then let my heart be hardened [RC/TC vs SKC BATTLE TOPIC]

"So be it. Their blood lies upon your paws."

Golden afternoon light glazed the forest, finding a strange assortment of cats gathered solemnly together. Silence reigned over their purposeful, funeral-like march, the only overarching sound the urgent rippling of the river's lightning-fast current. The weight of a thousand lives, hopes, dreams, and thoughts carried upon eight. Eight sets of paws. They walked quietly in unison, over half-melted snow and iced-over puddles and two borders, to find their destination. Battle, fighting, devastation. War.

Perchstar did her best to focus on breathing as they walked. It wouldn't do for now, of all times, to be the moment that she faltered. She had promised this consequence for moons now. There was no turning back--she had known that the moment that she made the declaration. No offense could be tolerated. No slight could be allowed. Not for her sake, but for the sake of her Clan. For all the lives, here and back at camp, that depended on her strength. She could not be weak. She could not allow even one murder to be accepted. But she still knew, with a frigid truth that outfroze the cold weather around her, that more blood would be shed before the day was out. That despite her best efforts, the only way to protect was to attack, and the only way to defend was to kill. To take the life of another cat. Something that she had somehow managed never to do before.

Beechfang would die.

The moral question did not lie in that; there were no qualms over the idea of her fangs sinking into a murderer's throat. No, what sat ill with Perchstar was the knowledge that it had to be a full-scale battle. That the lives of other cats had been dragged into it by Birdstar's stubbornness. That all for the sake of one drowned corpse, all for the sake of one uncaring murderer, several others would be hurt and potentially even die. Ice-blue eyes roamed over her patrolmates again, fixing upon four of them in particular. Firstly Poppyshine, her dearest friend and deputy, who had offered to come bolster their numbers and keep Perchstar sane. Stormdance was in charge of the camp in the meantime. She knew that the calico could fend for herself; she'd seen firsthand the damage she could deal. But something in her throat still drew tight every time she thought about the possibility of what could happen. A swipe of claws too close to her throat, and her friend might be gone permanently--let alone a purposeful attack for vengeance on the leader herself. I won't let it happen. I'll take any blow if I have to. Her gaze slid to the next pair--Cindersky and Littlesplash, who stayed close together. She'd been forced to ask Littlesplash to come, knowing his prowess with herbs would be necessary; naturally Cindersky had insisted she be allowed to accompany him for his safety. Obviously Perchstar did not like bringing the young and vulnerable medicine cat straight into enemy territory, especially when the crime being punished was the murder of his moons-gone predecessor. But she had little choice in the matter. Very firmly before the face, the leader had told both of them to stay out of it unless completely necessary, and that Littlesplash should stay with his herbs far away from the combat and only come in if he thought it was necessary to offer healing. Cindersky had only just healed from her sickness and the loss of her tail, as well. A single flick of Perchstar's torn ear was all that showed her discomfort. She cared for all of her Clanmates very deeply... but these two she wished dearly would avoid any injury or even pain.

Then, there was Mottlestar. Perchstar turned her head to regard her fellow leader, who walked with her at the head of the battle patrol. The tortoiseshell, so much smaller in stature than she, yet somehow even more ferocious. During the first talk they'd had regarding SkyClan's injustices, when they were both nearly on death's door from sickness, the light in her friend's amber eyes had still shone with a sense of justice that she hadn't known the kind she-cat was capable of. And even now, she saw a fire deep within that she was quietly glad had never been directed at her. Mottlestar's friendship was one that she had not taken for granted, especially not since their fellow ally had betrayed them. "Thank you for coming," Perchstar murmured--words for the tortoiseshell's ears only. "And for bringing your warriors. I know that she has wronged you too, but to have you on my side still means much. I will be honored to fight alongside you." Her neutral expression deepened slightly into a frown as she once again caught the skulking form of--Vipershade, had Mottlestar said? The new name of Nightstar, the tom who'd been so foolhardy as to get into a brawl at the Gathering and have all his lives stricken one by one for his arrogance. "And for what it is worth... I still do not understand why you have let him into your Clan. If it is companionship that you want so desperately, then surely you could do better." She knew that the loss of Minnowfin had been a harsh one... it was a pain that Perchstar herself knew all too well. A pain she could relate to exactly. Light blue eyes met golden, regarding them with something strange she wasn't sure how to voice. Her next words were even quieter. "If it is companionship you lack, then our shared border is open to you. I walk there myself, sometimes, often. If you need to speak with someone who..." She cleared her throat and looked away. This was certainly not the time for them to talk about domestic matters. It was probably just her mind attempting to push away thoughts of the impending battle. "Anyway. Ready yourself. I do not know when we will be noticed, but I know that SkyClan will fight back with all the stubborn pride they have in their veins. I know I do not have to tell you this, but... be careful. We know that they are willing to kill. One of them took a life of yours already. Do not let them take another."

It was beginning to be difficult to keep her fur lying flat, surrounded on all sides by the scent of SkyClan like this. Despite how many capable warriors accompanied them, she knew that they would be discovered at any moment. Her gaze scanned the treetops, the riverbank, the forest ground--searching everywhere for any sign of movement. It was only a matter of time. She didn't plan to invade SkyClan's camp, despite knowing where it was and how badly defended it had been. Kits and elders would not suffer for Beechfang's murder and Birdstar's treachery unless they insisted. For now, she and Mottlestar had agreed to fight on the territory itself until they achieved their goal. It didn't ease her nerves, though, knowing that she had only chosen the battlefield and not when their enemies would approach. "Keep your eyes peeled," she informed them all flatly. "Be ready for battle at any moment. Keep the medicine cats safe."


OOC: The initial 48 hours of this war are going to be allowing everyone to enter. RiverClan + ThunderClan are coming onto SkycCan's territory via the river as a unified front; SkyClan is able to notice them, then rally their own war party.
At the end of the initial 48hrs, Kitty or I will roll the "Invasion" dice. That will determine whether SkyClan (defending) or RiverClan/ThunderClan (attacking) get to go first! If it's a success, Attacking goes first! If it's a failure, Defending! From there, the 36-hour timer will start, and the war will officially BEGIN.

Stormwatcher sat looking out at the mass of invading cats and wrapped his tail around his front paws.

It was hard to believe he was so excited about this... He more so just wanted to be excited with sunfire... but now that the inevitable was finally here? He just felt numb.  Looking at all the cats coming towards them was seriously having major second doubts in all this.

He pushed his mind away from the fact that he and Sprucebark were very good friends, squinting he tried to see but could not make out if he was among them.  He hoped not, though if he was he would fight his past friend with just as much will as any of the other invaders.

The fact that a lot of them on either side could die all for beechface... he closed his eyes for a split second but remembered what birdstar had told him before all this, that he was a good warrior... and good warriors followed orders.

He did not have much purpose in life before wolf had kicked his tail into gear and gotten him to see the value in clan once more.  And so, if he now had to defend that right, the right to be happy with those he cared about (although you would not catch him dead saying he cared openly) then so be it.

Why couldnt beech just go away till this blew over??

cursed she cat!! If we survive this im taken your pelt myself!" he thought musing to himself though not actually serious.  He had risked his life for sunfire before with the wolves and now it was time for the same with beechface but with riverclan/thunderclan cats instead this time.

He glanced at his group of 'the boys!' sunfire and falconmoon.

Falcon usually had a cooler head thinking back to the thunderclan tensions on the trip what was he thinking of all this??

Then looking to sunfire, he had tried really hard to fit in with those two but had no idea where he stood in their eyes.

Sunfire was... well he was sunfire there was no other way of saying it, the tom could find trouble in starclan itself. All the same, if he had to fight in some stars forsaken war, the boys had better be right by his side.


He thought about his apprentice ospreypaw... he was a much better warrior now than he used to be and while he would try and fight to save beech's life and drive away the invaders he really did not wanna die here today, the thought of ospreypaw not getting to see or train with her more?  He swallowed hard... How was any of this fair to her?  If he died out here then she would be down a mum and mentor?  Not that he viewed himself as such a major loss but still...

That cursed wolfblossum this was all her fault! Making him actually feel things for his clanmates!  If it was not for her he would not have to feel this way right now and probably could have been sleeping in some nest far away from here the moment any whisper of a war came around.

He sighed looking at the advancing column of enemy line formation.  Well... foxdung, how did he get drug into this mess anyhow?

He thought about his life, so much of it was spent lazily sunbathing in the how sunny part of camp, dodging assignments like neo from the matrix dodging bullets.  Now he was 'responsible' whatever the dark forest that meant.  Responsible seemed to him mean that now he was dumber apparently.  There was no other explanation as to why him being 'responsible' now meant him standing on the front lines of an incoming assault of two angry clans.  This was utter foxdung in its most pure form... If this was responsible then please, let him once again be the lazy loaf that he once was.  He sighed shaking his head. "Sunfire? if you die I am dragging you back from the stars to kill you again he meowed in a joking whisper to his friend "they really wanna try this? Do they know we don't take prisoners? Do they know that we do not bury the dead?"

No matter, they will soon enough. What a sad day, all this for a sin long ago forgotten.  Careful perchstar, dig too much into the past and you might find you have dug your own grave... or perhaps ALL of our graves.

He was very much aware that many that stood by his side here today might not live to see another sunrise as well as himself.  This sadened him deeply his claws slid out with a sigh. He did not want to die or let any of his clanmates die... Neither did he want to kill anyone else, but if it came to it he would.  This seemed inevitable now.

Perhaps a miracle could occur, he wished for one: the stars to speak at the last second and tell everyone to go home... or somehow for birdstar to get them out of this mess though both seemed equally as unlikely.  He did not really belive in miracles yet in the face of this still found himself wishing for one.

As much as he tried to repress these memories he thought about his kithood, his blood family had all died in a different battle one he was too young to even know... He could not help but think that if he did not give his all during this fight he would be left alone yet again.  Birdstar was his 'sister' falcon and sun his friends and beechface his grumpy companion at best.

He glanced away for a mere second, there was still time to slip away this was his true test.  Right here in this moment.  The duality of his character had risen to this crescendo. who am I? and what do I want?

He dug his claws into the ground and faced the invading cats. He would fight them! He would smack whoever tried to hurt those by his side and he would actually try this time.

Several paces behind Mottlestar and Perchstar, padded Silverdusk carrying themself with the poise the occasion demanded. When they had gathered before departing they had quickly realised not only were they the youngest named warrior in ThunderClan, but also the youngest warrior of the entire patrol. Their heart had sank slightly, now there was something to prove to RiverClan too, not just her own clan. Mottlestar's dignity was at stake, the tortoiseshell would not regret bringing them, for trusting her to fight for and defend ThunderClan. Gekala will be with them today. Green eyes found their leader's back, watching as murmurs were exchanged between her and Perchstar. No doubt important, with the way their voices were so low, strategy for what was about to unfold most likely. Knowledge that would soon be made privvy to them all.

Her attention was quickly drawn from the whispering she-cat's to RiverClan's medicine cat, Littlesplash. He was even younger than them. Did he feel as anxious as they did? There was so much pressure on his shoulders, but he had Fawnshine at least and the cat Silverdusk had learned was called Cindersky clung close to him. On the other hand they had no one. It was weird to walk alone, and they felt like a lost kit trailing behind Mottlestar... It was also good to have friends in high places. The tall warrior slowed their pace, falling into step with the medicine cat and his companion. "Are you nervous?" she whispered, lowering her head to his ear "We are the youngest here, do you not feel... a little under pressure?"

At Perchstar's voice suddenly ringing out for the entire party to hear, Silverdusk lifted their head from the tuxedo tom's ear. Their attention split between him, and keeping a watchful eye on the trees. Stars knew that was where the cowards of SkyClan liked to hide. Silverdusk was right, the sun glinting off an enemy pelt caught their attention, a low growl rose in their throat. "I will be back." she meowed "I can see them." Hastily, Silverdusk trotted to the front of the pack, dipping their head in greeting to both leaders. "Mottlestar, Perchstar, I do not wish to intrude upon your conversation, but I have spotted the enemy." Their bushy tail flicked in the direction of the SkyClan tom, who's claws had now unsheathed threateningly. Silverdusk narrowed their eyes at him, pupils becoming slits. There was no point hiding their brigade had clearly been spotted. At least she had spotted them before SkyClan had a chance to sneak up on them.

Her eyes drifted from the tom in the scrub back to Perchstar and Mottlestar, lingering on the latter. Hopefully her attentiveness had helped prove even more that the young she-cat was worthy of this honour, and perhaps even Perchstar would admire their observations. Knowing Silverdusk had already helped in some way helped ease the pressure they had previously felt. It was good to have a lighter load on their shoulder, and to feel at least capable of the position they had been granted. With a final dip of their head, Silverdusk returned to Littlesplash and Cindersky. A sigh escaped their maw. "It is not good to be nervous, if you feel that way you should stop. I was nervous, but now I am not." Feeling confident with her words, their green eyes returned to the lingering SkyClan patrol, they would not let them out of their sight. She would not let them off easily. Blood would spill, the river would stain, but it would not be the red of RiverClan and ThunderClan that tainted its waters, no it would be that of SkyClan's.

"It took her long enough... I guess she wanted reinforcements." Beechfang stared down at the distant forms of Perchstar and a combined patrol of Riverclan and Thunderclan, their mingled scents carried toward them on the leafbare wind. With sky patrols and an ever-present alertness, it had not taken long before the patrol was noticed. Skyclan had gathered their own quickly enough.

This should have been her fight, not that of her innocent clanmates, not that of the probably-innocent Riverclanners who had no connection to a foul mouthed medicine cat from lifetimes ago. Despite the anger that had bubbled beneath the surface on behalf of the Riverclan leader's stubbornness, Beechfang felt only calm as she stared out at the patrol, her fur unruffled.

Perchstar wanted her pelt, this truly didn't need to involve anyone else... But if she wanted to repeat the mistakes that had been made before her countless times, that was her problem. Her own warriors to throw away. Many of the approaching patrol didn't carry the signature sleek fur and smug superiority of Riverclan about their presence... Beechfang could only assume they were Mottlestar's. So many lives they were eager to risk. So easily they had been swept up in a tide of vengeance and thought that this would solve their problems.

Beechfang knew better. Perchstar should have known better. Mottlestar... Well, she looked to be a far cry from the likes of old Oakstar or even Minkstar. With what little Beechfang had heard of the clan's leadership since, common sense or restraint couldn't reasonably be expected. The actions of her clanmate were certainly unfortunate, given the already precarious position Skyclan found themselves in. To turn two allies against them when it should have only been one...

The time for diplomacy and attempts at peace was long over, she wouldn't dwell on it. What was done was done. Her acceptance of a place within Skyclan's ranks, Sunfire's propensity for violence against Thunderclanners... Skyclan had no choice but to defend itself for the actions of the few.

"Is that... Nightstar? Or... Nightstalker, I suppose?" A familiar dark pelt was among the approaching cats. His was not the only familiar pelt, but it was the one that surprised her, Beechfang recognized one of her nieces among the other patrol... Fawnshine, too. A medicine cat... Didn't they know what happened to medicine cats on battlefields where they weren't supposed to be? A soft huff left her, but she said nothing further.

Beechfang's tail twitched in impatience as she stared down at Perchstar's approach. There was no doubt in her mind of who the Riverclan leader would go for, and she would not run.

Briarthorn sat not far from Beechfang, a sense of dread filling her gut and her heart thumping steadily in her chest as she watched the battle patrol near. The scent of the river floating towards them was clear enough, yet so was the unmistakable one of the ThunderClan forests by their side. It was to be expected, truthfully, but Briarthorn still mourned the diplomacy that had once taken place between the three Clans. The large molly chuffed at Beechfang’s remarks, shooting back quickly, ”She’ll need them.” Or at least Briarthorn hoped so.

A reasonably experienced patrol had been put together to combat RiverClan and ThunderClan’s united forces, and she only hoped that it would be enough to push through and make it through the night with Beechfang still by their side. The former SkyClan leader had her thoughts and reservations about her successor welcoming the exile back into the Clan, especially knowing the turmoil they had only narrowly avoided just before, but she would still fight with everything she had to protect the Clan she loved. The leader’s word was law, after all, and she supposed Birdstar had made her decision. Shaking her head as she locked eyes on the dark tom, formerly of ShadowClan, that Beechfang commented on. ”Hmm, I suppose it is. Strange.” It was all Briarthorn could do to keep her breathing fairly paced and her heart rate under control as the distance between the two sides seemed to quickly close. She was no stranger to battle- no stranger to death- but it never got any easier.

Stormwatcher's thoughts about Falconmoon were dead wrong. As the forms appeared on the horizon, there was a low buzzing in his head that Falconmoon couldn't shake off. Bees... it felt like bees inside his skull. Buzzing, crawling, stinging, suffocating, dying, decaying. The tom cat shivered as thousands of tiny bugs crawled through his fur and began to embed themselves under his skin. His teeth chattered audibly behind his closed lips as his snake-like gaze stared unblinkingly and emotionlessly ahead.

All of the moons of holding himself back, the slinking around trying to go unnoticed, the censored words and filtered thoughts were nothing more than tiny threads holding back the thing that even the Dark Forest could not. Only when Beechfang spoke of Nightstalker did the barely noticeable slits in his eyes shift from their spot to search. His vision focused... and indeed... his son's killer was among them.

The buzzing of the bees in his head roared to life and took on the intensity of a rock slide. No longer was there buzzing... but rumbling. The bugs in his skin took on the form of nails being pounded ruthlessly into his bones, cutting through skin, meat and sinew with every rapid pulse of his quickening heart. His lips twitched back up into an almost canid smile and the tremors in his muscles intensified.

If there was to be battle, so be it. He'd done what he could to avoid violence, all for nothing as it often was. Falconmoon, the softer side of this cat, reluctantly and with a heavy heart willingly stepped aside for the monster to take over. There was no hope for him now.

A faint buzz had settled into Littlesplash's ears, some far off sound that threatened to pull him from reality. Every motion was slow, deliberate, as he took care to not drop the pelt of herbs despite the heaviness of his frame. The back of the young medicine cat's throat was dry. Cindersky was a beacon of warmth and a tether to the world before him, a world that would soon erupt with chaos and bloodshed. Wolves were the only kind of enemy he had ever seen before. It was odd to think about cats being so willing to rip each other's pelts apart and yet this was the world he was born into, or so every cat said.

He blinked slowly at the sound of Silverdusk's voice, stunned as if jumping into the ice cold river. The thought of speaking hadn't occurred to him on the entire walk from camp, not even to his warrior companion. The white and grey furred tom slowed to a stop at what seemed to be a sheltered nook just at the edge of the area. Littlesplash slowly tried to form any sort of words out of respect for the friendly Thunderclan cat. By the time anything would have come, the ally warrior bounded away to warn their leaders of approaching enemies. Between her question, and the hint of Skyclan that drifted across the breeze, his blood ran cold. This was really happening. Of course the pressure was set square on his shoulders. Every cat here was counting on his limited abilities. The worst wounds he had dealt with were Rowansong and Cindersky's and neither cat could have been fully healed.

Littlesplash's eyes rooted to the spot where his carefully cleaned and prepped pelt lay, full of herbs he hoped would help even one of his clanmates. There was no way this was enough. His eyes darted up to seek out Fawnshine but found Silverdusk again. This time the breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened, portraying the overwhelming nerves that numbed him head to toe. It was Cindersky's voice that calmed him as normal, not completely, but enough to bring himself back from the threat of a panicked state. He hadn't felt like that since... Egretswoop. Sadness swept through his chest a brief break from the monotony of his blank mind. Dipping his head, he quickly grabbed several herbs in his mouth and turned to Cindersky.

"Please. For you. Just... in case." It wasn't that their words didn't mean anything but his head was elsewhere. He looked at Silverdusk, features softening as he realized how close they were in age, "Come find me if you need at all, okay? You might be Thunderclan but I'm here for you too." The tiny medicine cat offered the warmest smile that he could muster before turning to pick up a dried chamomile flower to pass to Silverdusk. It was for the nerves, even if they didn't have any.

Littlesplash used Natural Talent on Cindersky, +4 starting HP to Cindersky, and -5 Stamina to Littlesplash.

Littlesplash
HP: 25/25
SP: 55/60

Cindersky
HP: 49/45
SP: 90/90

"I had it in my interests to leave Thunderclan out of it for your sake, but it seems Skyclan took it upon themselves to choose which side we took."

All sound had deafened itself to the tortoiseshell's ears that morning. Strategic meetings with the empress that sat herself atop the waters' throne had led to decisions that she did not take lightly, meetings that had gone deep into the highest points of Moonhigh, meetings that rapidly approached the looming rays of sunrise. All to reach the singular conclusion that was now truly unavoidable: War. The clash of claws, teeth, and lives. Part of her had delved into the deepest pits of cynicism within the hours leading up to the undeniable death-march that they now walked. Cats would be injured. Cats would die. Innocent lives, primed to suffer all because of the stubbornness and pride that had taken up the mantle to the throne of the trees. All for what? Some method of proving a point? To make a stand against what had happened, the injustice delivered, a clash of perspective on either side? What would it even do, but simply provoke the beast of wrath to stir to become a cycle of vengeance?

What had once been a blaze behind her ember eyes had dyed into nothingness, dulled to little more than the machinations and motions of life. Her own mind had been tumultuously spinning through the stages of grief. What, exactly, had there been to grieve when Skyclan themselves had been so keen on spitting, clawing, and ripping their allegiance to shreds? That was the war that consistently seemed to wage within her. How, despite all that had happened, there had been zero attempt to even preserve once was. Nothing more than the simple assumption of the worst, that there would be nothing to save. It backed the truth into a corner that there was simply no escape from: They were in the wrong. They knew they were in the wrong, entering into an allegiance so powerful, but built upon lies. A foundation that was doomed to crack. To split, topple, and cause an implosion thorough enough that its waves would be felt throughout the forest. Misfortunate as it was, there had still been hope that had blossomed in her chest at one point. That resolution would have been possible, despite the spite and ire that she had approached the dictator of the trees with. Crushed with a singular, disregarding paw.

"Those I name aloud, I beckon forward to hark the call of war."

"Vipershade."

"Comfreyheart."

"Nightdancer."

"Silverdusk."

"Myself."

The echo of the names she called forward rang in her mind like a death-bell. It surpassed the thunder of war that echoed in every cats' heart. She had looked in the faces of each of her Clanmates, hardened in her decision, as she called them out. The very-real idea that they would not leave that battle alive ebbing itself out like a poisonous tide. She could not bring herself to feel for each of them as their names had been spoken aloud. Had she allowed herself the emotions to consider them all, she would have broken. Been unable to bring herself to hear the drums that called her forth, to deliver the justice that she very-well needed to. In a world of bloodshed and death; justice demanded the heads of those that did not bow before its call. There was no feeling as she called out the name of her second mate. A forced sensation of ice as she called forth the molly that had been brought beneath her wing as her eldest daughter. Frost as the name of the warrior who had been there for the initial slander upon her Clan. Utter glaciers as she called forth the name of one of Thunderclan's newest warriors who had proven themselves. Nothing left but a solid fortress as her own name came forth. She would lead her Clan into this war, it was simple as that. It was what the code demanded.

Sound had only dared return themselves to her ears as she heard the voice of the molly aside her. Despite their significant differences in stature, the tortoiseshell had no issue in matching the steps of her marching to the timbre of the river. They both led their respective portions of the patrol, having met up with little more than curt nods that were exchanged. Something in being aside the true personification of lethal, glacial ice had shifted her own eyes to represent that of a blazing wildfire. They deepened with rage, her claws itching as she nearly allowed herself to be swallowed and consumed by the emotions of wrongness that had come forth in lieu of Skyclan's transgressions. Together, they would combine to be a force that the forest would fear. The ghost of the third should have been felt; but instead, a sensation of liberation at having the toxic leech pulled away existed at the bottom of her belly. A dry tch came as the closet thing to a laugh that she could muster at the gratitude offered her way. "If there is one thing that I do not allow, Perchstar, it is for cats to evade the call of justice." She murred, words quiet enough for only her companions' ears as well. "Skyclan has stolen two lives from my ranks without the bat of an eyelash. The tyrant places herself upon the throne, painting a picture of an innocent victim as she wields the very weapon." Her lip curled back into an unreserved snarl as her gaze had slid away from the silver-and-white molly at her side. If a gaze could sear, the trees that she now looked at would have perished into little more than soot and ash. Her ire had long bided its time, every single slight that came across her Clan simply adding to the deeply-rooted emotions that she felt. She had withstood as blow came down upon Thunderclan time and time again, but there was a time that strength ebbed away. There was a time that justice's call could not be avoided, as it would be up to her to be the arbiter. That very reason was why she stood there now. Prowled forward in a maneuver that was not unlike the daughter that now found solace amidst the river queen's ranks, but with a silence that could never truly be matched. A silence that had been blessed to her from their very Gods themselves, as if she had been appointed their very weapon for this war, as well.

Blazing with the smoldering embers of an inescapable forest fire, they cooled slightly as they once more met the impenetrable fortress of ice. Many had criticized her decision to allow the forsaken exile of the forest into her ranks, to allow Vipershade to become a tom beneath her command and helm, and it was critique that she welcomed. Her tongue came with it the retort as to how his battle prowess as certainly useful in a case such as this, and she had not missed the whispers of hope that he perished in the war that he had been called to serve in. To the tortoiseshell, it was an easy assessment: If he proved himself willing to die marching beneath her banner, his position amidst her ranks would be undeniable. If not? She had a target to perish beneath her own claws. It was swept away, though, as the glaciers of her friend's gaze seemed to melt just enough to allow transparency of something more through. What lurked behind that thick curtain of ice did not go unnoticed, the frailness of vulnerability that the moment between them both had imparted being tucked away in her own heart that had been surrounded by nothing but raging flames. A slowed blink demonstrated her understanding as the molly looked away, the ice once more thickening over her gaze. Flame once more settled in, blazing to a hue that would not allow anything through. Locking herself back up for the war. She had her orders from her companion, and Mottlestar would impart her own. "Do not allow tyrant claws to claim the lives of my beloved Perch. We shall not vacate our thrones when it is not ours that should crumble." Though just the slightest of pauses existed between the two words beloved and Perch, it was little more than the beat of hesitancy. She did not allow herself to continue to comment on the words further, but the statement was clear enough: Neither of them would go in with the intent to die. It was not their lives that were there to answer for the events of the forest. They were simply there to be the arbiters of justice.

Such tenderness was revoked from her the moment the voice of her warrior called out. Youngest, yet, the keenest in senses. Peering through the tops of her eyes as her gaze tipped low in preparation, the embodiment of flame followed the line of sight to where the traitorous pelts lurked in the trees. "Understood, Silverdusk." Gone was any trace of the leader that the forest had come to know in the molly. Instead, it was the voice of a commanding general that came through, chilled and calculating. Commendation would certainly be due for the warrior's rank upon their return home, the hailings of a war hero certainly befit her station. "Assess their ranks. Keep your eyes pealed towards the trees for where they may reside. Remember: Do not engage until we are certain of their patrol. Do not provide opportunity for further ambush. Keep to the river." More orders being ushered from her tongue with such an ease it would have been easily presumed that this was a daily past-time for the tortoiseshell to execute. Thunderclan was known for their steadiness in battle, for their inability to be toppled, but keeping to the river would allow their allies the best upper-hand in using their familiar ancestral home in their favor. Closer to the waters edge also meant farther from the trees, mitigating whatever upper-paw could be provided to their enemy. It was impossible to avoid in its entirety, but, they needed any advantage they could get.

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There were many cats in SkyClan that Sunfire was willing to die for. Beechfang, though, had never been one of them. Her position within the clan had always puzzled him - she was a former medicine cat, and now a warrior... once an exile, and now a beloved member of the clan thanks to Wolfblossom and Birdstar. But she'd had kits with a ThunderClan cat. She'd lived as a rogue for moons and moons. He didn't understand why anyone thought they could trust her. Because she was their blood?  

Sunfire's gaze slanted sidelong, picking out the pale form of Falconmoon among the rest of the patrol. The tom's lip curled in a sneer, and he forced his eyes back towards the river, pelt prickling. The scars on the back of his neck had long-since healed, and were mostly hidden under his fur, but he relived that treachery every time he looked at his br-

Every time he looked at Falconmoon.      

He wasn't sure whether he'd rather have the other tom here, or back at camp. He didn't want to fight alongside someone who had zero qualms about attacking their own clanmates. But he'd rather have Falconmoon here, where he could watch him, than at camp, where Mintglade and his kits were. And there was no doubt that they would be fighting, tonight... you didn't bring a patrol twice the normal size, from two separate clans, if words were all you wanted. But that was fine with him - if ThunderClan and RiverClan wanted to hold tails as they bled out on the ground, he had no problem putting them there.

There were voices from the enemy patrol, but there was too much distance for Sunfire to hear anything more than a wordless murmur. His ears twisted forward, and simmering yellow eyes searched their ranks until he found Mottlestar's dappled coat among them. The warrior flexed his claws into the ground, imagining that they were sinking into her skull, instead, the same way she'd done to him. Mottlestar had gotten up the last time he put her on the ground, but they wanted to call him murderer anyway. Tonight, he intended to live up to that name.

Stormwatcher's voice distracted him momentarily. He wrinkled his muzzle, looking at his clanmate with narrow eyes. "If I die to these filth I don't deserve to come back." He pulled up tufts of grass with his paws, fixating his gaze on the trespassers. "There will be deaths tonight, but I won't be one of them," he said lowly. "Make sure you aren't, either." He fell silent then, and likely would stay so for the remainder of the night.

The mingled scents of Thunder and River made his mouth water, and Sunfire snapped his jaws together impatiently, pacing a restless, frustrated line back and forth in front of his clanmates. What were they waiting on, anyway?