Featherkit glared at Pinepaw. "Don't be a mouse-brain," the pale gray tabby she-kit snapped. "You can escape. We'll be safely in our dens when Lightningheart realizes." She turned her head and narrowed her sky-blue eyes at where the Heir and Skyrose stood. "I'm not leaving until you do," she mewed stubbornly.
Cloudheart whipped around and stalked into the High Court den, his tail lashing across Mistyspark's face. I hope Pinepaw won't be punished for an imaginary crime.
Flamestar padded to his nest, a plump pigeon dangling from his jaws. He settled himself down and began to ravenously devour the pigeon. Blood scattered across his nest as he finished. Yawning, he curled up in his nest, then paused as he began coughing. Perhaps he'd caught a cold.
Sunpaw's despair was evident on her face as she stared at Pinepaw. She knew that her fellow apprentice wouldn't back down, no matter how much they tried to get her to change her mind. "Pinepaw, however much I hate to say this, I accept your decision," she choked out. "Though I'm only letting you go on one condition: don't you dare die. We will come and save you, I promise you that. So fight to stay alive." With that, she turned, burying her face in Mousepaw's shoulder.
"No, no, don't reconsider because of me!" Skyrose mewed hurriedly. "Let's just get this over with." She turned to where Pinepaw was, her face hardening when she saw the apprentices clustered around her.
Featherkit returned Skyrose's stare with her sky-blue eyes. She lashed her tailand then turned back to Pinepaw. "I'm still not leaving," she growled stubbornly.
Grassfrost turned to face Skyrose. "Hello, Skyrose." she mewed with a hint of worry, though it was masked by monotony. She shot a quick glance at the worried cats, as if it were to say, I'll try my hardest to help. Her gaze hardened when she turned back to Skyrose.
"Grassfrost," Skyrose mewed amicably. "I was just wondering what to do about the horde of apprentices near Pinepaw. Any suggestions?" Her lilting voice contained a hint of cruel humour, and she narrowed her eyes.
Sunpaw shivered under Skyrose's icy gaze. "Guys, I think we should get out of here," she muttered.
Featherkit hissed to herself, thinking furiously. If Pinepaw won't cooperate - idiot - we'll have to distract the High Court warriors and Lightningheart. But how?
"You're the one with such brilliant ideas, Skyrose. I think you should do something." Grassfrost replied. It was somewhat of a lie, for Grassfrost didn't want to punish the apprentices. She lashed her tail in worry.
Tanglefern stalked a mouse. The unknowing creature nibbled on a nut as the hunter creeped up on it. Finally, he pounced, landing square on the mouse and killing it with a quick bite. Only one left now.
What would I usually do to distract the warriors from the fresh-kill pile? Featherkit paced in a circle. But she wasn't snatching prey for herself or the younger kits; she was defending an apprentice who hadn't done anything against Flamestar.We have to stall.
Stormfeather padded to the prey-pile, gazing at the apprentice on the ground. Her punishment was unfair, sure, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Besides, if Flamestar or Lightningheart thought it would keep cats loyal, it wasn't his place to question it. He personally thought it would just stir up more rebellion.
Ferneyes noticed an apprentice on the ground, several kits and apprentices surrounding them. I'd like to know what's going on, he thought, but it could mean something bad. I just hope everyone will be okay in the end.
Snowshadow glared at everyone. And anyone. She didn't care if they were High Court, warrior, apprentice, or innocent kit. Anyone could be a dirty loyalist supporting this wretched "Clan".
(Snowshadow doesn't really have trust issues she's just an extremist and also hates the world
Also 3 sentence rule for RP posts)
Snowshadow stood up, shook out her fur, and padded to the warriors' den, hoping that she'd get word from Stormfeather. She curled up in her nest, exhausted from the day's events. Hatred raced through her mind, for Flamestar, for the High Court, for every cat who dared to be loyal to this excuse for a Clan.
Tanglefern watched the fat squirrel hop off the tree trunk and onto the earthy soil. He silently circled it, closing in before leaping onto it and killing it with a quick bite. That's fifteen.
Ebonyheart swiftly thrust a small mouse into the air and dispatched it with a quick slash to its throat.She regularly caught more than ten morsels of prey to assure Flamestar, Lightningheart, and the High Court of her loyalty. What they don't know is that everything I do is an act.
Emberflame barged through the forest, searching for his apprentice, Whitepaw.
Ripplekit slunk into the clearing, yawning and shaking out her pale gray pelt. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the apprentices and kits still clustered around Pinepaw, and she nearly instantly scooted back into the nursery. They're mouse-brained idiots, she fumed, then snorted. Well, if they're poisoned, let them. It'll be their fault anyway!
Cloudheart sighed as he rose to his paws. He couldn't lull himself to sleep despite his exhaustion. His hatred for himself, his fear of Flamestar, and his disgust with the Clan burned inside him. He ignored his raging feelings and strolled into the clearing.
Snowshadow thought. She formulated a plan in her mind, bough she wasn't completely confident in it. Surely aflame star would keep his poison more hidden, wouldn't he?
Rowankit sighed. Sure he was worried but he was also knew better then get involved. In the corner of his eye he could see that Ripplekit was greatly annoyed.
Leafpaw went outside to hunt, and possible try to escape. I could just say I was looking for prey beyond the border. She thought, her eyes flickering that direction.
Leafpaw edged closer to the boarder, pretending to besearching for prey. When she could scent the markers, she stopped. Too close to the boarder would be suspicious.
Ripplekit flicked her tail. "There is a reason," she insisted stubbornly. "There must be. The High Court wouldn't do this without a reason." She spoke as if she were explaining Lightningheart's actions to a one-moon-old kit.
"Well then name something that Pinepaw did do. Did Pinepaw not meet the quota? Did Pinepaw say something to anger them? Oh I know Pinepaw may not seem strong to Lightningheart. That must be it! That seems a good enough reason to them high court cats these days." It took all his effort not to yell this across the camp or even to have his voice reach outside of the nursury.
Ripplekit sniffed. "Perhaps we haven't seen what Pinepaw did wrong," she muttered, turning her head away, "but Lightningheart did." Her green eyes sharpened. "Well, when the time comes to choose, will you be a rebel or a loyal? I can guess." She whipped around and stalked back out of the nursery.
Leafpaw smelled the forest around her, hoingno one was around. (Is anyone around? If so, she'll wait a bit to escape. If not,she'll jiust leave and never be seen again :P)
"Very well then," Skyrose meowed, shooting Grassfrost a strange look before padding off to the cluster of apprentices.
"Do you know what your little huddle implies?" Skyrose said, her lilting tone doing nothing to disguise the venom in her voice. "It implies that you're trying to help Pinepaw! How absurd, right? Now get going, otherwise there'll be more than one cat going to the torture chambers tonight," she hissed. She turned to Pinepaw, feathery tail flicking. "And you, get up. Lightningheart didn't paralyze you, did he? There's no reason for you to be laying on the ground like that."
Sunpaw nudged Mousepaw worriedly. "I told you this would happen." With a furitive glance toward the High Court she-cat, she leaned down, her muzzle brushing Pinepaw's ear fur. "You know," she whispered. "You could still escape. We all could, if we were brave enough to."
Grassfrost padded back into the High Court den, bored. The huddle was dismantled, Pinepaw would be sent away, and there was no sign of what would come next. Life was growing boring and monotonous for such a high-ranked cat.
Featherkit lashed her tail indecisively, shifting towards Sunpaw. Without glancing away from Skyrose, she whispered, "We have to distract the High Court." Her eyes traveled to Ebonyheart as the black she-cat slunk into the clearing. "Fox!" Featherkit yowled.
"Fox?" Ferneyes meowed. "As in, fox coming towards the camp?"
Fennelkit sighed. He didn't dare run off to disturb other cats, and he confined himself to the nursery most of the time. Oh, if only Furzekit was still alive...
Featherkit ignored Ferneyes. "Ebonyheart, watch out!" she screeched. "There's a fox behind you!"
Ebonyheart stared at Featherkit, her ice-blue eyes glinting with realization. She whipped around and crashed through the camp entrance, yowling in what seemed to be terror.
When no one was looking, Featherkit grabbed a branch between her jaws and hurled it over Ebonyheart's head, into a clump of bracken. That sounds like a fleeing fox, she thought in satsifaction. No, I just need to lay down a trail of fox scent...
Ferneyes skittered into the warriors den when he heard that the fox was behind Ebonyheart. He turned away in fear, then padded back into the camp when he heard the fox run away,
Ashsnow scuffled with a fat squirrel, ending in it dead. He picked it up. Eleven pieces. Just one more...
Stormfeather jumped a tail-length into the air when he heard the yowls and dashed up to his high place. I need to show Flamestar I'm loyal before I can live comfortably again. He took a breath, then a leap, and picked out a few warriors. Snowshadow. He padded over to the she-cat confidently. "Guard the camp until the fox is dead," he meowed.
Snowshadow glared at him with a menacing look, but padded up to the camp entrance and obeyed his order.
Stormfeather picked out a few more warriors. Who's rebellious? He picked out Shadowcloud and Hazelshade (if that's okay) and padded up to the warriors each in turn, meowing the same thing he did to Snowshadow. Even though he was a High Court cat, he was as much of a slave to Flamestar's reign of terror as the others were, and he had to stay loyal to survive.
Skyrose was at her feet in an instant, ears swiveling toward the sound. Holding up her tail for silence, she crept to the camp entrance, then sniffed the air tentatively. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't smell any fox."
Sunpaw shook her head, eyes wide. No, no, no... I wanted to do this as inconspicuously as possible!
Featherkit darted over, her sky-blue eyes glittering with surprise. "You don't?" She quickly brushed past Skyrose and into the forest. She remembered seeing an abandoned fox den not far from camp; she dashed in that direction, her paws carrying her like wind. Fox-scent reeked here, although the fox had long been chased off. Heaps of fox-dung littered the entrance of the den. She rolled herself in the dung, hissing in disgust, and then tore off back towards camp. She purposely crashed into thickets of brambles as she raced towards Ebonyheart, so that her ear-tips were torn and there were scratches along her flank.
"The fox went this way!" Ebonyheart yowled, flicking her tail towards the fox den upon seeing Featherkit.
Featherkit skidded past the black she-cat, reeking of fox. "Help!" she yelped. "It attacked me!" She sniffed the air, whisking her tail in satisfaction when she scented the trail of fox scent she'd planted behind her.
"Stupid kit," Ebonyheart growled, failing to sound as if she meant it. "Why did you go there in the first place?"
Ferneyes poked his head out of the warriors den, padding back out into the center of camp when he saw there was no fox. "The fox is gone." he meowed, sighing in relief.
Ashsnow heard a commotion in the distance, but decided to focus on hunting rather than the sounds.
Ebonyheart snarled and lashed her tail. "It's not gone," she snapped. "It merely fled. It's still in our territory!"
Flamestar jerked awake. He stormed into the clearing, his eyes furioused and enraged. "What's happening here?" he demanded, upon seeing Featherkit, who was covered in blood.
Featherkit darted in a panicked circle, wailing convincingly. "A fox attacked me!" she squealed, catching Tanglefern's eye. When she was certain she wasn't being watched, she jerked her head toward Pinepaw, hoping the rebel would understand.
Flamestar hissed at Featherkit. "Stupid kit," he snapped at her, then turned to Skyrose. "Go find that fox and kill it." He lashed his tail, then broke off in hacking coughs. He could scent the stinking fox scent in the air. Ugh.
Goosewing padded out of the warriors den. She noticed that the fox was gone, however, she decided to stay in the den to stay safe. She curled up, falling into a light sleep.
Tinyraven wasn't a mousebrain. She saw through their plan. She went to the warriors den and groomed herself in peace. If she was needed she would come.
Flamestar glared at Ferneyes. "Come if you want!" he growled. "I want that fox out of our territory." He barged past Featherkit as he disappeared into his den.
Featherkit dashed to the entrance, panting. "I'll show you where it went," she offered, bounding through the camp entrance. She sprinted toward the fox den, reeking of fox-scent.
Ebonyheart rested her tail reassuringly on Leafpaw's shoulder. "Don't worry, the fox fled. Flamestar's warriors will drive it out of our territory." She flinched, wondering whether Flamestar had seen her comfort an apprentice. It's not like me to do such a thing...or at least, he thinks so.
Ebonyheart nodded to the apprentice and padded away as quickly as she could, relaxing only when she noticed Flamestar had returned to his den. She sighed. Life was so difficult as a spy - she didn't know when she would trip or slip, when she would make a mistake, when one of the rebels would turn out to be a loyalist.
Lightningheart flicked his tail sharply, his muscles rippling underneath his glossy pelt. "What are you all waiting for, an invitation?" He barked, already heading for the camp entrance. "Get off of your lazy tails and follow me! If that fox is still around, I want enough warriors there to get rid of it for good. Make yourselves useful for once." And with that, he raced away, long legs carrying him over the ground easily.
Ebonyheart winced and followed Lightningheart meekly, her ice-blue eyes following Featherkit as she dashed ahead of the patrol. When they discover there's no fox... But perhaps Pinepaw would be safe now. I hope Featherkit manages to stay alive.
Lightningheart's nose twitched as he swung his head from side to side, whiskers twitching. "I don't see any signs of a fox. The place reeks, however." He growled, his hackles beginning to raise. "Featherkit, are you sure it was a fox? Maybe you're confused." He mewed innocently.
Lightningheart coughed, the stench of fox invading his nose and making its way into his mouth. Wrinkling his muzzle, he looked around. "Alright, where's this fox?" He demanded. "It smells as if it decided to leave its scent everywhere."
"It fled towards its den," Featherkit mewed, flicking her tail toward where she believed the fox den was. "But Ebonyheart frightened it quite thoroughly; I wouldn't be surprised if it escaped the territory already." She hoped Lightningheart would believe her. Wait. Does this mean I have to fake another path of fox-scent toward the border?
"There could be more than one fox." Conepaw meowed, wrinkling up her face in disgust of the large amount of fox scent. "There could be a whole fox family out there, waiting to kill us. But I'm not scared. I'll defend my Clan!"
Featherkit glanced at Conepaw. "I only noticed one fox," she mewed dubiously. Is this apprentice a rebel, or a loyalist? It's difficult to tell. The pale gray she-kit peered curiously at Conepaw.
Conepaw shot a brief glance at Featherkit that read something like I'm on your side. I'm saying crazy things as an act. Her eyes dulled as the gaze went away. "Well, at least you only saw one. Two probably would've killed you." she meowed.
Lightningheart stopped, his tail flicking. "Everyone split up." He ordered. "Search the territory. If there's no sign of it, return back to camp. If you find it, I want that fox dead. If we let it take up residence in our territory, it might feel free to walk right into camp at any given moment." He glanced at Featherkit. "Like earlier."
Ebonyheart hurried ahead of Featherkit. "I'll scout ahead for the fox," she offered, privately hoping to lay down a seperate path of fox-scent to the border. If I can do that, everyone will be okay, and Pinepaw will escape.
"I'll go this way." Conepaw meowed, her tail flicking towards a direction with little fox-scent. "There might be recently-abandoned dens with clues to where the fox or foxes went to." She padded away, following the scent trail.
Lightningheart sniffed. smoky fur flat once more. "Go ahead. If you see it, get rid of it. " His lip curled ever so slightly as he took another breath, the pungent stench permeating his respiratory system. He continued searching, his paws rustling the leaves gently.
Ebonyheart padded across the fox-dung as she followed Conepaw. With a yelp of disgust, she lifted her paws to examine them. Perfect. She then continued towards the border, her paws stinking of fox.
"Do what you must, Ebonyheart. I won't tell anyone." Conepaw meowed. She stepped in a piece of fox-dung, smearing it around the base of a tree. She padded to what seemed like a long-abandoned fox den, smearing the rest of the dung on nearby trees.
Pinepaw shivered, and, remembering Skyrose's words, slowly pulled herself to her paws, green eyes flashing with fear. Looking around, she edged a few feet away, toward the side of the camp.
Meadowkit shrugged, her bright eyes shining. She held her limp paw off the ground, her delicate pink pad brushing the ground every so often. "I don't know. Why wouldn't there be?" She squeaked.
"Me too." Pansykit meowed. "I think it attacked her."
Conepaw padded out of the forest. Her paws were clean, and she did her best to dry them. Nobody would suspect that she'd tampered with the evidence and smeared the dung on tree bark...
"Now that I think about it, she was scratched," Hazelkit meowed thoughtfully. "I don't know what it was from, but I was too far away to tell. And besides, blood and fox scent combined? Something's wrong,"
"I think foxes have claws." Pansykit meowed. She turned to her mother. "Right, ma?"
"Yes, foxes have claws." Brightwind replied. "Featherkit was scratched by the fox when it attacked her, and the scratch is bleeding. It makes sense when you put it together, even if it smells weird."
"But how'd she survive?" Hazelkit asked. "A fox attacking a kit is terrifying. Those things can snatch one up and tear it apart!" she mewed, gaze flicking left and right as if a fox would suddenly burst through the camp wall.
Ripplekit hesitated before replying, "Kits are smaller," she countered. "In this forest, there's bracken and brambles everywhere. Foxes would have gotten tangled in all these obstscles."
"Foxes are definietly smart animals! They know where to make a den and which cats to attack, so they would've avoided those plants. You may think foxes are dumb creatures, but I think otherwise." Pansykit meowed.
"Kits aren't allowed outside of camp." Fennelkit pointed out. "She's breaking the rules!"
Ebonyheart finished "inspecting" the territory and padded back to the fox den. "The fox appears to have fled the territory," she reported to Lightningheart. "The scent trail leads across the border."
"We do silly things when we're terrified," Ripplekit mewed. Despite being a loyalist, she didn't want Featherkit to be executed. Whether she had lied or not.
"Not as silly as deciding to run out of camp." Fennelkit meowed, digging his claws into the ground. "I stay in the nursery most of the time. It's much safer here. Who knows what else is out there?"
"Foxes are big and faster than kits, right?" Meadowkit meowed, eyes wide. "It would've just snapped her up and eaten her, just like that!"
Lightningheart paced, the scent of fox clinging to his fur. It was positively nauseating. "If you're sure, then." He meowed. "We'll go back to camp. If this fox really is gone, we shouldn't be seeing it anytime soon." His eyes narrowed.
Pansykit took a claw and drew a blob with a face, legs, and tail. There were long lines, most likely reperesenting claws. "This is a fox." Pansykit meowed. "Right, ma?"
"Featherkit's older than you are," Ripplekit snapped, annoyed and furious with Fennelkit. "She'll be an apprentice in a few days. Apprentices charge at foxes all the time." She prayed this was true.
"But they shouldn't, right?" Meadowkit chirped. "And she's still a kit, even if she'll be an apprentice in a few days. She still shouldn't have run out like that. Flamestar might be mad." Even she knew that Flamestar wasn't someone to mess with.
Conepaw began the walk back to the camp, where there were no foxes. "Just tell everyone that the fox fled the border." she whispered. "Maybe mention finding scents."
Featherkit nodded and brushed past Conepaw as she strode back toward camp. Hopefully Pinepaw's safe...for now. She didn't voice her fears that Pinepaw had stubbornly stayed put throughout the chaos.
Snowshadow didn't particularly care about Pinepaw. Cats died every day, no big deal. They needed to address what really mattered, the root of the problem.
Conepaw padded back to camp, prepared to report on her findings. She was also prepared to tell a lie, which was something you never wanted to do in FlameClan. She glanced around camp, looking for Flamestar.
Skyrose halted outside the camp entrance, sniffing the air. Although the entire place reeked of fox scent, something about this situation seemed... strange. She couldn't see any telltale red hairs snagged on brambles, nor could she scent any blood. Skyrose narrowed her eyes. Come to think of it, how had a kit outrun a fox? It was a feat that not even full-grown warriors could achieve easily.
"Skyrose?" Sunpaw mewed, piping up from behind the High Court she-cat. "I searched the territory. There was no fox, but there was lots of scent. Pretty fresh, too."
"Yes, yes," Skyrose snapped. "Bring Featherkit to me. I have a few questions for her."
Bemused, Sunpaw dipped her head. She walked into camp, locating the kit with little difficulty. "Featherkit? Skyrose wants to speak with you."
Lilacfrost spotted Pinepaw sneaking to the edge of camp and quickly walked over. "If you want to escape, I could help. You'd have to be quick, though." She glanced around furitively. "The warriors are starting to come back."
Featherkit flicked her tail and trotted over. "Yes?" she asked Skyrose, her voice disrespectful. She glared at the High Court warrior. This was one of the cats who had killed her father...
"Ebonyheart was coming into the camp with her prey," Featherkit mewed easily. "I saw the fox behind her. I had warn her!" She allowed despair to creep into her mew. "But Ebonyheart already saw it, and she snarled at it, and I ran up to see if she was okay when the fox fled." She stopped. "Or I thought it fled. Anyway, Ebonyheart followed it, she told me stay where I was. But I couldn't leave her. And then it jumped out again." She shuddered. "Ebonyheart told me to run back to camp while she fended off the fox and tell them the fox fled. And it did."
Fawnclaw sighed. Her life was tough, and all because of the badger fight. FlameClan cared how short your tail was, thus, she would be poisoned and never meet her kits. I want to at least name them...
Lightningheart padded over, tail flicking. His ears pricked as Featherkit continued speaking. "And this fox. . . It came into camp, yes?" He mewed, sitting down. "That's a terrble, terrible thought." He shuddered.
(I won't poison her, don't worry. At worst, Skyrose'll just have a talk with Featherkit's mother. That is, if she doesn't believe her. It's up to you whether or not she believes the story. :P )
"Hmm... How did you get those scratches, then? You came into camp saying the fox scratched you, but your story doesn't match up. Also, if Ebonyheart supposedly fended off this fox, how is she unscathed?" Skyrose narrowed her eyes, tail twitching.
Lightningheart narrowed his eyes. "I see." He sniffed deeply and looked around.
Pinepaw shook her head. "I don't want to get you into trouble too." She mumbled, her voice cracking like pebbles hitting ice. "I'll be fine." She whispered. "I promise. Don't worry about me, worry about yourself."
Ebonyheart padded to Pinepaw's side, checking that none of the High Court warriors were eavesdropping first. "Pinepaw, we've distracted Lightningheart," the black she-cat mewed swiftly and urgently. "Now's your chance to escape. You can't refuse it." When Pinepaw didn't move, panick crept into Ebonyheart's voice. "Quickly!" she hissed. "Don't worry about us, we won't get into trouble." Hopefully.
"But I'll just be punished later!" Pinepaw hissed in reply. "It won't do any good." She protested, fear turning her throat dry, making her voice brittle and rough, like sand scraping against stones.
Ebonyheart glanced over her shoulder, worried that she was being watched. Finally, she shook her head, hating herself for it but seeing no other choice. "I don't see what we can do," she murmured to herself, dipping her head.
"Very well then," Skyrose meowed. "Next time, don't wander outside of camp. Let a seasond warrior deal with things." She looked Featherkit up and down appraisingly. "That was a very brave - and stupid - move. If you learned to get your impulses under control, you'd be a real asset to the clan." (oh the irony :P )
"I understand," Lilacfrost murmured. She turned to Ebonyheart. "One of us has to be the spark that ignites the flame, however. If nobody starts the rebellion, it will never happen."
Mousepaw purred, leaning on Sunpaw's shoulder. "I hope so.... We're supposed to become warriors soon... Maybe we can escape then. And... And be together. I-if you want that of course."
Ebonyheart sighed and dipped her head to Pinepaw. Words caught in her throat. May StarClan light your path. I hope we survive this. "Stay safe," she murmured before turning and padding away.
Rage swept through her like an icy leaf-bare wind. "We need to raid Flamestar's poison soon," she whispered to herself as she slunk into the warriors' den. "Flamestar has caught a cold. We need to use this opportunity."
Ebonyheart skidded a mouse-length as she turned to tilt her head quizzically at the warrior who had spoken. Alarm spiked through her fur. Cautiously, she told the she-cat, "It must be in the camp. Flamestar wouldn't place his poison in the forest, where a badger or fox could unintentionally take it."
(Somewhere in the Heir's den or behind, I believe.)
Defeated, Cinderkit stepped back from Pinepaw. "If you wish," she whispered quietly. "May StarClan light your path, Pinepaw. I hope we'll meet again when all of this cruelty no longer exists."
(Cinderkit, you're talking like Pinepaw's about to die.)
Ebonyheart thoughtfully twitched her tail-tip. She leaned closer to the warrior. "What's your name?" She usually had more important matters to worry about than other warriors' names.
Shadowcloud broke away from his sister and padded into the warriors' den, tail-tip twitching anxiously. As he entered, he spotted Ebonyclaw and Goosewing talking in low voices. "H-hello," he stammered nervously. Shadowcloud had never been good at talking. "What are you talking about?" He added, trying to sound sure of himself.
"My name is Goosewing." Goosewing whispered. "I'm not special, but I have lost family to the High Court's tyrrany." She perked her ears up, looking around to make sure nobody was spying on them, when her gaze landed on Shadowcloud.
Ebonyheart hissed as she faced Shadowcloud. She recognized this warrior, but she wasn't certain on his loyalties. "None of your business," she mewed, trying to sound as arrogant as she did when speaking to Flamestar.
Goosewing lashed her tail in fear of her loyalties and this discussion being exposed at the sight of Shadowcloud. She turned to face Ebonyheart again. "What's your name?" she asked. I gave her my name. I should know hers.
Ebonyheart flicked an ear. "Can we trust you?" she quietly asked Shadowcloud. If he's a loyalist, we're in trouble. If he's not... She didn't know what to think.
Hazelshade, who knew nothing of the plan because I usually play Leafpaw only now, perked her ear outside the warriors den. She causally walked in and over to them. "Flamestar knows who I am with him. I'm rebel. You can tell me what'se going on here." She whiapered, but loud enough for the group to hear.
Ebonyheart swept her tail over her paws. "We need to raid Flamestar's poison," she explained, interrupting Hazelshade. "The issue is, we don't know where he keeps it. But I have a guess."
Featherkit, perched on a rock next to the nursery, could distinguish familiar voices from the warriors' den. Ebonyheart. Tanglefern. The rebels. She crept closer, her tail snaking across the ground behind her.
"I do," Snowshadow meowed, keeping her voice low. "If Stormfeather isn't lying. He says it's behind Flamestar's den. Don't know how reliable he is, but I can probably get it out of him if it's not."
"Flamestar's den, huh? I thought he would hide it outside camp or something. Whatever. So we just go in there, wreck everything, and try not to get killed?" Tanglefern asked, shrugging.
Goosewing noticed Whitepaw and Conepaw. "More cats?" she whispered. "I'm not sure if you can be trusted. so I'll ask you this- do you like FlameClan's way of life?"
Whitepaw lowered her voice. "Of course not. I never have and I never will. Shellfoot's death was enough to show that staying here any longer is a death sentence, for all of us." She lifted her chin, hoping, just hoping, that Goosewing would believe her.
"I'll get Stormfeather to make sure it's unguarded," Snowshadow muttered. "I'll scare him first, just in case. If he betrays us and gets me killed, murder him."
Ebonyheart twitched her tail-tip. Even I think that's cold-hearted, she thought uncertainly. She then steeled herself. We have to kill some cats if we're to stop Flamestar!
Ripplekit bounded after Thistlekit. "I'll catch you!" she yowled, quickly passing Thistlekit and nearing Asterkit and Rosekit. With a not-very-fearsome battle cry, she leaped on Asterkit.
(Wistep can you come on chat for the bonus chapters)
Featherkit padded into the warriors' den, wincing as blood splattered the moss. "I could join the raid," she offered. "I'll be an apprentice then anyway."
Featherkit snorted. "Can you trust me?" she snarked. "Don't you know who I am?" She glared at Ebonyheat. "I distracted Flamestar with the imaginary fox."
Ebonyheart swiftly stepped in. "She's quite famous for being a troublemaker."
"I'm the one with a High Court cat right under my claws," Snowshadow meowed. "I essentially have as much power as a High Court cat at my disposal. I'm the one who'll be making sure the poison's unguarded, locating it, and planning the attack."
Featherkit nodded. She unsheathed her claws, imagining them pricking Flamestar's dark ginger pelt. Considering how many warriors were loyal to him, Featherkit would get killed pretty quickly. But she was feeling reckless today.
(Can anyone bring me up to date for everything that's happened in the past three weeks of this RP? A fairly detailed explanation on my message wall would be fantastic :D)
(Let's see. Featherkit plus other rebels tricked the loyal cats that there was a fox to save Pinepaw. Pinepaw was stubborn and wouldn't move. Now some rebel cats are disscussing the raid.)
Skyrose walked forward and placed a shrine on the ground. "To the Anarchy RP," she said, her voice choking with emotion. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "It will be missed."
(i'm just not at all complying with the rules of this advanced rp don't mind me)
Snowshadow gave a satisfied smile when she heard Flamestar's cough, but said nothing. This would surely help them raid the poison, wouldn't it? If Stormfeather lied...
Lightningheart looked up from his rather comfortable spot on the ground. He stood up, his dark pelt free of dust and gleaming in the sunlight. He cleared his throat, looking around. "I believe Flamestar just implied he's hungry." His eyes gleamed. "The question is, where has all the prey gone?" He drawled, lithe figure slinking forward. He flicked his tail, smirking. "I want all warriors and apprentices to be back here with no less than four pieces of prey by sundown."
Pinepaw blinked hopefully. For once, she wanted to be included in the majority. Her ears quivered slightly as she tried to still her shivers.
As if reading her mind, Lightningheart turned, smirking. "Not you. Stay where you are or you won't be walking anywhere anytime soon."
Conepaw skittered out of camp, heading for the forest to hunt.
As soon as Ferneyes left camp, he turned towards a thickly forested area, hoping to hear the calls of birds or a rustle in the leaves. As he drew closer, he began to taste the air.
Meadowkit poked her head out of the nursery, hoping to get closer to the action, only to be yanked back by Hollyfrost. She let out a soft yelp of indignation, her muzzle twisted up in annoyance. "Mama!" She complained.
Lightningheart swept towards the nursery, his silky tail twitching. "Hollyfrost," he began, looking quite innocent. "Why don't you let your daughter come out of the nursery?" He pouted. "It seems such a shame, I mean, what with you returning to warrior duties soon, she won't know her way around camp. . . she might even get hurt. We wouldn't want that, would we?"
Hollyfrost clenched her teeth. Oh, how she would have liked to claw his stupid face. She dug her claws into the ground, swallowing. "No, I suppose not." She meowed unevenly, fighting to keep calm.
Meadowkit gazed up at Lightningheart, bouncing on her toes. Her limp paw was out of the equation, as usual, and safely held off the ground. She liked this tom. He was nice.
Lightningheart smiled. "Very good, then." He meowed, his tail brushing Hollyfrost's flank as he passed. It was no accident that he touched her - he knew very well she hated him, and he knew that being in such close proximity to him was likely horrid, much less feeling his fur against her own. He smirked, a spark of glee warming his chest. He would wear her down eventually. He always did.
Mistyspark shivered at the sight of Lightningheart, and she bristled in disgust. What proper kind of heir does that? Sighing, she approached Lightningheart.
"Don't you think you should let Pinepaw hunt? We need all the prey we can get, and if you're worried about her running away... it won't happen because no one ever gets away." Mistyspark hoped that she convinced him, but it was true that no one had ever escaped the clutches of the High Court.
Lightningheart gazed at MIstyspark levelly. "She can hardly catch a dead mouse, Mistyspark," he meowed. "She eats more than she catches. She's of no use to me or the Clan." His eyes flicked to Pinepaw.
Sunpaw followed Mouspaw out of camp. "Hunt together?" she asked, her golden eyes shining.
Tigerkit pouted. How come Meadowkit was getting all the attention! She wanted to explore camp too! She bounced over to the others, plastering a smile on her face. "Mama, how 'bout me and Meadowkit go explore together! I could protect her!" To emphasize her point, she bared her teeth, downy fur fluffing up as she swiped at imaginary attackers.
Skyrose looked on at the scene with slight interest. So, Lightningheart's doing something about the kit. How... interesting. She narrowed her blue eyes ever so slightly as the Heir brushed his tail along Hollyheart's flank, and her tail twitched as a mildly unpleasant feeling began tingling through her fur. The feeling was strange - foreign, even - and Skyrose had no idea what to make of it.
"But... Meadowkit. They'll definitely do something really bad to her," she mewed helplessly, feeling very kitlike at the moment. She had never felt so powerless before.
Lilacfall swept over to the kits. "Hush. He might hear you," she said, although inwardly she sympathized. She glanced toward the nursery. Poor Hollyfrost... she couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to deal with such a thing.
Hollyfrost swallowed, eyes darting from Lightningheart to her kits. "Very well." She sighed, her dark fur bristling ever so slightly.
Lightningheart eyed Hollyfrost, smirking. "I'll leave you to your. . . business." He turned and padded over to Skyrose, eyes gleaming. "Have the stars fallen to earth? Because I'm looking at a natural phenomenon."
He wasn't the best at this whole 'complimenting' business.
Skyrose raised a nonexistent eyebrow, looking highly unimpressed. "I'm guessing this 'natural phenomenon' you speak of is Hollyfrost? You seem to be very fascinated with her," she quipped.
Skyrose's fur burned as she realized what she'd said. Oh stars, she wasn't jealous, was she? Skyrose never got jealous, especially not over a tom. She let her gaze flick down for a second before meeting Lightningheart's eyes again, and she fought hard to keep her gaze cool.
Flareheart practically dragged herself out of camp. She circled around the camp, heading north. The trees grew denser, clustered together, perfect for bird nests.
Lightningheart's tail flicked, but if he caught onto Skyrose's retort, he didn't show it. "Wake up on the wrong side of the den, did we?" He mused, his eyes gleaming. "I meant you, not that doltish she-cat." He threw a careless glance towards Hollyfrost. "Weak, that one. Too shy."
"Indeed she is." Lightningheart clicked his tongue. "She will be made an example of what will happen to countless others if they do not obey, I suppose."
Meadowkit looked around, gasping. Her eyes cluttered with a bright sort of interest, and, even with her crippled paw, she managed to keep up with her sister as they meandered around camp. She didn't look back, although she knew Hollyfrost was watching.
"Well, it's not as if she hasn't obeyed," Skyrose began, a teasing glimmer in her eyes. "She's a kit. What do they know about obeying? However, I agree; she's going to be nothing but a burden in the future." She paused, turning to survey the two gamboling kits. "Are you planning to take action now or later?"
Tigerkit gasped as she spotted a regal-looking gray tom (Cloudheart) sitting a few fox-lengths away. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "He looks fancy!" The tom appeared to be watching Lightningheart and the other she-cat, although Tigerkit didn't have a clue as to why. She turned to Meadowkit, a mischevious sort of gleam in her eyes. "Wanna go talk to him?"
Lilacfall stood, brushing her fur off, and walked out of camp.
Snowshadow and my other two warriors I definitely didn't forget about went hunting, Snowshadow slightly annoyed at the interruption to her planning. She, however, didn't say anything. She could defeat the High Court later.
Stormfeather watched as Snowshadow left, breathing a slight sigh of relief. He knew that Flamestar was terrible, but rebelling could cost him his life. He knew he wasn't a good cat. He lied about the location of Flamestar's poison and he wasn't joining or helping the rebelllion in the slightest. Should he have told the truth? No cat would have known... but if Flamestar found out he'd be dead. No, it was better to just stay safe. Stay loyal.
Lightningheart clicked his long tail, surveying the camp. "Later." His muzzle twisted into a malicious smirk. "Let her have a taste of life. She's not become a waste of prey just yet."
Meadowkit nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" She whispered, her tiny body quivering like a willow tree in the wind.
(I don't want her to die because I've fallen in love with her oops :P)
(Should we have a set of cats escape in the aftermath of the poison raid?)
Snowshadow had already caught a scrawny mouse and a coke when she came across the bush. A huge yew plant, branches draping with berries stood before her. She began to climb, branches creaking under her weight. She stepped on a smaller branch at the top with one paw and with a crack, it fell away from the bush. She continued the process for all the boughs she could manage to strike down, then began to bury them in the shadow of the remaining bush.
Snowshadow completed burying the branches she could snap off and looked up at the rest of the bush. She decided to rip off all the berries and crush and bury them as well, and she did so. By the time she was done, the remaining branches were completely bare of the little red killers that Flamestar used so often. Now, to find the next one.
"Oh!" Sardonyx jumped in surprise. "I-I'm fine!" She stuttered. Her accent wavered a little, which only happened when she was nervous. I thought clan life would be fun, but it really isn't. I feel like a slave here... She thought.
Icestar22 wrote:
Lightningheart clicked his long tail, surveying the camp. "Later." His muzzle twisted into a malicious smirk. "Let her have a taste of life. She's not become a waste of prey just yet."
Meadowkit nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" She whispered, her tiny body quivering like a willow tree in the wind.
(I don't want her to die because I've fallen in love with her oops :P)
Featherkit tossed a sharp shell at the sky and turned to prance into the nursery. Her tail was lifted as if she hadn't just chucked a sharp object. An object that would most likely land on someone.
Flareheart trotted back to camp, three birds and a fish hanging from her jaws. She stumbled slightly from a sudden flash in her visio, dropping the prey on the ground as her head started to ache. After what seemed like moons, the pain let up, but the warrior was left breathless and shaking.
"And I'm Meadowkit." Meadowkit piped, refusing to be outdone by her sister. Her paw brushed the ground as she peered up at the tom, her tiny tail swishing.
"I'm Cloudheart." He'd always had a soft spot for young kits, but the frown remained on his face. "You really shouldn't be here." He glanced nervously over his shoulder.
Flamestar flipped his tail-tip to one side as another hacking cough escaped him.
Ebonyheart tilted her head curiously toward Flamestar's den.
Meadowkit looked around for Lightningheart. Her gaze brightened once she spotted him. "But he told us we should come out of the nursery." She meowed, motioning towards the sleek tom.
"Oh." Cloudheart continued frowning, doing his best not to storm over to Lightningheart and demand why. "Well, why don't you play with your fellow kits?" He glanced around nervously, then stooped down to Meadowkit. "You really should stay away from Lightningheart..."
"What? Why?" Tigerkit mewed, looking between the two toms in confusion. "Lightningheart's really nice. He always visits us. Sometimes that she-cat visits us with him, too." She waved her tail in Skyrose's general direction.
