just around the riverbend [semi-open]

Bubblebeam tried to focus on the gentle sound of water, rushing down the banks at a faster speed than the Moonlit Creek, instead of her raw nerves. The idea of going to RiverClan was scary enough; being here in the spot where a battle had been waged less than a moon earlier was something else entirely. It was as if she could still smell the sharp tang of blood, still see gleaming claws unsheathed. It was just her mind playing tricks on her. She hadn't even been at the battle, but here she was worrying about it--as if Honeydew and Thymelight wouldn't have it much worse. Come on, Bubblebeam. Stop being so selfish. Sure enough, a glance to the side showed that though Thymelight was sitting with admirable patience, her shoulders shivered every so often--and not just from the cold air. Bubblebeam leaned into her sister's side, as much to take comfort from the gesture as to give it. They just had to wait for a RiverClan patrol. At this point, that was all they could do... and then whether they even crossed the border or not would be up to them. But waiting was easier said than done.

--

Dovetail always felt his fur fluff out when he had to patrol the SkyClan border. Not that he ever did so alone, since it never made sense to come this direction when he just wanted some peace of mind--not when there had been such a bloody battle here. A battle that had made Poppyshine come back like a tattered version of herself, a battle that had caused the stoic Perchstar to be even more withdrawn. A battle where Littlesplash nearly died. He'd never spoken to a SkyClan cat before, and given how bloodthirsty most of them appeared to be, he felt no reason to do so. But it seemed that his intentions didn't matter when he came to survey the banks of the river, and saw not one or two, but three SkyClan she-cats sitting there. Just--waiting. Looking over the river as if waiting for someone. But who?

The light brown seal-point tom blinked in confusion. What business would three SkyClan she-cats have just sitting there? One of them bore a flower crown at her paws. One with a scar over her eye flinched back from direct eye contact, though he wasn't even wearing his fox pelt. He didn't look that scary, did he? Well--it would be a good thing if he did. It would discourage trespassing. Dovetail glanced back at his patrolmate Bubblenose, as if to silently ask whether she was also seeing this. Then he cleared his throat. They weren't doing anything against the code yet, so force wasn't necessary, but--obviously he had to ask. "What are you doing?"

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Dovetail couldn't help but blink at the response--friendly smiles was the last thing he'd expected from a SkyClan cat, after seeing the vicious wounds they'd put on his Clanmates' pelts. But if this party included the new deputy and a medicine cat, it made sense that they would wait for an escort. This all made sense. Too much sense. What if it was some kind of trick? Could SkyClan even feel remorse for breaking the code like they had? But, then... all three she-cats looked nice. Why bring a flower crown in order to fight? He was grateful for Bubblenose's presence; making a decision like this on his own would be nerve-wracking. "I was thinking the same thing," he murmured back. "Besides, if they are lying, we can take them. None of them would be that fearsome to face in battle. If they wanted to fight, they'd have sent stronger opponents."

With that resolved, they'd be leading the small patrol to the borders of camp. What would Perchstar think of this? What would Littlesplash think? Well, there would be plenty of warriors to protect him this time. And if anything bad happened... he would personally see to it that none of them returned back to SkyClan's borders. Dovetail stood as imposingly as he could, which wasn't too difficult with his stocky stature. "The river is fairly low at the moment. If you need help crossing, let me know. And like Bubblenose said... I sincerely hope you're being honest."

--

Bubblebeam tried not to make direct eye contact with either RiverClan cat. Neither had attacked them on sight, which was good, but she couldn't shake the worries that beset her. Honeydew spoke well--even if the fact that she was tacked on at the end caused her to suppress a flinch. The deputy, the medicine cat, and... Bubblebeam. Why was she here? What was the point of her presence? Surely neither of her friends saw her as an afterthought. But she'd neither been at the battle nor held a high rank of her own, so it felt exceedingly awkward to be here with them at all. You're here to help them. That's why. Don't worry about it so much. And yet, the acceptance--the fact that they'd now be allowed into enemy territory--did not soothe her concerns. She did blink once and raise her head when she heard the name "Bubblenose." There was another she-cat with her same prefix? If they'd met at the gathering, like she had with Pigeonpaw... maybe they would have been friends. It felt far too strange to make any overtures of such right now, though, so she simply offered a small smile to the RiverClan she-cat.

Swimming? They had to go in the river to make it across the border? There wasn't a dry part... somewhere? Bubblebeam swallowed against the dryness of her throat. It was easy to hesitate. She'd never swam before, never even been in the water. What if she got swept away? But--even as she watched, Thymelight made it, and the flower crown also remained unharmed. The RiverClan tom offered his help, but physical contact with a stranger was the last thing Bubblebeam wanted right now. Eventually she gathered her strength, gave a firm nod to Honeydew, and stepped into the water. Stars, it was cold, and it soaked her fluffy fur completely through. But though she stumbled on a few slippery stones and the slimy sensation made her grit her teeth, she made it. She arrived on the other side and padded just a few steps away before shaking the water from her fur. The last thing she wanted was to spray the RiverClan patrol and be accused of hostility. Then she returned and stuck close to Thymelight's side, awaiting Honeydew's arrival. It was hard to calm the quick beating of her heart. They were on enemy territory. A million things could go wrong. She just... had to believe they wouldn't.

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Dovetail tried not to let anxiety poof his pelt out. He let Bubblenose lead in the front, but he took up the rear of the patrol to make sure that none of the three she-cats tried slipping away or doing any--as his Clanmate had called it--"funny business." None of them tried anything, though, so the journey back to camp passed in relative peace and silence. It felt odd. Should they have just left them at the border? But, no--medicine cats were allowed to cross borders with protection, weren't they?

He dipped his head when Perchstar emerged, hoping that the neutrality on her face did not hide any unhappiness with him or Bubblenose for bringing the SkyClan cats here. "Perchstar. They say they're here to apologize to Littlesplash. It's the medicine cat, and the new deputy, and an extra warrior." Thankfully, she didn't seem upset--he thought. It was a little bit hard to tell. But now that they were here, the matter was somewhat out of his paws. He lingered nearby, though, out of some sense of responsibility. He would probably be asked to guide them back to the border when they were finished here. So he remained, sitting somewhat close to Bubblenose and watching with narrowed eyes. If they made any false moves... he'd be ready.

--

Crossing another river when her thick fur had yet to even begin drying out, despite how she'd shaken as much water out of it as she could, was not pleasant--but she did her best and did not complain. She would not make trouble that would potentially harm her sister and her friend. Bubblebeam disliked how vulnerable she felt, even moreso than usual--she was completely adrift in enemy territory, soaked wet to the bone, shivering with cold and entirely unsure of her purpose in being here as moral support when she couldn't even support herself. She stayed pressed as close to Thymelight and Honeydew as she could, despite how uncomfortable the other two seemed. They had to stick together.

RiverClan camp looked so different from SkyClan's... and yet, so similar. They had a fresh-kill pile, even though it was full of strange-smelling fish. They had dens, though they were constructed more of reeds than branches and moss. They had a center of camp with a branch over it for the leader to use, but it was a weeping willow tree rather than a sturdy deciduous. Bubblebeam had to focus on these things instead of the way she was trembling, otherwise her fear would probably take hold of her. But... they were here, now. And so Perchstar had to speak with them. That's the cat who killed Great-Aunt Bird, isn't it? The leader of RiverClan was a cat she'd only ever seen from far away, at Gatherings. She was tall and imposing, with that ruff of white fur and those cold blue eyes, and her face bore no emotion--which was more off-putting than comforting. What would she say? When the icy gaze met her, she was unable to keep herself from taking a single step back. What if Perchstar could tell she was related to Birdstar? What if something went very wrong? Well... it was too late for those fears now. She would just have to wait. Besides, she was just an "extra warrior," as the RiverClan tom put it. If something went wrong, she had no authority to do anything. Bubblebeam tried her best to sit still... it was all she could do.

--

Very little could rouse Perchstar from her sorrow-inflicted stupor... little other than the scent of SkyClan crossing her borders. Thankfully her rage had been long-since doused, but she was able to shake herself from the fog of emotion and put on her leader face once more. If any SkyClan cats were here, it meant that they required her presence also, didn't it? When she'd been informed, she made her way over, clinging to the neutrality remaining as if it could possibly save her from making any more mistakes. The two SkyClan cats she had the largest quarrel with were dead already. As long as it was not the Dawnhawk-descendant or the golden-furred attempted murderer, or the cat who'd threatened Poppyshine, odds are that she would have the strength to keep her claws sheathed. "What's this about?" she asked calmly, looking at the group in front of her. Dovetail and Bubblenose--two younger warriors, but ones who had good heads on their shoulders. They wouldn't have brought the SkyClan cats here if anything were wrong. Ice-blue eyes surveyed the intruding patrol, dripping pathetically onto the sand. She recognized two of them... the two that Dovetail named as the medicine cat and the new deputy. Both had been at the battle; both had been honorable combatants and had not broken the code. Both had seemed to hate the war, in fact. Their presence was acceptable. She looked more carefully at the third warrior, the one with the scarred face--the one she'd never seen before. But given how the she-cat quailed just from being perceived, she doubted that she meant any harm. No murder was in any of their eyes. Only fear... fear of her. She supposed that was fair. She had, after all, killed two murderers. They had both seen her at her lowest point. Hopefully she could rectify their mental image of her, if only a tiny bit... though with how badly Wolfblossom thought of her, it likely wouldn't help much.

Perchstar padded next to Dovetail and Bubblenose, giving them a nod. "Thank you for bringing them safely." Then she turned again and carefully looked at the deputy--Honeydew, was it?--and the medicine cat. "The code states that medicine cats are allowed to cross borders without being attacked," she said plainly. Thankfully, she was able to seize control of herself and remain neutral. No hint of emotion, negative or otherwise, showed on her face. "If you are truly here to converse with Littlesplash, you are free to do so. It would be foolish to attack him in our camp; I am extending my trust to you by allowing you to remain. If it is your intent to apologize for your Clanmates' actions, then I welcome you." The "if" was dangerous... but if they were being honest, then the three would have nothing to fear. She flicked the tip of her tail. "Please be gentle with him. For reasons that you understand, he is still recovering."

Despite the persistant stinging in his neck, the undersized gray and white tom had continued about his duties. It had been both shock and blood loss that had kept him den-bound for a short while. The healing process had been slow given where the Skyclan warrior's fangs had sunk in. Every twist of his neck or nod of his head agitated the puncture wounds, eventually becoming a dull ache. He'd taken poppy seeds sparingly and used a pawful of herbs but there would still be some time before it simply faded into a scar.

Littlesplash dipped his head to gingerly lap at the water next to the medicine cat den. It wasn't until he lifted his head that the scent wafted through his nostrils. Taking a few stunned steps back, the tom's gray and green gaze went wide, and his fur stood on end as he regarded the familiar pelts that had entered camp. Realizing Thymelight was among them helped to settle his rapidly beating heart a few paces but not entirely. The patrol hardly seemed liked a threatening one, and yet, the medicine cat couldn't stop his rising fear at the sight of Skyclan cats after everything that had happened.

It would have likely been proper to approach, and greet his fellow medicine cat. Instead, Littlesplash's paws were rooted to the soft earth as he started blankly ahead. Part of him wanted to retreat back into the den and curl up in his nest although he found moving to be impossible.

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Perchstar wished to believe the offers of goodwill, but... it was not exactly her place to accept them. They hadn't come to apologize to her, after all. She had done nothing to deserve such. At least Honeydew seemed kind enough, offering words of thanks. Whether they were genuine, or not, remained to be seen. But there was little more to be said than she had already said, so she sat back with Poppyshine and watched from a distance. If anything went wrong, she would be the first to unsheathe her claws. It was nice to hope, though, that this could truly be what the SkyClanners said it was. A mission of peace. Dovetail sat nearby with ears pinned back in anticipation, Bubblenose close to him. Cindersky remained very near Littlesplash. The medicine cat was well-protected, this time. Nothing bad would happen. And if it did, then this time, SkyClan would pay.

--

Bubblebeam did her best not to quail. It was difficult, in a completely different place that she was unused to, surrounded by strangers that could rip her to shreds with their claws at the slightest sign of trouble. Some of them looked ready to do so, even. But still, she pressed as close as she could to Honeydew and Thymelight. They'd brought her for morale, she supposed, so she ought to give as much of it as she could. As scary as the RiverClan leader looked, at least she seemed relatively polite--as polite as she probably could be under the circumstances, anyway. The three of them walked forward as one, bearing the gifts they came with. Bubblebeam once more felt a little bit awkward for not having brought anything. She was the only one here who hadn't been present at the battle; she had never met the small medicine cat before. But viewing the fear in his eyes and the brutal scar on his neck caused her to wince. He didn't choose violence. He probably hates it, like me. Sunfire... My father did that to him. Guilt churned nauseatingly within her stomach.

Honeydew and Thymelight were both very eloquent in offering their apologies and condolences. Bubblebeam could not quite say anything. Instead, her pale green eyes strayed from the young tom to the she-cat sitting next to him. She was heavily scarred, even lacking a tail, and the mistrust in her gaze spoke volumes. I wonder if she was there, too. I may be the only one here who was not. What right do I have to come and apologize? Her gray ears pinned back a little bit once she saw the accusation lying implicit in the eyes of Littlesplash's companion. A lull fell... both her friends had said their pieces. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't just sit here uselessly. Though her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth, she tried to speak. "I..." She looked at Littlesplash, feeling an ache at how much she understood the emptiness in his gaze. Stars knew she'd felt that way after the skirmish with ThunderClan. "My father is the one who attacked you," she whispered, ashamed of the way her voice trembled. "I would like to... apologize on his behalf, if I can. Not all cats in SkyClan desire violence and strife. I, too, am scarred through no fault of my own. It is awful to feel helpless. I hope that no one from my Clan makes you feel that way ever again." During her last two sentences, she glanced between both the medicine cat and his companion, who also seemed to have been hurt by SkyClan if she was reading the situation correctly. Perhaps the scars were unrelated, but... who knew. All she could hope was that she had not made things worse.

A slow breath released from the medicine cat's tense lungs as Cindersky reached his side. The soft sound of the water as it lapped lazily at the bank rang in his ears. It was the warrior's voice that shoved it away. Littlesplash felt himself nod stiffly at her reassurance. Thymelight had helped him and no medicine cat would condone the dishonorable actions of their clanmate. He swallowed back a lump that had formed in his throat and forced the fluffed out fur along his shoulders to lay flat as they approached. Guiltily, he realized that the scent of Skyclan made him nauseous, a fault of cats that did not stand before him.

We have come to apologize. He blinked slowly at Honeydew, feeling frozen in place for the moment and not quite sure of how to react. It was surreal to consider after what had happened that Skyclan cats would find themselves peacefully in Riverclan camp, and with an honorable good will. As Thymelight addressed him, the tom found himself focusing on the scent of the flowers as they wafted up from the delicately crafted crown. The display was unlike anything he had ever seen before, reminiscent of the gifts that he had shared with clanmates in kithood, except expertly woven by paw. The mismatched pair of a cloudy gray eye and pale green eye glanced between the pair. His gaze was round and soft as the initial fear began to subside.

Not only had they brought the floral arrangement but moss too. He was more used to expertly crafted reed nests, designed to float if the river ever flooded and sparse moss for padding, but the sentiment caused tears to form at the edge of his gaze. It was only the name of his attacker that interrupted to send a brief chill down his spine. Sunfire. Littlesplash would never forget those eyes nor the name attached to them now. When Bubblebeam spoke, he turned to her, head tipping slightly to the side. How could such a soft and careful cat come from such a monster? Surprise flickered across his features.

For several moments, he said nothing, merely drinking in the amount of information the Skyclan cats had shared and slowly sifting through the myriad of emotions in his chest. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath before snapping them open and dipping his head to the trio of mollies before him. With his gaze to the ground, one paw pulling close the gifts, his low and slightly rasped meow came, "I-I don't blame you. I, what I mean is... thank you. This is nice." Littlesplash's nose lowered to the ground to let the scent of flowers engulf him before pulling back.

"He, I mean Sunfire, he scares me. Even at the gathering, I saw him looking at me but... not all of Skyclan is like that. Not now that-" He caught himself before saying, not now that Beechfang was gone. Littlesplash didn't want to upset them not after this. Another slow blink, "I accept your apology and, thank you, really."