SkyClan Leader's Den

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Duskflight

Blazingstar expected a response like this. He had thought about it previously because he knew he needed to put himself in a position similar to this to understand another leaders' perspective. "You can count of WindClan to help you with whatever you need in the future. Perhaps a rouge group becoming too much of a problem or if SkyClan needs prey or shelter. You can come to us for help," he began, his tail tip twitching as he spoke. Some parts he was unsure about, but in the end, he had made himself content enough to suggest the options aloud to Grousestar. "SkyClan can once again show the Clans peace. Putting an end to RiverClan's -- or even all of our -- tensions. We need peace again, but the leaders have too much pride to do it peacefully -- I myself, am guilty of this," He confessed, knowing he can't blame everything solely on the other leaders. "There will be one last battle to decide it all and SkyClan's the difference. You must understand Grousestar," he paused "I must bring justice to everything Snowstar put us through and show Fallenstar that his actions can't be tolerated."

[The Cannibal]

@Suspiciousmindz

The brown tabby remained silent as he heard the offer. Whatever we need. His mind had picked up on those words and he made sure he would remember them. That was a heavy bounty depending on what they needed, and he would make sure to hold Blazingstar fully accountable to that statement.
Slowly his head would nod for a moment before letting the ginger tom continue on.
"Peace through battle is not peace at all. But I understand what you're saying Blazingstar. And the hope for 'one last battle' is incredibly foolish, even for an optimistic tom such as myself. Skyclan has been here for quite a few moons now and I believe I see how things operate around here."
There was a small frown that touched his mouth now before he continued on. "I'm not taking this offer because I enjoy battle, and I need you to understand that fully. I'm doing this to ensure Skyclan's future. It is better to head down a dark road with a friend, as opposed to completely alone."
And there are dark roads ahead indeed. There's just no turning back now.
"So Blazingstar, I accept your offer. But for the sake of both of our clans should battle come, keep this as a secret and do not let word of our alliance travel. I hate to sneak around like a weasel, but if this allows us to diffuse a battle quickly, then so be it."

[SuspiciousMindz]

Relief flooded the WindClan leader's eyes. He visibly relaxed, but kept a proper posture around Grousestar. He nodded eagerly. "You have my word," he nodded towards Grousestar. The orange tabby then rose to his paws, seeing as his mission for being here was done. "I won't waste anymore of your time, thank you Grousestar. WindClan appreciates it very much," he spoke, the gratitude shining in his eyes and lingering in his voice as he said goodbye to the other leader. The fluffy tabby turned and started to head back towards his own clan now. This was the game changer.
@Duskflight

[Charmer]

@Duskflight

Shinefang was up before dawn. The moon had sank form the sky but the sun had still to wake and bathe the forest in its light. No warriors would be awake. Even Ringpaw was still resting in her nest in the medicine den. There would be no one but himself and Grousestar. That's what he was counting on. Silent as a shadow, the medicine cat slipped across the clearing and into the leaders den. Once inside, he sat on his haunches and folded his tail over his forepaws. He knew that this early intrusion on the Skyclan leader might be a little startling and he wanted to exude a calm and sure demeanor. "Grousestar," he said softly in greeting. In spite of the darkness, his eye made out the form of the younger leader's shape without difficulty. After a beat, he continued. "Forgive my intrusion," he side, inclining his head. "I'm here because the other day when I presented Ringpaw to you, you seemed troubled. I figured if it was something you felt comfortable sharing with the clan, you would have done so..." Shinefang let his reason hang in the air for a moment, letting the younger tom think on whatever was on his mind. "You are Skyclan's leader and you have the right to share or not share anything you like. But as Skyclan's medicine cat, I would be remiss if I did not offer any guidance or advice you might want." Shinefang lowered his head, but kept his eye on the leader, his offer humbly given. Shinefang was a warrior first, and the word of a leader was the warrior code. If Grousestar chose to say nothing, or to lie and say that there was nothing on his mind, the younger tom had the right to do just that. A small part of him wondered and even expected the leader to have some words for him regarding the medicine cat's actions at the last gathering. In truth, he wasn't sure if Grousestar had learned of his confrontation with Fallenstar, but he hardly expected striking a clan leader at Seastones during a full moon to go unpunished.

[The Cannibal]

@Charmer

Dawn. He used to wake up before it, eager to get on with the day, but lately, he's felt nothing but fatigue, weariness about what would go on during the day. He was doing his best not to show this outwardly in front of his clanmates, but in his den, his shoulders sagged and a much older look touched his features. As if moons of uncertainty and fear rested on him, turning him into a weary elder unsure of even the most basic of decisions. And this dawn, he didn't bother to get up, instead, he was still quietly dozing in his nest. He would still go out for his daily walk, his daily hunt, and perhaps even join a border patrol, but not so early.
Be it a curse or a blessing, Grousestar has always been a light sleeper. While he didn't hear the other tom actually come in, his head did lift as soon as he heard the voice. His head spun for a second and his vision was blurry momentarily, but it would clear and in the darkness he could make out the silhouette and faint appearance of Shinefang, the smell of the medicine cat den clinging to the older toms pelt, also helping the leader to identify who was in his den at such an early, or late our, currently, he wasn't sure. A soft grunt of dismissal would escape him when the apology was given, the brown tabby shifting around to sit up slightly in his nest. And he would remain quiet as the medicine cat brought up his troubled appearance the other day, the softest of sighs escaping him. If he noticed it then surely others of the clan have as well. He thought bleakly.
Slowly, still without saying a word, he would lay back down. He's a trustworthy cat, surely enough. Even if he did something I wish he hadn't.. Now isn't the time for a lecture though is it? He deserves at least to know what's going on. If I don't trust my medicine cat, or my deputy, then who would I trust at all?
"What I'm about to tell you needs to be kept absolutely quiet. You will not say a word about this to any other cat, not Ringpaw, not anyone." The tone of his voice was stern and hard, a tone he didn't like to adopt often, but this deserved it. He needed Shinefang to know this was serious, and if word were to get out about the formed alliance... There would surely be war. War that they did not need at the moment. They had an advantage that needed to stay quiet.
"Under secrecy, I have formed an alliance with Windclan. We will help them when the time comes. I have neglected to tell the clan because I don't wish for anyone to speak about it and accidentally let the other clans know about this secret alliance. It will only bubble into war prematurely. War is sure to happen eventually, and Skyclan would have needed to choose a side eventually as well. So I decided to choose now, and I decided to make this to our advantage. No one will expect it, and hopefully it will lead to less casualties on our end." This was said much more quietly, the leader settling his head into his paws.


"I know what you did to Fallenstar at the gathering Shinefang." Grousestar's emerald eyes looked up at the older tom. "I will not punish you, as he did deserve it. But just know that I'm disappointed with your lack of restraint. That action right there could have started something before it needed to be started."

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

@Charmer

Dawn. He used to wake up before it, eager to get on with the day, but lately, he's felt nothing but fatigue, weariness about what would go on during the day. He was doing his best not to show this outwardly in front of his clanmates, but in his den, his shoulders sagged and a much older look touched his features. As if moons of uncertainty and fear rested on him, turning him into a weary elder unsure of even the most basic of decisions. And this dawn, he didn't bother to get up, instead, he was still quietly dozing in his nest. He would still go out for his daily walk, his daily hunt, and perhaps even join a border patrol, but not so early.
Be it a curse or a blessing, Grousestar has always been a light sleeper. While he didn't hear the other tom actually come in, his head did lift as soon as he heard the voice. His head spun for a second and his vision was blurry momentarily, but it would clear and in the darkness he could make out the silhouette and faint appearance of Shinefang, the smell of the medicine cat den clinging to the older toms pelt, also helping the leader to identify who was in his den at such an early, or late our, currently, he wasn't sure. A soft grunt of dismissal would escape him when the apology was given, the brown tabby shifting around to sit up slightly in his nest. And he would remain quiet as the medicine cat brought up his troubled appearance the other day, the softest of sighs escaping him. If he noticed it then surely others of the clan have as well. He thought bleakly.
Slowly, still without saying a word, he would lay back down. He's a trustworthy cat, surely enough. Even if he did something I wish he hadn't.. Now isn't the time for a lecture though is it? He deserves at least to know what's going on. If I don't trust my medicine cat, or my deputy, then who would I trust at all?
"What I'm about to tell you needs to be kept absolutely quiet. You will not say a word about this to any other cat, not Ringpaw, not anyone." The tone of his voice was stern and hard, a tone he didn't like to adopt often, but this deserved it. He needed Shinefang to know this was serious, and if word were to get out about the formed alliance... There would surely be war. War that they did not need at the moment. They had an advantage that needed to stay quiet.
"Under secrecy, I have formed an alliance with Windclan. We will help them when the time comes. I have neglected to tell the clan because I don't wish for anyone to speak about it and accidentally let the other clans know about this secret alliance. It will only bubble into war prematurely. War is sure to happen eventually, and Skyclan would have needed to choose a side eventually as well. So I decided to choose now, and I decided to make this to our advantage. No one will expect it, and hopefully it will lead to less casualties on our end." This was said much more quietly, the leader settling his head into his paws.


"I know what you did to Fallenstar at the gathering Shinefang." Grousestar's emerald eyes looked up at the older tom. "I will not punish you, as he did deserve it. But just know that I'm disappointed with your lack of restraint. That action right there could have started something before it needed to be started."

Shinefang listened gravely to the leader, the words hanging between the two of them like a scent. So this was the news that had been weighing on the usually merry but suave young tom. It was indeed a heavy burden to carry, and carrying it had left a mark on the tabby tom. Maybe it was the like, of the way his voice flowed cold like an icy stream as he said without any room for misunderstanding that this news must stay between them, but he thought he could see lines of wisdom etched in Grousestar's muzzle that hadn't been there before.

The medicine cat nodded, solemn and sincere. "Ringpaw doesn't need to concern herself with clan politics anyway. I swear to you, I won't say a word to any cat."

Sure enough, Grousestar was aware of what had happened between himself and the leader of Riverclan. Hearing that he would not be punished was a minor relief but the burning coals of his rage for Fallenstar's, for Riverclan's utter lack of care for its medicine cats still smoldered in his gut. He lowered his head. "I wish I could tell you that I was sorry for it...the truth is, I'm only sorry that my actions could have endangered my clan. Even so, I take responsibility for my actions. It was foolish and it was against the warrior code, and it won't happen again." Shinefang silently looked at the ground. He meant everything he said, but privately, he hoped that if Starclan was apt to show him more favor than they had in the past that they would punish the fish brained leader and his clan for the wrongs they'd done... for what they didn't do for Juniperpaw.

Lifting his head and keeping his voice low, Shinefang addressed his leader again. "You don't have to explain yourself to me... but why align with Blazingstar? He is reckless. He endangered his clan by attacking in leafbare when herbs and prey were so scarce that he himself admitted that his clan had gone hungry. He cost his own clan and Thunderclan lives that might have been spared by attacking when both clans were most ill-prepared. Not to mention dragging Shadowclan and Riverclan into a fight that wasn't theirs to start with and causing even more deaths. I'm not saying they were wrong to retaliate when Thunderclan stole their prey, but I'd say his actions agree with me when I say that Blazingstar has not led wisely thus far. Why him?"

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang listened gravely to the leader, the words hanging between the two of them like a scent. So this was the news that had been weighing on the usually merry but suave young tom. It was indeed a heavy burden to carry, and carrying it had left a mark on the tabby tom. Maybe it was the like, of the way his voice flowed cold like an icy stream as he said without any room for misunderstanding that this news must stay between them, but he thought he could see lines of wisdom etched in Grousestar's muzzle that hadn't been there before.

The medicine cat nodded, solemn and sincere. "Ringpaw doesn't need to concern herself with clan politics anyway. I swear to you, I won't say a word to any cat."

Sure enough, Grousestar was aware of what had happened between himself and the leader of Riverclan. Hearing that he would not be punished was a minor relief but the burning coals of his rage for Fallenstar's, for Riverclan's utter lack of care for its medicine cats still smoldered in his gut. He lowered his head. "I wish I could tell you that I was sorry for it...the truth is, I'm only sorry that my actions could have endangered my clan. Even so, I take responsibility for my actions. It was foolish and it was against the warrior code, and it won't happen again." Shinefang silently looked at the ground. He meant everything he said, but privately, he hoped that if Starclan was apt to show him more favor than they had in the past that they would punish the fish brained leader and his clan for the wrongs they'd done... for what they didn't do for Juniperpaw.

Lifting his head and keeping his voice low, Shinefang addressed his leader again. "You don't have to explain yourself to me... but why align with Blazingstar? He is reckless. He endangered his clan by attacking in leafbare when herbs and prey were so scarce that he himself admitted that his clan had gone hungry. He cost his own clan and Thunderclan lives that might have been spared by attacking when both clans were most ill-prepared. Not to mention dragging Shadowclan and Riverclan into a fight that wasn't theirs to start with and causing even more deaths. I'm not saying they were wrong to retaliate when Thunderclan stole their prey, but I'd say his actions agree with me when I say that Blazingstar has not led wisely thus far. Why him?"

Seeing the other tom nod did sort of take some of the worry away from him, of sharing the news, but not all of it. As long as the alliance stood he would always worry. When would be the day he would have to climb to the top of the Skyboulder to announce the news? And surely after it, some of the clan would be upset that he had withheld such information from them. He couldn't make everyone happy with his decisions, but he tried very hard to do it anyways.

"Good." Grousestar would murmur quietly, a quiet but audible breath escaping him.

"I'm not looking for an apology Shinefang. If I had the freedom to do that, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But we all know the warrior code, and should always keep it in mind. And we all know that actions like that, especially around these clans, could be seen as an act of war. I hope you won't do it again because next time, you might not be let off the hook so easy." Another sigh would escape him as he thought about the Riverclan leader. Why was he so angry about that black furred tom? Was it because of how rude he was? He's dealt with rude cats before, that was not the cause. Perhaps it stemmed from the way he lead his clan, how endangered them by being so thoughtless and reckless in his actions. Maybe that's why he had grown to dislike the Riverclan leader.

But he had to force his thoughts away from that to think about what Shinefang asked next. It was a valid question, and a question that surely would have been asked in the future regardless. A long silence swept in as the leader gathered his thoughts to explain to his medicine cat.
"You bring up good points not to build an alliance with him Shinefang, you do, and trust me, I've thought about those points. However... He's the only other leader of those clans that I vaguely trust. I hardly know Goldenstar, I very much dislike Fallenstar and I know nothing of Passionstar. An alliance is something that needed to be done. Skyclan can't stay in its quiet corner forever, and if Riverclan decides to invade or attack Skyclan, I'd rather have an ally on our side than no one at all. He had expressed a desire to be allied before and I refused. However the second time... I feel he has grown as a leader. He appears to be a strong tom, and he hasn't been a leader quite as long as me, or at least I don't think so, but I believe he just needs to learn. Perhaps I can even teach him a few things. Sorry.. Perhaps I'm going on a bit of a rant here. But those are my reasons and I'm sticking by them. I can't go back on it now, so we can only forge ahead and see what happens."

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

Seeing the other tom nod did sort of take some of the worry away from him, of sharing the news, but not all of it. As long as the alliance stood he would always worry. When would be the day he would have to climb to the top of the Skyboulder to announce the news? And surely after it, some of the clan would be upset that he had withheld such information from them. He couldn't make everyone happy with his decisions, but he tried very hard to do it anyways.

"Good." Grousestar would murmur quietly, a quiet but audible breath escaping him.

"I'm not looking for an apology Shinefang. If I had the freedom to do that, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But we all know the warrior code, and should always keep it in mind. And we all know that actions like that, especially around these clans, could be seen as an act of war. I hope you won't do it again because next time, you might not be let off the hook so easy." Another sigh would escape him as he thought about the Riverclan leader. Why was he so angry about that black furred tom? Was it because of how rude he was? He's dealt with rude cats before, that was not the cause. Perhaps it stemmed from the way he lead his clan, how endangered them by being so thoughtless and reckless in his actions. Maybe that's why he had grown to dislike the Riverclan leader.

But he had to force his thoughts away from that to think about what Shinefang asked next. It was a valid question, and a question that surely would have been asked in the future regardless. A long silence swept in as the leader gathered his thoughts to explain to his medicine cat.
"You bring up good points not to build an alliance with him Shinefang, you do, and trust me, I've thought about those points. However... He's the only other leader of those clans that I vaguely trust. I hardly know Goldenstar, I very much dislike Fallenstar and I know nothing of Passionstar. An alliance is something that needed to be done. Skyclan can't stay in its quiet corner forever, and if Riverclan decides to invade or attack Skyclan, I'd rather have an ally on our side than no one at all. He had expressed a desire to be allied before and I refused. However the second time... I feel he has grown as a leader. He appears to be a strong tom, and he hasn't been a leader quite as long as me, or at least I don't think so, but I believe he just needs to learn. Perhaps I can even teach him a few things. Sorry.. Perhaps I'm going on a bit of a rant here. But those are my reasons and I'm sticking by them. I can't go back on it now, so we can only forge ahead and see what happens."

As much as the old medicine cat respected his leader, anger and pride simmered within him at being chastised like an apprentice by a cat who was younger than himself. Back when he was a senior warrior, he would have bore his teeth at a younger cat who spoke to him that way. But he wasn't a senior warrior anymore. He was a medicine cat, and he had taken a vow to heal and care for all clan cats. He hadn't harmed anything but Fallenstar's pride, he knew that, but the warrior code was just as much about the spirit of the words that made them up as the words themselves. He may not have harmed a clancat, but he had not used his rank and his power for healing or set himself above clan rivalries in that moment. So the fact was that Grousestar was right. "There will be no next time," he promised again, solemnly squelching the flames under his pelt.

Relief began to take its place as Grousestar explained his reasons for this alliance. If anything, it was helpful to know that Grousestar had thought this through and had fixed a discerning eye on the drawbacks that he feared from aligning with Windclan. What it boiled down to was that Grousestar saw another battle between the clans as imminent, that Skyclan was unlikely to stay outside of the conflict for ever, and that of all the clan leaders to form a pact with, Blazingstar was the best known and least deplorable. The only thing Shinefang knew about Passionstar was that the leader had attacked Goldenstar while he was still deputy. He had heard that tidbit from a mouthy apprentice at the last gathering. He wasn't sure what this made Goldenstar, but it certainly made Passionstar an unpredictable cat at best. Still, the fact remained that he had found Blazingstar's actions rash and this was worrisome. At his age, very few decisions were rash decisions. He distrusted cats who acted before they thought, especially when those cats had lives in their paws. Was an reckless ally better than no ally?

"Hmmmm. You make a convincing argument... I would just be cautious. If it so happens that Skyclan needs to call on Windclan for aid first, I have no doubt this choice will be remembered as a wise one. But if Windclan calls on Skyclan first...it would be wise to think carefully about what you will and will not do now so that in the heat of the moment, you don't get caught up in his brazen antics... Also, while I can't technically prove that stupidity is contagious like greecough, I wouldn't push your luck. There's no herb to cure." The old tom smiled his twisted grin, loosing a wheezing laugh at his own joke as he did so. "In any case, the next new moon will be here soon. If you like, I'd be happy to consult our ancestors about Skyclan's future when I visit the Starcave. Don't worry, I won't even share any plans with the gleaming ones. I'll just glean what I can from them."

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Charmer

As much as the old medicine cat respected his leader, anger and pride simmered within him at being chastised like an apprentice by a cat who was younger than himself. Back when he was a senior warrior, he would have bore his teeth at a younger cat who spoke to him that way. But he wasn't a senior warrior anymore. He was a medicine cat, and he had taken a vow to heal and care for all clan cats. He hadn't harmed anything but Fallenstar's pride, he knew that, but the warrior code was just as much about the spirit of the words that made them up as the words themselves. He may not have harmed a clancat, but he had not used his rank and his power for healing or set himself above clan rivalries in that moment. So the fact was that Grousestar was right. "There will be no next time," he promised again, solemnly squelching the flames under his pelt.

Relief began to take its place as Grousestar explained his reasons for this alliance. If anything, it was helpful to know that Grousestar had thought this through and had fixed a discerning eye on the drawbacks that he feared from aligning with Windclan. What it boiled down to was that Grousestar saw another battle between the clans as imminent, that Skyclan was unlikely to stay outside of the conflict for ever, and that of all the clan leaders to form a pact with, Blazingstar was the best known and least deplorable. The only thing Shinefang knew about Passionstar was that the leader had attacked Goldenstar while he was still deputy. He had heard that tidbit from a mouthy apprentice at the last gathering. He wasn't sure what this made Goldenstar, but it certainly made Passionstar an unpredictable cat at best. Still, the fact remained that he had found Blazingstar's actions rash and this was worrisome. At his age, very few decisions were rash decisions. He distrusted cats who acted before they thought, especially when those cats had lives in their paws. Was an reckless ally better than no ally?

"Hmmmm. You make a convincing argument... I would just be cautious. If it so happens that Skyclan needs to call on Windclan for aid first, I have no doubt this choice will be remembered as a wise one. But if Windclan calls on Skyclan first...it would be wise to think carefully about what you will and will not do now so that in the heat of the moment, you don't get caught up in his brazen antics... Also, while I can't technically prove that stupidity is contagious like greecough, I wouldn't push your luck. There's no herb to cure." The old tom smiled his twisted grin, loosing a wheezing laugh at his own joke as he did so. "In any case, the next new moon will be here soon. If you like, I'd be happy to consult our ancestors about Skyclan's future when I visit the Starcave. Don't worry, I won't even share any plans with the gleaming ones. I'll just glean what I can from them."

Perhaps if situations were calmer, and less stress was settled on his shoulders, Grousestar might have had a different talk with Shinefang, and not chastised him in a relatively demeaning and belittling matter but.. He wasn't exactly his self lately. As much as he tried to hide it, sometimes it slipped out, especially when he was alone and not within view of the clan. It was hard to keep bottled up and out of sight.
But currently, the tom didn't see any fault in what he had said to his medicine cat. Instead, he seemed relatively happy to at least be done with that manner of business as the older tom promised that there would be no next time. He hoped for the clans sake that that was the truth. They didn't need another screw up like that. Not before they could use their secret and hopefully gain an upper hand. At least for a little bit. He hated thinking like this, but in the presence of these other clans, it was inevitable. Regardless of what he wanted, war would be scooping them up and throwing them in the mix.

After explaining to the one eyed tom the reasoning behind his decision, he would fall silent and focus his emerald eyes on the medicine cat, to listen to what he had to say. Even in a time like this, Grousestar appreciated any advice that the other tom was willing to give. Sometimes he wondered about his own decisions and whether or not they would be for the greater good of the clan. Of course he tried his best to make them all good, but he couldn't help but wonder if he's made choices that weren't so great.
"I would never throw caution to the wind." The brown tabby said almost defensively, the tip of his tail flicking just slightly before he forced himself to be quiet and hear the other tom out. He needed to breath, the stress and his own level of tiredness were wearing on him in a not so good fashion.

The faintest of smiles touched his lips at the joke, but there wasn't an audible chuckle or laugh to be heard from the leader. However his eyes did shine with hope at the mention of consulting Starclan, his head quickly nodding. "I would appreciate that. Their guidance is always appreciated and it seems like its been moons since I've heard anything from them. Perhaps it can help to.. To calm my nerves." The leader spoke more quietly in the final part of his sentence, in his mind he pondered if that was another source of stress. That he had heard so little from Starclan, the warrior ancestors he held so high and trusted so deeply for guidance. It was wearing on him.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

Perhaps if situations were calmer, and less stress was settled on his shoulders, Grousestar might have had a different talk with Shinefang, and not chastised him in a relatively demeaning and belittling matter but.. He wasn't exactly his self lately. As much as he tried to hide it, sometimes it slipped out, especially when he was alone and not within view of the clan. It was hard to keep bottled up and out of sight.
But currently, the tom didn't see any fault in what he had said to his medicine cat. Instead, he seemed relatively happy to at least be done with that manner of business as the older tom promised that there would be no next time. He hoped for the clans sake that that was the truth. They didn't need another screw up like that. Not before they could use their secret and hopefully gain an upper hand. At least for a little bit. He hated thinking like this, but in the presence of these other clans, it was inevitable. Regardless of what he wanted, war would be scooping them up and throwing them in the mix.

After explaining to the one eyed tom the reasoning behind his decision, he would fall silent and focus his emerald eyes on the medicine cat, to listen to what he had to say. Even in a time like this, Grousestar appreciated any advice that the other tom was willing to give. Sometimes he wondered about his own decisions and whether or not they would be for the greater good of the clan. Of course he tried his best to make them all good, but he couldn't help but wonder if he's made choices that weren't so great.
"I would never throw caution to the wind." The brown tabby said almost defensively, the tip of his tail flicking just slightly before he forced himself to be quiet and hear the other tom out. He needed to breath, the stress and his own level of tiredness were wearing on him in a not so good fashion.

The faintest of smiles touched his lips at the joke, but there wasn't an audible chuckle or laugh to be heard from the leader. However his eyes did shine with hope at the mention of consulting Starclan, his head quickly nodding. "I would appreciate that. Their guidance is always appreciated and it seems like its been moons since I've heard anything from them. Perhaps it can help to.. To calm my nerves." The leader spoke more quietly in the final part of his sentence, in his mind he pondered if that was another source of stress. That he had heard so little from Starclan, the warrior ancestors he held so high and trusted so deeply for guidance. It was wearing on him.

"I would never throw caution to the wind."

Shinefang paused in the middle of his speech, staring at the Skyclan leader in surprise. It was only for a moment, but the way Grousestar had rushed to defend his position and the way his body seemed to tense as he did do...it was alarming. In his seasons of leading Skyclan, Shinefang had seldom seen the brown tabby be anything but calm, collected and confident. Now he seemed downright rattled. Shinefang knew that Grousestar was bothered by all the stress among the clans, but clearly he had not guessed the extent. When the leader seemed to sag in relief after Shinefang offered to relay information from Starclan, the medicine cat swallowed a twinge of pity and fear. It was the same sort of relief he might had expected on the face of a cat in pain for whom he had just promised a helping of poppy seeds. "I'm sure it will," the old tom answered, his voice even. He paused for a breath, then added. "Speaking of your nerves, if you like I can give you some herbs to help you feel a little more relaxed. Nothing too heady," he added hastily, "Just something to help you feel calm but alert as you go about your day today." He made the offer with painted on confidence and concealed reservation. He wasn't sure how the leader would take to an offering of herbs for stress reduction in his current state but as tightly wound as the younger cat seemed now, it was still the level-headed Grousestar he was speaking to after all.