Not so Hostile Invasion

Her ears swiveled to catch alarming words. "Morningstar, once known to the forest as Dawnhawk." The Dawnhawk. She thought her brain might just boil over and spill onto her paws. All of those awful stories about the monstrous Dawnhawk and she was looking right at him, unable to lay a paw on his dumb face. Her claws considered their options. I could do it. I want to I really do. Maybe I can. Maybe-

The black cat's death stare was broken by her sister's presence. A welcome distraction, since she feared she might do something regretful if she glared any longer. It seems some of her siblings hadn't been told what had happened at the gathering. She'd have to be the first then. Comfreypaw had begun to cool off the more she focused on her sister, but her words were still tense with anger, "Yes, at the gathering. He's the one who brought the ghosts here and killed Starclan. He's wretched I tell you! Pure rat guts. And he was talking to Mama.." she paused to curl her fluffy tail around Fawnpaw's. She softly continued, her voice suddenly tight, "He is- was, Waterlily's mate. Our.. father." The molly practically had to spit the words out. She was the daughter of such a killer, of a psycho. It was a chilling thought that Comfreypaw simply refused to think about any further.

Then the crow-dung in question began to speak. The apprentice was almost surprised at how much she wanted to hiss at his meowing. The ghost begun with once again claiming he wanted to "just talk." She listened to him list off his countless aliases. What a disgusting criminal. Comfreypaw wasn't keen on answering his request, but as her siblings began to wander closer she felt compelled to follow. Instead of giving her name, she lingered on those last words of his. "I can't die." For once, she might have felt more scared than angry. Though Stoatstar's arrival helped her feel a bit safer. Maybe he'll make Morningstar leave, she hoped.

Waterlily had simply gone out to hunt.  Well, less like a hunt and more like a walk to clear her head, but if anyone in the clan asked it was a hunt.  Simply being around the clan right now made her feel guilty.  She deserved it though.  She deserved the side glances from the kits that knew, and she deserved the pain of looking at the innocent look of the kits that did not.  She needed to tell them, she knew that, she just did not know how.  She was ashamed to admit that even looking at her kits made her sorrowful, for they all had traits like their father.

She enjoyed walking around, especially with the days starting to get warmer.  After a little while she decided to head back to camp.  When she got there, a look of shock immediately formed across her face.  She stared into the bright eyes of the one who betrayed her.  Much of Thunderclan was listening and looking at him, even her kits.  Anyone in the clan who did not yet know, they must have known now based on the reactions she saw.

Her eyes went to her kits.  She swallowed.  Forcing her legs forward, she approached Klaus.  There were still a few fox lengths between them when she stopped.  Her breaths were shallow and quick.  She prevented herself from shaking, even though she felt like she could.  She looked around the clan, but did not dare meet eyes with any of the other cats.  "What's happening?" She exclaimed, speaking to no one in particular.

Specklepaw was at his side as quickly as he could be, rattling off praises and questions of awe to the ghoulish tom before them. Daypaw hissed softly, gently shouldering his brother, but Morningstar was already speaking before he could issue any sort of correction. The apprentice shivered, taking a step backwards, closer to Mottlerose who had stepped up to join them. "I'm Daypaw." He answered simply, and the conversation quickly grew beyond his little utterance. A tail tapped his hip, and Daypaw looked up to see his mentor had made an appearance, standing square and sharp in front of the intruder. Nothing bad will happen if Stoatstar is here, he quietly assured himself. It can't.

A flash of dark fur returning to camp caught his attention, and the tom clumsily split from the group, stumbling to Waterlily's side. He nearly crashed into her, tripping over himself in his haste to press his full weight against her side. The breath that rattled through her was sharp and nervous, but she didn't shake, so the tom made an effort to steel his limbs. Still, he trembled though, and his ears flattened at how visibly frightened he was. Twisting his tail with his mother's, Daypaw whispered, "He just... showed up, mom. He said he wanted to talk to us. You, and– and our family." His own mew quivered where Waterlily's did not, and he leaned closer to her, as if the soft coat of his mother would shield him from her former mate.

A lot had happened quickly, though none of it was unwelcome. Stoatstar approached, curiously calm... Morningstar regarded him for a moment with searching eyes. When Waterlily stepped into view, however, he was content to give his busy brain a rest for the moment.

"I am here to speak with Waterlily and my kits for awhile and then I will go. Stoatstar, I wanted to speak to directly as well. I can tell by looking at Thunderclan that this leaf-bare has treated you most unkindly, and I have an interest in seeing Thunderclan fare better than this." There was no accusatory tone as he spoke, just a simple stating of facts. Focusing entirely on Stoatstar for now, he offered a small smile.

"As the new leader of Skyclan, I revoke Skyclan's claim on the Fallen Oak and I surrender it peacefully to Thunderclan. May this new territory offer better hunting and may Thunderclan suffer no longer." He spoke loud enough for the entire clan to hear. His eyes then went to Waterlily. "Waterlily, I'd like to talk with you away from everyone else at some point. It doesn't have to be now, but soon." He hoped that the easier hunting would calm a lot of her hard feelings toward him, as well as from their kits. He'd be patient where needed, but he wasn't going to be as sot as he had been in the past either.

He then waited for responses from everyone, curious to see how Stoatstar as well as the others would react.

He listened, to the mutterings of his clanmates and then louder, the voice of Dawnhawk. It was so ingrained in his head, the clan name of this beast. To call him Morningstar felt like soured freshkill across the tom's tongue but he had to force himself that was the proper name right now - especially now that the late tom referenced his position as the self-proclaimed leader of Skyclan. As he remembered the way in which Bloodstar was brutally murdered, he wanted to snarl. But Stoatstar's maw was neutral, not betraying these many things circling around in his head.

"Thunderclan thanks you for your generosity, Morningstar. I'm sure with newleaf on it's way and more territory, our clan will thrive." He dipped his head respectfully, wishing he could curl his lip in disdain and deny this gift. But the clan would be felt. Sitting underneath the grip of the Dark Forest help them in some ways, he could not deny that. "I don't mind if you see them but it is up to the kits and Waterlily as they're all busy training for warriorhood. I'd also prefer it be closer to the border. Clan walls get a little stuffy, don't you agree?" His head tilted slightly and there were hints of a warm smile at the edges of his maw. What a painful thing it was to stand before Dawnhawk and exchange pleasantries.

Fawnpaw stayed quiet for a moment, feeling Comfreypaw's tail curl around her's. She'd simply offer a silent nudge of the head to her sister, continuing to listen. My father. Our father.  That was him?! The one standing in front of them now, all of her siblings and.. herself, she truly carried his blood? Now she knew. She was a daughter of a murderer— the one who's caused this all to happen. And they couldn't defeat him either, he said he... couldn't die. How was that possible?

However, there was a temporary sense of relief as Stoatstar approached the crowd. Soon came her mother, too. And Stoatstar.. his words were oddly pleasant, casual, almost... but something was off, she knew. There's got to be a reason that he's so casual with a murderer. Fawnpaw looked around, eyes scanning for Dovefrost, but— he didn't seem to be there just yet. Each, one by one, her siblings began to introduce themselves, though just by name. "I'm Fawnpaw." She'd follow along, her voice firm.

Then, there was something else unexpected. Morningstar... handed back the Fallen Oak to them? Just— Just like that? Nothing else? Stoatstar was formal, accepting of it... but something felt so wrong. She should've been to the Gathering sooner. If only.

Waterlily saw Daypaw coming towards her.  She felt bad for how he stumbled as he came closer.  She felt his tail twine with her own.  He leaned into her, and she gently rested her head on his in an attempt to be comforting.  She could feel his shaking, another wave of worse than normal guilt flew over her.  "It's okay, Daypaw," She said as calmly as possible to try to comfort him.  "He won't hurt us, don't worry."  She was not sure she believed her own words.

Waterlily tensed when Morningstar talked to her, but quickly tried to relax because Daypaw was at her side.  "I don't ever want to talk to you again.  Why can't you leave us alone?"  Her tone was sharp.  She did not care what happened to her at this point and if he did not kill her yet, maybe he wouldn't.

But within a second her thoughts completely changed.  She thought of her clan and if somehow she could help them.  She thought of her kits and how much they still did not know.  And... and how much they probably hated her now.

She walked forward, away from Daypaw.  "I'm sorry," She whispered to him, and then continued forward till she reached close to Morningstar.  "If I go talk to you will you leave?"  She whispered, her voice quiet.  She did not dare to let her voice shake or let him see weakness... the only emotion she allowed him to see was rage.

OOC: I'm so sorry for how long it took me to post!!!