Private Thread Ambition in Bloom

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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Surprised that Coldgaze had picked her for his own patrol, but happy nonetheless, Bloomfire padded alongside the deputy, paws careful placed one in front of the other as she walked with a confident air. 'It steals away the weak. Those worthy of living a life by the waters can make it through safely. If you don't manage to make it, I guess the river just deemed you unworthy.' She gave Goosesong a sidewards glance. She very much knew his sister had drowned during the tom's apprenticeship. 'Oh, sorry, guess I forgot.' she said in a deadpan voice, giving Goosesong a little smirk.

She didn't say much else, occasionally straying slightly off path to place a marker of her own. She withheld the temptation to give one of the warriors a gentle shove as the neared the gorge's edge. Not strong enough to push them over, but enough to give them a little spook. But, she didn't for she knew if she did she would likely be greeted back with a sharp tongue and be sent back to camp.

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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With the same sidewards glace she had given Goosesong, Bloomfire now looked at Coldgaze, looking him up and down. 'Perhaps. I'm not a spiritual cat. Things happen because they happen. If you drown, you probably just weren't good enough. Harsh, I know. But I'm not exactly wrong, am I?' Her tone just as neutral, matching his energy. 

She sat down next to him, wrapping her tail around her paws as her yellow-green eyes shifted towards the chasm, just as Coldgaze's had done. Bloomfire was a solitary cat. It felt odd to sit by Coldgaze, and converse. Unlike some members of her clan, Bloomfire actually held some respect for him. Not all his decisions were perfect, and she still tried to rile him up when she could, but he seemed to have decent ambitions and ideas. A cat that she could work with fundamentally. 

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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'Briarfang's always been a good one. Not the best, but better than most. They're my kin. It would be embarrassing if they acted otherwise', she said bluntly, though her eyes shimmered slightly, perhaps with a hint of pride. 'What was WindClan like? Should I be.. sharpening my claws or perhaps focusing on something completely different altogether?' Her gaze slightly drifted into the direction of ThunderClan. Coldgaze would get the hint, in that she could trust. 

'Both failed. Goosesong's sister shouldn't have fallen in in the first place. Obviously StarClan had other plans for her, but the clan didn't do enough for her either, left behind, washed away by the very thing that gives us life. If I fell into this chasm right now, I probably wouldn't survive. But, I haven't fallen in, I'm standing here feeling nothing but indifferent to those who have, practically laughing at their unfortunate lives. You die by something such as drowning and I snicker and think you pitiful, but in reality things just happen. You and I don't have a single speck of control, unless you want to be direct and take that life yourself.' In all honesty Bloomfire made it impossible to make out what part of her words were the truth and what were pure lies. Her voice was icy, laced with tease. Bloomfire didn't even know herself. Cats died because they just did. Yes, she said most things just to get a reaction out of others, but part of her truly did believed that perhaps if one died in such a misery filled way, they really weren't worth much at all. 

Bloomfire's ears perked slightly at the mention of Mistykit, and she stood up, slowly padding in a wide circle around Coldgaze as she spoke. 'Ahh, the addition to Otterwhisker's brood. I'm surprised you brought her back. She's tainted with outsider blood, could grow up with bad intentions, or not be fit for clan life. I thought you would be against all that. She can never be a real RiverClanner right...' Bloomfire couldn't care less about Mistykit and where she came from. A cat was a cat and as long as it didn't have blood from another clan, she would be good for RiverClan, but where did Coldgaze, the oh so wonderful deputy sit within this. She paused, moving her face right in front of Coldgaze's, her whiskers brushing his face, 'Are you prepared to take the blame if things go wrong?' 

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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'WindClan you say... interesting, though not that surprising.' To Bloomfire, the strength that the clan seemed to hold within its ties seemed almost worrying. They had little rifts between ranks and members, something that solidified them as a group, and she felt like she could say the same for ShadowClan too. It made them stronger, but to side with them in a fight was a large call, for despite the peace they upheld now, intentions could turn awry. She flicker her ear as an indication that she had heard what he said, choosing not to comment too much. For, now WindClan was the least of her priorities. 

'Such strong feelings towards those from ThunderClan... while I do not disagree, do not let your anger cloud your judgement. You must prepare for such things, not start them out of the blue.' Coldgaze had Bloomfire's support, that was one thing the tom could be certain about, but the ruddy she-cat wasn't about to run head first into a battle due to one cats clear distaste towards them. A little border skirmish? She could do with one of those now, but a full blown battle would need meticulous preparation. 

On the notion of ambition and destiny, they could agree to disagree. While Bloomfire new some aspects they could change with their own paws, ultimately things just happened, though she could see where Coldgaze was coming from, and for once she didn't argue against it, or mock such ideals. It was respectable, and perhaps something Bloomfire could try change her own views to if she weren't so... against caring about things. Not even trying to hide the falseness in her words, she shot him a smirk back, 'Oh no, you saw through me... poor Bloomfire has outsider blood too. Do you trust me, Coldgaze? Would you fight beside me just as you do with the rest of the clan? Because I am more than ready to face the consequences of our future's path, but I need to make sure I have the right cats with me.' she challenged back, though her eyes shone with an almost playful like nature. Coldgaze seemed to search for something within her own gaze, though she could not tell what. The future of RiverClan was in their paws, each step they made bringing them closer to something greater than they already had, and for once Bloomfire felt excited, thrilled at whatever would be coming next. 

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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It was good to hear that things had been thought about. It wasn't that she had expected otherwise, more just that she hadn't yet grasped how deep they were into the situation. Drawing them to the river made sense, it was something she would have chosen to do herself. The water would give RiverClan the upper paw, and the stream clearing was a safe distance from their own camp. She gave Coldgaze a quick grin, showing her sign of approval.

'So.. you plan on taking a few of them out?' her tone was neutral not betraying a hint of surprise, or excitement. 'You aiming for Ketrelswipe? Or perhaps Moosestar himself?' Bloomfire held the deputy's gaze, trying to read what she could from his eyes. Would Bloomfire kill? Yes. She had done it before, and she wasn't afraid to do it again, but it was never her driving motive. The battle would be for Sunningrocks, not to wastefully take the lives of others, but, she would definitely enjoy sinking her claws into some of the more... nuanced of ThunderClan.

Being not sure how Coldgaze would answer, she flicked her ear in recognition as he mentioned he trusted her as a loyal RiverClan warrior. He was right. Bloomfire could have left long ago, to live a more solitary life that she desired, bit RiverClan ran through her blood, it was her lifeline and the one thing she wished to protect. 

In all honesty, Bloomfire would love to see Boldstar's reaction if things went haywire, knowing she was a key aspect of the idea, but Coldgaze had offered to take the blame, and she may as well accept. It would be safer that way anyway. It would be funny to see a little conflict between Boldstar and his deputy too. 'Well, seeing as you offered.. how can I refuse? I'm sure Boldstar will see right through it though. Something like this is right up my alley. For all he could know I could be the ringleader behind it all. I don't think it would be all that surprising. No need for coercion when I have no shame in my own actions.'

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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She followed closely behind Coldgaze, surveying her surroundings with pricked ears. 'Fair.' Just, don't be stupid she wanted to add, but he was probably sick of her shallow warnings. Picking off their stronger members made sense in the long term, but it was ambitious goal. Not something the ruddy warrior was against though.

Of course Coldgaze wouldn't let her put her name out there. He was deputy after all, and seemed to feel some sort of responsibility for not just himself, but the entirety of his clan. 'There is no point in me even arguing is there? Have it your way, dear deputy, but I don't hide behind others. I know who I am, and what sort of choices I make. If I think it better to tell the truth, I will do exactly that.'

A horrible, risky and foolish idea then sprouted in Bloomfire's mind. Something she knew would never be achievable, and potentially harmful in the long term, but, what would Coldgaze's reaction be? Mortified? Intrigued? Either way, she wanted to know. 'If you really want to rattle their core. Perhaps you could go after little Coyotekit. Steal her and bring her here, reuniting her with her sibling and leaving ThunderClan with no future warriors. From what I know they don't have any expecting queens, and during a battle would be the perfect time to duck in and take her.' She gave Coldgaze a glance, one that could hint that she was simply testing the waters on some more extreme measures, or perhaps otherwise. The problem was, was that Coyotekit was nearly an apprentice, and taking a kit was an impossible feat. She would likely never do it, but still. What would RiverClan's deputy think?

'Hah, you think you can outdo me?
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'The clan doesn't have to agree, I don't to things because others have told me I can. Be prepared to face the consequences, rather than dwell on something that could have happened.' She was surprised she wasn't shut down instantly, trying to read Coldgaze's face with her own analytical stare. She had paid little attention to the kits that had been found at fourtrees that one gathering, hence the one from ThunderClan had not come to her mind until now, but she was interested in her own turn of conversation nonetheless. 

Going into ThunderClan's camp and taking a kit was absolutely stupid, but having a casual conversation with an apprentice...? Now that sounded much more plausible. 'We wait. Both you and I know its stupid to take a kit from the heart of a camp, but perhaps once she is older, perhaps someone can have a little talk with her at a gathering. Or, y'know, use her as a bargaining chip like you said. So many options, so many outcomes. It's all just a possibilities and talk now, but most things I say I am very much interested in making a reality.'