Light and Shadow [PLOT]

It was night out on the open marsh, with no moon in the sky, and in the heart of the territory was a stranger.

The mud and dirty water stained her paws. Stagnant pools of water, half-hidden among the grass and reeds and rushes, snakes concealed under brambles, poised to strike out at any careless cat who stumbled too close, lizards and frogs and minnows and rats. The rats most of all. Elea wasn't unaccustomed to their taste, but she knew them for their evil. They were carriers of disease and bearers of sickness; a symbol of death where she came from, and best avoided if you could help it. But here, it was like they scurried under every bramble and through every clump of grass. Their scent tainted the acrid air. This was a place of sickness. Sickness, scarcity, darkness, and cold northern winds.

She could bring them light and prosperity, or she could bring them destruction. It all depended on their choice.

It didn't take long for a patrol to reach Elea's location. It was led by Thrushstar who was making his usual rounds before he caught the scent of a trespasser. He quickly followed it only to find the she-cat in the middle of their territory. She didn't look like a typical rogue, and the leader didn't approach her as one either. The usual rogue was usually in search of some kind of food or shelter for the night, but she looked like she was on a mission. Padding up to her carefully all the while standing tall, he studied her. "What is your business here?" he asked calmly, not showing any emotion in the features of his face.

Bearmask trailed after her father with a worried look in her eyes as she stared at the she-cat. Her tail flickered at the tail-tip as she wondered what this strange cat would be doing on the marsh. The pure snow white she-cat caused her to wonder; why exactly was this she-cat here? She stood out easily against the dark marsh that ShadowClan called home...But as she stared at her, she felt her fur rise on her back. It seemed like this she-cat had been waiting for them...

Elea stopped in her tracks and looked the tom over with a measured, analytic expression. Her eyes didn't give anything away when they met his. "Thrushstar," she mewed, like she was greeting an old acquaintance. "I've been waiting. My business is here with you. You and your Clan." She tilted her head and flicked her tail. "Take me to your camp and I'll explain everything."

Jaypaw paused narrowing his gaze then he turned and looked over at Thrushstar.
Hes not actually thinking of bringing a complete stranger to camp was
he? Glancing back at the strange cat studying her. Something about this cat made a chill run up his spine.

It was honestly unsettling as this strange cat spoke to him as if she had met him a few times before. He was positive that he had never seen this cat, but she sure knew him. Setting his expression once again, it kind of turned into a very untrusting look. "You will not enter my camp. What you need to say can be said here. You are already trespassing. Now say what you need to say or get out." the leader snapped. Who did she think she was asking to stroll into camp? He would never let that happen.

Elea didn't bother to feign surprise. She'd figured he'd say something like that the moment the words left her mouth. They wouldn't let her pass through as easily as ThunderClan had. "Are you afraid of me, Thrushstar?" she asked, her voice mildly curious. "What harm could I do in your camp? What harm could I do to you, even without your warriors surrounding me? I'm half your size, alone and defenseless in a territory I've never been to before." She looked to Bearmask, eyes flashing. "And it wouldn't be the first time you've brought a rogue into your camp. Only a few days ago..."

Jaypaws fur bristled what was this cat talking about the only clan with rouges is Skyclan. And skyclan seemed to be full with Rouges, Loners and weak kitty pets. No Pure-Breeds What so ever Jaypaw cringed at the sound of the questions she was asking Thrushstar.

"What you need to say, you can say it right here," He repeated. "I am the one you need to talk to, and I am here." He wasn't even going to touch on the subject of the rogue. There was no point to it. What was done was done, and it would have been against the warrior code not to keep the kit. Besides, the rogue they brought in was just that: a kit. It did not rest on his conscience. He had other things to worry about then a 4 moons old kitten.

Elea stared for a moment more before dipping her head. "It is your Clan I wish to address, Thrushstar, in the comfort of your camp, with everyone gathered to hear my words. Not just to you and this patrol, out in the middle of this marsh. I have news for you, and other things that might be of your interest." She met the young leader's gaze again, evenly. "You wish to avoid outsiders after what happened. You've avoided Gatherings, pulled back into the shadows, as is your Clan's nature. But you cannot stay isolated forever. You should know old enemies have turned on each other. Reedstar invaded ThunderClan with SkyClan at his back. WindClan and ThunderClan were smashed utterly in the attack. An elder was killed. The rest were gravely wounded." Her whiskers flicked. "There's much and more I can tell you, and not just news. These are dark times for more than just war. Bring me to your camp and I will tell all."

Astonished that there was pretty much a full on war without shadowclan Jaypaw blinked his ear perking still listening to what this cat had to say he dug his claws into the marsh his tail flicking with irritation things were getting tense with all the clans he felt like a big battle was going to happen eventually. Studying the cats gaze he couldn't tell what she was thinking, it was as if this cat had no emotions at all. He could barely stand looking at this cat. It was irritating his eyes blazed when elea called shadowclan "Isolate." Curling his lips into a snarl "We are not Isolated! Shadowclan has better things to do then to care what's happening to the other clans." He snapped at her his dark blue eyes flashing.

Elea regarded the apprentice with something that might have been amusement glittering in her eyes. "Oh?" Her voice was mild. "Call it what you will, Jaypaw, a cat who hides in the dark will never bask in the glory of day. Night is your cloak here in ShadowClan. You take pride in it. You draw strength from it. The strongest and most resilient roots are in the darkest of places, after all, but that is because they hide." She looked up at the cold stars burning high above, like chips of ice in the sea of black and filling the sky with an eerie silver light. "Sagestar once threatened to swallow up whole other Clans, did you know? Queens and elders would tell kits tales about ShadowClan strength and cruelty, and warriors would go to sleep not knowing if they'd ever see sunlight again, and wondering if there were ShadowClan cats prowling nearby, waiting to pounce once the Clan closed their eyes."

The priestess looked back down to the apprentice, and then to Thrushstar. "And now what do the other Clans fear when night falls? Nothing. Your Clan was broken and nearly destroyed, and your Clanmates were slaughtered like mice in your own camp. The other Clans know that ShadowClan would prefer to stay in their own marsh, eating diseased rats and cursing the biting wind. You are no longer a force to be feared and respected. Now you are reviled, as carrion-eaters and raiders and codebreakers." Elea's fiery gaze burned all the brighter as she spoke. Her voice was silky and calm, but still filled with a rousing energy. "But no longer. Sagestar was a small cat who cast a very large shadow, but you will break into the light, Thrushstar. Every night I glimpse the glory that awaits you. You only need to listen to what I have to say. I have words to share with your daughter as well. I'm a medicine cat of sorts, myself."

Scratchpaw bristled. This cat knew a lot about ShadowClan, that's for sure. Something about her tone, her words, just wasn't right. Who does she think she is, barging into ShadowClan territory?! Looking at her, a sense of fear and uneasiness washed over him, crushing the fierceness like a falling boulder and a mouse. A chill ran down his spine, and he fell to his knees, craziness glazing his eyes.

At first, the only thing that Thrushstar could think about was ripping this cat apart. How could she even think about coming into his territory and tell him all of this? He had finally gotten over the shock of how she knew all that she was saying, but to insult him on his own land? If he didn't know better, she would have been running with no fur already. She had no idea what he had planned. If Skyclan hadn't come back with what seemed to be immense numbers, Thrushstar would have already gained all of their land for himself. He had been planning it before he was even leader. He was letting his clan recover and gain strength. He didn't want the outside to have any kind of idea as to what he was doing. If they continued to think Shadowclan was weak, then that would have made the advantage all the better against Windclan. Shadowclan had grown. They were great in numbers and even better in strength. He made sure that everyone was trained to their best. Taking a deep breath and looked back at this... medicine cat of sorts. The more she spoke, the more he was interested in what she had to say, but he could not take any chances on her coming to the camp. That just wasn't going to happen, but he did want Ebonyleaf to meet this cat. Maybe the medicine cat could speak some sense into the situation. "I stand firm on my decision. You will not enter our camp. The only offer I give is to meet at dawn. Since you are with Skyclan, we will meet at Highpine. I will have my medicine cat, deputy, and some warriors with me. You tell us what you have to say, and I will decide on whether or not it pertains to my clan. If so, I will tell them myself." With that, he put his foot down--literally and figuratively. He was done with her and this 'light' thing.

Elea dipped her head and stepped back. "Very well. If you would resist." She turned, tail lashing, and cast a last glance over her shoulder, and at Scratchpaw, lying on the ground (???). "Your time of waiting is almost over. Come the dawn you will see. Bring as many warriors as you can, Thrushstar."

And with that, she padded away.