one by one, they came [open, after tara posts]

Iniko knew of their camp that had been slowly constructed by the careful paws of his standards. He'd ordered a trusted advisor to take care of it, and with Locust there to care for the kits, the tom had hardly burdened his mind with thoughts of the events happening here. There were other matters that preoccupied his mind. The tom had been tasked with preparing for the future. Every pawstep he took across clan territory, stretching the length of Shadowclan to Skyclan, and down the river as well... it was in wait for it to one day be theirs.

As he padded in the direction of highstones, seeking out where his group resided, the loner began to explain to Dawnhawk what was going on. After their brawl, he became certain of the fact that despite the other tom's clan origins, he would fit right in among the rest of Asylum. Perhaps he wasn't a Standard, though, maybe he would be in better company with Theron's lot. The entire time his tail flickered back and forth. Tanglerose slipped into his mind a time or two and he had to push the thought of her away. With the time for action drawing near, it was imperative his mind was sharp.

"I want you to return to your clan after this introduction. Pretend as if nothing has happened, gain the trust of your leaders. When the time is right, Dawnhawk, I want you to help in taking Skyclan. We will show your clanmates the future available to them. Whether or not they chose to take it, will be up to them. Hopefully they will chose right." Iniko paused, stopping just outside the ring of stones. He casually flicked an ear, "I'll show you the best methods we have for cleansing pelts of foreign scents."

Dawnhawk carried himself proudly, very much mirroring his father in this aspect. The wounds Iniko had given him and mostly stopped bleeding. With a quick inspection, Dawnhawk believed that they wouldn't scar. He might be one of the few cats in the forest who thought scars were ugly and certainly below him. Dawnhawk made sure that he paid attention to the journey however, since he would likely go back and forth from this place without Iniko. He took in the sights, the sounds and the smells of the foreign organization and their headquarters.

This was similar to the clans, but it felt different. He felt freer here... it was more natural. Iniko began to speak and Dawnhawk's eyes fixed onto him. He nodded once, though his own father and Wolfcall flashed into his mind briefly. He didn't know about the other cats in Skyclan, but Wolfcall and Bloodstrike would likely fight until they died rather than submit to an outsider's rule even if it was to their benefit.... Proud old idiots.

"Sounds... easy." He put emphasis on the final word, hinting at Iniko that he could be capable of a lot more than just holding his tongue. But for now, he wouldn't protest. He understood that he was a very very new initiate here and would have to climb the ranks, just as he had to in Skyclan.

"Well, who's this fine tom you've brought along, Iniko?"

Eris stepped out from behind a scraggly bit of foliage, her fluffy pelt reflecting the light of the sun overhead. She eyed the tom with a bit of curiosity, approaching the duo slowly. "Clearly not some scrap of fluff you stole, no... Roughed him up a bit, didn't you?" She was sure the reference to the stolen kits would ring a few bells for the forest-dwelling tom. The Head's fluffy tail brushed across his nose as she circled him, eventually turning to face Iniko and sitting down in front of the two toms, wrapping her tail neatly over her large paws. "I suppose you've got a plan for this one, then? Let's hear it." She mewed, whiskers twitching in amusement.

There was the sound of voices, a new scent... Theron's head turned from where she had been in deep conversation with her group. "Oh, what is this?" she murmured, grinning at the sight of a new pelt within their camp. "Iniko has brought me a new toy." She jumped to her paws, motioning for Roe, Alois and Lexine to stay where they were with a flicker of her tail as she crossed the camp clearing, eyes glimmering as Eris circled the pair and took a seat. "Iniko, you brought in some new meat and you didn't even think of telling me?" she whined playfully as she reached the trio, sitting not far from Eris as she studied the tom. "Yes, do tell what you are thinking, bringing..." she paused, taking in a deep breath. Her eyes narrowed, sneering as she recognized the scent - barely. It had been mixed with herbs and other scents... But she was certain of one thing. "A Clan cat into our camp."

Dawnhawk's response was reassuring, a flicker of a smile rising on his maw at the words. But he opted to say nothing; the clan-born tom would soon have his paws busy enough with Asylum's future endeavors. It hardly took more than a moment for the rest of his group to assemble. Eris was the first to appear. She was younger than him, and her senses always sharper. The calico loner had helped to raise his kin and found great pride in her poise and skill. As the Head spoke, he dipped his head respectfully and let a low purr creep into his words, "His name is Dawnhawk, he's a Skyclan warrior. And I'm sure he will be very useful in the plans we have for his kin."

Before they could continue on and he could share more about the plans of the future, a familiar voice immediately soured his mood. Teeth clenched ever so slightly and his tail began to flicker. The Nightstrikers were easily his least favorite crowd, and their fearless captain Theron was the worst of the lot. Although, he had to admit that her skill set was unmatched and served them well. It was this knowledge that helped him to tame his tongue. She was the only creature that ever made his pelt itch. His gaze flickered to Dawnhawk. Even if he held disdain for his Nightstriker counterpart, there was no doubt that he would blend right in with their faction. Introductions were in order after all.

"Not just any clan cat, Theron. You'd know some have potential if you did more than peel away their pelt. In fact, Dawnhawk might look good in one of your spiked pelts. Perhaps we can fit him with one." The idea of relenting the warrior to the she-cat was far from the most appealing thing. And yet, he was just one of many parts in their group. Iniko had to play the role no matter his own personal desires. Another flicker of his tail before he turn his attention to both she-cats at once, "This is our most ambitious endeavor and I don't intend to see it fail. Our new companion here has lived his whole life as a clan cat and has the desire to be freed from such a way of life. Who are we to deny him the chance to liberate his kin and bring them into the independence and strength Asylum has to offer?"

Dawnhawk noticed the small tug at the corners of Iniko's mouth at his response. Well at least someone was pleased. The golden tom's ear rotated upon Eris's approach, picking u the sound of light pawsteps before he actually spotted her. Using the same trick that Bloodstrike used on Skyclan, Dawnhawk's face went stoic, serious and unreadable. Even while Eris circled him, Dawnhawk only followed her with his eyes, showing no fear. Once she was finally in front of them again, she no longer was a concern. Another she-cat came next. Dawnhawk's mouth stayed closed, though he certainly hadn't missed anything that this Theron had said. Oh I can play this game too... I can't wait to see who is better at it. Though Dawnhawk had no trouble keeping his words in his head and not uttering them out loud.

He was not as honest as Bloodstrike. He enjoyed the head games way too much for that.

Even at her obvious disdain for Clan Cats, Dawnhawk didn't even so much as flinch. They shared that much in common at least. He eyed Theron coolly, though he was curious about her story. Perhaps in time they could have a chat, but right now, it didn't seem like it was his place to speak. He understood pecking orders, and while he was a fresh recruit right now, he didn't intend to stay at the bottom for very long at all. Still... the idea of being fitted with a pelt? Not if it wasn't cleaned properly! Dawnhawk was reasonable with most requests, but his fur getting dirtied? The thought made him want to pluck out a few eyeballs and use them as playthings. He could get used to the temporary dirtiness if the pelts served a logical purpose, but otherwise, he had other ideas of where they could stick their pelts.