In This Time Of Need... [Clan Meeting / Open]

Blizzardstar had to shake her coat and take a deep breath before hopping onto the Highrock, clearly nervous thanks to the announcement she was going to give to her clanmates. She knew that in their current state most wouldn’t like it, but deep inside she hoped they would understand and sympathize with their allies across Fourtrees. Both of them had lost a lot thanks to RiverClan, and WindClan desperately needed help to pull through this leafbare…she wasn’t willing to just sit and watch as their only ally and friend died, their territory potentially being fully taken over RiverClan instead of partially like right then and there.

Its only until Leafbare ends…they will understand… Repeating these thoughts over and over in her head in an attempt to convince herself, she finally called out for her clan “All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highrock for a clan meeting!”.

Dustcloud padded into the middle of camp, her thin silvery fur dull even in the sunlight. Another meeting? ThudnerClan seemed to be busier and busier as leafbare went on, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. She shook our her fur, freeing it of any slush that stuck her body. She was still cold, but leafbare was almost over and it would be warm before the forest could blink an eye.

Emberheart stepped out of the warrior's den at Blizzardstar's call. "Please, please be a warrior ceremony for some lucky apprentice instead of more bad news," she whispered under her breath, though she didn't really believe her own thoughts. When would this desperate leaf-bare finally end and bring a little more happiness into their lives? Or less tragedy, at the very least.

Still, whatever Blizzardstar had to announce was no doubt important, ceremony or not, so she sat with her Clanmates and watched the leader in inquisitive silence.

Newttongue peered out the nursery, flicking his ear in worry. What now? He curled his tail around Rainkit and didn't move.

Wildfire came in from a patrol with Birchheart, just as the meeting began. Rolling her eyes, she sat down to hear more bad news. Birchheart dropped off the prey.

Boarpaw left the apprentice den and looked up at Blizzardstar.

Dawnpetal padded over to the other gathering cats from where she stood at the fresh-kill pile, having to hope that no one would take the juicy-looking rabbit she was just about to grab for herself. She sat down next to Emberheart, catching the tail end of her mate's silent plea. She gently nuzzled her cheek to give her some support.

Leopardclaw emerged from the warrior's den and sat down a few paces away, his fur looking disheveled and neglected. His green eyes lifted to gaze at Blizzardstar, hoping that this wasn't more bad news; and that it wouldn't take too long.

Leafstorm looked up from where he had been lounging nearby, his tired eyes dull. What now? More bad news?


Sharptooth jumped up from where she had previously been napping in the sun, her tabby fur disheveled. Every meeting Blizzardstar called nowadays sent her heart beating madly. "What's going on? Is there a battle? Is Riverclan attacking?"

"No," Eaglepaw grunted as he sat next to his mother. He wanted to soothe her anxieties and hoped to do so with the straightforward answer, but he couldn't bite back the words that came next, "Hopefully we aren't letting the latest stray some cat has found into our ranks." To his relief, there didn't seem to be anyone sitting near the base of the rock. At least that was a promising sign. Unsheathing his claws and digging them in the dirt, the apprentice remembered all of his recent frustrations with what had been going on. The young tom had been born too late after the devastating battles to full gauge how much of a hit the clan had taken. He had always known the hunger in his stomach, that was only natural. But, the one thing it did affect was how truly angry he was. Angry at the brokenness of his clan and their weakened state when he valued power so much, and angry at the clans who had taken it from them. Other than that, he was ignorant of the nature of the world and the things that had happened. So, what Blizzardstar had to say would be more than shocking for the young tom. Aid was a weakness in his eyes.

Mapleleaf sat next to the Highrock. She already knew what this clan meeting was about. The word had been spread around the medicine cats and their apprentices. The one thing she didn't know was what Blizzardstar had in mind to help but she had a tiny hunch. The sand colored tabby's gaze swept over the gathering cats. She let out a small sigh as she noticed many familiar faces holding worried expressions.

Cherrypaw was coming back from a hunting patrol when Blizzardstar called the clan meeting. Dropping her kills in the pile, the peach tabby padded up to take a seat beneath Highrock. Hearing her clanmates chatter around her, the usually cheerful she-cat was somber. She had still been a kit during the battle between Riverclan and Windclan and though tensions were high she had not had to suffer the costs of war in her life. Hoping for good news, Cherrypaw kept silent and focused her attention on Blizardstar.

Blizzardstar took a deep breath before talking once more. She kept repeating the same words inside her head over and over again, but deep inside something told her that even if most of her clan felt related to WindClan’s problems, it would be extremely hard to get all of them to agree with her choice…especially the younger ones that hadn’t suffered through the pain of war and were used to low freshkill piles and snow.

“Not long ago WindClan, our friends and only allies, were ruthlessly attacked by RiverClan. Not contempt with beating them in battle, RiverClan stormed into their camp, stole all their herbs and prey, and to finish it off they annexed the preferred hunting grounds of WindClan to their territory, making their survival through this harsh leafbare borderline impossible. Cats are injured and can’t be treated, queens, elders and kits are forced to starve as the few available warriors and apprentices, just as hungry as them, try they best to hunt in territory that holds little to no prey” As she spoke, nervousness turned into indignation and anger, the fur on her neck and tail raising.

She hated to speak bad of other clans, even one as fox-hearted as RiverClan, but as her bottled up emotions broke out and ran across her body, she felt a boost on her security given by such fire “I know some of you may not agree with my choice, but I trust those that still remember how they made us suffer will at least understand…given the great loss they suffered and the fact that we all agree that in this time of war true allies are few and precious, I had decided to not only help them through herbs, but prey” Her serious eyes landed on the cats gathered underneath her, like a silent warning to those that dared to speak up against her next words “From this moment and until this leafbare ends, WindClan is allowed to hunt in the forest at our side as a way to avoid deaths due to starvation. I know prey is low, but unless we want to lose the only ally we have thanks to the fox-hearted actions of the clan that also took away so much from us, we have no choice”.