Destiny Works In Mysterious Ways [Closed]

The day had been quite calm on the leader’s eyes, even her own duties as leader had been finished somewhat early. Under normal circumstances, Blizzardstar would’ve decided to try and take an apprentice or two in a patrol, or talk with her deputy and warriors to know how things were going…but this time she had decided to return to her old habits and take a walk around the territory on her own. StarClan knew she needed that lone time, she needed to relax, put her mind to rest even if just for a bit. So much was happening at the same time, she had found it hard to process, and even more to deal with all the responsibilities that fell on her paws. As she thought about this, her mind went back to the fresh-kill pile. She had seen it as low as it was at the time…in the middle of leafbare. Things were definitely taking a turn for the worst and fast.

Her paws carried her through the undergrowth, which was way too scarce for the leader’s liking. The forest was healing from the fire, but the unusually scarce vegetation and still darkened trees made it obvious that no matter how hard it tried, it wouldn’t be fully healed for leafbare, and consequently the clan would be dealing with scarce prey…if they could find any, that is.

She sighed, knowing perfectly the solution to her problem, but still hesitant to take action as she hadn’t used up all her cards that could avoid conflict. But as the days passed, it seemed less and less likely that a solution not involving blood and claws would be viable.

It was then when a noise pulled her out from her sea of thoughts and caused her whole body to get on a defensive posture. She wasn’t sure what was approaching to her, and given how close she was to the borders she wasn’t willing to take any chances.

The huge, white and slightly mottled tom perched in one of the blackened trees of the 'Thunderingclan' territory. His ear twitched as he thought of the name again. That did not seem quite right. No, there was another name for it. Sky... Shadow... River... Wind and... Thunder! That was better. A pleased grin swept across his maw. The past moon, about, of learning the wild cat's culture had not been in vein. Thankfully, the local rouges and loners had helped to fill in some of the gaps about the rumors. In all of his travels, the tom had never found a group of cats so large. There were many bands of loner cats, of course. This was something different thought. It was rather impressive what these 'clans' had built for themselves in the massive forest here. His family's land had to be less than a tenth of the size. Thankfully, it was exactly what they had needed to support them all. He still was impressed by the enormity and the complexity of it all.

Artemis' paws had trodden through the land of many. His thirst for both adventure and knowledge had lead him over the horizon and then some. Apparently, there was someone watching over him, given what little issues he had run into. Mom had always said that the former guardians of the 'Oasis' watched over them every day and night. Being a bit of a skeptic, he had always doubted a bit. However, something had lead him here now. Well, other than the band of rogues he had managed to piss off for a simple misunderstand at his heels, he could feel there was something here for him. Despite lingering for so long, he had managed to escape the pesky idiots that had chased him for sometime. And in the meantime, Artemis began to learn of the area. It had captivated his attention. Yet, this was only the first time he had dared to cross the borders.

Given how many dilemmas he had managed to get into, Arty had decided to be a bit more tactful here. Thunderclan was said to be the most kind and accepting of all the great cats that ruled the forest. He had memorized their scent and worked on learning the edge of the territory as best as he could. Still, it had taken a while before he felt he possessed enough knowledge to attempt to speak with one of them. The adventurer often credited his bravery to the fact he was indeed confident in most of the things he did. Usually it helped to keep him out of many problems.

There was the faintest rustle on the forest floor below and his icy blue gaze immediately snapped down to fix on the source. Her fluffy white pelt, akin to his own, stuck out against the green and brown of the forest. Immediately, all thoughts of logistics fell away as he stared down at her. The she-cat was simply striking. In all of his travels, there were very few times in which he ran across those who possessed the majestic fur that had run through his bloodlines for centuries. There was definitely something about her that reminded him of home, and it was more than just the fur. Artemis knew he had to speak to her. Instead of instantly jumping down from his spot, the tom took a deep breath. His tongue ran over his pelt just to assure it was as pristine as he normally kept it. Inside, thoughts of what to say swan around in his head. She seemed like a rational cat, contradictory to the tales of kittypets not all the forest cats were savages. Those ignorant cats had never left their warm beds.

The straightforward approach would be the best than. Decided, he leaped gracefully down from his spot. His paws struck the ground with just the slightest of thudding sounds. He stood right in front of her, bowing his head before allowing his gaze to meet hers. Artemis' maw formed just the faintest of grins as he straightened up to face the stunning she-cat. As he meowed, his voice was warm, confident, and inviting, "Greetings. My name is Artemis Odan of the Oasis. I've come to Thunderclan hoping to speak to one of the cats here and it appears the spirits have brought me to you. Might I ask your name?"

Blizzardstar would be lying if she said she didn’t have that feeling of eyes on your neck when you know someone else is looking at you but you don’t really know from where. This was mainly the reason why as soon as she heard the soft crunching sound of the leaves on the forest floor and the steps of a cat not used to the undergrowth of the forest, even if it was way less than it used to be before the fire, she immediately turned around to face him with a defensive position and claws unsheathed. Mostly a precaution that she used to have when dealing with strangers after all what had happened lately.

The tom’s quite handsome looks did little to nothing to change Blizzardstar’s serious expression or her posture as her ice blue eyes locked on his. However, as soon as he started speaking she allowed her posture to relax and her claws to return to their original place sheathed in her paws as, her glare turning into a more curious yet cautious one. A cat wanting to cause harm usually wouldn’t decide to speak like this, and now that the possibility of an attack seemed almost inexistent the memories of good experiences with rogues took over the bad ones, which in turn allowed her to be more welcoming and less threatening.

The rosetted she-cat listened to the stranger’s words and titled her head a bit. The name didn’t surprised her much, both rogues and kittypets used to have quite singular names, though she could guess by scent he was no kittypet regardless of how pristine his coat was. However, the whole Oasis and The Spirits stuff he was talking about caught her seriously off-guard as she knew nothing of the terms. She felt like when she first met the tribe cats all over again, especially Shadowleaf, as she was the one whom she had interacted the most with.

Usually she would be a bit more hesitant to have a conversation with a rogue like this one, but the throwback to the times she spent talking to Shadowleaf, trying to understand her ways as well to explain hers, as well as the fact that he had already politely introduced himself first made her feel like it was the right thing to do “My name is Blizzardstar, leader of ThunderClan, nice to meet you ArtemisOdan” She was so used to the whole prefix and suffix system that she failed to realize that what she had just heard was a name and surname instead of the prefix being Artemis and Odan the suffix “What kind of conversation could be so important you dared to cross ThunderClan borders and risk getting attacked by one of my warriors? Your…hum…spirits? Told you to do so or it was on your own free will?” She couldn’t help but wonder if the spirits he referred to were also part of StarClan to him as the Tribe of the Endless Stars was for the tribe cats.

Blizzard Star. What a unique name that was to the foreign tom. He liked the sound of it though. As she spoke his own name, the way she pushed it together brought a smile to his maw. It was clear they had different ways of naming here. He had heard that the forest cats used strange names. However, hers seemed to be perfect for the fluffy, white pelt she dawned. Artemis blinked. Trying to read her expression was a bit difficult. She was certainly on guard, but the kind tone of her voice said a bit otherwise. The tom had to intention of making her uncomfortable. Sitting back on his haunches and relaxing his shoulders, the adventurer tried to think of the best thing to say. He had considered the fact that he would be crossing into their territory, something that had gotten him in trouble before, but he had come with no ill intent.

"I can handle myself against fighters." His tone was more factual, not boastful in the slightest. Based on the fact she was not attacking him herself, he assumed there was some concern there. Arty had fought many cats in his travels. Before he had left home, his parents had trained him alongside his siblings. No Oasis cat would be foolish enough to leave without have mastering the ways of their ancestors. His fluffy tail flicked slightly behind him. In his chest, his heart thudded with excitement. For so long the tom had wanted to learn the ways of the forest clans. Now, after his wait, one stood before him. Not only that, but the fact that she said my warriors made him think this was some sort of leader. And she was beautiful. The casual and confident smile never left his features.

"The spirits do not tell, they only guide. I only assume they have lead my paws to this very place." Artemis held the same tone he did before. This she-cat was far less hostile than the other lands in which he had tread. Yet, he wasn't sure if she would still turn him away, "I come seeking knowledge, Blizzard Star. I've traveled for many months learning the ways of other cats, but your clans seem to be the most impressive of all. I have little to offer other than my experience and knowledge, but I ask for temporary refuge with the Thunderclan. If you would have me." Once more, his head dipped to her, awaiting a reply from this forest cat.

Blizzardstar took a way more welcoming posture, her guard lowering almost completely when the cat sat and engaged on the friendly conversation. Since she couldn’t smell more cats around them she guessed this cat was genuinely driven by curiosity and lacking any ill intentions, but still didn’t allowed herself to imitate his actions and talk to him as if he was an old friend of hers. After all, he was still a stranger and some precautions couldn’t be just dropped without thinking twice unlike she did several moons ago.

She just couldn’t help but chuckle when he so confidently talked about his abilities to her “While I’m in no position to doubt your abilities in the battlefield, you’re not the first rogue I have met in my life that had affirmed the same. Some of them even tried to prove to the clans in less than peaceful ways, choice that came to the price of their very own lives” Her voice went from cheerful and casual to serious as she spoke, while it wasn’t really her intention to intimidate the tom something deep within her, so deep she wouldn’t have noticed it unless it was pointed out by someone else, wanted to make sure that if he was planning something that he was skillfully hiding under his peaceful behavior he would think it twice before daring to challenge her or anyone else in the clans “Don’t take it as a threat, but more of a piece of advice. Rare is the one that challenges the clans and lives to tell the tale”.

She listened with genuine interest as he clarified the ways of his spirits to her. So they couldn’t communicate with their own ancestors yet they knew that they were there, serving as their guides beyond the mortal plane. She couldn’t help but think of it as something surprising yet admirable. Even within the clans, where they could communicate regularly with their ancestors that now lived between the stars, there were cats with doubts, that more often than not thought of their existence as nothing but a tale for the kits of the nursery. But Artemis and his family still held onto the belief of their ancestors even if they lacked that communication.

It wasn’t until he asked for temporary refuge that her relaxed pose returned to a tenser and more alert one. It was true that she had been granting entrance to the clan to some rogues and kittypets lately, but it was only under the prospect of them being serious with their commitment to the clan and the wish of becoming a warrior that would serve their clan with undying loyalty until the day they gave their last breath. And even then the tension was clear, as not every cat was exactly happy to share their territory with those they thought didn’t deserve the spot of an apprentice or warrior within the clan.

What Artemis was asking was the privilege of being able to come and go as he pleased, own the secrets of the clan without the responsibility to protect and keep them. To live between them as an equal but without having to follow their code and traditions. Such thought didn’t sit well with the white leader in the slightest “I’m sorry to tell you this, but ThunderClan is not a random group of rogues you can join and leave as you please. If your desire is to stay you will leave your life of a rogue behind, embrace out code, our traditions, be loyal and committed to the clan from the heartbeat you put a paw in and until you give your last breath to join those who live in the stars. Otherwise I won’t grant you access to the clan and our secrets, as far as I’m concerned you can roam our territories, as I can tell you mean no harm, but will not provide protection against the warriors that I know you will find and may want to chase you away for good”.

As she mentioned the skill of the warrior, his thoughts turned back to the tales he had heard. So they weren't entirely wild house cat stories then? Regardless, he was not afraid. He had no intentions of fighting any of Blizzard Star's cats. All he desired was a temporary refuge. There was no telling if that rogue group was still on his paws. Having a huge forest of aggressive wild cats around would most likely be to his advantage if it kept them at bay. Artemis' tail twitched at the prospect. This seemed like a rather good idea. He could handle avoiding the warriors if it meant he could stay. The massive, white and mottled tom had gotten caught up in his thoughts before the clan cat broke into them again.

His charming smile faltered slightly as she tensed up. He had not meant to offend her or put her on guard at the slightest. It was understandable to be concerned about a stranger on her territory, however, he felt the desire grow to want to please and reassure her. Either way, this still seemed like an appealing deal. When Blizzard Star mentioned undying loyalty to the clan, he wanted to shudder away. Arty had been one of the first to leave the Oasis in a while. Adventurers were rare. Most of his ancestors had been pleased with staying in some peaceful world their entire lives, but his thirst for the world had lead him elsewhere. Of course, he planned on going back someday, but his travels were where his heart was now. The thought of giving that all up to join a massive group of cats that quarreled with others of the forest seemed like the worst possible next step. Yet, he maintained a neural expression as the idea flooded his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept that offer, but I thank you, my dear Blizzard Star. Clan life is not for me." Artemis' deep meow rang out once more. A thought popped into his head. It seemed like a decent idea. Would believing he was descended from their bloodlines make him a more trustworthy cat? He shook the concept away. She was too incredible to lie to. If there was any reason to join a clan, it would be this Blizzard Star. His ear tip twitched slightly, listening to the sounds of the forest around them. It was rather peaceful. That fact alone reminded him of home. Even if he could not stay forever, a short while might be a refreshing change from the dirty streets most rogues roamed these days. Humming softly, he found himself adding, "If all is well with you, I plan to take up a nest near the far border, closest to the oak tree clearing (fourtrees). Of course, I will do my best to avoid any confrontation with your warriors and take little prey from your territory as long as I am here. And, I would like to offer up any help to the clan I can, training the young or otherwise. If you do not wish to involve me at all, I will attempt to leave little trace of my existence."

He stared into her ice blue eyes. They were not as deep as his, but there was a soft blueness to them. The edge of his maw twitched as his kind smile grew slightly. Artemis hoped that this would not be the end of their conversation. The she-cat made it seem as if after this decision, she would be gone for good. Arty thought that the fact he told her that he would be lingering in a specific part of the territory would draw her back sometime. Blizzard Star seemed to be kind and intelligent, along with her stunning appearance. If there had ever been a cat he longed to stay in the presence of longer, it was now her. As if wanting to communicate this further, he spoke up once more before falling silent, "I understand not wanting to trade secrets, but I would be honored to hear of your clan's history. If you would ever want to entreat me with such stories, I would be more than happy to share some of mine as well?" The offer hung in the air as he waited for the fluffy, white she-cat to respond.