Bear's Reign (open)

Stillpaw blinked and looked at Spottedpaw but said nothing. She had watched the extents quietly before she laid down slowly. She felt useless in her sitiuation. She knew she was no good to bear in fighting or hunting. She was clumsy and born with only three working limbs. She laid her head on her good paw her stilled paw laid at a awkward angle but it had always done that.

She flicked her ears forward listening as Bear spoke. she was surprised when he sat down but she moved to preposition herself in the same manner. Though her shoulders screamed at her, she managed it with barely a grimace. "Don't give him any inclination to how much he hurt you. She thought to herself pulling her tail around her paws to cover them as calmly as she could. She could feel the fear at the back of her mind, touching every thought and muscled. She foreced herself to remain relaxed and spoke calmly to the larger tom "That must have been terrifying as a younger cat." She mewed thoughtfully. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as Bouncepaw mvoed toward a Skyclan cat. I wonder how they know each other. She thought for a moment before refocusing on Bear. "I'm sorry that that happened to you." She said and turned toward Bat as he spoke as well. "The clans won't kill if they don't have to. That is part of the warrior code." She said turning back to Bear. "They will come for us though. How can you force us to fight against them? Most of us will turn on you the second our clans arrive." She said tilting her naive face to the side and looking up at him with innocent blue eyes.

Pansyface watched remorsefully as Bouncepaw spilled out the contents of his heart to her, and she felt the cracks in her own heart re-open. Looking away from the tom, she gazed down at her paws awkwardly until he stuttered to a halt. Without meeting his gaze, she spoke with a soft, but determined voice.

"Look, Bouncepaw, times have changed. It's time to move on. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and important duties to fulfill. Our clans are counting on us....we can't fail them." Looking up, her murky green eyes once filled with love hardened into cold ice. Her mind and heart for once in agreement, she spoke with melancholy certainty. "I've learned a lot since I was Pansypaw....she's a figment of my history. Pansyface is not going to make the same mistakes."

Her voice taking on a tone of anger, Pansyface continued. "What were you even thinking? Did you think you could just dash in here and rescue us all by yourself? Did you ever think of telling Cloudstone, or Fishstar or anyone else?! We could be free by now! Or did you think that you would just come in here and strike down Bear like a hero so I would take you back?" Backing away a few paw steps, Pansyface glanced at Bouncepaw out of the corner of her eye as she turned away.

"I think your prophecy was tainted by wishful thinking. "

When she turned her back on the tom, it struck her how harsh she had just been. For all the time they knew each other, she had always encouraged and reassured the golden and white tom, but now her words cut like daggers. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and sat down. Don't look back. Don't apologize. Don't give false hope. "It's over."

Bat let out a mocking chuckle. "Listen, kit. Rouges don't count. Our lives don't count. We aren't a part of the code. That's why we don't get territory, why I risk my life gathering herbs while your little hero," he swatted his tail in Bouncepaw's direction. "gets to frolic into my home and the twolegplace without any problems. I wish I could show you.." he rumbled to Spottedpaw.

Bear shrugged at Bat, not willing to answer the other rogue. This was the most conversation, and the most cats, he had been around in his entire life. Everything was a bit out of his element, but he did not want to reveal to the captured cats how uncomfortable it made him. It was true they had similar backgrounds with the clan, but there was a difference. He's given up. I've just decided to fight it, The brown tom decided quietly.

His eyes trailed over, back to Spottedpaw, as she spoke once more. He did not acknowledge her sympathy, but scoffed at her comment about the code. Bear narrowed his eyes, "You speak of this code, and yet clan cats murdered by brother as a kit. How could a kit possibly be a threat? Besides, I have heard tales of how you murder each other so freely. Rogues are not the only ones guilty of killing others, despite the fact you have a precious code." A bit of venom crept into his voice and he grew bitter the more he thought about it. They think they are so much better. The apprentice's last comment made him think a bit. While her statement was true, he didn't worry about that much yet. Somehow things would come to answer.

"We will see about that when the time comes," Bear growled lightly, giving her a dark glare. Somehow things will work out in my favor. His harshness eased up and was replaced with a simple threat, "I can't imagine you'd like to see the aftermath of those who leave me." The tom truly did not care much for the future, yet, though. Claws stayed sheathed, and he cast a lazy glance around the barn.

"Yep..." sighed Bouncepaw forlornly in response to her little 'speech'. It was wishful thinking. She must be Pansyface now, but he wasn't going to offer her his congratulations. His tail lashed, and he strode away, ears flat, disappearing into his den to sort herbs. Perhaps he'd just forget? He took on a normal expression as he gripped some marigold in his jaws, sorting it. I'm just a medicine cat, he thought, nothing more. Bouncepaw knew in his heart how he wasn't the right choice. He wanted to reset... so he closed his eyes and tried. No resetting. It wasn't for you, stop being self-centred. he spat inwardly towards Pansyface, but for some odd reason couldn't get the words out.

She winced as Bear spoke. His harsh words cutting across uher understanding of the clans like a blow to the face. She just couldn't believe it. "I don't know what happened to your brother," She paused for a heartbeat and looked over at Bat "Or what clan cats you've had run in with in the past. But I don't believe," she paused again her eyes turning back onto Bear. "that any code abiding clan cat would kill for no reason, and especially a kit." She could feel the fear welling up in her again. Reaching from her spine into the back of her head. Who was she to talk to this rouge. She'd been an apprentice for less than a moon when he'd captured her. She hadn't even had one training session yet. Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe the clans hated rouges and just taught the apprentices that in secret. Doubt flickered in her eyes for a moment but she shook it away wincing at the pain searing through her bleeding shoulders. "I can't imagine you'd like to see the aftermath of those who leave me." The threat woke her for a moment and she flicked her ears her eyes hardening in defiance before she forced herself to relax. The fur still stood along her spine and she worked to restrain it, to force it to lie flat. When she'd relaxed she spoke again. "I guess we will both see. when the time comes." She let her wordshang in the air for a moment before she continued flicking her ears forward and trying to remain calm. "The clans will not let you get away with this." It took all of her restraint to keep the anger out of her voice. She hoped she'd succeeded.

OOC: One of the clan cats kills Bear is that correct? Also he can shut her up with a swipe to the face if ever she gets real obnoxious. *hugs Spotted* she's stupid brave

"The clans aren't letting me get away with anything. It's not up to them," He commented simply, resisting the urge to smack his forepaw against her muzzle. The young she-cat's wincing caught his eye. It was clear that Spottedpaw was trying to cover it up. There was a part of the rogue that was impressed with how well she handled her wounds. Finally he grunted, "You should get something for that." His tail tip flicked towards his mark on her pelt. I'll have to take her out for training sometime, The rogue leader mused to himself. It occurred to him that he wanted to train all the younger cats eventually. They definitely needed it.

OCC: Yes. Thrushstar takes him out at the end of the battle. He'll get back at her when they 'train' together