichenmask's unyielding persona of feigned politeness and concern didn't falter for a single moment as he finally spoke once more.

"You have no use for holding up such a patrol," There was a callous note of boredom evident within the smooth, ethereal depths of Lichenmask's voice, "I came only to trade words, nothing more. Keeping them here in retaliation against a lone Warrior is a waste of time for everyone." Although the young tom's words were unsettlingly cool and collected, the furtive challenge carefully embedded within his disinterested voice was painfully obvious.

The tom's words were cold as ice, and they sent a shiver of foreboding down the leader's spine, but he spoke logically.  Leopardstar's anger towards RiverClan had blinded him to the fact that this young tom was alone and at the disadvantage, and if it was true that he wanted to exchange only words then he assumed he did not have much to fear.  His jaw set firmly, he sent the confused patrol away back to camp with a sharp flick of his tail, before turning to face Lichen...paw.  His curiosity and apprehension mounting at an equal rate, the golden spotted tom straightened his shoulders, extending himself to his full intimidating height.  He was at least two heads taller than this tom but...somehow, he felt bigger than he was.  As if his personality, his resolve, towered above the tallest oak in the forest.  His expression surly, he uttered a single low growl.  "Speak."

Absently lifting a slender forepaw, Lichenmask’s movements were sharpened as a result of his appalling lack of urgency. Mindlessly nipping at a particularly loose sheath that stubbornly clung to one of his foreclaws, the young tom merely watched with that same sense of infuriating disinterest as the uneasy patrol was finally dismissed by nothing more than a simple flick of Leopardstar’s tail. The feigned behavior of friendliness bled away with each reluctant step taken by the patrol. Momentarily shielding the golden-furred tom from the unsettlingly sharp depths of his amber gaze in the form of a curious blink, the young tom’s feathery tail gave a brief twitch as the ThunderClan Leader finally spoke. Hardly minding the fact that he was practically dwarfed by Leopardstar, Lichenmask’s composed and utterly disinterested behavior didn’t falter for a moment.

”You’ve come quite far for a rogue, haven’t you?” The brief statement was honeyed with an unsettling coyness. Although Lichenmask’s motives still remained unclear, one thing was certain- the truth wouldn’t come easy.

After the patrol had left, Leopardstar focused his attention fully on this odd young tom with the vivid amber eyes, not blinking as he met their intelligently confident gaze with his own share of stoicly fierce authority.  He was not scared of this cat, as he got the feeling he wanted him to be, only intrigued.  What about him had made Ivystar warn him about one of her own clanmates, and what gave him the confidence to speak to a leader as a medicine cat would, delivering messages as if he could see what was to come?  So, what was the truth he had been lining his nest with?

”You’ve come quite far for a rogue, haven’t you?”

As the surprising words left the RiverClan cat's maw, Leopardstar's eyes narrowed.  For a moment, he didn't quite know how to respond to this blatant reference of his origins, but his silence did not last for long.  "Yes, I suppose I have.  ThunderClan was merciful to me and allowed me to grow into a cat beyond my roots...though I suppose when you start at the very bottom there's nowhere really to go rather than up."  As he spoke though, he couldn't help the uneasy feeling that was growing deep within his stomach.  How did this RiverClan cat know that he had been taken into the clan as a kit?  It was entirely possible that stories of his history had passed through the other clans - it was definitely no secret in ThunderClan - but somehow, he doubted it.  Besides, what did this cat care about his origins?  If he had come here expecting to interview him and learn the secrets from deep in his past that he hadn't even told Lichenfang and Grasswhisker than he was sorely mistaken.  "What relevance does my parentage have to RiverClan, Lichenpaw?  I know you must have a warrior name by now, what can I call you by?"  Despite the casual question, Leopardstar could feel his heart begin to beat faster; this whole situation rubbed him the wrong way, and he wanted to be over and done with it as soon as he could.  He had a clan to lead.

"Would knowing one name among many truly bring you any comfort? I'm sure you've found the name of a mere messenger to be worthless if you don't know where the message comes from and who sent it." A crooked, impish smile revealed a dazzling array of pristine teeth, while Lichenmask's features were overtaken with a irritating display of amusement. He had grown quite talented at dancing around the truth endlessly, never quite owning up to it nor obscuring it- it was a delicate art, one which his offense relied upon. Head tilting slightly as he gazed over at the larger tom, a flash of pink swept past his lips for the briefest heartbeats. "They gave me the name Lichenmask, if that makes any difference to you." It was a bit off-putting to here the golden tom speak so freely of the minimal time that he had spent outside of the Clan he now oversaw. Didn't he see the shame in such a situation? It was promiscuous and indecent. Resisting the nagging urge to leer over at Leopardstar, he merely shrugged at the other tom's silence, unwilling to indulge him just yet. "Tell me, would you speak as freely and be so accepting if you knew that one you loved was also sired by lies and uncaring parents? Lies even unbeknownst to even you." Lichenmask's tone was much too careless and indifferent as he finally began to guide Leopardstar into the uncomfortable trap that awaited him. Casually lifting up a slender forepaw, the young tom absently began to soothe his tongue against the rough surface of his torn up pads as he awaited an answer.

Lichenmask.  It was an interesting name, and it seemed to fit the tom well, but the blase and convoluted way in which he led up to revealing it made Leopardstar's tail twitch in annoyance.  He had encountered this kind of dancing speech before while speaking to StarClan and cats who knew more than living creatures should, and it infuriated him to no end.  He was a tom of straight-forward words and demeanor, not liking to waste time with mystery or suspense.  Still...Lichenmask's words only continued to inflame the growing feeling of unease within his belly; the tom's careless arrogance had made its mark, and Leopardstar knew that there was more going on than he was letting on.  This was a young warrior, not a sage-like medicine cat.  There were more secrets here than he cared to explore.

The RiverClan warrior's next words though caught him off guard.  He had just begun to get a grip of what this tom might be here to accuse him of - he had been insulted for his blood before - but now he had changed the topic to someone else entirely.  One I love? He loved many cats, his entire clan he would even say, but he must mean someone much closer to him.  Not any of his kits surely...maybe his adopted kits?  He knew where they came from though and was well aware of their histories.  That left only..."Are you speaking of Lichenfang?"  He knew that his mate was also rogue-born, abandoned in the same manner he had been.  He still remembered the day that he had found her, early in his apprenticeship.  His eyes narrowing even further, the tom's shoulders stiffened as he replied, though there was now a hint of a snarl hidden beneath his words.  "What information do you have concerning my mate?"

"Tender spot, eh?" The grin that flitted across Lichenmask's comely features was delighted, almost as though he was reveling in the subtle notes of aggression within Leopardstar's cold voice. Slender paw still within close proximity of his own face, the young tom allowed the agonizing tension to further as he casually continued to rasp his tongue over his sore paws, "Love is a funny thing, isn't it? Our devotion to others often blinds our ability to see the truths and faults of the painful reality we live within." Although he was no stranger to love, despite his young age, he wasn't as foolish as Leopardstar or any of the other Leader's he had already spoken to. He would never willingly succumb to such a weakness, no matter who it was. Not for Brushpaw, nor Duskpaw. He was burdened with a purpose much too glorious for something as condemning as love. "Don't worry, I know just as well as you do that one can never choose the circumstances of their birth. Although I must say, it's quite unfortunate that her father was a RiverClanner, isn't it? How painful is it, knowing that Lichenfang is related to the Clan whose only ambition in life is to see you and the ones you care about suffer?" Head tilting slightly as he peered at Leopardstar with a feigned innocence, there was the faintest hint of an immanent threat within the brusque statement.

"How do you think RiverClan would feel if they ever learned of such a thing? Do you think they'd wish to lay claim to those that you and Lichenfang sired- after all, they're more RiverClan than anything else."

Leopardstar felt as if he had been rammed by a Thunderpath monster.

His facade of casual nobility and bravery instantly dropped, to reveal the stunned hazel eyes of a cat who had lost too much in his eventful life and was scared to lose anything more.  His mind raced, trying to absorb all this information in the span of a few seconds; Lichenfang is the daughter of RiverClan tom...our kits have clan blood after all...RiverClan blood...how is this possible?!  Unconsciously, Leopardstar's claws began to slide out of their sheaths, though he did not spring.  For a moment he broke his gaze away from Lichenmask's, sliding down to the distant ground and looking glazed as he words began to sink in farther and farther...they could take her away.  Birdflight...Jaystar could drag her away just like Ivystar did with Flickerpaw...they can't have my kit, I won't let them!  In a single quick step, Leopardstar had advanced on the RiverClan tom and glared down at him, so close their noses were almost touching.  His chest heaved with furious breaths as his hazel eyes bore into Lichenmasks, almost rivaling the eerie coolness of the RiverClan cat's gaze with his own share of pure, raw nerve.  "Now you listen here Lichenmask...you're walking a very fine line.  Listen to me closely; if you or any other of your fish-eating clanmates lay a single claw on my family, you will have the full wrath of ThunderClan on your tail, do you understand me?!"  In a moment of odd malevolence, a smile cracked across Leopardstar's face as his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper.  "And if you somehow escape the claws of my warriors...I promise you I will come after you myself, and you will not live to see the light of another day."

Leopardstar backed away, the gleam of aggression fading from his eyes to be replaced with a dark power as he glared down his nose at the smaller tom.  "I know there's something screwy with you, you're not the only one who knows things Lichenmask.  A certain legandary leader of your clan's past visited me at my ceremony, and her words have piqued my interest.  Whatever you and the sparrows can see, I can assure you, you will not go unnoticed.  Watch your step Lichenmask...don't trip on the path you've doomed yourself to follow."  In essence, Leopardstar was rambling.  He didn't know what this cat wanted, what the sparrows were, or where this cat's life would lead...but he needed to scare him.  He needed to keep him away from Birdflight and her kits, from Lichenfang, from Pantherpaw...from the only family he had left.  Because, despite his outward threats, fear churned in his stomach, and he couldn't dislodge the feeling that his attempts to protect were in vain.

Even in spite of the frantic physical gestures and menacing words on Leopardstar's behalf, Lichenmask's lips merely curled back into an even wider leer that prominently displayed a mouthful of sharp and starkly-white faultless teeth. His narrow features no longer held faux expressions of youthful innocence or amusement, but rather a seemingly innate abhorrence. Although the forest seemed to be eerily silent in those painfully long moments, the air around the pair of toms churned and burned with the scorching heat of an invisible firestorm of tension. Forcing himself up onto the very ends up his extended toes, the young tom thrust his own muzzle against Leopardstar's, while his neck ached profusely at the sudden strain upon the muscles that were hidden beneath the many layers of fur. "Your first mistake," The velvety softness of Lichenmask's voice was a jarring comparison to the vehemence of his words, "Is presuming that something as inconsequential as my death would stop this. I speak for StarClan, but that doesn't make me indispensable. Even if I were to meet an unsavory end just a few moments after this conversation, they would send another in my place. You cannot escape the will of our ancestors. You could slay me and all the others who rise up, but all that you would manage to accomplish is becoming the murderous Rogue that every cat whispers you already are." Even as Leoparstar pulled away, Lichenmask did not let him fully retreat. Arrogantly following suit after the golden flecked tom, the fox-like grin that twisted the young tom's comely features only heightened in its intensity. A certain legendary Leader of your clan's past.. It wasn't a surprise to Lichenmask- Sparrowleaf had warned him that others, impure and weak of flesh, would try to oppose this change for their own selfish reasons. He didn't need much of a clue as to the mystery Leader's identity, as Reedstar and Fishstar would've never fought against such a crusade.

"And your second mistake is thinking that a cat like Ivystar would ever truly be on your side. She's barely been in the ground longer than I've been alive, and yet you've already decided that her words are suddenly less deceitful than they were when she was alive? She spoke to you in hopes of saving her rotting hide, and for no other reason!" Lichenmask spat the words with a hateful scorn, teeth clicking together angrily. The dead meddling amongst the living was certainly cumbersome whenever they weren't for his cause. Muzzle wrinkling into a slight snarl, the dark-furred tom finally fully withdrew from his close proximity to the ThunderClan Leader. Allowing himself to settle back into his lesser natural height, the brusque air of casual calmness seemed to return to him- almost as if they had been discussing the weather and nothing more. Following a brief flash of vividly colored tongue, his next words were spoken with a casual breeziness that would likely chill a sane creature to the absolute core of their being.

"You're right, I suppose something is 'screwy' with me. Perhaps its the fact that I'm not even the slightest bit hesitant to see every single one of your Clanmates hunted down and taken care of like the diseased animals that they are." Truth be told, he would never stand for such a senseless act of cruel violence, but Leopardstar didn't need to know that. It was easier to allude to himself as the great villain who would commit such terrible atrocities than try to explain to an impure cat that impurity would eventually lead to the destruct of them all. "And with RiverClan's numbers and Jaystar's burning hatred for you, it wouldn't be much of a challenge either. All it'd take is one simple raid upon the camp and you'd hardly last long enough to put up a decent fight. We're family, yet my Clanmates cry for the blood of all those you love." Casually dipping his head to nudge several ruffled pieces of fur back into their proper place upon his chest, the young tom didn't falter for a single heartbeat as he painted a picture of the terrible impending violence that loomed on the horizon. Lifting a paw to help smooth his mussed up cheek fur back into its rightful place upon his face, Lichenmask's voice was quiet.

"But that's not what I want from you. I come only asking for one thing in return for my silence and the lives of your Clanmates."

It took an exemplary amount of effort on his part not to flinch when Lichenmask's muzzle was thrust against his own, the leader forced to stare right into those unsettling eyes as words flooded from the tom's mouth that sent chilling rippling down his back.  What is this cat?  He knew first-hand that it was possible for cats other than medicine cats to be visited by StarClan...his many dreams shared with Grasswhisker and even Wolffang once gleamed brightly in his memory...but if he truly had knowledge of a 'mission' StarClan would do anything to enforce...what made him so important?  What made him so confident to think that he could take on a leader, and come out on top?

He remained silent though as Lichenmask countered every threat he had made, the weight in his stomach growing heavier with every word, but he restrained himself to a furious low snarl, and digging his claws into the ground.  He could've disputed, could've fought with words and pushed him back into his place...but he knew it would not have worked.  This arrogant tom was too cocky to listen...and Leopardstar refused to give in to the temptation his claws screamed for.  Another reason for Jaystar to come marching into camp was the last thing they needed right now.  

"And what might that be?"  His patience was running thin, and his voice showed it.  This cat was pushing every button he had, and he supposed it showed a certain growth of character that he hadn't yet pinned him to the ground, as he had once done with Rockthorn.  Threatening his clan and family, insulting his origins...the resemblance was almost uncanny.  At least words had worked on Rockthorn though, at least for a little while...

Glaring up at the stocky tom with that same infuriating sense of righteousness, Lichenmask held a stoic air of silence for a painfully long time, almost as if he was content to bask in Leopardstar's infuriated lack of patience. Aimlessly soothing the final stubborn traces of poorly groomed fur back into their rightful place, he coyly withheld any mention of apparent saving grace simply for amusement. It was quite strange how quickly his mood would shift, especially considering the gravity of the situation he had fabricated. "Come to Fourtrees two sunrises from today, and make sure to bring your Deputy and Medicine Cat as well- I think they'll be quite interested in my words." Pulling himself atop a precariously thin shelf of rock that jutted out from the steep ravine face, the young tom's slender paws hardly made a noise as he took his leave to depart. Purposely sending a slight spray of pebbles raining down upon Leopardstar, he let out a slight puff as he began to pick his way back up the partially obscured ravine. Once he was finally free of the less than appealing slope that sheltered ThunderClan's camp, he twisted around to gaze at the golden spotted tom one final time.

"If you fail to do so, I'll personally see to it that not even the stars themselves can save you from the destruction that you've brought down upon ThunderClan." Feathery tail giving a dismissive flick, Lichenmask was quick to vanish among the thick swathes of foliage that crowded the ravine's edge. Strangely enough, he wasn't heading in the direction for the tumble of ancient stones that served as the border between ThunderClan and RiverClan.