A Fair Trade [Open to Windclan]

The Skyclan leader padded through the wind sept moor. His deputy and a certain little apprentice behind him. The leader didn't find a patrol at the border so he decided to go into the territory heading to where he thought the camp was. If he remembered correctly he was heading in the right direction. Eventually he found the little slope that lead to the camp. The leader stopped, and dipped his head to the guard. "Greetings. I'm here to speak with Ashstar. Peacefully." The tom said. He knew he sided with Riverclan but he was here on important Starclan matters. "It involves something with Starclan." The tom said so the guard would know not to delay him too much.

Willowpaw scented them before he saw them. An odd tree-like smell. A big fluffy cat- identified as Crowstar- and the black and white tom Rippedsky, the deputy, walked with an apprentice. Something with Starclan? What was going on? He stood up to greet them, then decided to stay out of the way. This was for Ashstar to deal with.

Acornpaw caught a strange scent in her nose. She started sniffing the air, making sure what she smelled was actually there. As a final confirmation, she opened her jaws to taste the air. Definitely there, and it was a lot stronger from when she first smelled it. She padded into WindClan's clearing, pricking her ears up, trying to catch a sound, when she suddenly caught sight of a certain black fluffy tom. Her neck fur bristled at the sight of the SkyClan leader, and she didn't try to hide it. SkyClan was allied with RiverClan, weren't they? Well, at least it wasn't RiverClan themself. Gradually, her fur flattened, seeing that Crowstar appeared to mean no harm. Acornpaw forcefully perched herself down instead of walking up to Crowstar or going to tell Ashstar that Crowstar was here. Ashstar would eventually acknowledge his presence, and clearly, Acornpaw wasn't involved in this.

The Skyclan deputy stood in his place at the other side of the apprentice. He dreaded having to send the she-cat away to Windclan, but if nothing else, he believed in Starclan. Rippedsky longed to change circumstance to keep the young she-cat in Skyclan and train her how to best work around not having the strong hindlegs of the Skyclan ancestors. Their walk here had been filled with silence. And now, underneath the scathing eyes of their ally's enemy, he still said nothing. The black and white tom merely let his blue gaze glance over the clearing. This place was exactly as he remembered it. His ear flicked at the idea that it wasn't just the same in appearance. Not much else seemed to change in the past many seasons, and he hoped that would change, if not for Graypaw's sake alone.

Dovepaw silently poked her head out of the apprentices' den after she heard the voice of Crowstar, the leader of SkyClan. She barely recognized the voice after hearing it from a couple of Gatherings. The gray tabby let out a soft snort as she padded fully out of the den and positioned herself that she had a clear view of everything. She didn't approve of the enemy coming directly into their camp, and while it was just the leader, the deputy, and an apprentice, they still reeked out SkyClan. Perhaps if it was a ThunderClan patrol, Dovepaw would've been a bit calmer. The apprentice slipped over towards Acornpaw so that she'd have another cat to sit beside. It wouldn't be any fun if there were no cats around to hear her commentary while the entire deal went down.
"What do you think this is about?" Dovepaw asked Acornpaw, pressing her gray ears against her head, "What could StarClan have possibly told them?"

Acornpaw flicked her ear to acknowledge Dovepaw's presence. She turned her head to look at her but returned her gaze back to Crowstar after she finished speaking. "I'm not too sure myself. Maybe it's that SkyClan made the wrong decision allying with RiverClan, and now they want to ally with the best Clan." Acornpaw noted with a hint of humor, but she honestly wished it was true. SkyClan hadn't done anything to harm WindClan yet, but there was no telling that they wouldn't eventually. The current allegiances between the three Clans overpowered WindClan and ThunderClan by far, and they could easily take advantage of that. Acornpaw just hoped they wouldn't.

When Ashstar smelled the scent of SkyClan, she began to panic. She'd never smelled their scent here before. Crowstar was Ivystar's proclaimed ally, so they had no right to trespass. Had they come to attack? The large gray she-cat ran out, muscles tense, fur bristling at the sight of the enemy leader and deputy. Rippedsky. She never thought she'd see him here again. He didn't look very comfortable with the situation, either. But what was the situation? Finally, the WindClan she-cat's eyes fell on the apprentice sitting between them, and she stopped cold in shock.

That gray tabby looked exactly like her mother.

She took in the young SkyClanner's pelt and form, absolutely identical to those of the she-cat she barely remembered, and hadn't seen in life since she was a kit. Those eyes.... Had Graybriar been an apprentice, she was sure that was exactly how she would have looked. It was uncanny. Eventually, Ashstar regained control of herself, and managed to tear her eyes off the small she-cat and look at Crowstar. "What does StarClan have to do with you coming into my camp? What do you want with WindClan?" she asked neutrally, still reeling slightly in shock from the apprentice's appearance.

--

Graypaw walked in next to Crowstar, eyes wide open, jaw agape. As they'd walked away from SkyClan camp and through the other Clan's territory, she'd been in a state of high anticipation, excitement and fear and nervousness driving her adrenaline levels to such heights that she could have almost run circles around the two toms accompanying her. The moors looked familiar and smelled like home, even though she'd only seen them in her dreams. It was strange, but... this place was already more like home than SkyClan, where she'd lived her whole life. She sensed her companions' tenseness, Rippedsky's especially, but she was extremely grateful they'd listened and believed her. Would WindClan? That was the question here. The other cats' eyes didn't seem all too friendly, but perhaps that would change.

The gray tabby looked up as a large, commanding figure approached. Ashstar, WindClan's leader. It would be up to her what the end result of today was. Would she obey the word of StarClan, or reject her for her origins, or simply not believe they were telling the truth? But instead of talking, the leader stopped in what could only be astonishment. She'd never seen that pure a manifestation of shock before. What? Had she... done something wrong? Graypaw fidgeted as the powerful she-cat looked her over, eyes seeming to drink in every detail about her as if seeing some long-lost loved one for the first time after a very long while. ...What? She felt uncomfortable. It was too strange to see such a raw emotion on a normally composed leader's face. Then again, she'd only ever seen her at Gatherings, from a distance... Eventually, the moment ended, and Ashstar spoke, talking like a normal cat. That was strange.

Mottleheart was sitting in his den, sorting through what little mess of herbs they had. He blinked, not as tired as he had been the last few days due to having simply had been forced to get sleep...But he hadn't had a nightmare which was a good sign of change. Things were feeling bright...So when he heard hushed tones and a new scent wafer into his den, he felt his heart sink a little. It hadn't been what he would have expected, quickly recognizing it as SkyClan as he pushed away the bundle of herbs he had just finished wrapping as he quickly turned and hurried from his den.

He halted at the sight of the leader and deputy of SkyClan standing in the center of the camp, an apprentice at their side. Ashstar was already speaking to them but there wasn't any sign of hostility from the cats, which only raised the question of why they were there. He slowly started to lurk forward, his eyes narrowing as he took the time to study the Skyclan cats. He hadn't met Crowstar face to face before, the tall but regal fluffy tom almost demanding attention with how his dark fur stood against the light hues of the pelts around him.

Mottleheart frowned however as his gaze focused on Rippedsky. He hadn't known the tom before he had left for SkyClan and while he had once been bitter about the whole thing, he had since realized that Rippedsky felt an honest loyalty toward SkyClan that couldn't be questioned. But as his gaze finally fell onto the apprentice...He felt...Off. His pelt prickled at the sight of her, his mind trying to make a connection that he didn't have all the pieces too. But it wasn't a bad feeling, just a mysterious one as he came to a stop just a little behind Ashstar as he waited to see what Crowstar had to say.

Dewtuft awoke at the unfamiliar scent, he was concerned that it was another invasion and quickly ducked out of the elder's den. His bones ached at his speed as he hobbled over nests to reach what appeared to be the SkyClan leader with an apprentice? The grey cat leant over to Mottleheart to whisper, "That's Crowstar right? I'm not seeing things?"

Featherlight followed her mentor out of the medicine cats' den, and stumbled back slightly at the sight of SkyClan's leader and deputy. She regarded the vaguely-familiar cats, who she had only seen at Gatherings prior, with mild curiosity - as well as the apprentice that accompanied them.

The leader dipped his head in respect to Ashstar. "Greetings Ashstar. As you see we have come to talk not to wage war I assure you. You see my apprentice here recently took her journey to the moonstone. A trip as to which she learned something interesting." The tom let out a small sigh before continuing to speak. "She spoke to a warrior called Pansyface. This warrior told her that she was born in the wrong clan, and was meant to be in Windclan. I do not doubt my apprentice's words, nor do I doubt my ancestors. But if you or Mottleheart know something about this, it would make this whole thing easier." The tom stated. Hopefully this wouldn't cause too much drama.

Willowpaw's jaw dropped. "Belong- Starclan- what!?" He whispered to himself.

Brindlewhisker, who had been previously dozing alongside Dewtuft in the quiet confines of the Elder's den, was quickly awoken by the combination of both her mate wriggling away and the scent of SkyClan. Scrambling to her paws and quickly hurrying after her mate, she was greeted by the sight of her Clanmates warily huddled around Crowstar, Rippedsky, and a small apprentice. Did every Clan in the forest presume that it was polite to simply march into their camp? Swallowing back a low hiss of annoyance, the Deputy reached Dewtuft and Mottleheart's sides in time to witness Crowstar's explanation. Mouth twisting wryly, her nonchalant gaze briefly rested on both Crowstar and Rippedsky before eventually settling upon Graypaw.

"That's quite a mix up on StarClan's behalf." Brindlewhisker finally hummed, her polite tone hardly masking the wariness that sharpened her brisk words. Though she could hardly refute the words of StarClan, it wasn't as if they were currently on the best of terms with SkyClan. Briefly turning to gaze at both Mottleheart and Ashstar, she wondered if they were as bewildered by the situation as she was. "But I presume it's safe to assume that you've also come with a potential solution to propose?" Brindlewhisker added, gaze simmering with interest as she practically sized up Graypaw.

At her fellow leader's words, Ashstar blinked. The strangeness of the situation was hard to comprehend. StarClan, making mistakes? Though she knew her warrior ancestors to be imperfect, it was hard to think of them messing up this badly. And how did something like that happen, anyways? Each question she had only raised more. The WindClan leader's eyes met Brindlewhisker's, then Mottleheart's. Her deputy was as confused as she was- how about the other cat she trusted most, her adopted son and medicine cat? "Has StarClan told you anything of this, Mottleheart?" she inquired, keeping her voice under control rather than letting her voice divide into equal parts wary and wondering. "I don't want to doubt our ancestor's words, but I can't help but wonder what they would mean by this. And-" the she-cat's green eyes darted back to the apprentice's familiar ones. It was extremely uncanny how identical the young she-cat was to Graybriar. "What do you make of this, young one? Did StarClan offer you any advice, any explanation whatsoever?" She wasn't sure what to think about this, so she stalled, waiting for more knowledge. Sablestar, Icestorm, advise me... what should I do?

--

Graypaw practically squirmed under the gazes of leader, deputy and medicine cat. If today went well, they would be her leaders, and she would follow their words... not Crowstar's or Rippedsky's or Mintpaw's. What a strange thought. No, her mind couldn't wander! This was important! The apprentice listened to the words of everyone who spoke, also looking around at the faces of those who might end up being her Clanmates. Many of them didn't seem comfortable with a stranger in their camp. She understood. There were a few vaguely familiar faces, from Gatherings or even dreams, but... where was Badgerthorn? Was he here? What would he think of this?

When she was finally addressed by the large, fluffy gray she-cat, she almost let out a squeak of terror. Her thin tabby tail wrapped around her paws to control anxious fidgeting. "Um, I-I...." She cleared her throat. Talk, Graypaw, talk! "All I know is what C-Crowstar said. I d-didn't believe it, at f-first. But as I th-thought about it, it made sense.... I've been d-different, my whole life. I'm h-horrible at climbing and jumping, b-but I'm great at running. I can't catch birds to s-save my life, but I can catch up with rabbits that w-wander onto our- onto SkyClan territory. A-And I have d-dreams, dreams about fields with long grasses, and giant peaks of stone in the distance...." Graypaw's bright blue eyes had a faraway look as she spoke. She was right- she knew she was right. But would they believe her? "I- I don't know why," she concluded, "only that even though I've l-lived there all my life, SkyClan has n-never been my home."

Mottleheart blinked as he felt somebody step up next to him, turning his gaze to stare at the elder. "Hm? Yes, it is Crowstar. I'm not sure why but..." the medicine cat whispered back with an uncertain flicker of his tail as he drifted off. Luckily, he got his answer a few heartbeats later when Crowstar started to speak. He listened to the leader's words with an raised eyebrow, wondering where this was all going until the answer was laid out straight in front of them. His ears slicked back as shock flooded across his face, an uncertainly raising within his chest. Born...In the wrong Clan? How was that even a thing? He started to take a step forward when it was like the whole world shifted. For a single heartbeat, it was as if all the color had drained from the world.

It only lasted long enough for him to dimly realized that it had happened before the world was back in its brilliant array of colors as he stumbled to catch himself. He blinked a few times, memories of a dream flooding back into his head. A colorless landscape, a gray and white tom with piercing green eyes and a twisted paw giving him a message from the stars themselves... He cleared his throat with a shake of his head, attempting to straighten himself up in the hopes that nobody noticed his stumble. "I...I do indeed know something about this," he answered, suddenly realizing that Ashstar had turned her attention onto him - he wasn't sure how long that few heartbeats of colorless had truly lasted. "A moon or two ago, I was given a message from StarClan about a cat who would seek to join our Clan...And that if it was their wish to join WindClan, it was their fate." He sighed softly as he shook his head. "While I have my own reserves about this, StarClan was clear in their message and I have no doubt that this...Apprentice is the one they spoke of. Therefore, if Crowstar and Rippedsky are certain on their decision to allow this apprentice to join us...Then I hold no trouble with it."