Announcing the Unannounced {Open-Clan Meeting}

Gustpuddle and the kits had slept in his nest. When he had awoken, the tom had nearly forgotten what had happened the night before. It all came rushing back in one moment. Crowstar's kits were here. Four healthy and beautiful kits. His dull-blue eyes were alight with a spark of something. He told the former Windclan she-cat that he would make the announcement at once to make sure the clan knew of their presence. They would stay in his den for the time being, until he gauged how accepting his clan would be. The knowledge these were the former leader's kit would likely sway a few opinions. After instructing for her to sit underneath the tallbranch, he leaped up and let out the familiar call, "Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the tallbranch for a clan meeting!"

Honeypaw was just returning from her hunt, a heavy thrush held proudly in her jaws. The early morning had been an auspicious one -- the soft light falling through the trees, shining perfectly on the waking bird's feathers. And it had been a glorious catch, too -- she'd caught it in the trees, and not from a simple angle, either. Sedgestrike would have been proud of her technique!

"I wonder if he'll teach me that move today..." That leap and strike he'd showed off the previous night had been itching at her mind...

Shaking her head, the apprentice was dropping the bird by the fresh-kill pile when she saw Rippedstar stride from his den. The black fur on his crown was a bit ruffled, as if he'd just woken from sleep. Straight to calling a clan meeting?

Huffing, Honeypaw just turned to stalk toward the Tallbranch. She couldn't think of any kits that needed apprenticing -- even filthy ones, like Fawnpaw. But Sedgestrike seemed to have given up on understanding the new leader's ways -- she wasn't sure why she tried.

As one of the first to arrive, Honeypaw settled herself directly below the branch, curling her ginger tail around her paws... Only to catch an unfamiliar scent in the air. It was sharp. Distinct.

Windclan?

Ashpaw jumped out of his fur at the sudden calling. Without much hesitation, the young tom scrambled out of his nest and bounded towards the meeting place, looking up at his mentor curiously.

Mintpaw peered out of her den, her ears twitching with curiosity. What now? Hopefully, this was just another apprentice ceremony and not... well, Mintpaw didn't know how she'd survive if her clanmates were being called to battle. The taupe she-cat trotted out of her den, sitting a short ways away from the tallbranch.

Blossomheart slowly padded over. She sat down. Perhaps they were going to war. Or a simple ceremony. She didn't care.

Striding in proudly, Raccoonpaw entered the camp with a fat squirrel laying in his maw. Padding over to the fresh-kill pile, he dropped his prey on the top. When the apprentice looked up, he instantly noticed cats were starting to gather under Rippedstar, so he quickly trotted over to the bunching cats and sat down next to his mentor, Cloudroar. Boredly waiting for the Clan leader to continue his announcement, an unfamiliar scent hit his nose. Scrunching his muzzle, he turned to the warrior. "What is that smell?"

Catching the faint scent of WindClan on the wind, Elmcloud's face momentarily scrunched in the briefest display of wariness as he settled down alongside his Clanmates. Head tilting slightly as he gazed up at his former mentor, his own private inhibitions bubbled up within his mind as he awaited for the situation to unfold.

Gillpaw was on his way from "hunting" by himself at twolegplace. He heard the call and scrambled back into camp via the treetops. He scented windclan, but no fear meaning no prisoners and no aggressiveness, so no invaders. "Harboring Windclan now are we? what is this clan coming to...?" Gillpaw sighed and shook his head.

Brokenpaw joined the other cats gathering near Rippedstar. He noticed the scent of another clan, but wasn't sure what was going on. Was there going to be another fight? It seemed strange that Rippedstar would call attention to another clan coming in to yell over something. And there wouldn't be enough time to just announce that they were fighting. So what could it be?

As the clan gathered, his gaze scanned over them. Likely, they had scented the Windclan smell, and with Gustpuddle underneath the branch, had begun to form their own. As soon as a majority of the cats gathered, the leader began to speak, "I want to make you all aware of some new additions to the clan." He paused to gauge the expressions below. They would have to accept this change. His tail flicked slightly at the tip before he continued on, "Gustpuddle has brought home Crowstar's kits. She will be staying to raise them within Skyclan. For now, they are too young to meet the clan, but as they grow, I am sure you will get to know them. I expect you all to treat them with the respect you would any other clanmate. If any cat has any questions, you may come ask me yourself. Thank you."

With a more commanding flick of his tail, Rippedstar dismissed them. Any cats who had an issue would hopefully come talk to him. But, these were Crowstar's kits. They were more Skyclan then him. Anyone who had a problem with their heritage or who harmed these cats would not get away lightly. He paused at the entrance to his den, briefly peering inside to glance at the sleeping bundles. For once, he hesitated outside and stayed among the clan.

ooc: short and carppy, enjoy

The spotted tom emerged from the camp entrance with an unamused look at the branch as he caught the scent of Windclan. What was she doing here? He thought back to Ashstar and barely restrained a growl. His gaze distracted by Honeypaw as she came in with a bird. A thoughtful frown on his muzzle.

Then, he saw Gillpaw. It was obvious that the other cat had been alone as the stench of twolegplace came with him. The scent hadn't been in camp this morning before. He felt his pelt bristle, green eyes glinted angrily as he padded up to the young apprentice with his full height looming.

"What were you doing there." He growled. Anger clear in every inch of his pelt, but it was restrained. He did not lash out, though it was tempting to do so. His tail lashed with the effort of holding back. "Have you learnt nothing from the dogs attack!? Did you even listen to Rippedstar's order?" He snarled.

He glanced up at the tallbranch as the good news was given. He spared Gustpuddle a glare of narrowed eyes.
"Just what we need. More Windclan." He muttered, then glared back at the young tom mercilessly.

"If you've got so much energy to spare as to run off by yourself to that disgusting place, then you won't have any problem with doing some battle training with Honeypaw and I." He turned, then yowled sharply. "Honeypaw! Training!"

What?!

Fernpaw, who had gathered with the rest of the clan, was utterly dumbfounded.  "...Crowstar's kits?!"  The apprentice had detected the same scent as all of her clanmates, and it could only mean one thing.  This Gustpuddle...mother of Crowstar's kits...was a WindClan cat.  Her lips drawn back in a confused, but angry, snarl, the bi-color she-cat hissed up at her adopted father.  "So we're just supposed to accept this, without any explanation?  Our leader bred half-clan kits!"  Wrinkling her nose like she had just sniffed a piece of rotten prey, she continued in a scoffing voice;  "Not that I care much for 'oh so mighty' StarClan's rules, but I do hope that I'm not the only one who is a little...perplexed."

Nightstorm meanwhile sat quietly, but his face held a gravely serious expression.  In the time that he had been with SkyClan, he had learned much about their ways, and one of the biggest rules in the code was that cats do not take mates outside their own clan.  It had been the same with the Tribe, though in the mountains there had never been any other cats to meet anyway.  Crowstar himself broke this rule...but he was supposed to be the cat who upheld the principles of the code...  In a flash of memory though he recollected that Stoneteller himself had, in a way, done the same; Poppysong had birthed his kits.  His leaf green eyes darted around the clearing to rest on Elmcloud.  If he was able to be welcomed as a warrior, these kits should be as well.  We're all cats after all, our differences only start at the lines we choose to draw.

Raccoonpaw lashed his tail back and forth in disagreement but said nothing. This Crowstar seemed like an awfully wonderful leader to have kits with a WindClan cat. These kits didn't need to be here, and neither did Gustpuddle. Though he wanted to go against Rippedstar's decisions, he was only a new apprentice, and had, well, not much say in things as important as these. Perhaps Rippedstar needed more warriors or something. Narrowing his eyes, Raccoonpaw stalked off to the apprentices' den, hoping some warrior would have something for him to do.

Ashpaw choked at the decision, his fur fluffing up in sheer terror. Crowstar, with a Windclan cat who bore him kits?! He was just a young kit when Crowstar died, but from what he had heard about him, he was an amazing leader. "Then, then why would he break Starclan's sacred code?" His eyes went distant as he tried to process what was happening.

Blossomheart gasped. For a moment, she doubted that it was true. But she quickly shook it out of her fur. She walked up to Rippedstar. "I'd like to meet Gustpuddle, please. Even if she was a Windclan cat, and if she'll be raising the kits, I'd like to get to know her."