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Stormchaser

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"WELL, I'VE GOT THICK SKIN AND AN ELASTIC HEART"​
Rage still blooms within his chest as he makes haste back to his home within the oak forest, the rest of the patrol in tow after chasing ShadowClan off their territory. Sunnyday, Silverlightning, and Shallowpaw had gone after them to ensure they had left which left the rest of the patrol to report back to Howling Wind. His eyes were still wild from the battle, his silvery blue fur ruffled from his scuffle with Spectermask. The image of that dark tom still plagued his mind, his cruel smile and laughter echoed within his ears. Blood had clotted the left side of his face, dark crimson a stark contrast against his moon bathed features. ShadowClan had the nerve to attempt to steal prey from them, had thought they'd get away with it too. Had it not been for Nightbird leaving her post in order to stretch out, perhaps they'd be successful. Had it also not been for Sandpaw calling in reinforcements, Nightbird was accompanied by her clan mates with snarling tones and outstretched claws within minutes. They had gotten one puny mouse, but that mouse could've fed one of ThunderClan's sick or their queens. They had kits to think about now, with more on tne way.
His tail twitches as he emerges from the skeletal gorse tunnel, shaking bits of twigs that decorated his feathered fur and sending splatters of blood painted across the frozen ground. Most of the camp was up now, eagerly awaiting their return. Howling Wind was pacing back and forth, her plumed tail flicking about with a hard expression twisting her features. "Howling Wind," he begins with a stoic expression of his own. Usually Stormchaser was carefree, a free spirit brokem free of chains with a smile resting on his face most of the time. But now, that was gone. His features hardened like stone, angular jaw set with pinpoint pupils despite the darkness. "ShadowClan has entered our forest. A patrol of at least five or more, hunting in our lands. They claim they're starving and there's no prey so they want to take from us. Luckily, Nightbird caught them with Sunnyday and Sandpaw. They made off with one mouse, but we sent them reeling back. I guess they were surprised by us coming so quickly." His voice remains steady, even if a blazing flame runs within his veins at the sheer thought of their faces. He takes a moment to breath, in and out.
"I'm unsure if they know of Emberstar's death or not. But it's an awful coincidence they try this after her passing. Howling—I, we need you to go to the Moonstone. ThunderClan needs their leader and also their deputy. I know there's a lot going on—but, we need you. Maybe StarClan can help us—maybe when you go, they'll give us a sign." His paws shifted uneasily as he makes such a bold statement to the tabby molly, his orange hues flitted around to his clan mates for support on this. Perhaps his plea would make Howling Wind mull it over, but he also understands if she felt it was too dangerous. He had to try, either way.

@HOWLING WIND
please wait for her reply then anyone else is more than welcome to reply :)
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The stout woman paces back and forth in the center of camp, fire practically burning beneath her feet. Ever since Sandpaw had burst into their camp to call for reinforcements, telling them ShadowClanners were in their forest, her own eyes remained glued to the entrance, waiting for her warriors to return with news. What business did the marsh-dwellers have here? Why would they intrude?

As soon as she hears the rustling of movement, her head whips around to face the approaching warrior. It's Stormchaser, leading the other. Her pacing ceases and she turns to face him to hear his report. Her jaw clenches when she hears why they were there. Hunting. "Do they think they're the only starving clan?" She growls halfheartedly, glancing sidelong at the pitifully low fresh-kill pile. ThunderClan can't spare even a mouse, and yet one has been stolen from their woods. Her claws flex into the frozen ground with frustration.

Stormchaser urges her to go to the Moonstone and Howling Wind looks back at him with a somber stare. "I can't. I can't leave until I know ThunderClan is safe. It's a long journey, and I'd never forgive myself if anything happened while I was gone."​
 

ShadowClan was awfully bold for a clan full of mongrels. It was an unkind thought and a rare one to have, but he remembered how their leader once marched into the territory and threatened to take matters into his own hands for what Cinderfrost had done and while not entirely unwarranted there was a madness in that tom's eyes he wouldn't soon forget. Sunfreckle trots over as the group returns, harried and frazzled, a few scratched and wounded; he immediately moves to see @Sparkpaw there and gives him a quick inspection and light touch of his nose. "Look at you, ran them out did you? Good job-oh, your nose." A little bloodied but it didn't seem too bad, he'd have himself his first little scar and thankfully it was minor, "You look like quite the little warrior now, but let's not make it a habit shall we?" Better to leave clawmarks than earn them. "See Berryheart as soon as you can."
His son didn't look too scraped up but he'd rather waste a few seconds of the medicine cat's time than risk ignoring anything that might be more serious. His ears pricked upward as he hears Stormchaser move to their deputy and soon-to-be leader, echoes a concern he has long since held in his chest the entire time the dogs roamed their forest with Emberstar's blood on their teeth. She protests and he turns proper to join the conversation.

"...and what if, StarClan forbid, the dogs take you from us too? Stormchaser is right..." They could vote perhaps, or the clan would dissolve into ununified chaos in a panic or bid for power. He didn't like to think this way of his clanmates, but cats often did exceptionally surprising things when they felt backed into a corner. Trufflepelt came to mind immediately, a quiet and sweet old tom who had shown his colors and his claws when their guard was dropped. Was there another in the clan like him? Waiting for the opportunity to strike? The red tabby felt his fur rising, puffing up as his anxiety flared and he shook himself to settle himself back down and flatten it to his form once more.
"Flycatcher can take care of things while you are gone-we can keep the patrols up. Stay in large groups. We can fight." He could fight. He'd never faced a dog before, felt his claws prickle at the thought, but if push came to shove they'd see how different they bled from cats. "Trust in your warriors."
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When he hears about the ShadowClan hunting patrol, Flycatcher tenses. "They were doing what?" He hissed, tail lashing in irritation. Although clearly angry, Flycatcher's anger is not directed towards Stormchaser nor his report of what happened. At Howling Wind's comment, Flycatcher rolls his eyes, struggling to believe that ShadowClan really thought they could hunt on their land and get away with it. "They have my sympathies if they are struggling to eat but the fact that they think they can get away with hunting on our land is disgraceful," Flycatcher said. "Clearly WindClan's attitude is starting to rub off on them."

At Stormchaser's urging of Howling Wind to go to the moonstone, Flycatcher turns his head to listen, intrigued on what she would say. He had to admit it was something he was curious about. He had considered mentioning it himself, but had not wanted to overstep nor push Howling Wind. "Ultimately it is your choice to decide when you go," Flycatcher said, glancing towards the soon-to-be leader. "But I think Stormchaser and Sunfreckle are right. The sooner ThunderClan has a strong leader in place again the better. You are a strong, wise, and noble she-cat Howling Wind but you are not infallible as the incident with Trufflepelt proved. If something were to happen to you I am not sure how the clan would cope in light of all our struggles and Emberstar's death."​
 
Raccoonstripe's adrenaline has burned off into ashes of rage. Indignation. The filthy ShadowClan blood taste is still in his mouth after ripping at the white warrior's ear, and he feels his neck and belly stinging from the wounds the other cat had inflicted upon him. Over a mouse? Sounds familiar. He's grateful his apprentices hadn't been present, especially Moonpaw.

StarClan knows a border skirmish so soon isn't what she needs.

The tabby listens to Howling Wind's rebuttal of Stormchaser's suggestion. He blinks incredulously at his mother. "They're right. Flycatcher and the rest of us can guard camp. From ShadowClan and those disgusting dogs." His eyes are flint-hard. "Everyone of us would die for this Clan. And if you have to die, too... better you can get back up afterward."

He does not add on the dark murmur that languishes in the back of his skull. Well, it didn't help Emberstar, did it? He shakes that fear away. It would not happen to Howling Wind. None of them would let it get that far.

"I do think you and Berryheart should have an escort, though," he relents. "In case you find trouble on the way." The Clans had to tread through WindClan territory to get to the Moonstone, and although ThunderClan had no personal vendetta with Sootstar, Raccoonstripe knows they think poorly of their Clan.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​
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BORN TO FIND THAT GREAT UNKNOWN ⋆⁺₊⋆
It was hard to stay put while whispers of a trespassing Shadowclan patrol spread throughout the camp like wildfire. She had instructed for her kits to stay inside the nursery...maybe the patrol was simply a distraction..were they surrounding the camp while they sat like sitting ducks? The red queen sat firmly outside the entrance, her burning stare focused straight ahead. If any Shadowclanners were stupid enough to make it to their camp, she would kill them if they made a move towards her kits. She had never killed another cat, but she felt such an intense feeling of protection now, it was an entirely outcome.

As soon as movement occurred in the camp's entrance, Flamewhisker leapt to her paws. She took in a deep breath, preparing herself to issue a warning yowl, but it was quickly dismissed as she recognized Stormchaser. Her eyes widened as she spotted the blood that was plastered to the side of his face. She angled her ears, hoping to be able to hear everything he said.

They were hunting....they were stealing food out of her family and friend's jaws.

The fur along her neck ruffled angrily, and she glanced around the sides of the camp, making sure no Shadowclanners had followed them back. Once she was content, she would pad over to join the group gathering around their soon to be leader. "Bunch of fox-hearts. They are buddy buddies with Windclan...why don't they hunt over there?" she would sneer, her tail lashing irritatedly.

Stormchaser's next words were also something she had been wondering about, but hadn't dared asking the other Molly. She hadn't been around when Emberstar had received her nine lives, so she wasn't quite sure how it happened. Part of her had wondered if she just woke up with them randomly, but it seemed that was not the case. Her attention shifted to Flycatcher, then to the rest of her clanmates. "If those dogs found the camp, it would be a mistake on their end. We would shred them." Of course, she hadn't seen the dogs like her clanmates had...so perhaps shredding them was a bit farfetched.

She stiffed as she imagined Howling Wind in Emberstar's position...torn apart and savaged. Thunderclan was in danger if she was killed before getting her nine lives and appointing a deputy...and now, it wasn't just the dogs after their territory. How long would it be before Shadowclan launched another attack on them? Pitchstar was a ruthless and impulsive leader. If he caught wind that their new leader didn't have as many lives as him...she quickly pushed the thought away.
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"WELL, I'VE GOT THICK SKIN AND AN ELASTIC HEART"​
His hardened features began to soften at Howling Wind's dilemma, returning her somber stare with one of his own. He was about to apologize, to retract his statement and call it quits until another voice piped up beside of him. Sunfreckle backed Stormchaser's point with one of his own, though the image of Emberstar's beaten and broken body plagued his mind again. But this time, it was Howling Wind's. An image he had seen before after Trufflepelt's near successful plan to kill her. Stormchaser shuddered, shaking his head to rid himself of those memories. No, this time would be different. We know that with an injury great enough it could snatch all her lives away in one fell swoop. We'd be more careful. We'd protect her and this clan till the stars called us home.
Flycatcher steps in next, agreeing with him with Raccoonstripe in tow and Flamewhisker as well. He nods to all four of them, his confidence beginning to grow with all of their support. It was nice to have clan mates that felt the same way as he did. Howling Wind had to do this—if not for her, but for ThunderClan in whole. "I also agree. Flycatcher is one of your lead warriors and we will protect ThunderClan while you and Berryheart have gone. I also have to agree with Raccoonstripe, it'd be best if you had at least another warrior with you on your journey. I'm not sure how—kindly Sootstar would take to you crossing her borders. I don't know how any of that works. But best to be careful if you decide to go. If anything happens while you are gone, it would have happened either way if you did decide to stay. But we can't risk you losing your one and only life, Howling Wind." The warrior moves towards the brown tabby, aiming to place his plumed tail across her shoulders in comfort and support. He couldn't fathom the decision she had to make, the weight that bared down on her shoulders in this moment. But perhaps she would change her mind with their encouraging words, he'd certainly hope so.

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Sparkpaw returned to camp with the others feeling a little disappointed in himself. He could have done better, could have fought that apprentice with more than a hard bap. But he understood their plight, and he couldn't find it in himself to get angry. Surely things would be better if they just.... Helped them?

At Sunfreckle's touch he responds with a short purr and a head bump.

"We did!!" He piped up. "ONE OF THE APPRENTICES SAID SHE WAS GONNA EAT OUR SOULS!!" He exclaimed. He had never encountered such a threat before!!!!"

Sunfreckle said he looked like a little warrior and he swelled with pride. Did he look cool???? Hell yeah!!!!

"Next time I'll make sure they're the ones getting scars!" He declared, determined.


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Before Stormchaser can respond, Sunfreckle approaches with his agreement, calling attention to the fact that she herself could die and leave the clan without a leader or deputy. She parts her jaws to argue, but the pair of toms are backed up by more. Flycatcher, Raccoonstripe, and Flamewhisker all voice their desires for her to make the journey sooner rather than later, and she finds the words she was going to say dying on her tongue.

Brows tented with worry, her gaze travels over all of them. The thought of leaving them behind while she makes such a journey is a daunting one. But Sunfreckle says it best. She has to trust in her warriors. How can she ever lead if she can't do that? After a long pause, eyes flickering between them, she releases a sigh, head drooping in defeat. "We will take out one more scouting patrol. If the dogs haven't gone yet...I'll consider leaving at dusk with Berryheart. I will take one warrior with me and that's it. This camp needs all the protection it can get, especially with the little ones." A nervous glance is cast towards the nursery, where her lead warriors' kits sleep.​
 
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