Private Thread Don't Look a Gift Snake in the Mouth

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo had been so focused on inspecting the alder trees that the sudden flash of fur and claws caught him completely off guard. A sharp sting ran through his hind legs as the unsheathed claws of his attacker grazed him. He let out a startled hiss, leaping back against the base of the tree, his heart racing as he quickly spun to face the threat.

Mismatched eyes locked onto the form of a large, bristling tom - one that radiated hostility and rage. Kosmo’s muscles tensed, his tail lashing behind him as he sized up his opponent. The tom’s attack had been a warning, Kosmo realized, not an attempt to fully wound him. This wasn’t a mindless ambush. He didn’t want to fight, especially not over a misunderstanding.

But Kosmo wasn't about to let this tom off the hook so easily.

"Easy!" Kosmo growled, lowering his body in a defensive stance, his growl nearly full of mirth. “I’m not here to bother your RiverClan. I’m just looking for alder leaves - paultry at best.” His breath came in quick bursts of vapor, the adrenaline pumping through him from the unexpected strike. He flicked his ear towards the trees as if to emphasize his point.

A part of him hoped that his explanation would be recognized as something akin to a medicine cat, even if he didn't outright speak it. Attacking one was grounds for punishment from Starclan; the clans wouldn't do well to be cursed again - not so in Leafbare. There was no inexperience in his mismatched eyes, and stared down Coldgaze directly. He'd wait for an attack, and then he'd counter.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo’s mismatched eyes remained locked on Coldgaze as the bristling tom spat his challenge. The healer's mind whirred like clockwork assessing the situation with the precision of someone who had dealt with both sickness and injury - his own and others. Coldgaze's stance revealed an opening; he had more confidence in his size than in technique. It was a mistake Kosmo wouldn't make.

"Not Clan. And don't lump me in with ThunderClan." Kosmo muttered, his breath steadying. His heart still raced but his thoughts were cold and calculated. Coldgaze’s test swipe came next, and Kosmo could see that the tom was probing. Not fully committed. That gave him time. Always thinking like a healer, even in battle.

Kosmo's instincts kicked in. His sharp eye caught Coldgaze’s vulnerable positioning; a stiffened neck, too much weight shifted on the forelegs, a bristling tail revealing that the tom was more eager than controlled. Kosmo could use this.

Without warning, Kosmo launched himself forward, executing a precise double strike. His right and left paws swung high, targeting Coldgaze’s head. The move wasn’t just meant to land a hit - it was meant to throw his opponent off balance. Force the head to tilt, and the body will follow.

His mind raced with possible next moves - pinning him, twisting his paws, disabling the cat without causing lasting injury. His experience with bones and pressure points told him where to aim.

But Kosmo hesitated, giving Coldgaze one last chance to back down. He wasn't here to fight, and as a healer by heart, violence wasn’t his first solution. But he would defend himself - and more importantly, he would win. "I don’t want this fight..." Kosmo growled, mismatched eyes fierce but steady. “But I won’t let you win it either.”

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo felt his claws catch, the impact jarring through his paws as they connected with Coldgaze’s skull. The sharp scrape of claws against flesh was undeniable, though Coldgaze had moved enough to lessen the blow. His warning clearly wasn’t going to be enough.

Before he could fully retract, the bristling deputy slammed into him, a solid mass of muscle and force despite his size that knocked the breath from Kosmo’s lungs.

Cold eyes flashing, Kosmo could tell this wasn’t a battle the tom was willing to walk away from. He wasn't just defending territory anymore - it was a test of strength and will.

"Fine." Kosmo’s voice was a low growl, his body tensing as he pushed back against Coldgaze’s attempt to pin him fully. He shifted his weight, half spinning with a shift of his shoulders to return the blow as he ducked low, targeting his forelegs to knock him off balance before he'd attempt to rock him to the ground in a partial pin.

If this battle was to be won, it would be on his terms, with precision rather than brute force.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo's grip tightened as Coldgaze's weight shifted beneath him. He felt the deputy’s desperate scrabble against the frozen ground, heard the snarl and saw the flash of teeth as Coldgaze lunged for his shoulder. The sharp bite stung, but it only fueled Kosmo’s growing instinct to proof he wasn't the helpless cat he often adopted in his dealings.

His nostrils flared with the scent of blood, ichor bubbling to the surface of his pelt as the smaller, yet fluffier cat desperately tried to dislodge him. Kosmo's mismatched eyes burned with the thrill of the fight even as his eyes seemed barely open, peering down as he twisted, claws unsheathing further. Coldgaze was vulnerable, and Kosmo’s training whispered the simplest solution...Go for the throat. End it swiftly.

His body coiled, muscles tense, ready to strike and right as his fangs met skin, a harsh grating sound split the air.

KRAAAAW!

The raven's cry pierced through the haze, sharp and unrelenting, cutting across the frozen battlefield as she arced and landed on the ground nearby. The sound wasn’t just a noise. It was a tether, dragging him back from the brink of his red memories. He sucked in a sharp breath, his chest heaving as he pushed himself off other cat. The gleam in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something colder, more calculated.

“ThunderClan underestimated me too...Although you put up more of a fight.” Kosmo’s voice was low, hoarse, his tone carrying more dry observation than victory. He stood by his winged partner as the raven spread her wings in warning, making herself look bigger than she actually was - and she was a decent sized bird.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo’s ear flicked at Coldgaze’s snarling tirade, his mismatched eyes narrowing with a sharp glint of amusement. He stood still, letting the RiverClan deputy collect himself, though the raven at his side shuffled forward with an indignant caw, puffing her feathers as if to mimic her companion’s quiet confidence.

"ThunderClan talks a lot for cats who spend most of their time hiding behind trees..." Kosmo remarked, his voice calm and low, laced with disdain. "It’s not hard to catch them off guard." He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, his posture relaxed but radiating an air of control.

Kosmo let out a soft, sardonic chuckle, the sound almost lost beneath the harsh rustling of the wind through brittle grasses. "Typical." His tone dipped into something darker, his expression hardening briefly before smoothing back into his usual nonchalance.

At the question, Kosmo tilted his head, the glint in his eyes sharpening. "Kosmo." He said simply, the name rolling off his tongue like a challenge. “And since we’re exchanging introductions, why don't you tell me your name." He took a measured step to the side, his eyes sweeping over Coldgaze, studying him with keen interest. He observed the long pelted cat, his tone shifting - quieter, more thoughtful. "You’ve got fight in you. I respect that...I’ve been thinking a lot about who might be worth working with as we'll be neighbors soon - and I'd prefer to be neighborly."

He paused, letting his words sink in, before adding with a smirk. "Besides, ThunderClan thinks they're safe. I’d love to prove them wrong."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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The cat's thinly veiled threat drew a low chuckle from Kosmo’s throat, and he straightened his posture, his relaxed demeanor unshaken. "RiverClan territory? No, no. I respect boundaries… more or less." His smirk widened, his tail flicking lazily behind him. "ThunderClan, on the other paw…" He let the words trail off, his tone chilling briefly before lightening again, as if he had long savored the idea.

When Coldgaze attempted to question his presence near ThunderClan, Kosmo’s ears flicked toward the raven’s croaking, and he raised a paw in a small gesture, silencing her. The bird shuffled back but didn’t stop watching Coldgaze with sharp, beady eyes. "Forgive her." Kosmo said with a mocking lilt, as though the bird had been overly enthusiastic. "She doesn’t take kindly to cats who think she’s prey."

Kosmo’s smirk returned, his voice smooth as he pivoted back to Coldgaze’s unfinished question. "ThunderClan doesn't appreciate outsiders knowing their secrets. Or their weaknesses." He tilted his head again, watching Coldgaze’s reaction carefully.

"You don’t strike me as a cat who’s content to follow the rules. Perhaps we could find some common ground."

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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He let the cat's curt response hang in the cold air for a moment, as though savoring its weight.

"You're right..." Kosmo began, his tone smooth and almost conciliatory, though the glint in his mismatched eyes suggested he was playing a longer game. "Knowing your enemy isn’t deviant - it’s smart. But let’s not pretend every cat in RiverClan feels the same way."

At the mention of trust, Kosmo’s smile sharpened, losing some of its earlier warmth. He stepped closer, his movements deliberate. "ThunderClan has a historical debt to pay. Call it retribution, call it evening the score... But their safety is an illusion, and I’d like to be the one to shatter it. See them struggle and be spread thin. See their territory be taken from them."

He stepped back slightly, giving Coldgaze room to consider his words, but his eyes remained locked on him, his voice softening just enough to suggest genuine interest. "I merely ask for safe passage for my kin between here and there to test them. It would be better as allies. Perhaps your leader would agree with me?"

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
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Kosmo inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the tom's cautious but pragmatic approach. "Yes, detrimental forms of retribution. It’s time someone reminds them that the world doesn’t bend to their paws." Or that age old shadows don't just disappear.

"As for negotiation… I can agree to those terms. If RiverClan sees the benefit in further cooperation, I’ll be ready to listen." He took a step back, his tail swishing lazily, but his sharp gaze remained alert, scanning the surroundings in tandem with Coldgaze while he rolled his shoulder experimentally.

"Across the river... East in your territory. Head south until you're in RiverClan no more. You'll see a pair of twisting trees. I'll be there." Coldgaze would be seen in the sky as soon as he stepped foot onto Kosmo's territory, he was sure. He stepped further back and with that, the tom turned, his movements smooth and deliberate, the raven following him with a hop before taking flight, circling overhead as if to mark his retreat.