Private Thread Plot Thread They Come

"My return to glory is near."

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Aurelius - even if one that was usually difficult to read - could not help but let a smirk of satisfaction escape. They were almost there. He had just a small inkling of what Kosmo was talking about but he would continue to stay on guard. It was not his time to shine after all. Not yet, at least. That was for the rest of his clanmates for the time being. Most of all, Kosmo.

"Go. I'll be here."

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The more that was spoken, the more confused Finchpaw was getting. He... Something about leaving the forests they had spent all their lives in. The tom didn't budge despite the anger that rose in his throat. Unless ordered by Kestrelswipe - his mentor and deputy - then he would not budge. The last orders given to him by Moosestar. He would act on those orders until told otherwise. Until his dying breath if needed.

'Protect the kits.' he whispered to himself.

I’m surrounded by idiots...

⋅⋅✦⋅⋅ 𓆩✧𓆪 ⋅⋅✦⋅⋅

As another cat burst into the scene and rammed itself into his flank, Gingerthrash growled into the rosetted tom’s shoulder, With a sudden, yet calculated thrash he pulled himself sidewards then down to attempt to use Basilisk as a shield of some sort against Jasper. A throbbing of pain from a claw mark wrenched across a healed scar loosened his claws and released the tom he was trying to so desperately assassinate before… oh how this was hurting is battle worn bones.

Once he was sure that Jasper was out of his way, he aimed fierce and desperate claw-strikes towards Basilisk's ears, but most met empty air where an ear should have been, and another found purchase and ripped violently, ripping the delicate flesh. But the rosetted cat almost didn’t even notice. How did he…? 

A sudden pressure pushed onto Gingerthrash’s shoulders and he hissed in retaliation, kicking at the rosetted tom now pinning him to the dirt. The kicking, however, was weak, angry and uncoordinated, it soon became full body thrashing and then desperate wriggling "Release me and fight me like a real warrior! Coward!"

Gingerthrash heard the sound of a murmur to the black tom that attempted to push him off of Basilisk from the rosetted cat himself before terrible… terrible pain. Claws carved sickening lines in his face, eyes and ears. Blood clouded his vision, and his hearing quickly, he couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, could just feel the pain and it was debilitating. What in the name of StarClan was wrong with this cat?!

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

Being pulled was a great opportunity to get closer to the ThunderClan tom’s body and quickly used it to his advantage, after muttering a quick thanks to Jasper for the help to get to this point, Basilisk displayed his claws and pressed down harshly on the older tom’s shoulders, feeling several pops of old joints as he did. Gingerthrash barked something at him about fighting like a ‘real warrior’ but real warriors seemed to lose tremendously. "I don’t think so."

His whisper was broke off into a wretched screech from the lilac tom as Basilisk’s claws slid through both of his eyes in a single slash. Then his lower ears, and his face until the tom had a face full of blood. Gingerthrash became more desperate than ever now, screeching and yowling like it would change his fate. But soon, his thrashing became just as weak as before.

With a flash of white teeth, they gripped onto the scraggly old wretch’s throat and pulled, yanking the flesh and fur away and leaving a scruffy, bloody mess of what was left behind. Basilisk dropped the flesh as Gingerthrash began to gurgle on his own blood, he flailed around, thrashing to his side, trying to look for something, anything to close his throat. But there was nothing. Basilisk had won and he didn’t need the toad venom to do it. 

When Gingerthrash’s thrashing went still, eyes white and glazed as if still widened with fear and desperation. Basilisk grabbed the elders’ scruff, pulling him upwards for the clan to see. The one eared tom with another bloody corpse to his jaws. How utterly… humorous. Once enough cats had seen the scene, he dropped the lilac caramel ticked rag on the ground. Then his aquamarine eyes narrowed at the identical other, a smirk crossed his bloody maw. "You wanted to spill blood. Didn’t you lilac devil?"

I da bravest!
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

At first Skunkkit slept quite peacefully through all the commotion. Deaf to the sounds of countless birds cawing over his head and all around the camp. He never heard the conversation between his brother and Finchpaw, nor the gentle reassurances from his mother. At the offer of a story, he little black and white tom’s ear flicked and he began to mumble something unrecognisable in his sleep, twitching his paws a little as though bouncing in excitement, then settling back into his calm sleep. Earlier that day, and not all that long before these birds had turned up, the Thunderclan kitten had been doing his best to zip around the Nursery, excitedly chasing anything that moved. This had included pouncing on the tails of his family members. So oblivious was the young tom to the strife that his clan was facing. He had understood nothing of the two battle patrols leaving camp, although he had watched the warriors leave in awe and complained loudly when he had been sequestered into the Nursery instead of being allowed to continue playing outside. As a result, the young tom had completely passed out from exhaustion.

When a fight broke out between the birds and a couple of his clanmates near the fresh-kill pile, Skunkkit continued to sleep. Skyclan arrived and made their presence known, and still the little tom slept on, blissfully unaware of the threat to him and his clan’s ways of life. The raised voice of Spidertongue caused him to twitch and stir, however. Not even as a heavy sleeper could the little tom ignore a yowl from a clanmate nearby so entirely. The more agitated the clan became, the more that Skunkkit stirred. Shifting in his nest to get more comfortable, a frown etched on his face as he subconsciously sensed the distress around him. Still he did not fully wake. Not just yet.

An unfamiliar screech reached Skunkkit’s ears and this time he blinked his eyes open, exhaustion and confusion glazing them over. The young tom looked around him for a moment, unsure of what was going on. The first thing he saw was his mother, father and brother huddled together, a story of some sort being told. The scene soothed the little tom and he relaxed, smiling warmly. That peace was soon shattered when Kestrelswipe yowled out, calling Wildcry and Gingerthrash’s names. Shocked and curious, Skunkkit’s attention turned swiftly to the entrance of the nursery. His confusion only thickened when he spotted the shadow of cats beyond the entrance.

Whispers and voices sounded beyond the Nursery’s entrance and worry began to lace the black and white tom’s mind. He didn’t understand any of what was going on but the tension in the air was undeniable even to his young mind. “Mama? Wha’s going on?” Skunkkit looked up to Orchidflame, then over to Bravesong, hoping one or the other would answer his question. Before any answer could be given, however, the screeches of battle sounded out over the camp and the young tom’s eyes went wide as fear now spiked his fur and he pressed himself into the moss. Whatever was going on out there was bad and he had no idea how to handle it.

Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
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Wildcry saw it happen and there was no time to reach him to intervene. One moment Gingerthrash was reliving the best of his life with that vicious fire in his eyes and the next... He had gone still. Wildcry's single eye widened as Basilisk lifted her uncle's limp body for the Clan to see as he had done with Moosestar. Blood stained the lilac caramel fur she knew so well and for a moment the clearing was silent...

Wildcry hissed through her nose. In some twisted grace she knew this was how Gingerthrash wanted to go, following after his brother confronting rogues who threatened their livelihood. Not curled beneath a nest of moss fading in his sleep. He had died fighting a Fierceblood death, but that didn't make watching it happen any easier.

A part of her offensive wall had been killed and her claws dug into the earth. Her rage threatened to overwhelm her, but Wildcry had survived too long to let rage make her stupid and...she had Rimepaw to think of. And the kits nestled in the nursery. Wildcry stepped forward, fur half fluffed and back arched as she marched stiffly towards Basilisk.

Only that single golden eye boring into his. "You have my attention." A faint, humorless smile touched her maw. "You think killing an Elder makes you strong?" She could feel the nursery behind her. Every instinct screamed at her to tear Basilisk apart for what he had done...And she would. Wildcry committed his face to memory.

"You'd better anticipate me, Rogue." She'd be coming for him. Her sharp voice arced through Camp to reach Kestrelswipe again and any who could hear her. "KESTRELSWIPE! ThunderClan must fight together!" Hesitation was defeat...ThunderClan needed to strike as a unified front or they would all fall. Greenfang scowled from behind Wildcry, ready to support her and defend ThunderClan from her sons' murderers.

It was then she felt the swipe of motion beside her, and her eye traveled to Rimepaw as she shot forward...

Frost-kissed fur hides a fiery spirit
⋆｡°❅°｡⋆ ⭒ ──● ❄ ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°❅°｡⋆

A furious heat surged through Rimepaw's chest so violently it felt as though her own blood had caught fire. She watched as the one who had challenged her to the apex of her being fall, the one who had been proud of their heritage and what ran through their veins.

And these cats had murdered him. Her gaze locked onto the young black tom who had given the spotted tom the oppertunity for a deathblow. Rimepaw didn't hear any voice of reason or the crows shrieking their distain. She only heard the pounding of her own heart and she saw red.

Her fur exploded along her spine as the Fierceblood in her erupted completely, swallowing every lesson about restraint, every warning about choosing her battles. She leaned forward in a furious sprint, paws hammering the earth as she launched herself over her own dam through the tunnel and straight at Jasper. She didn't care that she was still an apprentice - Jasper didn't look much older, and she hadn't been seen from behind Wildcry.

Rimepaw leapt, twisting in midair as she drove herself toward Jasper's shoulder and upper side, intending to crash into him. Her claws reached for his pelt, swiping furiously so fast that her claws sang, her entire body fueled by a rage she had never known existed inside her as she used every tactic she recalled from her extensive training with Wrentalon to her advantage. After her initial swipe, she ducked low as if anticipating a counterattack and snapped at his back foot. Mauling a cat in that fashion would be fitting after what they had done...

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
⋆｡°✩ ⭒ ──● 𓄿 ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°✩

Kosmo's ears flicked at the sudden violence in front of him. For the first time since entering ThunderClan's camp something like genuine displeasure crossed his face. Perhaps it was the amount of corpses littering the ground, but perhaps it was how Basilisk seemed to take liberties.

"I gave you no permission to butcher him. And you." His eyes shifted toward Jasper. "You followed him into it." There was something almost clinical in his disgust and wished desperately for a sprig of lavender for his own nerves. Level voiced as he was, emotions were running high and they were running out of time.

"You see it now, Kestrelswipe...This is what I was trying to spare you."

The crows shrieked overhead eager for the feast that would follow. Kosmo's mismatched eyes grew stony. "I have tolerated your defiance because you were attempting to think like a leader, but even a medicine cat's patience can run out." He watched the bloodied spar between the two young cats, hoping Jasper would take the hint.

Kosmo would make it clear as crystal. "Take them and leave. This is your final chance unless you'd like your secret to be known..." Woe be it to ThunderClan if he should unleash his claws again.

I can't hear you, I don't fear you

₊˚ ⏾. ⋅

Jasper had only just gotten to his feet, breathing heavily, when Kosmo scolded him. Chastened, he nodded, eyes dropping to his paws. He had only been trying to keep Basilisk from getting killed, but, yeah, Basilisk had provoked Gingerthrash. Trying to protect clanmates from the consequences of their actions was off limits, maybe? It had been like that in his colony. 

Speaking of the consequences of one's actions, Rimepaw seemed bent on murder. Jasper couldn't get away in time, and her hits to his side and shoulder landed, tearing glimmering lines of scarlet into his pelt. The strike to his foot he evaded. Instead of responding with an attack, he took advantage of her low position and leapt over her to escape further battery. 

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

Basilisk stood unflinching, blood-strained maw calmly closed after the ordeal as he  lifted his ear in spite of a small injury seeping blood slowly and steadily down the side of his face. When Wildcry approached, that same fierceness in her eye as Gingerthrash had when he tried to bore into Basilisk, his expression remained unmoved. Aquamarine staring back at her with a soft calm in spite of the situation that he had partaken in. The eyes... matches someone else's. A lilac she-cat standing at the gorse tunnel seemed to know, yet he was clueless.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Devil." Basilisk spoke in response, a faint flick of his tail being the only sign of any kind of emotion in his body, and even that might have very well been nothing.

A few pawsteps were made backward away from the battle, claws sheathing with every step backward that was made. But his eyes didn't leave the Lilac Devil and his ears, or what was left of them, remained vigilent to the rest of his surroundings, if there was going to be an attack, he would do as the Lilac Devil said, the only intelligent thing she said to him, and anticipate it. 

He simply gave a nod in response to Kosmo's scolding, it was a back-thought in the moment, right now, he was preparing for claws to fly and to make sure they missed.

If a flower can flourish in the desert, you can flourish anywhere.

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Coyotebloom had been standing at the edge of the gorse tunnel, the last thing she wanted to see was two corpses dropped at her paws and her heart dropped into her paws. She didn't get along well with either of these cats but neither deserved to die so terribly. But at this point she couldn't keep Wildcry and Rimepaw in camp anymore without risk of her own and their own autonomy. 

Her cat-brows furrowed as she turned to Kestrelswipe and murmured a quiet "I'm so sorry..." to him. She should have been strong enough to defend the camp, to keep the cats inside of safe, she failed Moosestar, she failed the elders of the clan, she failed to defend the camp against the rogues. Maybe... deep down, she was like them, a rogue playing clan warrior. She was supposed to protect them and now they were throwing themself into battle like lunatics...

She took a glance at the cat that mauled Gingerthrash as he took Wildcry's glare and bristled form surprisingly cool-ly... those eyes... they reminded her so much of... But no. It couldn't be. Could it? She didn't mention any littermates...

Coyotebloom shook her head before bursting forward toward Rimepaw and the black cat that she had thrown herself at. He didn't exactly... see her, so she had an opportunity in this. She leapt, trying to pounce onto Jasper's back to keep him pinned to the ground. "Mouse-brain!" She hissed quietly, mostly to herself, she could have just stopped the fight as a whole if she had just protected the gorse tunnel better. But now... here she was.

Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
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The command seemed impossible to obey. Wildcry's golden eye remained fixed on Rimepaw as the apprentice lunged. She wanted nothing more than to let her avenge Gingerthrash and her join her. Let the Fierceblood in her answer blood with blood... But Rimepaw was exposed and backed by a brother who would not fight with her.

With the efficiency of a cat who had seen countless battles, Wildcry slipped through before Rimepaw could launch another strike. Her paw extended in front of her daughter and the apprentice scowled but didn't fight her mother. Wildcry was not the enemy.

"YOU do not throw your life away because your blood is fierce. Gingerthrash would understand that."

And now ThunderClan was preparing to abandon the camp they had fought tooth and claw to keep...As cats worked to ready necessary supplies and ferry cats to the medicine den, Wildcry stood guard. Her shoulders remained squared toward the rogues.

Kestrelswipe had made his choice and while she had no approval of it, she understood the burden of his position. She hated to think what Bloodstar would say to all of this... And here she was, a furious old-she cat refusing to let the last remnants of ThunderClan be swallowed by whatever this was.

She would retrieve Gingerthrash when they were ready to go.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
⋆｡°✩ ⭒ ──● 𓄿 ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°✩

Kosmo witnessed the exchange. His vision, stuttered in red as if it could only end with completely wiping out every single cat if the Fierceblooded fools continued with their cherade. Thankfully Kestrelswipe settled his mind. The tension that had held his shoulders taut eased, and something almost resembling satisfaction touched his mismatched eyes.

His gaze shifted toward Wildcry. The old she-cat still stood like a wall between the invaders and what remained of her Clan. "Perhaps there's hope for you after all...but I wouldn't count for it. For you...your death has already been seen." He meowed to Wildcry with a baleful narrowing of his expression.

His half tail saluted, giving the signal to back down before his eyes - all four, followed the preparing ThunderClanners. They had five minutes at most. As his eyes flickered back across towards his daughter, he offered her a small, secretive smile the crinkled the corners of his angled jaw. Better get going

I can't hear you, I don't fear you

₊˚ ⏾. ⋅

Too busy trying to escape the Rimepaw, Jasper didn't notice Coyotebloom until he had toppled over, half pinned under her. He let out a huff, half a scoff and half a laugh. He assumed the comment was directed at him.

"Mousebrain?" Must be a clancat insult. And totally unwarranted, he thought with a flash of annoyance. What was she hoping to achieve by jumping on him when he had barely even done anything to Gingerthrash, already had Rimepaw trying to kill him, and had just publicly agreed to stand down? Jeez, Kosmo had been right about these ThunderClanners' lack of honor.

Jasper swiped at her face with his free paw and hoped it would distract her enough that he could escape. He didn't look for Rimepaw, trusting that she would be there any moment to make mincemeat of him. Two against one would be fun, sure, but he was tired and bleeding, and dying in SkyClan's first battle would be, well, really lame. 

Death wasn't in the cards, though, apparently. The less choleric ThunderClanners began calling off their clanmates. Jasper froze and looked up at Coyotebloom blankly, suddenly unsure what to do with a stranger so close to him, literally standing on him, if he wasn't supposed to be fighting her.

If a flower can flourish in the desert, you can flourish anywhere.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ ❀ ɞ˚‧｡⋆

She actually got him pinned! Distracted from Rimepaw so she could get pulled away from the battle to be... promptly scolded by Wildcry. Well, that was for the best. She had no intention of actually fighting Jasper, just stopping him from trying to fight Rimepaw... or well, the other way around. Either way, the little apprentice spat had stopped and she was called.

And as Mistyleaf said, she left them, quickly bouncing off of Jasper before his paw could reach her. She sprang back into the camp beside Mistyleaf. And now all she could think about was Leopardrose, the other warriors that were still out there fighting RiverClan, was that meant to be a distraction to lessen their numbers? Surely not... surely this was coincidence... but it seemed like it was the case. Which worried her even more, was RiverClan siding with... rogues?

Coyotebloom made a dart to the nursery, taking a glance at both Spidertongue and Finchpaw, Gingerthrash was Spidertongue's mentor... She nodded to the black tabby with understanding before getting to business. "If either of you need help in the nursery, let me know." She muttered to them glancing at the cats in the nursery. Orchidflame and Bravesong weren't known for walking quickly...

"Would either of you like to lean on me?"

Don’t stare a snake in the eyes if you aren’t prepared to face the fangs.

· · ─ ·𓆘· ─ · ·

Basilisk stood tall as he watched the ThunderClanners scramble for the bearings. So Kestrelswipe had made the correct choice, then. Basilisk watched, not yet taking the time to clean the spilled blood from his ear or muzzle. There were more important matters to look out for. Even the cats unapproving of the choice wouldn't face off against their deputy, interesting.

He observed the lilac ticked tabby flea back into the camp. It appeared as if she didn't actually want to hurt or rip Jasper apart like the younger cat did. All it took was for a cat to die to get the message across, they were serious and now the ThunderClanners knew it. But perhaps... it was a little out of line, admittedly. But Basilisk wasn't going to say it aloud to these ThunderClanners after he had made the whole ordeal known. 

His bleeding ear seemed to clog itself naturally eventually, as it should. But the blood on his face remained damp and fresh. So fresh that he could still smell the elder's fierce blood on his maw. But he would give it to the lilac tom, he fought his battles with a burning fire in his eyes, that was for certain. Too bad it was in vain.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

No sooner had a seemingly comforting story about the color of the seasons passed through Bravesong's maw before the den walls were punctuated by the sounds of conflict. The strife brought a momentary lapsed in his smile as he tried his best to wear it even if bits and pieces of conversation and yowls could be gleaned from within.

After giving an encouraging word to the kits and Orchidflame he rose to his paws and ambled to the entrance, peering out to see cats heading towards the medicine cat's den. His one good eye spotted Spidertongue near the entrance and the tail tip of Mistyleaf as she passed.Coyotebloom approached at there was relief in his eye.

"If we are to go far, then I'll need you, Coyotebloom." He replied candidly, abashed for her. "And we'll need help carrying the kits - it'll be a long walk for moon old kits."