where the wind blows ✘ council

[SMOKESTAR]

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He had called all of them, even Iciclefang in the nursery to the leader's den for a discussion - it was obvious tensions were high and he could hardly blame his clan for feeling as they did but he would be making a few things clear from the beginning. Smokestar sat quietly, expression unreadable as one by one his council trickled in as well as Moonpaw and once each cat had settled and turned their gaze upon him he spoke, "The copse will be added to our patrol list, I want it watched carefully. No cat other than a queen, kit, elder or their wounded and sick are permitted within it. The only other exception is their medicinec cats. If they want our herbs they must offer trade, Moonpaw. We are not giving anything to them for free. If we have fish to spare after our own kits and queens are fed then we can offer theirs some as well but RiverClan will remain priority."
It wasn't as though they couldn't still hunt on their territory, it would just be difficult but so was leafbare and this was just the heat rather than the cold - they could figure it out themselves. If it grew dire then he and Sunstar would have a discussion but he was not going to willingly bend over backwards like ThunderClan might; the minimum he offered is sanctuary and nothing more.
As time had passed since he made the decision he was growing more confident in it, he would not have been able to sleep at night with dreams of kitten screams as they burned alive echoing in his mind even if it was only his imagination and not a wretched sight he would have to behold himself.
"Any questions?" The dark tom asked, tone clipped and even - he had his guesses the first question uttered might be a 'why' but he expected a little better than that deep down.

✘ I've got a reputation and a name to uphold. ✘ Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves.

• @lichentail & @Moonpaw & @Snakeblink & @Petalnose & @FERNGILL & @iciclefang & @Mosspool
• 
  
  
  Smokestar
  —⊰⋅ Leader of RiverClan
  —⊰⋅ He/Him
  "SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  —⊰⋅ Black tom w/vitiligo & one orange eye.
  

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[lichenstar]

✦　˚ 　✧ ˚　.˚　✦ 　✦

CLAIM THE BURIAL I SEEK IN DREAMS FLOWING RIVER CEMETARY ✧

• This summoning was nothing surprising, about as predictable as the sun's consistent rise and fall. Her whiskers twitch in a bid for self-calming, knowing that the simmering demand to yell would only be met with equal parts fury for the disrespect it represented... It's a struggle. Sliding around the outskirts of the hollow willow, knots of white and blue fur shamble closer to it's blackened counterpart, only bothering to take a seat beside Smokestar once everyone else had arrived. It is a show of loyalty that a molten tongue cannot express, that she would not lunge for his throat despite her overwhelming ire for the circumstances.
  
  He is far more curt this time than times past... voice clipped with an unwavering resolution that says his decision will not be budged. These are directions, commands, not suggestions or questions. The opening for their own inquiries feels more alike a trap than an open embrace for understanding, barbed and waiting to tighten around whichever dissent came first.
  
  Her eyes narrow, then widen again to normalcy before a passive tongue licks at her lips in nervous frustration. She knew a good, obedient warrior would say 'yes Smokestar' and move on... knew her opinion was on shaky stilts. He wasn't asking for their opinions... he was asking if his orders made sense.
  
  The only potential good that could come of this would be the bartering strength they had for herbs. A single drop of positive in a lake of horrors. Her teeth grind inside her mouth, carefully considering what she could ask that would not betray her personal vendettas and when nothing comes up craftily articulated, she opts for the only safe option.
  
  "I'll arrange patrols." Because that's her role in this. Nothing more.
• about
  speech hex code ✧ #6368A5
  ooc notes ✦
  tagging ✶
  penned by tieirlys
• ˚　　★⋆. ࿐࿔　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 .
  　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　 　　　　 ੈ✧˳·˖✶ ✦　　˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚ ★⋆. ࿐࿔
  　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ✦　　​

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[Moonbeam]

In some weird way Moonpaw knew that she was part of the council that helped decide things for the clan or speak of important things when they came up, but it still came as a surprise to her when Smokestar had asked for her to meet with the others in his den. She had quickly followed of course, curious about what exactly would be said though knowing that it would have something to do with WindClan, for what else would a meeting of this caliber be than the moor-dwellers that now reside in RiverClan's home away from home.

When the shadowed feline began to speak she'd listen, ears pricked as she tried her best to absorb every word before her own name was said and she'd offer a nod of her head in response. She had no plans to give away much needed herbs for free, not now and she was sure that wouldn't change any time soon - if ever. She'd offered a trade within WindClan's own camp for the much needed catmint that she would hopefully soon use to help make sure Shellkit would get better, and that offer had been left open.

She had no questions, though not because of anger from WindClan being there, simply because she couldn't think of any to ask. Much of this though it did involve her it wasn't directly, she just had to keep an ear out for if WindClan wanted to trade herbs at all and even then depending on what was offered there was no guarantee that the trade would go through. For now she'd simply have to wait to see if one of the patrols that Lichentail would put together would hear from Cottonpaw or Wolfsong if they were settled and if they'd been able to check on the catmint to make sure it had made it out fine, for if it was something that had burned and shriveled on their journey back it would be useless.

A STRAWBERRY AVALANCHE ꕥ CRASHED OVER ME

• --
• 
  MEDICINE CAT IN TRAINING;
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ FLESH WOUNDS
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ INFECTIONS
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ ACHES & PAINS
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ ILLNESS
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ BREATHING ISSUES
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ TRAVELING HERBS
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ BROKEN BONES
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ KITTING
  — ꕥꕥꕥꕥꕥ POISONS
• 
  ꕥ SH white masking cinnamon torbie w/orange eyes & small ears
  ꕥ speaks softly & often found humming
  ꕥ 12 moons old; ages the 17th every month
  ꕥ homosexual homoromantic ; interested in beepaw & redacted
  ꕥ currently being mentored by ravensong
  ꕥ easy to befriend/interact with ; hard to anger/upset
  ꕥ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ꕥ easy in combat unless in water, focuses on defensive tactics
  ꕥ peaceful powerplay allowed

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[Petalnose]

The brief silence was almost deafening to her after Smokestar asked for questions, looking to her fellow council members as her own questions bubbled up in her chest in the midst of her unexpressed anger. She had several, some she chose not to ask as they were useless or reprimand-able. Why? Shewanted to ask that.

Why let them in when they tortured the clan he so protected?

The most she'd give was let them cross their territory into the unknown. If not.. she would turn her back cruelly as she would have thought they could treat them. The screams would haunt her.. but.. that was what she thought was best for her clan's wellbeing. They were a clan. Not a sanctuary to enemies.

It was difficult for Petalnose. Anger was never something she shoved down, she waved the flag proudly for everyone to see. Authority was something she laughed at in her youth, yelled at her mother.. yelled at her elders. It didn't matter, she believed then she was only in charge of herself. Never would she have thought she'd be sitting in this position.. as some rank of authority. Emotions and wants could get in the way of her rank and respect now. She has matured. She now "knows better than that", as he mother so told her countless of times. Petalnose couldn't let her emotions get in the way right now.

She still respected Smokestar.

"Guards.." A rumble underneath a deep heave as a desperate move for emotional release, her paws kneaded impatiently, "Instead of just patrols.. are we having shifts of standing guard at the copse? After they took-" she clenched her teeth, painful.. painful it was to keep her character contained. She took a breath again, "After they took so much from us- after all they did.. I don't think we should trust a second without eyes on them. Not even their ‘innocent’." The patched Molly paused, looking to her fellow members for signs of agreement and then her blazing gaze stood standstill to the River king once more for an answer.

I don't want to see the lives drain from my clanmates again..
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[FERNGILL]

Uncertainty was scattered among them all, though Ferngill was sure that Smokestar would have thought of it; his certainty was rewarded upon the urge for patrols to be taken along the beech copse, now it housed WindClan's most vulnerable. Petalnose's initial suspicion and Lichentail's tenseness hadn't been forgotten- but the deputy spoke nothing but compliance, and Ferngill frowned a little upon seeing it. A verdant eye found Petalnose then- guards, she said, and Ferngill considered the possibility for a few moments.

His mind stumbled toward some sort of answer. Really... in this sort of tense atmosphere, so thick he could almost feel it dripping off of him like shaken water, the fiery tom felt a little bit out of place. Like Smokestar hadn't really thought his appointment through very much when he'd made it... but he didn't really give council status as an apology for major warrior-ceremony delay, did he? That would be beyond ridiculous.

No, Ferngill told himself- and hoped anyone might assert it- that he was here because Smokestar wanted his opinion. "We could have a lookout. But... but I really don't think they mean to trick us with this." Ferngill sighed past the tenseness. Yes, in his mind WindClan had always been pretty synonymous with bad, but... kittens? Queens? "Someone watching to tell us the second they're ready to go... the moment it's safe for them to go, maybe. I don't... I don't want us to scare their kits any more than they already are, though." Maybe someone'd tell him he was being too soft. But he thought of the faces of his young kin, fire-light aglow in their eyes, terror flickering there. He thought of how he would feel if the roles were reversed- if a shadowed Windclanner loomed over the nursery and kept suspicious, burning eyes on even innocent kittens at all times. "I think the patrols will probably be enough. They've got nothing to gain from attacking us." Surely, surely nothing... nothing but the promise that, if they did, RiverClan would never look upon them with an ounce of sympathy ever again. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Snakeblink has been a lead warrior longer than he was a regular warrior of Riverclan, before; it shows in the looseness of his limbs as he answers Smokestar’s summon, comfortable and secure in a position that, mere moons ago, he doubted he would be allowed to keep. He is among friends and Smokestar trusts him, values him enough to keep him in his council despite his weaknesses. The reminder of this — of the trust placed in him by the taciturn leader — keeps his hackles down and his tail curled around his paws as the dark tom shares his decision with them.

Windclan is dangerous. But it, like them, has seen a sudden change in leadership recently; a more brutal and proactive one than theirs, as Cicadastar was taken from them by rogue teeth while Sootstar was deposed by the very same paws that now guide the moor cats. In light of these changes… Snakeblink is willing to give them a chance to prove themselves, especially under the strict guidelines given by Smokestar. Besides,

”Their kits, their queens, their sick, their wounded and their elders— every vulnerable cat in their clan has been brought to safety on our territory,” he hums, nodding towards Ferngill in tacit agreement of the other’s argument against guards. ”At our mercy without so much as an abled warrior to protect them. I think Windclan is clever enough to realize the truth of the situation.” A glance at Lichentail, agitation clear in the faint expression of their body, before his eyes wander away, almost musing to himself: ”And if they act like fools, it will not take much for us to make them regret it. It is a very short walk from the copse to the gorge.”
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——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely​

ooc. information.

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• 
  
  
  — Snakeblink • he / him. 51 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

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[Mosspool]

𓆝 . ° ✦ There was a rigidness in Mosspool's steps beyond her usual formality as she answered Smokestar's call, one that betrayed nervousness. The position of lead warrior was still new to her, and every council meeting felt like an event. This one even more so, given the unwelcome guests on their territory. It was a mystery to her why they had not driven them all out yet. She had hoped Smokestar might explain his decision and set to rest all her burning questions. Instead, all he did was tell them all that patrols of beech corpse would be in order.

Her brow furrowed, but she said nothing. Even in this private setting, it felt wrong to so boldly challenge her leader's decisions.

"I agree with Petalnose." Mosspool chimed in, giving her fellow lead warrior a nod. If they were going to continue to house Windclan, then guards would be a necessity, in her eyes. There was no telling what they might get up to otherwise. Even in the best of times they were dangerous, and now they had been driven out of their home. They might be desperate enough to do anything.

With a frown, she glanced toward Ferngill as he spoke. His words sounded naive to her. "Windclan has needed no reason for cruelty in the past, they have done so even when they had nothing to gain." She reminded him. Though they no longer followed Sootstar, they were still the same clan. Many of the same cats made up their ranks. She found it hard to believe that Windclan had wholly changed, no matter how many times she was told they had.

Her gaze turned to Smokestar, it was him she would need to convince. "I see little reason not to exercise the utmost caution. The only potential consequence for doing so would be scaring a few Windclanners, meanwhile the consequences for not doing so could be far more dire." He would see the wisdom in her argument, she was certain of it. Riverclan's safety had always been his utmost concern, he would not put them at risk just to spare Windclan's feelings.

✧　°　.　✶　.　°　✧​

ooc Information

• ooc: —
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  MOSSPOOL — SHE/HER･ 12 MOONS ･ WARRIOR & RIVERCLAN ･ PENNED BY @empyrean !

  Longhair black tabby with deep green eyes. Mosspaw is a very tall molly, standing a head above most cats her age. She has a slim, willowy physique with subtle musculature built up from a lifetime of constant training that lends itself well to swimming and running. Long, thick brown fur falls over her form with tabby patterning across it. Her eyes are a vibrant green, and shine with a bright intelligence and confidence.

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