[ META ] Phase Four - Meeting at the Border

[Blinded By Silence]

So much has happened in the last few days between the river of stone and the tallest of trees. A tactless attempt at prey-thieving on TreeClan territory led to a chase that resulted in an invasion of StoneClan's nest. With both sides defending their homes and their honor, words and accusations were thrown as sharp as calls. Needless blood stained the stones, red regardless of which side it belonged to.

And when the dust settled, and the blood was washed away by the rain, these two clans were left with their faults laid bare. Now that the wounded are strong enough to return home, it is time for the leaders of Stone and Tree to come together and find a solution to these problems.​

Cast for StoneClan:

1. Sunseer (Blinded By Silence)​

2. Skysong (Blinded By Silence)​

3. Flashpaw (Blinded By Silence)​

4. Strikedrop (belloblossom)​

5. Sharptongue (belloblossom)​

6. Steadypaw (belloblossom)​

7. Petalpaw (belloblossom)​

8. Dapplepaw (I--Livewire--I)​

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Cast for TreeClan:

1. Sunflight (belloblossom)​

2. Dustfeather (belloblossom)​

3. Lynxstride (belloblossom)​

4. Talonfang (Blinded By Silence)​

5. Poplarpaw (Umbrefox)​

6. Brackencloud (kovak)​

7. Maplepaw (kovak)​

8. Flightpaw (kovak)​

 

[Blinded By Silence]

The sun looked out hesitantly, peeking down over the border between wisps of clouds like a child sneaking looks between their fingers. Sunseer cannot see this, of course, but rather, he can feel the tentative warmth on his fur as he leads his cats onward. There is a solemn quietness about the group as he approaches the same clearing his apprentices had used in the days prior.

He lets out a measured breath, his long tail dragging along the ground for balance, as he once again walked through the memories of the past few weeks. How had he missed this? How had he not seen the disconnect? The lack of understanding? How had he let it get this far?

The old tom shook his head. He had been tumbling those thoughts around in his mind for days now, if he let them eat at him any further, he wasn't sure there would be anything left of him to truly take responsibility for the mistake. It was time to end this, to right this wrong.

And so, when the scent of pine stung his throat, the leader of StoneClan sat, his long tail clearing a semi-circle of grass around him before thumping the ground with a firm gesture. He waited until the cats around him sat too before speaking.

"We're all here, then. Dustfeather, go ahead and fetch Sunflight."

@belloblossom @I--LiveWire--I @kovak @Umbrefox

 

[belloblossom]

Dustfeather had reluctantly accepted Sunflight's decree when he was told to stay behind and every day since he'd been tasked to watch over his injured Clanmates, he'd been eager to return to Duskwing's side. At last, his injured Clanmates had recovered to a point that they were able to travel and Sunseer and some of his warriors accompanied them out to the border. When instructed by Sunseer, he glanced around at his Clanmates, at the StoneClan warriors, before he darted up the first tree he spotted. He took a moment, relieved to be back in the comforts of the branches and leaves, before he headed out towards TreeClan camp.

It didn't take him very long to be spotted by a patrol of his Clanmates and he was hurried back to camp. He had been hoping that he might get some reprieve - that he could go see Duskwing and his children, that he could get something to eat that tasted familiar and not the fish that were so plentiful in the StoneClan camp. Alas, Sunflight included him on the patrol back to the StoneClan cats nd he was a dutiful warrior, though some resentment was staring to wiggle its ways beneath his toes. Lining up with the other cats named, he looked out through the others in the patrol. His gaze fell on Poplarpaw and he padded over to stand beside the she-cat, as he waited for Sunflight to call upon them to leave once more. @Umbrefox (Dustfeather is standing beside Poplarpaw.)

 

[belloblossom]

Sunflight had been sending out patrols frequently, both to protect her borders and to have cats report back to her the moment Dustfeather had returned with news of her Clanmates. She had become irrationally emotional since the battle, stuck in a loop between spacing out for lengths of time and going through fits of activity.

That particular morning, she was staring emptily at the fresh kill pile. She had sent out a patrol to go hunting just moments ago and she'd thought about getting herself something to eat, before she remembered that some of her Clanmates who had gone with her into the battle she'd led against StoneClan, would never eat prey again.

It was the sound of the returning border patrol that shook her back into reality. She'd grabbed Dustfeather, her mind still partially in a daze. She looked around at the cats who still remained in camp and rattled off a few names. Dustfeather, Lynxstride, Talonfang, Brackencloud - he needed to get out of camp sometimes too. She did mention that anyone else who wanted to join her could and she saw a few others step up who she wasn't expecting: Maplepaw, Poplarpaw and Flightpaw. Well, it would be good that the apprentices were getting more life experience, wouldn't it?

"Alright, if that's everyone, let's head out." She said. "Dustfeather, lead the way." She mewed to the tomcat and upon seeing his expression she added. "Sooner we get there, sooner we get home to our loved ones, Dustfeather." She told him, a twist in her gut for words she didn't feel comfortable saying. Not all of Dustfeather's loved ones would not be there to greet him upon his return. Duskwing and in fact, many cats from TreeClan had left in the days following the battle. Sunflight had lost two children because of her decision to attack StoneClan.

Turning to the closest tree, she dug her claws deep into the bark and hauled herself up the trunk. She was ready to get this meeting over with and try, if she could, to put this behind her. She sighed, climbing onto a branch and beginning the journey through the forest. May this encounter go as well as it possibly can. She thought, glancing at the sun above. @Blinded By Silence @Umbrefox @I--LiveWire--I @kovak

 

[Umbrefox]

Poplarpaw has been feeling down, she blamed herself a little even though she knows these were circumstance outside of her control. If she explained her opinion clearly like Errol would others have listened? If she had not confided her doubts with Birchleaf, would she have stayed? If she had gone with everyone else would her dad still be alive? Would two of her siblings not expressed their intent to leave? All the what ifs played in her mind. She had volunteered to come on this patrol in hopes to find some closure to ease the tempest of emotions inside.

She followed the rest of the patrol still preoccupied with her thoughts until she noticed the presence of someone next to her. Looking up to see Dustfeather. @belloblossom

 

[kovak]

Brackencloud was not part of the skirmish, he was too busy protecting the fresh kill pile, and today he was summoned to join Sunflight. How could he refuse a command from the leader? Once the Treeclan cats met up with Stoneclan, Brackencloud gave out a short huff of breath and plopped himself onto the ground. Sunflight simply said that he was to join the group, she never said that he had to be presentable. He watched the she-cat climb the tree in front of them and then turned his head back to the ground. That was pretty high.

 

[kovak]

Maplepaw was eager to volunteer herself to join. Maybe tell Stumptail about the meeting too? She was still unsure about a large number of things in the clan, so this experience would be beneficial for her to have a more firm grounding of clan life and structure? She didn't really speak much, other than to be sassy and snappy when needed, but she promised herself to keep her tongue today. She might still be an apprentice, but she was wellrounded and very much the age of a warrior.

 

[kovak]

Flightpaw felt a bit miserable after losing some family members. He honestly partially felt abandoned, and grew more distant to Dustfeather ever since Duskwing left. He felt guilt, he felt embarassment, he felt confused. He heard stories of his parents being the iconic couple of Treeclan, and now that was not the case. When Sunflight called for volunteering cats to join, Flightpaw volunteered, knowing that Dustfeather was also a participant. Maybe this would let him get to know his father a bit more?

 

[Blinded By Silence]

Skysong was almost used to the heavy stones of guilt that weighed down her heart. She had carried them with her for most of her life. Survior's guilt, or whatever Sunseer called it, a sad sense of responsibility for being the last one standing of her once proud bloodline. Now, as she walked along side her leader and her clanmates, she felt them tug on her with every step. There were new stones now, one for the fight her harsh judgement may have inadvertently caused, one for her blind eye she'd turned to it all to focus on kits that weren't even hers. Kits that she had promptly forgotten about as she dove headfirst into the numbing power her duty gave her. One for the lives of cats she was supposed to protect, lost and buried with a Warrior name she'd been so hesitant to award them in life. Sun above, could they hear them clattering against one another?

No, surely not. Her thoughts were her own, as always. The stony face she always wore held strong, clear and defiant of the exhaustion that clung to her eyes.

She sat herself to the right of Sunseer, just behind and out of reach of his sweeping tail. Her own tail sat neatly over her paws, its tip hugging her ankle gently.

 

[I--LiveWire--I]

Dapplepaw huffed and flicked her ear as she tagged along with her clanmates to meet with the very enemy that had attacked them. She was disgruntled and put out by the whole affair. Not only had they attacked out of nowhere, one of their targeted and half mauled her to death in moments. She had known she wasn't much a fighter but she didn't like being shown to be so outclassed and she still felt pain in her body. She however did not show this in her stride as she moved with the group.

She would come, observe, and remember. For she would not forget these events quickly and some day she was sure to get a chance to hurt them back. Screw all the stupid clan politics and rationality. She had been slighted and the clan she was utilizing had been harmed.

She was silent as she joined the other cats and sat behind the others, ears swiveling and eyes sharp. She did not like this at all but the sooner they did this the sooner the dead weight of their enemies injured would stop being a constant drain and reminder of recent events. Even now her claws itched and she seethed internally that she hadn't been able to directly or indirectly do anything to those bags of fur. And had been instead made to work to aide their recovery. Even the thought of having to do extra work left her with a bad taste, but having to do so for an enemy that did not deserve it made her sick.

She snapped her roaming seething thoughts back to the present and glowered sharping into the trees as if they had been the things to offend her so.

 

[belloblossom]

Steadypaw had come along on this journey, because he understood that he was in trouble for hunting over the border. He wasn't worried about the consequences, because really, what could Sunseer do that would be so terrible? Oh, was Steadypaw going to get kicked out from the Clan? Oh nooo - so many cats left StoneClan in the days following the battle, that Steadypaw wasn't certain StoneClan could afford to lose more cats. He doubted a soft-heart like Sunseer would threaten him with physical harm, so what did that leave? He'd get a cuff on the ear and some words about loyalty and the Code that Clan cats clung to and then in a moon or two, this whole thing would be forgotten about. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at this whole performance at the border.

So, instead he turned his gaze to Flashpaw who had come with him. He nudged her with his shoulder as they settled at the border.
"Ve make gud team." He told her, offering her a smile. "Ve vill not fall here." He said, in an attempt to reassure her, if she felt any concern over this ordeal. @Blinded By Silence

 

[belloblossom]

It didn't feel real, that his father was gone. It didn't feel real that Owlsbane had left the Clan, or that other cats of TreeClan had either. Lynxstride had been criticizing himself for days, if he had been more present during the fight, if he had gotten to his father's side faster, if he'd been there when it counted... Maybe his father would still be alive. Maybe Owlsbane wouldn't have left the Clan. Maybe Poplarpaw, his little sister, wouldn't look so distraught every time he saw her. He had approached her, when she volunteered. He cast a look at Dustfeather, who had only just returned and he felt a pang of pity for the tomcat. Did he even know that his own family, his mate and many of his kin, had left? Had anyone told him? Well, that wasn't Lynxstride's responsibility.

"Poplarpaw," He mewed to his sister. "Stay close to me, okay? I've got your flank." And her back, and her front - he wasn't going to let anything happen to his younger sister on this patrol and if he had anything to say about their lives going forward, Lynxstride would be the first barrier between any danger that his loved ones might face in the future.

As cats began to take to the trees to make their way to the border, he nodded to Poplarpaw. "You go up first, I'll be right behind you." He mewed, hoping to be reassuring in the face of all that was happening. @Umbrefox

 

[belloblossom]

Dustfeather had stepped away from Poplarpaw when Lynxstride approached. It was better, he thought, that she was to be comforted by family. Speaking of, his young son, Flightpaw had volunteered to be apart of the patrol! This came as a surprise to him, but he padded over to Flightpaw and brushed his fur against his son's.

"Glad to have you along, Flightpaw." He mewed, finding the energy to smile. "You can come in the front with me, if you'd like - provided you can keep up." His eyes twinkled and he coerced a purr from his throat, before turning and nodding to Sunflight and taking to the trees once more. Once he returned home, he would go straight to Duskwing and sleep the rest of the day away with her. In the meantime, he would do as his leader asked, even if he wasn't wholly pleased with it. @kovak

 

[Umbrefox]

Poplarpaw nodded in response to her older brother's instruction and started climbing. She could tell he was doing his best to provide stability after all that happened. It all just happened so fast. The resulting mixture of shock, anger, sadness, betrayal, and isolation among their family members left her feeling broken inside. It has to be rough for Lynxstride as well.

She had been trying her best to not be a burden to the others but had not been her usually talkative self, instead only making them more worried. Tigerpaw, now Tigerstrike, was so furious he left before their quickly approaching naming ceremony, choosing his own suffix instead. Mosspaw, who had been in StoneClan when it happened, has been throwing her anger into training. Her other siblings from their litter, Thistlepaw and Beechpaw, haven't spoken much either. Both Owlbane, her older sister, and Birchleaf, her mentor and daughter of Sunflight, left in disappointment and disgust at the result of Sunflight's hasty decisions. Poplarpaw hasn't even gotten the chance to have a proper conversation with her mother Nutpelt or older sister Harebound. She was really at a lost on how to proceed.

A sigh escaped her lips, breaking her silence. @belloblossom

 

[Blinded By Silence]

Flashpaw was being very mindful of her breathing. Not because she was anxious or anything, no. Not with Steadypaw big and quiet by her side. If these annoying squirrels twitched a whisker wrong, she would not hesitate to crush them like before. Or rather, hold them while Steady crushed them. But no, she wasn't worried. She was focusing on breathing to make sure she was breathing. The best way to keep quiet was to think all her questions on the inside. Which was easy enough for short things like hunting, but these trips to the border? She'd pass out if she held her breath that long!

So, she counted her breaths. One, two... Goodness he really was so tall, wasn't he? Or was she just small? Nah, he.. oh! Uh.. Five! Six, seven...

"Hm?" She'd been staring at him again, her ear flicked at his words, "Oh! Yes, we are a good team! I'm not worried, just uh.." Her eyes flicked over to where Skysong and Sunseer sat and she lowered her voice, "Just not trying to get in trouble if I can help it. Still dunno what the big deal is, but I'm trying to figure it out. I kinda wanna stay, you know? I like it here, all these cats. Well, less now, I guess." She shrugs and settles in close to the big tom, "Reminds me of home."

@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Lynxstride couldn't blame Poplarpaw for her silence, not after all that she'd seen and been through. It troubled him, but then again, all of this troubled him. Still, so long as she was eating and getting sleep... so long as his sister and in fact, all of his siblings knew that Lynxstride was there to support them, that would be enough.

Repressing a sigh, he leaped into the tree following his younger sister and walked through the branches, his awareness shifting from the branches underfoot to Poplarpaw nearby. Occasionally, he even found himself looking to Flightpaw and Dustfeather, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. They were all hurting, all mourning.

I wonder if StoneClan is feeling just as hurt, or if they've already moved on. He thought, no energy to be bitter. I hope they've learned their lesson. He cast his eyes forward to where Sunflight walked, her head held high, but her tail drooping. I hope that we have learned out lesson, too.