The Hammer and the Anvil [solo]

Stormwatcher was so sick of this camp lock down... and technique it had been over a moon since his incident with riverclan so from his older sisters words he was pretty sure he could leave camp on his own now. Thank the stars, if he had to be around Hickorypaw any longer he was pretty sure he would melt into the ground.

He darted out of camp so relived to be away from it. It was like breaking out of a prison cell. He just wanted to be alone for awhile and the big gruff warrior found himself walking aimlessly around.

alone with his thoughts he thought about his past... he had no blood family left they died when he was young, the good apprentices he had been given seemed to die too soon or promote to warrior so fast and leave him behind. Stoneheart was a great warrior now, and while he was proud of her and a bit happy with himself that he had been drug out of his lazy mode to train her so well.
"Blazepaw... I'm sorry I never got to train you more" he muttered under his breath

Deep down, he cared for Hickorypaw too. And though he showed his care much more openly for Ospreypaw he knew that they would both make strong warriors soon.

And his mind went to the fact that once they were warriors ... who exactly would he have left?

His older sister (adoptive) had constantly been let down by his stupidity with the riverclan incident. He doubted she would want much to do with him beyond him being her warrior.

Birdstar was dead and Sunfire was gone. Falcon seemed more interested in his newfound power of deputy and seemed to forget their friend group they had when sun was here.

Bubble was gone - not that he ever knew her very well but she seemed to be the best of them all... Perhaps good for her for getting to be freed from this pit of despair.

His gloomy thoughts had clouded his vision quite literally as he had wandered far from home and unknowingly crossed the border into shadowclan land.

By the time he realized where he was it was the squishing mud undrer paw that notified him

Glancing around his eyes widened -

oh foxdung... how can you be so dense Storm? he cursed silently to himself.

He turned about and walked in the direction of home... right!? this was for sure the direction of home.

He paused after a bit of walking... Unbelievable... how could anyone navigate these swamp wetlands - what a mess where was he?


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Muse had taught her well - how to become invisible and truly become a shadow. She remembered the loner's cheerful tone and fun nickname for her...

Hmm miss swiftest of hearts ... thanks muse she thought silently to herself as she remained hidden and strickly observed for now the intruding skyclanner.

She was a well trained and confident warrior, a seasoned fighter and a furious warrior. She would observe the potential enemies movements, figure out if he was alone or if this was part of a larger assault on their territory. He was bigger than her and so she knew that keeping her element of surprise and secrecy was more vital for now - this whole time she was hidden she could just learn what skyclan had planned.

Squinting her eyes she recognized this was indeed the warrior she had gotten along so well with this past gathering. Her heart sunk slightly, she had really liked him, she hoped this was just a mistake and not something that would lead them to a fight - nevertheles she would absolutely fight if necessary to protect her home.

He seemed miles away mentally as he just stood there for a bit muttering to himself.

What in dark forest is this fool doing? she wondered

By the time he had figured out he was lost she had already completed a sweeping flank around and verified he was the only skyclanner out here.

Confronting him seemed reasonable now, she had the advantage in almost every sense, she knew this land well and had already isolated him. The only part that gave her pause was being outsized but she figured she could rely on her past fighting experience to get around that.

"You are trespassing on Shadowclan land!" she meowed out and walked out of her undergrowth cover.

narrowed blue eyes glared at him untrusting "what are you doing here Stormwatcher? You know better." her claws silently slid out to the soft earth below in case she would need them.

"come on... we talked at the gathering remember? We dont need to make this ugly"


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Stormwatcher froze in his tracks at the voice and spun around - geez! where did shadowclan cats come from?? He had just past that bush where she was hiding - he was convinced they could actually turn to shadows at will now.

"Swiftheart?!? oh erm- I was uhh" he muttered over himself sheepishly -

"I was out walking to try and clear my mind... I guess I cleared it too well"

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Her suspicious gaze still remained but she gave a little nod - "uh huh..." she meowed only somewhat convicned.

"that cant be all of whats going on!" she hissed in a whisper glancing around.

she was still ready for a fight if it needed to but it seemed unlikely now, something she was grateful for as the fur along her spine slowly relaxed.

"what is going on?" there was a mixture of asking for learning what was going on formally and a little bit of tone asking for him as well - she had found him funny at the gathering and didn't like seeing him in this way.

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"oh its nothing" was his immediate response, because that was his response whenever anyone in skyclan asked... not that anyone did - and that in and of itself was exactly his problem.

but answering a nothing when he was the one tresspassing he knew was not something he was going to get by with. He shuffled a bit on his paws

"my former apprentice Blazepaw died... and my current apprentice Hickorypaw hates me - and my other apprentice Ospreypaw is great but she is almost ready for warrior... I - the words seemed to be lodged in his throat like a stubborn squirrel bone.

"I feel surrounded by cats but so alone"

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Swiftheart flicked her tail listening and was more so convinced by now. Her claws slowly retracted... this didnt appear to be an attack of any sort... just a lost warrior in more ways than one.

she knew far better than to ask about family - this forest wasn't kind to families and she knew he likely had none. She gave a little nod
"I'm sorry you feel that way - all the same you cant stay here. You are still tresspassing"

She wished she could be more friendly to him but the fact remained he was a foriegn warrior and this was not a gathering time.

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Stormwatcher was hit by a moment of impulse and poor long term decision thinking at the same time (which seems to happen to him alot)

"wait... what if ... what if I wanted to leave skyclan? he whispered barely audible.

"I just feel lost there... that gathering night ... I know this will sound silly but just getting to talk with you I felt more like I belonged somewhere than I have in a long time back home. After the war with Riverclan and after Birdstar and Blazepaws deaths... I didnt have much to be

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Swiftheart stood there looking at him like he had just grown a second tail - "uhh" for a rare occasion even the extraverted talkative she cat was silent over that new drop.

"erm... I'm sorry you feel that way" she whispered and meant it - not fitting in was not something she had ever felt but she could empathize with a situation where someone would feel that way - her brother Nightstar had felt that way after all that he was drug through.

"alright... so what you just leave skyclan... you want what to become a kittypet? To come here??"

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Stormwatcher hadnt really even thought this through all the way and still his mind was racing at the possibilites, it was like a weight was off him now and he could see so many things that he could do if he were to leave - a kittypet?? No he hadnt wanted that- he heard what they did to lots of cats back several moons past and wanted no part of it.

"yeah! Ill join shadowclan" he meowed nodding and he had spoken all of this before he had even fully registered what it was he was doing.

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Swiftheart wasn't sure about any of this at all. She could empathaize with him not wanting to be where he was and felt for him there ... but him coming here? Was never something she concidered, she was extraverted enough to not mind the idea and even somewhat welcomed it wanting as many friends as possible but ... it wasnt like she had any say in the matter.

"hrmm... well umm alright I will go get Leopardstar she will have to know about it... meet me back here same time tomorrow?