A Call For Revenge

OOC: Directly follows this topic!

Murkystrike burst into camp, panting heavily. Tear stains streaked down her cheeks as she call out to her clanmates, seeking one out above the rest. "Flintstar! Flintstar, it was Vea. She had us surrounded, she took Batglow, we don't have much time. Enough is enough." She mewed, her voice desperate and filled with sorrow at the sudden shift that had taken place. Mistyfalcon was at her side, but she needed Flintstar to be as well to bring Batglow home.

Flintstar had been resting on top of the Jaggedrock, head resting on his paws as his tail thumped lazily against the stone. Things had been...Quiet. It had been nice, for what it was worth. But that was shattered as Murkystrike raced into the camp - followed by her mate - sliding to a stop as she called out for the leader. Flintstar quickly raised his head, eyes narrowing in concern before Murkystrike explained herself. Batglow... A rumble started in Flintstar's throat, a rare sound as the growl ripped through him as his claws dug into the stone as he pushed himself to his feet. That coward. Vea, forcing her son to come home in such a cruel manner - his deputy was right... Enough was enough. With any luck, if they had enough to force Batglow with them...There would be a scent trail they could follow. But first - he had to rally his Clan.

"ShadowClan! Gather in the shadow of the Jaggedrock!" he yowled as glanced around the camp. "The rogues have taken one of our own - Batglow. That is what they have wanted but he is one of ours. With any luck, this will have proven their downfall," he meowed solemnly, gaze scanning his Clan as they stepped out of their dens, already making a mental note of who to bring along. "Burningwing, Webshadow, Loudnose, Frostgaze and Shira - I want you with me, Murkystrike and Mistyfalcon. Everybody else, we need you here to guard the kits, queens and elders. Vea claimed to only want Batglow but I am not risking leaving the camp unprotected. Murkystrike, Mistyfalcon - lead us to where Batglow as taken. We can track Batglow's scent if we hurry."

Distantly, Webshadow caught the sound of Murkystrike shouting. It was almost enough to stir him, but he only grumbled and pressed his nose between his paws– until Flintstar's voice rose up louder. Unfurling his limbs, he crawled out of the warrior's den, looking between Murkystrike, Mistyfalcon, and Flintstar. Something... something was wrong.

He hardly had time to wonder before Flintstar began speaking, explaining that Batglow had been taken. Blinking slowly, Webshadow tipped his head, working the earth between his paws. The rogues couldn't have really just... taken him, right? Again, Flintstar's voice broke his thoughts, but the dark tabby's ears are angled sharply forward now. "Me?" He muttered to himself, a hint of confusion in his mew, but he didn't protest. Instead, he scanned the clearing for Shira, Frostgaze, and Loudnose. Hopefully, nothing would happen to them out there. Webshadow's tail twitched anxiously as he searched for their faces in the growing crowd.

Shira's head lifted from her paws and her ears went up and eyes widened when she heard Murkystrike yelling.  From the warriors den it was pretty hard to hear what she was saying.  Shira's eyes squinted and she lifted to her paws, about to go out of the den to see what was happening.  Then Flintstar started an official meeting for the cats to gather.  She realized that it must be pretty important then.  She walked over to Jaggedrock and looked up at Flintstar.

How could they have taken him?  He could have fought till his death, that coward.  Although, honestly she knew that if she was in the same boat she would have given herself to the rogues a while ago so no one would get hurt.  Still it was not right for Via to do.  Via was a horrible conniving snake who deserved to be killed, which is why she was so happy when Flintstar called her name.  She gave a half smile when she heard her name called.

She nodded in agreement to Flintstar's request.  She was ready to take any of these rogues lives, this was exactly what she wanted.  She spotted Webshadow and walked up to him, waiting for the rest to be there.  The only one in the group that she did not want to be there with was Burningwing.  Still, she would try to not let that effect her.  This was her clan and she would fight for it even if that means taking her last breath on the battlefield, and no one needed to know or accept that but her.

Mistyfalcon stalked after Murkystrike, tail lashing with anger for the rogues who'd taken Batglow. His neck might've still been bleeding, but for the moment the warrior ignored it. The clan needed to be informed of what had happened, and a patrol needed to be organized to track down those rogues and get back Batglow. Anything else came second.

Flintstar was... Actually angry. It was rare to see anything but cool disinterest from the leader, but now more than ever that anger was justified. His eyes narrowed slightly as the leader called for several cats, all capable warriors. They'd been surrounded by seven, including Vea herself, and while Mistyfalcon would've liked to bring the full force of Shadowclan down on her, he also understood the need to protect the camp.

"They can't have gotten far, we came back as quickly as we could." At least, he hoped the rogues hadn't gotten far... And stars help whichever of those fools had the audacity to remain on Shadowclan's territory even now.

Frostgaze had been near the warrior's den, lost in his own mind. There were many things for him to think about, and he certainly wasn't tired. That came to a halt, however, as Murkystrike's voice broke the silence. Coming to, Frostgaze immediately assessed the situation, and Murkystrike's frantic words were enough for him to begin gathering beneath the Jaggedrock before Flintstar's call.

So the rogues had finally gathered the audacity to take one of Shadowclan's own... the thought of that infuriated Frostgaze, despite his outwardly emotionless appearance. When his name was called to assist in getting Batglow back, he couldn't help but seek out the others that had been called. Of course, Burningwing would be there, but he hated rogues enough, there'd be no problems there. A solemn nod to Flintstar acknowledged his request, and the white tom began thinking over tactics in his mind. There was surely a way to ambush the rogues and keep from getting too much Shadowclan blood spilled. He just had to figure it out.

At the call of Flintstar to the Jagged Rock, Burningwing made his way over and sat down quietly. Once the meeting started and Flintstar began to speak, Burningwing only blinked once, unimpressed. So the rogue mother came for her rogue son. What was the big deal? He should have been gone a long time ago. Then Flintstar started barking orders, asking Burningwing to go with them. His eyes narrowed and his lip curled a bit, but he said nothing. Any trace of Batglow and his family detected by this warrior would go unreported. He simply, and reluctantly, nodded once and prepared to follow Flintstar.

If I die for a stars-cursed rogue I will come back and destroy Shadowclan as a Starclan warrior.

Basilpaw's eyes jolted up from her work as her mother raced into camp, clearly frantic.  Quickly sorting the last of her collected herbs the tortoiseshell she-cat trotted across the clearing and pressed her head against Murkystrike's shoulder as silent reassurance while she listened to Flintstar, amber eyes growing wide as the full scope of the situation dawned on her.  Batglow, a mentor and guide who had been nothing but kind and patient with her, had been taken by those piece-of-foxdung rouges...  Unlike her sadness and desperation at the disappearance of Rookfire, in this moment only anger and determination bubbled within the young she-cat's soul, and as Flintstar called out for the cats who would be fighting to retake him, words found their way out of her mouth, ones that in any normal circumstance would be locked away by common sense.  "Let me help!"  As her gaze met Flintstar's however, she faltered.  "I-I can help from camp if you wish, but...Batglow is my mentor.  Plus, who knows what you might face out there?  What if you are overwhelmed and I can't get there in time to help?"  She wanted to go on, but her mind emptied of good reasons why; instead, she gazed up at her leader through wide eyes, waiting to hear his choice.

Flintstar watched as his Clanmates gathered before a voice spoke up, turning to see Basilpaw had made her way across the camp to stand with her mother. His eyes narrowed at her quick request to join, before she nervously tried to defense it. He opened his mouth, ready to give her a curt answer before he paused, hesitating. There...Would be a gentler way to put it. He jumped down from the rock, padding over to the young medicine cat. "You must stay here, Basilpaw," he meowed solemnly as he came to a stop, lowering himself a little to meet her gaze. "I understand your desire to help - you have a fair point but, with all due respect...If we are overwhelmed, there is little you could do to help," he added. He meant no slight but she was a medicine cat, not a fighter. Healing in the midst of battle - mostly when she was as green as she was? Battle was vicious and she had not seen the likes of it before. He could not subject her to such sights... "You would be in as much danger as us - if not more. You could be a target - these rogues know no honor and would seek to cripple us... I...Know this is not an easy thing to swallow - that you want to be there to heal us when we are injured but I cannot risk bringing you into such danger. But we need you here - prepared for our return. We will be swift - we will be back before you know it."

Loudnose raised his head at the yowls outside, blinking his yellow eyes the tom followed two other warriors into the camp. His sight quickly adjusting to the sudden light he spotted Murkystrike and Mistyfalcon, they looked tired and frantic. The tom rushed to their side while Flintstar made his announcements. He glanced at Basilpaw and his parents before hearing his name come out of the leader's mouth. Loudnose re-ran in his brain what Flintstar had said before, taking a new interest in it. Batglow.. and rouges! I get to fight some rouges! he thought with bubbly excitement. Oh but Batglow.. oh no. Urgency tickled at his paws, he was ready to bolt out the camp at anybody's command. Suddenly his sister spoke up next to him, asking Flintstar to go with them. First instinct was joyful, that Basilpaw would get to come, but second thoughts were a pang of worry, the odds against her were... low. Loudnose watched nervously as Flintstar made his way over to Basilpaw, he didn't want her to come. Luckily his leader said no, which he was grateful for. "Basilpaw you need to get herbs ready for when we get back, but probably just a bit of cobweb because we will wreck these rouges," he said to her with a laugh.

Murkystrike nodded along with Flintstars's words, casting a glance around the camp at those that he had chosen. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the way Burningwing's lip curled, but she didn't have long to think about it before gentle pressure tore her eyes away. She smiled down at Basilpaw, nuzzling her ears gently. Her heart felt like it stopped, her stomach dropping at Basilpaw's request - but thankfully Flintstar was quick to decline and let her daughter down easily. "As much as I would love to have you by my side, dearest, Flintstar is right. Besides, we don't know what condition Batglow will be in - you need to be prepared for our return with him. If you would like to patch your father and I up before we leave, though, please feel free." She purred, crouching slightly so Basilpaw could see the claw marks across her shoulders. Loudnose spoke up, and Murkystrike's heart twisted again. He was a warrior now, this was his duty... Stars help any rogue that clawed him though. The time for revenge was far overdue - and Murkystrike was determined to fight to her last breath to get Batglow back if that's what it took.

Basilpaw met Flintstar's gaze with wide, innocent eyes as he bent down to give her the answer she had been expecting...and that she knew was right.  Her impulses came from a place of concern and duty, she knew that, but deep down she also knew that it came from a place of selfishness.  Of wishing, even if slightly, that things could've been different.  She was silent for a moment, but she finally met her leader's gaze with a smile, as big of one as she could manage in this dire circumstance.  "I'll be ready to help the best I can, go kick their flea-bitten tails out of our home!  You all better come back in one piece though, you hear?"  Giggling, she bent forward and nuzzled the cheeks of her mother, Loudnose, and finally Flintstar, though that last one a bit more hesitantly.  Seeing the marks left on her mother, Basilpaw dashed off without a word and came back with cobweb and a bit of goldenrod, wiping away the drying blood before applying the crushed petals.  "There, good as new!  Be safe out there Mama, I love you."  Her eyes watering a bit, Basilpaw licked Murkystrike's cheek before stepping away, summoning one of the apprentices who wasn't going on the battle patrol with a flick of her tail.  I'll get them to help me organize the things that I'll need...oh StarClan, please let them all come back safe!