They said it wouldn't be done... [closed]

Mottlestar's head had been riddled with anxieties. With everything taking place, there was no wonder why the molly was stressed. Twolegs, in every inch of the forest. An earthquake which had ripped her Clan from their home, forcing them to shelter in their training grounds. Trespassing cats with no regard to the code, and all around a sense of chaos and frustration in every inch of the forest. She felt it. Not to mention, the fact that motherhood had struck yet again. At the very least her kits were growing, and if they weren't apprentices already, they'd be having their ceremonies very soon. There had been one order of business on her mind for some time, one that felt... overdue to say the least.

So there the small leader was, resting on the edge of Sunningrocks. That was one lesson she had learned quickly while a deputy to her mate: Ask for help when you need it. Thunderclan wasn't struggling, per-se, but to have someone have your back? It offered a security blanket. The molly could think of nobody better to then approach than the one leader she'd recognized since she had become deputy. It also just coincidentally happened to be their next-territory neighbor. Mottlestar still very much respected the fact that it was stones that belonged to Riverclan's side, so she didn't completely cross. Stars knew there were enough issues of that type. So she waited for a patrol to come by, to have some type of escort who would be able to allow her to seek the council and discussion with Perchstar.

It was tiring... all of it. Perchstar was doing her best to keep herself awake and present, knowledgeable about all that was happening near her Clan. She also had to sleep and eat; as annoying as it was to take care of herself, the alternative was worse, and she had promised Poppyshine and Stormdance that the regrettable life lost would not become a pattern. However, the more she learned and the more she did, the more frustrated she became. Everything seemed to be beyond her reach. It was all out of her paws. No matter how many rules she made, how much she tried to supervise and assist her Clanmates, one or two would be lost. They could not remove the traps from RiverClan's territory, as much of a scar as they were beneath snowdrifts and muddy puddles. They could not scare away or fight off or speak with the looming Twoleg threat. There were simply no options.

She was contemplating, as she usually did, when one of her warriors came to inform her that Mottlestar waited at the border. The news was surprising, but not unpleasant. Usually she would be wary of discussion with another Clan leader, given that they did not usually seek each other out for pleasantries or friendly conversation. However, the leader of ThunderClan was... a different case. Though she still missed Minnowfin, Perchstar had respect for Mottlestar. The few interactions she'd had with the tortoiseshell had reminded her of Poppyshine, with whom she had always gotten along, which was one of the best implications of character that she could think of. Hopefully Mottlestar felt similarly about her, and had not come to inform her of some misdemeanor by her Clanmates or some other demand. It did not seem likely. However, she kept the possibility in mind.

Sure enough, Mottlestar waited on her end of Sunningrocks, thankfully respecting the boundary that had been won with bloodshed so many times. As she approached, Perchstar dipped her head in a show of esteem. "Greetings, Mottlestar. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She stepped up to the middle of Sunningrocks and sat there, leaving a healthy distance between them, but close enough that conversation would not be difficult. Stone felt warm from the bare winter sun beneath her pads. "I hope that your Clan is doing well as possible during these times."

It was to a particular sensation of glee to the leader that the first cat she would end up coming across would be the very silver-and-while molly she was hoping to see. For just a moment, Mottlestar's chest tightened at the sight of such a fur pattern, recalling Minnowfin. She remembered the days of seeing the two of them on the Great Rock at gatherings, and listening to the apprentices whispering on how to tell the two apart. It was certainly an easy enough task once you'd known them beyond their pelts, but it was still a trait that had her always thinking of him. She missed him greatly. Seeing him all around Thunderclan hurt, but it was a pain that had dulled to an ache with time.

Dipping her head back to the Riverclan leader as her own sign of respect, the smaller molly made sure her posture remained kind. It was her typical demeanor, but there was no ill intentions that the she-cat had in regards to this meeting. Nothing of ill will had happened between their Clans, at least to her knowledge, so there was absolutely no need to approach with hostility. Especially when her main goal was to seek an alliance with Perchstar. "Good afternoon, Perchstar. I was hoping to speak with you." Even from where she stayed, the tortoiseshell could feel the warmth of Sunningrocks radiating towards her. Being of her smaller size and mainly black pelt meant that the heat practically was soaked up by the molly, and she was rather thankful for it given her otherwise short fur.

"I wish I could say that we have, but we both know that the Forest has been shaken more than we would like by the recent two-leg invasions. We're finally back from staying in our training grounds to actually being able to stay in camp, at least. But otherwise, we've been well. I hope Riverclan is faring better?" She prompted. It wasn't like her to show such vulnerability typically, but it was all with her end goal in mind. An alliance. Thunderclan had survived as long as they had on their own, but it was best when they had friends at their side. Pleasantries also were something Mottlestar liked to keep to a minimum. Time was precious, especially for a leader who was constantly being pulled in thousands of directions all at once. "Friendly banter aside, I come to speak to you about the potential for an alliance between our Clans. We've seemed to have gotten along in recent times, and with the current state of the forest, I feel we are at a place where having allies would be rather favorable. I could think of no better clan to approach first."

How was it that by simply sitting, Mottlestar was able to exude such an air of friendliness and warmth? It seemed like an almost foreign concept to Perchstar, whose only way of professional communication was through neutrality. Still, she found herself feeling more at ease when opposite the other leader, which was a strange but not unwelcome sensation. Especially with everything that had been happening for the past few moons. Stars knew she could certainly use a friend. Hearing that Mottlestar had been hoping to speak with her was not the answer she had been expecting, but it was a welcome surprise. "RiverClan fares... about as well," Perchstar admitted. Normally she would not be so candid around a leader of another Clan, but she felt like Mottlestar was worthy of at least that much trust. "Many of our warriors were taken. Our camp has mostly been rebuilt, but... it feels empty."

She met Mottlestar's eyes as the tortoiseshell switched to another topic of conversation, light blue gaze trained on hers with as much focus as she could muster. Her ear flicked at the word "alliance." An... alliance. RiverClan had once had good relations with other Clans, but since the death of Ivystar, most of the forest had been painfully neutral. Perchstar had convinced herself that RiverClan would be all right on their own. But when Minnowfin had been leader, she had allowed herself to think for a moment that it might be nice to work together on some things. Then Mottlestar had become leader... but the shaking of the earth, and the Twolegs.... Still. Though she had not had the time to think of the idea for longer than she would have liked, the old thoughts she'd once entertained began to stir in her again. What if not every border needed to be patrolled with the possibility of hostility? What if, in the event of an emergency, there was someone outside her Clan that she could turn to? Though there were many reasons to be cautious, something about the gleam of gold in Mottlestar's eyes caught Perchstar off her guard.

"I... would be amenable to such an idea." Even now, she found herself using stilted and polite language, though it might have been a better idea to speak plainly about such a generous offer. Practice became permanent and the surprise made her unable to drop the neutrality. However, the tension in her shoulders did relax. "I know that our Clans have had tension in the past, but after the passings of Stoatstar and Jaystar, I can see no reason why any kind of bad blood should continue. And I would admit that I find myself drawn to you, and to ThunderClan." It was an odd way to say that her heart wanted her to trust the she-cat. But hopefully, it made sense. "Are there any specifics that you have in mind? Even the promise of friendship across one of our borders would take a great deal of weight off of my shoulders."

Anxieties that had unknowingly worked to significantly constrict the tortoiseshell's chest were released the moment that Perchstar indicated that she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of the alliance. The physical representation of those emotions had worked into a stiffness of her shoulders, that released just slightly and allowed her to stand much more comfortably across the silver and white molly. They both shared similar pressures, weights, unforgivable amounts of stress that could easily pin any other cat down to the point of collapse. It was no wonder that Mottlestar herself found great agreement in the statement that even just having one friendship solidified would be a massive anxiety quelled. A small smile flicked wider on her maw at the mentioning of Perchstar also having a vastly different perception of her than their predecessors, and it was a mutual feeling, no doubt.

"Of all our neighbors, I find Riverclan the most approachable. Certainly a sign that times can change from Jaystar and Stoatstar, right?" Stoatstar. That was a name that constricted her chest. His leaving still bothered her deeply, but it was something she would never find resolution from. "The only specifics that come to my mind are those that usually follow an alliance. Should either of our Clans have to unfortunately go to war with another, I'd like for us to be able to approach each other to help as allies. I'm amenable to the idea of sharing herbs as needed among our medicine cats, at their discretions." Resources were something that could be so fickle so easily, but the medicine cats themselves believed in helping others first. Who would she be to stop them from such a thing?

Mottlestar considered her words for a few moments more, before continuing. "For our Clans as a sign of trust, I'm not saying for each cat to have free roam of our territories. However, should a Riverclan cat cross to Thunderclan's territory, or vice-versa, I would like to propose that our Clans follow civil discussion before any hostility or fights. I see no reason either of our Clans would blatantly tresspass, so if they should find themselves in the territory of the other clan, there should be reason for it, no?" The tortoiseshell herself could immediately bring up several occasions where wayward apprentices found themselves just a bit too close to the rocks, crossing over the border, and getting themselves in trouble. It was a similar situation she had seen from Riverclan, and it was one that she would want to avoid. Border fights were useless when there could be civility exchanged. "If it's discussed to be an accidental crossing, for example, the offender gets a warning and must leave immediately. Repeat offenses will naturally be punished out of respect for the other Clan, however." Mottlestar further clarified, as she wasn't simply expecting either clan to allow the other free rein.

"I am certainly open to any ideas or specifics you have in mind as well, should you have any. I want this to be an alliance to benefit both of our Clans."