Planning for War [c]

Lilacstar waited until the gathering disbanded, waiting on the rock. She had given Dayspring the instruction to lead WindClan back to camp with the promise that she would follow momentarily. As of right now, though, she had an important matter to take care of.

Once she was sure that the clearing was empty, she approached the remaining cat, Ivystar. "Thank you for staying to hear me out, Ivystar. There were ears that what I have to say are not meant for. But I can guarantee you, I would not ask for your help if it was not absolutely necessary. The cat SkyClan has been looking for, Dawnhawk, he disguised himself and got into my Clan. And he has started a family. SkyClan is going to come, and they will kill them. I am going to have Dawnhawk leave, but those kits are WindClan. I cannot force them out for something their father has done. They are innocent cats, Ivystar. I am begging you, this is not something I can do on my own. Please."

Much like Lilacstar, Ivystar had told Loonwhisper to lead the Clan home after SkyClan left the clearing, and she waited alongside the WindClan leader until the clearing was completely empty, and the pair of she-cats sat waiting atop the rock. She dipped her head respectfully in response to Lilacstar's thanks, not uttering a word as she listened intently to what the she-cat had to say. She kept her expression blank the best she could as she listened, absorbing Lilacstar's words and nodding once she finished. A moment was spent in complete, awkward silence as Ivystar simply looked the she-cat up and down before she finally parted her maw and meowed, "I understand." She said simply, nodding her head and lowering her gaze in thought.

Curling her tail around her paws, Ivystar looked back up to Lilacstar. "Though I'm sure there were many faults in the handling of the situation with this tom, I can see very clearly that you got more than you bargained for in accepting him through good faith alone. Let that be a lesson to you- not everything and everyone are always as they seem. Though I'm unsure of Dawnhawk's exact crimes, from what I understand through SkyClan's warning, they were heinous. I refuse to provide protection to any such tom, so you best make good on your promise to make him leave if you wish to receive any sort of assistance from RiverClan." Whiskers twitching every now and then, Ivystar's emerald gaze was locked on the she-cat, an attempt to read any emotions or reactions that came from the she-cat. Her voice held an almost condescending tone, but that wasn't unusual for the lithe grey leader. Clearing her throat slightly, she spoke up again, "I do find it absolutely horrendous that SkyClan would attack the innocent kits of a tom they hold a petty grudge against. They've done nothing to incur anyone's wrath, and a kit cannot be blamed for the actions of his father. I agree with you on that, if nothing else." Standing up, Ivystar turned around and faced the ring of trees surrounding them for a moment, eyes catching the dance of the fireflies nearby.

Slowly, she turned back around to face Lilacstar, a serious expression on her features. "I do have a favor to ask of you in return, however." Tail swishing back and forth, Ivystar stood at her full height across the rock from the other she-cat. "As I vaguely mentioned in my report, RiverClan has been dealing with a... Problem. Twolegs have invaded our territory. They cover the entire river, and patrol the territory throughout the day. They carry dangerous sticks that could kill a cat in an instant. They've been killing all of our prey and catching all of our fish. The scales on the fish, though? They've all got dogs, and lots of them. We've got hardly enough prey to feed our elders and kits every day, let alone for our growing apprentices and warriors." Maintaining eye contact, Ivystar let a note of sincerity become evident in her voice. "In return for aiding you in whatever trouble SkyClan may cause, I ask that you temporarily allow my warriors to hunt on parts of the moors, just until the river runs clear of twolegs and we can adequately feed our Clan. If you feel that is a fair bargain, then I believe we have a deal." At this point, Ivystar's emerald eyes were locked on Lilacstar, searching for any semblance of a reaction to what she'd proposed.