Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Camp/Dawnclan territory|Mentions: Umbraclaw, Larkclaw[id], Flamepaw

A new hint of energy was in Foxpaw as she nodded to Umbraclaw, still staring with her unreadable gaze before she turned her attention to Larkclaw, who had padded up, meeting the deputy as she had started to move. Foxpaw let the two talk, her attention tilting towards Flamepaw. Her sisters orange pelt was visible by Gingerstar, and since she was busy Foxpaw didn't want to wait. Turning on her paws, she trotted back towards the two warriors.
"Flamepaws with Gingerstar. She can go later." She tossed the words out without much care, her claws kneading the earth.
"An the patrol went out. So..." She didn't finish her words, instead turning on her paws once again to angle out of the camp, her slender frame vanishing through the entrance. Once in the forest, she took a deep breath of air, glad to get the camp scent from her nose. Two days such inside with the burning in her fur made her want to run, and not look back. Despite this, she waited until she saw the other two, and then began to stalk forward, quiet on her paws.
The hunting was good, Foxpaw strayed towards the south, follwing the little scents and sounds on the air. It wasn't long before she honed onto a mouse, burying the body after a swift dash and bite to the neck. So invested in the forest, she hardly noticed the fact that the forest was growing quieter, unusual for their territory. She paused in her stalking, waiting for the other two warriors. Although she said nothing, her eyes had grown alert and the top of her tail kinked in curiosity.



Blackstar|Leader of Duskclan|One eyed Black Tom|Location: Border|Mentions: Harepaw, Mothpaw, Gingerstar, Hornetpaw,

Blackstar followed the other tom with a nod of his head, his tail held high and proud. If the Dawnclan cats thought petty insults and grumblings would put him off, they had not met him. He merely made sure to keep his eye on the two apprentices, knowing this was perhaps a bit much to take in. At the other toms comment, he responded with a quiet noise of acknowledgement.
"If we were aiming for a patrol, you would know." He mewed lightly, before the made it to the Dawnclan camp. Unlike Duskclan, which sat in and amidst hills and rocks that sloped upwards, Dawnclan was nestled inside a faint valley, protected by the angle of the dip and the stones around it. As they entered, Blackstar was reminded just how different, yet similar the clans were. He had only seen the camp one other time before Gingerstar's rule and for a moment glanced around, taking in the layout. Then, he heard Falconstrikes comment and his eyes snapped back forward, to meet the rival leader.
"Gingerstar." He dipped his head ever so slightly, even if it looked like it pained him to show such respect. Even still, he was in another clans territory and knew that if he wanted to get out with his ears in one piece, it was the best way to act.
"Ravenblaze would have met Mothpaw." At her comments on his companions, he twitched his tail tip to tap Mothpaw lightly on the side.
"He is Duskclans medicine-cat, apprentice." He paused slightly before adding the last word, not wanting to reveal to much to Gingerstar.
"He received a sign from Starclan that may be relevant to both clans and as such, needs to speak with Ravenblaze." He mewed, looking down at the tom with an encouraging glint in his yellow gaze. Thta spark of kindness however, vanished when he turned it back onto Gingerstar.
"and Harepaw here will be training as Duskclans next messenger." His eye narrowed. Thought the concept was in some ways still new for the cats, he hoped Gingerstar would no longer press the matter of why he had taken both apprentices with him on the visit. It was important for the clans to know the pelts of the messengers, and even a leader would be hard pressed to ignore a Starclan omen.
"As for why we are here, I have need to discuss certain, incidents that may be relevant to Dawnclan." His words were a bit cryptic, and he glanced slightly at her remaining warriors.
"I can tell you here, but I figured you might appreciate some discretion." He said, slightly quieter. For a moment some of the distaste in his posture lessened, and the briefest flash of urgency was in his single unwavering gaze.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Territory|Mention(s) Directly: Shadow|Mention(s) Indirectly: Weasleflight

Owlfeather looked over the strange cat, as it spoke. The she-cats gray-blue eyes studied the 'serval', trying to see if he was telling the truth. Looking down, the deputy thought over the strange cats words. Owlfeathers head snapped up thought, when 'Shadow' mentioned kits. The she-cat felt unease, if kits where in danger then maybe.... and the cat did seem worried, almost distressed, as he mentioned his sister and the kits. Two-legs..... how could they? The deputy wondered. The siamese she-cats stomach tightened, at the thought of kits being in danger.
Without any warning, the she-cat leaned down and was now almost nose to nose with Shadow. "Are you really telling the truth?", Owlfeather asked. The deputy then continued, "Is your sister really hurt and are her kits really in danger?" The siamese she-cats light eyes had a hard glint behind them, just daring the black serval to say that what he said before was not the truth. The deputies claws itched, she wanted to help, but she was Duskclans deputy and she had to think of the safety of the clan

Flamepaw|Dawnclan|Apprentice|13 Moons Old|Ginger She-Cat|Location: Dawnclan camp|Mention(s) Directly: Gingerstar, Mothpaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Blackstar, Harepaw, Scorchwing, Falconstrike, Foxpaw

Flamepaw sat down in front of the leader, as Gingerstar started to speak. At first her head was hanging a bit low, in anticipation of getting scolded. As the leader spoke though, the ginger tabby apprentice brightened up. At the point, where Gingerstar had broken off, the apprentice was fighting hard to hold back her happiness. Not just, was she not in trouble, but she was also being recommended to become a messenger. The she-cat hoped, that Scorchwing would agree to her becoming the Dawnclan messenger. Wait, would she have to stop being Scorchwings apprentice? Would she become Lightsongs apprentice?
Before Flamepaw could voice any of her questions though, Gingerstar suddenly dismissed her. "What!?", Flamepaw quietly said, question in her voice. Had she done something wrong? Only then did the she-cat notice the cats coming into camp. Flamepaw had her back turned to the entrance of the camp, so she had not seen the Duskclan cats come in. Turning, the ginger tabby she-cat quickly scrambled away from Gingerstar. The apprentice was not keen on being close to the two leaders, when they spoke. She had never seen Gingerstar so cold, it was sort of scary. As Flamepaw slunked off, her blue eyes looked over the Duskclan cats. The apprentice stopped in her tracks, as she noticed Mothpaw. Flamepaws heart skipped a beat, why was Mothpaw here? Was there something wrong? It took all of her strength, not to go over to Mothpaw. Sitting at a free spot, Flamepaw watched the exchange between Blackstar and Gingerstar. Only as her eyes took in the rest of the camp, did she realize that Foxpaw had left with the patrol.

Shadow | NPC | Serval Boi
Location: Trap / DuskClan Territory | Mentions: Owlfeather, Wesealflight, Sootpaw

"I promise you this is truth," Shadow finished with a sigh of frustrated defeat. It wouldn't help his case any to lose his patience with these cats, but how many times must he repeat himself before they understood and made a decision to either help him or leave him to his fate? The waiting was the worst part. Weaselflight's question saw his gaze lock onto the nervous cat's face, clearly taken aback by the query. "Hurt cats? No," he replied firmly, his voice carrying genuine offense at the suggestion.

"Lived with cats. Kits' father is cat. Good friend once. Wouldn't leave Twolegs," he mumbled, large ears flattening against his skull. "He is foolish. Thinks they know best. Wants to keep kits with Twolegs." The Serval appeared to grow a bit agitated while discussing his former home, quickly forcing his pelt smooth and staring out at the patrol with a more friendly expression. "Sorry, cats. That is not your problem. What do you say though? Will you help?"

Scorchwing | Warrior of DawnClan | Long-Limbed White & Charcoal Female | Location: DawnClan Camp | Mentions: Falconstrike, Blackstar, Mothpaw, Harepaw, Flamepaw [Indirect]

Scorchwing’s heart still thumped and pounded in her ears from the run back to camp. She had followed Falconstrike’s order without much attitude. But why ask her to run instead of the strange Messenger? It was almost as if she were being scolded for her words. And she didn’t take kindly to such. The blooming shame and indignity combined with the dizziness of her sight and the nauseating churn of her belly didn’t make the situation any better either.

Taking a deep breath, she stood on rigid legs that seemed to woddle with loss of strength. Scorchwing focused strongly on the floor of camp, trying to seem unaffected. She did not wish to tac more shame and humiliation onto her consciousness. So, she listened to the leaders trade words with thinly veiled poison at their tongues. It wasn’t like she expected anything different, and she was glad to see that her apprentice had dodged the thick atmosphere and distanced herself.

Harepaw | Apprentice of DuskClan | Small, Hickory, White & Cream Female | Location: DawnClan Camp | Mentions: Blackstar, Mothpaw, Falconstrike, Scorchwing, Lightsong, Gingerstar [Indirect]

Entering the camp was like entering another world. The camp looked similar to theirs. Nests organized the same (despite them being burrows), fresh kill pile the same (save for the deceased that resided within), and the same burn of eyes on her pelt. Only, this time, these eyes didn’t hold pity or sympathy. These were hostile and burned through her pelt like fire. Even the one-eyed tom had thrown a slur. She inhaled sharply and kept her eyes moving around the camp. Everything was so alike, yet so different.

Despite feeling as if she was just thrown into a badger den, her blue-flecked eyes gleamed with curiosity, and soon her own personal fire had sprung to her eyes, as if challenging any she cared to look at. Being in the belly of the beast had somehow ignited some of her daring personality and embedded confidence. She glanced over at the leader and regarded her with a questioning gaze. Was this the leader who had caused so many of her Clanmates pain? She was intimidating enough, in spite of the weak insult she had thrown at them. Although her eyes made her feel as if she were before a judge, the arrogant confidence that bled through Harepaw’s body went untouched. She’d use up her reserves of it, for now.

She tilted her head up, chin a little higher as she fed off of the confidence as if she were starving. However, upon Blackstar’s introduction of her, she faltered. Did he just lie? To the fox-heart of a leader? She almost snorted, her tail flicking to and fro as if she were pleased. Might as well leech off of the false title while it was present. After all, what could it hurt?

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Territory | Mentions: (Direct) Owlfeather (Indirect) Weaselflight, Shadow

Sootpaw's tail flicked in thought. Shadow had said "we" earlier when he talked of escaping to "wildlands". Sootpaw wasn't sure if the serval had meant that there were more of his kind that had gotten away and were now roaming the forests or if Shadow was just having trouble with his words. The gray tom wanted to ask about this, and other things as well, but he had the sinking feeling that there might not be much more time for idle chatter. He wasn't sure if he trusted this serval -he could prove to be a threat to the clan if this was not handled carefully- but leaving him to be taken by the Two-legs was unthinkable.

Sootpaw looked to Owlfeather. Did she think that freeing Shadow would be too great a risk? The clan should be protected at all costs, but... could they really just leave him here? Sootpaw shifted his paws uncomfortably as his gaze moved to Weaselflight. The injured warrior seemed immediately distrustful of the stranger, but he was always a bit on the anxious side. Then again, it's not like there was no reason to be nervous around such a large cat.
Sootpaw again looked to his mentor. "I know he could be dangerous, but..." The tom's ears pinned back as he spoke, his words rushed and serious. "Is it right to leave him here to be found by them? It's not like he can prove that he's telling the truth from in there, anyways." Sootpaw wasn't sure if his words were completely foolish or not, but it almost felt like a betrayal to leave any cat in one of these traps, clan cat or not.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Duskclan territory|Mention(s) Directly: Weasleflight, Shadow|Mention(s) Indirectly: Sootpaw

The deputy scowled a bit at the strange cats answer, leaning back Owlfeather looked to Weaselflight, as Shadow answered the warriors question. Owlfeathers eyes shifted to her apprentice, as Sootpaw spoke. The she-cat nodded her head at the young tom's words, "You're right", Owlfeather said, agreeing with her apprenetices words. The mentor was a bit proud, that Sootpaw was starting to think like a warrior now.
She did sort of believe the serval, giving him another quizzical look, the she-cat let out a sigh. Moving over, Owlfeather stopped by a small latch that would release the trap. Leaning down she hissed into the servals ear, "Keep your claws sheathed and fangs in check", Owlfeather warned, there was no real anger or mallis in her voice, more of a cold warning. The other cat might be bigger, but the siamese deputy was certain that the three of them could take on the serval, if it threatened them.
Reaching out with her left paw, Owlfeather pushed down hard on the latch. There was a snap and a crack and the trap started to loosen. Steeping back, the deputy still had a wary eye on the cat. The she-cat was ready, for any sudden movement from this serval.

Flamepaw|Dawnclan|Apprentice|13 Moons Old|Ginger She-Cat|Location: Dawnclan Camp|Mention(s) Directly: Mothpaw, Harepaw, Scorchwing|Mention(s) Indirectly: Gingerstar, Blackstar

Flamepaw sat there, her ears pricked as the Duskclan leader introduced Mothpaw. Flamepaw tried not to look at the black and white tom, but it was hard. She could feel the medicine cat apprentices gaze on her and it made the ginger she-cats pelt burn, Flamepaw looked down at her paws. She hoped that maybe they could talk afterwards, there would probably be a patrol that would lead the Duskclan cats off the territory, maybe Flamepaw could talk with him then. Still, she couldn't help herself anymore. Against her better judgement, Flamepaw looked up and cought Mothpaws eyes, just as he turned away again. With a slight smile, the she-cats claws scrapped small grooves into the ground. Not just was she asked to be the Dawnclan messenger, but Mothpaw had also shown up. What would the young tom say, when she told him that she would be the messenger?
Flamepaws head snapped up, as Blackstar mentioned that Harepaw was going to be the next messenger for Duskclan. The ginger she-cat studied the other she-cat, Harepaw looked nice. A bit arrogant, when Blackstar mentioned that she was going to be training as Duskclan messenger, but Flamepaw definitely understood. Now the ginger she-cat wanted to also meet Harepaw, messengers were supposed to be able to cross borders like medicine cats, right? so maybe they could be friends. Flamepaw looked up, as she noticed Scorchwing just behind the Duskclan cats. Flamepaw waved her tail at her mentor, trying to get her attention. The tabby ginger apprentice wanted to tell Scorchwing about the news, Flamepaw was going to be a messenger!

Gingerstar | DawnClan Leader | 36 Moons | Mollie | Camp | Flamepaw; Blackstar; Harepaw; Mothpaw; Falconstrike; Scorchwing; Lightsong

Gingerstar's cold gaze journeyed from both Harepaw and Mothpaw, her tail flicking as she noticed them both looking off towards some of DawnClan's cats. When Blackstar offered his proposal, her tail lashed, but she could see the logic in it. Besides, she certainly believed that if push came to shove she could out-fight the one eyed tom. He was not much older than her, about a year her senior, but she trusted that even that year paired with his lack of an eye would give her the upper paw in any confrontation that may arise.

"Well, if we are to speak in private someone must keep an eye on your charity cases. Flamepaw, I want you and your mentor to watch over the two kits until their leader can return to collect them," her voice raised a notch, "Hornetpaw," she addressed their own medicine cat apprentice without much grandeur, "Meet Flamepaw and the two DuskClanners to figure out what exactly their medicine cat apprentice wants. No need to hunt down Ravenblaze for a duty you can easily serve."

With that, she turned towards her den, flicking her tail to signal Blackstar to follow her. When she disappeared into its depths, she turned around to face him with a much less diplomatic expression. She dropped onto her haunches, piercing gaze lit up by the faint light that filtered into her den. "Lets drop the formalities," she said coolly, "What is it you deemed so important as to impinge on my clan's territory just two days after two of my cats were found dead on your territory. Umbraclaw reported that you refused to even demonstrate that the cat you claimed was killed from your clan existed. That does not inspire confidence in DuskClan, Blackstar."
If you ask too many questions, or seek too much approval, nothing ever gets done


---

Weaselflight | DuskClan Warrior | 21 Moons | Tom | The Traps | Shadow that Walks Beside You; Sootpaw; Owlfeather

Weaselflight had been mostly ignoring both Owlfeather and Sootpaw the moment that Shadow confirmed that he had not had a part to play in the recent deaths. He had been frantically circling the cage, his observant yellow eyes hunting up and down, searching for any reliable way of getting the ebony serval out. He was simply at a loss. He actually jumped when there was clanging from Owlfeather's attempt at loosening the trap.

He quickly shuffled closer and added his weight to hers, actually rearing back a few times and slamming his paws [including the injured one] into what Owlfeather seemed to think was a latch, hoping for something to budge. There was nothing. He hopped back, the injured paw now held completely up to his chest and pinprick tears in his eyes from the pain and frustration. He was panting, and gritted his teeth a moment, looking over at the other cats.

"This is useless," he managed to get out, bowing his head slightly in disappointment and frustration. He was silent for a few moments before looking up again. "S-Shadow, you s-s-said that you had a s-sister? D-d-does she know where your house is?" He paused a second before realizing that Shadow and whoever this other sister was would probably have no idea what a 'house' was. "Your n-n-nest. The Twoleg n-n-nest you were held in?" He was speaking fast, but it was the only way he could think of figuring out what to do now. If Shadow's sister knew where the house they would be taking him to was, then maybe they could launch some type of rescue operation.
Better safe than sorry

⇺ [ Hornetpaw ] ⇻
18 Moons • Male • DawnClan • Medicine Cat Apprentice
Location: Camp • Mentions: Gingerstar, Blackstar, Mothpaw, Harepaw, Flamepaw, Scorchwing

Hornetpaw’s head poked out from the medicine den as he heard a commotion, just in time to witness Blackstar’s patrol making their way toward Gingerstar. Forcing himself out of his shock, he clambered down the moss covered stones surrounding his den until he reached the camp floor. He hesitated before slowly approaching the group, not sure whether or not he would be invited into the conversation or requested to seek out Ravenblaze. He was only an apprentice after all and didn’t expect to be privy to a discussion between leaders like his mentor would be.

Gingerstar’s instructions were met with an obedient nod, relieved to be addressed rather than left to hover in uncertainty. Attention turning to his fellow apprentices, he greeted Mothpaw and Harepaw warmly. “Welcome to DawnClan. What can I assist you with?” He asked, gaze growing curious. This was the first time he was meeting Mothpaw. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t interested in learning about the other tom and what being a medicine cat apprentice in DuskClan was like.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

Shadow | Male | Serval NPC
Location: Trap / DuskClan Territory | Mentions: Owlfeather, Weaselflight, Sootpaw

Shadow was moved by the patrol's attempts to free him, especially Weaselflight who appeared to injure himself in the process. His amber gaze met with the smaller cat's eyes for a moment, shining with gratitude before dropping to the metal bottom of the cage. "It's alright cats. I knew...maybe no getting out this time, but I had hope...Was stupid of me. Thought I could get meat without setting it off. Done it before. Twolegs clever, use new trap." His ears perked as the crunch of leaves underfoot could be heard approaching, the footfalls heavy and the gibberish chatter that followed signifying this meeting was at an end. "Nothing more you can do cats. Hide."

Wesealflight's urgent words were difficult to interpret in his rapidly stressed state, his dilating pupils and heavy breathing giving away his anxiety. "Sister knows, but tell her not to come for me. Not worth it. Will keep me locked up good. I'll be even harder to get out than kits. Focus on kits. This is my fault..." A growl rumbled in his throat as the Twolegs drew ever nearer, his claws unsheathing threateningly though he knew he wouldn't be able to fight his way out of this one. "Please help sister. Tell her what happened here, but not to come for me. We live in the cave between the rivers."

As he finished speaking a pair of Twolegs appeared, one shouting in triumph and pointing toward the trap. The action resulted in Shadow letting out an earsplitting screech, ears pining against his skull as he lunged at the Twolegs with bared fangs and claws lashing, unable to reach them through the metal barrier between them. Though Shadow's ferocious demeanor was likely terrifying to the cats, the Twolegs appeared almost amused and unfazed by the aggresive display.

Shadow seemed to remember something in that moment, his expression hesitant as he sought out the patrol again, wherever they had taken cover. "About Sister-" Whatever else he was about to say was abruptly cut off, a towel thrown over the trap muffling his final words. The twolegs picked it up between them, angered growls still emitting from below the covered trap as they carried it away, the forest soon growing deadly silent with only the rumble of a retreating monster heard in the distance.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Duskclan territory|Mention(s) Directly: Weasleflight, Sootpaw, Shadow|Mention(s) Indirectly:

The she-cat stepped back a bit, to let Weasleflight try his paws at the trap. Although it had budged a bit at the beginning, now it was not moving a whiskers length. The deputy let out a frustrated sigh, as the serval started to speak. "We can still help", Owlfeather was starting to say, complaining. Although there was no real way for them to trust this strange cat, the she-cat still wanted to at least speak to him some more and especially ask questions.
The deputy flinched, as she heard two-legs approaching. Looking up the deputy heard some underbrush moving a bit away, Owlfeather quickly turned. Pushing her head into Sootpaws shoulder, the mentor quickly pushed the apprentice into the bushes. Turning back, the she looked to Weasleflight, "Hurry!", the she-cat ordered. Her ear twitched, as she head some of Shadows words. They were staying in the cavern? Owlfeather paused for a few moments and looked to the trapped cat.
The she-cats fur stood on end, as the two-legs suddenly came into view. The deputy turned and was about to dive into the bushes herself, but as her eyes fell on Shadow time seemed to slow down. Owlfeather felt bad, maybe they could've gotten him out after all. Gritting her teeth, the siamese she-cat tuned on the spot and ran into the bushes. Looking out, Owlfeather dug her claws into the earth. She hated this, how could Starclan be so cruel? Was Starclan even looking over these servals? The deputy wanted nothing more, then to claw the two-legs eyes out. Owlfeather looked up, as she heard the larger black cat start to say something. 'His sister?', the deputy wondered.

Flamepaw|Dawnclan|Apprentice|13 Moons Old|Ginger She-Cat|Location: Dawnclan camp|Mention(s) Directly: Harepaw, Mothpaw, Hornetpaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Gingerstar, Blackstar, Scorchwing

Flamepaw looked up, as Gingerstar called her and her mentor to look after the Duskclan apprentices. Getting to her paws, the apprentice walked over to stand with the Duskclan cats. By the time she had reached them, Hornetpaw was already talking to Harepaw and Mothpaw. The ginger she-cat stopped next to Mothpaw, but looked to Harepaw. "Hello", Flamepaw said, dipping her head in greeting. "I'm Flamepaw", she said, introducing herself. Hesitating for a moment she added, "I'm going to be training as Dawnclans messenger", this was a lie, Gingerstar had not even spoken to Scorchwing about this, but somehow Flamepaw wanted to impress the Duskclan cats. Flamepaw then looked to Mothpaw, would the medicine cat apprentices discuss this prophecy here? She had never heard a prophecy before. The ginger apprentice shifter her paws a bit, it felt strange being this close to Mothpaw, with his clan mate and her own around.

Larkclaw || 15 Moons || Female || DawnClan Warrior
Location: DawnClan Camp > Forest || Mentions: Umbraclaw, Foxpaw

Larkclaw smiled and was ready to agree, but Foxpaw had already popped out through the entrance and Umbraclaw was moving to keep up. With a soft snort of amusement, she followed the two into the forest, taking in the sights and smells once the idle chatter from camp had left them. It felt exhilarating to finally have her paws brush against the grass, the worries she had from recent events soon melting away as the scent of a crow met her, encouraging her to drop into a crouch and inch forward.

Her focus wasn’t on the dark mollie or the ginger apprentice anymore, it was solely on the crow she could now see pecking around at the ground near the base of a tree. Each time the bird poked its head up and looked from side to side, she stilled until it went back to pecking. Soon she was close enough, her butt wiggling to get her hind paws just right and… CAW! It was the last sound the crow could make before her fangs found its neck.

The tabby lifted her head, the bird dangling from her mouth as she looked around for Foxpaw and Umbraclaw. Her nose was full of feathers, making her want to sneeze and keeping her from finding them by scent. Luckily, a short way off she heard the distinctive cry of a rabbit, giving her enough of an idea to head that way. It wasn’t until she started her trek that she realized that aside from the crow and rabbit, she really hadn’t heard much in the way of sounds out here. The thought made her pelt prickle and hurried her steps, suddenly not wanting to be alone beneath the trees and the silent eyes that felt like they were watching her. It was a relief to finally catch sight of a black pelt and soon after a ginger coat, though the fur along her back still struggled to lie flat.

She trotted up in time to hear Umbraclaw’s words. Dropping the crow, she said, “I agree, Umbraclaw. I can’t remember the last time the forest was this quiet.” Her eyes scanned their surroundings, expecting something to leap out at them or dash away from under a bush. For the moment she didn’t see anything suspicious, but after finding dead clanmates, strange paw prints, and all the weird scents from twolegs and stars know what else, it would be foolish not to be a bit paranoid.

Scorchwing | Warrior of DawnClan | Long-Limbed White & Charcoal Female | Location: DawnClan Camp | Mentions: Mothpaw, Harepaw, Flamepaw, Hornetpaw [Direct]

Finding her breath and steady footing, she began to let her eyes wander about the situation. It didn’t take her long to notice her fiery pelted apprentice who seemed rather elated, tail waving to draw her attention. She gave the young cat a crooked smile and motioned for her to come towards her. After all, Scorchwing was her mentor, she would always be interested in what had made the grieving mollie shine so bright.

The sinewy mollie gave a throaty purr towards her leader and apprentice, as if trying to push away the shame from before. With a brief nod to the leading mollie, she strolled closer to the apprentices while glancing back at Flamepaw, more at ease now that she was given their ranks. A future medicine cat and messenger, a strange duo indeed. “Hello!” She chirped, greeting the two DuskClan cats and Hornetpaw as he gave his own welcoming greeting. “Sorry about my attitude from before, last I saw your leader it wasn’t a… fun time, so to speak.” She gave the two cats a charming smile. If one would be crossing the border she might as well get better acquainted.

She turned her attention to Flamepaw who had announced that she was training as a messenger herself. She kept her charming smile present. “And that’s what has you so happy, hm?” She inquired, joking lightly with the mollie. This was news to her, and she felt almost as if she had been cheated out of… something. Why was she just hearing about this now? She gave Flamepaw an unreadable look that seemed to clash with her smile.

Harepaw | Apprentice of DuskClan | Small, Hickory, White & Cream Female | Location: DawnClan Camp | Mentions: Blackstar, Mothpaw, Flamepaw, Scorchwing [Indirect]

She looked around, standing as tall as she possibly could without leaping into the air. A fiery apprentice caught her eye just as the mollies name was called. Flamepaw, huh? Original. Still, she couldn’t help but appreciate the friendly look she was giving her. Harepaw hesitantly returned a softer look, tilting her head as if to ask what she was looking at.

As more and more cats moved closer, Harepaw backed closer to Mothpaw, anxiousness showing it had hit its mark once more. Not only had the snappy warrior with a rather muscular body slipped closer with what Harepaw labeled a deceiving smile, but a rather large medicine cat as well. He even smelled strongly of the earthy herbs as well. She nodded her head to the cats, peeking over at Mothpaw to ensure he was alright before she turned back to the fiery mollie. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you. When do you start your training?" She asked, genuinely curious. The female seemed nice enough and not as intimidating as the big mollie next to her.

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Territory | Mentions: (Direct) Owlfeather, Weaselflight (Indirect) Shadow, Blackstar

Sootpaw stayed out of the way as the two warriors set to work on trying to open the trap, but despite their efforts, the thing didn't seem to be budging. The tom lashed his tail in frustration. He was sure that they could figure it out with a little more time, but it seemed that they didn't have any left to spare as Owlfeather pushed him into the bushes. Hidden, Sootpaw immediately spun around to peek from the leaves, keeping low to the ground. The strong scent of Twoleg invaded his nostrils as they appeared and he growled quietly. How he hated them. All they ever did was take and terrorize.

Sootpaw watched the Twolegs leave with their captured prize, the harsh disappointment of the cats' failed attempts to free Shadow weighing like a stone in his belly. The apprentice stayed silent for a few heartbeats after the growls of the monster had died off before shooting up to his paws and strutting out of his hiding place, claws scraping at the ground as he stopped to stand where the trap had been. Still, he paused and took a slow breath before speaking, and he turned to face Owlfeather and Weaselflight. "Well that was a bit of rotten timing,"he said, barely refraining from spitting the words out like soured prey. However, his tone was calmer as he asked, "Would Blackstar allow us to go to Shadow's sister?" The tom wasn't sure. If they aren't clan cats, or even normal cats for that matter, would the one-eyed leader see it fit to risk Duskclan warriors to help them? Sootpaw's gaze fell to the ground, fearing that the situation might prove to be hopeless. Perhaps these servals weren't like the clan cats, but this was the safety of kits on the line. Surely Blackstar would deem it necessary to do what they can to save them from a common enemy?

Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Camp/Dawnclan territory|Mentions: Umbraclaw, Larkclaw
Foxpaw resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sure, it was unsettling how quiet it had become, but she had at least thought the deputy and a warrior would have felt more secure. She studied the two. It was as if Dawnclan really was getting weaker. This private thought did now show in her eyes as she nodded, still studying the two with her peculiar stare.
"Whatever you say, Umbraclaw, Larkclaw." She mewed, the tinge of annoyance so faint, it could almost be imagined. They hadn't gotten to where she wanted to go, and her claws dug at the moss even if she contained herself.
"I guess, we should hunt somehwhere else?" She asked, this time the faint annoyance less hidden.Even still, at her words there was a loud scree from a pair of crows, as they took to the sky. Even Foxpaw jumped slightly at the sudden loud noise, her hackles raised.



Dustpelt|Warrior of Duskclan|Leggy Calico Tom|Location: Duskclan territory|Mentions: Redeye, Harepaw, Weaselflight, Owlfeather, Sootpaw, Vulturepaw

Dustpelt nodded quietly, though his plumy tail waved in excitement. Unlike many of the other cats from Duskclan, who had either been born into the forest or came as rogues, he had lived with two-legs, and shared far less of a discontentment about their antics than most. Even still, he kept his steps light and his body low as they followed through the bracken. He watched as the two-leg stopped at one of the near-by traps, muttering to his companion at what was inside. A raccoon was hissing from its depths, and carefully, the two-legs seemed to cover their hands, and release the trap, the creature scrabbling away with a series of annoyed grunts.
Dustpelt glanced at Redeye, his eyes sparkling. It was clear the tom had been onto something, the two-legs seemed to want something specific inside the metal mesh.
As they moved forward again, he drew closer to the white tom.
"I always forget how loud they are in the forest." He muttered faintly, sounding amused at the whole scenario. The tom, lost in the adventure, seemed to forget the very real threat that had taken Fernfoot, and possibly others. The continued onward, and after a while he heard one of the two-legs shout. For a moment, he wondered if they had been seen and he flattened slightly, peering from behind a fern. There was the sound of something in a cage, but it couldn't be seen, a bit of something covering whatever was inside. Dustpelt however could have sworn he heard a voice. Was it another clan member?
He glanced at Redeye, the excitment slowly fading from his eyes. There was no way they could stop the two-legs, so all he could do was back into the brush as the pair chattered to one another, then began to haul whatever it was away with them, back towards the path. At the same moment, a gust of wind brought forward the scents of the area. It was two-leg, cat, and something unidentifiable. Dustpelt could howver, smell the cats who were on the cage patrol.
"That wasn't..." He shook his head, his clanmates were too clever to get caught.

Blackstar|Leader of Duskclan|One eyed Black Tom|Location: Dawnclan camp|Mentions: Gingerstar
At the Dawnclan leaders words, Blackstar gave a nod to the two apprentices, and then followed the ginger she-cat to her den. As she turned, the facade dropped and her tone became far more direct. There was no more word play or games, just two leaders trying to do things the best they knew how. Blackstar lowered his head, not in submission but from a place of stature to one of intense focus, not taking his eye off the she-cat, nor blinking. He too, lowered onto his haunches though the swish of his tail hinted he would rather be pacing as he spoke. At her comments however, his notched ear twitched and the faintest snort could be heard from him.
"Dawnclan has never had confidence in Duskclan, so I'm positive we couldn't move much lower in your clans eyes." He said lightly.
"And you're right, I did not allow your deputy to move into the heart of our territory. Cats were scared and on edge, and no one knew what happened. We still don't. But if you need proof of our cats death, I'll show you where she is buried myself." his words hinted a faint growl. Dawnclan could do much that did not phase the tom, but false accusations were not something he would stand for; though after a moment or so, his muscles relaxed slightly.
"Look, we could claw each other with words all day. I've come because we've had incidents, before and after the River Rocks. Two-legs have been putting traps about our territory, and their activity is much higher than normal, even for Greenleaf." He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"Cats have, gone missing. We've found unusual scent trails, but the rain has made them hard to track."
"One of my warriors recognizes the traps the two-legs are laying, and can confirm they are not meant for us." He paused once again, taking a deep breath.
"I have to consider the possibility that all these things are related, and that something may be going on in the forest." Finally, he blinked and his tail stilled. He had little experiences with Gingerstar, save for the skirmish at the Rocks early in her leadership. Still, she reminded him far to much of the old leader, and it sent a prickle through the scar across his face. Even so, he had to believe she had some sense. Even the past Dawnclan leader had worked with Duskclan ones many moons ago.

~~~~~

Event for Umbraclaw, Larkclaw, Foxpaw
Amidst the flurry of feathers in the distance, you can see the faintest movement of what looks to be like dappled fur. It seems to be what startled the crow, and is close enough to tell that it is vaguely feline, though the foliage hides most of its size and features.