enjoy the silence [O; SKC MEETING]

“Don’t look surprised,” a raspy voice called over the crowd. Paledove sat with her tail curled around herself; more than likely, her kits were in the nursery, but if they weren’t they were guaranteed to be at her side. “We all knew this would happen eventually. Can’t keep secrets forever. I’d like to not have to bring up my kits in a war, though. Look, I like Beechfang just fine, she’s a great warrior and a good cat-“ here she gave the scarred tabby, wherever she might be, a firm nod- “But isn’t this just our fault? SkyClan’s, I mean. We put the good of one cat before the Clan over and over again, and I’ve been around long enough to see what it leads to. Look, Birdstar, I’m not questioning your decision. If Beechfang is determined to stay and you’re determined to stand by your words, then SkyClan will weather this storm just as it has so many before, whether the calm brings regret or joy.”

Paledove shut her maw, giving her leader a respectful nod. She wasn’t about to undermine her leader’s words… but in the same breath, she’d seen what this led to. Chasing down Dawnhawk and the raid on WindClan camp had led to their own camp being infiltrated and that poor golden molly being kitnapped. Her kits… she’d keep them safe. If they had to grow up in war, then so be it.

Birdstar called a meeting together, and the lack of cheer surrounding it meant that Wolfblossom had an inkling as to what this would be about. There had been enough on their collective paws lately, but the state of their crumbling alliances could not be ignored or hidden from the clan, even unintentionally.

Birdstar launched right into once enough of the clan had gathered, and Wolfblossom stayed silent, watching the faces of her clan for a reaction. It infuriated her, to have her clan in danger over the presence of one cat, one repentant cat, who had not so much as looked in Riverclan's direction since returning. But she was in agreement with Birdstar. They would protect Skyclan - all of Skyclan.

Paledove spoke up, a surprise to the deputy (for this matter, anyways, much less with a... reasonable take), though she kept the feeling off of her face. "We did." She agreed, "But that fault should not reflect on the rest of the clan. That was the decision of Birdstar, one I supported, knowing the risks. It should be us who deal with the consequences, not any one of you... But Perchstar has proven herself unreasonable. I understand your concern, Paledove... What comes next won't be easy." She added, in acknowledgement of Paledove's last point.

"Still, Beechfang is a valued warrior, as is everyone else here. Many of you weren't alive for her crime or exile, or even her return. That must be true of Riverclan, too. I have to wonder how many will fight for a cat they have never met, who they have never patrolled or hunted or shared tongues with? You have hunted and fought alongside Beechfang, though, and she is our clanmate, past transgressions or not."

She hoped there would not be dissent to her and Birdstar's choice. Hopefully her clanmates would think over her words, of the warrior they had patrolled and fought alongside, and not of one reckless decision. She would not, however, blame her clanmates for their dismay.

---

Beechfang sat among the crowd as Birdstar spoke, a frown settling on her face at the announcement. Of course, they had known this would not last forever, the alliance with Riverclan was doomed to fail from the moment her paws had set foot back onto Skyclan ground.

"Paledove is right. We knew this would happen. Selfish, absolutely - I can't deny that. But I... Couldn't refuse an offer to rejoin Skyclan." Not when it was her daughter asking. She nodded back at the queen, who held a reasonable take that she might have denied, once. "I've made my mistakes. I do not hide from them, I did not confess to it because I was proud of it. Cloverheart's murder was wrong, no matter how angry I was at the time." Bloodstrike's crazed expression was in the back of her mind, the blood pouring from his throat and staining her paw, red impossibly vivid against her pale fur. She had swore not to take another life... And then had taken another life, even if the circumstances were very different. A life taken was a life taken, however, and Beechfang knew her paws would always have that capacity. Perchstar knew it too, or she would not insist on war for the sake of one cat. Cloverheart's death had very nearly cost Beechfang her own life rather than seasons of it. She couldn't find it within herself to have any ill-will towards Briarthorn, who had been the one to exile her. She had been doing what was right for Skyclan...

And, well... She and Birdstar had spit in the face of that, Beechfang supposed. All she knew now was that she would fight to stay, and would fight for her clanmates. None of them would die because of her, not if Beechfang could help it. "If our leader will keep me here knowing the risks, I will fight for Skyclan until I can't." Their leader. Not her daughter, though Beechfang would do that too.

If Perchstar wanted war... Beechfang knew a thing or two about war. How regrettable it was, that she had worked her way to this point only to potentially be dragged right back into it by her own selfishness. Regrettable... And fitting. As if a Skyclanner would be anything else.

Falconmoon listened, but any words that may have come out of his mouth died on his tongue. There was ice lodged in his spine at the thought of his kits going to war. He'd seen enough of it, participated in enough of it, and even caused enough of it to know all he ever needed or wanted to know about it. Perchstar was an idiot for not just taking this one on the chin and accepting a personal loss rather than putting her clan's lives on the line. She was not unlike Bloodstrike in that regard. Thoughts ran through the young tom's head before he could do anything to stifle them. He needed a plan that went beyond just using the clan for psy-ops. It wasn't guaranteed to work, but it may. He'd rather not find out on the day of the battle whether or not his plan was successful.

He'd go to Perchstar herself. Maybe there was something they could work out that would prevent this... though he swallowed at the thought of what he felt she may ask for. What would be a bigger betrayal of Skyclan? To allow them to go to war for Beechfang, potentially losing many lives in the process, or handing Beechfang over to Riverclan to save them all. He'd be exiled for it at bare minimum. Could he do that again? Could he shoulder the loneliness, the hunger, the terror, the desperation?

The rage?

Could he handle it again? He wasn't so sure. He wasn't confident that he wouldn't spiral right back into being Dawnhawk. It was a thought that made him grip the ground beneath his paws with a wave of anxiety.

The pelt along Brackenpaw's spine bristled at the thought of war. Another danger he would have to prepare Honeypaw, and Harepaw for. It was a shame Beechfang was the root of the problem it seemed, he quite liked her, and he knew Harepaw was fond of his mentor too. Surely, Beechfang's crime had been justified. Brackenpaw would do anything to protect his siblings, even murder. No cat would ever come before them. While he didn't know the circumstances that surrounded Cloverheart's death he felt compelled to side with Beechfang. Brackenpaw glanced at Shattredsky, contempt brewing on his brother's face. The brindle apprentice's nose scrunched.

As for ThunderClan... This whole thing... It gave him a headache. He just wanted his family to be safe, why did StarClan seem so determined to ruin his efforts? "Maybe those fish-breathed fools and squirrelbrains should mind their own business, and focus on the present." he spoke up "The past is the past. Beechfang was punished then, what more they do want? War for something that happened that long ago... Completely mousebrained. All of them." Brackenpaw meant what he said, and he didn't care if he was judged for it. Well, if Beechfang had killed one of his siblings maybe it'd be different, but she hadn't, and so there was no point dwelling on his own hypocrisy.

Honeypaw

Honeypaw was trembling, her blue eyes wide.
She slowly and carefully picked her way through the pelts of the SkyClan cats, and settled herself next to her two brothers. She pressed into Shatteredsky's pelt, wishing she could just disappear. This is just horrible news! she despaired inwardly. It's so hard for me to battle train fellow apprentices with sheathed claws, what in StarClan will I do if I have to really face another cat in battle? She couldn't contain her nerves as her eyes found Brackenpaw's.

"I... I don't want to go to war," she whispered.

name. uwubers timezone. EST discord. @ uwubers code.kiikko

Stormwatcher blinked the sleepies away as he lay there in his nest. The sound of his older sister's voice rang out calling for a meeting like an unwelcome alarm clock.

good stars this had better be worth it

he muttered still half in nap mode as he lay there trying to convince himself to actually get up.

do I really need this job? Do I really need to go do this? UGH this is awful.. poor me ..it is so much warmer in this nesttttt leave me aloneeee he thought as he burried his head under his mossy pillow.


He gave a deep sigh and swung his legs out of his nest and forced himself to his paws.

With an audible groan as he stretched he lumbered over to catch a majority of what was going on...

The gist he got was Riverclan was being dumb - no big suprise.

The tom had gotten so much better at not being a complete bum. He really did start caring about his clanmates more too! He was much better than he used to be and was improving even if he would not admit such a thing.

If those fish breath riverclan warriors wanted to come hurt Beechface they would face full resistance from him and the clan.

Stormwatcher of the past? He would have scooted on out of here as soon as even the whisper of war was announced.

But things had changed! in a big way too. He had 'family' again sort of... Wolf and Bird were like his older sisters at least this is how he saw it not that he mentioned it aloud ever. And osprey, they were a good friend and needed to be looked after now.

His mindset had shifted from being that of a mooch off the clan to activly wanting to help it and even defend it from threats that were now knocking at their door.


Brackenpaw seemed to be making good points and he nodded in agreement

"Cannot belive they wanna rush into a war given all the clans just faced" he muttered.

He stretched and glanced at beechface.


A very small amount of him thought:

wow... you are a selfish piece of foxdung... even past me was not as much of a mooch as you are right now... you could simply leave and all this problem would go away
he thought a bit to himself but kept that thought locked away.


He shook his head freeing his mind of this negative thought process... that was only what a small part of him felt.

The much clearer and larger part of him felt that as a clan, they had to have each other's backs no matter what!!! If he had done something stupid (which he was aware he was very capable of doing) he would wish the clan to have his back in times of need.

So he ought to do the same now! So the larger part of him claimed the following:

you may be all that... but you are ours stars darn it! and we are not gonna let some riverclan leader who is lost in the past take you from us! And the fact that you are gonna fight side by side with us throught this... well, I couldnt ask for a better selfish clanmate at all now could I? he thought with a head nod and even gave her a slight smile and tip of his head.


He felt his claws flex out a little bit and he felt even more energized by Brackenpaw's words he started to really get more awake now his head even nodding at the points Brackepaw was making and he even found himself crouching up and down a bit as the energy stirred within him about all this.

OH! If riverclan wants war! Let em have it!

"Beechface is ours!!! If those fish breath, gill wearing cats want her they are gonna have to pay in full!" he chanted pounding his large paws against the ground.

"Sunfire!!?? We goin war baby!!! WE gonin warrr!!!" he chanted running over to give his bro-friend a chest bump

"WHOOOOOOO LETS GOOOOOO"