Fancy meeting you here (closed)

Ingrained in his most recent solo hunt, Sablestrike had let himself wander too far from the site that Shadowclan had made home. It hadn't been his fault that an elusive rabbit had brought him all the way here, but now the tom stood in front of the heavily wooded lands that smelled of Skyclan. Even through the storms those bird-brains had managed to keep a relatively strong scent. Sablestrike made no attempt to hide the dangling brown body in his jaws as paw steps signaled the arrival of a cat from the other side of the trees. He had seen this molly every gathering, but no matter how used to her presence he had gotten she still seemed monstrously large. Flicking his ear in greeting Sablestrike wondered if she would chase him off, or demand he drop the prey. It hadn't come from her land but it had been caught there. Would running put their clans on bad terms? He certainly hoped so, but there were other ways to do that as well. Sablestrike's tail lashed behind him as the tom waited for Wolfblossom to speak up.

The patch of land that Skyclan had found thanks to Sunfire was not familiar, but it was close enough to more familiar forests and so it would do for shelter. The deputy found herself patrolling, part of her glad to, for once, not hear the agonized coughing fits and wheezing of her clanmates. Out here, the forest was mostly quiet, except for her own thoughts.

And the pawsteps of another. On instinct, the deputy leaped upward, claws finding higher ground on a sturdy branch of a tree. Another leap and she could see the tom clearly from above, Shadowclan scent brought to her on the breeze. She recognized the dark-furred tom from gatherings, and recognized the fuzzy form of a rabbit in his jaws.

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the prey For a moment, Wolfblossom eyed him, contemplating. Were they back home in the forest, she would not have let that slide. Here though, with so many sick, and their alliances crumbling... Her tail twitched, the deputy finding herself less certain and far more weary. "Don't make that a habit. I know Nightstar was a poor leader, but Shadowclan has, I would think, done better for themselves with Leopardstar. I'd hate to see that put into jeopardy." She spoke after another long moment. The last thing either of their clans needed was bloodshed between the two deputies.

"Sablestrike, wasn't it?" She tipped her head, eyeing the tom cautiously. "You're a bit far from shelter, aren't you?"

At another point in his life the tom would have felt fury at the Skyclan deputy speaking ill of Nightstalker, but not now. He found himself silently agreeing with her, only wishing to add that he no longer needed the -star portion of his name. It was an honor wasted on that traitor of a cat.  The tom nodded at the mention of his name, hesitating to speak for a few moments longer as he contemplated what exactly he should say. Letting the furry creature drop from his maw, the deputy spoke. "I suppose I am. It's been a long time since I've hunted one of these," a black paw prodded at the rabbit's body, "I forgot how fast they could run."

Though he wasn't a fan of Skyclan or their thieving warriors, Sablestrike had no inclination to turn their relationship sour over a personal quarrel of his. He was better than that, he had to be. "You can have the prey if you wish. Think of it as an apology for coming this close to your land uninvited, and for stealing it in the first place." It pained him to do so, but he had to relinquish his catch. Back on clan land this action would have been seen as hostile, even if they were all just trying to survive out here Sablestrike saw no reason for this to be treated differently. "My coming here wasn't intentional, and I'd rather not have this become a bigger problem than what it is. Besides, if Leopardstar heard about this I'm sure she'd give me an earful. She teaches her warriors well, but I was taught by Nightstalker. A little of him must have rubbed off on me." Just saying that made the tom's skin crawl. It wasn't the first time he had been compared to Nightstalker, though it was the first time he had done so himself.

Sablestrike wanted to ask how her clan had been faring since coming to the lakes, though that almost felt like probing her clan for weaknesses. Given how he had been caught on their land it seemed like an incredibly idiotic thing to ask. "I know your clan likes being so high up, but would it be too much trouble to ask that you speak with me down here? Having to stare up at you is making my neck sore." The sight of the giant molly perched so easily on a branch was mildly intimidating, though he really had no room to request something like that. Even if he had no ill intentions he was effectively an invader on Skyclan's territory, and Wolfblossom had every right to treat him as such.

"I've never been fast enough to catch one." She admitted, "A few of my clanmates are... That's a talent if you aren't Windclan, I think." A slow blink as Sablestrike continued, genuine surprise flickering on Wolfblossom's face before she could hide it.

"Thank you... I know it's not easy to give up prey in times like these." The famine had made everyone desperate, the sickness even more so. "We are not responsible for the actions of our predecessors. Skyclan has had their own fair share of... troublesome cats. The best we can hope for is to be the change we want to see." She had told Heatherberry something similar. "I would give my clanmates an earful for the same. Still... Sometimes a mistake is just that, a mistake." It seemed they both agreed in not wanting to make this a bigger deal than it was.

To give up prey was a sign of good morals... Or it could have been a trap. Especially with Sablestrike asking her to come to ground. The trees were Skyclan's domain, providing safety as well as the homes of their prey. Other clan cats couldn't climb all that well, and nobody knew how to use the height the trees gave as an advantage in a fight like a Skyclanner. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, to stay in her lofty perch.

Wolfblossom dropped to the ground. There was enough tension in the forest without causing more of it, and Leopardstar was a leader she liked. Someone she would prefer a positive relationship with if it were possible. If the Shadowclanner attacked, well, Wolfblossom still had warrior training. Even if she would have preferred peace.

"...I don't know. You still look like you're craning your neck." There was a glimmer of humor in the Skyclanner's blue eyes. Perhaps it was an overstep... But surely the tom wasn't devoid of humor, right?

The tom was surprised to see Wolfblossom actually abandon her safe spot among the branches. He had expected some kind of snappy response from her, or even a suspicious question as to why she needed to descend to his level. Well, partially to his level. Even with her paws on the ground Wolfblossom still managed to tower over him. Just like Heatherberry, and just like Leopardstar. It was in the middle of this thought that the opposing deputy caught Sablestrike unaware with her remark, ripping a chuckle from the tom before he could fully suppress it. "I suppose I am, aren't I? Care to go a bit lower for me?" This had to be the first time anyone had dared comment on his height. In different circumstances the tom may have given Wolfblossom some choice words, but at the moment all he felt was a strange sense of... Elation? No, that couldn't be right, and if it was then the feeling wasn't entirely there. All he knew in this moment was that he didn't want to rip her throat out.

The tom didn't seem to take offense, and his laugh seemed genuine, more like she'd startled it out of him than if he was only being polite. She was not expecting him to respond, and the Skyclan deputy's whiskers twitched. "Should've eaten more birds instead of lizards and frogs... Then maybe you'd be tall enough." She was absolutely preparing to dodge claws if she needed to, though the humor didn't seem to leave her voice as she spoke. "I've already abandoned my lofty perch for you, and you want me to kneel?" She shook her head in mock offense.