Lion's Fangs [DEATH OF SLEET]

Pinewhisker looked downnat his daughter, nosing her forehead with gentleness so unlikely for the chocolate warrior. She gave her a comforting lick between the ears before resting his muzzle on her cheek. "What is it? What did she tell you?" the tomcta asked, trying hard to not let the fury rising in his throat to show. Whatever she had told Markedpaw, it had been too important to tell him before?

Markedpaw out a loud hiss, backing away. She didn't want him anywhere near her, she idn't know him. He wasn't her father
"Don't touch me! You aren't my father! Cypresspaw and Amberpaw aren't my full sisters! You lied to me!" Her voice was harsh, pained, and somewhat desperate. She didn't know what to do, she wasn't sure who she could trust any more. Markedpaw grit her teeth, eyes sparkling with tears that she was doing her best to hold back. She wouldn't cry for them, she wouldn't let this cat see her tears, they were reserved only for the people she truly cared about and the cat she cared about was just a mask to hide whoever this was. Her mother and father were her only full family, but one of them had lied and she'd never met the other, never even heard of him. "But tell me, and this time at least let some truths slip out of your mouth, who's Sleetfang? Is he... is he a strong warrior? Should I be proud to be his daughter?"
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Venompaw watched and listened curiously, before sighing. There were more pressing things to worry about. She stepped into the clearing and yowled
"Enough! I don't know what's going on with you two," she was speaking to Markedpaw and Pinewhisker "but can we put it aside for now!" not a question, a demand. Addressing every cat in the clearing now, she continued "We've all been brought here for a reason so could we try and figure out what in the name of Starclan it is! Please?!" fear was creeping into her voice, but she kept herself under control. This wasn't a time for panic, this was a time for answers

ooc: Just doing my best not to turn this into Pinewhisker family drama plot

Pinewhisker felt hollow on the inside. His daughter's flinch was fierce and it left a gap of learing pain across the warrior's heart. She didn't tell him... He wanted to yowl in fury, but he had to be strong for both of them. Pinewhisker looked down at her with pain. "I do not know of this cat. Your mother has kept a secret from all of us. Please forgive me for not knowing. She is a young and energetic she-cat, and she was never the one to stay put and follow the rules." he looked back to Blacktwig. His eyes were clouded with pain. Another one, another lie and another broken heart. The warrior couldn't tell how he was still standing. Only the jet black tomcat knew all of his suffering.

Swiftheart's ears pricked as he heard pawsteps nearing him, accompanied by the familiar scent of Cloudrunner. What was he doing here too? This is so odd.. Before he could say anything to the white tom, Quailfeather joined them as well. He shrugged to the she-cats question. (if cats can shrug..? cx), "I have no idea.. I was just chasing a hare.." The grey tom meowed in disbelief. He was curious, but also confused. He wanted to know what in StarClan's name was going on, but it didn't seem like anyone knew any more than he did. From the looks of it, everyone was confused. He glanced at his clanmates before sweeping his green gaze over the clearing, now filling with cats.

"Emberheart..." whispered Blacktwig, letting his fury show through. His breathing was stressed, as he stood with his muscles taut and mouth dry. "Sleetfang...? She mated with a RiverClan cat?!" The tom's voice was higher with rage. He looked around. "Mottledwing is gone, damn, Mothstrike is dead, damn, Flamepaw is dead, damn..." his voice was gradually getting louder as he spoke, cracking with sorrow. "Auburnpaw is dead, damn..." Blacktwig didn't look up, a round shadow cast across his face. "Meadowlight is missing, damn, damn, damn it all!" yowled Blacktwig. This was it. "She kept this from all of us!? Everyone is gone!" Blacktwig was nearly screeching now, backing away. "I don't know what to do, we're probably going to be cornered by foxes, ohh..." mumbled Blacktwig. He had changed from a noble warrior to a snivelling kit. His tail was lashing, in a 'stay away from me' manner.


ooc;; he's gonna break down when Markedpaw and Swiftheart die, holy

Webtail watched the squabble happen, brushing past some dry branches that rustled before he sat down nearby with some of the others who weren't in this arhument. Some sort of affair with RiverClan.. He wasn't all that surprised. The only part he could relate to at all was being rejected from a family member. He scraped the ground with his claws. With a wince he watched for any sign of something sneaking up on the growing group.

(FUUUUUUUUUUUU WAIT WAIT WAIT FOR MEEEEEE)
The she-cat prowled through the shadows of Fourtrees, once again bored. She wanted that spark again. She wanted to feel alive. She wanted to kill, more and more. Blood still stained her paws from the murders made just that night, but she was hungry for more. Magpieclaw sniffed the air, blinking in surprise. Was the whole forest out here tonight? She smiled slightly. The one dead would soon become five. The SkyClan cat crouched in the highest branches, surveying those below and trying to work out the perfect way to strike.

Was it destiny that they were all brought here together?

He was restless. Agitated. Sleep had never come easy to him, ever since he was a kit, but tonight was different, and he couldn't lay still without fidgeting or clawing his nest into shreds. Everything that had happened the past few moons, in camp, their borders, all over the forest, it seemed... It all weighed on him, pulling him down. Every moment sitting still and doing nothing felt like another moment drowning beneath the river. Sleetfang had slipped out, eyes turned to the stars, following wherever the moonlight led...

Why couldn't he just have the power?

The lone warrior had been wandering through the territory, past the river and over the Twoleg bridge, lost in his own head, when he heard the leaves whisper his name. A breeze rustled through the trees, freezing him in his tracks.

"...Sleetfang..."

He stiffened, pivoting his ears, whiskers twitching... Had that been his imagination? It felt like his mind was swelling over with these kinds of thoughts lately, a fire that pumped through his veins, but no, those were voices... Other scents, too. ThunderClan? No, not just ThunderClan... ShadowClan's rank marsh, SkyClan, and he could've sniffed out WindClan's peat and moorgrass in his sleep. WindClan... Sleetfang swallowed a growl and made his way up, up, where the four Great Oaks reached toward the sky.

Sleetfang crested the ridge, lashing his tail, eyes sweeping over the mismatched mix of cats in the clearing below. "Look what the crows have dragged in," he laughed, letting his mew ring through the trees. Strange, seeing it so empty. Stranger seeing cats here at all without the full moon beaming in the sky. He started down the slope, sleek, careful steps, a surefooted swaggering walk. "Carrion from all corners of the forest."

Claws out. Claws in. That irritation still pricked at him under his pelt, and it flared to life laying his eyes on them.

Ah, so that's what had been gnawing at him every day, keeping him up every night... All these other Clans, if only they'd... if only they'd...

"It looks like fate's gathered us all here, hasn't it?"

What did StarClan have in mind? There was no truce tonight.

Claws out. Claws in.

Lionspark swirled at the first voice that spoke up, her fur standing on edge despite it all but the moment she recognized the SkyClan warrior, she calmed down. She had met Snowstorm on patrols once or twice and it was known that she was the mate of Crowstar himself. It was unlikely that she was going to start any trouble and so she allowed her fur to lay back as she dipped her head in greeting to the much older she-cat. She opened her mouth to respond but was suddenly overwhelmed by all of the different scents. She swore she could smell almost every since Clan but the extra scents told her that there was many cats that had wandered into the Fourtrees this night. How odd...Her ears fell back, trying to pick out scents that she knew but it was so hard. But finally she spotted Markedpaw come into the clearing, something clearly weighing on her mind as she was quickly followed by her father.

Her ears fell back, finding herself worried for the young apprentice. Looking around, she could spot the shape of so many different cats. She could seen over a dozen shapes lurking around, a few of them in the clearing proper but almost none of them worked up the courage to speak to one another like Snowstorm had so eagerly spoken to her when it seemed to have been only the two of them unless they were Clanmates to one another. Her ears flickered as she heard Blacktwig and Pinewhisker seem to argue about something, unable to make out their words but clearly saw Blacktwig start to break down.

But then he arrived.

A single RiverClan tom among the group, the seemingly last to arrive. She watched him with careful eyes. Something about him seemed off - she couldn't put it together but she brushed it off as her simply being paranoid as she had never been a fan of RiverClan due to the bad blood between their Clans thank to both of their claims of Sunningrocks. She frowned at his words but simply shrugged as she glanced around the cats - sure that she could smell more hiding in the shadows as they all clung to their tiny groups. "I suppose fate has...But why?" she mused softly as she allowed herself to relax. Had there ever been a gathering such as this on no notice? Each cat's paws had brought them here without a thought at far as she was aware. But yet, something was off. Her tail twitched, her whiskers quivering. She couldn't shake the feeling as she scanned the clearing once more, her attention far from the RiverClan tom as she simple struggled to answer the question of why StarClan had led them to this very clearing tonight.

Quailfeather stayed close to her Clanmates and her sister, glaring at the RiverClan tom. She had heard the story from Smokepelt- this was the tom who had attacked a WindClan warrior at a Gathering. This was one of the last cats she wanted to see. How had they all ended up here? It was definitely odd. ThunderClan, SkyClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and even some WindClan. Was it all a big coincidence? Had this been orchestrated by StarClan?.... or someone else? The WindClan warrior shuddered as a chilly breeze ruffled her gray speckled pelt. "I'm not afraid of you," she made out, staring the RiverClan tom in the eyes. Of course, it would be RiverClan.

Snowstorm looked at Sleetfang with a curious gaze. She never had seen the RiverClan cat before, but she heard of him. "Hello." she said.

Venompaw paused nervously, scenting something knew. Riverclan, one of them had arrived. Now everyone was here, without a full moon. Who was it? She didn't know, an unfamiliar smell. She'd never met them presumably. Forcing herself not to back into the shadows once more, to turn and run back to the marsh, she held her ground. she didn't know what was happening, if Starclan had brought them here or some other outside force. She'd never believed in fate, she found it hard to believe in Starclan to be honest, but there was no way this was just a coincidence. Looking around, she struggled to pick out the Riverclan Tom in the darkness. Who was he?
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Markedpaw watched with undisguised horror as Blacktwig, her uncle... no, not her uncle, slowly started to break down. He seemed more damaged by this than anyone. Yes, she was panicked, but knowing that at least Pinewhisker didn't blatantly lie to her gave her some degree of comfort. But Blacktwig? His sanity itself seemed to be slowly breaking down, falling apart. She didn't know most of the cats he was talking about, hell, she'd never even heard of most of them, but they all seemed important to him. She'd never seen such a noble warrior reduced to something so pathetic, and it terrified her.
"B-Blacktwig?" but before she could figure out what else to say, the disgusting stench of Riverclan drifted to her, the clan of her father. it disgusted her that she had that fishy blood running in her veins. She didn't recognise the scent of the new arrival, and looked to Pinewhisker for an explanation. Of course, Blacktwig was still her main concern, it hurt her to see him so broken down and she had to do her best to push him for one side long enough to figure out what was going on

Gustpuddle stood beside her sister, shivering and pressing into her fur. Smokepelt had told stories of this tom- Sleetfang- and she was definitely scared of him. No! You're a warrior of Windclan! Act like it! She stood onto her paws, fending for herself and fellow Windclanners. "We're not afraid of you. You really think you can handle all of us single-pawed? I'd like to see you try!" Although her father would not be happy, she let a snarl build in the back of her throat, and unsheathed her claws, just in case.


Maplecloud watched the Thunderclanners bicker over useless family matters, whilst they had bigger matters to attend to. A single Riverclan tom appeared around the edge of the great oaks, sheathing and unsheathing his claws constantly. He must be looking for a fight! She thought about it, studying his features, and then she recognized him- this was Sleetfang."You're the one who attacked that Windclan cat, at the gathering a few moons ago!" She jumped back at her words, they had surprised her. She normally kept to herself, especially around cats she didn't know. Albeit, she didn't show any signs of weakness.

Blacktwig looked at her with fear in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Markedpaw... I just don't know what to do..." he whimpered, maladjustment reduced to a pitiful bleating. He didn't want to disappoint his niece—or who he thought to be his niece—with how abject he could be. Blacktwig's knees swayed as he brought himself to his paws, bewildered by the new voice. A puzzled expression took over his face. He looked up, seeing a silhouette. "Huh?" he said, bollixed. His claws flexed too, his orbs ablaze. A rank, fishy scent wafted in from the canopies. He narrowed his eyes. RiverClan. Blacktwig stepped away, a strange delirium in the pits of his optics. "Who are you?" he demanded, voice bold yet wild. Something had gone wrong in the few moments the news was announced. His pelt bristled. It sounded like a younger cat, but he couldn't be sure.
Moons of training—I'll be able to beat this kit.
Blacktwig paced, gaze flickering from Pinewhisker to Markedpaw, seeming to warn them. They were just about the only felines he knew here, and he wanted to keep them safe. He heard Maplecloud's mew ring aloud. "Sleetfang?!" he asked with shock. Had he heard their words? He must've. He looked more fierce than he had been even before the brief breakdown—perhaps he was reinforced by what could happen to his kin.

Swiftheart glanced up quickly at the sound of a voice ringing out around Fourtrees along with the nauseating smell of fish. StarClan he hated RiverClan. Those hare brained fish eaters acted all high and mighty, but deep down they were just scared kittypets. "Who are you?" The grey tom demanded, eyes hard. He wasn't sure what this tom had going through his head, but Swiftheart was sure he didn't like it.

Fawnsplash's eyes narrowed suspiciously. What was this RiverClan tom doing? Why was he here, but more importantly, why did he seem so happy that cats from almost every clan were here? She shook her head, tail tip twitching anxiously. While others demanded the cats name and declared they were unafraid, Fawnsplash stayed quiet. She wasn't sure what was going on here, but she was sure she'd soon find out.