Home at last?

[Flower]

((Continued from warriorsxnsd.proboards105.com/index.cgi?board=forest&action=display&thread=54 ))

Silverstripe came up towards the camp wall with two young cats behind them. The younger cats had an unfamilliar smell with just a hint of Twoleg scent.
"Here we are. Our camp is just beyond this wall." Silverstripe said, breaking the silence. He clambered up the wall and surveyed the camp, looking for Patchstar.

[Đarκsong]

Canary padded alongside her brother, trying to hide how nervous she was. She peered over the wall at the clan camp. She saw many cats. Fear swept over her and she moved closer to Ghost. What if they decide they don't want us? They could gang up and kill us easily! Canary followed Silverstripe over the wall, despite her fears.

[♫.Starredmyst]

The sand felt strange beneath Ghost's feet.

The young tom followed Silverstripe and his sister carefully, setting each white paw down delicately on the grainy stuff and watching out of the corner of his eye for dangers. Sands, the cat who'd found them called it; he'd never seen the like before.

And the Clan...

Ghost's throat tightened as he looked around. The scents were strange -- might have been terrifying had he wandered in on his own -- but it had been so long since he'd seen so many cats together. A newcomer to this place, he didn't know of the uneasiness and segregation within the Clan; all he saw was the quiet peace of a well-oiled group, used to working together and proud to be one. He stopped for a moment, biting his lip, then tripped over his own feet trying to catch up to where Silverstripe and Canary had stopped just by the driftwood wall.

A rather fat black-and-white tom was standing nearby; he was glancing around like their guide, looking rather preoccupied, but his face brightened when he saw Silverstripe standing near the entrance. He hurried over.

"You -- ah -- Silverstripe, have you seen Nightpaw anywhere by any chance? I had wanted to..."

Abruptly the tom faltered and, seeing them, his eyes widened. Ghost swallowed and tried not to cower as the patched tom narrowed his eyes; for all that it was fat, the stranger was bulky and a good bit bigger than the young loner. "Silverstripe," he said, voice low, angry and disgusted, "who are these -- mongrels? What are they wearing? They smell of Twolegs."

And, from the imperious way he spoke, Ghost realized this chubby stranger must be the all-important Patchstar they were supposed to talk to. The white loner felt a flash of disdain that he tried to hide from his face -- this tom won nothing over his old leader from before their band had dissolved.

[Flower]

"Hello to you too, Patchstar. No, I haven't seen Nightpaw." The clipped, impatient way Silverstripe spoke showed that the two toms weren't very fond of each other. "These two were found wandering in the forest, lost, alone, and claiming their family is dead. Does the warrior code not say we should show compassion?"

[რoonwhisker]

Three cats sat at the fresh kill pile. Two looked very alike, and the other had various patches on her pelt. Rainclaw, Rippedheart, and Moonwhisker were sharing tongues and talking about, well whatever they could think of to start a conversation. "I herd you went fishing," Rainclaw said to Moonwhisker. "How's the fish?" she meowed. Rippedheart nodded, not really listening to the conversation. "Good, I guess. But Starredmyst fell in at one point. I had to rescue her," Moonwhisker meowed. Ok, so it's not the whole truth. And maybe she didn't really need rescuing. But they don't need to know that, she thought. Rainclaw snickered, "Figures," she said.

As the two continued to gossip, Silverstripe walked into camp with two other cats following behind her. Who are they? They reek of twolegs!he thought. He turned to Moonwhisker and Rainclaw. "Hey guys, look." The two cats turned their heads to wards the entrance. Rainclaw frowned, "Rouges!" she hissed. Moonwhisker got up, "I'll go see what's going on," she said. They nodded and she padded over to Patchstar, Silverstripe, and the two other cats.

"These two were found wandering in the forest, lost, alone, and claiming their family is dead. Does the warrior code not say we should show compassion?"

Moonwhisker couldn't believe her ears. "So you led them to camp!?" she hissed.

[Flower]

"What do you expect me to do? Kill them? Abandon them to starve?"

[♫.Starredmyst]

"Does the warrior code not say we should show compassion?"

"So you led them to camp!?"

"What do you expect me to do? Kill them? Abandon them to starve?"

"Quiet!"

Patchstar gave a single lash of his tail and fastened a glare on the group of cats at large. "Both of you, it's highly improper to fight like that, particularly in front of...strangers such as these." It was so odd that such a large tom could be so -- well -- frilly with his words. Ghost kept his expression carefully neutral; showing his disgust, fear, or amusement at the scene would help his case none. The black-and-white cat turned to their guide.

"Yes, Silverstripe, I would expect you to kill them," this Patchstar said dismissively. "Warrior code or no, they are trespassers and cannot be trusted; moreover, they do not follow the code themselves and have no right to be defended by it. Young or no, we've no proof of who they are and I don't want to risk this Clan's security. Take them away."

Ghost could only watch, utterly speechless, as the fat leader turned away from them in a clear dismissal; he found himself incoherent with rage and -- and fear. Fear of what would happen to him now. That fear was all that kept the rage at bay -- that kept him from springing for this cruel judgmental stranger who had turned their lives down with a wave of his tail. That and the complete, utter need to stay by Canary's side.

Who are you to judge me, old tom?

[Đarκsong]

Canary quivered a bit at what Patchstar had said. Why won't he listen to Silverstripe? What are Ghost and I going to do now?! She looked to Ghost, sadness and fear in her eyes. She then turned and watched the clan leader walk away. He doesn't even look like a leader. He's fat like a kitty pet! She thought, disgusted.

The young she-cat then began looking around at the other cats, trying to keep herself from thinking of her uncertain future. A tortoise-shell tom caught her eye. "Do you see that tom?" Canary whispered to Ghost, "He has a soul like us. Why is he allowed here and us not?!" She told him, obviously annoyed.

***

Mothflight had been making his way out of camp. When he noticed all the commotion around the two young cats, he padded closer to figure out what was going on. His eyes widened when he saw the cats. They had necklaces on, and so did he. Mothflight himself had no idea what his meant, besides that his mother had left it to him. He heard that she was not born in Ivoryclan, but no one was sure where she was actually from. These cats must be from the same place...

[Flower]

"Patchstar." Silverstripe called after the retreating figure. "Are these two any more a risk to the clan than Mothflight? Can you trust him any more than you can trust these two? He is not Clanborn, yet he is one of our senior warriors. Moreover, can you trust me, although I am indeed Clanborn, any more than you can trust Ghost and Canary?" There was a dangerous glint in his eye. I'm going to get punished for this, said a little voice in the back of his mind, but nevertheless he continued, "I will not abandon these two to whatever fate they may meet. You want these two killed? Kill them yourself, Patchstar, oh mighty leader. I won't interfere, and neither will anybody else."

[♫.Starredmyst]

Ghost's tail lashed at the sound of Canary's voice; it penetrated before the words themselves did, and he'd opened his mouth to reply to what he'd thought would be a worried or angry whisper before they hit.

"He has a soul like us..."

The young tom whipped around to stare at the cat Canary had indicated, eyes widening. His tail began to bristle, slowly.

"He does. He does. He's not from our band, though, scent the air -- he doesn't smell like it. He's...Clan, through and through. What if -- Canary, what if that's not his but somebody else's? What if he -- he killed someone from our band, or stole their soul?"

The prospect was terrifying to the young white loner, and he lowered his head protectively over his shell necklace, eyes narrowed in a glare at Mothflight. Anger was slowly beginning to overtake his anxious paralysis.


Patchstar stopped stock still at Silverstripe's accusations. His eyes narrowed and he slowly turned around.

"Insubordinate," he said in a low voice, and the tone spoke the volumes of trouble that the single word could not. "That's insubordination, Silverstripe, and I won't have it. I gave you an order."

He paused, considered, and a slow cruel smile crept over his face. "Do I hear you hinting at a lack of loyalty among your own Clanmates, Silverstripe? At your own loyalty? Why, I think there's another use for these cats after all. You can prove your loyalty to me and my Clan, as can Mothflight if anyone here has the desire to see him prove it. I gave you an order, Silverstripe, and I want you to follow it here and now. Kill one of these cats."


Ghost hadn't been listening to the conversation; with such an ignoramus as leader, he'd decided against being concerned with joining the Clan at all. But he saw the eyes of the tortoiseshell he'd been staring at widen suddenly at something Patchstar had said {minor GM sorry Darksong} and whipped around to return his attention to his fate.

"Kill one of these cats."[/color]

And his heart began to pound, and he knew trouble was on its way.[/size]

[Flower]

"No." Silverstripe stood up defiantly, fire blazing in his eye. "I apologize to you, Mothflight. I was not saying you were unfaithful. I am sure the clan is loyal. However, why should these cats not prove loyal as well? A random whim with nothing to back it up does not constitute an order. I will not put a paw near either of these young cats."

[Đarκsong]

Canary's heart pounded so fast in her chest that she thought it would explode. It was possible that either her or Ghost could be killed right here, right now. She couldn't bare the thought of losing her brother, or leaving him alone.

*****

Mothflight was completely outraged by Patchstar's behavior. Silverstripe obviously wasn't questioning his loyalty, and he was doing no wrong in wanting to help two young cats. Mothflight ached to say something, but knew that the leader would probably try to get him to attack one of the rouges. There was no way he would do it, but he wouldn't just sit here and watch someone else do it.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Ghost's breath caught at Silverstripe's bold words, and his lips twitched. "Serves you right, old tom," he whispered under his breath, but was too aware of his own danger and Canary's to say the words aloud.

Patchstar glared straight into Silverstripe's eyes. There was a long, tense moment and he lifted his head arrogantly, leaping casually up onto one of the stepping-stones in the stream.

"You admit it, then," he purred loudly, glittering emerald eyes belying the falsely sweet tone. "You refuse to obey me. This isn't a whim, Silverstripe," his voice rose still farther, "I do not give orders on a whim. The Clan is strong, stronger than it was when you and Mothflight were accepted into its midst; we have no need for more members and such a small gain is not worth the risk. This is not a whim, Silverstripe, this is a safety measure! And what's more -- it is a test. Kill them, Silverstripe, or prove yourself disloyal."


Ghost's eyes narrowed and he lifted his head furiously. "Coward," he spat at the tom who now towered over him; caution was thrown to the winds and he took a step forward. "Coward, you'd not last a moment against a real leader! Come here and fight me. I could lead this Clan better than you could."


But the large tom snorted and lifted his head, not even deigning to look at the younger cat. "Silverstripe, you have your orders."


Two other cats approached, distracted by the noise this was making. "What's going on?" Nightpaw whispered to his cousin, but Starredmyst shook her head.

"I'm not certain," she answered softly. "I hope it's not going to make more of a scene, though, or one of us will have to go up there and stop Daddy, or -- kill those cats."

[რoonwhisker]

Now Patchstar was talking about killing the cats. Moonwhisker frowned, she lowered her voice to a whisper, "Patchstar, I don't think killing these cats is the appropriate thing to do right now," she said. "Maybe you should just exile them or something," she meowed. She did not want to see these poor young cats die. Not even the evilest of all cats deserved that. She took another look at them, they looked afraid. She wondered where they were from, but she put the questions in the back of her mind and gave them a sympathetic look.

Rainclaw and Rippedheart had wandered over to all the commotion. "I say kill them," Rainclaw said to her brother. Rippedheart frowned, "Rainclaw! That's horrible!" he hissed at her.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Patchstar was still watching Silverstripe challengingly, a small smile playing about his whiskers.

"I believe it's the most appropriate method at the moment, Moonwhisker," he answered coolly. "Silverstripe has something to prove here, and it's certainly safer than risking these cats' return to their Clan, or whatever it is their group calls themselves. They've seen our camp, after all."


Ghost hissed. His tail was bottlebrush now and the fur along his spine was beginning to rise; he crouched protectively in front of Canary. Starr's eyes widened.


"Nightpaw," the she-cat said quietly, "I want you to go to the apprentice den. Now."

"Starr -- "

"No buts!" his cousin interrupted sharply. "This isn't for your ears and I don't want you to -- it's not appropriate for apprentices, Nightpaw."

"But it's about the Clan..."

"Would you like me to tell Silversoul how keen you were to watch these cats die?"

The young tom's eyes narrowed rebelliously, but he bowed his head with an obedient mutter and padded away. Taking a deep breath that was half relief and half worry, the leader's daughter turned her gaze back to the stepping-stones, wondering what on earth Patchstar thought he was achieving.