A Fair Trade [Open to Windclan]

Side-eyeing Ashstar once more, Brindlewhisker remained doubtfully silent as Mottleheart relayed his apparent prophecy about Graypaw. Mouth twisting unhappily, the scarred she-cat's ear flicked as she returned her gaze to the starry eyed grey tabby. Fantastic. StarClan was shipping them SkyClan's leftovers simply because she was incapable of catching a squirrel. Briefly tossing a rueful gaze skyward, she forced herself to exhale a soft breath before redirecting her attention to the apprehensive young she-cat before her. Head tilting, the Deputy let out a slight hum as she continued to think over both Graypaw and Mottleheart's words. "I hope that you're very well aware of the fact that if you do try and join our Clan, SkyClan has aligned themselves with RiverClan and ShadowClan. I doubt we'll be on particularly friendly terms over the next few moons. Do you really believe yourself to be capable of turning your back on the Clan that raised you? Even potentially fight against them if the time arises?" Brindlewhisker questioned, skepticism practically dripping from her statement.

Dawnlight finally decided to speak. For the majority of the scene, he had remained silent, opting to watch what was happening in front of him before saying something. His eyes narrowed to slits. Confidently, he strode up to Graypaw and declared, "Is this really happening? A SkyClan failure being welcomed into WindClan with open paws? How do we know she isn't a spy? How do we know she will be loyal? Even if StarClan intended for her to be born here, she wasn't! Her heart would never be here! She's never run the moors and suffered the cold leafbare winds with us! She's been living sheltered under those trees... she will never be more WindClan than she is SkyClan. I want this insult driven out of our camp immediately!"

He huffed, scowling in Graypaw's face, seemingly ready to jump on her at the drop of, well, anything.

Badgerthorn was out of camp but had noticed the scent of Skyclan going through their territory. He expected an attack but as soon as he got there he didn't see one just the leader, the deputy and an apprentice. Graypaw? The charcoal tom was unsure why they were here.. Amber eyes widened a bit as he listened to what they had just spoke of. Graypaw was meant to be here? So he wasn't falling for another clan cat anymore?

The warrior's ears flattened as soon as he heard the others speak. He let out a low growl. "So you just want to insult our ancestors and ignore what they want completely?" Badgerthorn stepped up into Dawnlight's face his fur bristling. He was defending Graypaw and their ancestors. "Basically what you are asking right now is equal to serving a Starclan warrior crow food. They even told Mottleheart! Do you think Starclan would tell him about it if she was meant to be a spy you rabbit brain?" He wasn't one to speak much, but he was acting on impulse now. He believed in their ancestors and what they wanted. If this is what they said then it must be.

---

Crowstar remained silent. While he wanted to defend his apprentice, this was Windclan's issue to sort out not his. He was just merely here to offer Graypaw a chance at happiness.

Mottleheart, the WindClan medicine cat, had been told about her by StarClan? Graypaw couldn't say she wasn't a little surprised. However, that certainly made things easier... hopefully. There was still the leader and deputy to convince- but they'd listen to their medicine cat, right? ears drooped a little at Brindlewhisker's words. That was one of the first things she'd thought of, and she'd already come to terms with what she had to do. "I- I know," she got out, "and it will be h-hard. But I p-promise that I will be loyal to WindClan, and W-WindClan alone. I am just an apprentice, and I h-haven't taken my oath of l-loyalty to SkyClan yet. As much as I'll miss my f-friends, I know this is the right th-thing to do. And, and if I'm n-not loyal, you can p-punish me however you want."

A few cats definitely didn't appear convinced. As an experienced-looking warrior got in her face, yelling at her, the tabby apprentice quailed. Why would StarClan send her to spy? She wouldn't deny that she was a SkyClan failure, but an insult? She winced at the tom's words, frantically trying to find a way to respond- but then a familiar voice spoke up in her defense. Badgerthorn? It was the dark brown tom she'd seen so many times at Gatherings, and even run into once at Fourtrees. The tom she... liked. His arguments were a welcome source of support, and she gained some confidence back from hearing his voice. "Why would StarClan send me if they thought I wasn't c-capable of fitting in?" Graypaw agreed, standing next to Badgerthorn, grateful for his support. "I kn-know it will be difficult, but S-StarClan must trust that I can a-adjust to living differently. G-Give me a few moons, and I'll be W-WindClan, just like the r-rest of you. I may not have WindClan b-blood, but other cats have b-been in my circumstance and proven l-loyal regardless. You sh-shouldn't write me off j-just yet."

--

While Ashstar was hesitant to accept a SkyClanner into her Clan, all the evidence was pointing towards StarClan wanting that outcome. This was strange, to say the least, but if Mottleheart had received a dream from their ancestors, then that was a recommendation she could hardly refuse. She let the arguments within the Clan play out instead of intervening, feeling some of Brindlewhisker's skepticism but also knowing that to reject the she-cat- Graypaw?- would probably not be easily forgiven by StarClan.

"Thank you, Badgerthorn, Dawnlight," she interjected finally, crisp tone cutting across the raised voices of her Clanmates. It was interesting that the younger tom would jump so quickly to Graypaw's defense, as he didn't yet know that he originated from RiverClan.... Was there something going on there, perhaps? She took a deep breath in the silence that ensued, trying to calm her thoughts. How did she want to play this? How on earth would she go against both hers and Brindlewhisker's better natures, especially when multiple Clanmates were also against this? But Graypaw's arguments were solid enough, and the very idea of going against her warrior ancestors' will was enough to make her shudder. She'd just have to watch the former SkyClan she-cat very closely.

Ashstar exhaled, then spoke, trying not to show her hesitancy. She was a leader. "While I am generally... reluctant to accept other cats into my Clan," she started, "it is very difficult to deny Mottleheart's vision from StarClan. He is my medicine cat, a messenger from the stars, and I would trust him with anything. So, in light of this, I am inclined to believe that Graypaw is meant to join my Clan." As the meows instantly started, the soft gray she-cat held up her tail, cutting off anyone else who tried to speak. She wasn't done.

Now, she turned to the she-cat in question. "However, Graypaw, you must realize that you will be under close scrutiny, from me and Brindlewhisker and all your new Clanmates, and that any sign of favor towards SkyClan or against WindClan will result in your exile, and I doubt your former Clan would welcome you back with open paws. You will be required to redo your apprenticeship, under a new mentor, so you can learn our ways of life. Is that clear?" The young tabby, who still looked uncannily like the leader's mother, nodded firmly. Ashstar dipped her head in return. "Then, from this day on, let StarClan witness that you are a member of WindClan. Your new mentor will be-" she cast her eyes about, and they fell on the young tom standing next to the apprentice- "Badgerthorn. I hope he passes down all of his knowledge to you." The leader turned back towards the crowd of her Clanmates. "She is one of us now. Feel free to keep her under watch until she proves her loyalty, but treat her like you would treat your other Clanmates. Anyone who does differently will answer to me." Her eyes caught Brindlewhisker's. What did her deputy think of this?

--

Graypaw felt something warm wash over her at the leader's- her leader's- words. "Let StarClan witness that you are a member of WindClan." After all her life of feeling alone and misunderstood, she was finally home! And if she had anything to say about it, she'd stay there. No matter what. She finally felt loved... she finally belonged. That was what that feeling was- belonging. She didn't have much time to process it, however, before her mentor was named. Her eyes widened in surprise and delight. Badgerthorn? Her best friend, only friend, in WindClan was to be her mentor? The apprentice's blue eyes sparkled as she walked up to touch her nose to his. "I'll be relying on you to teach me everything," she informed him, grinning widely as she spoke. She was going to run through the moors at long last. Though she probably should have, she didn't even look back at Crowstar and Rippedsky as she began her new life.

Home.

Featherlight remained silent, though not hostile. If her mentor and leader were willing to accept this former SkyClan cat, so was she - time would tell if it was the right choice. Still, as her brother ran to the apprentice and shouted about betrayal, she couldn't help feeling a little offended. Did he not trust the elder medicine cat's wisdom? If that were true, maybe he doubted her own as well... But perhaps his quarrel lied elsewhere, and he did have a sliver of a point - they couldn't know just yet whether this apprentice would be loyal to WindClan as she said. But Featherlight intended to give her a fair chance, at the very least, and deal with the results as they came.

Sparkpaw stared at Graypaw. Was she really capable of fitting into the Clan? She seemed quite doubtful herself. However, his leader had made her decision. Who was he to argue?

The deputy nodded stiffly in agreement with Brindlewhisker. As unbelievable as the circumstance was, her willingness to give up everything was more so. Even though it had been hard for him to leave everything behind, the black and white tom had been blessed to find a new clan during a time in which Skyclan was at peace. He had time to heal, to get his head in the right place, and to build a genuine loyalty to the cats who became his family. Graypaw would not be given the same luxury. She was willingly stepping to the other side of the war. Rippedsky wanted to let out a low sigh or to yowl at Starclan. He was not sure which one would be more efficient. Regardless, he kept his maw shut.

What was even worse was the lingering discomfort of being back here under the open sky. It would be a lie to say that there was not a part of him that felt some sort of kinship to the lands, even if it was not to the cats that lived there. So many thoughts continued to run through his mind. A worry for the young cat, confusion, frustration, endless amounts of concern, and somewhere at his core... an anger he never took the time to feel. But, as he raised his eyes to look at the grey leader, it all dwindled into a hope that Ashstar would handle this well. He had not trusted her decisions since the day he had watched them stand behind Smokepelt, even in his unjust ways. It was a lot to remember.

"Take care of her." He meowed simply, fixing Ashstar with his blue gaze for a moment before turning away. It was out of his paws, and it took every ounce of Rippedsky's being to understand that.