The Hour of Justice [RC + WC BATTLE TOPIC]

The cold breeze tossed Fishstar's fur around and bit at her skin as she stalked across the moorland, but it didn't phase her one bit. Behind her, a score of her warriors and apprentices marched along. Their bitterness was thick in the air. Today, Ashstar would have to make a difficult choice. If she did not end up complying wit Fishstar's demands, then all hell would break loose. Every cat in RiverClan was spoiling for a fight. White-hot flashes of anger continually ran up and down the RiverClan leader's spine. She wasn't sure how long she would be able to contain her hatred once her son's attacker came into view. Every time she thought of the young tom writhing in pain on the mossy floor of Cloudstone's den, another thorn of anger prickled at her heart. She'd already lost so many family members.. Her mother and father were long gone, Breezeleaf was gone, her dear mate, so many of her kits.. And now, one of her last remaining sons had a broken jaw.

After what felt like a lifetime of weaving around stalks of heather, WindClan's camp came into view. Fishstar halted a couple of fox-lengths from the main entrance, waving her tail to slow her entourage down behind her. "Ashstar!" the silver she-cat snarled, craning her neck to make her voice carry as far as possible. "Come and meet me face-to-face!"

Smokeface's fur bristled as he stalked behind his leader through the unfamiliar territory. He had never been here before, unlike the filthy moorlanders who probably knew RiverClan territory by heart at this rate. Nis tail was brushing the grkund, twitching with excitement as minutes passed and the battle was nearing. How could they? Shellwater was lucky to be alive, and Frogpaw was still revovering, his jaw broken and so his hopes. Bitterness fueled the warrior until flashes of anger left him hungry for some WindClan blood on his own paws.

He paused behind Fishstar as she called out for the enemy leader, flexing his claws in the dirty.

Morningfog stared solemnly down the dip of WindClan's camp, she did not want this quarrel, not so close to Leafbare. Too many had been harmed. Too many close calls. She flicked her ear when her leader called out to the moor, to Ashstar. She unsheathed her claws, hazel eyes closing for a moment before looking to the sky where buzzards seemed to tell the future. They were floating greedily above the moor, just waiting for Claws to hit the wrong spot. Her ears were back, not out of anger but, wary of the battle. Her anger was not her reason to be here, it was her need to stop the harm.

The she-cat looked over to his mate for some reassurance but, she saw how excited and bloodthirsty he was and quickly looked back to the moor. Wind battered her downy pelt, sand and dried grass lashing at her nose, but the only thing on her mind was how the battle would affect the clans. Would they drive them out? Would they take territory? What was to become of the two clans.

Ivyfall followed behind her leader, the deputy's green eyes flashing with a deep-rooted anger that had only festered as she'd watched Cloudstone treat the poor apprentice. She was here for Frogpaw, for Shellwater and for all those other kits that WindClan would claim if they had the chance. She was RiverClan's deputy, and Fishstar's friend, she refused to allow them to defile her clan and kin once more.

The cold moor breeze bit into her pelt, short and clipped, her silvery pelt was ill-suited for the open landscape but she endured. She refused to show weakness, clamping her teeth into a gleaming, dangerous snarl when the urge to shiver overcame her. When WindClan came out, she hoped to be a sight to terrify them. To remind them that RiverClan was not to be messed with.

To the other side of Smokeface, just behind Fishstar was Otterleap. The warrior stood resolute, claws raking little grooves into the earth as he looked out at WindClan camp with disgust. This was where the hare-munching scum lived, Smokepelt was somewhere within this camp and he was tempted to race out and rake him a new one for what he did to his best friend. And as for Lionfur, the tom that harmed Shellwater, he wanted to tear out his throat, no mercy, the warrior code barely restrained him.

WindClan would be better off without them. Without those foxhearted scum. He looked forward to looking them in the eye, making them suffer for what they did.

Standing besides Ivyfall, Sunfeather looked far more subdued. The tom, unsurprisingly, not making any noise as he watched the camp for movement. He was angry, of course, his friends, denmates had been maimed by WindClanners, but he chose to be calmer about it. As much as he wanted to sink his teeth into flesh, there was a good chance that Ashstar would be reasonable and they could negotiate a fair punishment that would satisfy both clans. He didn't want any more blood spilt, personally.

He wanted WindClan to be punished, but not if it came at the cost of his clanmates being harmed further. He prayed to StarClan that this all went well.

Amberpaw was behind her Clan, swallowing whatever fear she had as they trekked across the moor and to the WindClan camp. She felt so...Exposed as they moved as a group, no sort of cover of any type other then a bush linger here or there and sometimes a tree. It was just the grass under her paw and the sky above her head and she hated it. There was no escape from the cold breeze that tugged at her fur and chilled her to the bone. Her ears were flat on her head as she forced herself forward only for a chill to run down her spine when she heard her leader cry out the name of the other leader as the camp came into view. Amberpaw did her best to lean around the older cats before her to get a good view of what was going on, somewhat hoping that no fight would break loose but yet her claws still itched to show these WindClan rats what happened when you harmed one of RiverClan's own like they did with Frogpaw.



Eyes narrowed, Mottlekit watched his target twitch before he leaped forward. His prey attempted to move out of the way but his quick paws pinned it down. "Aha!" he mewed in trump only to let out a gasp as he lost his balance, his tail escaping from his paws as he fell to the side. He shook his head, getting to his paws as he glared at his flickering tail. He crouched, ready to try to catch it again when a yowl split the air, causing him to raise his head with a gasp as he saw an army of cats looming over the camp. What did they want with Ashstar? Terror flooded though the kit as he stared in horror at the large group that stood at the entrance. It took only a matter of moments for him to dart into the nursery in pure fear, afraid of what was happening and what would come next.

Lying in the warrior's resting area and fantasizing over his new mate and new life, Smokepelt was enjoying the day. A sunrise or two ago, the deputy had asked Hazepaw to become his mate and upon doing so, he promised to change his ways. Things would be differnent from now on, he was sure of it. For the first time in forever, life seemed to be back to normal and he was finally able to relax. After what seemed like ages of silence, the recognizable and unwelcomed scent of RiverClan wafted over his nose. Lifting his head, low and behold as RiverClan storming into the camp. All of them looked pretty angry and in all honesty, he couldn't blame them.

Well, so much for relaxing. Standing up, the deputy gave his pelt a shake and slowly stalked towards the incoming clan, standing a couple foxlengths across the other clan. Guilt tugged at his pelt as he noticed their rage and sorrow stricken gazes and like any cat, he wasn't heartless about injuring that apprentice and remembering the sound and sick of the cracking jaw still gave him chills to this day. But when times were tense like this, he couldn't let RiverClan get away with having the mentality that they were above the moor runners.

Great StarClan, there were a lot of them. Listening to Fishstar's yowl, the tom's ears were pinned to the back of his head and although nervous, he stood tall and proud, meeting the fish eating cat's glares with an equally displeased look. He knew this day was coming and staying quiet, Smokepelt readied himself for the worst. If they thought that they could take revenge by battling, then a battle they would get.

~~~

Perking his ears, Cedarfur padded out of the elder's den, and he was shocked at the sight. Standing before him was RiverClan, the sleek and oh-so proud. Baring his teeth, the abnormally tall tom unsheathed his claws, looking to his nephew who seemed just as defensive. From the glares and hisses given towards Smokepelt and Lionfur, it was obvious that they were all seeking revenge and he was a bit worried that WindClan wasn't ready. They were already low in numbers and now they had to fight all of RiverClan? Yeah, they may have made a few mistakes and although the chances of winning a battle was slim, he had faith. Those fishy cats may have more strength in numbers, but they had more strength in spirit. Glancing around, the elder was in extreme pain from his injured back and although he was in no shape to fight, he'd show those RiverClan scum who they were truly messing with.

Rippedpaw had just come back from hunting when all the commotion started. He dropped what little fresh kill he had found onto the pile. To his surprise, Riverclan was there when he turned around. His fur bristled at the thought of the enemy being in his camp, and yet here they were. He looked around, hoping some cat would know what to do. It seemed inevitable, a fight. His first fight. The Windclan apprentice crouched down, facing the intruders and waiting to see what would happen.

He hadn't been able to shake Frogpaw's screams out of his ears for days. Sleetpaw followed behind the rest of the patrol at a steady trot as they streamed across the moorland, drinking in the scent of heather that drifted over the rolling hills swathed in peat and yellow gorse. Fury filled every pawstep, but despite it all, he hadn't said a word since they'd passed WindClan's first scent markings just past the gorge. Some of his clanmates hadn't been able to return to their nests, but the night before the battle was the best sleep he'd ever had. Ever since he'd dragged Frogpaw back to camp, he hadn't stopped pacing, brooding, practicing his swipes and tackles on his long walks alone. The screams even followed him in his dreams, and most nights he'd startled awake in the apprentice den with his nest shredded to pieces beneath him. But when he'd seen the first sparkles of Silverpelt in the sky and the moon had begun to peek over the trees, it was like something had flipped.

For the first time in who knew how long, he'd scarfed down the choicest fish in the freshkill pile and slept like a rock. For the first time in who knew how long, he didn't dream. Sleetpaw had woken while Fishstar and Ivyfall gathered the raiding party together, refreshed and burning with a new fire. The bitter taste of Cloudstone's herbs lingered at the back of his throat, and he'd made sure to drink long and deep from the cold stream just outside camp before he left. A last taste of home before his first battle.

Sleetpaw hadn't realized they'd come to WindClan's camp until they were already there and Fishstar came to a halt. The heavy scent of cats, and a fresh fear-scent that tainted the air. There wasn't any sort of shelter from the elements, but the camp blended in seamlessly with the moor, a sandy hollow ridged with gorse. Sleetpaw flattened his ears against his head, baring his fangs as he crept up to Fishstar's side, raking his claws through the loose earth outside the camp entrance. Ever since he'd seen Shellwater stagger through the camp entrance coated in her own blood, he'd yearned for this, and now they were here. A racing thrill ran up his spine at the thought of a true battle, but he hung back, growling through his teeth.

If he'd been leader, he wouldn't have given Ashstar or any cat in WindClan another chance to speak. Not after the Gathering. But Fishstar had chosen to speak first, and all of RiverClan wanted to hear what they had to say for themselves.

Shellwater followed her leader into WindClan's camp, walking tall but still hiding behind Otterleap. To be frank, she was terrified. She knew that at least two of WindClan's warriors were strong, ruthless cats who weren't afraid to kill or injure RiverClan cats. But this time, it was different. She had most of RiverClan with her, and she was a warrior now. And she had Otterleap. She nudged the tom affectionately. She felt safe around him. Hopefully it wouldn't come to a fight, but if it did, Shellwater was ready for it.

Ashstar lay in her den, stressing over the recent news her son had revealed, when foreign scents alerted her to RiverClan cats in the camp. Oh. Oh, dear StarClan. Not now, please... The gray she-cat shook out her gray pelt, anticipation making her ears twitch, and stood up, walking out of the sheltered den into the brisk air. The last thing she wanted was a fight, but if RiverClan wanted one, she didn't see how it could be prevented. All sorts of emotions threatened to flood her- fear, distress, anger, sorrow, self-doubt- but she maintained a calm facade as she padded out to meet the patrol. Great Silverpelt, had Fishstar brought her whole Clan? What looked like all of RiverClan stood before her eyes, claws unsheathed, a snarl on every face. She could feel the rage emanating from each cat, directed towards her, her deputy- her son- and Lionfur. She gazed out at them, frantic emotions well hidden. "Fishstar." She inclined her head respectfully towards the leader. "Deputy Ivyfall." Her eyes traveled to the leader's right-paw cat, standing beside her. "RiverClan." She nodded slightly towards the general patrol. Her green eyes narrowed, looking back at Fishstar. "What is this?"

Lionfur heard the RiverClan leader's angry words from the warriors' den and almost let out a yowl of joy. He took a moment to compose himself. It's going just as planned, Lionstar. Just as planned. Can't let them know quite yet, though. He padded calmly out, a humbled and slightly scared look on his face. Ashstar had made him take on apprentice duties for a moon, and gr let that tiredness overwhelm him as he walked over, but inside he was ready for a fight. He saw Shellpaw- wait, was she a warrior now?- and the tom who had attacked him at the Gathering among the cats. His blood boiled and his claws itched. You caused me a lot of trouble, RiverClan kit... Just you wait.

OOC: https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=MvmDAb_TVck

Brindlepaw crept out of the den at Fishstar's yowl, her pelt spiking as the fishy-scent of Riverclan filled the camp- did they bring the entire clan? Fear and anticipation clashed inside the young apprentice as she slunk out of the shelter of the den and scurried closer to Rippedpaw; as being closer to her denmate and someone as inexperienced as she was brought her great comfort. Brindlepaw watched Ashstar and Smokepelt met Fishstar and Ivyfall head on, and her claws unleashed- whatever happened next, there would definitely be blood spilled. "They're confident- they came right up to our camp! Hopefully Ashstar can talk them out of this- a battle this close to Leaf-Bare with so little herbs will only end badly." Brindlepaw thought, her body trembling from either adrenaline and fear as her claws sunk into the ground.

Duskpaw got up from the apprentices' den to smell an overpowering fishy-ness. "Riverclan!" his voice echod around the peaceful ness of camp. He stepped out to see a patrol.

Error note: You warrior ceremony isn't finished. Dusk is still an apprentice

Sandybreeze padded out of the nursery, her somewhat swollen belly swaying slightly, at the scent of RiverClan. With shock and anger in her blue eyes and claws flexing she stood at the entrance to the nursery, fur bristling and tail lashing. She was a protective and angry almost mother and she wasn't going to let anything happen to her unborn kits or the ones in the nursery.

Swiftheart looked up from his rabbit at the sudden overwhelming scent of RiverClan. He had to refrain himself from yelling and telling them to go back to their fishy smelling camp, but instead looked towards the nursery where his little sister stood in a hostile stance. He held back a growl as he thought about anything happening to her or any of his other kin. They had some nerve showing up here with, what seemed, their whole clan, but he shook the thought away. If they wanted a fight, he'd give 'em something to remember WindClan by.

Smokeface made a an annoyed face at the gathering cats. They all seemed so surprised, as if they'd never expected for RiverClan to act as the tension grew between them. His ears buzzed at Ashstar's nonchalant response, and he raised his voice, taking a step to stand besides Ivyfall and Fishstar. "Oh please. We are just here to present our young warrior Shellwater, bearing the scars of a battle with a much older warrior. Frogpaw would've been here to meet you too, but alas, he is still recovering." he hissed, his words in a yowl. Ashstar had no idea about this, did she? How foolish, not knowing what her clan was up to behind her back. "Are you not aware of what your warriors are doing, Ashstar? Of course, you have too much dirt in your ears!" he smacked his jaw shut just as he finished his words. And that was all true, for what he knew.

"Get back inside," The black and white apprentice meowed firmly to Greenkit as she came out. More gently he added, "You'll be safe in there". If something were to come of this, kits needed to be out of the way. It was hard to believe there wouldn't with such a large battle patrol in the heart of their territory. The fighting seemed pointless to him. There was no reason for it. No way a Windclan cat had mercilessly attacked Riverclan apprentices. But for some reason, they believed it true. Regardless, it was his battle now if it came down to it, and if only just to defend his clan.