The Resistance Begins. [STARCLAN'S AVENGERS #1]

Scorchfrost held his head high as he exited the camp with three cats on his heels. He kept his expression set in stone: cold, proud, sinister. He had told the three, Blizzardshine, Sedgewhisker, and Gentlenose, that he needed to have a word with them. He didn't break his character. He made sure they were intimidated. His heart was racing. He had devised a careful, intricate plan. There was no room for mistakes. Every possibility of a mishap had been ironed out. It was, in a sense, foolproof. He felt awful, dragging the ones he'd began to know as family into this war. They could all be killed for what he was plotting. This was the highest of treason: plotting against Morningstar.

The dried out grass around Snakerocks crunched underfoot as he stood to face the cats he had brought into the clearing. His tail lashed violently as he stared around, wondering if he'd been followed. Well, better safe than sorry. If any of the three were loyal to Treestep, they could easily go blabbing back to her. "I don't like what I've heard," he hissed, voice dripping with faux poison, "StarClan's pathetic light just won't die out. I will not tolerate traitors and spies in my clan." He stared darkly at Blizzardshine especially. He had his doubts about her... She seemed to favor compassion towards the Dark Forest. Could she be trusted? "Confess to your treasonous actions now, and you will walk home unharmed. You will respect me as your deputy and tell nothing but the truth." He brandished his claws fiercely. "Liars shall choke on their own false tongues." He felt panic rise in his bones. Would they believe him if he revealed himself after threatening them like this? His eyes floated to Gentlenose. He had confessed his inner darkness to her, and she had forgiven him. She knew him well, and she could convince her own children.

Gentlenose followed Scorchfrost from the camp, wondering what he could have possibly wanted with all three of them. "It must be something important..." she thought as the tom lead them farther and farther away. She trusted that her former apprentice knew what he was doing.

She looked back at her kits as Scorchfrost halted in the clearing, wondering what they thought of his seemingly odd behavior. Her attention was brought back as Scorchfrost spoke, and his intentions were suddenly made clear in Gentlenose's mind. "So that's what he brought us out here for..." she realized, a small smile forming on her muzzle. She stayed silent even after Scorchfrost had finished speaking, instead watching Sedgewhisker. Gentlenose trusted Blizzardshine would be righteous in her actions, but had Sedgewhisker been easily swayed by the Dark Forest? She wanted badly to trust her son, but Scorchfrost was right in taking precautions.

Blizzardshine walked behind Scorchfrost, right at her mother’s side. She wasn’t used to this kind of tense situations, even if she probably should by now with the whole Dark Forest thing. She couldn’t blame Scorchfrost for her cold attitude, now that he was ThunderClan’s new deputy he had a lot to carry over his shoulders, and with the Dark Forest ghost’s eyes on him since then, he had to be careful with each pawstep he decided to give. She still thought that the Dark Forest could change for the better, but even she couldn’t help but wish that things returned to normal, like when her clan still felt like home.

She stopped with the other cats, her eyes soon meeting with the older warrior’s as he turned around. As soon as he started to speak she couldn’t help but lower her ears, noticing that out of the three cats that he had before him, he was glaring at her the most. She couldn’t really blame him though, she was known to roam around the territory by herself even now that she was a warrior, and even a couple of cats knew that she had crossed borders thanks to her curiosity. She usually tried to stay in neutral grounds when she did that, as she didn’t want to cause troubles to her clan for her doings, but it could still seem extremely suspicious to any cat.

But…well, saying that she didn’t went too close to the forest limits, where she knew that the exiled cats were, would be a huge lie. She missed them, Cloverpool, Frozenflame, Darkstar…all her exiled clanmates. It was really a crime to look for them? Wanting to share tongues with the ones that she had always considered to be her clanmates, friends, family? Probably…

She looked at her paws, she may had decided to stay, but the only reason behind said action was the hope of helping those around her to return to the right path and get a second chance, regardless of their current status. Living cats and ghosts, both deserved the same compassion, right? She hoped to be right. But even with those ideals, she had caught herself looking towards the Twolegplace or the Highstones more often than she would like to admit, wondering if she should leave her clan behind and join those on the exile, if she made the right choice.

Maybe…maybe Scorchfrost had followed her one day and she didn’t noticed? When she roamed way too close to the Twolegplace or when she had decided to leave the territory to explore? “I just…” She started, trying to find the right words “I miss the times before the Dark Forest, Scorchfrost. I miss our clanmates…Is it really that bad to want them back? Everything to be like it used to be?” Yes, Blizzardshine may felt like she had to help the Dark Forest cats, but anyone would be able to tell by her words that her loyalties weren’t truly settled.

Sedgewhisker stared at his mentor as he walked besides every cat, would he be able to trust him? He took a quiet deep breath and thought What do I say, should I be loyal to Scorchfrost? Or stay loyal to StarClan? he thought, then to nod, he might of been betraying Gentlenose...His own mother. He nodded one last time until he responded to Scorchfrost "I will" he mewed.

The cat's eyes became less and less hostile with each cats' response. He retracted his claws and looked at Gentlenose with an affirming gaze. "Well, that's a pleasant surprise." Scorchfrost sat down. "I'm sorry I scared you like that. I couldn't afford a slip up, and if any of you were loyal to Morningstar... I'd be dead." He sighed at the ground. "Gentlenose is pretty much in on this, and we've hatched a risky plan. It won't be easy, and you could be hurt, but you will be taught under me to defend yourself against Dark Forest converts. You will be StarClan's Avengers. Blizzardshine, Sedgewhisker... Do you pledge your utmost loyalty to me and StarClan? Will you attack with the strength of a thousand lions for them?" 

He realized he was asking a lot of them, but it was necessary. "In time, this will all be explained. We're creating an army. They won't expect it, but when we're needed most, it will be StarClan's upper hand. I was trained throughout my apprenticeship in the Dark Forest. I know how they operate. I want my children and my clan to thrive again, don't you?" Morningpaw's happy eyes flashed in his memory. "There is not a doubt in my mind that my daughter is doing her part to save us, where ever she went. I want her home." 

Ooc: mobile, my dudes.

Gentlenose's amber eyes glowed with pride as she heard her kits' responses. "Look at them... They're so grown up..." she thought wistfully, remembering the little kits they used to be like it was only yesterday. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Jayflight... who's side was he on? Gentlenose hadn't spoken to him since before the gathering, and he hadn't even bothered to show up for his kits' Warrior ceremony. "Scorchfrost..." she murmured, not meeting the tom's gaze. "I hate that I even have to ask this... But... I think he's been avoiding me since the gathering... Jayflight, do you know where his loyalties lay?" she looked up, desperately searching Scorchfrost's eyes for an answer. "Please, tell me... Did you ever see him when you used to train in the Dark Forest?" she pleaded, hoping that he wouldn't confirm her suspicions.

Blizzardshine looked at Scorchfrost, surprise clear in her eyes. Yes, she felt a wave of relief as soon as the situation was explained, as she had thought that after her words she would be exiled or at least severely scolded for not taking sides with the Dark Forest even after they were the ones that supposedly granted her warrior name, but she still couldn’t help but have thousands of questions roaming around her head now.

She looked at her mother with the same confused eyes, wondering if anyone else knew about this risky plan that both cats had come up with. She took a deep breath, finding herself in the same predicament that she faced during her warrior ceremony. Was she really willing to take a side? She knew this was an important decision, and once taken she would not be able to take her words back.

Well…siding with StarClan didn’t meant that she would need to give up on the Dark Forest cats and her attempts to lead them to the right path again, right? There was the possibility that by doing this maybe she would also be able to convince those in StarClan that at least some of these cats did deserve a second chance, the ability to mend their errors and find their spot between the stars instead of wondering forever in darkness.

Her troubled gaze soon was filled with hope as, one by one, the possibilities came to her mind. With her usual optimistic smile, her voice finally found its way to her mouth “I’ll stand at your side for as long as you need me Scorchfrost…you and StarClan” Her words were calm and cheerful.

Her attention was soon snatched away by Gentlenose’s words. Was there a possibility that her own father was a Dark Forest follower? One of the cats she as aiming to save…and she hadn’t noticed? Her gaze soon returned to Scorchfrost, though words weren’t needed. It was clear as crystal just by looking at her that she wanted to know the answer as much as Gentlenose.

Segdewhisker nodded at his old mentor, Scorchfrost. He was going to say something before hearing his mothers question, since when was Gentlenose curios about Jayflight? He was in SkyClan and that was it. Sedgewhisker turned towards his mentor and began his pledge to be loyal "I will stand loyal to you and StarClan as long as I live and will stand strong for both you and them" he mewed

Scorchfrost froze. His good friend, now his enemy by circumstance. He didn't want to be the one to tell them, but he had no choice... "Jayflight was there from the beginning. Even as Jaypaw, when we met and became friends. Though I cannot confirm it, he has probably killed innocent cats. StarClan knows that he is not alone in this." He looked away, knowing that the blood of two cats were on his claws, two innocent ShadowClan she-cats. It was all in the name of his father... The stupidity of it all. He felt disgusted. "I followed the Dark Forest with a passion, stubbornly tying to avenge my father when he had no right to be avenged. He asked me to kill Thrushstar, a job I could not take on. I did horrible things... StarClan has given me a second chance." He flicked his ears. "We will meet at the barn with all of the cats I have chosen. Gentlenose, you are my right paw. I cannot stand high without you. All will be explained soon." He rose, padding in the direction of camp. "Your lips are sealed. Not even Jayflight shall know. So help me, I will have your heads if Teestep doesn't have mine fist."

Gentlenose froze as Scorchfrost spoke, her eyes widening on shock and horror. The father of her kits... The one she loved so dearly... was keeping a terrible secret from her and was now her enemy. How had she missed such a thing? "I... I..." she fought for words, hardly even knowing how to react. She fell silent again as Scorchfrost finished his speech. "I... understand, Scorchfrost. You know you can trust me," she responded quietly, still processing what Scorchfrost had just revealed.

Blizzardshine lowered her gaze with Scorchfrost’s words, trying to fully assimilate the information that had just been given to her. She wanted to save hose that had strayed from the path, those that followed the Dark Forest, but when she had one of them right in front of her she couldn’t tell him apart, even if that cat was her own father and mentor?

The she-cat took a deep breath to try to put those awful feelings that had started to rise inside her chest to rest. She needed to be more careful from now on, otherwise telling those who needed help from those who didn’t or that were lost causes would be extremely hard and time consuming.

After gently nuzzling her mother’s cheek on a comforting way, knowing how she was feeling after the shocking news, her attention landed on Scorchfrost once more as she gave him a quick nod after listening to him “You have my word” She meowed, her tone a lot more serious than her usual one.