blow up into smithereens (c)

If the rest of RiverClan territory looked all the more serene under a blanket of snow, the Gorge looked like a dreamscape out of her delusional illness-borne nightmares. Bleak whiteness in every direction suddenly dropped into a gash in the earth, falling far below into a river that rushed ever louder and more dangerous with the slush that fell in. Honestly, this area was far too dangerous for a skirmish right now, even without a war on their other border looming over the horizon. Still, Perchstar couldn't keep back a tail lash of annoyance when she scented that WindClan had replaced their border markers over the territory that had been fairly won. Did they seriously think that RiverClan wouldn't notice? Or just that they wouldn't care? Perhaps Tigerstar thought it out of sight, out of mind, since both Shrikestar and Smallstar had died or vanished since the greenleaf dispute. It irked her that she couldn't immediately prove them wrong. Picking a fight on two sides at once would be asking for death. One war was difficult enough. Though she knew WindClan's numbers to be far smaller than their own, SkyClan's brood of murderers would prove a particularly taxing challenge for her and Mottlestar combined. There was no point in adding to her Clanmates' woes for a small piece of territory that hardly even had any prey. Maybe later.

It was easy to forget that she had a companion on this patrol. Murkyriver, ever the silent sentinel, had slunk along at her side like a shadow for nearly the entire time. She looked a somewhat the worse for wear after moons of sickness and combatting the wolves, but little else appeared to have changed. "I don't recall if I ever thanked you for assisting when we fled the lake territories," Perchstar remarked as they walked alongside the Gorge. "I had my paws full... Rowansong may have perished if not for you. I am grateful for your help." Thinking of the fact that both Murkyriver's former and current Clans would be fighting SkyClan was almost strange. In a different time, perhaps the shadow would have asked to be given to their other one-time-ally, instead. Perchstar found herself glad that she had not. Not only was it good to have all the paws helping RiverClan possible, and not only would she hate to be on the receiving end of the she-cat's ferocious claws, but for some reason the leader found Murkyriver good company. Perhaps because neither of them were drawn to attempt useless small talk. It was easier to feel comfortable by the sentinel's side.