Until Our Last Breath [Sunningrocks War]

"Do not insult RiverClan with your pathetic attempts to sway our hearts. Your so called peaceful solution would have your clan flourish at the detriment of mine. If only one clan can survive this Leafbare, I would gladly give my life to make sure it's RiverClan. If you truly value peace so much and fear for the lives of your clanmates, return to the forest from which you came. Beg your ally, WindClan for assistance. Or do you value your pride too highly to kneel for Ashstar for your precious clanmate's lives?" Ivystar's words were cold as the Leafbare breeze, there were no chinks in her armour to be exploited. She saw no reason why she should give up even a pebble in Sunningrocks to the other leader. And she certainly didn't appreciate her weak attempts to sway her own clanmates to ThunderClan's side. Their suffering was the result of their own foolishness, ThunderClan's inability to control Rockthorn had lead to the fire ravaging her lands. To think she wanted RiverClan to pay for her own mistakes, it was madness.

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Otterleap yowled in support to Ivystar's words. He was no fan of ThunderClan, and Ivystar's words only stoked the fire within him. He was honoured to fight beside so many of his clanmates to bring down the shrub-dwellers in their honour. This land had seen the blood of many RiverClanners split to protect it, it was his duty to ensure that their sacrifices weren't in vain. Though it was probably just his imagination, he felt as though he had all their ancestors by their side, urging him to fight with the fierceness of TigerClan, the agility of Leopardclan and the courage of Lionclan.

The newly-named Lakewhisper padded into the clearing with fire in his piercing amber gaze. How dare they try to take Sunningrocks from them. It was rightfully their and ThunderClan had no right to try and make claims to it. He let out a low growl as the ThunderClan leader begged for them to hand it over just like that. She was naive. How could she think they would give up a precious piece of their land? She was foolish and he was ready to win this war and get it over with. With a lash of his fluffy black striped, white tail, he flexed his claws in anticipation for what was to come. His first battle as a warrior, and he was far from the scared apprentice he was on his first one.

Stonepaw trailed behind his parents. The grey tom had never felt like this before. Adrenaline in anticipation of the looming battle pulsed through his veins. Raw anger from a recent family ordeal, the crackling tension that hung in the air with each pawstep toward Sunningrocks, and the icy leaf-bare wind that chilled him to the bones all fueled the flame of his burning desire to shed blood for his Clan's health, safety, and honor. As he stepped carefully onto the ice, he eyed the trespassing ThunderClan cats with indignation.

Dutifully stalking close behind Otterleap and Minnowpaw, Splashwillow’s aloof expression did little to display the inner turmoil that was raging deep within her core. While she had faith in her own Clan’s ability to prevail in the face of battle, it still made her anxious to be heading into battle alongside her Newleaf green kits. ’Snowblossom, Minnowpaw, Lakewhisper...how was she supposed to protect them during the heat of battle?’ Swallowing tightly, the Calico’s head lifted her head as Ivystar and Blizzardstar spat out a frigid exchange. Pressing closer to Otterleap, Splashwillow voiced her own support to Ivystar’s voice in a challenging yowl.

...

Thistlepaw felt small as she slunk after the battle party, hardly able to keep the tremble out of her form. Her first battle...and yet all she could feel was a deep, savage anxiety roiling deep within her belly. How was she supposed to be brave if she was so frightened? Pressing her ears flat against her skull to tune out Blizzardstar and Ivystar’s exchange, the young Apprentice hurriedly found a place close to Specklefang, desperately seeking out the comfort of her mother’s presence.

Leopardclaw padded only a few paces behind Blizzardstar, occasionally glancing back at the rest of his clanmates; they were all ready to fight, to take what they needed, to survive.  With a swell of pride, his gaze laid to rest on each of his beloved kits for a moment; Reedheart and Honeyspark, their golden twin pelts glowing, Birdflight, her pale calico pelt so much like Lichenfang, and Heatherpetal, though not his own blood he loved her just as much.  One pelt was missing though; Lichenfang herself.  To his relief, his mate had not been picked for the battle patrol.

His claws scraping angrily against the stone surface, Leopardclaw's eyes narrowed to slit as Blizzardstar hopelessly tried to negotiate with the RiverClan leader once again.  Gazing at the ranks of cats that stood behind Ivystar, he felt his heart beat faster and stronger; he was ready to face the oncoming storm.

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Finchstream lagged at the back of the battle patrol, her reluctant pawsteps falling heavily onto the hard ground of Sunningrocks.  Her golden eyes were downcast and dull, and she felt as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest.  She didn't want to fight...she couldn't fight!  The though of seeing her clanmates injured and bleeding made her stomach churn with sorrow along with nausea, but it was too late to turn back now.  No matter what she did today she would be revealed for her true self; a traitorous coward, who's time in RiverClan was quickly ticking down.  Her chest heaving with rapid, shallow breathes, she stared ahead at the ThunderClan forces, seeing Blizzardstar and her deputy at the front, along with a gigantic brown tabby she-cat, and many, many more.  This..this is the end for me. Mom, Dad, Nutfur....Ospreypaw....I'm sorry.

OOC: I'm boarding a plane tomorrow and will be on vacation, but I'm hoping I can post often enough to not get auto-KO'ed nonetheless. Thank goodness that I'll likely still have Internet access; it's just finding the time to post.

IC:
The newly-named warrior Toadleap followed his clanmates to the edge of the river where Sunningrocks lay. Glancing around, he noted that this was an entirely different part of the river from anything he had seen before. He pricked his ears as he heard Ivystar make her taunt. Padding closer to the front of the cluster of ThunderClan cats, he flinched when he realized that he could see a yowling brown-and-white tom near the front of the band of RiverClan cats. Dad...! Not only was Otterleap there, he looked hateful and ready to fight. Deep down, Toadleap had known he was deluding himself when he had thought he would be able to avoid his father in the upcoming war, and now he was forced to face the facts. The swirled tabby swished his tail nervously and directed his attention onto Blizzardstar in an attempt to distract himself from his reactivated inner turmoil. He wondered how she would respond to Ivystar, who was evidently far from ready to take Blizzardstar's offer of peace.

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On the RiverClan side, Ashpaw padded alongside her clan, feeling a sense of curiosity despite the grimness of the situation. She had not attended a Gathering yet, and so this was her first time seeing cats outside of RiverClan at all.

When her clan arrived at Sunningrocks, she sniffed the air, taking in the scent of strange cats. So this is the smell of ThunderClan, she observed. She turned her green gaze onto the ThunderClan cats and narrowed her eyes, watching their tension and becoming somewhat tense herself. This is all for RiverClan's sake. I wonder which cat or cats I'll have to fight. She flexed her claws as she waited for her mother's command.

Birchpaw pushed her way to the front of the group, looking up at her mother. She pressed her shoulder to Specklefang's well, side. She wasn't tall enough to reach much else. Anyway, they'd win this, then there wouldn't be as much of a struggle for them. Birchpaw struggled to find some reason to hate RiverClan but, they were defending their territory and ThunderClan was caring for their clanmates. No one was in the wrong here...

With a deep breath, she looked forward at the river. The she-cat had no idea why StarClan would choose this way. Stretching her claws out onto the stone, the she-cat looked down at the icy waters. Parts of the frozen river were thawed. She'd try her best to stay away from the river in general but, she'd fight until her body couldn't move and there wasn't a breath left in her. She had already bought a kit to camp, this hopefully made up for it.

A fluffy she-cat appeared from the throng of ThunderClan cats, instantly recognizable due to her odd gait. Darkflight trudged through the thick snow until she reached Blizzardstar's side. She shook off the clumps of snow that clung to her thick belly fur and eyed Ivystar without much of an expression on her face. This battle was a foolish endeavor, but for the sake of ThunderClan's survival, it had to be done. Something in her joints told her that something was wrong, or would go wrong, here. She put it to the cold, or her age. After all, silver hairs now lined her eyes and muzzle. She never thought she'd be in another battle against fellow Clan cats, not in her lifetime. Now that her clan was beside the river and on the icy stones the sense of unease only grew stronger. Would RiverClan win this battle? No, ThunderClan had to win. They had no choice but to do so. Or else they would starve.


RiverClan's medicine cat lingered on the near side of the river, sheltering the herbs he could afford to bring from the cold. Cloudstone's black fur contrasted starkly against the white surroundings. His stomach churned as he imagined the injuries he would have to heal. Or at least try to. The measly pile of herbs left in his den sat heavily in his mind. How many would die here, on the battlefield? How many would die because he didn't have enough herbs to treat them? He murmured to Goldenpaw, "Goldenpaw, only one medicine grows well in Leafbare. It deadens pain, hydrates, and flushes the wound. Could you tell me what it is?"

"Ice cold water? Enough of it for long enough numbs you, there's lots of it, hydrates the patient and it flushes the wound." Goldenpaw scoffed lowly as she glowered at the confrontation going on in front of her, she herself, along with Cloudstone settled in the very back of the battle patrol. Narrowing her eyes at the patrol she muttered, "I'm not sure, but Comfrey is a good candidate I think." Goldenpaw turned to Cloudstone, a little more seriously this time.

Maplepaw was right behind Blizzardstar. Her eyes were frantic and her heart raced like there was no tomorrow. Her steps were uneven. This was it. There was no turning back. She was to help Honeyspark heal the injured and try to stay safe. The she-cat had barely begun her training as a medicine cat apprentice so her mentor was going to have to help her through this.
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Sandpaw let out a growl. Her eyes glared at the Thunderclanners across from them. Riverclan was strong. They had a strong leader. She also had to act as strongly as her mother. The apprentice was more than ready to sink her claws into those fleabags. She turned to Ashpaw, her younger sibling. "Ashpaw, prepare yourself. This is it." she growled lowly.

Nightpaw flexed her claws beside her mother Specklefang. She was breathing heavily but her face showed no signs of fright or anxiety. Her eyes pierced the pelts of her enemies. Riverclan will not have Sunningrocks anymore. It shall belong to Thunderclan. She looked over at her mother with the bravest face she could pull off. She was ready.

Birdflight was standing beside Toadleap. Her head was held high and she stared Riverclan down. She resembled a strong tree, hard to defeat and determined to live. Even after a fire burns its leaves down, it regrows them and begins anew, stronger than ever. She wasn't going to give up. Even if it meant she'd lose her life. She pressed her flank close to Toadleap's. She still felt a bit nervous on the inside.
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Lilytail stood behind her kin, Ivystar. Her gaze was fierce and her claws flexed out. The warrior's tail lased from side to side showing her aggression clearly. She never liked Thunderclan. Some tolerate the clan but she never did and never will. She looked over at her apprentice, Dewpaw. She shot her a confident glance with a nod of her head. She decided to stand beside Dewpaw. The sleek warrior nudged the apprentice gently as a way to tell her that all will be well in the end.

He had been away for too long. It seemed strange to be back in the territory he had intended to call a temporary home during his stay in the forest. Artemis had hoped to run into Blizzard-Star again, very quickly after their first encounter. The beautiful, fluffy, white she-cat was exactly the cat of his dreams; the kind of she-cat his parents had always hoped he would become mates with. But, it was more than that, there was something charming and special about the Thunderclan leader. As much as he tried to keep his thoughts away from her as he roamed the outskirts of each clan's territory, the more he fail. Traveling had only taken about a moon, yet it felt like it had been seasons since. His long fur had kept the worst of the chills out, but it could not keep away thoughts of the clan leader that had given him permission to stay near the border of their territory, even if under the condition that he would not be offered protection from her clanmates. That was no problem.

Artemis found himself quickening his pace as he headed through the now barren forest. It would be nice to rest after keeping himself busied for the past moon. Everyday had been spent studying the territory and nature of each clan, just to add to his own personal knowledge of the world. So far, the clan cats were still some of the most interesting he had stumbled upon since leaving the Oasis to become an adventurer. His tail twitched as he ran through all of the tiny details. Since there was no way to indefinitely record what he knew, the tom constantly relied on his own memory for all of the things he had learned.

It wasn't until the yowls reached his ears that the massive, white cat stopped short. There were angry cries of the horizon. Over the course of the moon, he had seen border skirmishs fought between clans again and again. This sounded different. What seemed like the smells of a whole clan seemed to flood his nostrils as the wind picked up and blew in his direction. Thunderclan. And... the Fishclan. Or rather, Riverclan. There was no way this could mean anything good. Upon first arriving to the territory, and watching the patrols, he had quickly noticed Thunderclan growing a bit skinnier as winter set in. Remnants of a forest fire still marred the trees. It was not uncommon for bellies to grow empty as the cold season set in. Although, with an entire clan to feed and a still healing forest, there was no doubt it would not be an easy task. They could not afford a battle too.

The thoughts caused his instincts to kick in. All his life, Artemis had been taught to care for others. That was the entire purpose of the Oasis. Any cat who needed help or healing could find it there. Even though his decision to leave had lead him away from life there, he could not shake his roots. He had been trained to fight for instances like these. Even though peace was preferred among his ancestors, there was no doubt that it could always be possible. His blue eyes darkened as he crept through the forest. He would not jump in senselessly to fight, no, he had to watch.

Once he finally reached the edge, the tom stayed hidden behind the now dead undergrowth off the the side of Sunningrocks. There was a standoff and at the front he saw her- Blizzard Star! There was a she-cat standing opposite of her, no doubt the Riverclan leader. A low growl threatened to escape his throat. However, he held it in. No point giving his position away quite yet. When the fighting started, he would be there to help defend the clan that needed it. If he could save some of the younger cats that stood on Thunderclan's side, if he could help to save Blizzard Star from the claws that threatened to tear into her fur, he would have succeeded. His claws dug into the ground as he waited silently. No Oasis cat could just stand by as half-starved cats were forced to fight. He would be on their side.

Lynxpaw picked her way through her clanmates to come stand at her mentors side finding it a slight comfort to do so.  Well really she stood nearby just slightly behind her. The light brown tabbied she cat flicked her tufted ears back her green blue eyes looking to the Riverclan cats as she knew there would be a battle today no matter what. Her hope was that her clanmates all made it out alright.

OOC: Artemis is one cool cat.  

Also, I hope it's okay that I'm replying to some other people's IC posts while also leaving time for other people to post (I assume the posting order rule is more loose in this mega-thread like in Gathering posts until the actual active fighting posts- I understand that for the actual battles, we have to take turns in our individual pairings).

IC:
Birdflight's warm touch reassured the new warrior, who calmed down slightly. She had been a beacon of hope during his first battle against the owl, and she was here now with him. Even though he realized that they would likely have to fight their own battles this time as the two opposing clans seemed evenly matched in numbers, his former mentor's mere presence still comforted him. Pressing his own flank back against hers and fixing a determined expression onto his face, Toadleap tilted his head to look at the dilute calico she-cat and murmured, "Just like before, we can do this. We'll get through this together." He lifted his tail higher, although it still swished. This time, however, he swished his tail from not only worry, but also anticipation for the battles to come. While he still had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach, he had a measure of confidence and excitement as well.

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Ashpaw had not had a chance to speak to Sandpaw personally ever since Sandpaw had been apprenticed, but she was glad her sister was at the battle too and speaking to her now. Still looking at the ThunderClan cats, she agreed quietly, "At this point in the standoff, Momma would never back down. It really is it."

Turning her head towards Sandpaw, Ashpaw dipped her head in understanding before raising it to meet Sandpaw's gaze again. "Yes, I am ready. For the sake of RiverClan and our family, we must defend Sunningrocks at all costs." Although she was not nearly as aggressive as Sandpaw seemed at that moment, she knew that she would still try her best to hold her own against ThunderClan. Ashpaw added with a slight smile, "I am glad that I got in some fighting practice against a raccoon during a hunting patrol with Jaystream." She continued to flex her claws against the stone, making light clacking noises against the hard material as she waited for the battle to commence.