CLOSED Way Further On

[Runfast]

Redstar had arrived in front of the Great Host, having just come from a serious conversation with Jaycall many foxlengths away from everyone else.
Though Redstar was still somewhat out of sorts, he had approached his Clan with new vigor and determination, a change from his constant somber attitude he had donned and kept for moons-phases on end.
The rain seemed quieter as Longfur padded up to Redstar. "Redstar, what's happened? Is something wrong?"
Redstar looked at the elder calmly. "Yes, Longfur. But not for long." The leader spoke with deep conviction that Longfur felt a sudden sense of peace, like everything would be better, that DarkClan was invincible. That is why he was made deputy...Things can only get better from here, I think.
Redstar nodded in farewell to Longfur and padded past him, heading towards the cats in the back...

Blizzardgaze watched the red leader carefully - what was he up to now?

OOC: Everyone post!!!

[Guest]

Jaycall came from wherever he had been - in a conversation with Redstar beyond the Host - and joined the Host once more, as silent as stoic as he always was.

Frostshine looked up to the front of the Host and saw Redstar heading their way. "Smthig's gng nn," he muffled past the herbs in his mouth, gesturing to the leader coming their way.

Sleetcoat followed Redstar and Jaycall, paying close attention to how Redstar had suddenly perked up; he'd heard Jaycall and Redstar's conversation whenever Redstar had spoken loudly, but he didn't know what they had been talking about.
He wanted to know. He had to know...

[Runfast]

Goldpaw looked away from Frostshine and Lightningpelt to see his uncle, Redstar, approaching.
"Redstar?" Goldpaw could see the determination burning in his uncle's amber eyes. "What's happening?"
"Join the rest of the group, all of you," Redstar meowed authoritatively. "We're having a war meeting."
Goldpaw's eyes widened at the name and he dipped his head respectfully. A war meeting.
Redstar nodded in return and turned tail, returning to the front of the group.
Flowerfur tailed Redstar closely, Goldpaw in tow - though Goldpaw wanted to make sure that Lightningpelt was following alright...

Longfur watched Redstar come back, flicking an ear to rid it of rain water - oh, for the dry sleet of the higher mountains, which gray mud could easily repel.
Blizzardgaze looked with her one eye, wondering what Redstar meant to say now. Another silly meeting like before?
Redstar joined them and looked around at the area they were in.

OOC:

Spoiler:

IC: He regarded the dips and tiny cliffs and the gentle slopes of the near-flatland mountainside they were on and thought of the sparser, cooler territories they lived in. He too wished they could have their dry sleet over nasty rain.
"Let's find some cover," he meowed.

[Meany]

Lightningpelt's ears swiveled in interest, though she still had herbs in her mouth so she couldn't comment. She could hear Goldpaw padding away, and she'd heard Redstar's call for a war meeting - a war meeting! - and she desperately wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to be placed at the front line, wanted to use her best moves, like the Lightning Slash and the Smoke Diversion, and she and her brother would - her brother. Lightningpelt's heart fell.
I forgot, for a moment, she thought sadly. She'd forgotten about Smokepelt's death and her blindness, just for a few seconds. It had been a nice few seconds, all the same. (OOC: Now I'm getting sad. ) The yellow queen sighed heavily, her red, murky eyes staring at the ground ahead of her. Her eyes narrowed.
No. No more sitting around. I'm a strategist and a move-maker, StarClan knows it! I'll be depressed later. There's a war to fight and a meeting a discuss it, and I'll be damned if I'm not included!
Lightningpelt suddenly strode forward, knocking into Frostshine as she did, but she pushed past him and followed the sound and scent of everyone else, stumbling now and again as she walked blindly.

[Runfast]

Redstar sought out the best cover, Goldpaw hot on his heels. Not a whole lot of lightning, the leader mused to himself. But I still don't wanna huddle under tall trees anyhow. He glanced up at the gray skies.
Goldpaw looked around, his eyes wide and his paws tingling with excitement. The apprentice noted a tangle of bushes with a tree with tight-knit branches above it. "Redstar!" He pointed with his tail at the bushes.
Redstar stopped and looked. "Perfect," he meowed gladly. "Let's check it out!" Despite his suddenly enthusiastic behavior, Redstar approached the clump of bushes with an ideal amount of caution and alertness. Goldpaw followed his uncle's example, suddenly reminded of the games his uncle would play with him and his siblings. That's forever ago, Goldpaw thought nostalgically and briefly.
The two scented the bushes from a distance then from close up. Detecting nothing, Redstar ventured in first and found nothing. Goldpaw followed to see that the clump of bushes he'd spotted would be a tight-ish fit, but it needed a bit of clearing out first. Redstar had come to the same conclusion.

OOC: Sometimes my cats just do stupid things. I'm waaaaay tired of that. These are warriors for f*ck's sake. Redstar wouldn't just trample into a big tangle of bushes - or have his CLAN trample into a big tangle of bushes - without checking it out first.

IC: "Let's start there," Redstar meowed, flicking his tail at a larger bit of foliage. Together, the two large-ish toms set to work on clearing out the little area for the meeting. It took maybe a minute, if not less, because who'd want to spend unneeded time on something when there was a war happening somewhere?
Redstar looked out of the tangle, checking for predators or enemies or anything. His Clanmates (who had gathered and had begun filtering into the tangle) began to find their places.
It was somewhat warmer in the tangle, Longfur and Blizzardgaze discovered with the others, than being out in the rain, especially with the body heat of the gathered cats combined in the small-ish space. Blizzardgaze looked up as she noticed Redstar scrambling up onto the hanging branch before he ran out of room to do so as the rest of the patrol gathered. What was he up to? What was this meeting? What? If only Sunmist were here to watch this, she thought.
Longfur glanced around at his Clanmates then up as Redstar when he saw the red tom's tail at the corner of his eye hanging from the branch. "What's this about, Redstar," he called up to him.
"The war," Redstar replied gravely, though it was apparent that something in him had changed...

OOC: Anyone else want to do anything before I start rambling?

[Meany]

Lightningpelt all but stumbled into the tangle of bushes and slammed to a halt when she ran straight into another cat's flank. With a muffled 'sorry' she turned her head this way and that until she figured that she had her face and ears cocked in the direction of Redstar well enough.

[Runfast]

Redstar looked around and opened his mouth and inhaled - then recalled that Sunmist and two others were out hunting. Hmmm... He closed his mouth for a few moments. "This is in regards to what we shall do in fighting this new enemy, MudbloodClan. I have changed my mind. We will not go to the Bloodstones." (OOC: DROP DA BOMB!)
Redstar paused.
Longfur's expression twisted with confusion. "Excuse me?"
Blizzardgaze's eyes widened in bewilderment.
Goldpaw blinked. "Waaaaaait - what about the cats we sent down there? What about my brother and my sister?"
Redstar glanced at his nephew then to the confused Clan. "MudbloodClan attacked the different Clans one by one," he meowed. "In their own camps, from what we have seen from our vantage points in our territory. MudbloodClan attacked us as well, but they never went any further than a few pawsteps past our borders." He looked at each of his present Clanmates. "We did not let them. DarkClan held the line. Sacrifices were made in the effort - Lightningpelt's sight, Smokepelt's life - and I cannot in good conscious allow those sacrifices go to waste by rushing into battle where DarkClan does not have the advantage." He sighed and looked up, a gleam of determination in his eyes. "Seasons upon seasons ago the leaders of our past chose these lands as DarkClan's territory. We have never lost a pawprint of this land while the Clans in the lowlands squabble over the slightest trifle. In DarkClan territory, we cannot be defeated. Here we hold the advantage. And here, if the Mudbloods come, we will fight. And we will win." He looked at his more senior warriors. "We will get our patrol back. They will have news of the Mudbloods that will further our cause. But we will hold the line in our territory as we have always done, as our ancestors have done - so our descendants may do the same, and all the DarkClan cats to come. The happenings of the other Clans are not for us. DarkClan will endure."

OOC: Oh my god. OMG. OMG. I AM FULFILLING MY OWN PROPHECY. YEAH, BABY, YEAH! A sound like a crying kit - the dark cat loses hope but heads towards the cry for help - AND IS OVERWHELMED BY CATS FROM THE RED HILLS. MISTLIGHT SAW IT. DARKCLAN ISN'T MEANT TO GO HELP THE OTHER CLANS. I AM STARCLAN.


IC: Redstar inhaled deeply, resolve resounding through his voice, eyes and body language. For the first time the leader felt at home addressing his Clan. Leading his Clan. This was just the start of fulfilling the destiny that had been laid out for him the day he had been named deputy, he could feel it in his spirit. And he couldn't wait to meet the challenge head-on and with deadly efficiency.
"Are you with me," Redstar said once with grim yet excited resolution, his eyes darting from one Clanmate's face to the next.

[Meany]

OOC: You're going looney-toons Runny!

IC: Lightningpelt's eyes widened in surprise. They weren't going? When Redstar had announced that they would be going to the Gathering-ish to stand by the other Clans she had been a little confused since he hadn't spoken about it much before and had just sent off a small patrol with barely a care...and then that weird little speech he gave to the Clan before they had left the camp... In a way she was relieved that Redstar had come to his senses and was turning the crazy train around - but he was turning out to be a very indecisive leader and that frustrated her.
"Make up your mind," she grumbled under her breath.

[Runfast]

Redstar bared his teeth and yowled, "I said, ARE YOU WITH ME?"

Longfur couldn't help but grit his teeth in a determined grin, and Goldpaw flexed his claws in anticipation - it was like when they had been going to take back DarkClan (and they totally won that!) - "YEEEESSS!!!" Goldpaw and Longfur yowled back. Redstar grinned ferally.

[Longstorm]

Lightningpelt let loose a wordless howl of agreement, words escaping her as she was overwhelmed with emotion. All of her losses - her brother, her sight, her friends, whether it be death or abandonment or missing, her battle prowess, her usefullness - supplied the sheer rage and determination she put into her hoarse cry.

OOC: EDIT: Complete. Wanted to seem a little emotional while Lightningpelt's RPer is absent...

[Longstorm]

Everyone who had been hunting had literally just gotten back. They were confused when they couldn't find any obvious signs of the Great Host along what should have been their trail. Still, it wasn't too hard to find them in the damp and sleet, since they were all very used to it.
Sunmist lead the others towards the place the cats had sheltered in; they were all a little "battle-strung", pleased with themselves for slaying a stoat and its young in their territory and utterly happy to have sunk their claws into something that was a sure enemy. With her heart still thrumming with happy energy, Sunmist stuck her head into the shelter in time to hear her Clanmates cheering on Redstar, who was perched above.
What. Have. I. Missed.

OOC: SUNMIST, BACK IN ACTION!

Sunmist scanned the packed-in group for her bestie and spotted her, Blizzardgaze, and made her way over to the she-cat. She was recognized and cats vocalized her and the other's return (being Rainfoot and Cloudfeet).

[Guest]

Jaycall had joined in the exultant cry of agreement, as had Sleetcoat (he loved a good fighting effort, and stealth was certainly his thing!), and Frostshine had shouted so loud and forcefully that the herbs in his jaws went flying up into the air and landed on his head. Sleetcoat laughed loudly and heartily at that, and Rainfoot promptly joined in when he saw what happened.
Frostshine grinned sheepishly and laughed too.
Sleetcoat broke off with a chuckle, then quickly explained the situation to Rainfoot and Cloudfeet, who was nearby. Rainfoot's ears pricked up in interest and Cloudfeet bobbed his head in agreement.
"Yes," said Cloudfeet, "I like it!"
Rainfoot's eyes narrowed and he smirked as he nodded his approval, and Sleetcoat mirrored his former apprentice's expression. Oh, it was good to be them.

[Runfast]

OOC: DARKCLAN WILL WIN!!!!! W00T!!!!         

Redstar had felt a surge of great pride in his Clan when they joined voices in agreement with him. He saw when the hunting patrol returned and could see that they had been in some sort of fight, but none of them seemed to be badly hurt and, if anything, they looked exhilarated.

Blizzardgaze saw Sunmist and gestured for her to come on over - but Redstar spoke first.
"Sunmist," he said to her from above. "There's been a change in plan." The red tom gazed steadily at her, knowing that she had the most to say against him out of everyone. They'd always been at odds, it seemed, even when they hadn't been. "We will be fighting the Mudbloods from our own territory. We'll lie silent and strike when they don't expect it, and we'll pick them off one by one by one." He grinned lopsidedly. "They won't stand a chance against us."

Goldpaw 'rowred' in agreement, totally PUMPED, BRAH!

Redstar chuckled offhandedly, put into an even better mood by Frostshine's enthusiasm and his warriors' laughter. "We'll bring back the patrol and," he addressed the rest of the Clan, "Find a safe place in our mountains to make our war camp. We'll also look for places to fall back to, more hiding places in our territories, set traps, set watches, and use the skills we know best; working the land, brute strength, and, most of all, stealth." He exhaled softly. "What say you, Sunmist," he asked, putting her on the spot.

Blizzard gaze looked at her friend apologetically. She'd joined in with the rest of the Clan in cheering on Redstar's plan and she felt sort of like she had betrayed her friend. Cheering on a 'kittypet,' and all that... But Redstar's plan sounded great! She was good at hunting, and she was looking forward to hunting Mudbloods in her own land.

[Longstorm]

Sunmist flattened her ears at Redstar. "Do you all agree with this new plan?" She looked around at her Clanmates. She didn't need an answer; she knew how to read that cats of DarkClan. Sunmist looked back up at Redstar. "You said we were going to help the Clans of the lowlands," she growled at him. "You said that we were going to unite against the Mudbloods so that everyone could be saved!" She shook her head sharply, tail lashing in the confined space. Then she thought about it.
In all actuality, she hadn't really been that keen on helping the other Clans. It hadn't seemed like Redstar had had a plan. Now it sounded like he did. It didn't help her faith in Redstar, no, but now they didn't have to go all the way to the Bloodstones, so that was a plus. And whenever the Mudbloods got around to attacking, DarkClan would have the advantage.
So she could deal with it.

[Longstorm]

OOC: BUMP (and ending the topic for skip purposes)

IC: Sunmist looked Redstar in the eye. "Where do we start?"

[Runfast]

Redstar smiled. He'd expected Sunmist to resist. To have her support was to have the Clan's full support - he knew that. He knew that very well.
"I thought we'd break off into two forces - one to make base, the other to set the traps. We'll need the strongest cats for the latter." And so he named the cats that would be on either team - Redstar would be overseeing both at one point or another.
And then everycat got to work.

The end the topic.

[Sponsored content]