Deliverance Coming [closed]

Again, Beecloud found himself on the borderlands of ShadowClan. He expected those who knew to be patrolling the borders more frequently now, and those who didn't to keep their distance. There was a familiar face on the horizon. They locked eyes for only a moment, but there was a certain glint of understanding and a brace for the battle that was now to begin. Beecloud puffed out his fur to its limits, a strained yowl escaping his throat along with it as he stormed upon Mistyfalcon's space, striking down with a pair of paws.

"I've seen more strength from mice," he whispered. "It seems like the message is getting around. That's good... we need to begin sharing the plan. I've had a dream. The ancestors spoke to me, and it's my understanding that they know where we have to go to bring down the Asylum. Are you prepared to fight?"

He began pivoting backwards, ready to "dodge" the other warrior's next blow. The timeline seemed so clear to him now, and yet so out of focus. Distant. They had lived this way for so long, and in a sense, he didn't feel ready to be free again. There was also the deep anxiety that clutched his heart, that they might not have the ranks to defeat the Asylum, after all. He was putting a lot of trust in cats he hadn't even met or spoken to. This was not a battle fought by clanmates, side by side. Even now, he held Mistyfalcon at a tail's length, regarding him with the suspicion any sensible warrior gave an outsider. Doubt was not conducive to leadership, and so he wound his jaw tight and kept it shut, though he suspected StarClan knew just as little as he did after all.

Beecloud used Front Paw Strike.

Beecloud
80/80 HP
230/240 SP (-10)

Mistyfalcon
68/80 HP (-12)
240/240 SP

Mistyfalcon found himself patrolling near the thunderpath more frequently, these days. Anyone else would've thought he was merely being proactive in protecting Shadowclan's border with Thunderclan, after all, he'd been attacked here once before. But he was hoping for a familiar face on the other side of the path, one that loathed the Asylum as much as he did.

And a familiar face, he spotted. Their eyes locked for a moment, then the two were moving towards each other, fur bristling. Like old friends... Or border skirmishers. No, there was nothing friendly to be found here, apparent to any onlooker was only the ferocity of two seasoned warriors.

"Mouse-brained Thunderclanner!" He hissed, "Did you not learn your lesson the last time?" He twisted, allowing Beecloud's paws to merely graze his dark pelt, before striking with equal force towards the Thunderclanner's shoulders in turn. His ears strained for the other tom's whisper.

"Life is a battle, I am always ready." He responded softly, blue eyes locking on the scarred tom before him. "What is our next move?"

Mistyfalcon used Front Paw Strike for -10sp, dealing -12 damage.

Beecloud
68 / 80 hp (80 - 12)
230 / 240 sp

Mistyfalcon
68 / 80 hp
230 / 240 sp (240 - 10)

Beecloud sprung out in defense, twisting to his side and striking in a flurry of sheathed paws. Where to begin...

"StarClan spoke to me," he whispered. "I don't know if they're talking to medicine cats about this, but I know what they told me. They told me 'To kill a snake, you must cut off its head,' and that the viper's den is where Silverpelt shines brightest. A prophecy, for us. They've accepted our mission, too, and addressed us by name."

He paused a minute for Mistyfalcon to ponder it. Watching the tom think it over, Beecloud mused. He wondered if this was a very religious or spiritual warrior. He wondered if this was a StarClan skeptic, who took every one of their words with a grain of salt. He wondered if, instead, he walked the same path as Beecloud: reverent, respectful, but individualistic, believing that the ancestor's teachings were simply a map or guide for one's decisions. He especially wondered if it made any difference in how he heard the prophecy now that they were so far estranged from StarClan.

"It has to be Fourtrees," Beecloud pressed. "And the 'head' that they're talking about? The Asylum calls their leader the Head. She's a huge tortoiseshell named Eris, she's got the whole paw thing going on... little bit like mine. Have you seen her yet?" He flexed his raised paw to accentuate his point.

"In any case, we need to cut her off from the Asylum. And if StarClan wants us to go to Fourtrees, there must be something there worth taking. In a quarter moon, we'll meet along the Thunderpath in the dead of night and storm the clearing. We'll capture Eris and drive out the Asylum cats who might be there. We kill the snake."

Beecloud used Upright Front Paws.

Beecloud
68/80 HP
210/240 SP (-20)

Mistyfalcon
54/80 HP (-14)
230/240 SP

Mistyfalcon's ears twitched as he listened intently to Beecloud's words. Starclan... Was listening to them? Mistyfalcon honestly wasn't a really spiritual or religious cat. He knew Starclan had power, but he didn't pay much in the way of observance to them beyond that they existed.

"I haven't seen Eris... But one of her captains died protecting one of our own. Iniko, that big calico." He whisper-growled, swiping at Beecloud with quick paws. "None of us are really torn up about it though, wonder why." This last was said with a hint of a sardonic smirk curling his ruined maw.

"How guarded do you think the place would be? They've banned gatherings, kept us away from fourtrees for moons... They must be hiding something." For why else would gatherings, something peaceful and relatively harmless (if obnoxiously crowded) be outlawed? There was a reason that the Asylum didn't want the clans to go near Fourtrees when they didn't care about border skirmishes at all. The dark-furred tom reared up, paws flashing towards Beecloud's shoulders, though his claws remained sheathed.

"Kill their leaders, and they lose their sense of direction, purpose. It would destabilize them to their core..." He murmured softly. It was a solid plan, if they had the numbers and could pull off a surprise...

"Good thing Shadowclan hunts at night." For a moment, an almost feral glint of fury flickered in Mistyfalcon's eyes, replaced by a grim calmness.

Mistyfalcon used Rear-Up to Slash for -15sp, dealing -14 damage.

Beecloud
54 / 80 hp (68 - 14)
210 / 240 sp

Mistyfalcon
54 / 80 hp
215 / 240 sp (230 - 15)

Beecloud flicked his ears attentively. Iniko... the name did not strike him as anything familiar, but he sounded moderately important. As the two toms sparred, rolling back and forth on the thick-smelling dirt and mussing their pelts, he once again found himself deep in a sense of kinship with the tom. They were very much alike, in some ways. In this moment particularly, they were willing to take an incredible gamble for a small sliver of hope. A literal wing and a prayer. Anticipating the question of guards, Beecloud nodded his assent.

"I never promised an easy battle," he explained. "We have at least ten warriors. That's a decent battle patrol. Strong cats." There was something still weighing on him. "The code says we don't need to kill to win a battle. It's the thing I live and die by, what I always thought I would fight to defend. The thought of killing Eris haunts me, but you're right. I think it has to be done. So, the way I see it, it's better if I be the one to do it. Or if I at least try to. This was my idea. This is my burden. And if I succeed, they might execute me. Nobody else needs to risk their life or their soul. We've already lost so much."

The tom struck out once more. "There's more news, before I set you free. You should prepare yourself, before I tell you. If you react, they'll know you know."

Beecloud used Upright Front Paws.

Beecloud
54/80 HP
90/240 SP (-20)

Mistyfalcon
40/80 HP (-14)
215/240 SP

"They are outside the code and have been a plague on the clan for moons. Do not let killing one of them haunt you, they aren't worth losing sleep over." His voice was a low rasp as he spoke. It was an undesirable task, to be sure, but somethings undesirable things needed to be done to ensure their own survival. "It's not an enviable task, but one of us has to do it." He added.

"More news?" He queried cautiously, face a stony mask. It didn't sound good, by Beecloud's words, and the tom had to grimly wonder what atrocity the Asylum had managed this time.

The dark tom twisted, paws swiping at Beecloud's belly while it was still exposed.

Mistyfalcon used Half-Turn Belly Rake.

Beecloud
39 / 80 hp (54 - 15)
90 / 240 sp

Mistyfalcon
40 / 80 hp
215 / 240 sp (215 - 20)

The atrocities that Beecloud was now privy to were, quite honestly, beyond words for him. They routinely left him speechless, and the more he thought about them the more he was sorry that he had to deliver it to unsuspecting warriors. But, in a war like this, the least he could do was tell them what he knew. "The kits that went missing..." he began. "They never left the forest."

He pulled the warrior forward, grabbing his scruff between his teeth and weakly bringing Mistyfalcon down as he spoke. Sighing, he continued, "I encountered an Asylum guard stationed in WindClan. When she removed her pelt, I recognized her. She was... Laurelkit. We lost her all those moons ago, and she stood in front of me. Older. The age of a young warrior, at most. She had no idea who she used to be, she didn't recognize her own name. The Asylum took our kits, reared them ready for combat, and set them loose onto their old home. I have no reason to believe that any of them know who they are, nor that any were sent to their birth clan."

Swallowing, Beecloud added, "You can reasonably assume that any young cat could be one of our own, fighting against us without even knowing. And, that even if they are returned, they might never acclimate to clan life. Their futures and their lives were stolen from their paws and burnt to the ground. Irretrievable."

A moment of silence passed between them as Beecloud dug into Mistystrike with admittedly a bit more force than necessary. It was not enough to injure, but upon realizing the ShadowClanner's discomfort, Beecloud realized what he was doing and lifted his paws, shifting his weight backwards. "The Asylum's greatest sin. It is why we have to end this."

Beecloud used Teeth Grip. Turn 1 of 2.

Beecloud
39/80 HP
70/240 SP (-20)

Mistyfalcon
28/80 HP (-12)
215/240 SP

The member 'Grizzly' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

"Foxdung... Ebonysong's two kits went missing. If the kits are with them..." He breathed, voice barely audible even to Beecloud probably, despite their closeness. "Nobody knows about this?" He asked, voice still soft as he twisted beneath Beecloud's grip. An involuntary growl escaped the Shadowclanner, though whether it was from the discomfort of the hold or the new information the Thunderclanner had shared, it was impossible to tell. His face remained free of any hint of a reaction, only the careful mask of adrenaline-fueled hostility as Mistyfalcon lashed out with his front paws once again.

"They must be stopped. One way or another." He rasped.

Mistyfalcon used Upright Front Paws for -20sp, dealing -14 damage.

Beecloud
25 / 80 hp(39 - 14)
70 / 240 sp

Mistyfalcon
28 / 80 hp
195 / 240 sp (215 - 20)