New cats on the block.....

Felix had noticed a strange scent around the Twolegplace lately. It wasn't the usual smell of the rouges and rubbish, but it smelled like Clan cats. At first, he thought he was imagining it, but it was stronger than ever - not even just one Clan, but.............all of them mixed together? He'd seen a lot recently, but this must be strangest thing to happen over the last few days. He padded around the dark alleyways trying to track down the source of the scent. All of a sudden, he found himself face to face with the Clan cats he had only ever seen from afar. There were more than he thought, but not enough to fill the whole forest, surely? And they were battered up, and bruised. They looked defeated under the starless sky. And what were they even doing in the Twolegplace anyway?

Felix unsheathed his claws and called the other Arcane cats. "Gray! Gold! Karou! Raven! Cats of the Arcane! Look what's here!"

The smell hit him first, then the voice. It was one of those voices you couldn't get out of your head, even if you tried. Frozenflame leaped up from where he sat and made a 360 turn, his amber eyes scouring the alley for the source of that horrid scent and voice. There! A rouge. Frozenflame raced forward, almost barreling head on into the silver tabby, but he stopped just inches in front of him. Frozenflame was twice this cat's size and more muscular; live in the forest all of your life and you happen to become stronger than the thin, starved rouges of twolegplace. "What is that you're calling? Is this some sort of family reunion? Scurry off, rat, before you get shredded by Forest Cats." Okay, okay, maybe Frozenflame was being a bit out of character, but his father got killed in Twolegplace and he wasn't going to let the same thing happen to him and the other loyal clan cats.

Felix did not at all appear fazed by the forest cat rushing up to him - when you have a sister almost twice as large as you are who won't hesitate to kill....you get used to things.
"First of all, this is our territory, so if you would kindly explain why you are here and not off in the forest, it would be helpful," he replied calmly.
"Second of all, we are just as much of a....well, what you call the Clans, we call the Arcane Alignment, thank you very much. We're just as much as a family as you all. Now, just to reiterate again, why are you in the Twolegplace? You all know just as well as I do..." A steely glint appeared in his eye, and his claws were still unsheathed, but he still retained the calm manner, ".... that no Clan cats are welcomed here."

Frozenflame listened intently to what the tom had to say before he took a deep breath and made his actions more thought out. "Okay, listen, I'd be threatened, too, if a group of strangers showed up on my own territory. I do not believe you need an explanation as to why we are here....seeing that we are here and defeated by our own kind is all the explanation you need. I'm not used to being friendly toward rouges, as I'm sure you are not used to being friendly toward us, but I am willing to tolerate you if you are willing to tolerate me. Are you the leader? I'll take you to Ashwing, and you can discuss this matter with her and I or just her. But only you alone, none of your 'Arcane Alignment' buddies. Sound fair?" Frozenflame really needed to work on this sudden urge to act upon a whim if he ever wanted to be a good leader of Thunderclan some day.

Felix nodded, although a little confused by what they meant by 'defeated by their own kind". "I agree with what you say - you are not used to tolerating us, nor are we used to tolerating you. As for our leader....." He paused for a moment. Gray was the leader, but he'd been very unstable since Dusty left...and well, he realised that they couldn't risk him lashing out. That being said, he didn't trust the forest cats either. This was something that should only come to a fight if it had to, no matter how much he despised the Clans.

"As for our leader, he's been in a very unstable emotional state, and I don't want to risk this getting unnecessarily messy," he stated matter-of-factly. "I will go speak to Ashwing myself."

Pepper growled as she watched the two talk, many things going through her mind. She regretted the fact that this warrior might recognize her. "Shouldn't Gray decide who talks to these cats?" She mewed and stood by Felix, giving him a warming look. "It isn't your place to state the condition of our leader." She added sharply, trying to convince him to stay quiet. "Now, whoever you are, don't attack us without a shred of intelligent reason, sound fair? There are kits we need to protect and everything here supports us. You make the impossible task of finding actual food around here more difficult. I haven't had a good history with the clans and I'd like very much to change that." She looked at Frozenflame, the she-cat was much older than Felix and for the first time, ir began to show.

[It is mobile, my dudes]

"Well, like I said, we'd be in a bit of a pickle if he lashes out on the Clans," Felix said to Pepper, referring to Gray. "And I know it isn't my place to tell them that, but someone has to, and from the likes of today, I'd say the world's been turned upside down....."

He kept quiet as Pepper talked, and he had to admit, she was a much better....well, public speaker than he was.

Ferretshine padded up to Frozenflame, seeing he was with two strange cats. Being outnumbered was a no-go. Her kind green eyes met Felix's eyes. "Hello!" she purred, looking at Frozenflame, "Who are these rogues? I've never seen them band together like this, they usually like their space... Oh, are we in your space?" Her ears flattened apologetically. It was half an act. She was trying to feel them out, see what the forest cats would be dealing with. She hoped they were friendly.

Felix used his sister's trademark eyeroll when the second Clan cat appeared and started being so....friendly? "Of course you're in our space, and from we know, you've got no business here, either."

Ashwing padded out of her den. The scars that lined her sides had just started to scab over, and the itchiness hadn't let her sleep very well, so she was a little irritable at all this noise. "What's all this commotion about, Frozenflame, Ferretshine?" She stopped short when she saw a rogue-scented cat. "Oh, hello," she greeted him. "I'm Ashwing of-" she barely stopped herself from saying WindClan. "Well, I'm Ashwing, and this is Ferretshine and Frozenflame. What brings you here?"

Vixenpaw and Frostedpaw had been chatting for a while, and helping each other with their wounds, but Vixenpaw kept hearing voices. Three familiar ones, two unfamiliar ones.
"Hold on, I'll be right back." Vixenpaw said, padding over to the noises. When she padded out, she saw two rogues, along with Ashwing, Frozenflame, and Ferretshine. She stared at Felix in confusion. She didn't want a fight to break out, so hopefully these rogues meant no harm and were friendly, but at one of the warriors' command she was willing to spring at one of them.
"O-oh... She began, "Who's t-that?"

Frostedpaw, impatient for Vixenpaw's return, followed the ginger and white she-cat.
"Where are you going, Vixen-" She stopped when she saw the rogue.
She opened her mouth to let out a yowl, but she remembered that the Clan cats who were exiled were technically invading the space of the rogues. They weren't invading Clan territory...so yowling for backup wouldn't do anything.
"Woah, cool. I've never seen a real rogue before!" The black and white apprentice said, pacing around Felix with curiosity glistening in her eyes.
"Are you friendly?" She asked, Please, PLEASE be friendly!" Frostedpaw said without taking a breath.

Gray stepped into the opening and snarled at the Arcane.
"Knock it off," Gray snapped at all the cats. The thick muscles tom strode forward and stopped in front of Frozenflame and Ashwing.
"I am leader here. You are clan cats... what are you doing here," Gray stared at Ashwing with intense Amber eyes. He was almost as big as Frozenflame, so he wasn't fearful. He may be in an unstable state, but when it came to strangers, he could do fine.

Ashwing stared coldly back at the rogue leader. "The other Clan cats have allied with forces of evil to drive us out," she responded coolly, unintimidated. "We are strong, but we were outnumbered. We are here temporarily to rest and recuperate, and build up enough strength to take our home back. We don't want any trouble, but if you attack us, we will fight back. Leave us alone and we will leave you alone. I swearwe will hot stay here any longer than we must."

Gray nodded and smiled.
"Well, if that's so... feel free to come around this part of the Twolegplace. We will be the friendliest rouges you'll meet," Gray mewed. He'd have to make sure all his cats knew that the outcastes clan cats were allowed through here for now.

Pepper stepped aside to allow Gray the room he needed, watching the younger tom as he introduced himself. She looked at Frostedpaw with an odd look, the two looked as if they could be related despite the other being a clan cat. She glanced the tired cats and then to her leader. "This is a good chance Gray, if we get them to be in good relations with us, we have most likely doubled our strength in the eyes of outsiders." She meowed quietly enough that only he could hear,  she wanted to help them but, she knew that Gray needed a reason.