Expecting the Unexpected [Newleaf Tears Topic]

The Riverclan leader was a bit overwhelmed by so many cats talking to him and his fellow companions, most of them aggressively. But when a she-cat a approached him, he couldn't help to open his eyes widely in surprise by how close she had gotten to him. The silver cream she-cat spoke with kindness and warm words, leaving him both more relaxed yet confused by her sudden approach. Jaystar smiled a little to her, bashfully before getting more hate from the other cats that were emerging from the cave. Not many of them very welcoming. For a few seconds, he started wondering if this was truly a good idea after all... Was this the place Starclan sent them?

However, soon his concerns were resolved when a dark she-cat appeared, claiming to be the Stoneteller, leader of the Tribe. Jaystar had no doubt she was in command considering how fiercely and confident she spoke. When she introduced herself, the tall tom bowed his tom with respect, never losing sight of her mixed coloured eyes. "I was just an apprentice when your tribemates arrived at the forest but I remember them well. Despite our differences, our paths are once again connected thanks to our ancestors. Starclan has sent us here to seek for shelter but we're not here to steal and destroy. We know that we're guests and once our warriors are recovered, we will hunt by your side, if you allow us to repay your hospitality." He mewed humbly and tired to the leader while lifting his head once more. The tom turned his head a little to the rest of the clans and nodded with a tired smile. "Come here and be respectful, please. Stoneteller has given us her kindness and we will be staying here while we recover. Please, follow the tribe cats inside, they will guide you to your temporal home. He mewed loud enough to everyone to hear.

Once everyone was moving slowly into the depths of the large tunnel, the tom cautiously approached the dark-furred she-cat showing nothing else but gratitude. "Thank you... I'll make sure my cats won't cause you any trouble." He said, looking from the corner of his eyes how queens, warriors and apprentices walked in exhausted, hungry but with some hope inside. He smiled a little inside his mind but he couldn't be truly happy for he remembered also those who weren't with him, those he didn't have the time to mourn. His kits, his friends... all of them swept away by the flood. Was he even going to see them again? Were they even alive? Galepaw, Ivypaw, Berrycloud, Littlestream, Hailsong, Robinpatch, Orchidpool, Sparkfrost, Scorchclaw, Stormstrike... Tinytip... were they down there, in the forest? Or were they up in the sky, in Starclan? The silver forced himself to hold the tears that demanded to escape and tried to fix his focus on the Stoneteller. "You've done so much for us and I feel a little sorry to ask you this but... you have connections with Starclan, right? A way to speak with the stars? I need to know... if my clanmates, my family is... alive." His voice was shaky but he tried to keep his composure. Starclan decided it was his burden to carry when they decided to keep him as leader. He had to be strong for his clean. That's what he kept repeating to himself but inside... he was not sure if he could make it.

If it weren't for the pulsating frustration that coursed through her body, Hawk might have taken the time to snort at the response of Chirp, or even bat at the other she-cat for her ignorance. However, the hypervigilance prevented her from tearing her eyes away from intruders that stood so casually in the entrance to their cave. Her tail lashed back and forth, arching as a sign of her dissatisfaction. With narrowed eyes, the to-be regarded the clan cats with utmost disdain. Nothing would sheathe her claws until these strangers were back out of their home and off the lands their ancestors had held for centuries, even returning to after a brief visit to the clans. Well, that nothing quickly turned into something as the Stoneteller's commanding voice rose through the air. She hesitated but sheathed her claws, knowing their Teller of Pointed Stones would likely not approve of the swipe.

Grumbling softly, she stepped back, without tearing her gaze away. As the Teller spoke, there was a hint of satisfaction in her expression as the much elder cat briefly retold the history of the clans, speaking of what they had done to the tribe and the scorn their ancestors had received. However, the leader far surpassed her in wisdom, something that Hawk of Jagged Talons, did not see. And so the words also told of what the tribe cats had brought upon the forest. Hawk found herself unintentionally baring her teeth. Not a muscle moved. No protest passed from her lips despite bubbling up at the back of her throat. When Stoneteller finished, Hawk's ears pricked at her name, displaying the torn one clearly in the limited light. Being asked to serve their leader might have been viewed as a privilege but Stoneteller was smart, and Hawk, in her own distaste, saw it for exactly what it was: a punishment for her actions.

"Follow me." She meowed lowly to those nearby, a snarl behind the words. Her shoulders hunched forward as she whirled around and stalked toward the recesses of the cave. Thankfully, space was something that was not in short supply. As she turned, her tail flicked across the bridge of Pricklebush's nose, the very one she had just lashed. It was intentional, of course. Following orders did not take the disdain out of her heart. Hawk's paws fell heavy as she led the bedraggled group of forest cats further into the bowls of their cave. Her sharp eyes looked for the dampest, least kept, corner that was far away from any of the tribe cats. Satisfied, she moved back to watch them settle in and glared at each one, finally adding, "Stay here. And don't think about stepping out of line or I won't hesitate to guard my tribemates." After given the duty of leading them here, coupled with her own self-importance, the she-cat spoke commands like an elder cave guard. It wasn't their business to know she was only a to-be.

Greatful that the tribe cat leader accepted them, Daisyflame gave the she-cat a nod of thanks. Watching as the rag-tag group of mingled clanmates entered the cave, he stayed behind, wanting to thank the cat in which they called Stoneteller. Padding up to the she-cat, he swallowed the lump in his throat. It was odd, talking with a cat whom he knew practically nothing of, but even though part of him felt awkward doing so, he needed to be at least a little polite.

"Thank you, Stoneteller," Daisyflame mewed with a respectful dip of his head as he stood in front of the she-cat.

How wonderful- most of them were hostile. Nevertheless, Pricklebush stood his ground as some cats- were they warriors?- yelled at them, and others stepped forward in defense. None of them were the leaders... they didn't have the ability to choose whether they would stay or go. Only the leader figure of the Tribe, Stoneteller, would be able to do so. He tried his best to ignore the undignified screeching. However, he reached his limit when an apprentice-sized she-cat ran forward and slashed him on the nose. After a moment of shock, he drew himself up, towering above the small cat. It took every ounce of self-control not to retaliate, but he settled for a cold glare, condescending towards the uncivilized kit. Though he knew they had some right to distrust their group, why were hotheaded cats in every sort of group always ready to put in their unwanted opinions and make trouble where they should be none? Resentment bubbled in his heart, until he realized... he used to be like that, too. Before, and even during his unfortunate tenure as a medicine cat apprentice. However, that did not mitigate his annoyance towards whoever that small she-cat was.

He nodded in gratitude and acknowledgement to Stoneteller when she finally arrived, putting a stop to the ceaseless growling from the rabble around them. "Rest assured, Stoneteller, we will not impose any longer than is necessary," he responded politely. Though he was not technically a leader, he was in charge of ThunderClan, and definitely had the right to speak- especially through all of the rudeness going around. "I am Pricklebush. I have never met you before, but heard stories.... We did not come because we want to take your home away from you- we are very attached to our own forest. But as we have said, a giant flood has temporarily rendered our home unlivable, and we were forced to flee. We are very grateful for your willingness to acclimate us here. I am sure that all of our cats will gladly assist your... prey-hunters with their tasks, and we will lend our skills to defending your home as well." His eyes were locked on the leading she-cat's, so when the rude apprentice-cat flicked his injured nose with her tail he let out a slightly surprised growl, then got hold of himself. Don't engage. Foolish cats will be foolish.


Rain watched intently as the Clan cats waited by the entrance, even as many of her Tribemates were rude and unkind to them. That took some patience. She saw the tom that Hawk smacked growing a little hot around the ears, but with obvious control turning away- how desperate were these cats, to ignore such blatant hostility? With every moment she watched, her curiosity grew. She found herself stepping away from her father and mother's side, her bright blue eyes scanning the crowd for interesting faces. She blinked disapprovingly at her sister Rainbow when she joined the rest in disrespecting the newcomers, but stayed silent, disliking confrontation as usual. She was glad when Stoneteller finally emerged, not quite telling off the instigators but at least ceasing the arguing.

The white and black she-cat decided to help guide the Clan cats to find comfortable sleeping areas, knowing that Hawk would be hostile and not wanting her to be the only impression of the Tribe that the cats would have. She walked right behind the to-be, not taking over her appointment from Stoneteller but making it clear that she was there to assist. And, it turned out she was right. "Don't order them around so much, Hawk," Rain reprimanded the younger cat gently. "You may have been appointed by Stoneteller to this task, but you are still only a to-be. They are our guests... please treat them with kindness." She then turned to the crowd, appraising eyes landing on each cat in turn. Her voice was soft and lilting, but firm as well. "I am Rain Drop from Cloud, one of the cave-guards here at the Tribe. I welcome you, but also echo Hawk's warning that attempting to harm anyone here would prove unwise. A few of you should come help me gather extra moss for nests. The stone floor is bare and uncomfortable, and sleeping on it with no nests would prove difficult. Are there any volunteers?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes at her mother's scolding and flicked her bushy tail irritably. She didn't hear Echo getting on Pine's case for getting rightfully protective against these strangers who truly did have no right to be here. On the way back to their cave, the prey-hunter stepped up next to Daisy, her aunt and best friend, hissing, "These so-called Clan cats have better not stay here too long. I am not about to dedicate my valuable time and talent to feeding any of them."

Then, once they reached the cave, a certain Clan cat caught her eye. He was quite obviously a tom with an average body type and a bland-looking white pelt with a few black markings -- he really wasn't all that impressive at first glance. What really caught her attention were his amber eyes. She had never seen such intensity or determination before. Of course, she lived in a world where if one wasn't determined enough to survive they wouldn't, but ... there was something different about his gaze. These cats had obviously gone through some kind of turmoil back home from ... wherever they had come from, but this cat.... He was strong. Perhaps strong enough to take care of her and have her kits. "Well, most of them anyway."

Rainbow took that opportunity to slip away from her friend's side to approach the tom. She stepped up to him and began to flutter her eyes at him to draw attention to their radiant blue color, her ears drawn back and her bushy tail swishing slowly along the ground to appear cuter and more attractive for him. "Well, hello there, handsome.~ My name is Rainbow That Graces Sky, but you can just call me Rainbow if that's easier for you to remember. What's your name?"

The black and white ShadowClan warrior stood alert, but didn´t said any words in the whole day, he didn´t wanted to make things worse with his puns, instead he concentrated in keeping the kit he has been carrying since he escaped the flood, warm and secure, he didn´t let it go away, who knows what these tribe cats could do to it... and the image of his father and mother being swept away in the current was still fresh in his mind.

So deep he was in his thoughts that he didn´t notice a she-cat approaching him until she was close, making him going back to his senses and look at her, and oh wow, he could have jawdropped, this cat was beautiful, and was obviusly flirting with him, and he couldn´t deny it, he was indeed something else...

But he was really faithful to his clan...

With that clear in his mind, he smiled a bit at the she-cat.

"Hello Rainbow" he mewed, relaxing his body a bit for the first time since the flood started and sitting on the ground "My name is Liontail, nice to meet you"

Stoneteller's stern voice, one of the very few things able to quell Chirp's boisterous ways, echoed off the cliffs behind her as the small calico molly spun around, sparkling eyes quickly tamed into demure respect as the to-be dipped her head low to their leader; though her feathery tail continued its frenzied waving.  After a moment, when the regal she-cat began to speak directly to the big blue-gray tom, Chirp lifted her eyes to watch, feeling an excited shiver shake her petite body.  Stoneteller knew they were coming, and didn't tell us?!  That's not fair!  Despite her sudden pout, grown even more by the annoying mention of how the clans had 'wronged' them in the past, the she-cat's exuberance lingered.  He's in that crowd somewhere, I know it!  He has to be!  Now, if only the adults would stop talking and...  It suddenly came to her attention that the Clans were actually in some sort of trouble, a fact which she had initially missed.  Her brown eyes widened to an even rounder shape; it must be something really bad, if they had been forced to travel all the way here just to find help...  

In the naiveity of her youth though, this odd circumstance only worked to pique Chirp's curiosity even more, and as Hawk led the group away into the cave she couldn't help but feel jelous of her older denmate.  "I wanted to talk to them...why does she get to?  She doesn't even like them..."  Grumbling, she settled to follow the clan cats back into the cave, ignoring Echo's call for prey-hunters.  There was no way she could concentrate on prey right now, she had took much to ask!  Plus, she needed to find her cousin...  As soon as she re-entered the cave though, one of the older cats called her name, setting her on duty to find more moss for the many new nests.  She let out a sad squeak of protest, but in the end she obeyed, dashing off back outside to hunt down her favorite moss-collecting spot with a sulky expression clouding her eyes.  I'll talk to them as soon as I get back...oh, I still can't believe this is happening!!  In her usual fashion, Chirp's mood swung back to it's normal joyful pep, as she skipped off across the stones.

"It is true that I have connections to my own ancestors, but I cannot guarantee you can reach your own. Nevertheless, I do not think it is wise to use your ancestors to settle your personal needs. I understand that it may be killing you inside to know if your tribemates have survived, but I do not like the idea of any-cats paws but my own and my to-be to enter those caves. It is sacred and must be treated as such, it is not to be tread with other cats that have sins on their paws." Stoneteller mewed coolly, her dual coloured eyes flicking to look at Daisyflame. She answered with a cool nod before turning to Pricklebush. "Your skills at diplomacy astound me, for you are still quite young. For that, you have my respect. Had it been up to the stars, you would be under my tutelage." She gave the prickly tom a softer nod before addressing him once more.

"I also understand that my to-be, Hawk, has reacted strongly to you and I have not let it slide. You may be certain that there is a suitable reprimand that will be given to her promptly, but there are many needs to be addressed to ensure you and your tribemates are settled in and comfortable." She dips her head before turning back to Jaystar, "You may settle yourselves in alongside the cave-guards and prey-hunters. While I understand you have come here to thank me, is there anything else you wish to discuss before we part ways?" Stoneteller asked, regarding them evenly, no longer showing Pricklebush any obvious favouritism.

Ferretpaw, weary with hunger and fatigue, was glad to see the leaders of each Clan and tribe meeting an agreement. She could not bear another battle, another war against forces that they could not control, another bloodbath. She had worked to help carry her Clanmates with her plentiful strength. The old apprentice knew they desperately needed it. It was not her place to speak for ThunderClan, but as she watched Pricklepaw tactfully engage with the strange tribe cats, she felt safe. Ferretpaw was not so sure she would be as calm and collected as he was. In amazement, still reeling from the odd mountains and long names and images of what she had seen, she sat down and licked her cracked and scabbing pads. Dumb rocks. I miss my den. It amused her that such childish thoughts were popping into her head while she had been fighting for her life just a day or so ago.

When Rain Drop of—well, of something, whatever it was, with those darned long names—asked for help building nests, she rose to her paws and approached her. "Not to worry," she said brightly, despite her ragged and sullen appearance, "It's the least I could do, since you've all been so hospitable." The short-statured tabby looked to her fellow ThunderClanners. "Any of you lot up to the job, or am I supposed to fill the role of every  queen in the nursery by my lonesome?" she joked lightly.

Lilytail's frown never left her face even when they had found shelter. She was worried for her kits. Where were they? Were they okay? The warriors gaze was clouded with anxious grief. She didn't even notice herself clawing the ground. She was a bad mother for losing sight of Creampaw and Softpaw. She had already lost two kits previously. She wouldn't survive if she lost two more.

As Ferretpaw offered to help build nests, Emberheart approached both her and the Tribe cat who had asked in the first place. "If we're going to be spending time in your home, then the least we can do is assist you where we can," she purred. "I will gladly lend my paws wherever you need them." In truth, she felt awkward being idle at all; even more so in a place like this where the Clan cats were only guests.
~
Swanpetal was silent, warily observing the Tribe cats while thinking of how she'd let the cats she cared for most leave her sight in the flood. Perhaps she hadn't had the power to protect them, but she wished she was with them still, wherever they were now. What had become of poor Wasppaw and Brookpaw? She had failed them as a mother by letting them be swept away without her to protect them. She had lost sight of her mate somewhere along the way as well... Looking around at her Clanmates, she frowned as she imagined her daughters among them. They weren't there, of course. They were somewhere even their mother couldn't reach them now.
~
Batpaw was watching the Tribe cats with entirely unveiled curiosity. They were different, which made them interesting, and anything interesting was something she could think about that wasn't the current situation of the Clans - or her being separated from her family. Temporarily, of course: they would be reunited soon enough. She refused to even briefly consider the possibility that they wouldn't.