Seastones

[Wingnettle]

Lynxshade

Shadowclan Enforcer
33 moons | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Silver Tongue | Beefed Up (T3) | Mind Reader

Death Defier: ACTIVE

This cat was absolutely crazy.
Lynxshade had always known that, but the moment she realized her leader also had some sanity that led Shadowclan as a strong leader, she had chosen to put that aside and give her loyalty without questioning her anymore.
This was the Judgment Day.

"You're wrong, Dawnstar, if you think warriors will be loyal to you only because they live in your clan. You need to gain their loyalty, but you're only able to ask for it and kill anyone who does otherwise." She was scared to speak, and aware that it was probably comprehensible by the tone of her voice, but she didn't care. She was chosing her destiny, and she would do it without any guide.

"I refuse to pay with my body for a single mistake which doesn't even put our clan in danger! And I refuse to keep up with your own twisted version of the Warrior Code anymore. Leaders shouldn't kill their warriors. No cat should kill other cat for such trivial reasons, be there mistakes or beliefs."
She was, of course, perfectly conscious that Dawnstar was listening to her with no interest. That she would deem her words as unreasonable and unworthy. That she would be treated as a traitor for having spoken for her own life, and her own beliefs. And she did care for it. But she was ready to take responsibility for it.

Will someone even miss me? She suddenly realized how few cats in Shadowclan she considered to be her friends. She had many clanmates, but how many of them truly cared about her as a cat, instead of an Enforcer?
She could only think of three cats she truly cared for. Nightshiver, Hawkbite, Mistlewhisker. I'm sorry I've disappointed you. If I'll ever see you again...

She started circling Dawnstar menacingly, for she knew the ruthless feline wouldn't let her get away with it so easily. Although she had never liked fighting, she had became a warrior and developed the skills Dawnstar required for every cat to join her clan. And now, she was ready to put those skills to test.
Her fur bristled, her scruff rose and she fluffed up to twice her size. She unsheathed her claws, extremely conscious of the feeling of them sinking into the cold sand in this cursed night.

"Maybe you forgot one thing, Dawnstar." She walked slowly, trying to get away from her a little more with every steps. If she managed to get to the woods, she could melt herself with the shadows and disappear completely. Forever.
"No matter how much your warriors give their loyalty to you. Because there's one part of them - be it small or big - that'll always be loyal to themselves. And that's why she wouldn't let this tyrant reduce her to a mutilated puppet.

And there was one last thing.
"One day your reign will come to an end... And things will change. Nothing you can do will be able to stop this from happening." She lashed her tail, ready to charge. Her green eyes were fixed on Dawnstar, but her real goal was to dodge her and reach the forest that bordered the Seastones. Her whiskers twitched nervously, but she gritted her teeth against this bothering feeling to defy it. And win it.

And with this last thought, she charged at full speed.

Her body moved with the agility that overcame her strenght, sliding on the sand with her body low to the ground to dodge Dawnstar's large body and leap away. Away from the place I finally considered my home. Which was never, in reality, a place like that. Not safe. Not lovable.


But I swear, one day....

---

@Undertaker

[Undertaker]

@Wingnettle
Oh please! Gain loyalty, did she have bees for brains? You don't gain loyalty in clans it's given, you either give it or you get out. There was a whole oath to ensure that cats remained loyal to the clan. And that was a straight-up lie, Dawnstar only killed those who deemed themselves threats, like Lynxshade. She's given many enough chances to leave if they don't want to follow her. But there was no reason to point that out to a dead cat walking.

Dawnstar was truly questioning what she saw in this moron. How did Lynxshade survive on such delusional thoughts? The large molly flexed her muscles underneath her thick pelt and tuned the she-cat out, watching as she itched around her. She was being subtle about it, or at least trying to be, but it was hard not to miss her moving closer and closer to escape. Her eyes followed and as soon as the traitor's muscles flexed and she sprang, Dawnstar was on her.

[HR Powerplay approved by staff & TW for Gore ]
The leader forcefully threw herself at the traitor when she tried to dart past, ready to hold no mercy. She slammed her weight into the molly's flank and scrambled to pin her to the sand, ignoring any attempt at resistance. Balancing using her hind legs, she pressed one paw to the side of Lynxshade's face, digging her claws into her cheek and muzzle and the other against her shoulder.

"Over my years as ShadowClan's leader, I've learned that ruthlessness is a mercy in itself."

She immediately unsheathed her huge claws and dragged them down Lynxshade's shoulder and over her flank, her sharp, almost talon-like claws sliced through the top layer of her opponent's fur and flesh easily as she gouged her claws within the traitor's side and carved inward and down toward the stomach, giving a massive twist, before ripping her claws free leaving huge laceration on her flank and deep stomach gash.

"To protect ShadowClan and seek justice for us, I will deal any blow no matter how injustice it is."

The claws on the molly's muzzle scratched and shredded...She wasn't doing this to be mean... mostly, she just needed.... there we go. As soon as the molly parted her maw when the pain became too much, Dawnstar thrusted her paw into the she-cat's mouth. Much like when Mistlewhisker taught her to fish, the leader hooked her curved claws into the soft, wet, pink muscle and yanked her paw out, pulling, pulling, stretching, and pulling until she finally heard the flesh tear.

"I don't feel guilty when I kill or maul to avenge my clanmates. I'm not up at night filled with regrets and sleep well knowing I've done them right. I've learned to be colder as I've got older to protect my clan. I've thrown away my remorse to save the lives that matter to me, I don't care how vile I have to be I'll shred, tear, and rip apart, whoever stands in my way to keep everyone in check so that they remember to fear and respect the shadows. I am a monster."

Dawnstar remained standing over Lynxshade, though eased up on the pressure, her bloody prize hooked on her claws. She doubted the cat even heard her with the pain she was in, but Dawnstar had let her talk, was it not polite to do the same?

"I'll become a monster like none have known before to keep our enemies at bay, I'll become a tyrant to keep my clan from drowning in their incompetence. So think of me what you like, call me what you like, insane, cruel, ruthless, heartless, I've heard it all before and I certainly won't deny the truth in those words. So, what if I'm a monster?" It didn't matter to her.

"And yes, one day, my reign will end, death is inevitable. I can only hope my successor will lead ShadowClan into a prosperous future, but if not, that won't be my problem anymore. When I go, I go knowing I did everything I could for ShadowClan, but until that time comes, I'll fight death tooth and claw and destroy whatever I deem a threat to my clan."


Cat's tongue was longer than she had thought they were, pulling it out hadn't been easy either. There was a mess, she might have cut her paw open, and she couldn't tell if the blood on her paw was hers or Lynxshade's right now.

"You should have swallowed whatever it was that got you here, and accepted my mercy," Dawnstar said without looking away from Lynxshade. "Now you'll just become another foolish traitor no one remembers, crushed beneath my paw."

[Wingnettle]

Lynxshade

Shadowclan Enforcer
33 moons | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Silver Tongue | Beefed Up (T3) | Mind Reader

Just when she was ready to leap away from Dawnstar's sight, the terrible clan leader jumped on her and pinned her down as if she was a miserable piece of prey to torture, just like kits did before being instructed by their mothers. She felt sharp claws sink into her muzzle and tried wiggling free, but she was lighter and definitely not as strong as her. Would it be it? Her life would end like that, thanks to a wrong choice and a terrible mistake?

She gritted her teeth and bared them. "You know no mercy, Dawnstar... you've never had." The second later, talons of a thousand eagles were tearing her flesh apart. Her vision blurred, and tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She was dizzy with pain, and her earing became weaker. She could not think about anything but the burning, excruciating pain that seemed to take over her whole body. She felt an involuntary spasm, and found that she could not open her muzzle to utter a single word.

Dawnstar must have forced her to open her mouth, for the next terrible pain was just inside of it. She screeched in agony, almost loosing her claws trying to hook the ground and pull herself away from Dawnstar's weight. Her vision became a lake of red, and the stench of metallic blood filled her nostrils. Something was wrong. No, everything was wrong.

Suddenly the weight pinning her down eased a bit, but Dawnstar's speech was nowhere near the end. Lynxshade felt too weak to move a whisker, but she conceded herself a few moments to regain her breath and let herself relax completely. For the last remaining strength she had would be much needed in a few seconds.

She furrowed her eyebrows. I refuse to accept anything you call "mercy". To me, you are nothing but a weakling who knows only one way to lead a group of cats. You chose a blooding path.
She spat blood and saw a bright red color stain the send near her muzzle.
What a shame you'll never get to Starclan.

With a sudden thrust, she tried to pull her head out of Dawnstar's paw and bite down on her paw. If she succeeded, her hind legs would kick her belly and for a fraction of a moment, she would be free of her. It was her only chance of survival.

---

@Undertaker (apologize for having powerplayed, I didn't notice! I'm rewriting it now.)

[Undertaker]

@Wingnettle - Lynxshade [That's alright, sorry for the late reply, we can end it here if you'd like.]

The leader couldn't tell if she was trying to speak or not. It wasn't like she'd be able to understand Lynxshade even if she did. She was done playing with the former warrior, dragging her bloody form to the outskirts would be a pain. Dawnstar figured she could toss the she-cat into the ocean; she'd either drown or get eaten by something, a fitting ending if you ask her.

The kick was surprising, it didn't hurt as much as it caught her off guard and shoved her off balance. Her reflexes kept her upright, but she was through underestimated how badly an injured rat clung to life. As soon as she was free, Lynxshade was running much to Dawnstar's disappointment. It wasn't the first time Dawnstar lost something she thought was finished, that crazy kit-eating fox had run off before she could end him as well.

Got to start breaking legs from now. It's been a long time since she's let a traitor go. She didn't feel the need to waste her time hunting Lynxshade down. Those wounds would kill her, and if she did somehow manage to return, Dawnstar figured she wouldn't be too much trouble without her tongue. The leader's pupils were slits as she stared at the pink muscle attached to her claws. Pulling it off her claws, the leader grabbed the bloody muscle between her fangs and turned her back. It was time to head home, she needed to speak to Twilightstar later about this and inform her clan.

[taillow]

Dusklion - RiverClan Deputy

Being back in their old territory and settling in, the deputy had only one thought in her mind; what the next Gathering would bring. She would be lying if she didn't acknowledge the nervousness that exuded from her mind and flowed through her veins. More and more the large, jagged scar along her flank ached with no signs of stopping - even now, as she made her way through RiverClan's territory and towards her destination. Dusklion was certain there would be no gathering tonight, even though the moon was nearly full in the sky - so Seastones should be quiet.

As the tall stones came into view, she halted briefly to observe them. Empty, though the faint trace of ThunderClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan lingered still, left over from the last Gathering. Slowly Dusklion made her way over to the rocks and glanced at the spots where she and her brother normally sat. It was different now; the last time she had sat here had been three moons ago.

Bunching her muscles the deputy launched herself up onto her normal spot, turning around and settling down onto the smooth stone. It was cold but Dusklion welcomed the feeling, fluffing up her fur against the soft breeze. Blue eyes turning upwards to take in the stars, each twinkling brightly. "...Are you glad to see us back in the forest?" she asked quietly, knowing her question to StarClan would go unanswered but still waiting nonetheless. Silence met her, of course, and she let out a soft sigh. "...Well, I'm glad to walk under familiar skies, at least."

As much comfort as she got from that, though, the aching feeling of loneliness was still etched into her heart. She swallowed thickly and tried to not think about how she was out here alone, gazing up at the stars with no one really to share it with. It made tears sting at the back of her eyes and quickly she looked down to let them fall.

She stayed like that for a moment before reaching her paws out and drawing towards her a few small loose rocks. Sniffling a bit, the deputy re-arranged them - glancing around a couple times to make sure she was still alone - until they resembled a very... odd looking smaller cat. Well, as close as a pile of rocks could look like a cat. Which was not at all, but the deputy just smiled.

"There," she murmured with a soft smile, "...can you see the stars now, too?" Of course, being rocks, there was no answer. Just like when she had asked the stars. But Dusklion didn't mind, instead smiling softly at her "creation" and looking back to gaze up at the stars with them.

[ open - just needed a bingo square hehe ]

[dino.]

She needed air.

Camp was starting to get stuffy. Yes, the lockdown seemed to be helping, but damn, had it gotten crowded beyond belief. Bumblestar was honestly kind of tempted to let everyone loose again to get some more room if it meant a few more cats got snapped up by foxes or badgers or whatever the daily predator was. They were handling it, slowly but surely, but stars above, she felt suffocated.

She did not make a habit of traveling out to Seastones unless during Gatherings, nor did she want to. But that was where her paws carried her. For once she was grateful for the chill of the night, and let it penetrate her fur instead of fluffing up her pelt against it. The crashing of the tide against the shore grew louder as she approached the break in the trees.

So did the stench of RiverClan.

Bumblestar hesitated at the edge of the woods to stare out across the beach. There was only one figure there, and no spaces for others to hide nearby... no ambush. No extra forces. She could defend herself from one single cat. Especially if that cat was who she thought it was. She forced the fur on her shoulders flat and moved closer.

"...You're back." A flat statement as she swept her gaze over the fish deputy's form, and raised one eyebrow. "And... making friends with the rocks, I see. Was your trip really that socially damaging?"

[ @taillow ]

[taillow]

Dusklion - RiverClan Deputy

What she had been expecting tonight was silence. The quiet, peaceful waves perhaps lapping at the shoreline here and there. Maybe the flutter of wings. What she had not been expecting was the voice of a certain leader.

Immediately upon hearing it she shoved her paws out, sending the rocks tumbling down off the stones as she scrambled into a standing position with her fur on end. Whirling around Dusklion spotted the source - Bumblestar, standing on the sands below. It was odd seeing the squirrel's face after all this time. Their last interaction had been nothing short of disastrous, so of course the first emotion that engulfed her was anger. She narrowed her eyes, but after a moment forced her fur to lie flat.

"Yeah, 'm back. So is RiverClan," she stated, almost like a declaration that they were, indeed, back and not going anywhere. Watching the leader through curious blue eyes, Dusklion scoffed. "Maybe I should come down there 'n beat you with 'em - see how damaging that can be." A fond idea... sadly though not one the deputy wanted to do. It was a peaceful night and she didn't particularly feel like getting into a fight.

Settling back down so that she was once again laying on the stones with one paw dangling below her. Right in front of her something flickered by - a small light that bounced up and down a couple times before the deputy realized it was a lone firefly. She watched it dance past her and head out of sight. "...What're you doin' so far away from your band of tree rats? No camps to raid tonight?" There was a sneer in her tone but it wasn't all that present as Dusklion looked absentmindedly at her paw, then back over at the leader with a tilt of her head.

[ @dino. ]

[dino.]

Bumblestar's eyes tracked the stones as they clattered off-balance and let out a snort of amusement when she looked back to Dusklion. Ha. That would never get old.

"What a shame." She sat down, curled her tail around her paws, and lifted one to nibble at a piece of shell stuck between her claws. "I was really hoping something would finish you off wherever you went 'n save me the trouble." The sideways glance she gave the deputy was completely unperturbed by the threat. "Be my guest. Though I doubt anyone's up to the challenge after that trek of yours."

With a flick of her torn ear, she reached for a pair of the rocks and nudged one on top of the other. Her whiskers twitched. "Don't get your tail all twisted up. The rest of us made an agreement; as long as you lot keep your paws to yourselves, we won't bother with you."

There was a thinly veiled threat somewhere in there - or a promise, more like. Still. "So as satisfying as whackin' you over the skull would be, I guess I need to behave myself."

[ @taillow ]

[dino.]

[ this post is open to one non-ThunderClan cat - can't promise it'll go well but hey ]

Bumblestar was camp-sick. Raggedear and Lavendersong's journey was taking too long. Surely it wasn't that hard to find a cure... she'd figured it would've been two or three days gone tops, but clearly she'd miscalculated. Or just been too hopeful. Either way, playing the waiting game, as long as every other recent occurrence, made her antsy. She needed away from the camp and away from the territory for a little while. She knew of two places, and she didn't exactly think the little boneyard she'd crafted in the Outskirts would be a good idea. So Seastones it was.

There was no one here now. Bumblestar shouldered through the underbrush on the far side of the beach, feeling sand sift between her claws. The sun was still in the process of setting, casting golden rays across the surface of the ocean, but it was still chilly, and she fluffed her pelt up against the cold. Empty. Quiet. Peaceful.

She wondered how long that would last.

After a few moments of sniffing at holes in the sand and washed up shells (would Violetfreckle appreciate one?), she took to walking the edge of the tide, letting the cold waves rush over her paws. It brought an oddly welcome chill to her spine, and she lifted her head to watch the sun set on the water.

[Honey_Dreamz!]

╔═════ ≪ °❈° ≫ ═════╗
A large, dark gray tom with white-tipped ears, paws, face, and tail and amber eyes.
Agatha Kitty - Active
❆ Darkice ❆
He/him • ShadowClan • Warrior • 43 moons
❝ Who care what happens to me? If my Clan is happy, that's all I want. ❞
╚═════ ≪ °❈° ≫ ═════╝

Darkice hadn't the slightest clue that the leader of another Clan was just by the Seastones. Specifically, the ThunderClan leader–Bumblestar, a cat he'd never even met outside of the Gatherings. Even then, never did the two ever have a conversation prior to that moment.

He padded on, until he sensed the stirring of another cat. Darkice's ears twitched, him doing his best to stay silent. Since the sun hadn't yet set, he'd still be visible, so he just had to hope that he wouldn't be shredded by a random, rather strong-seeming ThunderClanner.

Though, it didn't take much longer for Darkice to remember; he'd seen this cat at every single Gathering he had been to. This was no random ThunderClan cat, but their leader. What's her name–Beestar? Bone...no, Bumblestar.

Darkice did his best to stay quiet and unnoticed, though wishing to also feel the cool water against his paws, it wouldn't be a good idea to move any closer. He didn't feel like fighting now, for he had left the ShadowClan camp for a reason; to find some inner peace for a bit before having to return to his Clan to sleep–though he doubted he would even fall asleep tonight, anyways, since he tended to sleep late or not at all and get up early. It was routine, and it had been for moons now.

The tom decided to focus on the soft, peaceful movements of the water, and how it mirrored the sun and beautiful sunset colors. Even Darkice couldn't help but admire it, and he felt he never had the time nor patience to do so. He usually found the whole admiring nature thing to be a waste of time, but he couldn't help but recognize it for it's true beauty this time. Darkice decided that he would watch the waves for a bit longer, as long as Bumblestar didn't decide that it was only her thing and chase him off. Hey, he didn't know what she would decide to do; Darkice never got to know her. Was that for the better or not, he did not know.

@dino.