Playing With Fire [Wolfstar]

Dawnhawk had allowed a few days after the sibling squabble incident to pass for things to cool down a bit. He tried to not make it look any different from any other day. He made his rounds at his usual times as the sun crept over the horizon. This day was going to be different, however. He hadn't had a chance to track down Iniko, but if he wanted this plan of his to run smoothly, then he needed to strike while the iron was still fairly hot. Dawnhawk had climbed into a tree just on the edges of the camp and waited to see Wolfstar stir from the leader's den. Once the dark tom had awoken for the day and made his way out of camp, Dawnhawk silently followed him across tree tops. He was sure to keep himself in the sun, especially since none of these trees had any cover left from both the approaching leaf-bare as well as the fire during greenleaf. Asylum cats in various skins followed Wolfstar where ever he went. Some were obvious, while others kept to the bit of cover on the ground.

Once Wolfstar had made his way a fair distance from camp, Dawnhawk made his move. Far less silent than he had been, Dawnhawk made his descent from the tree tops toward Wolfstar. The pale tom said nothing on the way down, carefully jumping from branch to branch that he knew to be fairly stable. He did however, fix the dark tabby in his blue eyes a few times to send the silent message: I want to talk to you. Once Dawnhawk had placed both feet firmly on the dirt several fox-lengths away from Wolfstar he took in a deep breath of the frigid air.

"Sorry about the other day." He began softly. He carried himself proudly and strongly as he had seen Bloodstrike do dozens of times before. He remembered thinking how strong it looked and hoped that it would put Wolfstar on an equal mental ground with him. In truth, Dawnhawk was nervous. Bloodstrike, Smokefeather and Wolfstar were the only cats in the clan to make Dawnhawk feel less than confident, but at least he was a decent liar and could hide it for now. "I'd like to have a few minutes of your time, if you wouldn't mind."

It had been a while now since Wolfstar's lone wanderings were... well, truly alone, but he'd grown accustomed to the strange, pelt-wearing cats that seemed to be everywhere he looked. He paid them little mind this morning - he wasn't hunting, just walking, and sort of hoping he'd meet a patrol on the ThunderClan border, so he could find out something, anything, even some small, tidbit of information about what was going on in the other clans. He ignored Dawnhawk's glances, pretending not to notice the message within them. But his grandson wouldn't let him simply disregard his plans, it seemed, and the noise of him descending from the tree made the leader hesitate, looking over his shoulder.

He stood calmly, relaxed, as Dawnhawk approached, and though on the inside his heart still screamed for revenge every time he saw his grandson's pelt, his brain was in control enough not to let him show it. "Oh, are we back to asking permission now?" He asked, though amusement rather than contempt colored his tone. He studied the other tom, noting how he was standing the same way his father did, though on Bloodstrike it had never looked forced. Wolfstar nodded. "Come on, then. Walk with me. I'll listen."

Dawnhawk was sure of one thing right away: He definitely preferred working with the dumber cats that he had grown accustomed to. Most cats were simple and far too honest, which made them fairly easy to manipulate and predict. Wolfstar was not one of those simple-minded, honest and honorable fools. This made him one of the most dangerous cats in the entire forest and an adversary that Dawnhawk loathed to have. He approached his grandfather with confidence, but he was ready to spring away at the drop of a leaf. Dawnhawk offered a small smile and studied Wolfstar's body language just as the older tom had studied his. He honestly seemed purely relaxed and unfazed by the presence of the Asylum cats around him. This put Dawnhawk in a position he wasn't sure that he was ready for. He didn't like the calmness. He wasn't used to it. It was usually him who was the calm, collected one in total control of any situation... but this time...

"I generally speak to my leaders with respect," Dawnhawk said smoothly as if absolutely none of the Asylum cats being here was his fault. He fell in step beside Wolfstar and even flicked his tail to wave his guards further away from the both of them. He too would put on a merry face and act as if everything was fine, if Wolfstar wanted to play the game this way.

"You have not officially exiled me from Skyclan, therefore, I am still one of your warriors. I just happen to extend my authority over more cats than you do. Rest assured that now that I have a much higher rank within the Asylum, the mindlessly violent incident that we were unfortunately greeted with in the beginning will not happen again or I will execute the fool who dares overstep their boundaries. You are invited to watch if you want proof." Dawnhawk was treading on dangerous ground, he knew. If he didn't crack that calm demeanor or at least rattle it, then he would not be the negotiator that he was used to being. He had allowed a moment to pass between the two, and Dawnhawk watched his grandfather very closely out of the corner of his eye.

"My clan will not be harmed." He let that linger in the air awhile as well before he moved on. "As the bridges between Skyclan and the Asylum, I would like to propose that we have an agreement to work together. I want the Asylum to move on to new lands but I will not be able to order them away until Skyclan proves to be compliant. My rank is high, but I still have other superiors to answer to and my paws are bound until they say otherwise. Skyclan wants them gone as quickly as possible. Violence isn't an option, so the fastest way that we both get what we both want is to work together. I'm willing to do that, but are you?"

Dawnhawk wasn't beating around the bush this time. He wasn't sure it would work on Wolfstar as easily as it did on other cats. He hoped that his siblings' display the other day had shown Wolfstar enough that Dawnhawk was able to divide the clan and turn them against each other. If Wolfstar wasn't interested in civil war within Skyclan, this was his best option. If Wolfstar complied, then the rest of the clan would soon follow suit.

We're about to find out who plays this game better, old man. Dawnhawk thought in his head, but he certainly wouldn't say it out loud.

There were few things that Wolfstar was expert in. Yes, he was a fair hunter, and an okay fighter, when the situation called for it, but he was now, and always had been, a professional in display (or lack thereof) of his emotions. His cool-headed, stoic demeanor was a sort of signature, and sharp professionalism in almost every situation had become a calling card for the young leader long before he wore the -star at the end of his name. Wolfstar had always preferred words to claws, and if he had to guess, it was for that reason - perhaps not solely, but on the forefront - that his father had named him deputy.

There were times, like now, where Wolfstar thought that his father had hardly known him at all. Or, maybe he hardly knew himself. Because the simmering rage that he'd felt upon initially learning about Dawnhawk's betrayal had not gone away with time. Even after he'd cleared his head, learned that Bloodstrike had been the only one truly wounded during the takeover, it hadn't gone away. It dwindled, at times, and he could almost forget about it when he was curled with his mate in the late hours of the night. But every time he opened his eyes, realized he was sleeping in the Warriors' den rather than his own, every time he caught the glimpse of a pelt-laden feline at the corner of his vision while he was on a hunt, every time he heard Dawnhawk's voice, colored with false authority, it returned: a thirst for justice, for vengeance, for blood. And he couldn't forget, even for a second, that it was his blood that ran through this traitor's veins.

Where did we go wrong with you? he asked himself. Smokefeather was a wonderful mother, Bloodstrike a serious but loving father. His own grandmother, Blossomstep, had been an excellent mentor for the young golden tom. Where did we fail?

When his speech had finished, Wolfstar met Dawnhawk's gaze with a level stare. "Mindless violence has never been something I enjoy," he replied finally. "I know your father is difficult, sometimes, but he is loyal, and he is fierce, and he is brave."

Everything you are not.

"That's why I made him my deputy," he continued. "Not only because he is my son, though, yes, there is some margin of pride at the thought of him carrying on this legacy once I am gone. But because I know, in my heart, that if there is any cat that can bring honor and glory to SkyClan once I am gone, it is Bloodstrike." Wolfstar shook his head, an amused exhalation frosting and then dissipating in the air between them. "I pity the enemies that have to face him once StarClan grants him nine lives."

The leader stopped walking, then, and he half-turned to face Dawnhawk. A quick glance confirmed that the guards were well enough away. I could kill you now, before they reached us. It would be easy. His claws unsheathed, the tip of his tail twitched, he stared, unblinkingly, at his grandson.

And then he sat.

"Your father is difficult, Dawnhawk, but he is my son. You have no children, so I'm sure it's difficult for you to imagine, but he is my first born son, my dearest friend, and it pains me beyond what you can comprehend that I don't have proof of his safety." Wolfstar flattened one ear, his eyes half-closing. "My initial reaction to the Asylum's presence here was muddied by my worry for your father. It still is. But thus far, there has been no more blood spilled. And the presence of the extra cats has only made SkyClan's territory more secure."

He paused to let those words sink in, and then shook his head slowly. "I do not desire violence of any sort. I never have. And if the presence of the Asylum here ensures that, I have no reason to reject them... but I need to see my son. I need him returned to SkyClan."

"You could not imagine how difficult Bloodstrike is. How well do you think you know him, Wolfstar? He has plotted things behind your back that I think would probably more than just disturb you, and I only know about it because he asked me to help him do it." A small half smile tugged up the corner of Dawnhawk's mouth, but only just. "He didn't know about my involvement with the Asylum so to speak, but he did know who I was and maybe even the possibility of who I could become, which is why he trusted me with his own... rebellions? I suppose you could call them that." Dawnhawk noted the tension in Wolfstar's paws and allowed his own claws to unsheathe into the dirt. Once the dark tom had sat, Dawnhawk also sat and wrapped his tail around his paws. He gave off the image that he was relaxed, but he was ready to roll out of the way of any attack Wolfstar might make on him.

"I am only telling you this now because apparently everyone has put Bloodstrike on some sort of imagined pedestal that he doesn't belong on and quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. Scorn me, the traitor who everyone just assumes had a perfect upbringing and happy child hood with absolutely no real reason to do this to my family and clan. Sure... just believe that. It's so much easier for you all." There were many layers to his statement, but none of which he cared to get into right now. Wolfstar wanted to know more about Bloodstrike, fine. He'd tell him the little bit that he was able to. As for Dawnhawk not having children... he stared at the ground for a moment to contemplate that. He technically did, though he didn't think they had drawn first breath yet. But stars be cursed if he was about to tell Wolfstar of his offspring.

He finally looked back up at him and his eyes had softened considerably. With a deep breath he thought very carefully about what he was about to say.

"Bloodstrike is alive but he isn't ready to come back to Skyclan Camp. I don't know when he will be." If ever... Bloodstrike had become the mindless violence that Wolfstar said he hated. Dawnhawk didn't like it either. Mindless violence couldn't be reasoned with nor manipulated. Maybe Bloodstrike knew that. Maybe he had literally gone crazy from being in the dark for so long. The only way they kept him safe to be around was to keep him under heavy sleep... and even then sometimes he woke violently. Dawnhawk opened his mouth to explain more, but no sound came out. What could he say to that? Nothing. Nothing that would help him keep Skyclan under his control.

The words that followed Wolfstar's request made the leader's mouth go dry, his ears flicking back at the uncertainty that Dawnhawk's statement teased. Did he really not know Bloodstrike, the same way he was just regretting his own father didn't know him? And what supposed rebellion did his son trust Dawnhawk with over him? He thought back to how Bloodstrike had been struggling while they lived with RiverClan, how he'd tried, so hard, to bring him out of the depression he'd sunk into. Wolfstar thought he'd succeeded. Had he truly been so blind?

A moment of genuine indecision made Wolfstar's stoic expression falter, and his eyes dropped, tracing the ground in sharp, rapid lines. He swallowed hard, forcing his gaze back up, hard glittering orbs on Dawnhawk's face. "Tell me, then," he said quietly. "If he's gone behind my back... if I shouldn't trust him... well in that case he's not a good fit for deputy. And I'll need to find another. One I can trust... who'll tell me everything from here on out..." Wolfstar rose, turning away from Dawnhawk but not leaving the scene. He stood there, tail lashing anxiously. "Dawnhawk, if I cannot trust my deputy, my own son, who can I?"

There it was. Wolfstar's stoic expression cracked and Dawnhawk had won this game. He had gotten the upperhand and he wasn't about to let it go to waste. "Well I actually talked him out of doing something stupid that he would surely regret. I kept the peace. Ironic isn't it? You know your deputy about as well as you know me." Dawnhawk got up to follow after Wolfstar, not allowing him to retreat from this. "Bloodstrike's intentions were good, I think. Still... his actions that he wanted to take weren't ones you would have ordered. After you got your nine lives, he wanted to go find Spottedstar... or Spottedleap he told me. If he's bringing me but not saying anything to you about it... I'm sure you can fill in the blanks." Dawnhawk signaled for the guards to approach and be closer once more, not trusting the dark tabby's reaction now that he had lost his mask of strong indifference.

"I actually liked Spottedstar. I'm probably one of the few who did. He treated me as if I was actually worth something... Blossomstep too. That's certainly more than I can say for my sister and my mother." There was some bitterness there, but he shrugged off his negative feelings and refocused on what he needed to say. "Maybe that's why I talked Bloodstrike out of trying to hunt him down. I'm not going to say Spottedstar was necessarily a great clan leader and Bloodstrike dreaded the possibility of him coming back to take over the clan once more, but there was a time where he was all I had and I won't ever forget it. Anyway... that's the only thing Bloodstrike did that I know of. So what would the punishment for that be? Hunting down someone who abandoned his clan in the dead of night without even so much as an explanation why. What is the punishment for killing a member of your family... but they're not part of the clan anymore?"

Dawnhawk didn't necessarily need an answer. He put Wolfstar where he wanted... which was hurt, confused, angry... and maybe no longer trusting of a good portion of his clanmates. The weaker he became, the more like Spottedstar he became... the more control Dawnhawk had over everyone else.

"If you want to officially name a new deputy, I have taken over Bloodstrike's responsibilities quite well. I'm not my father, but is that such a bad thing, now that you know what you know? I actively go out and interact with my clan. I fill in the gaps for the sub-par education that some of your warriors give to their apprentices. I am determined to make Skyclan strong, regardless of how much they despise me. Maybe this is something to consider."

There was a moment in time where the two toms just stared at each other, blue eyes on amber-gold. Wolfstar had noticed the guards move in closer, but he paid them no mind. They were just wraiths now, ever-present shadows at the edge of his vision. They didn't mean anything to him.

"How could I have been so blind?" he asked, spitting angrily. "My own son, my deputy, plotting to kill my father, his grandfather, behind my back? Spottedstar was flawed, he was imperfect, but we all are, aren't we? Otherwise..." Wolfstar shook his head, cutting himself off. "I wish you'd worked with me to bring them..." he said quietly. "Then, perhaps, it could have been gentler for them..."

The leader lashed his tail, pacing in a short line back and forth. "But I think, with time... they'll accept it, if we... if we help. A push in the right direction... Dawnhawk, I want what's best for SkyClan. I always have. And I think what's best for SkyClan now, is to move on." He paused in his pacing, long enough to meet his grandson's gaze once more. "No more bloodshed?"

Dawnhawk watched Wolfstar very carefully for any sign of deceit. The pacing and lashing of a tail could easily be faked. All of this could be an act. He listened to the leader of Skyclan speak... and it seemed genuine.

"I wish you'd worked with me to bring them..." Wolfstar said. Dawnhawk's fur bristled, though not out of anger. "Then, perhaps, it could have been gentler for them..." Was he talking about Asylum? Dawnhawk stared intently at the dark tabby, unsure of what was going on. He hated dealing with smarter cats... just when he thought he had Wolfstar where he wanted... he couldn't tell if the tom was falling further in line or if he was sneakily wiggling away from Dawnhawk's mental claw on his throat.

Then Wolfstar kept speaking... What in the name of Starclan is going on? What are you trying to do Wolfstar? It frustrated him that he couldn't quite pin down what the older tom was intending to do. Did Dawnhawk dare believe his own success? Not yet. Something else was afoot here.

"I didn't have the authority to tell most Asylum cats what to do... nor was I trusted enough to sway the leaders. It wouldn't have mattered, nor did I trust you to calmly surrender and not prepare for what was to come. I'm sorry it turned out the way that it did." At least that much was the most honest he'd been in quite awhile.

"No more bloodshed, if it can be helped. I would prefer it."