Look What You've Done (open for TC)

Ashstar strode through the bramble-coated entrance to ThunderClan camp, fluffy gray tail swishing from side to side in barely controlled anger. Rage flowed through her veins, pumped from her determined heart, manifesting its unbridled presence in her flame-filled green eyes. This whole scenario brought back unpleasant memories of when Smokepelt had maimed Frogpaw and Fishstar had stormed into WindClan camp. The only thing keeping her fury in check was a passionate desire not to inflict on Darkstar what the RiverClan leader had done to her. She would be fair. She would give Darkstar a choice. Her anger would not lead to innocent bloodshed. Leading Brindlewhisker, Twistedtail and Mossfoot behind her, the leader of WindClan padded into the middle of ThunderClan camp, each pawstep carefully controlled not to let her claws slip out of her sheathes. Whichever monster thought they could get away with maiming one of her apprentices was wrong. This Rockpaw of Brindlewhisker's would pay tenfold for the pain he had inflicted on an innocent young she-cat. "Darkstar," she yowled commandingly, every word fierce and sharp, "come out of your den. We have something to discuss."

"Ashstar?" Oh no...

Lionspark's ears were flat on her head as the scent of WindClan flooded through the camp and the leader's voice echoed across the clearing. The warrior found herself straightening her spine from where she had been resting just outside of the warrior's den. The anger that was clear in the leader's voice sent a shiver down her spine as she got to her paws, stepping into the clearing as she dipped her head to the small gathering of cats. She recognized one of them - Brindlewhisker. A friend of Rockthorn and the new deputy of WindClan if she wasn't mistaking. She glanced toward the leader's den, hoping that Darkstar would hurry out before she looked back at the gray she-cat with a worried look on her face. "W-What brings you four into our camp? Did something happen?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady but the rage that was clear in the leader's eyes already answered her questions.

Clearpaw was just outside of the apprentice den, practicing his hunters' crouch--he had been on patrol that morning and received some pointers, and he knew that he needed to perfect the crouch if he wanted to keep up with his peers in training (he was, after all, falling behind a bit due to his own inability to focus and Blacktwig's injury). He looked up, however, when several cats walked into the camp. He had never seen any of them before, but they smelled of WindClan. He stood up straight, watching with wide, curious eyes as the cats made their way through the clearing. One of them called quite boldly for Darkstar... Who was she? Someone on personal terms with Darkstar? A warrior, a deputy, another leader? Clearpaw was painfully curious. He tried to refrain, however, from rushing forward with all his questions, sensing the seriousness of the situation.
A warrior that Clearpaw didn't know especially well approached the she-cat--she called her Ashstar. So it was the WindClan leader. He couldn't help himself. He rushed forward, eyes wide; he didn't seem apprehensive, like Lionspark, but rather impressed. "Are you the WindClan leader?" He blurted out, "Did Darkstar do something bad?"

Twistedtail strode in behind Ashstar, her slight limp slowing her down. The trees around her were nostalgic, reminding her of Mossfoot and Blacktwig. She never remembered her former life in Thunderclan, and she wondered if anyone in Thunderclan would somehow remember her, from all those moons ago. But this wasn't the time for memories, this was the time for justice. Whoever blinded poor Shadepaw would pay. They found the suspect's fur in Shadepaw's claws, and now they just had to find him. It made her feel like she had something actually important to do, even if she was just walking with the leader and a few other cats.
Twistedtail shuddered as she looked at the looming trees around her, the thick underbrush that prevented her from seeing very far. "If I had to choose between Windclan and Thunderclan territory, I would choose Windclan in an instant," she muttered to herself as she stumbled over unseen tree roots. It was way too crowded in for the she-cat's liking. She wondered to herself over and over again how Mossfoot and Blacktwig live, or in Mossfoot's case lived, here.
Then they reached where Thunderclan called home. Looking down into the ravine, she sucked in a breath and traveled down with the rest of their puny patrol, grunting as she slipped again and hit one of her scars on a thorn. 'You're so fearsome, Twistedtail. Tripping over your paws like you were just born,' she sarcastically congratulated herself. As they entered through the oh-so-painful bramble entrance, she tried to look as stern and as justice-seeking as she can, which wasn't hard since she wasn't in a good mood with Thunderclan at the moment. Fanning out slightly behind her leader, she scanned for Rockpaw. Inside, she didn't want to be here but didn't want to go against her leader's words. What if Blacktwig was here? She can't possibly stand to be in front of her father, not this place, not this time, not this reason. Biting her lip worriedly, she waited for something more to happen than cat's asking them questions.

Hawkpaw and Falconpaw stopped from the daily routine of trying to get the older to eat. "Who's that?" Hawkpaw asked.

"S-she leads WindClan..." Falconpaw mewed, "I wonder w-what happened." he added, grooming in his paw nervously.

Owlpaw was eating by herself near the apprentice den content with being alone when cats burst into the entrance following the scent of Windclan. She has never meet Windclan cats before! Following Clearpaw she was curious about them but knew to keep a distance from their furious eyes. Wanting to hear this cat answer she stepped beside Clearpaw looking up to them with wide eyes. Are they standing before the Windclan leader?!

Blizzardshine was curled up near the medicine den, deep on thought with a gloomy expression on her face as in her mind the recent events played like a broken record. The fight between Rockthorn and Leopardclaw, the threats that echoed through camp, the poor kit that Rocktorn was about to kill, the scarred warrior’s words about his miserable life in the clan and how low he thought of all of them. Could she be responsible for this as well? Could she had prevented this if she had paid just a bit more attention to Rockthorn in his past?

The thought caused a deep sadness and regret to sink deep within the deputy’s chest and her throat to close, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to not let the clan know about the awful feelings that were attacking her left and right. However, before she could sink any deeper into her thoughts, the scent of WindClan reached her nostrils and a voice which she quickly identified as Ashstar’s echoed across the camp.

Not losing a single second, Blizzardshine got up and turned to face the grey leader, she didn’t have to be the smartest cat around to know that something serious was going on. After shaking her head in an attempt to regain her composure as much as possible, afraid that her current emotional state would make her look weak, she padded towards the WindClan patrol, knowing that Darkstar would come around soon but not wanting to leave them unattended until that happened “Greetings Ashstar” Her voice, though formal and holding the authoritarian tone of any deputy in their own camp, was slightly shaky thanks to the emotions she was trying to keep out of sight “What brings you to ThunderClan?”.

Rockthorn pushed himself up to his paws his fur bristling and his eyes narrowed as he watched the Windclan patrol pad in. He didn't feel the least bit alarmed, he already had a warrant out for his head for attacking Leopardclaw for the second time and even assaulting the kit. But now Windclan was here for his maiming the apprentice from their clan, but he didn't regret a moment of it. He'd do it again if he could, a growl pushed from his throat as he backed into the wall of the camp watching the Windclan patrol come into the camp.

Rockthorn's eyes landed on Brindlewhisker, his fur spiking ever more. He knew that she wouldn't be happy, she was his best-friend and she was here because of what he had done. He just wanted to get up and fire out of the camp, he wanted to slay his kittens and mate in an instant so he wouldn't have a worry in the world if he died or got exiled. There would be no one to save him, as if there was anyone to do that in the first place.

Quickly deciding that he didn't want to wallow or cower from his spot beside the wall, he strode over shakily to the patrol a sneer on his face as he stepped up to Ashstar, his whole body exuding the confidence he didn't have. "That was a fast response Ashstar. It's a shame that your coming here won't repair that apprentice's face." The tom spat, making sure his eyes did not flick to Brindlewhisker.

"After through all the tender care I took into ripping the muscle and sinew from her face, I'm still feeling the rush. Oh how she screamed under my claws, I made it as slow and agonizing as possible. Could you tell? The blood that rushed and squirted from broken blood vessels, truly a sight!" Rockthorn guffawed, sneering as he narrowed his eyes at Ashstar. Challenging her and her resolve, even if his voice was just a whisper so no other cat could hear.

Twistedtail's eyes widened as one of the cats- exactly who they were looking for- walked right up to Ashstar, sneering about something. Stepping in front of her leader protectively, she growled "Don't you DARE do anything to our leader." glaring slightly at the tom.

The trek from Windclan's camp to Thunderclan's had gone on for forever in the eyes of Brindlewhisker; it was an endless, heart-breaking journey that only enabled her to reflect on the days earlier events. Was this really her fault? Maybe Bear's attack had caused more wounds than she had seen? Did she not do a decent job of keeping an eye on him? As she had stumbled along hard on Ashstar's heels, her initial shock over the incident and subsequent decision had faded, leaving only a dull, grating anger in it's place that completely erased her own self doubts. She and Mottleheart had spent what seemed like moons coaching Rockthorn to be better than this! Brindlewhisker slipped through the prickly entrance to Thunderclan's camp right after Ashstar, teeth grating as she remembered the last time she had visited their camp, standing by broodingly as Ashstar yowled for Darkstar.

Blizzardshine's formal greeting went right over Brindlewhisker's head- the moment she saw Rockthorn emerge from his apparent hiding place, it was as if the entire clearing fell away until the only thing that remained was the heavily-scarred tom cat. All of the guilt and anxiety she had been harboring burnt away with a surprising quickness as she glared at the grey tom- all she could hear, see, smell and taste was Shadepaw and the blood that had poured from the wounds upon her face. Pushing Twistedtail away from the futile position she took, she protectively stepped up beside Ashstar as she glared at the face of her former friend, her pale blue eyes smoldering with rage as Rockthorn deliberately avoided her gaze. Coward! He couldn't even meet her gaze but he could spew heinous words like that? How could she have ever felt sorry for this..this..monster? Especially one who showed no remorse for his actions!

Enraged at Rockthorn's vulgar, senselessly violent words, Brindlewhisker forced herself into Rockthorn's view, thrusting her face so close to his own that she could feel his rank, blood-tinged breath blast her face. All of her manners and former sorrow being washed away in a tidal wave of boiling rage that made her entire body go stiff. "If I remember correctly, you didn't seem to enjoy the feeling so much when it was your face being torn apart- in fact, you were wailing like a kit when it happened to you!" She spat, disgusted and frustrated with the tom's behavior; what had happened to him? Had he gone completely mad? Had the lack of support within his Clan, coupled with his wounds from Bear finally snapped him? The edges of her vision were shimmering with rage as she continued to observe Rockthorn as she tried to answer her own questions- tempted to leap at the poorly-groomed tom and exact revenge for Shadepaw as she did so.

"I should of let Bear tear out your miserable throat to save myself the trouble of wetting my own paws with your foul, poisonous blood." Brindlewhisker hissed so softly the words were hardly discernible above the chatter of the obviously concerned Thunderclan cats, her tone as cruel and unforgiving as the previously mentioned tom's claws. Thrusting her face so Rockthorn's own heavily scarred face that their whiskers were brushing, she bared her teeth in a silent threat, aggression evident in her raised fur and lashing tail. It seemed as if a fight was a mere heartbeats from breaking out between the now former friends- a very violent one at that. Normally she would of been mortified at such violent, vulgar behavior on her own part, but if there was ever a time for such behavior then now was definitely the time.

Ashstar didn't reply to the warrior and apprentice that came out first, waiting for the deputy or leader. She stood up, tail-tip flicking, as Blizzardshine strode up to her. Before she could open her mouth to respond to the ThunderClan she-cat's polite question, a tom with a gray pelt the same shade as the fur between Shadepaw's claws sauntered up, his smug, unrepentant face telling the leader all she needed to know. Body stiffening as the sneering tom, who must have been Rockpaw, walked closer, Ashstar's narrowed green eyes bored holes through the tom's pelt. At the ugly words he whispered, the leader saw red. How dare he?! Leaping forwards the short distance between her and the tom, veering around Twistedtail and Brindlewhisker, she pinned Rockpaw to the ground. "You twisted rat," she seethed, a snarl creeping into her voice. "You fox-hearted piece of mouse dung, you disgusting piece of crowfood, you horrible-" The leader's claws sunk deep into the tom's shoulders, making blood well out. Far from satisfying her thirst for this violent rogue's pain, it only made her want to trar his face off more. Breathing heavily, trying to control her anger for now, Ashstar got up off of him. "I swear by StarClan, if Darkstar won't give me justice, I'll tear your pelt off piece by piece myself for what you've done." She turned to Blizzardshine, eyes burning with unbridled rage, claws still unsheathed. "This- this- this Dark Forest-worthy monster," hissed the leader furiously, "maimed one of my apprentices, Shadepaw. Her whole face has been mutilated beyond recognition or repair, she'll be near blind the rest of her life and live disabled because of this twisted, disgusting rogue. I came to make sure Darkstar exiles him far, far away from this forest so I don't have to kill him myself, because if she won't, I will."

Lionspark glanced behind her, relief flooding through her as she spotted Blizzardshine strolling up and had started to backtrack to allow the two to chat. But she came to a shocked stop as Rockthorn stormed into the clearing, coming to a stop only when he was whisker-lengths away from Ashstar and growled something underneath his breath to her. Within moments Lionspark jolted forward, gripping the younger tom's scruff as she gave him a sharp tug. "Rockthorn! Let Ashstar and Blizzardshine talk!" she growled under her breath only to pause when Brindlewhisker suddenly gave a sharp hiss to the tom as she forced her way forward, causing Lionspark to loosen her grip on the tom as she took a shocked step backwards as if somebody had stuck her across the face with a tail.

What? What had he done? Her eyes were wide as she spun to stare at the tom. "What did you...?" she paused however when Ashstar spat in the tom's direction and Lionspark felt her blood go cold. "Yo-You..." she couldn't bare to finish those words. Lionspark had no problem with border fights - she had been in a few herself but to maim a cat like-like how Ashstar was explaining...Lionspark cared much for Rockthorn - she had taken over doing his assessment and had hoped that giving him faith that somebody cared for him would help him stray from his dangerous path but...She took a shaky step backwards as her eyes narrowed, sadly believing Ashstar's claim to be true. She bit back a sharp hiss as she spun to look at the deputy, wanting to know what Blizzardshine had to say about what Ashstar was saying.

Blizzardshine looked at Rockthorn with shock-filled wide open eyes as Rock got between her and Ashstar to whisper something to the leader. She didn’t know what he said to her, but judging by the WindClan leader’s reaction it probably was enough to unleash the anger that she was bottling up. As soon as she leaped towards the warrior she gave some steps back to give them space and not get caught up in the quick fight that had gone from verbal to physical, something quite unusual for the white deputy, who in a normal situation would’ve immediately jumped between the two and use her own body as a shield for his clanmate without thinking it twice. But…after what Rockthorn had done, she simply couldn’t bring herself to act like the guardian she saw herself as.

Ashstar’s accusatory words were sharper than any claw that any warrior could ever use to harm her physically, it was like throwing salt to a bleeding open wound. Closing her eyes and lowering her head, ears flat against her skull, with a clear ashamed and pained expression, she allowed some seconds to pass by as her emotions settled down enough for her to be able to speak again. Sadness, anger, disappointment, worry, regret… “R-Rockthorn is that true?” Her voice was low and serious, closer to a growl than an actual meow, shaking softly “Wasn’t it enough that you…”.

Snorting heavily and opening her eyes, she raised her head to look at Ashstar, her usually kind eyes appearing to be set on ice-blue flames thanks to the emotions running across her whole being “Rockthorn is already waiting for Darkstar’s judgement, Ashstar. He arrived not that long ago to camp, nearly killed one of our kits and then his father when he decided to save her from his claws” This was far from being the Blizzardshine anyone knew, she wasn’t the social, kindhearted cat that everyone had always seen around the clan’s territory or at gathering. Not even the Dark Forest nor Bear’s actions had managed to make her feel like this, back then she was having to deal with external forces, right now she was forced to face one of the cats she had considered a friend for many moons “Don’t think I’m trying to make what he did to your apprentice less important, I’m just trying to assure you that he will face his actions in one way or another. We won’t let this slide”.

Cloudstorm padded out from the nursery, her belly swollen a little. "Lionspark..? Whats going on here? What are they doing to Rockthorn?!" She meowed. The poor white she cat didnt have a clue what was going on, she didnt even know about the thing with Leopardclaw as she was out on a stroll.

Sandblaze appeared from the warriors den and smirked at Rockthorn. Finally he would get what he deserves.

Stonestrike folliwed after his brother and grimaced. He didnt think Rockthorn could be in so much trouble.

Falconpaw looked wide eyed at Rockthorn, the cat he had hoped to rekindle a friendship with. But this.. this was out of control and completely against him. He just needed to know one thing before he made any decisions on Rockthorn. "R-rockthorn.. Wh-wh-why?" He said, standing and running over to the warrior. "Wh-why would you d-do something like that?" He mewed, his eyes wide with fear and pain as they usually were in the middle of the night or when he tried to eat. He locked his gaze shakily with Rockthorn's.

Hawkpaw huffed, digust dripping from his voice, "He'd never lose his craving after the first murder.. he's just feeding his cravings." He muttered to himself. "He'll figure it out." A snakelike grin flashed at the warrior he hated since Falconpaw told him of his mother's death. Bear should have killed him that day.