Closed Thread [Closed] A Vision for the Future

Briarfang watched as their deputy crossed the river to the rock shore. Their pelt prickled with excitement as they followed suit, climbing out with soaked paws onto the stone. Shaking out their fur, they gave Coldgaze a curious glance. They'd known their deputy to be rather bold, but this was interesting. They were so close to the Thunderclan border, it almost seemed unnecessary. And from the way Coldgaze tended to push limits, Briarfang had a good idea of what he was thinking. Eyes glinting with interest, they waited for Coldgaze to explain himself, long black tail waving in the air.

Coldgaze:

Briarfang had a good intuition, and Coldgaze held in his smug satisfaction that he knew the older warrior would be interested in his plans. Gloating would win him no accolades.

He padded to the shore, as if he was going to continue back across the river, looking both ways... before dropping into a hunter's crouch. "Briarfang. Water vole - over by the rocks." His eyes followed the small brown creature - likely the same he had seen the other day, and left alone with the hope it would give him an excuse.

It was swimming at the moment. Technically still Riverclan prey. He made eye contact with Briarfang for a few moments, letting the slightest hint of a smile cross his face. "If we can catch it before it heads for the shore... then it's ours, fair and square."

He really, REALLY wanted them to fail on that account.

Briarfang watched as Coldgaze dropped into a hunter's crouch, eyes glinting. "You know I love a good hunt," they replied, quietly moved to corner the vole for him. There were a hundred different ways the creature could go, many of them probably ending at Sunningrocks. The tortie wondered just how far they could push the borderline--how far was too far to reach mid-hunt? They couldn't catch the strongest scent of Thunderclan markings, either. How unfortunate.

The hunt shouldn't have been difficult, but Coldgaze intended to put on a show. He silently slid into the water, keeping his head in line with the waves before diving below, attempting to trap the vole from below. In theory, he would try to push it towards Briarfang on the Riverclan side of the border. But he also knew that the fastest way for the rodent to escape was onto Sunningrocks.

As expected, when he came up to grab the vole, it let out a squeak of terror and tried to dart away. While he did catch it's skin - leaving red blood in the water - it sped off in the direction of the warm rocks. He was a good swimmer, but not as fast as the vole.

So really, it was up to Briarfang now. What would he do? His renowned stare was focused on the older tom, silently asking -

"What will you do Briarfang?"

Briarfang watched with anticipation as Coldgaze started the hunt. As the vole darted out of the water, they leapt toward it with a flick of their tail. Part of them wanted to glance back at their deputy--surely Coldgaze had been thinking the same thing?--but they kept their eyes on their prey. They caught up to the vole in only a moment, and swiftly bit down onto its throat. The tiny creature's spine cracked between their teeth as they held the body in their mouth. Briarfang looked down at the hard stone beneath their paws, and glanced back at the other warrior. Dropping the vole, they gave another wave of their tail. "It seems I may have crossed the border by accident," they called out, rather nonchalantly. "Silly me."

If this had been a trick, or if Briarfang had misread the situation, then oh well. They made no quick effort to move off of Sunningrocks.

Coldgaze emerged from the water, hauling his form up onto the flat, warm rock near Briarfang, resisting the urge to grin from ear to ear. He did had a duty to maintain his Leader's wishes. Still - this was the outcome he wanted.

"We shouldn't be here." His words implied a scolding - a warning. But his tone was giddy, excited; rare for the usually stoic deputy. He bounded up a few of the warm stones, surveying the land. He hadn't been near Sunningrocks since he was a young apprentice but the stones always fascinated him. He wouldn't dare leave a mark here - Thunderclan would skin him alive at the gathering - but even being here staked his claim to the land which Thunderclan used for, what? Sunning themselves? Catching snakes?

No. This land was Riverclan's, just as the banks alongside it were. He turned back to Briarfang.

"I always heard that Thunderclan considered this land to be theirs - traditionally. Because they 'always' owned it. But." His tail flicked with anticipation for the future. "I disagree. Riverclan has held this land in the past. We have just as much of a claim to it as they do."

Giving a rather relieved chuckle of their own, Briarfang took a few daring steps around the stone. They had never really cared too much about Sunningrocks to have an opinion on the territorial debate either way. But as they listened to Coldgaze, it really did make sense for it to be Riverclan territory.

"It's not as if Thunderclan does anything good with it," they agreed. "Or the whole riverbank, really. A while ago, I watched one of their warriors get her leg tangled up in a tree nearby. It took two others to get her free all while she was yowling for help with her fur all bristled up!" They let out an amused laugh--it was still funny, even about a whole moon later.

Coldgaze gave another cursory glance over the stones, before settling onto one. "That was my thought." He was glad that Briarfang was on the same page as him. "This part of the river is always exposed to the sun, it's often only covered in thin ice - and many of the voles use it during the winter. This could be another place the clan could use during times of scarcity. Which, as deputy, is my responsibility to resolve." He enjoyed the warmth radiating from the smooth surface beneath his feet. It was also a perfect place to scheme... and nap.

He hadn't shared his vision for the clan with many others; Boldstar, understandably had shut him down with his suggestion of taking Sunningrocks. But Riverclan was at their full strength now - Thunderclan was a squabbling mess as far as he could tell. This might be the perfect time to take back what was theirs.

"Briarfang." He held the tom's gaze, his two strangely coloured eyes burning with conviction. "I want to take Sunningrocks. Boldstar wants to keep the peace. We are at an impasse..." He didn't finish the sentence, but the phrase "Who do you agree with?" was implied, at the very least.

Briarfang gave an amused smile as Coldgaze settled to rest on the rocks. Wrapping their tail around their paws, they fixed their amber eyes on him as he spoke. "What a noble goal, thinking of the clan's future."

When the deputy asked his question, Briarfang thought for a moment. They were never too quick to answer anything, instead tossing the idea about in their head. The sun felt warm on their dark pelt, and Coldgaze was right about the rocks being an extra prey source for when the river froze over. Stretching their shoulders as they sat, they responded, "Who's to say there won't be peace again after Sunningrocks becomes Riverclan territory? I have to say, you seem to be much bolder than our leader is. Frankly, it's a good idea. And it's not as if Thunderclan is in any place to truly lay claim to it right now."

Coldgaze nodded slowly, his smile not quite fading at Briarfang's words. "That is very true Briarfang. Peace could always return." He actually gave a laugh at the 'bolder than the leader' comment. It seemed silly to be more headstrong than Boldstar - but in this case, perhaps Briarfang was right.

He wiped the grin off his face as he turned back to the older warrior. "Unfortunately, I can't see that happening without a fight." There was actual apprehension in his voice at that. Herein lies the issue - violence. Coldgaze was no stranger to violence, against other clans and his own rivals within Riverclan. It had gotten him in trouble in the past and he wasn't interested in simply sparking a war with no backup plan. "I don't want your agreement. I need you to consider what this could mean for the clan. I need you thinking - I want your critique." If they were to have a hope in Starclan of actually taking this land, he needed input on his ideas. He needed support - and not just blind enthusiasm. "I have ideas. But there is bound to be holes in my plans. I need you to find us help. The clan is strong, stronger than it has ever been. This is the right time - I just need the right people." Briarfang had connections in the clan - most notable his kin. He was bound to know what the other warriors thought of violence.

And on top of that, Briarfang could bring up the idea to the clan without Coldgaze driving a wedge between himself and Boldstar. Despite his rebellion, despite his scheming he wanted - no. He needed Riverclan to remain cohesive. "I will work on Boldstar. If nothing else, Bareleaf will be the most persuasive argument - especially when we are in the throes of it with this many mouths to feed."

Briarfang listened quietly as their deputy described his plan. It was true, Briarfang had endless enthusiasm for odd-brained schemes like this one, but they also knew themself to be rather cunning. That was one thing he clung to. They weren't as strong or necessarily as quick in battle as their fellow warriors might be, but they could think, and very little got by without their noticing.

"I understand," they replied calmly as Coldgaze finished his words. "I'll float the idea around others, see who might be willing to support you in this endeavor. You realize the consequences, though? If Boldstar doesn't approve even after you try your hardest to convince him, what will you do?"

Ah. Yes - consequences. He had considered them for a long time. Coldgaze closed his eyes, and he could see him having to face off with Boldstar. He never wanted it to come to that.

But.

The thing was, if it came down to him and Boldstar standing off - he wanted to have the clan behind him. So there would be a long period of planting the seeds that was needed before then.

"The consequences for a deputy disobeying a Leader are likely lesser than a warrior seeding ideas of violence in his clanmates." He opened his eyes as he addressed his clanmate. "This is my idea, and as such I will be taking the responsibility for the outcome, good and bad." He stood to leave; it wasn't safe for them here at the moment. He hoped that would change soon. "If it comes down to it, I am persuasive - and I coerced you with my rank."

Leading the way off the territory, a slight smile crept onto his face as he padded alongside Briarfang, letting his tail drape alongside the older tom, before tickling his nose. "Don't you feel coerced? Briarfang?" He looked, somewhat slyly over his shoulder, before collecting the vole and slipping into the river; blending in with the moving shadows of the rapids.

Briarfang understood what he meant. Of course, what they were doing wasn't 'seeding violence,' exactly. Well, maybe it was a violent idea to take back Sunningrocks for Riverclan, but what part of clan life wasn't violent? They let out an amused sigh as Coldgaze stood to leave. "You are most certainly persuasive," they agreed.

They playfully swiped at his tail as it came near their nose. "Absolutely. 'Oh, it was terrible! I felt if I hadn't gone along with his hare-brained scheme, I don't know what would've happened to me!'" They snickered at their own rehearsal of what they might say in their defense as they joined him in the river. Their confidence grew at the fact that they hadn't been bothered once by Thunderclan warriors. Those cats didn't even seem to be paying attention at what happened in their own territory. A shame on them, really.

(Thread finished - I don't have anything else to add.)