And it Begins {All WindClan}

[{Otter}]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true] Never before had the open expanse of grass and shrubbery appeared so strikingly beautiful. Perhaps it was the fact that the first step had just been passed--their existence was made known, and their right to the moorlands had hardly been challenged. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this, finally, was their home. Their true home. WindClan had been raised. Stark white light poured forth from the perfectly clear sky. No cloud had marred the dark expanse throughout the Gathering, and no cloud came now to hinder their progress across the moor. The full moon's light swathed the already-snowy ground, causing the very fields to glow with a brilliant bright light, as if they were in StarClan itself. A small shiver ran down Vixenfang's spine, a shiver that had nothing to do with the bitterly icy wind that blasted her face every few pawsteps. She felt as if the spirits were walking beside them. The spirits of long-passed WindClan were welcoming them home. It had been a long night, and as she pushed through the patches of gorse lining the entrance of the camp (which Viperfang had discovered), Vixenfang's mind drifted off to the thought of sleep. Would StarClan walk among her dreams, or did that only happen after she gained her nine lives? The very thought of re-entering Mothermouth was a daunting one, but also caused eagerness to course through Vixenfang's veins. She was ready to gain her title and her lives. Once accepted by StarClan, no one could deny WindClan's right to be here. A quick glance around the clearing revealed to her a tall, flat rock near the center of the camp. Vixenfang gazed at the rock for a long moment, head tilting to one side as she tried to remember the old stories. Yes, she was pretty sure she had been told that WindClan leader had a den very much like the ThunderClan's leader. Beside a rock. But...WindClan cats didn't sleep inside mu ch. That, too, she remembered. Now was not the time for questioning or figuring things out. With a quick shake of her head, the small ginger she-cat sprang up onto the boulder and turned to face the very small gathering. WindClan. Five cats strong. StarClan help them. "Let all cats gather beneath the..." she paused, glancing down at the boulder, before continuing, "The 'Tallrock' for the first meeting of WindClan." She lowered herself into a sitting position, flinching slightly at the icy surface of the stone. At least it was not dusted with snow. Thus sitting, she waited. Waited for her Clan to gather beneath the clear, open sky of the full moon. Great StarClan...we did it. Here we are, she thought in amazement, deep amber gaze shifting around the camp, her cats, the moors beyond, and finally, the bright sky. Word Count;; 462 Muse;; pretty good Audience;; all WindClanners Notes;; First WindClan Meeting! Get excited!

[Willow]

BLACKMOON

Blackmoon padded silently through the WindClan camp, his new home. His paws fell on frosted, brown grass, disturbing the coating of white. Snowflakes clung to his long black coat and moonlight was reflected in his silver eyes. He made his way towards the medicine cat’s den slowly, sniffing around the cleft, scenting the ancient herbs. It was empty now save for some brown leaves hidden in the back. He had a lot to do before he could truly function as a medicine cat. At least they only had five cats in the Clan so far. That meant few injuries and sicknesses.

He’s gaze turned to Vixenfang as she padded towards the large boulder in the center of the camp. He blinked and wondered when the she-cat would be journeying to the Moonstone to receive her nine lives. When she went, he would go too. It was not strictly necessary since he was able to commune with StarClan whenever he wanted, but the formality was tradition.

His gaze turned then to his side, where a shimmering blue-grey she-cat stood. Her blue eyes glistened with starlight and her fur was beautiful. Bluefeather. Blackmoon smiled gently at the StarClan cat, his former mate. “Will you be with me from now on, Bluefeather?” She gave him a smile of infinite kindness. Of course.

He smiled contentedly and stepped back from his new den as he heard Vixenfang’s call. Still softly, he made his way to the Tallrock. This would be interesting, no doubt.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] The sky was just beginning to brighten as the scraggly group made their way toward camp. WindClan camp. Viperfang could no longer contain herself. Although it had been more than a few moons since she had been an apprentice, she raced toward the sandy dip in the moor, happier than she'd been after her first ceremony. She finally felt as if she was in the right place. It had taken almost a moon to get here and she'd left her friend and family behind, but as she ran like a bolt of lightning through the territory, she knew it was all worth it. She found a gap in the gorse surrounding the camp. Noting that a wall would have to be reconstructed and a narrow tunnel built to be the only access to the hollow, she entered the time-worn camp. The sand felt cool under her paws as she watched Vixenfang walk up to the center where the big rock stood. No doubt she'd be calling a clan meeting. Viperfang grinned and took a side glance toward Hawkfang as he entered. Announcing the deputy, maybe? A sound to her opposite side made her turn her tan head sharply. The long-haired Medicine Cat was on his way to inspect his den. What was his name again? Blackmoon? As much trouble as Viperfang got into, they'd get to know each other quite well over the seasons. "Let all cats gather beneath the... The 'Tallrock' for the first meeting of WindClan." Viperfang purred with approval. 'Tallrock' was an appropriate name. To her, it seemed a tribute to Tallstar, the last leader of WindClan. She trotted up the gathering place and took a seat, but continued to look around the camp. She took one of her paws and glided it over the soft sandy floor. If it hadn't been for Brokenstar, this sand would have been padded down from generations of cats walking across it. Now, covered in frost, it looked as if it was newly layed down by StarClan. Now as the she-cat looked around at the few members, she realized that most of them were from ThunderClan. She sighed anxiously and vowed to work harder at being friendly to her denmates in the coming moons. They would need to get along to defend themselves. The next thing that came to her attention made her skin crawl. She was the only she-cat beneath the Tallrock! Word Count: 402 Audience: Cats of WindClan! Comments: Will fix that banner below as soon as my eyes are fixed. x.x

[Willow]

RABBITFLIGHT

This was it. This was the beginning of everything and the end of everything, all at the same time. His old life was gone forever, replaced by this new one. Replaced by WindClan and its rise to power. Rabbitflight was still unsure of this change, unsure if it was really what he wanted. He felt he had betrayed Elkstar and ThunderClan, but he believed in many things his former apprentice said. And he didn't want her doing this alone.

The scrawny tom shook himself and attempted to fluff his short fur up against the wind that roared across the moor. This would definitely take a bit of getting used to. But as he followed Vixenfang into the camp, he realized that it was sheltered from the howling wind and many degrees warmer than the air outside. He smiled at the welcome change and let his gaze wander around his new camp. He had never come here before, he had only heard of it from the others.

His eyes sought the warriors' den and he made his way towards it, inspecting it. It was in disarray and nearly destroyed from moons and moons of disuse. But, the moss nests still existed, though they were brown and crunchy by now. The warrior smiled, this place would make a home yet. His investigations were stopped when he heard Vixenfang's call from the Tallrock in the center of the camp.

Rabbitflight grinned a little and padded out to look up at his new leader. His eyes glowed with pride and warmth as he beheld the cat who had grown from the feisty little ThunderClan apprentice.

[tenacious]

For the longest time, three Clans had ruled the forest, quite keen on forgetting the swift footed Clan that had run about the moor. Too weak to have kept hold of their territory in the first place, leaders had seen no reason to restore the fourth Clan. But, now, the change had come upon the forest. WindClan had been reformed. As one cat had kindly pointed out at the Gathering, it was likely none of the cats padding slowly to their new home carried WindClan blood. But this would make them stronger. It was not blood that bounded the small group together; it was loyalty to the cause, to the Clan. No clouds had covered the sky and it was clear now as they approached the camp; StarClan approved. Any cat that argued such was merely arrogant. But what if those cats that disagreed managed to convince their deputies and leaders that an attack was in order? StarClan could send all the dreams they wanted, but they could not stop the three Clans from attacking WindClan. He knew he should focus on the positive; WindClan was reformed, for StarClan’s sake! He was out of RiverClan! In the Clan that held his true loyalty- but lingering on only the good in life would make him weak, would make his new Clan weak. Hawkfang knew that. And he also knew that, if any leader attacked, WindClan would be defeated; they were sorely outnumbered and how many cats would be willing to fight against former Clanmates so soon?

Of course, Hawkfang would, but every blow would hurt him just as much. No matter where his loyalty lay, he could not simply set aside the memories he had carried with him for moons. If only everything could be that simple…

He broke free of his thoughts as Vixenfang leapt onto a tall boulder. Tallrock- a fitting name. He approached the boulder and sat with his tail curled around his paws. The tom’s blue eyes traveled around the camp. He would miss all of the shiny things back at home. (He liked shiny things, so what?) He looked around at all of the cats gathered. His Clanmates- most of them had been rivals before, but no longer. A shiver of excitement rolled down Hawkfang’s spine as he returned his full attention to Vixenfang once more.

[{Otter}]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true] The mottled group gathered beneath the Tallrock, and it was very clear that the boundaries between their former Clans still existed. They didn't gather together in a clump, as true Clanmates would, but rather sat reasonably far apart, as if unsure of what to do. In no way could Vixenfang blame them; were she in their place, she would surely stick to Viperfang and Rabbitflight rather than sit to the other two strangers. Three ThunderClanners. One RiverClanner. One ShadowClanner. A small group no doubt full of all kinds of problems, but somehow they had all chosen to leave their Clans and come here. Though clearly not much of a Clan right now, they would become one eventually. One day they would earn the right to truly be called WindClanners. And now they were waiting for her. Vixenfang. Soon to be called Vixenstar. The thought sent a shiver rippling down the she-cat's spine, and she couldn't help but lash her tail in eagerness. Strange and nerve-wracking as it was, she couldn't deny that this was what she had always wanted. Her own Clan sitting out beneath the open sky. How could she have survived in ThunderClan for so long? "It has been a long night," she began, stating the obvious because she wasn't quite sure how to start. Honestly and bluntness, that was her way. Her next words made it clear that she wasn't going to try and make circumstances out to be better than they were. "Many of us are hated now. We have left our Clans, and though there was no true opposition to us, there are doubtlessly those who want to harm each and every one of us." She shifted her amber gaze from one cat to the other, a quick thing to do, before resting her gaze on them as a whole. "Tonight was a difficult thing for all of us to do. It was the first step, but by no means the hardest or worst. Leafbare is beginning to come to an end, but that in no way means newleaf will be easy. We have to prove our right to be here, and even when we have, there are still some who will think we are just a bunch of traitors." She paused, ears flattening and tail lashing in defiance as she released a snarl, "Some will never accept us until the day they die. To the Dark Forest with those mousebrains! Whether the other Clans believe it or not, we are WindClan, and we are here to stay." Her gaze drifted from the cats below, to the tattered remains of the gorse wall and various dens. "We are going to have to work harder than we have ever worked. We must rebuild this camp, fortify it, reform the dens, raise up a freshkill pile, mark our borders, challenge all trespassers. And we must do this all with only five cats among us." None of them, not even Vixenfang, could possibly imagine how hard this was going to be. They had all, always, been in a well-made, well-founded Clan. When troubles had befallen them, there had always been plenty of cats to take care of it as well as protect the camp. This would not be the case now. With only five cats, one of which was the medicine cat, this would be their hardest trial yet. But she was getting ahead of herself, Vixenfang realized. First things first: she had to name a deputy. At least she already had him in mind, and it seemed as if most of the cats realized who it was...except the cat itself. Maybe a good thing? At least he isn't...arrogant, she thought with a shrug of her shoulders. The thoughts jerked her back to the present, and she set her gaze on the Clan once more. "That being said, we cannot be a Clan without a deputy. As you all heard, Blackmoon has said that he received a sign from Tallstar, and he is to be our medicine cat." It was impossible not to lash her tail uncomfortably at these words. In her mind, Vixenfang had hoped that no ShadowClanners would join. The fact that they had driven WindClan out in the first place was always on her mind, but when Blackmoon had stepped forward....what could one say to someone who claimed to have been visited by Tallstar? Nothing, that's what. She would have to get used to it. "But a deputy has not been chosen by StarClan, and therefore I will choose one now." she added, tearing her eyes away from the black tomcat. Now was not the time to wonder about Blackmoon. Slowly, the words that had been spoken to her by Elkstar when she had been appointed as deputy of ThunderClan flooded into Vixenfang's mind. Closing her eyes, Vixenfang felt as if she were being transported back to that time and day, and she mewed, "I say these words before StarClan, so that their spirits may hear and approve my choice." She opened her eyes and set them on Hawkfang. "Hawkfang will be the first deputy of WindClan." She sprang down from the Tallrock and padded up to the tabby tom. When she reached him, she leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his and mewed quietly, so that only he could hear, "We will make sure WindClan does not fall again." In her words was a growl, and she lashed her tail in determination. No one would ever call WindClan weak again. Not after this. Word Count;; 875 Muse;; pretty good Audience;; all of WindClan--then just Hawkfang Notes;; not sure if I'm doing so well with Vixenfang's character, I gotta get more into her mind.

[tenacious]

Just a bunch of traitors. It was an odd transition; to go from warrior of one Clan to warrior of another Clan, a lost Clan. And, yet, to be viewed by other cats, by former Clanmates, as traitors. He wondered how it felt for those cats leaving behind family and friends; Hawkfang knew he didn’t have a large amount of friends in RiverClan and he hadn’t had a family. He had just left behind Ottersplash. Still, the young cat had been an extraordinary friend and he did not wish for Ottersplash to view him as a traitor; but if that was the price to pay, then so be it. He would rather be hated by all of RiverClan and still be in WindClan. RiverClan was merely a place to sleep, a group of cats that knew his name. Nothing more. Nothing less.

"Some will never accept us until the day they die. To the Dark Forest with those mousebrains! Whether the other Clans believe it or not, we are WindClan, and we are here to stay."

The anger was clear as Vixenfang spoke these words and Hawkfang nodded in agreement. They were WindClan, every single one of them, and nothing could drive the Clan of the moorland out once more. There were four seasons, four oaks, and there were four Clans once more; that was how it was meant to be. Any cat that questioned it was simply an arrogant fleabag that didn’t even deserve to carry the rank of warrior. Tension spread over the brown tabby as the she-cat continued on. Yes, there would be much to do. They would have to establish their territory, without making the other leaders furious in the process; if they had more warriors, perhaps they would risk arguments, but with only five cats, one of which would have to focus on learning herbs and communicating with StarClan, they could not afford getting into any border skirmishes.

“That being said, we cannot be a Clan without a deputy. As you all heard, Blackmoon has said that he received a sign from Tallstar, and he is to be our medicine cat."

Was Vixenfang uncomfortable with Blackmoon having received a message from Tallstar? Or…perhaps she was uncomfortable with Blackmoon himself. He was a former ShadowClan cat, after all, and it wasn’t like ShadowClan and WindClan had gotten along in the past. ShadowClan themselves had driven WindClan out. But they needed Blackmoon. He was related to Willowstar, for one, and any decent cat would think twice before attacking family. And, even though he was a bit strange, Hawkfang was sure not all of the ShadowClan warriors had found Blackmoon to be a waste of time- with luck, enough would protest against an attack, if Willowstar was even planning one. Ha! If. Willowstar was probably plotting the best route to get to the moor. Well, she’d have some troubles sneaking up on them, if she could even find the camp; arrogant…he shook his head, forcing himself to pay attention once more.

The deputy. Hawkfang’s gaze passed over the assembled cats; there was Rabbitflight. He was an older cat, easily more experienced, and then Viperfang- a ThunderClan cat as well. He frowned slightly before returning his gaze to Vixenfang, to find she was looking at him as well. Me? Hawkfang through incredulously, his eyes widening slightly as the she-cat leapt down from the Tallrock and made his way over to him. She pressed her forehead against hers and there was a slight growl in her words as she spoke.

"We will make sure WindClan does not fall again."

“I will put everything I have into that task,” Hawkfang replied, the surprise vanishing from his blue eyes to be replaced with fierce determination.

[{Otter}]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true] “I will put everything I have into that task.” As Vixenfang drew back and searched Hawkfang's face, she could not read his expression or guess at his thoughts. Even so, the determination in his words was enough for her, and she nodded her head to her first deputy. The first deputy of the reborn WindClan. And she...she was the first leader of WindClan. A shiver ran down her spine once more, and Vixenfang raised her eyes to the starry sky. Good gosh, Tallstar, I'm going to need help. I sure hope you visit me at the Moonstone, she thought with a frustrated flick of her ears. The fact that Tallstar had visited Blackmoon, while Brokenstar, of all cats, had visited her, made Vixenfang's ears burn with annoyance. Now was not the time to be annoyed. She sighed and shook her head, resting her gaze on her small Clan. The sky was growing lighter, she realized, and the new day would be approaching within a few hours. Maybe I should have saved these announcements for later, she thought, annoyed with herself. She shouldn't be keeping these cats up any longer! "It's been a long day," she mewed, and realized the truth in the statement. In the morning, they had been of separate Clans. But now...now they were WindClan. Good gosh. "There is not much night left, but get some sleep while it is still dark. In the morning Hawkfang will organize the reconstruction of the camp while Rabbitflight and I hunt and patrol. We will switch off at sunhigh with Hawkfang and Viperfang." She paused, tail lashing as it dawned on her just how small their Clan was. As an afterthought, she added, "This is going to be hard, but we can do it." What a small excuse for a Clan. Not a single warrior left over. It would not be all that easy, trying to decide what she needed to organize and what Hawkfang needed to. With so few cats in the Clan, there was too much overlap...they'd just have to do the same kinds of things. But one day...one day there will be kits... she thought, glancing at Viperfang out of the corner of her eye. What would her former apprentice think of having kits? WindClan would need to grow...Vixenfang realized that she, herself, might need to have kits. She gave the tomcats a cursory glance, and her tail twitched slightly as she realized that she couldn't really imagine having kits with any of them.... A wee bit disturbed, Vixenfang pushed these thoughts from her mind, and her amber gaze drifted to Blackmoon. He would be the one she would have the most trouble getting used to. She sat where she was for a long moment, fighting a fierce battle in her head....and then she cracked and mewed, "Blackmoon, I need to talk to you." Sure, she could have phrased it a bit more diplomatically, but Vixenfang didn't know how to speak softly...so she didn't really try. She rose to her small paws and made her way to the back of the Tallrock, where a small den existed, no doubt meant to shield the leader of WindClan from foul weather. Tonight the sky was clear and the wind, though cold, was not terribly strong, and Vixenfang figured she'd sleep in the open by the rock, shielded from the wind by its bulk. Word Count;; 550 Muse;; Much better...I believe Audience;; WindClan--then just Blackmoon Notes;; Sparrow, if you're reading this: Charredoak could pop into the thread where Hawkfang, Viperfang, and Blackmoon are rebuilding the camp ^.^ That will be funny

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] "It has been a long night. Many of us are hated now. We have left our Clans, and though there was no true opposition to us, there are doubtlessly those who want to harm each and every one of us." Viperfang nodded at the statement. Although she was sure Snakeheart's bark was worse than her bite, she couldn't be certain that every cat in ThunderClan wouldn't seek revenge for their leaving them. "Tonight was a difficult thing for all of us to do. It was the first step, but by no means the hardest or worst. Leafbare is beginning to come to an end, but that in no way means newleaf will be easy. We have to prove our right to be here, and even when we have, there are still some who will think we are just a bunch of traitors." The she-cat released a hiss to accompany the snarl that sounded down from the Tallrock. Her own sister had called them that! It wasn't likely that she would actually hold a grudge, but others may not be so forgiving and seek out any chance to harm a patrol. "Some will never accept us until the day they die. To the Dark Forest with those mousebrains! Whether the other Clans believe it or not, we are WindClan, and we are here to stay." To the Dark Forest indeed! Any cat that set foot over the border or aimed a claw or fang at one of her new denmates would be freshkill by the end of the battle! The fur along her spine started to rise at the thought. There wouldn't be any back up if they were outnumbered. Either everyone would have to help in the struggle and abandon the camp to be raided or they'd fall back and let their attackers find their way to the camp site. That couldn't happen. The best thing about WindClan's camp was that it was hidden. It was their primary defense. "We are going to have to work harder than we have ever worked. We must rebuild this camp, fortify it, reform the dens, raise up a freshkill pile, mark our borders, challenge all trespassers. And we must do this all with only five cats among us." Viperfang sighed and looked around again at her companions. Five. Four without their Medicine cat. Their numbers combined would add up to a single patrol from any other clan. They were terribly outnumbered. "That being said, we cannot be a Clan without a deputy. As you all heard, Blackmoon has said that he received a sign from Tallstar, and he is to be our medicine cat. But a deputy has not been chosen by StarClan, and therefore I will choose one now." The warrior flicked the end of her tail in anticipation. Here was the moment she had known was coming for a long time. Now that their presence had been established, the final member of their leadership would be announced. She forced herself not to glance at Hawkfang, not wanting to give it away. "I say these words before StarClan, so that their spirits may hear and approve my choice. Hawkfang will be the first deputy of WindClan." Viperfang purred in delight as she saw the tom's eyes light up in surprise. It was fitting, though. A cat from each clan in command of WindClan. A leader from ThunderClan, a Medicine Cat from ShadowClan, and now a deputy from RiverClan. Surely the other clans would have an easier time approving of the moor cats when they saw this line-up. "It's been a long day. There is not much night left, but get some sleep while it is still dark. In the morning Hawkfang will organize the reconstruction of the camp while Rabbitflight and I hunt and patrol. We will switch off at sunhigh with Hawkfang and Viperfang. This is going to be hard, but we can do it." The last statement was a dismissive one if she'd ever heard it, but Viperfang could tell it was meant to be comforting. After making her way to Hawkfang to congratulate him on his new rank, he looked around for Vixenfang, wishing to know when she would be making her journey to Highstones. When she saw her leader approaching Blackmoon, she guessed that would probably be the topic of their discussion. Perhaps she'd find out later. The tan she-cat turned back to the deputy and brushed her muzzle against his shoulder. "Don't take offense to anything I might say," she cautioned the new deputy with a purr, "You'll get to know me eventually." Her tone was good-natured, but there was a seriousness in her eyes as she gave him the tip. Viperfang was one ornery she-cat and it was good of her to warn the ex-RiverClan tom. It was a heads up, mostly to the way she hissed at almost everything. He'd get used to it. Now there was the little matter of the sleeping arrangements. Although she knew from the stories that WindClan had always slept out in the open, it was something new for the young warrior to try and she was hesitant about it. Not wanting to show fear, however, she chose a spot up against a jumble of the smaller boulders and headed toward them. In the crook of one of the rocks, she spun around, loosening some of the grass and sand until it felt right under her paws. With that, she curled up and placed her tail over her nose for protection against the cold. She kept her eyes on the other two warriors and waited for them to either join her or make their own nests somewhere else. If they slept together, there'd be less of a chance that they would wake up with creaking joints and they wouldn't have to put Blackmoon straight to work in the morning. Word Count: 979 Audience: Cats of WindClan! Comments: Fixed the banner! ^^

[{Otter}]

Note;; Ten, you can start the Camp Building thread anytime you want. We don't need to wait for this thread to end before we start that, since all it is is cats figuring out where they're going to sleep and Vixenfang speaking to Blackmoon. I'm going to go ahead and begin the Rabbitflight/Vixenfang one as well.

[Willow]

BLACKMOON

Blackmoon seated himself at the base of the Tallrock with his long, fluffy tail curled around his paws and his silver eyes fixed upon his new leader. He did not notice the gap around him and the cluster of the other three cats. He didn’t care. He was a ShadowClan cat, hated by reputation; it was obvious that the others would be unsure of him and untrusting. Even Vixenfang was, he could see it in her green eyes when she looked at him. She would rather him not be here. She would rather no ShadowClan cats be here.

‘She will see reason eventually and accept ShadowClan,’ came a gentle voice beside him. Bluefeather. Giving him courage and strength as she used to in life. Blackmoon smiled a gentle smile and nodded slightly in response to the grey StarClan cat. Vixenfang began to speak and the medicine cat turned his attention back to the ginger she-cat, eyes alert and ears perked up. He listened to her speech silently and without any facial change until she mentioned him and his sign from Tallstar. Silver eyes narrowed at the leader’s uncomfortable gesture. She could at least try to hide her irritation a little better. Blackmoon looked to his former mate for more support, but she had disappeared. He sighed softly but knew she had other things to do than comfort him endlessly.

He blinked his moon-colored eyes once and looked up at the Tallrock and the cat upon it as she began to name the WindClan deputy. Blackmoon was sure she was going to promote Viperfang or Rabbitflight, one of her own Clanmates. But the black tom was surprised as she uttered a different name: Hawkfang. Blackmoon smiled again, happy at the she-cat’s choice and happy that WindClan was not going to simply become and annex of ThunderClan.

Eventually, Vixenfang spoke directly to him. “Blackmoon, I need to talk to you.” He blinked once and stood to follow her into the little den beneath the Tallrock. He sat in front of her, curling his tail around his paws once more. Instead of waiting for her to speak, he murmured, “You wish ShadowClan had no part in WindClan, do you not? You wish Tallstar had come to one of your own Clan. Rabbitflight perhaps. I am sorry to disappoint, Vixenfang, but WindClan would fail if it were simply of two Clans. All three must be present for the rebirth to occur, whether you like it or not.”

[{Otter}]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true] As Vixenfang seated herself by the rock, she raised her eyes to Blackmoon and began to speak...until he beat her to it. Tail-tip flicked uncomfortably as the ShadowClan cat spoke, and she flattened her ears slightly at his words, but when he finished, she was ready. "You are right," she mewed, a bit stiffly. Why bother to pretend otherwise? "I won't put up pretenses. I don't like the idea of ShadowClan, and I would have rather no ShadowClanners joined WindClan." She paused briefly in an attempt to pull herself together. The night had been long, and her mind was starting to weaken as drowsiness claimed her thoughts. "But I'm not a foolish kit, Blackmoon, and I am not dense--I know this has happened for the best. But it will take more than a few hours for me to get used to it," she added, narrowing her eyes slightly as her tail shifted across the frosty ground. "I don't expect anyone, including you, to be comfortable with their new Clanmates yet, and I would like the same consideration from everyone else." Great StarClan, she was not doing well. Leaders were supposed to set examples...but so far all she had done was show her distrust of ShadowClanners. It also didn't help that most of the Clan was made of ThunderClan, but...well, that wasn't her fault. It made sense that she would have been able to reach cats of her own Clan more than cats of the other Clan. No doubt, more will come, she thought to herself, shaking her head ever so slightly. The next few moons would be strange, indeed. Finally, she added, "I am sorry, Blackmoon. It's a big change, going from ShadowClan's rival to being Clanmates with one." That being said, she relaxed ever so slightly and glanced in the direction of Mothermouth and the Moonstone. Now they could get down to the point of their conversation...the reason she had wanted to speak with him. "I plan on traveling to the Moonstone tomorrow night. Will you be going as well?" Word Count;; 338 Muse;; decent Audience;; Blackmoon Notes;; 'ello.

[Willow]

Blackmoon watched Vixenfang closely as she stiffly agreed with his words. She became defensive and rather undiplomatic. Blackmoon blinked, vaguely surprised at her lack of tact. He had expected the leader of WindClan to act different, not like any other warrior. But the medicine cat shrugged that thought away. She had been chosen, just as he had been. He could not argue with StarClan’s decision.

The ginger she-cat amended her words, rephrasing them in a more diplomatic way. The black tom nodded in understanding but remained silent. There was no use wasting breath simply to say “I agree.” So he waited until she got to the point of this little conversation. It was obviously not to speak of her distrust of ShadowClan. Blackmoon learned soon of her true intentions.

“I plan on traveling to the Moonstone tomorrow night. Will you be going as well?”

Blackmoon nodded quickly in response to her question. Vixenfang needed to earn her name before StarClan. He had no true reason to journey there other than the fact that he wanted to. He could speak with StarClan whenever he wanted. Moonstones was a formality. But he had not journeyed there since he was an apprentice, it would be good to return. “Yes, I would like to journey there as a true medicine cat,” he said, feeling that sustained silence might annoy his new leader. “Will we bring a warrior as well?” he asked after a moment of thought. It was unlikely they would encounter anything hostile along the way, but it might be safe to bring another.


WORDS: 261
AUDIENCE: Vixenfang
COMMENTS: Spent all my muse in “The Forsaking” xD

[{Otter}]

[bg=black][atrb=border,0,true] She realized this would be hard for moons to come. It was not easy to go from hating ShadowClan to having a former ShadowClan member as her medicine cat. Vixenfang sighed and closed her eyes tightly for a moment, tail-tip twitching as she attempted to collect herself. Why was this so hard? He wasn't ShadowClan anymore. Now, now Blackmoon was WindClan. Just as she was WindClan. Just as they all were. Why must it be so hard? After a brief moment, she opened her eyes and set them on the strange black tomcat once more. The idea of bringing another warrior hadn't really crossed her mind, and as Vixenfang thought of it, she realized that it was a straight shot to the moonstone. All cats had to pass through her land now to speak to their ancestors. A shiver of pleasure drifted through her body at that thought. Had the old WindClan leaders felt this way? Had they felt powerful and privileged, knowing it was their land that had to be crossed when any of the other Clans wanted to speak to their ancestors? Even so, they couldn't know if the other Clans were willing to acknowledge them. Perhaps the other leaders would travel to the Moonstone too, if only to ask StarClan for themselves if WindClan truly was supposed to return. Though it seemed unlikely and completely inappropriate, ti was possible that these travelers would attack a lone pair of WindClan cats...if, in fact, they did not choose to acknowledge WindClan's existence yet. No, no. We should not live in fear of the other Clans attacking. Not like this. Blackmoon and I are fighters, she thought at last, lashing her tail decisively. She had never seen Blackmoon fight in battle, but by sizing him up, she could see that he would be a powerful fighter. She, herself, had an inescapable bite that had made her infamous. Surely they could take on any trouble. Aloud she mewed, "Our Clan is too small to take another with us. The others need to stay behind and rebuild the camp and stock the freshkill pile. You and I were both raised as warriors. If we come across trouble, we should be fine." "Should" was never the best word to use, but Vixenfang ignored that. Why should they fear going out alone in their own territory? They shouldn't. Slowly Vixenfang was learning a bit of tact. Before much silence had risen up, she asked, "What do you think?" Great StarClan, this was going to be hard. Word Count;; 429 Muse;; okay Audience;; Blackmoon Notes;; Whichever of us gets to it first can start the thread at the Moonstone ^.^