The Leaf-Bare of our Discontent

Clovertwist frowned at the suggestion that Fogpaw made and shrugged in begrudging acknowledgement of the possibility. That was entirely possible, given their fox-faced behavior to get what they wanted so far. Olivestone stated that it was still worth a try, and Clovertwist nodded in agreement, thinking of their poor Clanmates suffering back home. If the Righteous Few had brought a plague to WindClan, Clovertwist was willing to try anything - aside from obeying their heartless, calloused demands - to save them from their agony. Clovertwist flexed his claws at the deputy's promise to make the starry tyrants regret it if they pulled a fast one and growled in agreement. The company stalked on in silence for only a short time before there was a strange, hard-to-describe disturbance in the air before them. Clovertwist's spine bristled with foreboding.

Then they were joined by a starry gray-pelted she-cat. Clovertwist didn't recognize this one from the Gathering, but the way she approached them fearlessly and stopped just before them to sneer down at them like some pompous apprentice leering over kits let him know right away she was just as bad as the others. Indeed, she greeted them tauntingly, and Clovertwist's crimped tail lashed awkwardly with irritation as if to emphasize the words the starry she-cat spoke. Better injured than dead, he thought, hoping bitterly that she had died some humiliating death more befitting of a kittypet than a warrior. The starry cat went on to taunt them, including a jab about Morningpaw hanging out with a loner. Clovertwist looked at Morningpaw curiously and noticed Olivestone had done the same; he looked back to the starry cat, deciding to leave that drama between mentor and apprentice, whatever it was. The Righteous One asked why they'd come, her tone overly chipper and patronizing. Clovertwist scowled.

Before any of them could say anything the starry airhead was blabbering on again. Clovertwist would've been more annoyed were the words she spoke not proof of what they'd come here for. Aspenheart was right: StarClan had sent the plague to WindClan. The she-cat introduced herself as Lavenderbeeeze. Clovertwist didn't bother to dip his head in polite greeting; it was practically all he could do to not swat that smug look off her starry face. Aren't you special? he thought sneeringly while she bragged about the knowledge she held. She told the company to explain why they'd come, and Clovertwist glanced to Morningpaw. It almost didn't feel fair to put a responsibility like this on an apprentice, but she had leaped into the role on her own. Almost immediately the gray apprentice took on the challenge.

A little overzealously, at first. Clovertwist couldn't help but subtly slap his tail across Morningpaw's heels as the first snarl ripped out of her mouth, narrowly avoiding whatever insult she'd nearly slung - though not by his doing, and not without cost of a jolt in his kinked tail. The apprentice quickly directed the conversation away from the jibes to the reason for their outing: to negotiate on behalf of their Clanmates. Clovertwist nodded when Morningpaw glanced to them for support, glowering at Lavenderbreeze and waiting for an answer.

Rattling as first times to go the memory of seeing a ghost in person would burn itself into her memory. Time passed quickly between there paws no matter how silent the travel to the border had been. Morningpaw's bet on the spirit's location was spot on if anything Fogpaw wished that the apprentice mentioned how snobby there were beforehand. Her ears darted back at the jabs made to each cat in the group. When it was the leader's turn she couldn't help but to steal a glance at both the warriors direction. What little she gleaned from them was there shock and curiosity. The code mentioned how you had to fight for your clan no matter what. even against friends. Friends in other clans of course but it hadn't brought up rouges.

It wasn't until then did she want to yank their tails for looking at her like that, especially the starclan cat. Since when was it her business to say who can and can't be friends? Indignation flashed in her eyes, steeling her glare directed towards Lavenderbreeze. At times she wondered if those among the stars were wise and graceful rather than insolent fools who'd talk themselves to death like the representative standing before them. Having the apprentice speak for them was good enough no matter how she had desired swatting the starry cat's whiskers off from her disgusting muzzle. Once again did Fogpaw stay silent sending Morningpaw a nod of approval.

Lavenderbreeze seemed to revel in the hostility that her words created, and Olivestone was sure that her Clanmates shared her thoughts of wanting to smack the look right off of the fox-heart's face. She let Morningpaw speak, and she could feel the rage radiating from her, infused in her words.

The ghost-cat tilted her head as she listened to Morningpaw's barely-concealed rage, and wrapped her tail around her paws as she opened her mouth.
"Ah yes, just as I suspected. Well, I'm not the one that brought the plague down onto your Clanmates. That's something to take up with the 'stars! It was their idea, after all. You can thank Galestar that it's not affecting you-" she flicked her tail at Olivestone, "and you-" she raised her paw and pointed to Fogpaw, "because Brackenstar wanted to wipe the Clans clean! Badgerstar wanted to afflict those who were even born with impurity, even though they had no choice in the circumstances of their birth. Besides, I can't lift the effects of something I didn't do, yknow?"

Lavenderbreeze almost laughed at the mention of the warrior code.
"Oh, please. The warrior code is for those who still inhabit the world of the living, and I haven't lived for seasons. We only care about our Clans and despair at seeing our bloodlines muddle and mix! If the Clans had simply followed the code you now cite before me, we wouldn't be here! If Dappleshine hadn't fallen in love with Raventail and simply remained in RiverClan, she'd be fine. If Raventail hadn't fallen in love with Dappleshine, and hadn't abandoned his Clan and post as deputy, to flee to the barn, he'd be fine too! Zinnia, oh, Zinnia, hailing from the far away lands of the Garden. If she simply had remained there, she'd be as healthy as a hare. And that brings me to Ploverpuddle, SkyClan born and SkyClan raised. His paws belong in the arching canopy, not running the moors, where few trees grow. All of these cats have broken the warrior code, whether by Clan-hopping, falling in love outside of their Clan, or otherwise failing to serve their Clans of birth. As for killing to win battles? This isn't a battle, little one. Not yet, anyway."

Olivestone fought the urge to flinch at the mention of Zinnia, thinking back to camp, where the she-cat, among all the others, were, as Lavenderbreeze so cruelly stated, wheezing as their lives ebbed away. She gritted her teeth as the ghost-cat continued, the words forming on her tongue. As soon as the last word had left Lavenderbreeze's maw, Olivestone began to speak.
"All of the cats that you've mentioned are loyal to WindClan, through and through. Not once have I questioned their loyalty, and I'm certainly not going to start now. Who cares if Dappleshine used to catch fish, not hares? Who cares if Zinnia traveled from a long way away to settle here? Who cares if Ploverpuddle decided his paws belong on the ground? Our lives are all unique, and we all have free will for a reason! It's not right for you and the rest of your wretched little group to decide that some free will is wrong."

Lavenderbreeze opened her mouth and looked on in mock surprise, a sick glee lighting up her face as she turned her attention to Olivestone.
"Oh, so the esteemed deputy speaks! I was wondering if all of WindClan lets their apprentices speak for their mentors! I didn't see your ceremony firsthand, but I wondered what was going through Raventail's mind to pick someone as cowardly as you. I saw how you acted at the last Gathering, you know! Though, it's admittedly admirable that you stood between your apprentice and Galestar! Y'know, I wondered if cowardice is common in loners and rogues, but considering that both you and Zinnia are so eager to avoid conflict, I want to say that it is."

Olivestone flattened her ears in shame, and spat in return,
"I actually have self-preservation, mind you! I can't serve my Clan if I'm dead!"

The ghost-cat chuckled in delight, knowing that her words had gotten to Olivestone, as she turned back to the rest of the group.
"Anyway! Take the plague-talk up with the leaders, I'm sure you'll see them soon enough. Anything else on your minds, hm?"

Oh, that was it. Morningpaw was relieved that she wasn't the one having to negotiate any more- because one more word from Lavenderbreeze would have her tossing this cat into the gorge if she wasn't careful. She didn't know what it was about the StarClan cat's attitude that irked her so much, but the fiend before her had moved right to the top of her list of nemeses- higher than even Galestar, higher than even the horrible goose- she'd take a dozen geese if it meant teaching Lavenderbreeze a lesson. She gave a thankful glance to Olivestone- and then blinked, turning to stare at the starry intruder. How dare you!, thought the apprentice, a low growl emanating from within her as she stared at Lavenderbreeze, appalled. How dare you talk to her that way- don't you know who this is? Olivestone is the deputy of WindClan, not just some mangy tick to be insulted! How dare you talk about Raventail and Dappleshine and Zinnia and Ploverpuddle like that- they're all kinder and more caring and more loyal to WindClan than you'll ever know- not like you've ever felt loyalty in your life! You're only loyal to yourself and your ego and your inability to treat any cat with even a basic amount of respect and decency! And, she thought, her claws digging into the dirt beneath her,

"You really think that just-- blaming this on the other leaders will absolve you of your part in this? You can't hide behind your leaders as an excuse! They at least think they're doing the right thing, even if they're just as bee-brained as you are- but you don't have that luxury! And that's even worse- you're complicit in all of this, you know exactly what you're doing and you know exactly why it's wrong and you're still doing it! You don't care about the Code at all- you just care about power and control and hurting people who won't bend to your will! You are, without a doubt, the worst cat I have ever met, and if you think this isn't a battle yet? Then I promise you, if ever it is, I will claw out your horrible eyes myself; this forest deserves peace, and it does not deserve foxhearted cowards like you! And don't you ever call Olivestone a coward, there's more courage in a single inch of her fur than there is in your entire flea-bitten pelt- all you do is hide and follow orders and hurt people because you're too awful and cruel to ever be loved and ever feel like you belong, and you don't want anyone else to feel that either! So you can crawl back to the stars above, and you can tell them we won't stand for this, but if you ever come back into WindClan territory again, we will send you back there ourselves!"

And, for just a moment, a silence fell upon the gorge- the birds stopped chirping and the wind stopped whistling, just for a moment, and Morningpaw's eyes widened as she took a quick step back, away from Lavenderbreeze. "Oh, stars, I just said that out loud, didn't I..."

Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, the starry she-cat was bitter and unsympathetic when giving her response, and Clovertwist gripped the earth with his claws to ground himself. She was clearly trying to take advantage of their emotional vulnerability to ruffle their fur and get under their skin, and it wouldn't lend to their mission for them to lose control. Clovertwist could feel the gnarled tip of his knotted tail twitching with annoyance, but he breathed steadily to prevent it from manifesting further even while Lavenderbreeze expressed that Olivestone and Fogpaw would have been ill if not for Galestar - the she-cat who'd taken Finchstar's life. Clovertwist narrowed his pale amber eyes slightly and scowled, thinking, The only thing impure I see on this moor is you. He felt a mild disappointment that the she-cat they'd found would be both unable and unwilling to negotiate the plague, but he hadn't expected any different.

Clovertwist couldn't help but curl his lip in distaste at the haughty self-righteous attitude of the starry tick-head as she preached the value of the warrior code to the living but its worthlessness to the dead. You don't even believe in this and you think you can force us to follow it your way, Clovertwist mused, feeling disgusted and exasperated. What little Clovertwist had managed to do to present himself as even-tempered fizzled away at the mention of Ploverpuddle's name. The silver tabby tom immediately stiffened and felt the fur on his spine bristle, his tail twitching a little more fiercely and sending small jolts of pain through the breaks. He was given a choice, and the leaders accepted him. Their word is law; he didn't do anything wrong, Clovertwist wanted to growl, but he knew it'd fall on deaf ears. Lavenderbreeze had already made it clear she didn't really care what the code said. She warned that their killing had nothing to do with battles; the way she said it sent a shiver over the tom's pelt.

Olivestone began to argue with Lavenderbreeze, and Clovertwist nodded firmly in agreement. True, he did sometimes worry about Raventail, but he was certain their new leader wouldn't just disappear unannounced. Not again. The StarClan cat was unimpressed with Olivestone's vouching for the afflicted cats, and she began to taunt the loner-born deputy with a sneer. Clovertwist narrowed his eyes at Lavenderbreeze and growled faintly, wishing he were closer to Olivestone to offer some sort of silent reassurance. The deputy spat back, clearly ruffled, and the starry fox-heart delighted in that fact and turned back to the others as if looking for her next victim. Morningpaw, it seemed, refused to be a victim. Clovertwist was immediately alarmed at the sound of a growl emanating from their apprentice leader, and he glanced aside at her uneasily. She was blissfully unaware of him as she blew up at Lavenderbreeze, and as soon as Clovertwist realized that she had decided to begin verbally lashing the starry cat he felt a hollow, sinking feeling in his stomach.

As much as Clovertwist agreed, Morningpaw had been so far out of line that she'd practically been in her own field. Clovertwist's eyes were wide, and he looked from Lavenderbreeze to Morningpaw and back and immediately took a step forward when the apprentice took a step back, his spine continuing to bristle. "Yeah, you sure did, hare-brain," Clovertwist grunted with both mild annoyance and mild uneasiness, glowering at Lavenderbreeze as he tried to provide the slightest buffer between the starry cat and the apprentice. "You asked if we had anything on our minds. We did. She did exactly what you gave her permission to do. So, uh, hey - thanks for that," Clovertwist reasoned firmly, trying to mask the fear he felt despite a slight edge to his voice. He could feel his heart pounding in his stomach.

Wretched was the cat who sat in front of the tired group, each carrying a burden on their own back. Lavenderbreeze wasn't helping at all when it came to the diplomacy of the matter. Fogpaw crinkled her nose after she began to slander many of her clanmates so easily. For a cat expecting their laws to be followed she sounded absurd! If the dead held no honor to those living then there was no point in peace - Morningpaw liked talking about peace but nothing has come from it. Nothing but further suffering among the cats present, her hackles raising at how disturbed each party member was becoming.

The newly made apprentice drew her lips in a wordless hiss at the starry coward who dared call herself a clan cat. When the starclan cat had made it clear there attempt was all for nothing she turned her, distasteful words at the tip of her tongue. Turning around she faced her bitter companions, offering the leader of this group a sour comment. "We made our stance. Since the stars changed their way of doing things, it's time we changed too." Her stomach had begun to hurt from all the fear and anger that had begun to stir within her. Since the beginning of this encounter it had brought nothing but bad news besides the confirmation they were seeking - starclan had an infestation of no good foxhearts.

Lavenderbreeze opened her mouth in mock surprise as Morningpaw's passionate rant flowed forth, and she almost laughed, a smirk growing on her face as the apprentice's words grew angrier by the second, until she shrunk back, quailing at the realization that she really had just said all that. She stood, almost giggling as she responded,
"Ooh, feisty! Brave words, Morningpaw, though you should save them. I've risen above being hurt by petty insults, you know."

Turning her attention to Clovertwist, she trilled,
"Right! I did ask, and you all told! Now I know more about you than I did before."

Fogpaw's comment didn't escape her, and she waved her tail as she continued,
"Looks like our time is drawing to a close! I'll have to return to Vixenstar soon, though it was nice meeting you all face-to-face!"

The ghost-cat's form began to shimmer and fade, and she narrowed her eyes menacingly as she smirked at Morningpaw.
"Until we meet again! And, yes, we will meet again."

And with a blink, Lavenderbreeze was gone.

For a moment, all was still, all was silent, until a snarl of contempt from Olivestone broke the silence.
"Air-headed mange-pelt! Filthy fox-heart! 'We care about our Clans and despair at seeing our bloodlines muddle and mix'! Pah! What a load of fox dung!"

Olivestone lashed her tail pointedly and with fury, the most potent anger she'd ever felt coursing through her body.
"I'm gonna beat the afterlife out of that dung-sodden, sorry excuse for a cat! That is, if I get the chance!"
She spat once more. "Ugh. I can't stand cats like her."

She turned and took a few steps back toward the WindClan camp, gesturing with her tail for the others to follow. "Let's go. There's no more reason for us to be here."

"I will fill your nest with BEES, mark my words!", Morningpaw yowled at the fading cat, shaking with anger and incredulity at this awful beast that masqueraded as a sacred ancestor- no, Lavenderbreeze was no StarClan cat, even despite her appearance, no more than wearing the pelt of a goose would grant her flight. But it was too late- Lavenderbreeze had left, and not even the threat of vicious stinging insects would undo her crimes. She had refused to lift the curse, and that was that. Her Clanmates were condemned to suffer, and there was nothing the apprentice could do but hiss and spit and sharpen her claws- no, that wasn't enough at all.

At the very least, though, the visit had been informative, if impossibly frustrating; the group's suspicions were confirmed, and the most they could do now was return to the Clan and deliver the news. "If I ever see her again, I'm tearing her whiskers out- but you're right, let's head back. We've learned enough here - the Righteous Few were behind the plague, and they're not lifting it... so there's nothing more we can do." Doesn't mean I'll stop trying, though, she thought, filing the information away for the next meeting.

Clovertwist nodded once more as Fogpaw made her own bitter confirmation of the little patrol's stance and disdain for Lavenderbreeze and the group she worked for. The starry fox-heart was unfazed by Morningpaw's outburst, much to his relief and extreme loathing, and simply dismissed them all callously before, with a threatening promise that they would meet again, she disappeared. As she faded, Morningpaw yowled with dismay and fury; a moment later Olivestone snarled, and Clovertwist joined her, sinking his claws into the earth and growling low, deep in his chest. "Good riddance," he grumbled at the empty air where she'd existed moments before. His Clanmates were slinging furious insults and threats around him, and his crimped tail lashed with frustration at the fruitless venture. At least they'd gained knowledge, he supposed.

Olivestone quickly turned towards camp, directing them all to return. Clovertwist still wasn't entirely used to Olivestone, several moons his junior, having such authority over him, but it didn't feel wrong. He obediently, if a little surprisedly, turned and began to follow, pausing to wait and look expectantly at Morningpaw and Fogpaw. Clovertwist nodded along with Morningpaw's assessment and gently waved her forward, beckoning her to follow her mentor. Sorry, Ploverpuddle. I tried. He looked for Fogpaw before beginning the long, disappointing trek back home, fury still pulsing in his paws.