this mansion? your country chateau? your jewels, riches... (c)

Back to the river Daytrader went. She was getting somewhat adept at getting into the forest cats land, less so at getting out. But! She still had all her fur in the right place and only one scar (which, truly, wasn't her fault!), so she believed she was doing well. She wove around the trees and stones until the burbling banks was just ahead, paws resting in the moist sand. She sniffed the air, fishy-cat scent ripe and thick but old at the same time. Hm. Must've just missed them.

She knelt, scouring the stones beneath the rippling water. Something out of the ordinary, anything... Hmm. A splatter of blood amongst the rocks, and caught down. She parted her mouth, tasting the scent of some kind of fowl or other bird, and followed it along. Not too far from where she had stood, a cluster of gray speckled feathers. Nothing spectacular, but they were in fair condition. Still stuck to flesh, too. So, she set to work, pulling and plucking at each feather and putting them other her other paw so that they did not drift away. She hummed as she worked. Perhaps some little alley cat would like new lining to their nest.

Daytrader found Bird Feathers in Average Condition!

Poppystar was out on a patrol with a couple other cats. Things have been peaceful and quiet for a couple of moons now, and so they did not stick immediately beside one another, and instead fanned out to cover more ground more easily.

While she traversed the territory alone, she smelled a scent that she didn’t recognize. She lowered and approached carefully, fearing the worst—and sure enough, there they were. A rogue cat she had not seen before, gathering up some discorded feathers. Poppystar observed her for just a moment while hidden behind the brush before she rose to full height and approached.

Putting on her best leader voice, she said, “Rogues are not welcome on RiverClan territory. I will ask you to leave, but should you fight, I will force you to go.” There, that sounded….leader-y. It sounded like Perchstar in her ears. Hopefully that would be enough to scare off this rogue. She did not want to see more mayhem caused by rogues beset her clan.

Daytrader leapt near thrice her height into the air, feathers flying all about and she almost choked on one, exclaiming; "Mother divine, mercy me, bless us and save us-!" She whirled around, vibrant green eyes wide as a moon until they settled on Poppystar. She let out a long, hefty sigh, lifting a paw and placing it upon her chest.

"Goodness gracious, little forest cat; you've just frightened the soul out of me," She rumbled, turning about again to catch what few feathers had escaped from underpaw and placing them down again. She put a pebble on the focal point of them all. "I'm not stealing the prey that apparently belongs to you, don't panic. I ate before I came. The river has bounties of whats-its for me to gather. These feathers, oohh, do you want these feathers? Not too pricey, I wouldn't say. Mm.. A smidge of a whisper, a little pretty stone."

She ambled forward, tilting her head almost comically far and peering Poppystar up and down and left and right. "Aren't you a pretty thing?" She hummed. "Why, I don't often see your colours. Mother dearest had a little friend that had colours like yours and I always thought; Gods be good, aren't they the most wonderful? You are gorgeous." She leaned back, swinging a wide arc with her tail and then tottering just past her to the riverbank. "Any little secrets on getting shells or stones out of here without getting saturated? Last time I did, that poor little brown and white tom had to witness me near drown myself. Don't remember catching a name... Very little. Very small. Lovely little fellow, though. I'm Daytrader. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I am so looking forward to working with you!"

The rogue’s odd response caught Poppystar off guard and she took a half-step backwards in anticipation of some other strange reaction. But aside from her exclamation, the rogue did not seem to have much that she wanted to do. Poppystar blinked at her and then looked at the feathers he was gathering. “You’re…not hunting? You just want feathers? …price?”

Poppystar had not had much interactions with rogues or kittypets and it was strange to talk to one with such an odd cadence and vocabulary. But the next thing she said caught Poppystar’s attention swiftly.

“You knew Littlesplash?” she asked quietly. Littlesplash always had such a big heart. It did not surprise her to hear that he had apparently had a nice interaction with a rogue on their territory. It did not seem like this rogue had any ill intentions in that case. “Ah…Well. I am Poppystar, leader of RiverClan. I am glad you are not hunting here—although we still do not allow rogues on the territory…Ah, what do you mean by working with me?” She frowned and her ear twitched. Daytrader had mentioned trading and gathering wares…

"Goodness no, not hunting. Last time I tried to hunt in... Oh, was it the marsh or the moor? Probably the moor. The marshy mud terribleness always dries into my fur. Last time I tried hunting on the moor, I got chased all the way out and they wouldn't even let me pay them. I had such a delightful little bauble I could've given them. Spoilsports. But--!"

She took an exaggerated step back, putting one paw to her chest. "If that was his name, then yes. Lovely little fellow, ahem-- I, Daytrader, from faraway lands that I don't entirely remember how to get back to, from a long lineage of merchants, hereby offer you a business proposal."

She lifted her paw into the air like a grand gesture, grinning from ear to ear in only the way 'gotcha!' would feel. "I give you information. Little excursions into Clans, see what tidbits I can pick up. Some of them have very interesting things. A little marshdweller makes flower-crowns. Skittish thing, but quite sweet. I can perform various tasks. Espionage, dispatches, retrievals. And in return, all I ask is the occasional hunting right. I'm getting very sick of twoleg trash. It will be nothing but beneficial, you see? I can even bring trinkets to sell. And, on my honour as a trader, I will not place claw nor tooth on your prey unless I bring you something worthwhile."

Everything that Daytrader spoke about was quite surprising. She had not expected any loner to offer ‘services’ of this sort, and it caught her rather off guard. The things that Daytrader was offering was rather valuable. Poppystar herself did not see much use in having information about other clans at this moment, but she was not naïve enough to think that it would never come in handy. And to have it be in exchange of Daytrader taking small items here and there but not hunting and threatening their food supply…Well that was all the better.

Still. Some unease set in her stomach.

“What you offer sounds enticing,” she admitted, “but I can’t help but think you may be offering the same to others. I do not like the idea of you performing these same espionage missions and delivering information about my clan to others. What guarantee would I have that you are not simply doing the same to our neighbors?”