A New Mission [Klaus]

It had been a few days since... That... And Atalante had been glad to stay in the forgotten order's camp for a bit and just lay low. The battle had shaken her up more than she wanted to admit, and she would be glad to not step foot anywhere near the marsh for the foreseeable future.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the camp as Atalante returned with Ana. Her sister had found more success hunting than she had, and Aatalante had been left grumbling about the heavy snow that blanketed the ground and the harsh wind that had seemed to change direction with every attempt at catching a squirrel she had made. At least she was back in camp now and would be able to rest, though the cold was seeping into even her thick pelt.

The sound of her father's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and Atalante jumped a little, evidently not having expected to be called on. "Dad...?" Atalante asked, padding over. "What did you need?"

Klaus lay in what passed for the Forgotten Order's "Medicine Den" covered in herbs and various bandages. His eye was completely covered with healing herbs underneath his eyepatch. His comrades had proven to be just as helpful with healing him as they had with fighting. When he saw Atalante come by, he called out to her. He always kept his good eye facing the entrance of the medicine den, just in case.

"Do you have a second? I'd like to talk to you about something... It's somewhat sensitive information. Have a seat in here if you have time."

His heartbeat quickened. Was he really about to tell someone this? Tell someone about Waterlily? Honestly it was better to get it out sooner rather than later. He'd inform Hyacinth and all of the Order soon, but he wanted someone to be in Thunderclan to watch over Waterlily and their new batch of siblings.

"I need someone I trust to do something very important to me... and Atalante... I trust you. I also have a confession to make that I hope you'll try your best to understand and not be too angry with me, but being angry is certainly your right." He looked down at his paws right then. He hoped she'd gentle with him, regardless of her feelings, but did he really deserve it? Not really, and he knew that.

Sensitive information? "Alright." Atalante padded into the den and sat, fluffy tail curling over her paws. Her father spoke once she did, and Atalante listened. He was being rather vague in the lead-up to whatever this was, and she'd admit to being curious and a little wary. Whatever it was, he was hiding it. For a good reason, she hoped, though right now it was anyone's guess as to why. Shifting potentially damaging to the order, maybe?

"What's this about?" She asked, eyeing her father. Whatever this was... She had a sneaking suspicion that she might not be overly thrilled by it.

Welp... here we go... He didn't want to hesitate too long, lest he back out of this at the last minute. It was a good idea to have someone keep an eye out for his other kits that he could trust and someone who could tell them truthfully where they had come from. He just needed to keep his nerve to tell someone. He didn't exactly have the best track record of being honest and things turn out okay.

"I want you to get into Thunderclan and act as a spy for me. In particular I want you to keep watch over a warrior there named Waterlily and her kits, when they are born. I want to know how Thunderclan is treating them, how they're progressing... when or if they find out that I'm their father and how they react..." He closed his one eye slowly, bowing his head, and bracing for whatever might be to come.

"I will tell your mother and the rest of the Order, I promise. I'd like to explain before you get too angry though." He lifted his head to look into her eyes now. "I knew Waterlily for awhile, before I knew your mother. I was in the twoleg place one day, I got caught in one of their traps and they put me inside a monster. Waterlily saw what happened and willingly got caught to come with me. They took us to another twoleg nest that was full of other cats in cages... uh... cages are basically shiny roots enclosed in an area and only twolegs can open them. They're designed to keep cats trapped inside them.

Anyway there was another cat there that told us we were going to be killed if we weren't taken home by twolegs to be kept as kittypets. I was an adult cat with scars... I didn't think I was going to get out alive and Waterlily was scared too. Twolegs seem to be very fond of kittens and are less likely to take adult cats home. We did eventually escape because our cage didn't close properly... but it was the night before we escaped that she became pregnant with your siblings.

I did it out of both fear for myself and a desire to comfort her in some way, since she had risked herself to try to help me and could possibly die now because of it. So I apologize... I didn't think I'd still be alive or I would have made different choices."

And now it was up to Atalante to decide on whether she hated him for it or not. He would accept whatever fire was about to be thrown his way, regardless.

Atalante listened quietly as Klaus spoke, her ears flicking back in first confusion, then dismay as his words sunk in. Being sent to Thunderclan? It meant she wouldn't be able to spend nearly as much time with her siblings or as much time exploring. She'd have to play the obedient warrior and make an attempt at fitting in with clan life. All to... Watch over some queen and her kits? And the story about finding themselves in twolegplace, in... Cages? Strange. She could only begin to guess at the terror the two must've felt. Just from Klaus' description, Atalante was glad that she generally avoided twolegplace and whatever foul things seemed to inhabit its' monster-lined thunderpaths.

He said he'd tell the order about Waterlily... "You better." She muttered under her breath, tail twitching in agitation. Apparently mom didn't know? Why? And why would Klaus be here, instead of with this Waterlily that he'd spend time with?

Klaus stopped speaking, and it was a moment before Atalante spoke, slowly going over his words.

"So Torn, and this... Waterlily? Expecting kits. Any other half-siblings I should know about?" Atalante asked warily. Her and her siblings had been a large litter, and she wasn't naïve. It worried her just a little, that maybe her father's attention was about to be split from them even more than it already was.

"Getting into Thunderclan might be a challenge, but I think I can manage." She said eventually. She wasn't exactly thrilled, but if this was what the order needed, she'd do it. That gray tom she'd met in the stony hollow hadn't exactly been welcoming, but she'd been stealing prey. And in the end he had listened to reason. Atalante wasn't quite as young and dumb as she'd been then, there would be no trespassing to steal prey if she wanted to get into Thunderclan properly. She'd need a different approach.

"What can you tell me about Thunderclan? I've been on their territory briefly, but nothing more than that, really." If she was going to infiltrate them, she needed all the information she could get.

There was resentment there... and she had every right to feel that way. She did however seem willing to take on the mission and for that he was grateful. He turned in his nest just a bit, then winced as pain shot through his body. He wasn't quite used to feeling this beat up again yet.

"There is Ashfall in Windclan. She is also your sister... and she is much older than you but younger than Tornshadow. Don't bother telling her who you are if you run into her. She doesn't like me and might attack if you're too honest." If there were others, he didn't know where they were. He'd hardly even talked with Yew before completely vanished. Ryesnap was supposedly dead, though he still had hope of finding his son some day.

"Thunderclan is known for their strength. They're difficult to keep pinned, even for me. You could learn some valuable lessons from them, if you are able to be accepted and they train you. Their leader is Minkstar and their deputy is Stoatfur. I've been through their territory before as well. It is right next door to Skyclan... so do not reveal who you are... and it's close to Shadowclan. I doubt any Shadowclan warriors would forget you and you can't avoid their patrols forever... or the gatherings every full moon.

You'll have to come up with a story about some sort of conflict you had with me. Tell them that you left and hope that they buy it." The more he thought about it, the worse of an idea that this sounded. Maybe he should send one of his other kits instead. "I understand if you decide not to go. I can find someone else."

Ashfall, Windclan. Probably wouldn't like her. Noted. She might be someone to keep an eye on, just in case. Atalante listened as Klaus continued, speaking of Thunderclan's strength's and who they bordered. "A Thunderclanner I met mentioned Skyclan and Riverclan stealing territory and seemed desperate for prey. It doesn't seem like they're very strong at the moment..." She mused, "Perhaps they'd welcome capable hunters or another cat willing to defend them? I might be able to work with that. If they're as desperate as he claimed, would they turn down an offer of help in exchange for shelter?" It was worth considering, though from her tone it was clear that Ata was still thinking.

Minkstar... Stoatfur. Strange names for strange cats, she supposed. If those were their leaders, she'd need to get to them. "What's with the clan cats' names, anyways?" She was unable to help her curiosity. Tornshadow had the same type of name, and it seemed like the cats her father had mentioned as leading Thunderclan did too. So very unlike the names of her family members. "I met a Riverclanner not long ago - Tinypaw. She seemed around my age but seemed rather pragmatic compared to others I've met." She added.

.... Right he probably should explain clan names. He paused for a moment after she mentioned running into a Riverclanner... yeah he should explain why to be wary of them too. "Clan names are odd, compared to rogue names... The mother typically names their kits after an attribute that the kit has or after their favorite thing or a fierce predator in the hopes that they embody such a creature. I was called Dawnkit when I was born, the Dawn part probably because of my gold fur, and the kit part because I was a kit. As a clan cat ages or reaches new statuses in their lives, their suffix changes but their prefix stays with them for life. When I was an apprentice I became Dawnpaw. -kit's are kittens, -paw's are apprentices and -star's are leaders, always. The warrior name is always unique to that individual, however, and generally captures either an achievement a warrior has done or reflects their personality. I received the name Dawnhawk because of the way I hunt. I sit in a tree, I wait until something is close and then I pounce on it, ideally. My leader also recognized my tenacity for getting the things that I want, as hawks do too."

It was a very simplified version of it, but it would do. He thought for a moment before he continued. "Your grandfather is the leader of Skyclan. He started as Bloodkit, became Bloodpaw, then Bloodstrike, probably because of how often he got into fighting and loved it. Now that he is leader and has nine lives, he is Bloodstar. Do you understand? Once he retires, he will go back to being Bloodstrike, or he will receive an elder name. Elder names are another matter entirely, and may or may not be the warrior's name at all." He shrugged. He didn't talk to many elders during his time in any of the clans he was part of.

"I want you to be careful around Riverclanners too. I am responsible for killing their last leader, Ivystar. She tried to drag me to Skyclan for an execution but she got executed instead. I don't imagine why Riverclan wouldn't know I did it." He left a clue after all... but if he learned anything about the clans it was that they could be jaw-droppingly stupid.

"That... Makes sense, I suppose." She mewed after Klaus had finished his explanation about the names. Their own names were simpler, though. Less of a mouthful.

"Dying nine times sounds just wonderful." And perfectly cruel, in Atalante's opinion. Klaus mentioned retiring... She couldn't imagine any cat living long enough for that. Elders? Wouldn't they just be a burden, even in spite of whatever service they'd given to their clan?

And... She needed to be careful around Riverclan, too. He'd killed their leader, because of course there would be something. "Right." Atalante muttered, "Recruiting might go a little better if you didn't make half the forest want to kill you, you know. Between what happened with Shadowclan and... that... I'm surprise more cats don't try and kill you on sight." Her tone was mildly reproachedful, but it wasn't her place to judge his past actions that had occurred before her birth. And Atalante hadn't known those cats, they weren't her concern.

Klaus narrowed his eye at her and stared for a moment, but he smiled a little bit shortly afterward. "A good number of my kills have been in self defense. Maybe they would die a lot less if they'd leave me alone. Besides, it's not loyal die hard members of the clans we're trying to recruit because there is no way that we can. It's the ones that have issues with their leaders or the clan itself that are ripe for the picking. They're not going to care who I have killed... or we, rather. I don't imagine that's the last of the killing that the Order will see." He spoke about it more casually than he would if he'd asked her how she slept last night. He had grown accustomed to taking life. Even his dreams that once would bother him on occasion had grown silent in his head, locked away along with the rest of any guilty conscience he may have had left.

"Well I have told you what you need to know. Just be careful. If anything looks or feels suspicious, don't take a chance, just come back here immediately."

Atalante's tail flicked as Klaus spoke, but she did nod in acceptance of his words. She wasn't... the most comfortable with the idea of killing others, though her father did have a point that self-defense made it justified, even if part of her wanted to disagree. And he was right, they weren't trying to recruit the fanatics.

"I'll be careful." She promised with a sigh. "When are you going to tell mom and the others? I guess I'll be leaving sooner rather than later?" She wanted to at least say goodbye to her siblings first, who knew how much time she'd get to see family while she was messing about Thunderclan to look after this she-cat and her expectant kits.