Impulse and Foolishness {Closed}

OOC: Takes place after the December Gathering ;;;

Following the night of the disastrous Gathering, a new day dawned. As the sun's pale rays crept over the edges of the ravine and spilled downwards, they illuminated a camp bustling with cats ready to go about their duties yet again. Warriors ambled over to their respective patrols, while apprentices scoffed down a hasty breakfast. Kits that had woken up early entertained themselves by pouncing into unsuspecting snow drifts. Never too far away, a queen would be carefully watching over them. Chatter filled the air, conversations of all sorts drifting to and fro. In the midst of the almost chaotic atmosphere, one apprentice sat quietly by the bramble wall. Hailpaw had not slept a wink ever since the clan meeting Leopardstar had called in the middle of the night. She had known that sleep would be impossible and had given up trying almost immediately. Whenever a yawn welled up within her, she bit it back down. Goodbyes had been said, and the necessary preparations had been made. Any moment now, the RiverClan patrol would arrive. There was no running away; her fate had been sealed. At this point, she had pretty much accepted that fact. Despite the expression of indifference she wore as she appeared to stare off into the distance, the young she-cat was acutely aware of the way her clanmates looked at her now. Occasionally, she would pick up the murmur of hushed voices, and she would feel the prickle of gazes directed her way.

Hailpaw's thoughts inevitably drifted back to the aftermath of the meeting the night before—when Leopardstar had given his verdict and her clanmates were returning to their dens. There, in a corner of the snowy ravine, she had faced her family. Even after so many hours had passed, Blizzardshine's tear-stained face still flashed before her eyes. The fluffy apprentice lowered her head at the memory. Her siblings had crowded around, each responding in the way most expected of their personality. The sight had been too much for her to take. At the very least, she felt guilty for having caused them such pain. Still, as long as she did not truly regret what she had done, she had no way to answer them. Practically backed against a wall, she had ended up closing herself off. Remembering it now was almost enough to give her a headache. It seemed as if the only thing she was capable of doing was messing up. If she had not pushed them away, they would probably be by her side right now. I'll apologize someday. She decided.

There was little time left for Hailpaw to think. At the sound of mild commotion among her clanmates, she lifted her gaze. Simultaneously, she caught the strong scent of fish in the breeze. Almost instinctively, she wrinkled her nose lightly. It was time. They had come. Stuffing the dread that surged up from within her to the very back of her mind, she stood.

---

Once when he had still been an apprentice, Scorchclaw had visited ThunderClan camp. Even after all those moons, the place had not changed very much—not that he could really tell. The memories of his last visit were vague and somewhat broken now. If there was one thing he remembered clearly, it was the rage and vengeance that had shrouded that time in the past. Growing up, his generation had experienced the full force of the rift that the Sunningrocks War had caused. Blizzardstar or Leopardstar—ThunderClan's leader made no difference to him. It seemed that nothing good would ever bring him within those bramble walls. Yet again, they were here to carry out retribution, to bring about the consequences one she-cat had so foolishly wrought upon herself. That morning, Scorchclaw was accompanied by Lightstep. The two RiverClan cats, having passed the gorse tunnel, came to a stop at the entrance. As the ThunderClan warrior that had led them there ran off to report to Leopardstar, Scorchclaw swept the ravine with his cold green eyes. More than a few gazes were fixed on the small patrol. Uncertainty, curiosity, hostility—various emotions were portrayed on the faces of the ThunderClan cats. For the most part, however, every cat seemed to know what these outsiders were doing their camp. No one tried to approach them.

Scorchclaw himself did not exactly paint a picture of friendliness. Every moment they spent in an enemy camp grated on his nerves. He flicked his tail impatiently, eyes narrowed. In his opinion, the punishment Leopardstar had suggested had been much too mild. Not only had this Hailpaw maimed a promising young tom, disabling him for life, she had thrown him into a coma from which he had yet to awaken. Every day, some cat had to prechew food and rub it down Icepaw's throat. The large deputy knew how the family grieved, knew how agonized Flurryshine was over her son. Everything had been caused by a simple border skirmish. Confinement to RiverClan camp for two moons? The thought was enough to make Scorchclaw scoff with anger. Perhaps if Hailpaw was also blinded in one eye, she would understand a fraction of the pain she had caused. And yet... and yet, he could not argue with Jaystar's choice. Just as the silver tabby leader did, he also understood the costs of war.

Before long, a fluffy white apprentice at the far edge of the camp stood and slowly padded over. Almost immediately, Scorchclaw knew that she was the Hailpaw they were here for. However, he still cast a questioning glance towards Lightstep.

---

At Marshstorm's(?) signal, Hailpaw reluctantly approached the RiverClan cats. It seemed Jaystar had only seen it fit to send two warriors for her. One of them she instantly recognized as the tom who had rescued Icepaw at Sunningrocks, the other... He was the RiverClan deputy. As an old memory awakened within her, she was once again a kit, scampering with Ridgekit through the forest. At the time, she had not thought of the uptight, overly serious tom as anything more than another RiverClan cat. Now that she had grown past those times, she knew the truth. Somehow, it seemed most fitting that these two would be sent to fetch her. "Hey." She meowed expressionlessly, when she was but a tail length away from them.

If Lightstep had been wise, he would have taken advantage of the rare opportunity to view ThunderClan territory as he traveled with Scorchclaw to the Clan's camp. Whatever wisdom he had had been swallowed by guilt, frustration, and confusion - or perhaps, instead, he was simply lost in thought. As the two RiverClan cats trekked through the unfamiliar forest, guided by a dutiful ThunderClan warrior, Lightstep's mind was clouded with the memory of Icepaw's maiming. His nephew had lost at least an eye to the claws of a ThunderClan apprentice; however, the young tom had not yet awakened to see what more damage may have been done. It had only been a few days. Time would tell if he would make it.

The sound of Icepaw's cries had echoed in Lightstep's dreams for a few days. He hadn't seen the initial attack - hadn't seen what had set of the ThunderClan apprentice so bad - but he had seen Icepaw laying limp and helpless beneath the wicked she-cat. Lightstep still remembered the impact when he had slammed his body into hers, sending her scrabbling in the dirt. Even as the she-cat's sister, Ridgepaw, came to intervene, Hailpaw's eyes had been so full of malice. Lightstep remembered this, and so when he had heard Leopardstar's judgement to send Hailpaw to live with RiverClan and care for the tom she maimed, he had barely been able to bite back a bitter exclamation of protest. They hadn't seen her - how could they could it was a good idea?

However, the world of the leader was Clan law, and so Lightstep accepted that the she-cat who he failed to save his nephew from would be stuck in his life for the next few moons. When he was told to go on the patrol to retrieve Hailpaw, Lightstep wondered how they could possibly be so tactless. The only worse cat to ask to do this would be Flurryshine, the white tom thought grimly, but like any good warrior he kept his mouth shut. If my duty is to escort a violent criminal to camp, I'll be glad to use tooth and nail to get her there if she makes me.

The steep slope of a ravine was what finally jarred Lightstep from his bitter thoughts, and he carefully picked his way down before being led right after Scorchclaw into a compact clearing. Almost immediately Lightstep's pale yellow eyes found the source of his family's anguish. He let out a low growl the moment he saw her, his tail almost immediately beginning to bush out. We're not here to make trouble, he reminded himself, trying to relax. His gaze was locked on Hailpaw as she stopped just a bit before them.

"Hey," the remorseless monster greeted as if this were some casual chat, and Lightstep took a slow, deep breath before informing Scorchclaw as evenly as he could manage, "This is her."

Lightstep's response was what Scorchclaw had expected. For a brief moment, the RiverClan deputy studied the younger warrior's expression, his pale-green gaze searching. Then he nodded and said simply, "I see." Turning to the condemned apprentice, his lip curled in disgust. He had ignored her earlier greeting, but she was brimming with audacity. To greet in such a complacent manner the warriors who had come for her, it was as if she did not understand the circumstances she was in. How could she sleep, how could she look so unaffected, when an apprentice lay possibly dying from the wounds she had inflicted? Perhaps she had no conscience. By now, the large tabby did not know if he ought to be surprised. He had seen his fair share of cold-blooded killers in Shade and Lichenmask, and it would not be a stretch to say that he saw a hint of that ruthlessness in Hailpaw's eyes. He clenched and unclenched his jaws, struggling to suppress the rising anger. They were in the middle of ThunderClan camp, with more than a few sets of eyes currently fixated on them. Jaystar, I hope you haven't made a mistake. At last, he found the appropriate words and forced them out. "I believe you know why we have come." Pale-green eyes glittering with thinly-veiled hostility, he drew himself up to his full height.

Hailpaw frowned, drawing her ears back. "Yeah." Neither Scorchclaw nor Lightstep scared her. Having grown up around Beartooth, one could say that she was practically immune to the very definition of frightful-looking. Still, the hatred these RiverClan cats held for her could not be any more evident. She supposed there was nothing surprising about it. She had maimed one of their clanmates, after all. How ironic, considering the RiverClan cats committed atrocities of their own. Flying into a rage when their clanmate was hurt, but turning a blind eye to the damage they themselves had done—it was exactly the same as what Hailpaw did. She did not object to this way of life. Now, if they were nothing more than a random RiverClan patrol she had met along a border, she would not be affected. When she was going to live in their camp, however, the situation was rather different. It seemed she would have a long two months ahead of her. At least, such were the plans others had made for her. Squaring her shoulders, the white-furred apprentice gazed silently up at the RiverClan warriors.

"If there is no more to be said or done," Scorchclaw announced coldly, "we shall take our leave." As he spoke, he cast a glance towards Marshstorm who was standing just a little distance away. Undoubtedly, the ThunderClan deputy had come to see his clanmate off. Since the deputy was here, he saw no need to wait for the leader. Who knew when Leopardstar would show up? He had no desire to spend a second longer in an enemy camp. Perhaps Lightstep could sense his impatience; at any rate, he knew the warrior felt no differently. "RiverClan will honor our part of the agreement." He meowed, looking Marshstorm in the eye. No physical harm would come to Hailpaw during her stay in RiverClan camp—no physical harm, at least. His intention was not to give the other tom a modicum of reassurance; rather, he was simply stating the truth. With those words, he turned and headed through the gorse tunnel. Sandwiched between Scorchclaw and Lightstep, Hailpaw had no choice but to follow along. She did not give ThunderClan camp another glance, choosing to keep her gaze strictly facing forward.

---

The trio padded along in the frosty silence of a leaf-bare morning. By this time, they had already crossed the border and entered into RiverClan territory. Neither RiverClan cat had instigated any casual conversation, and Hailpaw herself was in no mood to chat. Such was the nature of their patrol, after all. As they walked, the white-furred apprentice tried to keep a nonchalant eye on her surroundings. The wetlands of RiverClan were wide and open, completely different from the dense forest of ThunderClan territory. In every direction she turned her line of vision to, there was nothing but unfamiliar land. The stench of a foreign group of cats permeated the air, tingling her nose. With every step she took, she was one step further away from home. The corner of her maw twitched at this thought, but she held her features strictly emotionless. She would never show a clanmate her weakness, let alone these two from RiverClan. No matter how she felt on the inside, she could bottle those emotions up and lock them away.

Hailpaw might have been the first one to catch the scent in the wind—it was harsh yet familiar, a scent she had occasionally detected on her clanmates. At the first whiff, her yellow eyes widened, and her head jerked up. "Fox!" She exclaimed, her voice rising with a note of warning. Already, Scorchclaw had lowered himself into a defensive stance, his hackles rising. He would know that scent anywhere. What terrible fortune they had, to encounter one now of all times. As the creature limped into view, his expression only grew more severe. Droplets of crimson drizzled over the snow. The wounded fox, taking notice of the cats standing in its path, bared its yellowed teeth in a savage snarl. At the instant it made eye contact with the warriors, the anger, pain, and desperation within its gaze flashed forth.

"Lightstep!" Scorchclaw snapped, the urgency of the situation causing his tone to be sharper than he had intended for it to be. Turning to Hailpaw, he barked out, "You, stay behind us!" Those words were all he managed to get out. In the next moment, the fox lunged. Teeth tore through fur, ripping open flesh. The RiverClan deputy let out a furious hiss, his shoulder caught in the beast's jaws.

Lightstep was acutely aware of Scorchclaw's watchful eyes in the moments where he struggled to keep his calm facade. The white warrior feared a warning for his somewhat hostile reaction; fortunately, however, it seemed that the deputy of RiverClan was as displeased to see the ThunderClan she-cat as he himself was. Scorchclaw's face was darkened with disgust, sickened by the apprentice before them. Lightstep was filled with a hostility and anger and... and revulsion he didn't even know he could feel. How could such a young cat cause so much anger and grief, and how could she feel nothing for it?

Even as Scorchclaw addressed her, standing powerfully and authoritavely, her subtle defiance and apathy were clearly greater than her feelings of intimidation as she muttered a short reply back. The two of them stared at each other. The ThunderClan apprentice's gaze betrayed nothing as she staring even, silently, at Scorchclaw and his companion. Finally Scorchclaw stated, "If there is no more to be said or done, we shall take our leave."

Lightstep did not look to Marshstorm for acknowledgement as Scorchclaw did; truthfully, the white warrior did not dare take his pale yellow gaze off of Hailpaw. He felt unnerved by what seemed to be her casual acceptance of her fate. He didn't understand how she could have been so vicious and violent - he had seen her face, as he'd been the one to throw her off of Icepaw - and then be so cold and odd and detached while her entire life was changed without her consent. The young white RiverClan warrior's gaze was barely hiding a glare, he knew, but when Scorchclaw stated that RiverClan would honor their agreement - no more and no less - Lightstep found it difficult to look any other way. He despised the agreement and had been adamantly opposed to it. Somehow, Scorchclaw's rigid adherence to its terms made Lightstep feel a little better. We don't need to be friends, we just need to be civil. At least Scorchclaw understands that.

Scorchclaw dutifully took up the front of the small patrol and Lightstep closed in behind, giving Hailpaw no room to dawdle or roam. Everyone's feelings were quite transparent: the RiverClan cats hated the ThunderClan apprentice, and the ThunderClan apprentice recognized their hostility and was indifferent to it. This is going to be a long two moons, Lightstep thought bitterly as they all padded out of the foreign camp.

---

RiverClan's territory had never felt so comforting as when Lightstep and his patrol crossed into it at last. He realized with a sinking feeling that much of the safety and security he'd always felt within the borders would be lessened now that this fox-heart was living with them. He still didn't know how it could have come to this: how the leadership of RiverClan and ThunderClan both could agree that the heartless she-cat who maimed an apprentice on his own territory should stay on that territory to care for her victim. Hailpaw had showed no remorse, no pity, no fear, no understanding even that what she'd done was wrong. Lightstep's thoughts were wrapped in these thoughts, a swirling cesspool of vengeful wishes and loathing and fear and guilt and sorrow. He was the last to notice the scent of fox.

The foliage crashed nearby and suddenly not a few tail-lengths before them limped a wounded fox. Heading directly towards them, the creature noticed them immediately and its pained face twisted with rage. It let out a harrowing screech and Lightstep surged forward, shouldering Hailpaw forcefully aside at the same moment that Scorchclaw snapped his name and directed the ThunderClan apprentice to stand behind them. The fox was quicker than any of the cats, and before Lightstep could get to his deputy's side the tom was caught in the wounded creature's jaws.

With a caterwaul of fury, Lightstep threw himself directly at the fox's throat, biting down hard. No blood met his teeth, only a thick ruff of fur surrounding the trachea, but he clamped hard onto what fur and skin he had while he ripped at the creature's neck with his razor claws.

Pain, sharp and violent, lanced through Scorchclaw's shoulder. Already, he could feel the warmth of the blood welling up from his wounds, soaking his fur and dying the fox's maw a bright crimson. The beast gave a savage jerk of its head, its vice-like grip only strengthening. Clenching his jaws, the RiverClan deputy stubbornly held back the cry that bubbled up in the back of his throat. His pale-green eyes, fiery with anger, made contact with sickly yellow ones. "You want a piece of me that badly?" He spat. In the next instant, a screech tore through the air as Lightstep descended upon the fox. The younger warrior was a bristling storm of white fury, lunging straight for the enemy's exposed throat. Claws flashed briefly beneath the pale rays of the morning sunlight.

Thrown off balance by Lightstep's attack, the fox staggered. Torn and dirtied paws slipped in its own blood. The claws that flew at its throat drove it into a panic, and the fox instantly released Scorchclaw. In an attempt to throw the white tom off its back, it began to thrash violently. Fur from the once well-endowed ruff around its neck ripped free, but the creature barely felt the pain in the adrenaline rush of the moment. In a way, its fate had been sealed the moment it had stumbled upon this patrol. The RiverClan deputy wasted no time as soon as he was free. Swiftly and mercilessly, he struck a blow across the fox's face. His claws narrowly missed an eye, a mark he had been deliberately aiming for. At the failure, displeasure flashed briefly across his features. The fox started back, reeling from the new wounds it had received. A snarl rumbled in Scorchclaw's chest. He had yet to examine the wounds in his shoulder, but the now-throbbing pain he felt gave him some inkling of their state. Of all things, he had been injured in the middle of leaf-bare.

Foxes were dangerous; he had learned that lesson at a young age. In some ways, however, a wounded fox could be even more dangerous. The two of them had to take it down as soon as possible. Who knew what mischief it could get up to, left to roam RiverClan territory? He felt no pity for the wounded, struggling creature. After all, their kind had never shown mercy to the clan cats either. Could he and Lightstep handle the fox with no other help? Perhaps, prompted by such a thought, he turned for a quick glance in Hailpaw's direction.

"Wha—?!" Scorchclaw promptly froze. For a second, his pale-green gaze simply swept from from side to side. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but glimmering, white snow. The ThunderClan apprentice that should have been standing there was nowhere to be seen. Had she escaped? Surely Hailpaw had not been that foolish. To do so would be a breach of the contract between RiverClan and ThunderClan. Yet there was no other explanation. She had chosen the route that he had never expected she would. When he peered closely enough, his sharp eyes made out the track of pawprints in the snow—the distance between each was evidence to the fact that their owner had been running. Thoroughly caught off guard by this turn of events, the large tabby could do nothing but stand and stare. Only the furious racket of ongoing battle reminded him of the present predicament. There was no way he could abandon Lightstep to chase after Hailpaw, and the ThunderClan apprentice had known.

Having seized her chance, she disappeared as quickly as the morning mist.