Without a jump, a frog is nothing [Open::RC]

Just as Fracturedpaw was about to pull to the side to look for the leader, or anyone, to help, a gruff shove threw him off guard. He glanced up to see a raging Stormpaw. He narrowed his eyes, wishing the apprentice could have been slightly more considerate, but it wasn't time for complaining about clan mates. Finally Fishstar's familiar voice rang towards his perked ears, he turned slightly to watch her tear by in angry. It seemed that her feeling influenced the others around her, soon other apprentices and warriors were cheering about revenge towards WindClan.

Soon, he felt his own veins boil with outrage. His whiskers twitched at the thought of settling it even with the rival clan only made his anger rise.

"Um...WindClan is bad, right?" Buzzardkit guessed. He just popped his head out of the nursery from the shouting about revenge. He never understood revenge. 'WHY DID I REVEAL MYSELF TO THE WORLD?!' his subconscious yowled at him, so his head went back into the nursery.

Smokeface who was totally amongst the cats bared his teeth besides his former mentor, imitating her flaring fury at the repeated acts of violence from the WindClan cats. "Fishstar, that was enought and you know it. I demand you let me have a word with this Dungpelt, deputy of ViolentClan about the warrior code!" he snarled, his eyes glowing with anger. At thise rate, his own kits might get hurt or even killed by those fox-hearts without even doing them wrong. "They need tonlearn the hard way that we are not some stupid, weak clan!" he voice arose again, his eyes scanning the gathered cats, cats who were constantly humiliated by those moorlanders. He will not stand for this, never!

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Petalpaw watched in horror as the world around her broke into chaos. By now almost half the clan was yowling and screeching in rage about WindClan. The apprentice had never been so confused or afraid for her clan-mates that she didn't dare speak up. Why would a deputy do this? Why did WindClan hate them so much? Praying that Frogpaw would be alright, Petalpaw stayed where she was, nervous and afraid of what was to come. Would Fishstar go to such lengths as to start a war between the clans?

He'd heard the yowls. He'd heard his Clanmates crying for him, but he was in a dream. A nightmare, really. The voices of those he'd been unable to save repeatedly bashed his skull, so, so many, and one other name threatened to join them now. Frogpaw. His eyes opened. It took him several seconds to figure out that he wasn't still dreaming, that Starclan wasn't still doubting their decision to choose him as Riverclan's medicine cat. He was useless.

Cloudstone, once he had come to his senses, gathered up his meager supply of herbs, including cobwebs, and poppy seeds, and goldenrod, and rushes, and anything that might help. His eyes were dull as he looked over what was left, heart dipping slightly lower than it already was. If he didn't get enough herbs before Leafbare began, he'd just be another hungry mouth, without purpose. When he emerged from his den, he wondered again if he was dreaming. So many cats were crowded around a single body. Were there really this many cats in Riverclan? He made a move to weave through, but there were so many cats that that would be nearly impossible. Growing increasingly irritated, the medicine cat tried several times to push through.

"Excuse me."

No one seemed to notice. He tried again.

"Excuse me."

Nothing. This was enough.

"MOVE."

He had more aggression in his voice than ever before as he shoved his clanmates aside. He ignored the terribleness of the wound and set to work, noticing quite early on that the poppy seeds he brought would be of little use; shock, in this instance, should be enough to negate most of the pain. However, he could see Fishstar in the corner of his eye. He dug through what he'd brought to find what was necessary, and tossed it towards the leader. A leaf of thyme settled at the she-cat's paws.

"Eat it. I will do what I can." He did not make any attempts to soothe Frogpaw, since although the shock did help ignore the pain, it also blocked out other sorts of stimuli as well. His words would fall on deaf ears. Dark paws worked ceaselessly to gently set his jaw to as close as it was before, then covering it with a thick poultice, and finally wrapping it and closing his mouth with thick rushes. He would have difficulty eating for the rest of his life, if he lived past this. The tom appeared to be entirely on-edge, a stark contrast to the times before the flood. There was nothing that connected Cloudpaw and Cloudstone now. They were completely different cats.

Thistleblaze stood by her tail lashing as words were passed between the others about her old clan. She hated them even more now. The only good soul left in that clan was her sister. They needed to pay for what they had done. They will pay. "Fishstar! Allow me to lead a patrol into windclan! I will bring back that fox heart so Riverclan can make him pay for what he has done!" She remembered the way to the camp. She knew who Smokepelt was. She would make him pay, she would make all of them pay. They couldn't trust Ashstar when she said she would take care of her clanmates. She demanded justice, and she demanded blood.

"There will be no need for you to lead a patrol," she said to Thistleblaze, "because I'm going to lead one myself. I need to face the cat who injured my son, and bring justice to them." Whirling around, the RiverClan leader made for the willow branch and vaulted herself onto it in one, strong jump. She could safely say she hadn't felt such a hot, visceral anger in a very, very long time. The maiming of her son would not be addressed at a Gathering, under a peace treaty. Today, the potential for blood to be spilled was high.

"Apprentices and warriors of RiverClan," she called out, tail lashing behind her. The she-cat waited for the Clan to gather below her and stifle their concerned chatter. It didn't take very long, because half of the Clan was already all bunched up around Frogpaw. When all was finally quiet, the leader continued. "For many moons, WindClan has been quiet - unfriendly, but quiet. Their alliance with ThunderClan had prevented me from regarding them with anything but distaste, but there had never been a cause for violence between us. Two sunrises ago, however, a WindClan warrior attacked Shellpaw at the border and left her with scars that she will never grow out of. Today, my own son was attacked." Fishstar's gaze traveled from Shellpaw to Frogpaw, and she couldn't help but dig her claws into the wet bark beneath her. They were so young, and this was what had befallen them. "This leaves me no choice but to step in before another one of my Clanmates is targeted. Today, we will march straight to WindClan's camp and demand immediate payment for the damage they have done to us. If they do not comply.." Her eyes drifted into the distance, in the direction of the moor, and narrowed. ".. Then we will go to war."

"Blood for blood. Eye for an eye. WindClan will regret their choice in leader and deputy, their weakness and cruelty will be their downfall." Ivyfall spoke from underneath the willow branch, accepting Fishstar's declaration whole-heartedly. The silver she-cat looked like the seasoned warrior she was, determined yet calm, not outwardly hungry for blood but there was a quiet intensity about her that gave away her deep-rooted fury. Though it had taken many moons, Ivyfall now considered every single cat in this clan her own kin. Each of them had a place in her heart, from Thistleblaze that she'd adopted to ever loyal Smokeface. To see the most vulnerable and innocent among them mauled, it was more than she could bear.

She accepted the beating war drums. She accepted the bays for blood.

She was this clan's deputy, she had no intention of letting anymore of them get harmed.

"To war!" Ivyfall shouted, repeating Fishstar and showing her resolve.

-

Unlike Ivyfall's cooler tone, Otterleap's heart beat with pure unadulterated anger and grief. "To war!" He screamed, a twist of grief and pain slithering into his tone. His friend, Frogpaw had been mutilated, his crush, Shellpaw was scarred. What warrior would just watch from the distance as this all happened? He didn't care if he had to face WindClan alone, he'd rip Smokepelt a new one for harming those close to him.

-

"TT!"

This was one of those annoying moments of clan life that bothered Sunpaw. Unlike his clanmates who could just vocalise their support, all he could do was -tt- as loudly as he could, which wasn't particularly loud. His noises got easily drowned out by others, but he hoped that his determination still showed. He wanted revenge as much as the next cat. He saw how Sleetpaw was almost frothing in rage. He would fight alongside his brother, and of course, Ashpaw, who he considered a dear friend.

Buzzardkit yelped in horror as cats talked about war. War! It's a never ending, horrible cycle of violence and death. The words 'violence and death' echoed in his head until he had to yowl as loud as he could, but nobody heard him, as he was just a kit.

"TO WAR!" Tawnystorm yowled with all her heart. Those foxhearts would pay for what they'd done. They'd show WindClan what they were made of. Though she tried to regain an intense, determined look on her face as always, it was painfully obvious that she was filled with the same raging fury like her son. "They might attack us. Their warriors might attack our apprentices half their size! They think they're so strong, but there isn't a scrap of honour left in WindClan! Not in their warriors, not in their deputy- not even in their leader - not in anyone!" The experienced warrior normally held a calm and rational judgement and attitude - but this was too much. Nobody touched RiverClan on her watch.

Cloudstone looked up, horrified. He understood their rage, yes, but all he could see was the aftermath of a single battle, not even a war, and that he would be unable to treat more than a few cats. Fewer than he had toes on just one of his paws. He held back from the cheers, moving to carry Frogpaw into his den. A war? What were they playing at? He was just a mediocre medicine cat. He wished Starclan would talk to him, just once! It didn't even matter what they said, they could call him a fish-for-brains, just so that he would know that they were even there. All he had ever seen was glimpses of the Dark Forest. He wanted to ask them why these things kept happening. Was it punishment? Or was it true that Starclan had no influence at all on what happened down in the forest? He wished he could stop this. A part of him wanted revenge as well, but logic won out. The numbers did not add up.

'Have your war. But do not be surprised when I cannot heal your wounds. I'm busy enough trying to treat Frogpaw and Shellpaw, don't make me have to spread what I have thinner than it already is.'

“To War” Sootwhisper’s tone was still too loud for the way the tom used to talk, but he couldn’t care less. The fur on his back and tail was standing on end, and his bicolored eye had a fire within them that had never been there before. Usually he was calm and neutral, trying to stay objective regardless of the situation. With Shellpaw, even if infuriated like the rest of the clan, he tried to stay objective and give Ashstar the benefit of the doubt, as even the greatest leaders may have a warrior or two in their clans that are a bit hard to deal with…but this time it was different. This time the usually calm tom was ready to unsheathe his claws and bring justice for the cruelty committed by WindClan. He was only waiting for Fishstar to give the order, he would be one of the cats in that patrol and none would be able to change his mind at this point.